Let the festivities begin!

Alex making the rounds at his weekly t-ball game.

Alan found a great little pumpkin patch that we hit up on the way home from the game. Will would NOT put down his snack, which is just too annoying because they are all I can see when I look at these pictures- blasted cheez-its.

The perfect pumpkin for our annual "Dinner in a Pumpkin." Alex loves this tradition and has been counting down the days for weeks.

Will-after our ward Halloween party. He is a skeleton, by the way, and looked pretty great at the beginning of the night. Nothing makes him happier than a sucker.

Lately

A few recent moments with my kiddos:
*While in line at Costco, Will starts singing "Party like a Rockstar"(edited version, of course), Alex joins in at the top of his lungs, and the person checking us out can't resist and seriously starts dancing right there. And I mean really dancing.
*I was curling my hair for the first time in years. Will walks into the room and asks, "Mommy, are you a pwincess?"
*Last week I went shopping so I would actually have something presentable to wear while in LA. I was trying a particularly bold dress on, and Alex looks at me and says,while scrunching up his nose, "Mom, that's kinda... funky. Take it off now."
*While spending some time in the naughty corner for smacking his brother, Alex yells out to me, "Mom, this is so not cool!"
*Alex has recently discovered a new website he thinks is great. This morning he came into my room, woke me up and immediately asked if he could play on the computer. I told him, "Yes, but you need to cuddle with me first." "For how long?" he asks. I tell him just for a minute. He snuggles right into my arms, I close my eyes, I am so loving this sweet moment with my oldest boy, and then he starts counting... out loud. "One, two, three...." until his minute is up and he is free to go play. Oh the tragedy! My little boy is growing up.

Girls weekend /Boys weekend

While Christie is away this weekend in L.A. for a friend's bridal shower, the boys and I have had an action packed weekend!
Before Christie left she had me read blogs from Joel Henriod and Taylor Olsen as examples of what 'trophy' husbands do while wives are away....in addition I had a "honey-do-list" that included a narrative on the importance of tooth brushing. (Did I not just complete nearly seven years of dental education?) Another request Christie made was for me to resurrect her dying palm.

In response, I post the following activities of The Curtis Boys.

We started the day with a trip to the Phoenix Zoo!
Alex was in charge of the route. He made sure we saw every animal Diego the animal rescuer discusses in his shows. I graduated with a bachelors in Zoology from BYU but Alex taught me the finer points of Tapier habitat! Will takin' care of the back forty! Nothing runs like a Deere!

Goat hiding from "The Will Guy"... Somehow the goat knew what he was in for with Will.

Then we were off to cousin Kate's B-day party!

With Mommy gone, Will and I took care of the birthday party entertainment.

Alex and his favorite cousin Sam had a blast playing on the swings for hours!


After the party the boys and I settled in for some relaxing Nintendo Wii Sports Boxing


While Will still needs a little help with his jabs, he has an unstoppable two-handed tomahawk chop!

For dinner we feasted on fire-roasted dogs and smores in the back yard as we discussed Elijah calling down fire in front of the priests of Baal. (1 Kings 18)

Taylor or Joel.... if you're reading do I have any chance of saving this poor old Palm? HELP!!!!!

That reminds me, I need to go finish another quad of deep scaling and root planning on Will...Joel do you have any tips?

Alex Update

The surgery went smoothly. This kid is unbelievable. His doctor said he should be in severe pain from all of the trauma to the eyes, especially because the last surgery was done so recently. The doctor couldn't believe how tough he is being- absolutely no complaints at all from Alex, even as they were putting steroid drops in his eyes the day after surgery. He seems to be doing well but we really won't know his prognosis for a while. Right now we are just grateful to have it done with, and grateful for the resilience of our big boy. Thanks so much for all your thoughts and prayers. We know they make a difference.

***By the way, guess who's being Spiderman for Halloween? Thanks Grandma, for the spidy-jammies. They are a huge hit around our house.

Park City Report

Riding the Park City Trolley with Grandma and Ellie.

Cousin Lydie with Alex on top of Antelope Island.

Playing with cousins in the caves.

All 14 of my parents grandchildren on top of the Conference Center.

How I love it when my parents come home. Heading to Park City was/always is the best escape for us. The whole family was able to make it except Alan and my little brother and his wife. (Alan's new office opens in about 3 weeks so he was happy to have the time to focus on putting together the last minute details.) It was beautiful fall weather except for the 2 days that it SNOWED. How happy was I? So very happy, as were my kiddos (see above). We spent the whole week in sweaters and jeans and played with cousins non-stop, while taking in conference and just being together.

Here we go again...

Alex will be having surgery, again. Tomorrow. This will be attempt #4 at helping our little man's eyes. The boys and I spent the last 8 days in Park City distracting ourselves, and now we are home to face the music. The doctor said he will have liquid valium available for Alex when we get to the hospital, since the last surgery was so recent, and Alex will probably lose it when he realizes what we are doing there. I hope they have some extra on hand. Say a prayer for Alex tomorrow.

Meet Chandler!

Newest member of the Curtis family.

Now meet his amazing family: Sommer, Kate and Steve. This baby was such an angel on his blessing day. He put up with Uncle Alan taking over 200 photos of him.

The Breakfast of Champions

As much as I hate to admit it, I think it may be time to cut the hair.

The Whole Family

Even though we have lived here for over a year it's still strange to me that it's possible to be with Alan's entire family, all 26 of us, for Sunday dinner. The tragic news: Alan's younger brother Steve and his family are moving to Utah in a few weeks. We will miss them so much.

So out of my league.

When faced with the dilemma of how to escape their crib, some children teach themselves how to climb out.
Other kids TAKE THEIR CRIB APART.

Ahhhh, A break from the heat.

Two weekends ago we took the boys on our ward's annual campout. Alan even left work 3 HOURS EARLY for us to be able to make it to camp before it got dark. Because who wants to set up a tent in the dark? Not me. Not that I'm involved in the setting up of the tent-that's Alan territory. Anyway, there are few things our boys love more than camping. Will has asked me every single day since we got home when we are going camping again. My favorite part- the fact that the temperature dropped to 59 degrees!! It was heavenly. And so were the gorgeous green trees (see photos)! Not so heavenly: being woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of an animal (coyote?raccoon?bear?) climbing on your car not ten feet away from your tent in an attempt to get to the bucket of chicken that your eagle scout husband left on top of said car. It was not restful nights sleep, but fun nonetheless.

House full of Orthodontists

Our friends from UCLA, Taylor and Trent, are in Tuscon for the annual Tweed Convention and they made the journey up to Phoenix to spend Sunday with us. They are both orthodontic residents that will finish their training in the next year, and are wrestling with all of the decisions that Alan and I faced not so long ago. It was so fun to have them around- thanks for coming to visit you guys. Just remember- it will all work out!

The Champ

This little man has been such a trooper. He has not complained one bit. The recovery is going great. Thank you so much for all of the prayers/calls/emails/cards/emotional support/food. Every last bit of it is so appreciated. We are so proud of our boy, and so hopeful for the outcome. We'll know in about a month how successful everything was. As of Thursday the Doctor says: So far, so good!

So worried. So sad. So calm. So hopeful.

Can you feel all of those emotions at once? Wednesday is surgery day for Alex. It will be the 3rd attempt at correcting the eye muscle issues he has had since he was about one-year old (diagnosis: strabismus). We've been through this before twice, in Dallas, with a different doctor. I'm positive we're doing the right thing by trying again. Our new surgeon comes highly recommended, I trust him and his abilities. I know we found him through divine intervention, truly we did. But the risks. The possibility of something going wrong and what that would mean for my baby. I feel this all-consuming dread about facing his recovery. Is there anything harder than watching your child suffer? Two of the longest, hardest, darkest days of my life were the last two times this sweet little boy had to go through this. I'm just so sad he has to go through it again. Despite the worries, I'm hopeful. We're all hopeful. So if you think of it, say a prayer for Alex Wednesday. He could use it.

The Hair

I'm so torn about what to do with The Hair. My mom and my sister insist that I must chop it all off, immediately. Alan is on that bandwagon, he threatened that if I don't do something soon I will come home one day and it will all be shaved off. I always thought my boys would have short cuts, but Will's hair has taken on a life of it's own. This sounds weird, but it's become a part of his personality. I just can't imagine my baby without The Hair! Mostly I'm worried that when I cut it he will look like a big boy, and that would make me cry. I know something needs to be done. We honestly can't go out in public without someone commenting on The Hair. The question: should I just trim it so it's out of his eyes and off his neck? Or should I actually make the cut? Such a dilemma.

Blurb.com

I've found the solution to the question of who I will use to print my blog. These books look exactly how I envisioned mine. (Thanks, Kerflop!)

Note to Will

Dear Will,
In the future, please note that I will not be able to take your tantrums seriously when you are wearing pink star glasses. In fact the louder you scream and yell, and the more dramatically you throw your body on the ground, the cuter you become.
Love,
Mom

Curtis Men Hard at Work

They (Alan's dad, brothers, and brother-in-law) spent Saturday wiring Alan's new office for telephone, internet, cable etc.. There are advantages to living near family!! Thanks for the help everyone.

Projects, projects

Is a life without cookie dough worth living?

I've decided it's not. Also? I will never make another chocolate chip cookie recipe again. These are to die for.

Carolynn's Chocolate Chip Cookies (via: whole else? Martha!)
2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup + 2 tablespoons firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated/white sugar
1 large whole egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips (I use ghirardelli)
1 cup toasted walnuts (optional)
Directions:
1) In a large bowl, wish together flour, salt and baking soda. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat (Tip: to avoid the hassle of using the stove and a saucepan, I melt the butter in the microwave). Add both sugars to the melted butter and whisk until combined. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
2) Whisk egg, egg yolk and vanilla into the butter mixture. Fold in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in chips and walnuts (if you are using nuts). Wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes).
3) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using 2 large spoons, place golf-ball size mounds of dough 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden brown and the tops no longer look wet (12-14 minutes). Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.

The Big Boy Cousins

Jackson, Cannon, Sam, Alex

Alex thinks the world of these boys. I'm so glad he is 4 and is smiling innocently and happily in this photo. Wanna place a bet on how long it will be until he is the one with his finger up his nose?

Baby of mine

Historically this little boy has taken at least a 3 hour nap everyday. This week: he refused, 3 days in a row. Which means that he has been ready for bed by 5 pm each night, and our whole schedule is out of whack, as is my sanity, which can be directly linked to my afternoon break from this child. He needs the rest, I need the break, big brother is at school, it's been a beautiful thing. Cut to today: we are back on track. Down by 1pm. I shouldn't hear from him until at least 4pm. Does he look too big to be in a crib? That whole big boy bed thing? Not happening until he climbs out...which he has yet to try. I love this boy. Sleep well baby.

Arizona Anniversary

Today marks the one year anniversary of our arrival in Arizona, and really, the start of a whole new phase of our lives. After many many many years of school, we became non-students for the first time in our marriage. While it's no secret that I came to Arizona "kicking and screaming," we've had a great year and I just want to state this for the record: I like it here. There are good things about Arizona. I came across this article the other day where the author is sharing her experience of having married young. I was just 20, Alan was 22, when we fell irreversibly and hopelessly in love. It has occurred to me on many occasions that neither of us had any idea what we were doing when we made a commitment to each other forever, because hello! We were 5 years old! but I am so glad that we did.

This quote from the article pretty much states exactly how I feel:

"In a way, Rob and I grew up together. We helped make each other — for better or worse. Getting married wasn't about settling down or having stability; it was about joining forces for an adventure neither of us could have alone. It was like standing at the edge of a cliff with rushing water beneath us. We were happy, terrified — and against all expectations, we jumped. But we were holding hands, and even if we were falling fast, we were together. Are together." -Elissa Schappell

I wouldn't trade our adventure for anything. (Even if it means spending the rest of my life Arizona.)

The boy loves any treat

Just snacking on a smore after hours and hours of swimming at Nana and Papa's.

Alan's Epiphany

After a long Sunday that included 3 hours of church and a lot of crying/whining/fighting/general discontent from the younger half of our family, Alan looked at me and asked if I ever felt the way he was feeling right then. I looked at him and assured him that on a regular basis I feel that way. His response, in a most serious tone, "Thank for you for not beating our children."

First day of Pre-K!

And what a day it was. It was mommy shedding the tears today, not Alex. I didn't think I would feel so sad and alone as I walked away from the school without my little man....but I did. His program is through the local school district and he will attend 5 days a week for about 3 hours each day. We celebrated the successful day with a warm batch of chocolate chip cookies, Alex's favorite.

A few from our cloudy Sunday morning

Oh this boy. How I just adore him. I'm trying to learn photoshop... can you tell? Tonight during our family prayer I was helping Will out (since he was becoming distracted by what was in his nose) and I tried to prompt him to continue his prayer with a, "Please help us make.... (the usual family fill-in-the-sentence would be "good choices") but Will busted out with a "...get good presents." I am just grateful the child will pray. He makes us laugh every single day.

Aunt Debbie?

"Hello Aunt Debbie? Heeelllllloooooo! Goodbye." Will had this conversation with you this morning sister.... a few times. Enough times that we had time to pull out the camera and get a picture of it! He loves his auntie!

The Blog

So I'm pretty sure I talked a couple of you into creating a blog by telling you why I keep ours up. And the reason is because I la-la-la-love the idea of having a place to record what's been going on with our family, the everyday events and the funny comments the kids make etc., and when I found out that you could have a blog printed into a book (like a textbook and in color!!) I was hooked. There are, of course, other good reasons for our blog: it is the best way to stay in touch with long-lost friends who are far away, and even more important for me, it's a way to keep my mom and dad involved in our life, since they are off in far-away lands.
So. I've had a few of you ask me recently what company I have used to print our blog, and the fact of the matter is that I haven't had it printed yet. I'm planning to do it on a yearly basis, starting at the end of this year. But I wanted to put up the info. that I have looked at, since ya'll have been asking. Let me know if you know of a better option then the ones below!
http;//Blogprinting.com- the don't do blogger blogs right now but supposedly will be doing them soon.
http://www.lulu.com/
http://blogger.sharedbook.com/
http://groups.google.com/group/blogger-help-howdoi/ (use this if you want to print the blog yourself)

The trains are back...

Shortly after Alex's birthday I had the brilliant idea to pack up the trains. I was sick of them, and oh so sick of listening to Alex obsess about them. He had tons of new toys for distractions, and it seemed like the perfect time. So one night I boxed up all train paraphernalia in our house and hid it at the top of my closet. Next day, boy did not even ask where they were. Day after, not even a word about the trains. I was so excited! I had conquered Thomas! Weeks went by and I really thought I was home-free: we could now be a train-free household. And we were, until I undid it all. While in Utah, someone mentioned the train obsession, and I gleefully told them how, "I made the trains disappear." Right after I made that comment, I glanced at Alex and he was staring at me, totally staring. His eyes were asking "How could you??" Oh, the shame. And so the questions began. The closer we got to coming home the more he was asking where I had "Disappeared the trains" to. I knew the game was over, the jig was up, I had to fold. So when we got home Alan gives Alex this big speech about praying for the things we really need, and how Heavenly Father will help us with all of the problems we have. All of a sudden the 4-year-old who refuses to pray is now praying his little heart out that his trains will reappear. And guess what? They did. Photo of his little hand the first night he was reunited with his beloved friends. I hope I didn't cause him years of therapy where he will be discussing his awful mother who stole his toys. I really do feel so guilty.