Best Toddler in the World

Parents,
Imagine your toddler walking into your room, covered from head to waist in vanilla yogurt...

Did you just have a daymare about the mess you just KNOW you need to clean up in the other room?
Yeah.  I thought so.

That's what crossed my mind when this cutie walked into my room saying, "e mess.  e mess," while I was packing this morning for our weekend trip to my cousin's wedding.

covered in vanilla yogurt... kinda hard to see cuz the yogurt is white, and so is the shirt,
but it was COVERED and sticky!

I cleaned her up in my room.  Avoiding the inevitable.  If i didn't go in the other room, the mess wouldn't exist.  Right???

...
right...?
...

Riiiiiight.

well, I knew this would be a moment to capture, so I took the camera with me.  Ready to capture "ground zero" in the living room where I had left munchkin to watch Sesame Street while I packed.

And there it is, folks.

No, I'm NOT kidding.  This was it.  Some blobs dropped on the table, and some transfer left on the chair.

I searched every nook, cranny, couch cushion, blanket, sq. in of carpet and wall, and toy in her bedroom.  This couldn't be it, could it?!
I mean, every parent at some point finds their toddler covered in butter, or peanut butter, or yogurt, or something sticky or greasy or both, and the little one has given a makeover to whatever room they committed the crime in. Right?

I just take this as further proof that I have been blessed with the Best, MOST AMAZING toddler to ever make a mess in history.  She even did this...

You're looking at the foil lid to the newly opened yogurt container sitting in our trash can.
thrown away by the best munchkin in the world.
Yes, friends.  be jealous.
My best, most amazing, and awesomest daughter seriously got into the fridge, opened a container of yogurt, threw away the foil lid, sat at the table to eat, and came to tell me she made a mess.

I love my munchkin!!!

Modesty and the BYU Honor Code

eh... this is the first i've heard about this story (yay for living back east again!). i'm amused by how much attention this is getting, and reminded of how small the world gets when you live in Provo and/or go to BYU...

go check out the story, watch the video.
and now go check out the Dress and Grooming Standards of the BYU Honor Code, if you're unfamiliar with it. (if you go to BYU, you likely have this memorized, in which case- just keep reading.)

some people are strongly defending that she's not wearing anything "immodest."  I heard a rumor that she got hired by a clothing company that specializes in making modest clothing to be a model. just checked it, she's already got some modeled pics up on http://www.crisandkates.com/

some people are getting angry and saying things like, "you signed the Honor Code and if you're not going to live it, then go to a different school!" (the trump end to any conversation about the Honor Code among the BYU species...)

read all the comments on facebook if you want: http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/427238_10150602641948676_36259238675_8900076_553404050_n.jpg
those are the really disturbing thing-- calling the guy who wrote the note a bully, telling the girl she's out of line and needs to repent, comparing the Honor Code to "forcing women to wear burkahs," ... just WOW!

and now my opinion:
 looking at her, i don't think she's dressed immodestly or that her clothing encourages unwanted attention to her body, or that her clothes promote negative thoughts about her.  but like it or not, BYU's honor code as it relates to appearance isn't always about the Spirit of the law when it gets broken down into the nitty-gritty rules(though if you follow it by the letter you can't go wrong, think of it as an "extra high standard").
so yeah, she did technically break the Honor Code. (and i'm not totally against the "no leggings" rule in the honor code, since there are many degrees of leggings depending on color, sheer-ness, and tight-ness [which is really more of an issue of body shape and size than how the item is made].... though the rule does make her outfit and i'm sure others' outfits "against the honor code", even though i think it's acceptable...but i digress...)

what that guy did wasn't really the worst he could do either.  do i think her clothes are "immodest?" no.  is it breaking the honor code?-yes. so the guy felt he should say something, and he gave her a note, which granted may or may not have been written in a "nicer" way, but i'd really prefer to have a person write me a note or address me privately instead of just turning me into the HC office. i had roommates who were anonymously turned into the HC office and never knew why because people would get offended about something trivial and just turn them in, instead of talking to them about it in person first.  so, maybe the guy was a bit uptight about the honor code... but he handled it the best way he could and feel good about it.

do i think this woman needs to leave BYU because she's not obeying the honor code perfectly as it's written?  uh, no. the favorite trump end to all honor code conversations ("you signed it, if you don't like it go somewhere else!") is stupid, kills potentially meaningful discussion, and makes the assumption that people who break the honor code aren't worthy of BYU (and by extension forgiveness or the Atonement).

The Atonement is awesome and available to everyone-- BYU student or not, Mormon of not.  We're all learning to be our best.  Students at BYU are not the "judges in Israel."  I think a lot of people over at BYU need to get their heads screwed on right and realize there are more important things to worry about, like the reality of the Atonement,  their own personal testimonies, and their own need for repentance instead of everyone else's testimonies and need for repentance.

(ok, i'm gonna stop now before i become too hypocritical and make this a bigger deal than it should be.)

Sibling Rivalry Starts Early

Munchkin and I were sitting on the couch, watching Sesame Street this morning when little Ruthe started kicking. A Lot.

Well, Naomi must have noticed because she turned around and said, "stop!"
I asked her "stop what?"
she answered, "no!" and poked my belly.

I just laughed, and was thinking 'silly munchkin!" When I noticed that Ruthe kicked again, Naomi turned and poked my belly and said, "no! no!"

My silly little girls-- fighting already and Ruthe hasn't even been born yet!  This should be interesting in the coming months...

What's in a Name?

I've been contemplating names lately.  With good reason, since we just found out Baby #2 is a GIRL!!!  Anyways, I wanted to just record my thoughts on how important a name is, and why we chose he names we have so far for our girls.

I think a person's name is more than just what they are called.  It's part of who they are, and the inspiration for a name can be just as important as the name itself.

Our first daughter is Charlotte Naomi. 
~Charlotte after my mom (Charlotte Lynn) and myself (Charlotte Marie).  I think my grandma got the name Charlotte from a friend of hers... I'm not sure. Oh, and we also learned that Charlotte was Brad's grandma's middle name, so I guess it came from both sides of the family.  :-)
-From BabyNames.com, Charlotte means: Free, also feminine form of Charles (which means: free man).
~Naomi was a name chosen by Brad.  He told me long before we were even engaged that when he was somewhere around the age of 10 or something that he was reading the Bible, read the name Naomi, and decided then that it would be his first daughter's name.  Luckily,I liked it as well. ;-)
-From BabyNames.com, Naomi means: gentle, beautiful (in hebrew), and (in Japanese) honest/correct/frank, and beauty.

Beautiful is definitely a word to describe this little one-- she is beautiful in character, spirit, and body.

Our newest little one (expected to arrive late May or early June) will be Ruthe Maedean.
~Ruthe after Brad's grandma (Ruthe Charlotte Neeley).  Funny story-- we asked Brad's grandma where she got her name, and why it was spelled with an -e at the end, since the common spelling is Ruth.  As I remember it, she snuck off to see a fortune teller when she was a little girl who told her that if she spelled her name with an -e on the end would have better fortune or luck in life, or something like that.  And from then on, Grandma spelled her name Ruthe because she liked it.  So, we're going to keep the good fortune coming and keep the spelling Ruthe.
-From BabyNames.com, Ruth(e) means: friendship (in Hebrew)
~Maedean after my great-grandma (Francis Maedean Harkins-- who went by Maedean or Mae).  Today would be her 85th birthday.  She passed away almost 8 years ago, and I love and miss her very much.  I remember her as a strong and loving woman, and am so grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know her in this life.  In fact, her last year in this life, I spent a large part of my summer with her and have very fond memories of that time.
-From BabyNames.com, Maedean means: uh, my great-grandma?  this isn't listed on any baby names site that i can find anywhere... i even googled the name, and there's maybe 5 people with that name in the US, but  think most of them are actually Mae Dean, two separate names.  Lucky girl gets a pretty unique name! :-)

Profile view of Ruthe Maedean at 22 weeks.

On another note, while we didn't plan this on purpose, our two daughters will be Naomi and Ruthe-- like in the Bible story that Brad read many years ago.  I hope that my girls will have as close and good of a relationship as sisters as did Naomi and Ruth in the Bible.  I also hope that both my girls will live up to their names-- they have some amazing examples of strong, faithful, smart, and beautiful women to look up to.  Amazing women who sacrificed much for their families and were full of so much love.  This is everything I hope for for my daughters.

Baby #2

It's a girl!

We're going to name her after Brad's grandma and my great-grandma.

15 weeks

22weeks

So excited to have another little girl join the Neeley family!

A Neeley New Year

As we welcome a new year, we are grateful for the experiences of the past year that have helped us learn and grow closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We also have high expectations and goals for ourselves in the coming year!

Memorable Stuff from 2011
1. Munchkin's 1st birthday!
2. Brad's first full-time job!
3. Leaving Utah, moving East, and being closer to family!

Goals for 2012
1. Hold FHE each week.  We really struggle with this one, especially with a toddler.  But as a family with a young child-- FHE should be even more fun!  A friend of mine put this list together with some awesome FHE ideas for toddlers and I'm excited to try some of them. 

2. Practice the piano at least 15 minutes each day.  I've always wanted to be able to play a musical instrument.  Brad and his family have been very supporative and given me self-teaching books and practice pieces.  One of my most treasured Christmas presents this year was the simplified versions of some church Hymns, from Brad.  I'm excited to practice and have music in our home more. I know 15 minutes isn't much, but an hour each day isn't realistic with a demanding toddler, and it's still practice everyday.

3. Attend the temple at least 6 times this year (or every other month).  Attending the temple has become so tough!  It's almost 3 hours away, so we either need to go separately or find another family to go with us that we can swap babysitting with during sessions.  Either way, it means double the time in Columbus for both of us to do at least 1 session.  And that time adds up: 3 hours driving, 4-5 hours at the temple, and 3 hours driving back.  I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to live within minutes of the temple while in Provo and to go more often.  It helped me strengthen my testimony of Jesus Christ and the importance of temple service.

4. Develop healthier life-habits, like being more active each day (physically and mentally) and eating healthier foods.  There's not an easy way to quantify this one and measure it, but to help us reach this goal, we are getting a family YMCA membership (and setting a goal for Brad and I to each use the membership at least 2 times per week) and trying to eat more fruits and vegetables throughout the day.  And I've been exercising with a pre-natal workout dvd or playing Just Dance while the munchkin naps 5-6 times per week.

Happy New Year! And Best wishes on meeting your goals in 2012.

Potty Training Adventures

yes.  potty training.
because my 20 month old wants to.
that's right.  be jealous, parents of toddlers everywhere!

I have the most awesome little girl ever.  She amazes me everyday with her awesome-ness.  Following are my Facebook status updates of the last 3 days chronicling the beginning of Munchkin's Potty Training Adventures. Because these are the fun things that should be in a journal of some kind, and not get lost in the black hole of Facebook status updates.

Friday at 12:53pm 
munchkin today went to the bathroom and kept saying "poop, poop", then crawled into the tub fully clothed and pooped in her diaper. anyone else think it's time for potty training???


Saturday at 8:55pm 
we got a potty chair last night for the munchkin. and every few hours, we ask naomi is she needs a diaper change or if she would like to use her potty-- she chooses the potty every time, but hasn't actually gone potty in the potty yet... at least she's excited to learn!

Saturday at 10:07pm 
potty training update: naomi came to us and said "poop. poop" so we asked if she needed a change or wanted to use the potty. she choose the potty-- then went pee and asked to take a bath. so i put her in the tub where she proceeds to squat and start pooping, so i pulled her out and sat her on her chair. and she pooped in the potty chair. Munchkin potty training WIN!


Sunday at 9:58pm
munchkin successfully used the potty about 50% of the time today. She missed the potty while we were at church and during her nap, otherwise-- she's been perfect! Love that little girl so much!
  
Monday at 10:52am
side effect of potty training: munchkin has learned how to take off her diaper and thinks she can just run around the house naked all the time... oh boy! luckily, she usually goes to the potty immediately after getting naked, so i haven't found any surprises around the house... yet. *keeping my fingers crossed*

and here are some more cute munchkin antics that haven't made Facebook
monday, dec 19: after going potty, naomi stood up and said hppily, "i went potty!" and then did a little dance.  too cute; i only wish i'd had the camera.


naomi is afraid she is going to fall in the big potty, so she'll only go on her little potty chair.  


naomi gets a few mini-marshmellows for going pee-pee in the potty, and an oreo for going poop in the potty.  once, she saw the marshmellows sitting on the counter (after i'd made hot cocoa) and asked for one.  i told her she had to go potty for it, so she went to the bathroom and went potty right there.  she's so smart!

Merry Christmas!

I saw this painting for the first time today...

And I have fallen in love with it!  Someday, I want to be able to hang this beautiful painting in my home every Christmas.

May we all remember to give thanks for the greatest blessing we have all received-- Christ the Lord coming to earth to atone for man.  If you'd like to learn more about my faith in Jesus Christ, please feel free to visit http://mormon.org/jesus-christ/

Merry Christmas!

Melting Chocolate

 After 2 hours of fighting to melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in a double boiler--

FAIL

After 5 minutes of melting chocolate and butterscotch chips in the microwave...

WIN

How to WIN
Heat on 50% power at 30 second intervals, stirring after each heating interval, until melted.
It may appear a bit "lumpy," and not completely melted, just stir for awhile and those little bits will melt, too.

Mommy's Little Helper

Naomi is getting to be such a big girl!  and so helpful!  I just wanted to make a short list of the awesome things my daughter does to help mommy around the house.  I've learned that if i want to be happy, spend quality time with my munchkin, and still have a clean house-- I need to include her in cleaning.  She thinks it's fun, I get stuff done, and she's learning to be clean.  Win.Win.Win.

Awesome Stuff That Naomi Does To Help Mommy
1. throws away her own dirty diapers-- seriously, when i'm done she will get up, grab her diaper, and go throw it away.  Awesome, munchkin!

2. laundry-- she will seperate whites from colors and put them in the basket that i tell her too.  and she's been doing this since she was 9 months!!! and if i sit her on top of our dryer, she'll help me load the washer (her favorite!), and then push the start button on the washer. she also puts the dryer sheet in the dryer and takes the clothes out of the dryer when they are done.  seriously, this kid will be a laundry pro before her 2nd birthday!

helping with laundry at 9 months old!

3. putting away clean dishes-- after i dry the dishes, she will put them in the proper cabinet (if it's a lower cabinet, which is where we keep our plastic bowls, tupperware-type stuff, and pots and pans).  she even knows where they go (i don't have to tell her), but that's probably because she spends much of her day taking the dishes in and out of the cabinets and playing with them.  :-)

4. washing dishes/sink-- if i only have 1 or two big bowls or pots to wash, and they aren't too bad, i'll let munchkin sit on the counter by the sink and she likes to help "wash the bowl" by running the rag or a scrubbing wand around the bowl and playing in the water.  when i empty the sink, she likes to "clean the sink."  here's her doing just that:

5. she's also already learned to use only 1-2 toys at a time or 1 book at a time.  when she's done with a book or toy, she puts it back on the shelf or toy box. 

Could I have a more perfect child?!  i'm going to find out in a few months!  I love you, Munchkin!