List list list.

1. The other day Ethne said “How do babies get in your tummy?” and in the moments I was pondering what to say, Hazel jumped in and explained it very well.  “Well, the spirit is in heaven, and then it comes doooooown (said while moving her hand from above her head downwards) to the tummy, so it can get a body.”  Well done.

(p.s. I think this picture of Orrin and I turned out pretty nice, only I hate all the junk in the background.  We had to be right in front of the window to get any light.  Any of you photoshopping pros out there who know how to make it look like a nice, neutral background want to do it for me?)

2.  We did a LOOOOT of laundry on Saturday.  About 10-12 franks’ worth.  I had a lot of folding to do this morning. 

3.  Last night my baby started talking to me.  I LOOOOVE that when babies start looking intently at you and opening their mouth and giving tiny little coos.  He did it with Brett this evening too.  So sweet.

4.  The other day I went to a second-hand store and when I went to the door it was locked, and I was annoyed because I can never seem to get to that store when it’s open because of its weird hours, so I was shaking my fist at it, and then the lady came to the door and started unlocking it.  Then I was embarrassed. 

5.  The reason I was at the second-hand store was to buy some Christmas presents for Brett.  I had wanted to get this one sweater and a movie (Master and Commander, one of Brett’s favorite movies (he also loved the books and read all fourteen hundred or so of them)) BEFORE Christmas, but unfortunately, I put it off until the last couple of days before Christmas, and when I finally got there it had already closed for Christmas break.  So I thought I was a wife-fail.  (Have you seen the fail-blog videos?  Hilarious.)  But guess what?  Last week was a store-wide 50% off sale.  So, NOT a fail!  Who cares if it was under the Christmas tree—I saved a chunk of $$$.

6. Besides, when I told Brett at Christmastime about my fail, he said, “That’s okay.  It’ll make me feel better that I didn’t get anything for you.”  If you didn’t catch it, we’re not big gifters.  Gifts are not the love language for either of us.  Not that I don’t really like it when I get them.  (And I did get something- my Christmas present was glasses/contacts, remember.  My trial pair of contacts is on its way.)

7. Which reminds me, I had another eye appointment on Friday (to order the contacts, since the first time I went I thought I would get glasses, then changed my mind), and so I was driving to Brett’s work to drop off the kids with him while I was at the appointment.  Unfortunately, I got lost.  At one point I was very close to the street I was supposed to be on, and yet, not on it.  In fact, I may have been on a street that is just for buses, but I’m not sure.  Anyway, I got way out of where was supposed to be (it’s even hard to find places to pull over in Bern, it’s not like the States where every little store has a big old parking lot out front!).  Then I called Brett and he gave me some directions, and unfortunately I got lost again.  Then I called him again and with his help, finally got there.  I HATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATE driving in cities!!!  I have no directional sense whatsoever.  When I called Brett and told him the street I was on, he asked me if I was facing north or south on it and I had no idea.  I get more tense when I am lost in a city than anything else in life, I think.  I get so stressed.  The poor children totally take the hit, and if they make any noise at all, not to mention whining or fighting with each other, I jump down their throats and yell at them to be silent.  It’s not fun.  So anyhoo, when I finally got there, Jethro and Hazel said “Good job Mom, you made it!”  and I was kindof laughing because if it was a good job I wouldn’t have spent the last 40 minutes driving around needlessly.  I missed my appt. but they were able to fit me in a bit later, which worked out well.  By the way, did I mention I had directions printed out and had been to Brett’s work before several times?  Yeah.  I’m lame.  Brett won husband of the year for not harassing me at all (until the following day).

8. I loved Orrin in his spiffy church clothes yesterday.  He was soo cute!  Too bad it was sooo overcast that the pictures didn’t turn out as well as they could have.

9.  By the way, you may be thinking how can a second-hand sweater be a cool Christmas present anyway?  Well, fear not, it’s Coo-Wul.  I’ll post pictures when he wears it.  (He was going to wear it to church this Sunday, but the pants to go with it were in the laundry.  See #2.)

10.  Also on Sunday, Brett was teaching a lesson during the third hour of church.  He’s in the elder’s quorum presidency, and they were presenting their message about emergency preparedness.  So this girl was sitting by me and translating for me (I love everyone who translates for me!!!) and when Brett mentioned me, she translated it, “my beloved wife” and then we were laughing and making jokes about how men should ALWAYS have somebody translating for them and saying things like how wonderful and beautiful their wives are and other things they mean, but forget to say.  Ha ha.  It was funny.  Perhaps you had to be there.

11.  Mom, Brett told me to thank you for your great example of emergency preparedness because when he was finished with his spiel and still had 15 minutes left to go, he told the story of the train wreck and fertilizer in the air and how you had your 72-hour kits at the ready so you could grab them and go. 

12.  It was my dad and my brother’s birthday yesterday.  Happy birthday to Dad and Wyatt!  You can go feel the love for them here and here and here and here.

13.  Lindsay, Brett just came by to hand me Orrin, and he happened to see a picture from one of the posts I was linking to of you and Alan, and he said, “Hey, that’s not what’s-his-face!”  It was hilarious.  I laughed really hard. 

14.   Hi Sterling!  Love you!

15.  I think I’m almost incapable of writing a post anymore without making it a list.

16. The end.