Awesome.

How to be the world's greatest houseguest

Words cannot describe how fabulous it is having Pascal here! He's the greatest houseguest for a myriad of reasons - let me count some ways!

* He entertains little children with greatest of ease!

* He doesn't get annoyed when certain tired and cranky pregnant people want to lay on the floor and do nothing - he'll just join you!

* He cooks. OH MY HECK does he cook!

*Jared and Mike actually like him. And they don't like ANYONE (except themselves).

* He'll teach your kid to use a climbing wall.

* He'll do this thing where he links all the computers and printers in your house and give you some music files that amounts to about 40-something days of continuous play before a song would repeat itself. YEAH. HE DID.

Only problem is, he keeps agreeing with Jared on all the dumb stuff he says. Like we need THAT. Aside from his obvious poor judgement, we are sure going to miss him. Thanks Pascal!!

the official 4th Year of Insanity video

4th Year from Reva Paget on Vimeo.

It's the annual year-in-recap video! It's shorter than usual because a broken hard-drive took about half of the pictures with it, but I gathered enough to highlight the good times of year 4. Enjoy!

4. Years. !!!!!!!

4 years ago today I went against my louder judgement and said "yes" to being sealed eternally to Jared. A few weeks ago when I realized we were closing in on year 4, I almost hyperventilated, realized how long ago the day was 4 years ago and how much had happened since then. I'm coming to terms with it - just finished out anniversary video (can't post it until Jared sees it first) - and I'm filled with a feeling of peace and joy.

A while back, my younger brother (you should really read his blog, it's HILARIOUS) asked me if this was how I'd pictured my life turning out. Honestly - no. I never expected to be this happy, loved, and have this much fun, all thanks to Jared. Nope, I'm not a rock star per se, but I'm supported in all I do and it makes my exploits that much more satisfying.

4 years - we've lived in one apartment, 2 continents and 4 houses, had 8 cars and 2 scooters, we're on 1. 2 kiddos now, 6 jobs between the 2 of us, and a few haircuts in between. Much love, sweetheart, thanks for 4 wonderful years!!!!


PS - Also - I had an ultrasound yesterday and the baby was DANCING! Wiggling and grooving, it was awesome!!

Totally Random...

Yesterday I filled the tank on my car for less than $15! That's amazing. That'll get me 300 miles or so. Not bad at all. I'm glad that we bought an old Saturn.

Today I came home from Church to find my daughter in the arms of my wife, their eyes linked as my beautiful wife told my daughter a story before nap time. Seeing two people you love love eachother that much is amazing. I feel very blessed.

Friday my wife and I had the chance to see a sealing (or wedding) in a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These are very sacred and special ceremonies. We were married almost 4 years ago in the same ceremony in a Temple in Denver. What an amazing blessing it is to be married for time and all eternity, instead of till death do you part. I am amazed how much I am able to love my wife and now our daughter and it brings me the greatest sence of comfort and joy to know that the three of us (soon to be four) will be able to live together as a family for eternity. I'm so happy for my friend who was married and know that she and her new husband will have that same joy and opportunity.

Finally - my headaches came back on Saturday with a vengence. Stress is my enemy. I'm working on massaging my own feet in the "headache" spots and I think it helped last night. I didn't get a headache and was able to sleep through the night. I'm grateful for my wife who loves me and helps me, even when she's the pregnant one...

Do they even make a fish autopsy??

Life has been really random these last few weeks. The wife, who currently carries our next offspring, is feeling the effects of said carriage. She's not the most happy of campers. Just as the holiday ended my headaches started coming back. For those of you who don't know - I get headaches once a year or so that (according to wikipedia) are the worst pain known to medical science. They are called cluster headaches. They were waking me up at 1am and keeping me up half the night. It's like training for a baby again.

So, I've tried everything for the headaches. The medication the doctor prescribes is $10 a pill - after insurance. I need at least one a day. So - the wife insisted that I try something different. So, I saw that melatonin is supposed to help. I started taking melatonin. Reflexology was suggested as a possible cure - so I subjected myself to an hour long foot massage. Oh the horrors. It was a very interesting experience. Look up reflexology on the interweb sometime if you are interested in knowing more.

As the woman rubbed my foot she would hit pressure points that actually hurt. These were tied to areas of my body or metaphysical aspects of my consciousness. Her findings were the following:
I am stressed.
I feel like I don't control my life at all.
I don't participate in anything that I enjoy (no stress outlet)
My creativity is being stifled

So - theoretically she rubbed the headache out of my body. Well - that night I didn't wake up with a headache. Then last night - I didn't have a headache. I think I might be better. I'm not sure I think that the reflexology was 100% the cause, I feel better and that's the most important thing.

Now for something totally random, our Daughter got two fish from Santa this year. She LOVES fish and we couldn't think of anything that she would want besides a fish tank. It was a good gift in theory.

Yesterday I got home from work and our daughter ran up to me and said "Daddy, it's almost time to feed the fish!" Well, I said okay. We went to the fish tank and the tank was empty. I turned to my wife and said "where are the fish??" Well, upon further inspection, I found one partialy sucked into the filter system (I assume he died before the filter got him). The other guy was totally gone - totally. Well, then came the interesting task - to start looking for the missing fish without our two year old understanding that the fish was gone. We spotted the fish on the floor. So, no more fish.

What I don't understand is how on earth did both fish die? One apparently committed suicide by jumping from the tank, the other was just dead. Maybe it was murder-suicide? I never trusted that gold colored fish. He was always a spaz and picking on the black fish. The Black fish was always sickly. There aren't fish autopsys, are there??

Reason #967 Jared is the awesomest guy ever

Today after our meal at the restaurant at Ikea, both of us decided we really needed a hot dog from the food place downstairs. Since lines all over were indecently long, he headed down to get them while I gathered up Solei's stuff and my parents and followed. Just before we got to him, Jared called and said "hey, the line was shorter than I thought, so I'm waiting for you. I already got your weiner."

.... "what??"

At this point, we could see each other, and he smiled big waved his arm at me and called across the lobby "I GOT YOUR WEINER!!!!"

(apparently, he also repeatedly asked the ladies at the food stand for weiners. "Ma'am, are those my weiners?") Sooooo mature.

Also, he actually REQUESTED I get him these jammies for Christmas:



Why yes, they do glow in the dark.

New Child

The wife has spread it all over the internet except here -

We are having another child. The expected delivery date is sometime in Mid- August. We are very excited. This week the eyes, nostrils and ears will develop (week 6).

We are both very excited!!

Strange how things work out

So, I spent the afternoon today visiting a warehouse location in Atlanta that I am considering as an option for my company. When I was convinced to stay with Digital Blue I was told that I could focus my efforts on changing the way our company operated their supply chain. I've spent the last few weeks really concentrating on these opportunities.

This afternoon I came to the realization that I have a once in a lifetime opportunity. I have essentially been given free full control to totally re-create our whole supply chain. It's a big opportunity that I would most likely never have.

Sometimes I think we have to stop and really look at where we are in life and see how amazing some things are.

Reason #863 Solei is a flipping genius

She insists on calling oyster crackers "hexagon crackers". Yes, we taught her what a hexagon was, and no, we didn't call the the crackers hexagons - she just figured it out herself.

We know where the brains come from, but luckily I know she got at least SOMEthing from my genes because she's also emotionally needy and super hott!

Solei-isms for the day

During prayer on lunch: "Thank you for Mommy's toothbrush and bless her toothpaste."

Then after lunch: "Daddy, that was apple-tizing!"

Meeting a girl older than her at the airport:
Girl: "How old are you?"
Solei: " One!"
Us: "No you're not!"
Girl: "Wait, are you 2 or 3?"
Solei: "I'm So1ei P@get!"

sappy video

For anyone who knows my mom and has 8 free minutes, here's the video I made of her first 60 times around the sun:

It's not the best editing job I've ever done, but it was done super fast and it made her bawl her eyes out, so I take it as a success.

So warning - Aaron Paget: it is long and boring to those unaquainted with the lady, so do NOT click on the play button. The boredom you will experience not having known the woman will possibly make one of your eyes fall out. You should probably send me cookies for saving you 8 minutes.

HAPPY 60th MOM!!!!

Imagine you are the awesomest woman ever, approaching your 60th birthday. You don't make a big deal about your birthdays (in fact, you keep your age a secret from lots of people, including and most importantly, your daughter in law). But, your husband has planned a big trip to Hawaii to celebrate and you grudgingly go along with it. Your only regret is that it's over Thanksgiving and you wish you could have your family all together for the holiday, but you know that's not happening since your kids live far, far away.

The vacation is a success - your husband treats you like royalty, wines and dines you and you even go snorkeling and take a surfing lesson! You reluctantly fly home, knowing that Colorado snow and your crazy stressful job teaching elementary school awaits the next day. Your second oldest son picks you from the airport and has a surprise waiting for you when you pull up to the house - he woke up early that morning and shoveled your driveway for you! Tired but grateful, you walk into your house. Wait a second... who cleaned the kitchen....

Suddenly, little figures appear, walking towards you - holding yellow daisies. What are your grandchildren doing in your kitchen?? They are in Atlanta, right?? And Kentucky?? You start screaming. And what is that - is that your son - and your other son - and your OTHER son - and your daughter and daughter-in-law - and your neighbors snapping pictures at you???

.... I don't think I can give the whole scene justice, but believe you me, it was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. It's been in the works for a year to surprise mom for her big birthday since Jane discovered mom's real age and decided to throw the ultimate surprise party. Oh, the lies!! Oh, the deception!! With so many people in on it, you'd think that SOMEONE would have messed up and ruined the secret, but by a miracle, it was a total shock!! We didn't even jump out and yell surprise because we were afraid we would give her a heart attack. Heck, we almost did! We came from New York, from Atlanta, from LA, from Kentucky, from 10 miles away. We actually came in to celebrate Thanksgiving together, unbeknownst to mom. Dad knew and kept it all in amazingly.

So yeah, I blew it at the end of NaBloPoMo, but poor Jane and I were doing it together and the biggest thing we were doing we couldn't blog about since mom checks our blogs every now and then (it's been TORTURE!!!)- the last 3 days I've been so surrounded by preparing and spending every waking second with my wonderful family - and putting together a fabulous sappy photo mpongage of my mom's life, I didn't have a second to give to the blogs. I think it's a pretty awesome reason:)

Thankful

My family has had the same tradition for Thanksgiving every year since I was a little girl – there’s a long story about the pioneers attached to it, but the result is that we place 3 kernels of corn next to each person’s plate and we go around the table, expressing 3 things that we are thankful for that year.
It was all very serious until a few years ago when Uncle Rand picked the law that states we can take a “Right turn on red”. So in creeped some wacky ones. You HAVE to use one of yours to express thankfulness for a spouse or you’ll be in trouble later, but then you have 2 left to use at will. Jared has used “the interweb” as a thankful kernel for more than one year now.
So aside from the deep and meaningful things I have to be thankful for, here is my B-list of thanks:

• Goldfish crackers
  
• Pacifiers
  
• Space heaters
  
• Cell phones
  
• Digital cameras
  
• Sour cream and onion dip
  
• Laptops
  
• The dollar spot at Target
  
• The outrageous sales as a result of the economic downturn
  
• Body pillows
  
• Technology (“yeees, I love technology… but noooot as much as you you seeee….”
  
• Automatic doors on my van
  
• Chicken
  
• PBS
  
• Portable DVD players
  
• Those modest tee shirt companies for the tall girls like moi
  
• Mascara
  
• Chocolate
  
• After holidays 75% off sales
  
• Frozen dinners
  
• Super Target/Walmart
  
• That thing that clips my kid’s pacifier to her shirt
  
• Prescription meds
  
• Knee socks
  
• Metabolism
  
• Toilet paper
  
• Feet
  
• Contacts and sunglasses
  
• Sweaters
  
• Toast
  
• Nursery
  
• Drive-throughs
  
• Eyebrows
  
• Baby magazines with articles like “Why it’s okay to be a crappy parent!”
  
• Ponytail holders
  
• TV shows we can watch on the web because we were putting the little monster down while they were on the first time
  
• Being ridiculously good looking
  
• “For English, press 1”
  
• The interweb

That’s not in any way a complete list, but it outlines my priorities well I think. Hope ya’ll have plenty of stupid things to be thankful for too!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

this says Floyd wrote it, but he didn't - just lazy Rocketgirl on his computer

60 is the new 20

Celebrating my mom's 60th today - my parents took surfing lessons in Maui. DANG they're cool.

she's funny

Solei-isms for the day:

I'm singing a song ...

Solei: Mommy - STOP SINGING!!!

Me: You do not tell someone to stop making music! People can sing and sing all day long! *continuing singing*

she thinks deeply for a way out of this rule... then, the lightbulb goes off:

Solei: Mommy - FREEZE!

grrrrrr.....

then tonight, we were lazy and headed to Wendy's for dinner. We didn't tell HER that's where we were going, but the second we walked in the front door, she realized where we were and ran to the counter, stood on her tip-toes and shouted to the cashier:

"I need french fries please!!!"

We, including the entire Wendy's staff, just laughed our brains out. She continued:

"And chicken and chocolate!"

she paused... looked up at the lady and said with huge puppy-dog eyes:

"I need money."

5 and 5

So, I clicked in the pictures folder, clicked on the 5th folder and loaded up the 5th piture in it without looking, and this is what popped up.

That's me sitting back the band "float" in 2005 for the fall festival parade out here. While waiting, we decided to jam out, and we attracted a crowd... you can't take me any place!

(and yes, those pants still fit. AWESOME!)

Just a quick note to say - WOW we are blessed. I don't do math, but if I had to add up the stuff my student's parents have given me for Solei, the dollar amount would be astronomical!

I haven't had to buy her clothes in a YEAR, and toys and books and toys just roll in. My parents are the BEST! I teach their kids violin, and they are just thrilled to be unloading the stuff their kids have outgrown to somone who will use and appreciate it, and boy howdy do we!

Tonight we got out a huge set of Duplo Legos that we were given last week, and I think Solei had almost as much fun as Jared and I did :)

One mom gave us a huge box of VHS tapes she couldn't sell at garage sale - including 8 Veggie Tales tapes. I'd never seen them, but a few weeks ago when I had to stay home with a sick kiddo and I was trying to find something Sunday appropriate for 2 sick and cranky girls, I found the tapes she'd given me included the story of Esther and Daniel and the Lion's Den. She loved them, and they were WAY more interesting than those BOM tapes. Now she asks for the "cucumber stories" all the time.

I'm so glad my mom raised me with violin so I could be a mom and a teacher at the same time, and the extra blessings just keep pouring in. I am finding SO MANY things to be thankful for this year!

Beauty Shop

Guess what I did with to Solei today?? Painted her fingernails!!! A lovely lovely shade of pink. I played "beauty shop" with her so she'd let me put her hair up out of her eyes and cut her nails, and I decided to just go for it.

Partly, it was fun and gave me that happy feeling in my heart when I realize how thankful I am heavely Father gave me a daughter to share these things in. But then, after it all - I had this crazy sinking feeling - her hands looked so... not like my baby's hands, but a little girl's hands. Ak. AK.

whoops

It's bedtime and I didn't get to posting yet... okay, random thought for the day -
how weird is it that Solei and I have full conversations now?? It feels so natural, like she's been DYING to communicate since birth but every now and then it hits me - she SPEAKS! Pretty dang well, too. Her prayers are loooong and include everyone and everything she knows. Odd, odd to hear her asking to bless Cookie monster and triangles...
okay night!