Oooo Dirty...

SuziQ and ChiChi (cats) have been with me for over 12 years. Both pretty much sleep the day away now, but every once in a while I'll see them acting "kitten-like". Though they look alike, they couldn't be more different. SuziQ is a chunky 16 pounds and ChiChi is half her size at 8 pounds.

Anyway, SuziQ likes to eat, then puke up what she's just eaten. It's a lovely thing to find early in the morning. Sometimes we're lucky and we catch it! I'll spare you the details and just tell you the story...

I was following Ryan down the hall this morning when he stopped and said "oooo...dirty", pointing to the "kitty spooge" (as we call it). This was the 2nd time she'd puked today - yippee! I kept walking to the living room to finish whatever I was doing, but Ryan took a detour into the bathroom, grabbed the end of the toilet paper, and brought it out to the mess.

What, is he the janitor now? It was too funny - at least he knows that we clean up those messes! (Now...in a few years, I'll remind him of this little incident. Do you think it will encourage him to clean up his own messes? ha!)

Aren't you glad I spared you a picture and other gross details? hehe

This kid's got "balls!"

Is it a "boy thing" to know which ball goes with which sport? Ryan sure knows his balls! :)

Megan - just being cute!

Don't you just want to squeeze those cheeks? :)

Chatty girl!

We thought we'd try out the new video "thingy" and upload one of Megan. She's gotten to be quite the chatterbox! And that smile of hers....we just can't get enough! Enjoy!

B Back

It must be a full moon...

Ryan is just off the wall! His thing lately is trying to climb on top of me AND Megan when I'm feeding her. I know it's an attending-getting thing, but he's also trying to give Meg kisses and hugs. (By the way, he's actually saying "Megan" now!)

I was feeding Megan tonight, and Ryan was all over the place. Up down up down - trying to kiss Megan - trying to sit next to me - trying to crawl over the back of the couch, etc. Megan didn't like it, I was getting frustrated, and most of all, I didn't want him to get hurt - OR - hurt his sister.

So...I put him into his crib to "cool off" and settle down for a little bit while I finished with Megan. Ryan knows that if he's good, he can take his "B" (binky) with him to bed. It's the only time he can have it. We've started "putting the B back" every morning on the shelf - in fact, we hold him up, and he's the one who puts it back.

I guess I lost track of the time and left him in there a little longer than he needed to be there, because a little while later, I walked by his room and I heard..."Big Boy, B Back" over and over. He was telling me that he wanted to be a big boy and put his B back on the shelf, and of course get out of the crib.

It made me cry. He tries so hard, but he's also only 21 months too! How can I expect him to be a "big boy" when he's still so little?

Thanks for the reality check, Ryan. I love you too!

PS - two weeks in a row for Nursery! (Though he did cry for about a half hour for "daddy" to rescue him!)

Mom's New Best Friend!

Yep - I finally took the plunge and tried out this FABULOUS shopping service! It's almost impossible right now to go grocery shopping with two little kids! First, Ryan has to be strapped down in the front of the cart or he'll be ALL over the store, and then Megan has to stay in her car seat, which ends up in the back of the cart. That means there's hardly any room for groceries! (Unless Ric and I go together and grab two carts, but that's not efficient, is it? Though we've been known to make it our Saturday Night Date at the Walmart SuperCenter! hehe)

I'm SO impressed! I just went to their website, chose what I wanted to buy, chose a delivery time, and they delivered it all to my door! The cool thing is that they have most of the sale prices that the regular Stop and Shop Store has, as well as most of the products. They also had a list of what I've bought before from the little key ring scan card I've used at the store. (And they say that "big brother" isn't watching!) Another bonus?? No impulse buying!

I can still use coupons to save, choose a larger delivery window for another discount, pay by e-check for another discount, AND I was able to find a $15 coupon code online to use too!

(Just a side note - whenever you are shopping online, ALWAYS search for a coupon code to save $$ - I've found a code just about every time! I typed in "Peapod Coupon" in Google to find the $15 off!)

Anyway...the produce was VERY fresh, the milk was cold, and I didn't have to go out in the heat and humidity! Can't beat that! :)

Now...when I have some time to myself, I'm going to take the printout that they sent with my delivery and compare prices at the store. I know that Peapod works out of a different warehouse, so the prices may be slightly different. I'll give you a comparison report after I gather all the data! Who knows...even with a delivery charge, I still may be saving money (and time and aggravation) because of the coupons!

Just lovely...

Whether it's my shoes or Ric's, Ryan has to try them on. He's usually shuffling through house in something different a couple of times a day!

We HAD to get pictures of this one though, fresh from the tub, at least he has a diaper on! Doesn't he look lovely in Mom's pink shoes?






In fact, he was playing with Ric's Teva's last night. Somehow he slipped them somewhere and we couldn't find them! If you've been to our house, you know it's not that big! Well, finally, after checking everything we could think of, Ric peeked in the clothes hamper - and there they were! Yet another place to check besides the bathtub or out the cat door if we're missing something!

So it begins...

....we're FINALLY going to get sewers in our neighborhood!

Yipppeeee!!!

I know, it's a strange thing to be excited about, but we've been living with a cess pool since we moved in! (Never heard of a cess pool? It's just a hole in the ground! Nope...no septic for us, we're living in the "dark ages! hehe) I can't WAIT to have a garbage disposal installed!

When we moved in, we were told by the city that we'd have sewers installed by the end of 2005. Well...they are running a little late, don't ya think? The construction crews have been working in our neighborhood for a few months now, but are FINALLY doing something on our street! I brought Ryan outside to see the guy cutting the road. All he did was cover his ears and say noisy! Just wait kid! hehe We'll be taking a lot of road trips when the BIG machines start on our street! They're already really noisy and they are on other streets in the neighborhood!

Anyway...I'm sure that we'll post the progress as it happens! Woo Hoo! Life in Warwick, RI - so exciting!

PS - see that paint mark in the road? Looks like we get our very own man hole right in front of the house. Fun fun!

Washing the car is fun to do...fun to do...to do...to do...

Just a few pictures of Ryan helping Dad wash the car. I don't know who ended up cleaner - Ryan or the car! (He only dumped the water bucket over once too!)

Product Review: OxiClean Carpet Spot & Stain

I know...it's a little strange putting product information up on a family blog, but I HAVE to share this with you!

When Ric and I bought our house, it had blood-orange shag carpet - at least 2" thick - throughout the entire house. Of course, that was the FIRST thing to go! (Though we still see little red/orange fibers outside every once in a while...Hmmm....)

We picked out a nice Berber carpet and had it installed. Unfortunately, when it was installed, we realized that we thought it was a darker color. Of course, we were stuck with it, and we've lived with the problem of stains ever since.

Anyway, about a year after having it installed, we decided to have the carpet cleaned and called Stanley Steemer. There weren't a TON of stains, just a little dirt from the traffic areas and such. At first, it seemed like they had done a good job, but a few months later, we noticed that the stains we did have were coming back! (And this was supposed to be stain resistant carpet!) My guess is that the stain resistant properties were removed when we had the carpet cleaned.

Since having Ryan, and two older cats, we ended up with the yuckiest carpet! Stains everywhere. I tried every kind of spot cleaner I could find. We tried carpet shampoo-ers, even Kirby! Nothing worked to REALLY take the stains out and keep them out! They kept coming back later!

Until now....I ran across OxiClean Carpet Spot and Stain a few weeks ago. I found it at Bed, Bath & Beyond for 4.99 a bottle. You just spray it on to the stain, let it sit for 3-5 minutes, then rub it around with a cloth. This stuff is FANTASTIC! I feel like I have NEW CARPET!

Since I'm a little anal about my carpet now...I decided to take before and after pictures of one particular stain. I don't even remember what it was, probably cat puke, or something like that, but it wasn't a pretty stain!

This is the BEFORE picture...lovely, isn't it?

I used the OxiClean stuff and waited about 2 weeks before I took the after picture, just to see if the stain would come back. In fact, the instructions did say that some stains might need to be treated twice. There were a few that did on our carpet, but not a lot.



This is the AFTER picture, taken a couple of weeks later. You can see that it's MUCH cleaner! In fact, it's almost gone! Woo Hoo!

Yes, it is labor intensive. I'm on my hands and knees, but it WORKS!

We were talking about having another carpet cleaning come in, but there wasn't one company out there that would guarantee that if spots came back in a few months, that they'd clean it again at no charge.

So....I'll stick with my $5 bottle of OxyClean for now!

Two Months!

Two months old! Look at those cute little round cheeks!

Friday was her 2-month appointment. She officially weighed 12 pounds 10 ounces. WOW! She's also 23 1/4" long! Big girl! (Ryan at 2 months was the same length, but only 10 pounds 5 ounces.)

She's got cute little rolls on her legs, but not TOO squishy! Just enough to be cute!

Meg also had to have 3 shots and an oral Rotovirus thingy. So....Friday night and yesterday weren't very much fun for her - she just didn't feel well and had a slight fever.

But she's back to her happy self now! (That is unless I wait to long to feed her!)

Dueling Doodle Pro's

These cool toys can be life savers during Sacrament Meetings!

One way to keep Ryan quiet (OK, relatively quiet) is to draw pictures for him on the Doodle Pro. We have a little one that's about 5" x 7". BUT, the family that usually sits behind us has one for their daughter that's twice as big! (Their daughter is just a month older than Ryan.)

So we're all sitting "quietly" listening to the speakers today... Ric has our Doodle Pro and behind us, Todd has his. The kids are not even paying attention to them. They've moved on to something else, like coloring books or crackers.

At least it's one way to keep the big "boys" quiet! hehe :)

PS - Ryan survived ALL of nursery today! Woo Hoo! We're excited about that, but when he survives for a few weeks in a row, we'll know that he's making progess!

Surprise!!!!!

Those of you in Utah will recognize this couple! Earlier this week I got an email from Linda saying that she and her husband, Dan, were spending a few days on an island in Maine at a Bed & Breakfast. They fly back home tomorrow from Boston, but were able to take a quick trip down here to Rhode Island for a visit!

It was such a GREAT time! I've known Linda since I was 4 years old. We've been friends all through elementary, jr. high, and high school, and college (even though she went to BYU and I chose to go to Utah State!) It's friends like this that you don't have to do a lot of catching up with!

Ric and Ryan were walked with them to show them our little beach and give them a little Rhode Island History. I finished feeding Megan and made dinner. We had such a nice time eating and chatting...the food was good (if I do say so myself) and the company was even better! (We even treated them to some Gregg's Chocolate Layer Cake! Yummy!

The most ironic thing about this little "reunion" is that OUR 20th Orem High School reunion is this same weekend! (Has it REALLY been 20 years! eeeek!) We prefer our reunions to be a little more intimate I guess!

Thanks for visiting you two! Stop by ANY time! :)

P.S. Mom, Linda wanted me to tell you that Megan is cuter in person! I told her that you'd be jealous!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

As I was changing Ryan's diaper this morning, I coached him to say Happy Birthday. Daddy was so surprised!

AND - I managed to get a quick picture (only somewhat blurry) of Ryan and Megan BOTH smiling! It looks like Meg has a receding hairline - but the baby hair she lost is growing back - the same red color! Yippeeee!

Happy B-day my love! :)

Trade Ya!

What's the quickest way to turn away Jehovah Witnesses from your door?? :)

Offer to trade a Book of Mormon for their Watch Tower! They back away pretty quickly! For this very reason we keep a copy right by the door! hehe

(After rushing to turn off the breast pump, put my clothes on, and get the door - THAT'S who's behind the door? At least I had a little fun with them!)

Total Money Makeover

I'm not one to load up my websites with a lot of advertising banners. I think it's just too distracting (and annoying!)

BUT, Ric and I have read and now follow the concepts in the book, Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey. His ideas are common sense, AND completely against what's considered "normal" right now. We've changed our ideas about debt - and even paid off (and cut up!) all of our credit cards. We still have a little bit of debt left (besides our mortgage), but we're well on our way to being debt free! Woo Hoo!

Anyway, since this book has had such a profound affect on our lives in the past few months, it would be silly if we didn't share it with everyone else! So there you go, you can get more info if you follow the link. (Of course, we'll tell you all about OUR Total Money Makeover if you just ask!)

Bock Bock Bock

Guess who knows the "Chicken Dance?"

This LOVELY "dance" is one that I put on the "do not play" list at my wedding. (as well as the Macarena, Electric Slide, etc etc etc.) But...here I am in the living room this afternoon kneeling down with Ryan doing the chicken dance!

Of course, I look like an idiot doing it - but Ryan is absolutely adorable! We have to get it on tape - it's hysterical! It will be the next YouTube sensation - You watch! hehe

ps - I did end up giving in on the Electric Slide, but that was because my dad said he would do it too! I couldn't pass THAT opportunity up, now could I? :)

Not sure if Ryan will miss this....

Look closely...see all the hair stuff?

Railee had a good time putting it into his hair. I'm surprised that he sat still that long!

:)

Sunday in Newport

It's been a GREAT few days having Kaylynn, Railee, and Tyler visit! We know that Ryan will definitely miss having his cousins around.

Yesterday, we went to Church in the morning. Ric blessed Megan during Sacrament Meeting. In addition to Kaylynn and the kids, Ric's sister and a few friends joined us this time as well.

Somehow we all made it through all three hours, though Ryan ended up falling asleep as usual on the way home.



While Ryan slept, Ric took all three down to the beach by our house to find shells. They saw blue crabs, horseshoe crabs, and all sorts of creatures too. We have a bag of shells that have to be cleaned out and shipped to Utah now!





After Ryan woke up, we took advantage of the last full day here and did some sight seeing. We stopped for an early dinner where Kaylynn was able to have some Broiled Lobster (you can't leave New England without having SOME seafood, right?) and then we took a drive to Newport.

It was too late to see the insides of the mansions, but we did see the outside of some of them.




Of course, we had to make our pit stops so I could feed Megan, so we went to a park at the tip of Newport - Brenton Point - where all the kite fliers go.

After a lot of driving, over 4 different bridges, through two states, and lots of road we made it home! (AND...we didn't manage to beat each other up being in the car that long! hehe)

A GORGEOUS Rhode Island Day!

MUCH better than yesterday! It's hard to believe that we were in the 50's yesterday when you have bright blue skies, a nice breeze, and it's 80 degrees outside today!

Our first stop today was the Point Judith Light House - since there are no lighthouses in Utah, we thought it might be a good idea to see one! This one is our favorite, probably because Ric brought me here on our first date! (*sigh*)







There was a light breeze and an unlimited view!











The next spot on the agenda was to pick up Dough Boys and Clam Cakes at Iggy's and then on to the beach!

We chose Roger Williams Beach because the waves are much more calm than the other beaches and it's a fun family beach.



Of course the kids took turns burying themselves in the sand and jumping over waves.



Ryan just followed along too. He liked being in the water, but not when the waves hit him. I guess it's hard to keep your balance when you're so little!






Then there was Meg. This was her first visit to the beach. She slept through most of it. Ate a little with mom in the beach chair. (I LOVE breastfeeding at the beach - know why? I have just ONE layer to move to get the milk to her, rather than the nursing bra, shirt, etc. when I wear normal clothes! PLUS, if my cleavage shows, it's not a big deal because everyone else's is too! Woo Hoo!)



Megan did work a little on her "tan" for her big day tomorrow. hehe (She's being blessed at church...)

First full day with the Mitchell's

Yesterday, was our first full day with Marni's sister Kaylynn and her two kids, Railee and Tyler. We knew in advance that the weather was going to be wet and gray all day, but we didn't expect it to be as bad as it was with temps in the 50's and the rain rather heavy for most of the day. We decided on Thursday night that it would be a great day to go to the Mystic Aquarium in CT, but so did a lot of other families! After getting up in the morning, finally getting out of the house by noon and then stopping for lunch before we got to Mystic, we arrived there to find the parking lot full and the rain coming down even harder. The place was packed and since it was raining, most of the people went indoors when they could which made for a lot of crowding.


It was still great to go there and I hadn't been there since I was a teenager (with my family). The kids had never been to an aquarium before so it was special for them despite the weather. Kaylynn was freezing cold all day and it didn't make it easier that all she brought with her was shorts; after all, we had been having weather in the 80's + 90's up until yesterday. We all did out best to make it as nice as possible and Ryan loved seeing the fish, sharks and the sea lions show. There was a moment that brought tears to my eyes as Ryan watched the sea lions intently as he sat on my lap.

Eventually we made it back home (in the rain) and had burgers and dogs for dinner. Kaylynn and the kids got to try linguica for the first time and liked it. Tyler and I hung out while Kaylynn, Railee and Marni went to do some light shopping after dinner. Tyler's been a great help to me in getting some things done and making the day a little easier watching Ryan. Railee has also been very involved with Ryan and Megan as well and loves to play with Ryan working him into a constant laughter. Today we're off to the beach, the lighthouse, some clam cakes and chowder and sightseeing for the Mitchells.

Nursery success - sort of

Yesterday, we had some success with getting Ryan to stay in the nursery at church. Although he cried at first and kept calling out for "daddy" often, he made it through the first hour and 15 minutes. Then, just as I was getting our Young Men's class underway, I was informed that Ryan had met his limit for the day and needed to come out. So, he spent the next 35 minutes in the Bishop's office with our class as "mascot" and practicing his "high-5's with the young men while I taught the lesson for the day. A limited success for now, stay tuned for next week.

Ric

Just when you think...

...you have it ALL together...

Picture this...Ryan finished his lunch, Megan was fed and napping in her car seat. Everything had been gathered to run out with both of them to Babies R Us. (I needed to find a different bottle that Meg would hopefully take! She's being REALLY stubborn about bottles!)

Anyway, our trip is perfect. Megan sleeps most of the time while we're in the store. Ryan doesn't melt down too much about not getting the basketball he chanted about over and over and over again. All in all it was a good trip.

On the way home I notice...THAT MY NURSING BRA WASN'T HOOKED UP!!! Basically, I was half way put together, lopsided, and felt completely stupid! I'm sure that no one noticed (at least I'm telling myself that) and if they did, they probably had the same thing happen to them at one time or another.

*sigh* Just one more thing to check off before going out the door!

Three Generations...

There they are...the three Levett men.
(Peter Levett, Ryan Levett, & Ric Levett)

Does it get any cuter than this?

Hydrangeas

Just a couple of pictures of some hydrangeas that bloomed in our back yard. The colors are so vibrant!

My Hubby....My Hero!

Look what Ric did! :)

Yipppeeeeeeee! All in one morning, he decided to put on his electrician's hat, crawl up into the attic, hook up TWO ceiling fans, then hook the wires for the fans AND a plug for a freezer that we've had for 2 years AND an outside plug into the electrical panel.

Whew! Now my office has a fan and a light in the ceiling. (Darn 1950's homes, the only rooms built with ceiling lights were the bathrooms and kitchens!)

Ryan's room also has a fan and a light on the ceiling.

And because I know that it's REALLY exciting to see pictures of receptacles, here you go! :)

*sigh* Just one more reason why I married this guy!