2014 Memory Jar #29

- written by Nathan

JLG wanted his leftover noodles and cheese to be cold when I was getting his lunch ready.  He usually wants things to be cold these days.  I put the cold noodles onto his plate along with carrots that MNG had served at dinner.  I had already warmed up the carrots before I divided them among the three of us.  I served JLG and JAG their lunches, and after a few bites of noodles, JLG tried his carrots.  He threw a fit when he discovered that they had been warmed up.  He said he wanted them to be cold!  I told him that he hadn't said anything about wanting the carrots to be cold, so I hadn't even thought of it.  In response to my explanation, he quoted his mommy (in a totally different situation) by pointing at me accusingly and saying, "You better think hard before you do that!"

2014 Memory Jar #28

-written by Nathan

JLG (looking out the back door at the sidewalk chalk and bubbles from Easter baskets scattered on the patio):  "We left our stuff on the patio!"

NG: "You can go pick it up if you want."

JLG: "I think you should do it."

NG: "No.  You should do it."

JLG (hanging his head):  "I guess we can just let it rain!"

2014 Memory Jar #27

-written by Nathan

Despite having just finished dinner, we all four shoveled in the first batch of popcorn from the Whirly Pop that MNG bought this afternoon.  We sat on the couch and finished it within a few minutes.  JLG said, "That's the most food I've had in all the history of the whole world!"

2014 Memory Jar #26

-written by Nathan

For the past few weeks, I have heard JLG sing a lullaby for JAG when she pretends to take a nap.  Sometimes he likes to pretend to take a nap, and he asks me to sing a lullaby.  Every time I have heard him sing to JAG, it's been some variation on this (here's what he sang tonight):

"Juliana.... you are a cutie-baby.... Daddy calls you cutie-ana for a nickname.... and you love us."

2014 Memory Jar #25

-written by Nathan

JLG and I went to Teo's birthday party at the fire station downtown.  MNG took JAG to church, so it was just the boys.   The party included a tour of the fire station and each child got to climb into the fire truck and spray the fire hose.  Afterwards, everyone went back to Teo's house for food, games, and presents.  MNG and JAG joined us after they got home from church.

2014 Memory Jar #24

-written by Marika

While getting ready for Vivian's birthday party downstairs in the bathroom, Jack was rooting around in my make-up.  He pulled out a make-up wedge and started dabbing his face with it.

"Vivian will think I look great!" he told me.

2014 Memory Jar #23

-written by Nathan

Tonight MS and DD watched the little ones while MNG and I went out.  We had dinner at Edelweiss and went to Ryan and Stacey's birthday party at Phantom Canyon.  The dinner date was great, and the the friends and billiards and beer sampler at the party were not too bad, either!

2014 Memory Jar #22

-written by Nathan

JLG was throwing a fit because I was on the phone with MS.  He said he didn't want her to come over.  I told her, "Jack is still looking forward to you coming over."  He yelled, "No, I'm looking backwards to it!"

2014 Memory Jar #21

-written by Nathan

Before MNG left for work in the morning, we were all upstairs.  JLG was at the table, and JAG was on the kitchen floor with a pair of JLG's shoes.  She had one on the wrong foot, and she wanted me to help her put the other one on.  I told her, "If you want these shoes on the right feet, you'll have to switch."  Calmly and innocently, JLG asked, "Daddy, why did you call her a bitch?"

2014 Memory Jar #20

-written by Nathan

I attended my first voice lesson tonight.  I have come close to getting set up with a professional voice teacher in the past, but I finally decided to go for it.

2014 Memory Jar #19

-written by Marika

Me:  "Jack, what does love mean?"

Jack: "It means that you love somebody!"

Me:  "But, what does that mean, Jack?"

Jack: "It means that your heart is so happy!"

2014 Memory Jar #18

-written by Nathan

Trailer Court Casanovas played Meadow Muffins again.  This time it was from 9pm-1am (last time, it was a fundraiser, and we only played for a little more than an hour).  Ba and Pa watched the little ones and MNG and I met some of her co-workers (her principals!) at Colorado Mountain Brewery in Old Colorado City before the show. A good number of people came out to see us, and I think they will have us back again.

2014 Memory Jar #17

-written by Nathan

We enjoyed our annual Valentine's Day fondue tonight  Surprisingly, it's actually a lot better with the little ones joining us.  Letting go of the intended romance opens it up to be a light-hearted exciting event for all of us.  We all enjoyed the first course, and during the time I spent making the dessert fondue, Mommy and the babies had a lively dance party.

2014 Memory Jar #16

-written by Nathan

MNG was looking through albums of college pictures for one specific shot to post on Facebook (ski class).  She was on a mission, and she was not paying as much attention to JLG as he wanted.  Among the things he said to get her attention was, "Wanna make a bet?  You know what that means?  It's when you tickle somebody and gobble them up and stuff!"

2014 Memory Jar #15

-written by Nathan

For several weeks now, JLG has been saying "carry me as a baby" when it's time to take him to his room for nap.  Today at church, he wasn't cooperating when it was time to go, so I scooped him up in my arms with his knees up to his chest.  He yelled, "Carry me like a real boy!"

2014 Memory Jar #14

-written by Nathan

A busy day.  In the morning, we walked to Bon Center to take our books back to the mobile library.  Afterwards, MNG felt like stopping at Stir for some pie and coffee.  We called ATM and LGM, and they walked to Stir to join us.  We hung around for awhile, the little ones playing with the toys and coloring.

the babies coloring at Stir

ATM was thinking of buying an electric-acoustic guitar at the pawn shop, so he and I went to look at it.  I had errands to run, and Adam felt like going along.  We made a few stops, took care of errands, and had the usual ongoing talk about band camp.

In the evening we took the little ones to the church for the Legacy fundraiser babysitting night.  MNG and I went to English Dockside for dinner for the first time in years.  After that, we used our child-free time for a romantic trip to Kohls to use my Christmas gift card.  I bought some much-needed new jeans.

When we got back to the church to get the little ones, JLG was enjoying a Veggie Tales video on the projection screen and jumping on the couches with other kuddies.  Of course, he didn't want to go home.  Lisa Allison, who was there with Clay to pick up her own kuddies, commented that we should have brought sleeping bags and beer, and we could just camp out and be at church already when Sunday morning came around!

2014 Memory Jar #13

-written by Nathan

I reported for jury duty this morning.  I was selected for the second round of the day, which was a bit of a relief, as I wouldn't have to be sitting there the whole day wondering if I would be picked.  We were taken to one of the court rooms, lined up, and escorted to our seats.  I was in the jury box, and it was announced that the trial we would be hearing was a murder trial.  It would likely last three weeks.  The attorneys asked questions in order to narrow the group of 60 or so down to 12 jurors and 2 alternates.  We were dismissed for lunch.  I came home, ate, and headed back.  More questions were asked of the potential jurors, and I began to feel like I just might be on the jury for this one.  At the very end of the day, with only minutes to go until 5:00pm, they dismissed me.  I left with mixed feelings, but I certainly didn't complain.

2014 Memory Jar #12

-written by Nathan

After we pulled into our driveway after the Superbowl, I got JLG out of the van.  He saw the moon, which he had not been able to see (from inside the van) the whole way home. He said, "Thank you, moon.  Thanks for making light, you precious moon!"

2014 Memory Jar #11

-written by Nathan

Broncos played in the Superbowl today.  We went to Ryan and Stacey's for the big game.  Ever since we found out they would play the Seahawks, Ryan has bee over-the-top excited.  They totally blew it, though.  We left before the game was over, the Broncos having scored not a single point.  As we put the little ones in the van to go home, Ryan leaned out of his front door and yelled, "They scored!"  Too little, too late.

2014 Memory Jar #10

-written by Nathan

Today we found out that JAG has a cashew allergy.  Not long ago, she picked up a measuring spoon with some pieces of crushed cashews on it.  They were part of a recipe MNG was making for dinner.  She put it up to her face (maybe into her mouth, we don't know), and almost immediately developed a rash around her mouth.  We scheduled the appointment to have her tested soon after that.

I called this morning to find out if the fact that she had been to the ER last night after falling down the stairs would have any effect on how well the testing would go.  I left a message because it was too early to get an answer at the office.  I started getting the little ones ready, assuming we wouldn't reschedule.  When the lady from the office called back, she sounded a little bit annoyed that I would suggest that there would be any reason that the appointment would need to wait.  She was nice enough, though, and she reassured me that nothing would be different on their end.

So, we went in and had her tested.  Sure enough, she had a cashew allergy.  The doctor said that we should strictly avoid pistachios, as well.  Apparently, the body usually responds in the same way to those two nuts.

When we were done, it was well past lunch time.  The whole drive home, we talked about allergies.  I had to explain more than once that having an allergy doesn't mean thinking something tastes yucky.  It just means a person can't eat certain foods.

When we finally made it home, everybody was hungry and it was nap time.  JLG went potty and then unrolled the entire roll of toilet paper.  I made him roll it all the way back up (which meant I had no choice but to help him at about the middle).  Then it was late lunch and nap!