Easter wasn't even ruined

The Easter Bunny ordered late this year.  Half his presents weren't delivered until Monday afternoon.  The boy across the street told my children there was no Easter bunny - only big men in bunny costumes.    The wind boldly blew thru and around and up our Easter egg hunt at the lake.  Can you believe the wind blew in Show Low?  On Easter?  Safeway sold Grandma Mikey a platter of frozen fried chicken.  I heard Grandma Mikey ask the deli worker on the other end of the cell phone, "What's up with that?"  Trust me - that worker must have known that my mom does not use language like that often - her money was promptly returned (i hope - I should follow up).

These brothers fight like brothers sometime do.   Ezra decided he wasn't going to Stake conference with us on Sunday.  He liked Noah's tie better.  He wasn't going anywhere with the brown tie on - only the blue tie would do.  He asked Noah for a trade.  Noah only paused for a minute before passing it over.  If you ask nicely, you can get Noah to do just about anything for you.  Jace and I chuckled this morning when Ezra yelled out from the bathtub to Noah, "Good job on unlocking the pink level, Noah."  He was still so proud of Noah's feat on the Wii that had happened days earlier.  It is his favorite thing to do - watch Noah play the Wii.  Sometimes I forget how much they still really do like each other.

Macy was home sick all last week (Noah too).  "Don't you know I've had diarrhea since Easters?"  She decided she loves staying home from school but she hates make-up work.  I decided I love my children but I hate the thought of home school.  4 children home all day = one dirty house, one grouchy mother and one baby that can't figure out where she is suppose to take a nap.  But after a couple of handfuls of chocolate Easter candy, we were all back feeling like our regular selves.

I love when holidays aren't ruined by big men in bunny suits, diarrhea, or me.

Lactating Parents Club

Yes.  This is another post about breast-feeding.  I'm sorry but when it's your only special talent, you end up talking about it (and displaying it in public) too much.  I produce whole milk.  I produce fat and happy babies - all without so much as a thought.  What can I say?  It just comes naturally.  And it's special.

This month, the lactating club around my house had a new member join up.  Jace thought driving to Casa Grande to pick up 16 day old calves would be a good idea.  I tried telling him that he would not be a good substitute for the mama cows udders.  I tried telling him how much work it would be - he would be way in over his head!  He knows nothing about proper head cradling positions, proper latching techniques, colic, ensuring adequate hydration, and analyzing the newborn poop.

But all my warnings fell on deaf, naive ears.  He could not think of anything else.  Talk of anything else.  He hauled those poor orphan calves up the mountain and started his 2X a day feedings.  Soon those cows took over his mornings, his evenings, his thoughts and prayers, and my kitchen.  There was milk substitute to be mixed, mathematical formulas converting pints to gallons and then back to quarts to be figured, bottles and nipples to be washed and sanitized.

It wasn't until they starting dropping like flies that he admitted to his fellow club member that maybe 16 calves at once was just a few too many.  After all those feedings and stall cleanings.  After all that Pepto bismol and all the antibiotic shots, those cows were leaving this life faster than Jace could count.  Jace was saddened and confused.   After 2 weeks, we he went from 16 calves to 4 calves.  That's right.  4.  And I think it's worth mentioning that all 4 of the surviving, prancing calves are little girl calves.  I want to say that I think Jace learned his lesson but he I can hear him now talking in the other room about ordering just Holstein calves next time maybe they are a heartier breed.

I am going to tell him again tonight that the lesson to be learned here is this:  Unless you are born with the equipment attached - Leave the nursing of newborns to the mothers.  Go on home and eat dinner with your other 4 (real) children.

Love you Jace.  Maybe we could think of another club we could join together?  Book club?  Our kids our the cutest club? Chess?  Let me know.  I'll let you be club president.

You best keep up.

The Show Low House.  After.

We have exciting news to share about the Show Low house.  Click here.

The Heber House.  Before.  Me.  Before I gave birth to Mikael.

Other house projects are coming.....the Heber house has been waiting very patiently.  I vote we transform her next.

So, just so you aren't lost......Exciting news about the Show Low house posted here.  The Heber house is still very ugly.  We are dusting off our tools and ripping magazine pages out for inspiration.  And we still live here, in the Snowflake house.  Everyone with me?  Good.

You blink and you'll miss something.  If you haven't been clicking here, then you are missing stuff.  Good stuff.

You best keep up.

Sunday.....(and Milestone 6 Months)

Sunday afternoon, Ezra on a scooter, spring weather, and the return of the sprinklers.

Today was Sunday.  Fast Sunday.  Fast Sunday may or may not be the reason my children are usually potty trained before they are weened from my breast.  Gestating/nursing mothers are excused from fasting (at least at my house).  I am a lousy faster, especially when church is at 1:00.  I felt like a dog this morning, eating my hot Grapenuts in front of Jace and Macy.  This was Macy's 1st attempt at fasting 2 meals and she did it! Without complaining!  I was so proud of her and I told her that a couple times.  She didn't see what the big deal was.  I didn't tell her that I could probably count on my hands how many times I have fasted an entire day.  And that is why I love that girl so much and why she is a way cooler person than me.

He really can't get enough.

During fast and testimony meeting today a man who served as bishop of the ward years ago stood to bear his testimony.  While speaking from the pulpit, he mentioned Brother Baum.  He said he loves watching Jace hug and kiss on his youngest daughter at church and that Jace sets a good example of what kind of father he wished he would have been to his children.

She rocks the leg warmers, btw.

He really does french kiss Mikael all thru Sunday school....it's like a tick....if any one of his children are near him, his lips are on them. I hope my kids know how lucky they are to have a father like Jace.  It was one of the many reasons I fell in love with him, he is not afraid to show or exclaim his love thru words or public displays of affection.

And she knows it.

And so we should now discuss the lucky youngest daughter.  Mikael has reached milestone 6 months.  And I hate it.  I hate that she getting older and bigger.  I loved her newborn days and am sad to see them racing away.  I am constantly trying to play the "I just had a baby" card and that is now a lie.  She is half a year!

6 months.

Today at church, (yes, we are still talking about church) a new gal in the ward was admiring the Mikael in my arms.

"Oh!  How old is she?"

"6 months."

She was clucking and shaking her head in disbelief when she said, "And you already look awesome."

To which I replied, "I know."

She smiled, turned and started walking away.  After a couple steps following behind her, it hit me.


Whaatt the???  Did I really just say that?  Why?  For the love.


I sped up, grabbed her shoulder, turned her around and tried to explain,  "I did not mean to say that.  I thought...mmmmm........ we were still talking about the baby....mumble....... mumble........ ah....... she....I do not.....sorry."

She smiled and said something like, "There is nothing wrong with having confidence."

Ya Right.  Nice.

All I meant to say today is what I have been feeling all week.  I have been clucking and shaking my head in disbelief that my newborn baby is 6 months old.  I wish she would just stop growing.  I wish she would learn how to sleep thru the night but just stop growing bigger.  I love that little lady.

And while we are talking about wishes, I wish I could spend the rest of my life on the "breastfeeding diet."  I wish I looked a little more awesome holding a 6 month old baby in my arms.  I wish I didn't say embarrassing things in public.   And I wish I could get Jace to spread the french kissing love around my way in Sunday school  (I'm sure somebody would have something to say about that in the next fast & testimony meeting).

Milestones

5 Months

BFF

She is still a little dolly.  But no one loves her more than Ezra.  He is grabbing, poking, laughing, and talking to her all day long.  These are just some of the names he calls her:

• toot basket
• chicken toes
• little fart
• fatso
• a bum
• sweet little Mikaels

It has been a rough ride for this little lady this month.  I'm not going to lie about it.  The ear infection out stayed it's welcome and horrible sleeping habits were acquired.  When she cries out every hour during the night,  her mother cries too.  I have met a 9 year old toting a crying baby in the middle of the hall in the wee hours more than I care to admit this month.  Sometimes I might call her a little fart too.

7 Years

My 7 seven year old son.  Not afraid of anything.

Noie Boie Baum turned 7 on Feb. 11th.  He wanted to shoot a gun on his big day and eat at a Chinese buffet.  Right when I think I got this kid figured out he surprises me.  Some of the things he is loving right now:

• Wrestling (he was king of the mat last week and hasn't let us forget it)
• rice and pasta (still)
• Star Wars (still)
• neighborhood boys
• swimming
• cousins
• reading (he is tearing up the 1st grade)
• chips (the spicier the better - Grandma and Papa gifted him 2 of his very own bags on his big day)

I have driven by the school at recess and watched as Noah slashed thru the air with a pretend sword and kicked about while flinging pretend num chucks.  He has told me that everyone says he is the best one at sword fighting "because I do it so good."  Well put Dwight Schrute.  I seriously love this kid.

32 Years

And I seriously love this guy.  We celebrated his 32 years on Earth on Feb. 20th.  He is the life of the party.  He kids adore him and his wife follows him around - waiting for him to make her laugh again.

He doesn't complain about much.  Loves his family and friends and would do just about anything for them.  You would be lucky to make it on his list of family and friends.  You need a loan?  Bailed out of jail?  Picked up on the side of BFE?  A job?  A house?  You got it.  No questions asked.  You qualify.  Jace can not not help someone he loves.

He keeps our life interesting and keeps us moving.  When I die I will be able to say - I lived.  I really, really lived.  These are just some of the things he has talked to me about this week:

• owning a feed store
• bidding on a egg incubator
• dropping off one of his handicapped chickens in a stranger's yard
• where the full grown Rottweiler dog will sit on 7 hour drive home
• corn grinders
• how good his feet feel in his new "five finger" shoes.  I call them his dog fight shoes - as in I wouldn't wear them to a dog fight - but they are making his feet feel good - so whatever.
• how to keep the dog catcher away
• building a water park in the middle of an irrigation pond

Happy Birthday Lover.  I love you, even if I hate most some of your ideas.

Don't forget to check out all the action going on over here.

The Show Low Project - Before and .....

Jace showed me this beauty on the internet weeks before we bought it.  And as usual I thought to myself and said to him, "No thanks."  But as we pulled up to the house one sunny late summer day - it came to me.  Yes!  I remember now.  I remember this place.  This neighborhood.  This house.  My childhood.

My sunny childhood took place just down the street from this house.  I rode my bike down this dirt road.  I hid in it's dark places during summertime capture the flag marathons.  I later would speed by this house in my Toyota truck - late for 1st hour english or work at Dairy Queen.  This house very quickly became near and dear and FULL of potential.

You may remember Jace leaving my side and closing the deal on this day.  My newborn baby is now 5 months old.  Mikael and the house have grown and changed so much.

Well, the after picture you ask?

Follow me here. 

My new blog will feature all the before and after pictures of the Show Low house, future houses, and maybe a few oldies.  We will talk houses, paint colors, Jace's good ideas, Lindsay's better ideas, and it will not require an invitation...so spread the good word. 

You now have a front row seat to the tears, the sweat, the swear words, and the work that we call our life day job.

What I learned in Realtor school

Back when Jace and I were very first married I took a job at a little place called Homestore. I worked as technical support in a department called Realtor.com. Here I took calls from realtors all over the U.S. They would call to complain about how slow their computer was. Or call to tell me that their listing on 5th Street was actually a 3 bedroom home and not a rental in the trailer park down the street. I would kindly explain to them that all the information was information they submitted - if your listing is wrong on Realtor.com, then go fix it in the MLS.

Then I would go throw up in the toilet.

Not because I thought Realtors were very unsmart because I did but because I was pregnant with a little miss Macy. But ya....It was here that I started developing ideas about Realtors.

I thought that there must be a place somewhere where they hand out real estate licenses, for any taker to take.

So, when Jace suggested last spring during the sale of our Chandler barn-home that I should save us some future $ and go to Realtor school, I thought sure, why not? I signed my 5 month pregnant self up for the 2 week course.

And? Did I meet unsmart Realtors and future unsmart Realtors there? Yep. Sure did.

But as I walked the streets of downtown Scottdale on my breaks I had to admit that Realtor school was tough. Really tough. 90 hours of law school/language trickery/boredom. Maybe it was the fact that I hadn't done any schooling for 9 years. Or maybe all the blood that should have been going to my brain was instead nourishing my unborn fetus but regardless I was nervous and quickly changing my mind about Realtors. That was a TON of information to memorize in a two week period.

My exam was scheduled on the same day as our closing date. That is the day you have to pack up your house and drive away (for all you who did not attend Realtor school). Nothing like a little pressure for little Lindz. I was cussing Jace and all his great ideas.

But I passed! On the first try. Jace patted my back and told me he wasn't nervous for a minute. And if my embarrassed memory serves me right, I think I texted my scores to everyone in my phone. I was ready to sell some real estate people.

So what did I learn in Realtor school, you ask?

Not a clue. Don't remember.

p.s. The home for sale in the above photo? You are going to la la love it. I want to move into it. But Jace wishes someone else would. Come back for some amazing before and afters. She's a beauty.

Milestones

10 Years

(The anniversary picture taken in bed. 10pm. One picture I'm sure we will treasure. And look who's still up.)

The 1st year was a dosey. Year 7 had us itching. And the years in between were mostly crazy. But we are happy to announce that we made it to year 10.

What have I learned? If I'm nice to Jace, Jace is nice to me. It really is that simple.

What has Jace learned? As long as he is home for dinner (every night), as long as we don't have any of his relatives for dinner (every night) or breakfast, and as long as he doesn't bring the pickles and goldfish with him to bed at night - he has a pretty happy wife.

I love Jace. Way more than I used to. I think he is sexy and smart and funny. Even more than I used to. Jace got his first gray hairs this year - right in his side burns. His hands are always calloused. His face is tan and always full of scruffy facial hair. And he started wearing his cowboy hat around the house this year - just for fun. He makes me laugh. He makes me crazy sometimes but I'm so glad he picked me. I'm buckled in tight and can't wait for the rest of the ride with him.

4 Months

Check out little Miss. She really has no idea what she is suppose to be doing in her "Jenny" Jump Up. But we get a kick out of it.

She is currently 15 lbs 4 oz. She currently is experiencing her first ear infection. She's kind of ticked about it. She has started rolling over and rolling off furniture.

I can count on one finger how many times all my other children combined rolled off a couch. Maybe that is what is wrong with Jace and I, we are both numeral quatro -which means we both hit our heads more than once rolling off furniture and was tortured/ignored by older siblings. But hey - you don't become the most "special" child laying around. You got work for that position.

p.s. don't ever let me hear you call my Mikael "special" - she has made a full recovery from all her rolling adventures.

Pictures I Took At Christmas.

Two. That's it. But these two Christmas pictures will tell you a lot.

PHOTO #1

1. Mikaelly Belly Baum (as she is known around these parts) got an owl beanie from Santa.

2. I am wearing my owl shirt. We are twins. We didn't even plan it.

3. Noah bought me two rings for Christmas. I love him (and the rings). Sometimes Ezra borrows one of my rings and wears it for the day.

4. Santa knew Mikael would need a beanie for our future bike rides. That is right. Santa brought me a bike. If you see me cruising down 2nd West in Snowflake, just honk....wait, don't. I will think that you either just almost ran me over or that you are making fun of me. You can wave if you want but there is no promises I will wave back....I'm biking precious cargo, remember? Hands on the handlebars at all times. There will be no Paloma, hot rodding, good ol day tricks, ok?

5. Macy did not include my face in this photo because wow. I was tired. And it showed Christmas morning, probably showed all Christmas season. Anyone else feel like they ran a marathon the month of December? Every single day? I'm going to get that month figured out one of these days. December kills me every year.

6. Mikael is a little tub of goo (her other nick name). Do they come any cuter than this? Man, this is some of Jace and I's finest work. Do you agree?

PHOTO #2

1. I did not take this picture to preserve any fond memory. I took this picture to remind myself, Jace, Santa, and any boy residing under my roof that Legos are for engineers, maybe their children, and my vacuum. Next time buy the age appropriate set for the 6 year old boy.

2. Jace spent approx. 3 days putting this Star Wars set together. He stayed up late. He woke up early. He cussed.

3. Jace is way smarter than any engineer I've meet. (Sometime I will tell you about our Chandler ward and how every single one of them worked at Intel as an engineer and how they didn't know how to turn off their kitchen faucet.) Jace finishes every thing he starts. He loves a project and a challenge. He won't stop working until it is done. I love him for it, especially when I am in bed asleep or eating a meal and he is still slaving away.

4. Notice Noah's wet hair? Noah and Ezra bathe at night and Macy showers in the morning. Why do you need to know this? I don't know except that I'm very proud of my children who can cleanse all by themselves. And all 3 of them know how to play "Jolly Old Saint Nickolaus" on the piano. I know. I know. It's a tight ship we run around here, with extremely high expectations.

5. Santa brought Ezra a Buzz Light Year. He is obessed with all things "Toy Story." And frankly, so am I.

There you have it. The Baum's very Merry Christmas day, wrapped up in 2 photos.

Milestones

3 Months

What can I say about this gal? Blue eyes. Long eyelashes. So quiet. So content. Loves her Mother. Laughs at Noah. Smiles at her Father. She can arch her back and scoot herself down when she is in the swing....I have walked into the room multiple times only to find her laying on the floor. She is basically a gymnast. We love her so. Heavenly Father could not have sent a sweeter 4th child to my home.

9 Years

And what can I say about this gal that I haven't already said? She is still so sweet and takes such good care of all of us. She is right now talking on the phone to Grandma Mikey asking if she would like a group Christmas number with her brothers or would she prefer a solo for the Christmas Eve program? I love it. Macy got to take a couple friends to the movie for her birthday. That is the closest thing to a birthday party this little lady has ever had. And a funny thing about this picture. Macy has always known what she would like to wear and sometimes it isn't what her Mother would like her to wear. She cries because "everyone at school gets to wear cool clothes except me. (you know the High School Musical and Hannah Montana clothes) I have to wear shirts with birds on 'em. Not cool Mom." Guess what Macy got for her birthday? Yep. A shirt with a penguin on it. Oh what sad stories she will have to tell about her childhood. Love you Macy. You will always be way cooler than your Motherdear.

9? WOW. Are Jace and I really that old? Funny cuz I sometimes still think we are the newlywed couple in the ward.