…is The. Most. Frightening. Thing.

My wake up call this morning was to someone crying (as usual), except this time, it was of the ‘I’m-hurt-and-scared’ variety. I ran out to find Ryan comforting Kai, who was hysterical. I didn’t have my contacts in, so not until I got up close did I see the skin above his eye split open and blood dripping down his cheek. I remember screaming and Ryan remembers me throwing daggered looks at him.

We think Kai tripped on our cat-scratch post thing by the TV and fell against the TV stand (cursed stand! I’ve been waiting for something like this to happen!). But within the hour, Kai went on his first ER trip with dad and was cleaned and sewn up—3 fat big stitches—and sent back home where he fell into his usual routine of making messes and terrorizing the cat.

As if I didn’t already feel horrible enough, I accidentally cut Dax’s fingertip when trimming his nails. More blood, more crying. Awful, just awful.

Put him down on his tummy, looked away for a minute, turned back and found him like this!

Our dear and very much loved president and prophet of our church, Gordon B. Hinckley, has passed away tonight at the age of 97. This comes as bittersweet news as he will be missed, but is finally reunited with his wife who passed away in 2004.

We were privileged to have heard him address us SoCal’ers just two weeks ago at our stake conference. Even towards the end of his life, he stood as a spiritual giant, radiating the Spirit and exemplifying Christ in every way.

I think I can speak for all when I say that President Hinckley was loved for his positive attitude, quick wit, and panache for “telling it as it is.”

We will miss him very much.

“It’s warm. We’re sorry. But it’s not as warm as it’s going to get if you don’t repent!”
(Once heard by President Hinckley when addressing a hot,
sweaty congregation during general conference.)

We will–mark my words–live in this home (or something similar, complete with Eames furniture) in 10 years or less. I hope.

Visit LivingHomes for some serious eye-candy.

Because being cooped up indoors is making my son (the older one) and even me a bit looney. Case in point:

The purchase of this ginormous Thomas tent, the ultimate antithesis of modern design.
But still, it’s not as bad as:

Yuck. Now this is where I put my foot down.

Yesterday, when I retrieved Kai from a time-out in his room, I found him sans pants and diaper, holding onto his titi, and dancing around to some Primary music playing in the background. No pee-pee puddles to be found. *Phew*

But not in a horrible pink and bows sort of way. Just hearts…and blushing kitty cats. Someone’s got to wear this outfit I won off ebay (purchased in anticipation of having a girl!) and I’m too selfish to give it away.

Dax is getting so big. He’ll be 3-months on Sunday. Crazy, just crazy.

A little long (and dark, and blurry), but hold out for some serious rocking out. And a little bit of owies, too.

But being an adult watching your kid be a kid comes with so many cringe-worthy moments. Like watching him eat a snail. Or seeing four cans of fresh, brand new Play-Doh mashed together into sad, sad heaps of pastel.

“Um, sweetie, yellow goes with YELLOW, and blue goes with BLUE!” I earnestly instructed Kai during a ‘Dax-is-sleeping-so-let’s-play’ session today…

…to which Kai silently responded with:

Sigh. I’m starting to realize how much Kai looooves to make me uncomfortable. And how uptight I am.

Meet Nico, Kai’s partner-in-crime during stake conference. Yes, we were those parents that let their child run amok in the gym while we tried to listen to the broadcast from Salt Lake. But at least his shoes were off.

Dax’s first laughs with Kai giggling in the background.

And incidentally, where the cat does, too (litter-box behind him). Whenever Kai does his business, he always retreats to the same corner, because he appreciates privacy and is polite like that.

A result of a rainy-day and too many Trader Joe paper bags.

This is what an impromptu New Year’s eve family photo looks like. Right before bedtime.