Badger or Bruin?

I have received my first PhD program responses. I've been accepted to UCLA and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Both are great programs, but we're waiting to hear from some other schools before making a decision. At any rate, it's a huge relief knowing that we definitely have somewhere to go.

Shea the Paleontologist

Jenna took Shea to the dinosaur museum along with Bethany, Shea's babysitter, and her two sons, Spencer and Grant. The boys got to dig in the sand for dinosaur bones and play inside a cave. Shea had the time of his life and now can't get enough of "dinonaurs"!

NO PICKING!!!!

Shea has yet to actually pick his nose out of necessity, but he does this for laughs all the time! We're not sure who it cracks up more - him or us!

Best Wife Ever!

I just made my FIRST from scratch, fresh herbs, tons of fresh veggies (including parsnips - which, since I had NO idea what a parsnip was, I had to ask the old lady next to me in the produce department to point them out), real roaster chicken, the whole-nine yards, HOMEMADE CHICKEN SOUP! And because Chris was missing the old LA neighborhood deli, I even made matzo balls to go in it!!! It was a thing of beauty (and tasted pretty amazing too!)

Shea loves Nursery!

Nursery has been a bit of a challenge so far. Shea loved his first week or two and then decided he hated it and mom and dad were NOT allowed to leave him alone there. Well, he's decided that he loves it again and can stay the whole time by himself. Wahoo, mommy and daddy get to go to their classes. Today he colored a "picure" of Jesus and made a pretty out of fruit loops!! He was so excited, he smiled and talked about it all the way home.

Way to go Chris!

So Chris' coursework for his master's degree is finished and it's official: he has earned a 4.0 in his MASTER'S DEGREE!!!!! Congratulations, that was a lot of hard work and we're very proud of you!

Bean Museum

Chris and I finally got around to taking Shea up to the Bean Museum up on campus. It's a life sciences museum that has thousands of both Utah native and exotic stuffed animals. It sounds kind of gross, but we love it and Shea thought he'd died and gone to heaven!!! Giraffes, moose, bears, "doggies" a.k.a. wolves, giant fish, big sheep, an elephant!!!! Kid Heaven!!!

Just like Daddy

Cousin Tate (Aka: Chris and Amber) gave Shea this little Scooby Doo shaving set for Christmas. He loves to pretend to shave with the little toy razor, but could not figure out what we were doing to him when we put the "shaving cream" all over his face. He had fun in the end though and kept calling it bubbles. His favorite!!!!

Back to School

Well, the holidays are officially over. I returned to school last Tuesday and Chris returned today. He's teaching the accelerated French 101/102 again this semester and is hoping that it will be uneventful and that he'll have plenty of thesis writing time. I am just doing the same old same old at school and hoping to get home quick each day to play with Shea. And Shea is just happy to be home chilling with daddy or playing at his beloved Bethany's house.

Juvenile Litterature Night

As I've been teaching English this year and last, I've learned so much about the great kids books that are out there now. I've really gotten into this genre and am enjoying these books so much! Last night I held the Juvenile Lit Night mini-enrichment at our house. Women from the ward who wanted to know more about what kinds of books are available came over and I did short book talks on all my favorites. If anyone needs a great, fun, entertaining, clean, imaginative book to read I can recommend about 50!

Tigger has to eat too

As Chris doesn't have to go back to school until next week, this week is Shea and Daddy time. Today at lunch Chris told Shea that it was time to get in his big boy seat for lunch. (He just last week decided that he's too big a boy for a high chair and is ecstatic to be at the table with Mommy and Daddy.) When Chris turned around there was Shea, buckling Tigger into the seat. He needs lunch too right? :-)

I tell you, Fruity Cheerios are crack for babies.

Every time we turn around, Shea is getting into the pantry searching for his Cheerios. We don't know the lengths he would go to to get some... but we're not sure we want to find out.