How Can Someone so Cute be so Bad?

I had planned to write a post about our vacation today, but Spike just trumped it. I took him out of the bath this morning and put him down for a nap wearing just a diaper. Bad move. He has taken off his diaper a few times before, but it's never been a big mess. Usually, it's just been kind of funny to walk in on a kid with a bare bum in his bed. That said, I should have learned my lesson. I didn't.

I heard him fussing and went in to get him out of his bed. I opened the door and the smell hit me. You guessed it, poop. I quickly assessed the situation, disaster. He'd taken off the perfectly dry, clean diaper. Peed his bed, pooped his bed and then played in it. POOP EVERYWHERE! Everywhere but the diaper that is. I looked at him and screamed, "You didn't!" He looked back at me, pointed at the poo pile and said, "uh oh". Yeah, uh oh.

I thought about taking a picture. Then decided that was disgusting and he would be forever mortified. So, we took another bath and cleaned his room. Spike has now lost "diaper only" privileges and will be wearing a onsie at all times.

Men

Okay, I've been ignoring the tags because I'm pretty boring. But....I am now caving to peer pressure.

The Man Tag!!

A. The rules are posted at the beginning.B. Each Person answers questions about their sweethearts C. At the End of the post, the person then tags people and posts their names; then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged.Alright people here are the facts and details.

What is your husbands name? Jeffrey G. Drury
How long have you been married? 8 1/2 years
How long did you date? Dated 7 months, engaged 9 months
How old is he? 31
Who eats more sweets? Me
Who said I love you first? Jeff
Who is taller? Jeff would say he is, but I'll call it a draw.
Who can sing the best? Jeff, I have no musical skills.
Who is smarter? I hate to admit it, but Jeff probably is. I hope he doesn't read this blog post.
Who does the laundry? Me. When it gets fully out of control (as in no clean underwear) Jeff pitches in.
Who pays the bills? Jeff. We both know what money we have and spend, but he does the juggling.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Jeff, I take the left, closest to the door and screaming kids.
Who mows the lawn?Jeff, I've never, ever mowed a lawn. Lame huh?
Who cooks dinner? Usually I do, but Jeff is a great cook when he wants to. When he can see I'm on the edge, he handles it.
Who drives? Jeff. He loves to drive. I hate to drive and am terrible at it.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Usually Jeff. He hates to fight and apologizes even when we both know it was my fault.
Who kissed who first? Jeff, he couldn't resist me ;)
Who asked who out first? Jeff, but we didn't really start going out until after a camping trip in Mexico.
Who wears the pants? I act like I do, but at the end of the day I can't make decisions. Jeff is a lot more rational than I am.

PS--the picture of Jeff was taken at some bbq place in North Carolina. I made Jeff take it and he hates it. Seriously, it is hilarious to me . I don't know why.

Happy Birthday Dad

Today the Brycer turns 60! I thought about what could say about my dad, and the better question is what isn't there to say. How do you sum up a man who loves loud techno music, duck hunting with his trusty (and naughty) springer Maggie, seafood, meatloaf, chocolate cake and ice cream. He has a soft spot for animals and spends the winter feeding hundreds of birds from his deck.He believes himself to be a snake charmer and hates the deer that eat his yard. He's a firm believer in "good medicine". He's a motivated man who is in constant motion. How else do you describe a man who worked 30 years as a fisheries biologist and then retired to run a boat rental?

I think the best way to describe him, is, he's my dad. He genuinely wants the best for everyone he meets. (Unless he hates you, then you're screwed). He's generous almost to a fault. He'll drop anything to hang out with my kids and our family. He works hard and is always learning new things. His dog couldn't ask for a better companion and he is one of Zoiee's only friends. He is an activities director, story teller and a self described "character". Dad, I'm proud of you and love you so much. Happy 60th!

Breakfast

I reached a new low as a parent today. Instead of the usual brown rice cereal and soy milk, I fed Spike the organic/wheat free version of cocoa pebbles with chocolate soy milk for breakfast. Honestly, chocolate cereal with chocolate milk! I don't know what I was thinking (yes I do, the chocolate milk was in the fridge and a new box of plain milk was downstairs). Anyway, if you want to make your 1 year old's morning, might I suggest a chocolate fest. Spikey likes it :)

Confessions of a Slacker

Well, I'm coming clean. My house is a wreck. Yep, I said it. It's a wreck today and it was yesterday and probably will be tomorrow and most likely will be in a year and 6 days from now. I hear that the first step to any problem is acceptance. Here it is, I hate cleaning. I really, really hate it. Some may say that you hate cleaning but hate a dirty house more. Not me. I hate cleaning. I hate laundry. Rarely is my house clean and my laundry done. Crap falls out of my cupboards when I open them. My laundry is in a giant pile. Sometimes the pile is so bad I can't open(or close, depending on the location of the pile) my closet door. We save money on paper by drawing in the dust on the piano instead. I've lived in my house 6 years and the high windows have not been cleaned on the outside. I think I last washed the walls just to clean them and not to clean off a spill in 2004.

This isn't a new phenomenon. Think of what part of my life you knew me and and you'll find an example of my mess.
Grade School: Mine was the desk that the lid didn't really close because it was loaded with crap.
High School: Giant backpack filled with everything you might need...if you could find it.
College: Dorm room from hell...clothes everywhere but in the dresser.
Work: Doesn't a messy desk mean that you are good at multi-tasking? Thank goodness Randall had a messy desk to. He's forever endeared in my heart.(messys have to stick together)
Mom: Well...come on over, but don't call first.

The real problem is that I have intentions of being all organized and clutter free. I just have so many other things I'd like to do more. Before you call social services though, my counters are wiped off, dishes are always done and the bathrooms are clean. The rest just gets away from me. I learned in college that there is a big difference in effort required between an A and an B+. Pretend that my house is a B+ ...even though it's probably close to a C or D. So, if you come over and see my house in it's natural state, know that while you'll have crumbs between your toes, you won't get a disease. If you come over and it's clean, know that I tried, but don't look too close. Close your eyes and ignore the details. Focus on the fact that I'm so happy you're my friend and love me in spite of my slacker tendencies.

Grateful

What a miracle it is to have children in our lives. From the moment they enter the world and we first hold them in our arms, our lives are never the same again. How grateful I am to have held my babies on my chest and comforted them as they fell asleep. I feel blessed to be able to bathe their perfect bodies, feed them endless meals, and buy new clothes as they grow out of them. These things let me know that their bodies are growing and they are healthy and strong. I'm so glad for the constant noise of our home. The tantrums and silliness let me know they are individuals and I'm glad they can express themselves. I'm thankful for the constant questions and crazy stories and new "invented" words. Where would we be without the passion and imagination of children? I love this time in their lives when I can make anything better with a hug and a snuggle. I love the way they smell when they sleep, their rumpled hair and messy faces.

This time with my boys is such a small part of our lives. So, given that, I've resolved again to say "yes" more often. To spend more time at the park and less time on the internet. I will listen more and ask them to be quiet less. I will play games that I hate. I will sword fight, play Star Wars, and operate diggers. I will read the same book 3000 times more and I will like it. I will like it because I am a mother. I am a mother who is loved. I am a mother who gets to watch my children sleep at night. I am a mother who gets to watch my children grow. I am blessed. These days may be short, but I will not wish them away. I am a mother.

The Jesus Store

On Tuesday I took the kids with me on quick shopping trip to Provo. We made it to three stores without a meltdown! The highlight of the day was the Distribution Center. We were walking through the store and Carter was, of course, bored. All of a sudden, he noticed there were pictures. This is what was heard by fellow shoppers:

Carter : "Mom, look, there is a picture of Jesus! Look, there is another one of Him! Mom, this is the JESUS STORE!!"

Me: (laughing) " Yes, Carter I guess it is. Do you know what is happening in this picture?" (picture posted above)

Carter: "Mom, see this guy and this guy (pointing to the two on the far sides of the picture) they are robbers. And Jesus, I don't know what he did to get on that cross. Too bad for him."

Me: "Carter, would you like to pick a Jesus picture for your room?"

Carter: "Um, no Mom...I would like a transformers poster."

I think it is time for us to invest in the Liken movies or a similar product. Any suggestions?