Armstrong Anecdotes

Belly Laughs

2011-08-31T21:09:00.000-07:00

"We love to laugh [hahahaha],

Loud and long and clear.

We love to laugh [hahahaha],

So everybody can hear.

And the more we laugh [heeheeheehee]

The more we fill with glee

And the more the glee [heeheeheehee],

The more we're a merrier 'we!'"

-Bert and Uncle Albert of Mary Poppins

Man, I love these kids...

Testimony of Motherhood

2011-04-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

Warning: This post could be long...

The picture above shows the two people with whom I share pretty much every minute of every day. They've stirred up a wide range of feelings in me over the past three-and-a-half years. They can drive me crazy at times, but they always--always--keep me sane in the end. They are a big part of what makes me absolutely exhausted by 7:00 in the evening, yet they're also the main reason I get up in the morning. No matter how bad or embarrassing a tantrum has been, nothing soothes my frazzled nerves or calms my anger like a pair of little arms wrapped around my neck in a gentle hug. I love these little punks--and I love being loved by them.

The past few months have been extremely challenging for me. I don't know if it was postpartum depression or loneliness from Tommy being gone so much or just a trial by fire, but I've really had a hard time. I've felt very inadequate as a wife and mother, and I got in the destructive habit of comparing myself to other women and moms around me. Why couldn't I figure out how to manage my time as well as others? Why wasn't I a better cook or a better crafter or a better housekeeper? Why couldn't I be as attractive as so-and-so or wear cute outfits that didn't have spit-up stains? Very, very destructive thoughts. I began looking back at my college years, when I'd had so much time to do what I wanted and spend more time on myself. I wondered what happened to that girl who had so many dreams, that girl who Tommy fell in love with. I thought of all the places I'd wanted to visit and the amazing things I wanted to do but never did because I got married and started a family.

Then a few weeks ago I came across an article online that was like a sharp slap in the face--a huge wake-up call. The article was about two women--mothers--who had decided they didn't want to be mothers anymore. One left a 20-year marriage and two children (ages 8 and 5) so that she could move halfway across the world and be a journalist. She had convinced herself that she could be a much better mother if she didn't have to worry about the everyday things that mothers can "lose themselves" in. She would be better able to help her children, celebrate their accomplishments, and offer great advice if she were at a distance, removed from all that "chaos." The other mother left a marriage of over 10 years and three children because she wanted to "make a difference in the world." Both felt that they had become better mothers for having left their children, for putting themselves first and doing what they wanted to do.

I felt an explosion of emotions as I read that article. I was angry that these women didn't think that mothers make a difference, that the work I do 24/7 doesn't account for much. I was disgusted that they had brought children into the world whom they weren't going to care for. I was ashamed that I myself had felt that I'd given up many wonderful opportunities in life when I became a mother. But I also became keenly aware of how very cunning the devil is. He's working hard to destroy families, and he has a sure way of destroying them if he can bring down the mothers. These women appealed to the feelings that I'm sure all mothers feel at some point: we deserve to be able to do what we want and be what we want, and we shouldn't let anyone stop us. It's natural to feel that way, especially after a long, hard, thankless day of taking care of kids who really don't seem to care how much effort you're putting in on their behalf. The natural man is powerful...and destructive. Satan doesn't have much power over us physically since he doesn't have a body, but he has incredible power over our thoughts. That has proven to be my weakest point, and I've struggled with it all my life. I've never been tempted to drink, smoke, do drugs, break the Law of Chastity, etc., but I struggle with destructive thoughts, especially when it comes to how I feel about myself.

I thought about that article for a couple of days, and then I read another article. In last month's Ensign, Sister Beck wrote an article on the doctrine of the family and how important it is for us to teach it to our children. I found so much comfort and peace, and I came to realize that I had indeed accomplished my two main goals in life: marry a worthy priesthood holder in the temple and become a mother in Zion. What better thing could I be doing with my time than raising these precious children and being "an help-meet" to my husband? No one can do that better than I, no matter how unfashionable my clothes are or how few exotic places I've visited. These thoughts carried me through several more days. Then one night I was standing at the kitchen sink, loading the dishwasher, when a scripture popped into my head. Matthew 10:39 suddenly had a whole new meaning to me:

He who seeketh to save his life shall ^blose it: and he that ^closeth his ^dlife for my sake shall find it. (JST)

I realized that that was what I needed to do in order to "find myself", the girl I've always wanted to be. My calling is Mother, it's what the Lord wants me to be. I need to lose myself in motherhood, in rearing and nurturing these children that Heavenly Father has trusted me with. How great the wisdom and the love of our Father in Heaven! He gave us families so that through service, sacrifice, and love we can come to see and love not only others, but also ourselves as He does. I know that there is no higher calling than Motherhood, and I'm so grateful that I've been blessed and trusted with such a sacred and rewarding role.

Small Talk

2011-01-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

Before I begin this hilarious story, I need to mention an amusing habit that Adam has developed. He's very much like me and Tommy in that he's not a great conversationalist--he's a bit shy. But he tries. He makes a very valiant effort whenever anyone talks to him, and he clings to an ice-breaking tactic that makes me and Tommy have a hard time keeping straight faces. No matter what a person says to him to get him to talk, Adam always sticks his foot out and says, "See? I have shoes." I guess he figures that's something the two of them have in common, and thus far they're on equal ground. It always brings a smile to the other person's face :).

So this morning, I needed to run a couple of errands. We got a late start since Hannah has been sick and was taking an unusually long nap. We pulled out of the garage to find that it was raining a lot harder than I thought. I decided to just do one errand so I wouldn't have to take the kids in and out of the car too much. By the time we left the store, it was lunch time so I decided to stop by Wendy's on the way home. I don't know their menu very well (we go to Chick-Fil-A when we get fast food), so I tried to pull up to the speaker thing just to the point where I could see the menu but not cross over the buzzer that lets them know someone's there. Well, I pulled a little too far up and got an earful of, "Hi, may I take your order?" I told the guy I needed just a second, but then Adam piped up. "Uh, yeah, uh, hi," Adam started yelling from the back seat. "Uh, I have shoes!" I tried to shush him while I searched everywhere for the kids menu, but he just plowed on. "Uh, I like some apples and fries and juice and--" but I interrupted him to quickly make our order. It was hard to talk over him, concentrate on what I was saying, and keep from laughing all at the same time. I pulled away from the speaker and up to the first window to pay. "That'll be--" the guy started to say, but Adam interjected with, "Hi, Mr. Guy, this is Hannah." We got to the second window, and while they were handing me our food, Adam called out, "Mr. Guy, I have this booger here--" at which point I practically peeled out of the drive-thru lane, barely grabbing his kids' meal and almost exploding with suppressed laughter. I laughed all the way home, so he definitely didn't get a lecture on proper conversation etiquette. Perhaps I'm a bad mother and teacher for that--but at least he keeps things interesting :)...

Hannah's 'Razy Hair

2011-01-19T16:46:00.000-08:00

I've never seen a kid with hair like Hannah's. It's very fine, like mine, so it's hard to do things with it; but there's also a lot of it, so I kind of have to do something with it. The difficult thing, though, is that it has a mind of its own. I've tried different styles. It's long enough now to where it can be put into pigtails, but only the hair on top and on the sides can make it--the hair in the back is as short as it was when she was born. Oh, well. She still manages to look cute.

According to Adam

2011-01-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

Our computer is fixed! I can't even begin to express my happiness :). So many things have happened around here since...August. Wow, I can't believe it's been that long since my last post.

Adam is three now, and he has developed quite an imagination. He's absolutely hilarious, too. Since he's talking in complete sentences now (and much more clearly), we've been amazed at some of the things that go through his head :). Here are some of his latest ponderings:

On seeing my bare mattress (while the sheets were being washed): "Whoa! Where'd that come from?"

On talking to Tommy on our home phone instead of on my cell phone: "Daddy, what are you doing in there?"

On seeing Hannah start sucking on the side of her bathtub during her bath: "Oh, Hannah! Don't eat your tubby!"

On having the sun shining in his eyes while riding in the car: "No, sun! You go away! You go home teaching!"

On being asked if he was stinky: "Mommy, you go upstairs."

On having one his toys constantly fall off his toy truck: "Woody, you stay! You stay in your seat!"

On recovering the above toy from under my rear end while I was nursing (I didn't realize I was sitting on it): "Oh, Woody! You okay? Did Mommy hurt you?"

On getting tired of hearing me singing "Once Upon a Dream" to Hannah: "Mommy, you stop that. You sing 'Popcorn Popping.'"

On seeing Tommy's brother John (who has a twin named Shawn): "Where's the other Shawn?"

And a recent conversation we had while running errands:

Adam: Mommy, let's go home!

Me: Not quite yet. How about we go to Target, and then the craft store, and then the tool store [Lowe's]? What d'ya say?

Adam: Please.

He's also started saying prayers all by himself. He almost always says he's thankful that he went to sacrament meeting and Grandma's house, whether he went there that day or not. He loves to help out with Hannah, and is really good at wiping her nose (i.e. smearing the snot all over her face). What a kid.

I just love these little punks :)...

Mom's Morning Out

2010-08-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

I went shopping this morning. I bought three new outfits, two pairs of sunglasses, some arts and crafts supplies, and some comfy new socks. Ahh, isn't that the life?

Yep, that's my life, and I do it all with two little kids in tow. Let me go into a bit more detail about my morning out :). The outfits (actually pajamas) and socks were for Hannah, who has completely grown out of everything smaller than 3-6 months (and that size won't last much longer, either!). The sunglasses were for Tommy because a certain little guy we all know and love popped one of the lenses out of his daddy's shades on one occasion (we put it back in, so for a while Tommy went around looking a little ghetto :)...), and on another occasion this same little dude popped out the other lens and lost it altogether. The arts and crafts supplies were a coloring book and a pack of "biiiiiiig 'rayons" (big/fat crayons) for Adam. The crayons were these really cool double-ended ones, with one color at one end and another color at the other end. They seemed like they'd be pretty sturdy, too, since they were so thick. We got everything but Hannah's stuff at Target, and as were leaving the store Hannah started crying. So I packed us all up and drove to the back of the parking lot and parked under a tree for some shade. I gave Adam his new coloring book and brought Hannah up front with me to nurse her. After a few minutes Adam said, "Mommy, fix it?" He held out one of those "sturdy" crayons, which he had snapped cleanly in half. Luckily the paper around it wasn't ripped. I stuck the broken half back in the paper wrapper and gave it back to him. Almost immediately he said again, "Mommy, fix it?" He held out the same crayon, only this time the paper had slid down when he started coloring and was covering the tip. "Just use another color, bud," I told him. Stupid idea. He broke the next crayon, too, and the next. It's a good thing that pack was only a buck.

After I finished nursing Hannah, we drove up the road to return some clothes to Osh Kosh and Carter's. As I stood at the counter chatting with the Osh Kosh associate, Hannah very audibly filled her pants (she was in the Baby Bjorn). Adam promptly informed me, "Mommy, beebee Hannah is stinky." What would I do without that kid? The associate told me there was a changing table in the bathroom, so we trooped to the back of the store and into the small restroom. Of course, my changing pad had been taken out of the diaper bag and not put back in, so I spread paper towels all over the changing table and laid Hannah on it. While I was doing this, I explained to Adam that he shouldn't touch anything in the bathroom. "Yeah," he said vaguely. I changed Hannah as fast as I could, but it wasn't fast enough. Adam got down to business right away. First, he threw his hat into a corner and sat down on the floor. I told him not to sit on the dirty floor and to pick up his hat. He crawled over to where his hat was, put it on, and sat down again. I told him again not to sit on the floor, so he got up and came over to Hannah. Before I could stop him, he reached up and started patting her cheeks. I told him he could only touch Hannah after he washed his hands, so I finished with Hannah and helped him wash his hands. I turned back to Hannah and started putting her back in the carrier, but when I turned around again I found Adam lifting the toilet seat with both hands. That ticked me off a bit. I washed his hands again (with Hannah hanging in front of me) and reminded him again not to touch anything. I straightened back up and felt something warm oozing down between my toes (I had flip flops on). I looked down and saw that Hannah had spit up all down my left side and all over herself. Adam looked up at me and said, "Hannah spit up, Mommy." I started cleaning this new mess up and glanced up to find my sweet little dude rummaging through the garbage can. I washed his hands yet again and declared that we were leaving. Now. I didn't even finish cleaning the spit up between my toes. As I squelched past the associate she called cheerfully, "Have a wonderful day!" I wondered if that would happen. We went next door to Carter's to return some other things, and I got Hannah some jammies. I spent more than I intended because I just grabbed some things and left without taking time to choose between them. I just wanted to get home.

All the way home Adam asked me to either fix his crayons or give him some Goldfish crackers. It's a good thing he says "please" now, or I would've gone nuts. When we got home, I made him some lunch and sat down to nurse Hannah again. They finished eating about the same time, so I changed both their diapers, put Adam down for his nap, and laid down with Hannah for a minute. I hadn't realized how tired I was until that point. I dozed off for a few minutes but awoke suddenly to a very strange sensation: Hannah was trying to suck on the tip of my nose.

Yeah, this is the life :)...

Two Months Old!

2010-08-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

Check out this girlish figure:

Hannah had her 2-month check-up today and passed with flying colors. After gaining two pounds and three ounces since last month, she is now at 13 lbs. 3 oz.! She also grew two inches and is now a whopping two feet tall :)! I can't believe how quickly she's growing and how fast the time has gone by. We've been so pleasantly busy. One of the best things that's happened in the past two months is the development of a beautiful friendship:

Adam simply adores Hannah. He kisses her almost as much as I do :). She watches his every move and often grins at him from ear to ear--it's so fun to watch. He's very complimentary of her, too. After she gives a particularly rich belch, he'll say, "Whoa, good burp, Hannah!" He often presses his cheek to hers and coos, "Oh, so sweet!" My favorite, though, is when he lovingly strokes her head and says, "Look at Hannah's 'razy hair." Her fringe is definitely eye-catching. Pictures just don't do it justice, though...

Here's to two months of being a mother of two--I'm loving [nearly] every minute of it :).

Little Slugger

2010-07-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

I don't think the Braves have ever had a bigger fan than Adam. I don't think baseball itself has, either. Adam loves baseball so much that he calls our front yard "The Field" and asks me to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" a million times a day. He has given up playing on the playground when we go to the park--he prefers to run the bases on the baseball fields and throw fastballs off the pitcher's mound. He's got the best arm and aim of any kid I've ever seen, seriously (and he throws at the same speed no matter how near or far you are :)...). He's really good at hitting the ball, too. He'll even toss a ball in the air himself and hit it 80% of the time. It's so fun to watch. But the funniest thing about his obsession with baseball is what he what he comes up with to hit a ball with. He'll turn almost anything into a bat, from a 6-inch uncooked spaghetti noodle to my rolling pin. He's used a balloon, a fork, a tennis racket, a drumstick, his baseball glove, even a book. My favorite so far is one he came up with yesterday morning: a straw wrapper. He brought this wrapper upstairs while I was nursing Hannah and handed me a ball, saying, "Mommy, doe da baw [throw the ball]." I tossed the ball to him and he swung, and it would've been a great hit if the wrapper hadn't gotten flattened. He obviously had no idea how flimsy this bat was because he started looking around and said, "Where da bat go?" When he saw it flopped over the back of his hand, he crumpled it up in annoyance, threw it aside, and grabbed a belt that was lying on the ground, ready for another pitch. Little League is in for a big surprise next year...

Adam's favorite outside toys

Batting with my salad tongs

Yes, he does own a real bat.

Playing ball at the pool Father's Day weekend

Playing out on "The Field"

My precious little All-Star

Hannah Grace Armstrong

2010-07-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

She's here! I thought five weeks and two days after the event would be a good time to make this announcement :). I know, I know--I'm probably the worst blogger ever, but at least I've gotten around to it! I'm not going to leave this computer until I finish this post. As an added incentive, I've promised myself a big bowl of ice cream to enjoy when I'm done...

Hannah Grace arrived on Monday, June 7th, after only four hours and 46 minutes of labor (this isn't counting the three trips to the hospital we took for false labor). My first contraction hit at noon. I was at 4 1/2 cm when we got to the hospital, and I made sure they knew right away that I wanted an epidural. By the time the anethesiologist came, however, I had reached 9 cm. I couldn't believe how fast I'd progressed, although it was definitely the most painful few hours of my life. So I labored without the epidural but delivered with it. It was a wonderful experience. Hannah came after only three pushes, and I was able to hold her right after she was born while they began cleaning me up. Even with that slimy, purpleish skin and matted hair, she was the most beautiful little girl I'd ever seen. She looked just like Adam did, except her hair was longer. She was 7 lbs. 15 oz. and 21 inches long. She was born at 4:46 pm, so I was able to order dinner right away :). She has been an absolute dream since day one. She caught onto nursing right away, and she's a great sleeper. Last night was her best night yet: 11:00 pm to 7:30 am! She probably would've slept longer if Adam hadn't climbed into her bassinet with her. Adam has proven to be the most loving big brother I've ever seen. He simply adores his "Beebee Hannah." My biggest problem is trying to keep him from loving on her too much :). He introduces her to people everywhere we go. It's awesome. Tommy was able to have two weeks of paid paternity leave, so we had some wonderful family time. It's been a much smoother transition than I thought it would be with a second baby thanks to such a supportive, patient husband--I don't know what I would do without him.

Hannah is growing and developing wonderfully. She just had her 1-month check-up and is already 11 lbs and 22 inches long! She's given me one genuine smile, and it made me feel so good. Looking at her and watching Adam giving her kisses and hugs makes the long months of vomiting and sleepless nights totally worth it. It's amazing how much more love and joy this tiny little girl has brought into our home. I'm so happy, and I'm so very glad she's mine forever.

Her first picture!

Adam's first time holding her

Sweet big brother

Our first family picture

Silly guy

" You've got a friend in me, Hannah."

(Adam loves these Woody pjs...)

First tubby-time

Her hair gets so poofy after she gets a bath.

Chillin'

Adam loves to snuggle with his Hannah...

...anywhere and everywhere :).

Pretty girl

And now...I'm gonna have some ice cream.

Sheesh...

2009-11-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

So it's been a while. Where do I begin?? I guess I'll start off with making some excuses :). We had a huge flood at the end of September that washed away our street, and we lost water, power, gas, phone, and internet, but not all at once. We got our water back after a couple of days, but we didn't have gas for over two weeks. Our power went off for a few hours every day for a week, but it finally started staying on. Our phone and internet were off for over a week. The street is finally done enough for us to drive over! Life is slowly getting back to normal.

On September 30th, we found out that we're expecting baby #2! We're so excited to have another little one coming in early June. My morning sickness has been really bad, though. It hit its peak (so far) last week when I couldn't keep anything down for over 36 hours. My doctor put me on two kinds of medication, and they're helping a great deal. I'm just not sure what to do about being so tired all the time...

We also found a house and will be closing on November 19th! We found it at the end of September after looking for about three months. It's a 4 bed/2.5 bath split level that was built in 1971. We're buying it from the original owner (she and her husband had it built), and she has taken great care of it. She's a sweet 91-year-old lady who has become a good friend. She's leaving all the appliances (including a fairly new washer and dryer) and about half of her furniture! She wrote out a list of things she was leaving behind and asked her realtor to see if Tommy and I wanted any of it. Whatever we didn't want she would take to Goodwill. The realtor took me around and showed me everthing on the list (which included three beds, a couch, and two armchairs!). I was feeling really sick by the end, so when she told me to go around with the list by myself and check off what I wanted, I said, "Can we just take all of it?" She said okay, and when Mrs. Overman (the lady selling the house) came home, the realtor told her we'd just take everything. To my surprise, Mrs. Overman threw her arms around me and said, "Oh, thank you so much!" She gave me a big kiss on the cheek and kept thanking me for taking that stuff off her hands. I kept trying to thank her, but I don't think she heard me. The backyard is HUGE, and I fell in love with it the first time we walked through. It's just under an acre and has lots of trees and even a spot for a garden. We love the neighborhood, too, and are excited that it has a swim/tennis program. We'll be sure to post pictures of the house when it's finally ours :).

Adam turned two on October 14th! I threw a birthday party for him and his little buddies at the beginning of the month, and it was a lot of fun. We had it at the park, and the kids had the playground all to themselves. Adam was way more interested in playing than in opening presents :).

We went to our ward's Trunk or Treat party on Halloween, and we dressed Adam up as a C.P.A. Please don't laugh at this poor kid's mom. That was the best I could come up with at the last minute (after he refused to wear the puppy costume I got him a few months ago). Tommy was even more vocal about the "stupid puppy outfit" than Adam was. Both boys have since learned not to mess with a sick, emotional pregnant woman who's trying to keep things simple. I put Adam in his Sunday clothes, put some gel in his hair, and made him a "Adam T. Armstrong, C.P.A." badge. Here he is (stuffing a Twix bar in his mouth):

All in all, we're doing very well. I'm hoping this medicine will keep doing the trick so I'll be able to keep up with this blog :)...

Hats

2009-06-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings! After a five-month absence from my blog, I'm finally getting my act together. I'm writing up a few other posts, and I'm hoping to get them all posted by the end of the week.

In the meantime, I'd like to highlight one of Adam's greatest loves: hats. He has always loved putting things on his head--anything from blocks to socks. It doesn't matter how big the "hat" is or whether or not he can see when it's on, he just loves wearing hats. Check out some of the sweet lids he's had:

Into the Wild

2009-01-26T17:48:00.000-08:00

My friend Krista invited me and Adam to go to the zoo this past Friday with her and her son Thatcher. This was Adam's first time at the zoo, but he didn't get as into it as I was hoping he would. He got the most excited over the flamingos, probably because they were the first animals on display. At one point, he was peering over the fence when he suddenly bellowed at them at the top of his lungs. I think he was trying to wake them up, as some of them had been rude enough to stop strutting for him and doze off. Krista and I had a blast. It was fun to just talk and walk around. We'd packed some picnic lunches and enjoyed a somewhat leisurely meal next to the safari animals. I say somewhat because Adam would occasionally yell for more food if I was being too slow, and Thatcher would steal Adam's grapes whenever my back was turned. We were a bit disappointed when our sons wanted to examine the rocks and sticks and leaves instead of look at the lions and zebras and panda bears, but we'll just have to try again. Here are some pictures I was able to take when I wasn't chasing Adam:

Flamingos

"So, kid, ya gonna feed me o' what?"

I don't remember what this bird is called, but it had the thickest eyelashes I've ever seen!

I tried to get Adam to hug the giraffe, or at least stand next to it...oh, well.

"Dude, are they ever going to leave us alone? I mean, can't we just chill without them photographing our every move?"

"Ok, you look at my mom, and I'll look at your mom. Then maybe they'll leave us alone."

"Or maybe not."

The fences were simply fascinating...

All this guy did was stare at us.

We had so much fun! Thanks, Krista!!

The Buzz...

2009-01-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

...well, almost. I decided earlier this evening to give Adam a trim after dinner. I've been putting this off for as long as I could because he is terrified of the electric clippers. He seriously screams bloody murder and squirms around in his booster seat during the whole ordeal, so it's a pretty tedious undertaking. I couldn't remember which clipper number I'd used last time, so I picked up the one that I thought it might be. I slipped it onto the clipper, took a deep breath (he'd already started screaming), ran the clippers over his beautiful blond hair...and almost screamed myself. I gazed in horror from the thick 4-inch locks dangling from the blades to the cropped line of stubble running down the middle of my screaming baby's head. I'd cut of about 2 1/2 inches more than I was going to, and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I kept going, swearing I would never do this again, until I had cut all his gorgeous hair off. It's almost a freakin' buzz!! I'm still in shock. I won't even start on how I butchered the hair around his ears. I'm just glad he's too young to care right now so he won't hate me for the rest of his life...

BEFORE

This was during his bath last night. He actually put those letters up himself!

AFTER

When I was finished, I told him it was tubby time, and he cheered right up.

Look at the hair around his ears!! Has any kid had a more stupid-looking haircut??

Thus ends my sad, short, and stressful career as a barber. I have put down my clippers for the last time. Or at least until Tommy reminds me of how poor we are and how expensive professional haircuts have become...

Good Times

2009-01-15T16:28:00.000-08:00

Adam has been an extremely busy kid lately. Tommy and I have been having a great time watching him learn and discover new things, and his personality is really starting to show. He continues to be as delightful as ever, but he definitely lets us know what he likes and doesn't like. For instance, Tommy gave him a spoonful of Moosetracks ice cream a few days ago. Adam got so excited that he almost knocked his booster seat over. He ended up eating half of Tommy's bowl (I didn't know this until it had already been done). Then a couple of days after that, I was feeding Adam some kielbasa and green beans. He has never liked green beans, but I always try to give him some in hopes that someday he'll learn to like them. Well, this particular night, he wasn't in the mood for them. I gave him a couple, and he promptly grabbed them from the tip of his tongue and flung them on the floor. After alternating between meat, applesauce, and green beans, I found that it was a hopeless case--the green beans were going straight to the floor. Then I got the brilliant idea to first get a green bean on his fork and then put some kielbasa on after so that the green bean was hidden. This worked once. After that, he'd bite down right behind the meat and keep the fork clamped there so it wouldn't budge. Craziness. Luckily he'll eat peas.

Here are some things he absolutely loves:

He's crazy about swings. We love going to the park, and he's been having a lot more fun now that he can run around by himself. He can even go down the slide by himself!

He could spend hours in the bathtub...

He got this lawn mower from his cousin Tyler and pushes it into everything.

I found him like this one morning. He'd pulled down all of his books from the bookshelf and was just sitting there flipping through them. We're glad he's looking at them now instead of biting them.

This hat is definitely his favorite thing. He takes it literally everywhere we go (except church), and he prefers to wear it backwards. He has a toddler-size hat but doesn't like it nearly as much as he likes this one.

He also learned to reverse in his car :).

Christmas

2009-01-10T18:47:00.000-08:00

We had a pleasant, laid-back Christmas this year. Tommy finished his semester with outstanding grades, and we were able to spend some wonderful, stress-free time together as a family. Christmas morning was especially fun. We got Adam a little basketball hoop (he has now mastered slam-dunking--working on the dribbling now), and he loved it. He got so excited when he saw it all set up:

We spent some time with my family Christmas morning. The married siblings and Bethany went in together to get my parents a digital photo frame for Christmas. My parents were so surprised and happy, and even my younger siblings can't get over how cool it is :). After that, we headed out to spend the rest of the day with Tommy's family. The Armstrongs have a fun tradition called Christmas Bingo. Each adult buys a gift ($10 max) to put in a pile, and we play bingo to win a gift. We're allowed to trade, too, so it can get pretty ruthless. Tommy ended up with a Nerf gun, and I got a Wallflower fragrance kit with two refills (I love those things!!). We also get each of the grandkids a gift, and Adam got some pretty cool stuff :). He had a lot of fun unwrapping his presents, but he had even more fun eating Christmas dinner...

I'm Dreaming of a White...Thanksgiving?

2009-01-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Arizona this year with my mom's family. The night before we left, we looked at the weather and saw that it was supposed to be rainy and a bit chilly. Tommy was pretty psyched because not only was he the first person he knew to ever go to Arizona, but he would be there when it rained. I mean, it never rains in a desert, right? It was definitely rainy when we got there, but the next day it snowed...like crazy. Huge, swirling flakes of snow. Tommy just couldn't get over it :).

We were able to get nonstop flights to Phoenix but were still a little nervous about taking Adam on a plane for the first time. He seriously couldn't have been any more pleasant! He loved looking out the window, unbuckling my seat belt, and pulling all the trays down. His favorite game by far, though, was flirting with the little girl right behind him. She was about ten years old and flying all by herself to spend Thanksgiving with her dad. I could tell she was pretty scared, but when Adam started poking his head out between our seats and giving her some toothy grins, she looked much more at ease. It was pretty funny to watch them interacting. All in all, he had a great flight and even managed to keep his good mood through our 2-hour ordeal with the rental car place (ugh). About ten minutes into our 2-hour drive to the cabin, however, he started letting us know how long a day it had been for him. Needless to say, that was a long, stressful couple of hours. His mood improved with a good night's sleep, and he loved playing with all of his cousins. Tommy was able to meet my grandparents for the first time, and I was able to visit with lots of cousins and aunts and uncles (there were 74 people who ended up coming to this reunion). One of the highlights of the trip was my first taste of In-N-Out Burger (Tommy has eaten there several times). It's so good that there aren't any of those out here in GA, because I would be eating there every single day--those burgers were so dang good :). It was a fun trip, but we were so happy to get home. Adam did even better on our return flight, which was such a blessing since we didn't have an empty seat next to us like we did on the first flight. He made lots of friends :).

We were welcomed home by a lovely flu virus that first attacked me and then Tommy. Thankfully Adam didn't get it, but it still took us a week to get over that nastiness. This Thanksgiving made us much more appreciative of several things:

good health and full strength
our gloriously soft pillow-top mattress
elbow room at mealtimes
two full bathrooms that we don't have to wait in line to use
our own bedroom
warm weather

All in all, this was a great holiday. We enjoyed spending time with family, and I loved showing off my own little family. I was a complete ditz, though, and took only a few pictures, but here are a couple of Adam with my grandma...

Adam's SmartCar

2008-11-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

Adam got a new car a couple of weeks ago from his cousin Tyler. We call it his SmartCar :). He took it out for a test drive a couple of days after he got, and he loved it! I think he was experiencing that new-found freedom that every new driver does their first time driving solo. He was very excited about the thrilling 2-manpower engine (Daddy's two legs), and the fact that this thing needs no gasoline was a huge plus. He's had only a couple of accidents (both times he ended up tipping it over onto himself), but that hasn't seemed to put a damper on his enthusiasm.

This little car is going to get some serious miles put on it over the next several years...

Baby Steps

2008-11-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

Adam is walking! He started taking a few steps a couple of weeks before his birthday, but he now walks as often as he crawls. He's actually pretty good at it :). Yesterday he started pushing himself up to a standing position without any assistance. And I was so happy that Tommy was home to see it :). Our little guy is growing up, and it's truly a joy to behold...

Little Lumberjack

2008-11-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

We dressed Adam up as a lumberjack for Halloween. Tommy made him a little axe, and I tried to give him some stubble (using some brown eye-shadow), but he just ended up looking like he had a really dirty face. Our friends Evan and Krista invited us to go trick-or-treating with them. Their son Thatcher (who dressed up as a turtle) is a little older than Adam, so they were only going to a few houses before bedtime. It ended up being a blast, and even though we only went to six or seven houses, the little guys (or I should say their daddies) made out with some pretty hefty loot :)! We barely missed my parents, who took my siblings to a movie, but Adam and Thatcher had fun digging in to the bucket of candy that they (my parents) left on the porch. Adam was pretty grumpy by then, so we called it a night after that. At home, while I bathed Adam and put him to bed, Tommy sat out on our porch with our candy to give out. Not a single trick-or-treater came! Our neighbor came out a few minutes after I put Adam to bed and told us that she'd lived here for 23 years and had never gotten a trick-or-treater. I thought that was so sad :(. Well, we figured we might as well go back inside, and we spent the rest of the evening watching The Prestige. It ended up being a pretty enjoyable Halloween :).

The Turtle and The Lumberjack

Raiding Grandma Weiler's candy

Thatcher was gracious enough to offer his mommy some candy. Adam, on the other hand, decided to hoard his :).

A Very Happy Birthday Boy

2008-10-31T17:28:00.001-07:00

We had a baseball birthday party for Adam on October 18th, and it was so much fun. I was very proud of my first attempt at cake-making :). Adam had some of his little friends there, and we had lots of family members come as well--it was a great turnout. We were able to reserve the pavilion at the stake center, complete with grills and a nice big field for some games. We grilled out hamburgers and hot dogs and had the football game on the radio in the background. One of the highlights of the party was when one of the little girls discovered an enormous anthill and started poking around in it. Someone from the crowd bolted up the hill and grabbed her before she got any bites. It wasn't until a second after this happened that I realized it was my dad who'd rescued her--I've never seen him move so fast in my life!!

Another highlight was when Adam opened his first present, a state-of-the-art Winnie the Pooh train from his Aunt Dawn (Tommy's sister). He was sitting in his stroller just laughing and smiling around at everyone, and then I started tearing off the wrapping paper for him. As soon as he saw what was inside, his smile vanished and was replaced by a look of shocked surprise. He stared at it for a second, and then he started squealing and kicking his legs with delight. It was hilarious!! He got excited over every single present he got, and he even cried after I took each one away to give him a new present to unwrap. He was a most grateful recipient of all the wonderful gifts he was given. Here are some pictures of the happy day:

I frosted the cakes the morning of the party. We decided to see what Adam thought of the frosting...

...and he loved it :).

The birthday cakes

Here's Adam digging in to his "smash cake"--he was surprisingly dainty about it.

"Want some, Mommy?"

Mmmmm!

Adam loved his first taste of cake :)! This was the messiest he got.

I was a ditz and didn't start taking any videos until he was almost done with his cake, but here's one that I did get...

The awesome choo-choo train

Even wrapping paper was incredibly fun!

And he loves tags--he's eaten quite a few...

Adam and Thatcher checking out the train

A fun clip of Adam enjoying his train

The night after the party, I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of that train going absolutely berserk. It was making every noise that it's capable of, and it was so dang loud!! Luckily Adam and Tommy slept through it, but it freaked me out. I crept into the living room, ready to knock out whoever was invading our house, and found the train just sitting there next to Adam's toy basket. Since then it's gone off like that three or four times, so I guess it just has a mind of it's own. And the worst thing about all this is the darn thing has no "Off" button!! But it keeps him very entertained while I'm doing laundry, etc., so I guess it's a keeper...

Memories

2008-10-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

This fall season has been full of wonderful memories for me. At this time last year, I was an exhausted yet ecstatic new mother, so excited to have my precious baby boy in my arms at last. Those first two weeks after he was born were the most difficult (and painful) of my life, but I'm serious when I say that it's been absolute bliss ever since. Adam has brought more joy to me than I can express, and there are times when, like Jane Bennet of Pride and Prejudice, I wonder, "How shall I bear such happiness?" I have been blessed far, far beyond what I deserve with such a sweet, happy baby and a hard-working, dedicated husband. This past year has been one of countless beautiful memories and life-changing experiences. Tommy and I have grown so much closer as husband and wife, and nothing but the sacred experience of bringing our child into the world could have gotten us to where we are now. I love, love, love being a mother. No other occupation or personal achievement has made me feel so fulfilled or satisfied. I feel that I have finally found my place in life and in Heavenly Father's plan. This truly is "my work and my glory". I only hope that the coming years will bring me as much happiness as this last one has...

Glory, Glory to Old Georgia

2008-10-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

I feel I need to make mention of "them Dawgs" since they're the highlight of Tommy's Saturdays right now. He'll cram all of his studying into a couple of hours so he can catch the tailgate shows before the games. I'm starting to get used to this crazy passion of his, but it's taken a while. One of the first things he said after we found out Adam's due date was, "Oh, good, so he'll be here before the Florida/Georgia game." Yes, heaven forbid I go into labor during a football game ;). We watched our first game as family this past Saturday, and it was pretty fun. We went over to Shawn and Ashley's (Tommy's brother and sister-in-law) to see it with some other family members. Adam enjoyed cruising around with his walker, trying to sneak up the stairs, and having staring contests with Layla, Ashley's "Toto" dog. I had fun talking to the girls around the refreshment table in the dining room, and Tommy got lots of exercise jumping up off the couch every few minutes. It was a fun get-together.

There's one tradition at Bulldog games (and in living rooms where games are being watched) when the Dawgs are kicking off. As the kicker runs to punt the ball, the crowd bellows, "Goooooo, Dawgs! Sick 'em! Woof, woof, woof!" The barking part sounds pretty cool coming from the stands. I decided one day recently to see what Adam thought of this "chant" (not sure what else to call it), and he just laughed his head off. I caught part of it on video. My back was against the wall, and he was trying to climb into my lap the whole time, so the clip is a little bumpy:

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2008-10-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and the day before were rainy and stormy, so Adam and I had to make do with playing inside. He really enjoyed watching the waterfalls (our gutters are awful I found out) just outside the windows. And he wasn't afraid of the thunder at all--in fact, he would start laughing whenever he heard it! I had a lot of fun watching him...

For Journaling Purposes...

2008-10-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

I got an email a few weeks ago from a friend of mine that had a bunch of questions that she answered about herself. She forwarded the questions on to me and some others with the instructions that we (her friends) were to answer the questions about ourselves and email them back to her and some of our friends. Well, I thought it'd be fun to include these questions in my blog, if not for your interest then for my journaling purposes :)...

Favorite soft drink? I rarely drink soda, but when I do I prefer root beer.

Favorite restaurant? The Blue Rooster in Old Town Lilburn--it's so cute!!

Real hair color? Nut-brown hair (what does that remind you of, L'Anita :)?)

What was your favorite toy as a child? BARBIES!!

Summer or winter? Neither--I only really enjoy the fall.

Hugs or kisses? Both, especially from Tommy and Adam :)

Chocolate or Vanilla? Uh, chocolate

Coffee or tea? Neither--I like hot chocolate.

What are you afraid of? Spiders, snakes, camel crickets, roaches, freaky movies, needles, not living up to my full potential, not being a good mom and wife

How many years at your current job? Homemaker- 3 years; Mom- almost 1 year

What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Batman: The Dark Knight

What is your favorite TV show? When I'm able to watch TV (we can only watch movies at our house), I love watching the shows on HGTV.

What food do you dislike? Mushrooms, olives, spicy food, grits, Chinese food, seafood (yeah, I'm a very picky eater...)

What is your favorite CD at moment? I just listen to whatever I put on my Ipod.

What kind of car do you drive? Honda Accord EX

Favorite sandwich? Publix sub with mayo, turkey, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, a little bit of onions, salt, pepper, and oregano on wheat. And my mouth just started watering...

What characteristic do you despise? Selfishness/Self-centeredness (not sure if that's a word, but you know what I mean)--so I despise myself sometimes :(...

Favorite item of clothing? I love jeans--I'd wear them everywhere if I could.

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Tahiti and the Cook Islands

Favorite brand of clothing? I love Old Navy jeans and any brand that has shirts long enough to cover my super-long torso.

Where would you retire to? A lake house in Alaska or a farm house in New England

What was your most recent memorable birthday? My 21st (we were on our honeymoon--a cruise--and Tommy burst his eardrum while we were snorkeling in Cozumel, and I got seasick at dinner.)

Favorite sport to watch? Olympic gymnastics and diving

When is your birthday? August 31st

Are you a morning person or a night person? Morning, which is good because Adam is, too :).

What is your shoe size? 7 1/2

Pets? No

Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? Adam can say "light"! And when we ask him where the light is, he looks up and points to it.

What did you want to be when you were little? a teacher and a mom

What is your favorite candy? Chocolate

What is your favorite flower? Lilies

What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? October 18th--Adam's first birthday party!!

What is your full name? Tabitha Weiler Armstrong

Do you wish on stars? I haven't in a while...

Favorite day of the week? Friday

How many towns have you lived in? Seven (Hanover, PA; Lawrenceville, GA; Rexburg, ID; Madison, GA; Snellville, GA; Loganville, GA; and Lilburn, GA)

Do you make friends easily? Let's just say I've gotten better at it over the years :)...

Well, now that I've taken up your whole day, I'll end this post. I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little bit better :).

I also wanted to post this hilarious clip of Adam jammin' out with the Choir yesterday during General Conference. You'd have thought he was at a rock concert...

Pumpkins!

2008-10-03T16:27:00.000-07:00

Autumn is by far my favorite season, in part because of the gorgeous weather. Today was simply glorious--just perfect for a morning at a pumpkin patch. Tommy and I took Adam to see his first pumpkin, and it was a blast! We went with my sister L'Anita and her little girl Abby; my mom; my sister-in-law Char and her kids; and my friend Krista and her little guy Thatcher. It was quite a set-up, complete with Halloween moonwalks and an inflated haunted house. There was even a rabbit petting zoo :)! Adam absolutely loved the bunnies. We got some great pictures:

He liked patting the pumpkins...

...but loved petting the bunnies.

With cousin Cristina

"Cristina, you really shouldn't suck on pumpkins..."

"...unless you do it like this."

We "Had a Monster Time at Randy's Pumpkin Patch."

With Krista and Thatcher

With Grandma and the cousins (can you tell it was nap time?)

I won't know how this looks until I post, so if it looks weird, I'm sorry :)! Still learning how to make this pretty...

Welcome!

2008-10-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks for looking in on us :)!

We're doing great and staying busy. Tommy is almost halfway done with his first semester of grad school! When he's not studying or sleeping, he's playing with Adam. The two of them have become best buds and love to rough-house. They're starting to look like twins, too...

Adam continues to be the sweetest, most delightful person I've ever been around. I seriously don't know what I did to be blessed with such a pleasant baby. He loves to go jogging with me in the morning and has proved to be a great running partner. I don't feel stupid when I have to take a walking break, and he keeps the conversation going even when I'm too out of breath to talk myself :). And he provides the best encouragement when I'm actually running. He gets so excited (especially when we're going downhill), and starts pumping his legs and waving his arms and shrieking out in delight. I love taking him shopping, too, because he's such a little charmer. Everywhere we go, he smiles and waves and pretends to be shy--it's so cute! Yesterday, he and I went to Old Navy with my mom and sister-in-law and her kids. I was looking for some shirts for Tommy when this little old lady came up to us and started cooing over Adam. She was there with her daughter, who was standing in a long line at the cash register. She would say things like, "Oh, aren't you the most beautiful little boy!" and "Can I just take you home with me right this minute?" Then her daughter started yelling at her across the store to "get over here and pay for your stuff!" It was kinda funny :). He's become a very fast crawler, which is probably why he has shown very little interest in learning to walk without the aid of the couch or his walker. But he'll get the hang of it soon, I know. We took him to Disney World for the first time in August while we were visiting Tommy's parents in Jacksonville. He seemed to enjoy it, although it was hard to get good naps in. He loved "It's a Small World" :). We can't wait to take him again.

I'm staying busy with keeping Adam out of everything and trying to stay on top of my housework. I've been taking a water aerobics class at the local aquatic center and have really been enjoying it. Tommy told me before I started that there would be tons of older people in the class, but I was sure there would be lots of young moms just like me who wanted a chance to get out of the house and socialize for a couple of hours a week. Well, I was dead wrong. I'm the youngest in that class by about three decades, and the conversations that go on are mostly about health problems and grandkids. My first day, I went down to the pool and the lifeguard asked me if I was lost. He looked very surprised when I told him that I was part of the class. But I enjoy the exercise, and I've made a couple of friends. I love having the park, library, and my family within walking distance. We're loving our new ward and have made some good friends. I'm excited to get involved in some of the enrichment groups the Relief Society has going on. I'm still doing travel planning from home and was able to go to a seminar a couple days ago in Atlanta with Sol Melia Hotels and Resorts, Delta Vacations, and Travel Impressions. It was wonderful to be able to get out for a few hours and learn about exotic destinations and luxurious resorts. It made me want to hop on the next plane to Punta Cana :)...

I'm hoping to update this thing every week. Feel free to drop in any time!