Cutest. Kid. Ever.

Well, two things are pretty much certain these days: 1.) my baby is no longer a baby, but a LITTLE BOY, doing and saying little boy things, and 2.) he's pretty much the cutest things you've ever seen. This little boy is such a joy to be mom to. I sincerely can't imagine a better kid. He's so very sweet and good natured that it even makes up for the fact that this last Sunday he took off running just as the sacrament was being passed, and Chris and I actually had to run up to the front of the chapel to surround and corral him. Mort-if-y-ing.

Here are some recent pics from my phone:

Some bits about this little guy:

*Loves to spit, thanks to Madagascar, which he calls "way, way" (Move It, Move It)

*"Punkin, punkin!" (It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown) is probably his favorite show ever. Half the day he wanders around talking about "Punkin, punkin." We're trying to get a good video; it cracks us up every time.

*Loves to clean up. If he finds a wipe or a dish towel, he begins wiping down whatever surface is nearest.

*Has an extensive vocabulary for his age, though half of what he says only Chris and I can understand.

*Loves to sing from the primary children's songbook.

*Has loved seeing Grandma Tingey, Grandma Higgs, and Pop-Pop all within the last few weeks.

We spent Chris's fall break in WA with my parents; I've got some great pics but want to edit them first. It was a great trip. Chris and I are so lucky to have come from such amazing families.

Lose For Good!

Hey, everyone! Every year the Weight Watchers organization has a charity drive called Lose For Good. The idea is that people who are trying to lose weight donate food based on how much weight they've lost. They collect can donations for local Food Banks, which are sorely in need of donations, especially as the holiday season will soon be upon us. Last year they raised a $1 million for a charity to help fight world hunger. This year, you can help.

TODAY ONLY, people can write blogs, "like" Lose For Good on Facebook, or comment on a blog post (like this one!) about the Lose For Good campaign. For every "like" they receive, or for every blog post like this one, for every comment left on this blog, Weight Watchers will donate money toward this Lose For Good challenge. So, go ahead! Leave me a comment. And if you're interested in getting involved in other ways, you can visit this Lose For Good link.

I've lost 5 lbs (yay!) on WW in the last couple of months. They're a great organization, so get involved!

Feeling Crafty

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've got a bit of a yearning to be creative and crafty lately. Suddenly I want to learn how to do... well, pretty much everything: sewing, needlepoint, cross stitch, embroidery. You name it, chances are I want to learn it. Last night I was wandering through Joann Fabric, and it has totally opened my eyes to the possibilities of being able to create things myself. Right now I've got a couple of specific projects I want to make: a quilt of my favorites of W's onesies, and Christmas stockings. Yes, that's right, I said Christmas. But if I'm going to make them, now is definitely the time to get going on them.

I've been scouring the internet and boutique shops around town for the "perfect" Christmas stocking patterns, and I've come to two solid conclusions: 1. It doesn't exist, so I'm going to have to make it up myself. 2. I MUST learn how to embroider.

Some super creative people out there are blogging about their crafty talents, and showing this generation how hobbies that were once (sorry) old-lady-ish can be fresh and new and relevant in our modern world. Check out Feeling Stitchy. Seriously, people, I need to learn how to embroider. In my head, I'm envisioning a fine knit cream-colored stocking: one side embroidered monogram, the other some sort of decoration. Each stocking similar in template but individualized for each person. Lined on the inside to protect against years of holding chocolate and other candies; as well as to help the knit keep its shape. I think the embroidered owl would be cute for W's stocking. But this opens up a whole new world for me. And lots more blog searching.

Wild Card

One of my favorite things about being a homemaker is time flexibility. I love that, at the drop of a hat, my friends can call on me when they need something and I can come through for them. There's almost nothing that can't be put off until tomorrow. Positive procrastination. I think I'm on to something. I'm not "just a mom," I'm a jack of all trades, a wild card. I can be/do what someone needs me to be/do at (almost) any given time. I know a lot of people who probably look at that sentiment and roll their eyes--who wants to live a life solely to serve other people? Well, in truth, not me. I desperately miss my alone time to work on all my fun creative projects (oh knitting needles, we WILL meet again!). However, being able to help other people and just doing the simple things I need to do to keep my life and home in order provide me with immense satisfaction. For example, my amazing writer friend (Sheralyn Pratt, check out her books!) just got an in with Random House IF she can get her completed manuscript tomorrow. And guess who she asked to help her edit? C'est moi! Sheralyn's awesome. This is a huge honor. So, now I eagerly await her manuscript in my inbox.

Some things I've been able to do lately in my coveted role as Wild Card:

*Edit Sheralyn's drafts

*Take my pregnant friend to the ER when she had APPENDICITIS (yikes, can you imagine?)

*Organizing a mom/baby swim group for the cooler months

Other things the Tingeys have been up to lately:

*Me: Making FHE visual aids (and let me tell you, they make a difference!)

*Chris: Starting his new semester

*Will: Learning to say 'Sorry,' 'Please,' and 'Thank You.'

*Me: Writing an essay for an essay contest (grand prize $3,000 and a trip to NYC to meet the mag's editors!)

*Chris: Finding a new counselor for the EQ presidency. Done!

*Will: Singing songs out of the primary children's songbook

*Me: Couponing my way into hundreds of free/inexpensive items (just today was dbl coupon day at Smith's. $100 worth of groceries for $40? Yes, please!)

*Chris: Putting up (and ever so graciously) w/my insatiable appetite for girly BBC movies. The Anthony Trollope collection. The Elizabeth Gaskell collection. And, of course: Pride and Prejudice.

*Will: Holding mom's hand as we walk down the hall. Taking Curious George to the grocery store. Losing my Costco card while we were there today. Eating ever so many blueberries.

*All of us: Church, church, church. Hanging out with our families while they were here. Eating more nutritious meals.

What a great little family I have!

Hard at Work

Facts about Will:

*Loves to work in his "office" we've set up for him in the guest room (note the mouse doubles as his executive phone)

*Favorite song: "Downtown," by Petula Clark (which he sings while working in his office)

*Likes to lip sync to Chris Issak's "Pretty Girls Don't Cry"

*Tells jokes to himself in his car seat

*Likes to help fold laundry

*Loves his stuffed-animal monkeys, especially Ganz the gorilla

*Folds his arms at prayer times and sometimes helps say the prayer

*Adores his cousin Ethan and Auntie Debbie

*Is currently covered in Spaghetti-O's