Difference of a Dining Table

Our old dining table didn't fit it in our new house. The truth is we never really liked that table anyway. Hardly used it. Sat in front of the TV with our food and ate.

While we were at Ikea we found a perfect table for the space we have now.


(Ours is actually black)

Ash was so excited about the new table that he actually fulfilled one of my latest dreams... we now eat at the dining table!

I know... why didn't we do it before?

It actually makes a world of difference in how Ash eats. He is more focused on his food and eats better. Without half the prodding we used to have to give him. It is awesome.

I told him we would sit there and talk about what we did that day, so the first night he gets up in the chair and says "so what you do today mama?" So cute.

My Nimbi

It all started the day the crawling began. My cute little chubby cheeked baby picked up his arms and stated crawling towards me and I saw it... his brand new tooth.


The same day! Crawling and teeth. He was SOOO excited to be moving that he was grinning literally from ear to ear. And there was that little nub of a first tooth poking through.

Thus began a ritual that I quickly started to hate...

the brushing of that tooth.

Ash hated it. I'd have to hold him down and brush as fast as I could. As he got bigger, the harder it became to hold him down. I resolved to make this better somehow. I tried an electric toothbrush, fancy pastes, and stickers. None worked.

One day I got an idea to try straight up modern day bribery... MONEY. It worked! I bought a see-thru piggy bank, so he could see the money growing. He really wanted a beta fish like the one in his class at daycare... named Nimbi. We agreed that when he got enough money he could buy a fish.

Every night we would remind him... no crying and let us brush good and you get money for a fish. Most nights he would do a good job and get a few coins. Some nights he would struggle a little and get only one or two coins. And every once in a while he would forget and we would have to hold him down... but after getting no coins that day he would always go back to letting us do it.

After a few months the piggy bank started to get full. We cashed the money in and gave him the dollar bills. We made a special trip to the pet store and picked out a fish and tank. Ash walked up to the counter. Before we could even give the cashier the fish, Ash had stuck his little hand, full of cash, up on the counter and plopped down all his money. He was so excited to buy it with his OWN money!


Tom tried to name the fish "Doug," but it wouldn't stick. Ash just kept calling him "my Nimbi."


Ash always feeds the fish (sometimes just a little too much...) and now he is brushing his teeth to work for more fish food.

(Cause he's the fish's daddy and has to take good care of him!)

House Hunting

Now that the house market has settled down we have decided to look for a home to purchase. This is a BIG step for us. Our first house!

When Tom and I got married, Tom was just trying to get into pharmacy school. We had no idea where he'd end up going to school, so we decided to just rent for a year until we figured it out. By the time we found out Tom got accepted to the U of U, the market went OUT OF CONTROL.

We couldn't afford ANYTHING (being starving students and all).

I'd constantly check the house prices, and finally one day *HOORAY* there were houses we could actually afford.

I got a nice Realtor (he's my parent's home teacher and they gave him two thumbs up). His name is Lonnie. Every house we go to Asher screams "where's Lonnie" anytime he gets out of eye site. He says they are 'buddies.' Sometimes he even calls him DAD. That was a little awkward.

Ash has been a trooper through the house hunt. He actually likes it. Every house has stuff to look at (sometimes play with if I'm not watching close enough... lots of hand wipes were used) or couches to jump on.

I think we are getting close to finding something. It's really exciting to think about. Oh the space! I can just imagine it now. Room to breathe without toys crowding me, and a BACKYARD. Yes, a BACKYARD!

One day soon... I can't wait!

The Marshmallow Gun

Best. gift. ever.


Ash got this marshmallow gun for his birthday this year. HIS TWO YEAR OLD BIRTHDAY. Yes... a gun at two years of age. He loves it.

The box said it was for 8 year olds.

My brother and his wife got it for him. It shoots out little mini marshmallows. It doesn't shoot them far and it doesn't hurt if you get hit with one. It's pretty harmless.

I took it to baby Addi's blessing lunch and all the little kids surrounded Asher. They each wanted to take a turn trying it out. I had this weird feeling... like it was bizarre to let all the little kids play with a gun. I told my mom and she was like "umm... it's a marshmallow gun."

All the kids would stand in front of the person shooting it and yell "shoot me." Ash started doing this at home afterward.

This did NOT EASE my reservations at all.

But my mom was always extremely overprotective of us. And if she thinks its ok... then it must not be too bad.

I remember a childhood filled with bb guns. Its just such a different time than it was back then!!! I think I'm officially a mom. With mommy thoughts and worries. OVERPROTECTIVE mommy thoughts and worries... oh joy... let the fun begin.