All About Judd

Today's posting is all about this guy.

He just turned 2. He had the same birthday cake on his last birthday, but it was a mini bundt cake. He got a full size bundt cake this time. This time, he didn't hate the cake--he seems to have come out of his anti-bread-and-cake phase.

I don't know if it's the new baby of if it's the terrible twos, but we've had issues with this child lately. Here is a sampling:

I guess it's no surprise that he would mess with his little sister. He is, after all, his father's son. Here is Judd's particular brand.

So, he doesn't always do obnoxious things to her, but he can't seem to ever leave her alone. Not even for a short nap.

He always seems to be in her face, but it's usually something sweet.

He likes to be involved in whatever I'm doing. I'm usually doing housework, so little Buddy also wants to do housework. Here's a shot of some freelance pants-free clean-up.

If you're noticing the big-boy underpants, don't be too impressed. He's wearing those over a diaper. Yeah, another way my little guy is unique.

Tantrums. Now I have two kids who throw tantrums. They are both really good at the tantrums. LOUD. The difference with Judd, though, is that, on occasion, the tantrum will resolve itself and I will find him in the most random place.

The other end-of-tantrum nap shot that I have is not publishable, unfortunately. It's one of my personal favorites. He was naked and sprawled on the bathroom floor.

It's not just his baby sister that he messes with. He's also always in Ellie's face. Or pulling her hair. Or hitting her. Or taking her stuff. Nothing is sacred or off limits with this guy. He even takes Ellie's makeup and puts it on. It's a little startling to see your little boy in full eye shadow and lipstick. It usually makes Ellie really mad, but there was one time when Ellie and her cousin gave Judd a full makeover. Shocking for me, but the girls really seemed pleased with their work.

This shot is at the end of a long, long day with this guy. He would not go to bed. Later, we discovered this. This is Ellie's bed, by the way.

Overall, the kid is a punk. But he's so darn cute, he just makes me laugh when he does something bad.

Where Have We Been?

Where do I start? We have had an eventful couple of months in our family. I guess I will rewind to Ellie's birthday in April. Jake and I decided on a Chuck-e-Cheese party. It was totally over the top and an obnoxious affair, but we had our reasons. (1) I was very pregnant; (2) We are not creative people and didn't want to have to come up with a creative kids' party on our own; (3) Liability--we have a hazardous yard. After hours of research, we decided Chuck-e-Cheese was our best bet. The kids had fun, and I'm glad I didn't have to clean up that mess.

My mom came for Ellie's birthday, and we had no idea that would be the last time we would get to see her. I'm so glad she made the trip and the sacrifice. I found out later that she was really sick that week, but was determined to come to Ellie's birthday anyway. Just days later she passed away.

I will spare you the dramatic details, except to say that as soon as we found out about my mom, Jake and I packed up the kids and Maki (he was already staying with us) and drove to Utah. It was a difficult trip in many ways, one of which was the fact that I was 36 weeks pregnant and had spent the day before in the hospital trying to prevent preterm labor. OK, so I said I'd spare you the dramatic details--sorry!

It was quite a week in Utah. We arranged for viewings, funeral, burial, and also had to clear out and clean my mom's house that she was renting. It was a miracle that we accomplished all that. No joke, my mom's house was sparkly clean by the time we left. We had so much help with everything, and I can't begin to explain all the amazing things that happened that week.

One of those amazing things was that my mom's sister came from Japan for the funeral. Things were very difficult for her because just ten days before my mom passed away, their dad passed away. She was still reeling from that huge event when I told her about my mom. She was determined to be there with us for my mom's funeral, and I am so glad she came. She is on the far right.

I wish I had more photos of people that were there, but taking pictures wasn't really on my mind that week. My mom's best friend, Yuko, who was with her when she died, also stayed the extra week so she could be at the funeral. She was so wonderful to have there all that week.

This is the beautiful cemetery where we buried my mom. It's a new cemetery, still being constructed, and she was only maybe the tenth person to be buried there. The location was perfect for many reasons. You can see the beautiful view, for one. But one thing about this cemetery that is very special, is that it is located directly up the hill from the house that my mom designed and built 16 years ago. It's the one we had to sell when her cancer became terminal--the one she absolutely loved. The cemetery is about a 5-minute walk from that house.

When we finally came home from Utah, it was already May, which meant Jake's birthday, our 6th wedding anniversary, and the upcoming birth of number 3. First, Jake's birthday. We went to Miyama, which is a totally cheesey, Beni-Hana-esque Japanese steakhouse. It was fun, though. I took a totally cheesey picture of the two of us, but there were plenty of other people with us:  the kids, Maki, Jake's parents and brother and sister. Jake's big B-day gift:  reinstatement of cable television, including the Fox soccer channel.

I had no idea that later that night, Jake would blow out his knee in a game of indoor soccer and require major surgery. Yeah, does life ever get less complicated?

Finally, here we are at the latest event in our fast-growing family. This is our newest pride and joy.

Luella Noriko Ross.

She was born Thursday, May 27, which made her 3 days late. I got tired of waiting. Isn't she gorgeous? Luella is Jake's grandma's middle name, and Noriko was my mom's name. We had a different middle name picked out for her, but the day I filled out her social security application, I was missing my mom in the worst way, and this is the name she ended up with.

As you can see, we've had a lot going on, and I haven't even mentioned the virus this computer contracted. (One of the reasons this blog has been silent for so long.) In case you're wondering about the person count in the Ross home, we are up to 6. In addition to the new baby, Maki moved in with us permanently. (Hooray!) We're still trying to figure out our car situation. But that's life, right?

Noriko Yamane Murphy: 1950-2010

Early yesterday morning, my mom's 5-year battle with cancer came to an end. Today, after one of the busiest days I have ever experienced, I find myself feeling overwhelmed by the things that have happened over the last couple of days.

Ironically, she did not die of cancer. She died of a heart attack. Even more irony:  about a month and a half ago, we found out that her cancer was growing at an alarmingly rapid rate and aggressive treatment would be necessary. She was receiving that treatment when all this happened.

When my mom went into the hospital Thursday, she just happened to have a very special houseguest--perhaps her very best friend. This friend, who my mom hadn't seen in a long time, along with my sister, were able to be with my mom in her very last moments. My sister had to make some incredibly difficult medical decisions for my mom that day, and it was an immense comfort to know that both of them weren't alone through all that.

As soon as we could, Jake and I packed up my brother and the kids and drove to Utah. While I have been incredibly busy with funeral and burial arrangements and legal matters, I have not had to fix a single meal. In fact, when we arrived at my mother's house, Yuko had prepared a delicious homemade meal for us. After she left, the doorbell rang, and another dear friend of my mom's handed me a box filled with fresh rolls, cheese, and sandwich meat, "in case we got hungry." And the meals keep on coming.

I had avoided telling Ellie about her grandma as long as possible, but by the time we drove into my mom's driveway, Ellie was really asking some questions I couldn't put off. So I told her that Grandma died. Before I could go into "do you remember what we learned at church about what happens when we die?" she started dancing around and pointing to the sky shouting, "Grandma is with Heavenly Father!" She said all this like it was the coolest thing that had ever happened. Maybe she's in denial. Maybe things will "hit" her later and we'll really have some emotions to deal with. Or maybe she gets things much better than her parents do. I don't know.

Some other dear friends of my mom's got together and purchased a wonderfully generous gift for my mom. I won't get into it what it was, but I will just say that I am still in awe of how much love they must have had for her.

In addition, numerous friends have offered help, support, and flowers, and I truly feel blessed to have so much at such a tumultuous time in my life. I believe that many of the more difficult burdens we've dealt with have become much lighter because of all the help we have received.

For those of you interested, her funeral will be on Wednesday morning in North Logan. If you would like more details, please contact me.

Now, if you will excuse me, I am headed off to bed. I am quite exhausted, and I believe I still have a lot more to do tomorrow. I will attempt a more coherent and interesting blog at a future date.

Spring!

Life has been busy. The kids have been busy. Here's a synopsis of our spring thus far:

Starting the garden. I read in the newspaper several weeks ago that it was time to get peas in the ground, so that's what we did last month. The kids helped.

Jake hates this picture, but I think it's so funny. Judd decided to wear his Chef Boyardee rather than eat it. It's quite rare for this kid to decide to not eat something.

I am staunchly anti-camping. I just don't see the point. Why sleep on the ground, outside, in the middle of nowhere, when there's a perfectly good hotel up the street? You outdoor enthusiasts out there, you are seriously not going to move me on this one. It's a conclusion I've drawn after many many years of mistakenly thinking that I actually like sleeping in nature. I became very much at peace with myself when I finally realized that I was experiencing something akin to cognitive dissonance where camping is concerned. I was delighted to find out that the love of my life is also not inclined to camp.

Consequently, we do not own any camping gear. Well, except for that random tent that Jake owns for whatever reason. But it was still in a sealed box until last year when I broke it out so the kids could play in it. This year I'm working on getting emergency supplies and storage and whatnot, and I decided that we probably ought to have a few outdoor things just in case. Hence the sleeping bag. This is the Ross family's first sleeping bag. Kind of pathetic that this is the first time my almost-4-year-old daughter has ever seen a sleeping bag. She was soooo excited. "Mommy what's this? Mommy what do you do with it? Mommy can I go inside it? I can sleep in it? Can I put my head in it?" Obviously, it was a big moment for her, so I had to get a shot.

At the aquarium. We got memberships again this year after foregoing last year. We've actually used them quite a bit so far, though.

Easter. Ellie had been excited about coloring eggs for weeks. She and my brother were the artists this year.

Egg hunting. We did it indoors because the Easter Bunny didn't want to hide eggs in the cold outdoors. Yeah, our Easter Bunny doesn't go camping, either.

Finally, the classic "Judd crying again" photo. Remember Christmas? You'd think he would be excited about finding eggs all over the house. But no. Here are the things you can always count on with this kid: (1) He will try to eat all the candy at once; (2) Jake will take the candy away in an effort to interest Judd in a different activity; (3) Judd will cry and cry until you give the candy back; (4) Jake will repeat this scene with Judd at every holiday that involves candy. Oh, and Judd will NEVER take an interest in the other activity.

Happy Spring everyone!

Gentlemen Broncos (the perfect Neanderthal)

My family has the perverse tradition of Neanderthalling each other. What is a Neanderthal you ask? Let me start at the beginning. My dad used to buy a book to read on the plane when he traveled for business, and I typically would read the book once he returned home. This is how I was introduced to some of my favorite authors such as Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard.

On one particular trip he brought home the book Neanderthal, by John Darton http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal_(novel). I recall asking him if it was any good and he described it as page turner with an Indiana Jones-like plot. Sucker that I am, I believed him and unfortunately once you start reading it you can't put it down. 368 pages later I was telling him what a terrible book it was and that I couldn't believe that he'd recommended it to me. My dad just laughed and said, "I know isn't it terrible?"

Well not to be outdone, I immediately convinced my sister, Paden, that she should read the book. Needless to say, she had the same reaction to the book and thus began the tradition of Neanderthalling each other. In my family Neanderthalling has spread from bogus book recommendations to music and movie recommendations. I recently Neanderthalled a co-worker (who is an animal lover) into watching Project X. He not only watched it, but he bought it new off Amazon based upon my recommendation. Fortunately he saw the humor in it, but he now takes my recommendations with a grain of salt.

When it comes to Neanderthalling, Paden is like someone who is funny but doesn't know it. Case in point, her glowing text message encouraging me to see Avatar, or as I like to refer to it as [Katie said I'm not allowed to post the rest of my thought]. I think Paden thought she was actually doing me a favor by recommending that I see James Cameron's latest ego trip. Paden, kudos to you on Neanderthalling me on that one, even if you didn't realize that you had done so.

Now to my thesis, Gentlemen Broncos is the perfect Neanderthal. Gentlemen Broncos is the movie where Jared Hess (director of Napolean Dynamite and Nacho Libre) jumped the shark. I had such high hopes going into it. It stars one of my favorite actors Jemaine Clement, and includes an excellent cast (Sam Rockwell and Jennifer Coolidge). Here's the trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdpFpfIBkXc. After watching that, tell me that you wouldn't want to see this flick. It got a 16% on Rottentomatoes and was described as "overwhelmingly quirky" http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gentlemen_broncos/, but then again, Nacho Libre only got a 39% and is without question one of my all time favorites, as evidenced by this:

Gentlemen Broncos was terrible, and not in a good way. However, as I watched it, hoping against hope that it would redeem itself in the end, I knew that it was the perfect Neanderthal. My siblings have become pretty adept at sniffing out a Neanderthal (particularly one coming from me), but I knew that this would work. All my siblings loved Napolean and Nacho, so I casually dropped an email asking if any of them had seen the new movie by the director of Napolean starring Jemaine Clement. Paden bit hook, line, and sinker--she even asked me if I was Neanderthalling her, to which I replied, no, we really liked it, noting that it had been panned by the critics just like Nacho Libre, but how could you go wrong with Jemaine Clement as a science fiction author?

So, it was much to my delight to receive the following text message from her a couple nights later, "You suck." It was even better after calling her and hearing that her mother-in-law had sat through it.

Having said that, it really isn't that bad. You should definitely check it out! And while you're at it, be sure to grab some authentic Mexican takeout from Cafe Rio.

All Kinds of Trouble

Indoor Mischief

Typical day for Judd:

Homemade tatoos, courtesy Eleanor:

And one for Judd, again, courtesy Eleanor:

This guy likes to eat. A lot.

Outdoor Mischief

Sandbox fighting. Note the million toys in the sandbox. Usually, they both want to play with the same one. Go figure.

Ellie doesn't want to pedal. So Daddy is helping. His comment: "She's not very good. But we're practicing." This kid has 3 bikes and usually refuses to ride any of them. I think it's because she's, well, she's tiny. She can't reach the pedals on her Big Wheel and she can barely reach them on this thing. Grow, baby, grow!

This is also a photo of Daddy Mischief. Notice the haircut? Yeah, not very lawyer-like, don't you think? Oh well, at least there's no moustache this time.

You still look good, though, Jake!