PRESENTS!!! (And Christ's Birth)

For Christmas Eve, we had a delicious tortilla soup that my brother made. Mmmmm...my mouth is watering just remembering it...I am putting it on the menu for this week....MmmmMMmmm...

Where was I? Oh yeah...During dinner, the Boy got a little too excited and attempted to jump on my lap. Unfortunately, I happened to be holding a bowl of soup at the time. Let's just say it's a good thing I had packed two bras, otherwise I would have smelled like lime and cilantro the rest of the trip.

Christmas Eve, my brother and sister-in-law always act out the Nativity, complete with scripture, hymns, costumes and props. Da Boo joined her two young cousins as an angel. The Boy was a wiseman, along with his two teenage cousins. That was funny! We about lost him when he realized the "gold" in his chest was actually gold-wrapped chocolate. Even though it got a little irreverent, I really enjoyed hearing the scriptures and singing the familiar songs. This is Christmas.

Each of us got one main gift. Mine was a sleek, new camera. It's a Canon PowerShot SD1000 with 7.1 mega pixels of love, baby. Here's da Boo acting crazy so I could test it out. She was jumping around and shaking her head so hard her glasses came off!

The Man got an iPod Classic. This year, we didn't keep our gifts a secret. I'm glad he flat out told me that's what he wanted because I had no idea. That man is impossible to shop for? Anyone else have any great ideas for his birthday? It's coming up in a couple weeks...

The Boy is all about trains, currently. His gift was easy enough. When he woke up, Santa had left all of his stuff in a chair at the foot of his bed. He saw the train set and could not believe it. He stared at it for several minutes before the Man picked it up and gave it to him. Even then, he could only hold it and stare with his mouth hanging open. Oh, if only everyone was this easy to please! He didn't even realize he had other things (clothes, slippers, Bob the Builder underwear) until later that night when we came back to the hotel.



Da Boo wanted a "Diego Pet." A what? A search on Google offered up far too many possibilities and I knew she had something very specific in mind. I had her "help" me look for a present for a cousin and oh, look! Do Go Diego Go stuff! Let's take a look! She told me which two she wanted the most. Luckily, Santa was able to find one of them. Christmas morning, da Boo was very pouty. When I asked her what the problem was, she almost teared when she confessed that she thought Santa only brought the Boy presents. Then I pointed across the room to a corner that was filled with pink, sparkly things. Her face lit up and she nearly flew off the bed. She got the dolls pictured from her brother.

After the presents were opened, some assembly and batteries installed, the dads had disappeared. This is where I found them:

The Weekend Before Christmas

We arrived at our hotel that afternoon without further incident, unpacked and relaxed for a bit. Well, not really. Da Boo and the Boy ran around like crazed meercats, the Man was bringing in all our gear and I was changing a messy diaper. We brought a few decorations with us: a mini tree, string of lights, mini ornaments, our stockings, an advent calendar, and snowmen holding a string of lights with clips for our stockings. After the difficult night before, Da Boo got the sofa bed and the Boy got the couch cushions on the corner (and he still managed to end up underneath a nearby chair nearly every morning).


That evening, we got to meet Ben.




Here he is with cousin Dawn (taken with my new camera!). He is such a cutie! And a very cheerful baby. We got to hug my brother and his wife. And then my other brother, his wife and all six of their kids (they don't have blogs, sorry). We ditched the kids - I mean, we left the kids in the loving care of their teenage cousins while the adults went out to dinner. :D

Sunday we went to church with my brother's family. The Man had to open a Christmas present early because I neglected to pack a tie for him. (Must have been hiding with the peanut butter!) We got to harrass my older brother, who was the teacher for Sunday School. Da Boo was pouty after class because she was put with the Sunbeams. Well, she is the same height as 3-year-olds. The nursery workers hadn't been able to remember the Boy's name so they had called him Josh the whole time. That was funny! Later that night, I made a zebra cheesecake. One of these days, I will have to take a picture of it so you can see just how cool this cheesecake looks!


Monday, Christmas Eve, we went to Dave & Buster's to play arcade games. This was pretty fun! Da Boo decided she really likes horse racing (uh oh...) and the Boy just liked seeing all the flashing lights and noises and chaos. They won enough tickets to get them each a prize. Da Boo chose a flipping penguin. The Boy got a kazoo. That was actually my choice because I thought he would like it, as obsessed as he is with musical instruments...yeah, that went over in a big way. I think we had to eventually hide it from him.

I'll get into the Big Event and all the gifts (including my lovely camera...so shiny...) in the next couple posts.

Murphy's Law

Murphy's Law states that whatever can go wrong will. And it hit us pretty hard, starting on that Thursday before Christmas. I had been packing furiously and getting everything ready. We were planning to leave no later than 10 a.m. on Friday, hoping to arrive at my brother's house in time for dinner. (This is going to be a looooooong post...go to the bathroom first, maybe get you some snacks...)

Thursday evening, I was hard at work on a cake when the Man was summoned upstairs by da Boo. Her fingers hurt. Not just her finger, but fingers, plural. What he saw on her fingers raised some serious red flags. It looked like on both hands, her index and thumb tips were covered with a blister or the skin was red and puckered. Also, it was spreading to her other fingertips. For the next couple hours, we were talking to the after-hours pediatrician on the phone and contacting the various doctors in our family for their opinion. The Man even broke out my new camera to take pictures of da Boo's fingers so they could see what it looked like. The after-hours doc's diagnosis didn't fit. Our next option was the Emergency Room or wait for morning and her regular pediatrician. Since she wasn't running a temperature or in great agony, we opted to wait. I was on the phone as soon as the office opened. I described her fingers and the nurse said we should come in...was 3:30 that afternoon okay?

"Well," I tried to explain, "We're supposed to be heading out of town this morning..."
"Oh," she said, shuffled some papers and then "How soon could you get here?"'

The Man and da Boo were immediately sent to the doctor. The diagnosis? She had a strep infection. In her fingertips! I've never heard of such a thing! She came home with antibiotics and lotions. By then, it was lunchtime. We should have left two hours before. I fed the kids and we finished getting packed.

By 2:30, we were on our way! Our route took us through Wyoming. The Man had checked weather and road conditions the night before and all looked good. Things didn't look so good once we got started several hours later than we intended. It was snowing, freezing cold, with strong winds. Along this route, there are electronic billboards that tell you of any problems, like hazardous conditions or road closures. We had been on the road two hours when these billboards reported the road was closed nearly an hour away. No worries, we told each other. We'll keep driving and perhaps they can get the road re-opened. Still, we kept on eye on those billboards. We had just entered a town and I saw that the message on the billboards had changed.

Me: Road Closed at Exit 104.
The Man: Where are we?
Me: Exit 102.

Temptation to use Daddy Words ensues. At this exact moment, my brother calls us to see where we are. It is 5:30 and we had planned to be nearing his house by then. Instead, we have him get online and check the road conditions. He reports that the road is closed...in three other places.

With no choice, we find a hotel for the night. After getting our room, we grab some dinner. Then, we get the kids in their swimming suits and have a fun time in the hotel pool. That evening, the kids are on one double bed and we are on the other.

This delay was actually a good learning experience, for the most part. We did have a good time in the pool (until my swimming suit failed but that is a whole other post - which I will probably never post) and we learned that the kids could not share the same bed without both being hauled from the blankets at some point to be placed in time out for fighting. Also, we learned that when travelers are stranded for the night, the first place they go for breakfast in the morning is the Wal-Mart bakery. There were no donut holes left.

These problems resolved, we got back on the road and resumed our travels*. We had to go about 15 miles under the speed limit as the roads were icy and the wind was still blowing. After driving for a while, we stopped to have lunch made from things we'd packed from home. This was when I realized that in my flurry of packing, I forgot the peanut butter. Mmmmm...jelly sandwiches...

*I hesitate to mention the darkest moment on the trip. We were driving slowly along that highway, when the Man noticed there were no on-coming traffic. Thinking the road was closed again, we continued on carefully. Soon, we came across the reason. There was an accident. A very, very bad one. Since I am no longer on happy pills, I tend to...freak out?...shall we say. It's hard to sob hysterically but keep quiet so as not to alarm your kids, sitting behind you.

The Week Before Christmas

Ya know how I wasn't posting all that much just before leaving for Christmas? That's because it was crazy busy around here! Let me give you a little run down on what was happening...

Monday was a day for finishing the neighbor gifts. Clear back at the beginning of December, I found these great glass jars with an image of the Nativity. See, I'm all about Christmas being about Christ, not Santa. While the man in the red suit does visit us (because we've been ever so good), the focus should be on the birth of our Savior. The jars were perfect. Originally, the plan was to fill them with cookies or fudge but as the month wore on and my To-Do list kept growing, I opted for store-bought candy. But they still sat on my bedroom floor, all empty and lonely. That afternoon, da Boo and I filled them up. I made tags (from 3 different kinds of paper because I am completely insane) and they were ready to go! But I didn't have time...there were still Christmas cards to make, address and mail!

Monday night was the Wasatch Winds Christmas Concert.

Here is the Man at the timpani, one of his favorite instruments. Since he is quite the percussionist, three orchestras and bands have been trying to woo him. He likes WW so there he stays. The concert was fun! Aunt Denise and the Co-Ed joined us. Afterward, we exchanged presents with them and our buddies. I had made cookies for this gift exchange but then neglected to take them out of the oven...they were a little dry.

Tuesday, da Boo was very upset about a hurt finger. The tip of her index finger blistered like it had been burned. She insisted she didn't touch anything hot. I couldn't think of anything that she had been around that would have caused the damage. So I wrapped it in Dora bandages, gave it a feel-better kiss and thought nothing more of it. I was distracted by the fact that I had to teach the Boy's preschool and got two cavities filled.

Wednesday, we finally were able to deliver those neighbor gifts and received a few more. I love neighbor gifts! It's like getting an Oscar... "You love me! You really love me!" Wednesday was also a day for massive loads of laundry in preparation for the trip. And it was da Boo's Christmas Program so I was baking a cake and putting together mushrooms.

Thursday came all the packing and gathering and making lists and ignoring those lists to post on my blog and packing some more and wrapping gifts and trying not to collapse into an exhausted heap on the floor. I was staying up until 2 am nearly every night trying to finish what I couldn't do while playing referee and judge for the kids. The Man was putting in late nights at work trying to get everything done before he was out of cell phone range. No fun! At least I had all those neighbor goody plates to keep me full of sugar.

See? Now, aren't you tired just reading that? Imagine having to go through it! Then came Friday, the day we had planned to leave...

Da Boo's Christmas Program

Da Boo's preschool had a Christmas Program two days before we left on vacation. She practiced the songs constantly at home so I knew she was very excited. The Boy and I headed to her class. I stood at the back, snapping pictures and giggling like crazy at how cute she was up there. (He played in the little play house they have and proceeded to stink up the place by "takin' care of business" while in there...)

Here, she is being one of Santa's busy elves. They used the sticks and bells to act out the song. There was also a really cute one with the Gingerbread man, Jingle Bells and a couple traditional folk songs. (And since I was using my old camera, only one picture actually came out looking decent enough to post.) She was partnered with Jacob, her best buddy (at least when she doesn't want to have a tea party). It was rather amusing as he is head and shoulders taller than her.

Also, we were asked to bring a plate of cookies or chips to share during the party. This is me we're talking about here. So I brought this. Because nothing says "Christmas Spirit!" like trying to make this cake when you should be packing for your trip.

Didja Miss Me?

We just got back! Literally...like 20 minutes ago. And I just couldn't put the kids to bed fast enough before I had to run to you, my dear Internet. Oh, how I've missed you and your lovely glow...I've longed to stroke your mouse and run my hands over your keyboard...

*ahem*

Anywho...I'll be resuming normal posting. And, because I know you've missed me ever so much, I have some cakes to post! Unfortunately, those pictures were taken with my old camera. Did you catch that? My old camera? I got a new one! For Christmas! Because my husband loves me! And doesn't want me to swear at Photoshop anymore! Then I'll post all kinds of groovy pictures taken with the new camera.

In the meantime, tell me what your favorite Christmas gift was this year! (And so help me, if you say something all self-less and sweet like "Just being with my cuddly family!" then I am going to wring your blog's neck! Get materialistic, will ya?)

Procrastination - I Haz It

Sooooo...I've been thinking about all the things that I do while I procrastinate doing something else. In fact, three days ago I thought "I should blog about this!" but put it off. Right now, I'm compiling/reviewing a list if everything I still need to do before we leave tomorrow for Christmas. And instead of actually working on that mountain of unfinished items, I'm blogging. It's a vicious circle, really.

It's utterly amazing how a task expands to fill the time you allow for it. I can empty the dishwasher in three minutes flat if I need to refill it before company arrives at the house. But if I'm emptying it while waiting for something else to cook or such, then it never gets done before I have to return to the stove or icing bowl or screaming child. Seriously, how does the dishwasher know I when I'm not running late? And how do all those extra dishes get in there?

Then there's my ability to completely over-schedule myself. Of course I'm going to procrastinate everything until the last minute, until I am frazzled, pulling out my hair, and sending kids to time out for small infractions. I've found that instead of losing my temper, it's much better just to give them sugar. Literally. Too many cakes, too little time. I'll try and blog about those, too - when I've got some laundry that needs to be folded or maybe an errand that I need to do.

Welcoming Home A Hero

I know I've blogged about my brother before and if you could hear me talk, well, I wouldn't be able to speak clearly because I just get all choked up.

My younger brother is in the Air Force and was recently sent to Afghanistan. He kept in touch as best he could, when not roaming the mountains on missions. But last Monday, he came home.

Quite a large group turned up to welcome him home to Florida. My parents got to be there.

His wife, Tally, made matching shirts for everyone who greeted him at the airport. That was a great idea! I got to talk to him the next day. He says he having a a little trouble readjusting to some things, like sleeping in a real bed and not using bottled water for everything but other than that, it's great to be home.

For his birthday, I sent him a package with Slim Jims and magazines (because that's what he asked for). While picking out the magazines, I guess I was feeling a little loopy (I know, so rare and all) because I sent him Popular Mechanics, one about cars, a snowboarding magazine and a knitting magazine. Do you know how hot it is during the summers in Afghanistan? Sending a magazine all about snow and such was just cruel. And the knitting magazine...well, I figured those soldiers could use some stress relief.

Name Them One By One

I've stopped the happy pills. I know, I know...after I fought so hard to get them back, I stopped on my own. Here's the thing: I want a baby. Happy pills make me happy but do not make a baby happy. I had to stop eventually. Going cold turkey on those things feels more like a nervous breakdown than anything else I've felt. Doing it this way instead, I tampered them off slowly. The last one I took was the morning I had a distressing dream and felt like a wounded puppy all day. That pill seemed to help a little, reminding me that my imagination is far too active.

The panic attacks have gotten easier to handle. I've tried the counting to 10 method, breathing deeply or closing my eyes (which sometimes made it worse). What I found really helps? Counting my blessings. I know my attacks are completely irrational but I have to show myself that even given a worse-case/impossible scenario, I am still very fortunate.

So here's how one went last night as I was getting into bed and thinking about the upcoming trip: We're staying in a motel and debating whether or not it's worth it to bring the port-a-crib for the Boy. There is a sofa bed and we intend to put da Boo on it. It's large enough for two. So here's how my train of thought spirals out of control: The Boy might like to sleep on a "big boy" bed - but he might roll off - so I'll place the sofa cushions on the floor so he won't bonk his precious little head - but he might still get hurt, even doing that - there could be a pen on the floor - or a hypodermic needle left by a previous guest who was also a drug addict - the needle could poke out his eye - then he'd be blind for life!

Yes, that completely makes sense. And it could happen, right? This is where I take the breaths and start counting. For each number, I name a blessing and by the time I get to five, my heart is no longer pounding and I am thinking rationally again, even rolling my eyes at myself. Good ol' wacky imagination getting the best of me.

For a much more interesting take on what it's like to spiral out of control, read this.

Dad, don't look!

My father, who is deathly allergic to cats, would hate this post. But...

Isn't that just the cutest thing you ever saw? Say it with me now... "Awwwwwww!"

Everyone is relatively healthy at the house now. Unfortunately, now the house is very ill. Looks like it threw up inside itself. Okay, maybe not that bad but I've really gotten behind on just about everything. In the midst of stressing over sending out our Christmas cards, I was wondering why I had it so together last year but this year nothing is getting done. Then I remembered: Flylady. Last year, I was a faithful flybaby and followed her Holiday Cruise guidelines. I have since fallen off the wagon and severely smacked my head or something. I think it might be time to start over with the baby steps...gotta go shine my sink! (and then get to work on those Christmas cards!)

(Belated) FHE: Gingerbread House

We did not have a Family Home Evening on Monday since no one was feeling very healthy. I had purchased a Wilton Gingerbread house kit because it was only $5 when they're usually closer to $15. Once I opened it, I realized why it was so much cheaper: whoever was in charge packing the candy messed up big time. There were only gumdrops...no other candies. Also, I neglected to plan ahead (story of my life) and one hour before FHE, I read the instructions. Seems that the base is supposed to set for 2-3 hours before you put the roof on, which then has to set for another hour. As tempting as it was was to keep the kids up until midnight with the promise of playing with candy, we decided to try it the next night instead. I still made the base and let it set the required amount of time.

Since yesterday was a total loss, it sat on the counter, looking all naked. Da Boo asked if we could decorate it this afternoon. She was feeling better, the Boy was fine although he was refusing to take a nap, so I got him out of bed and we set to work. Luckily, we had some mini M&Ms and chocolate chips to help fill in the candy assortment gaps. Besides, this is ME we're talking about! Of course I have all sorts of candy on hand!

The kids had a blast! And they were very, very polite, loving and sharing - which makes me suspect that they aren't feeling well after all. Notice the empty little bowls on the table? Notice the chocolate smudges on their faces? They "helped" clean up.

Here is the finished result:

12 Days of Christmas - A Cappella

Too busy finishing all the laundry we started in the middle of the night (da Boo has quite the range when vomiting from a reclined position...maybe this should be an Olympic event).

Here, enjoy this:

*Thanks to my sister-in-law, Hallie, for sending me this!

Ewwww Yuck

Sorry for the posting drought. And I don't have a book to blame this time. Instead, I'll blame the flu.

Friday afternoon, the Boy woke up from his nap and da Boo proceeded to run into his room to tease him mercilessly. She's such a good sister. So, he's crying and all hysterical by the time I mosey in there. He'd called out to me earlier, saying he had spilled. Not knowing what that meant, I didn't think much of it but when I walked into him room to get him out of his crib, I understood.

"I spilled" is Boy-speak for "I threw up."

And we all know just how good I am at handling that sort of thing! Luckily, it wasn't bad and was quickly cleaned up. Later that evening, I went to a really great bread-making class - which I will have to blog about later - when the Man calls me. Apparently, the Boy had "spilled" again - twice. He wasn't running a temperature, wasn't acting subdued or abnormal. Just spewed his guts periodically.

Saturday, he was fine. He even got mad at his daddy when the Man won't give him a sandwich for lunch, offering instead crackers and Sprite. The Boy came to find me and announced "Daddy no loves me anymore." Sunday morning dawned bright and early (we had a blizzard the day before so it was also very cold). The Man left for his meetings and the Boy woke up. This time, when he announced that he "spilled," I leapt out of bed. I got him cleaned up and tried texting the Man about the problem. This was compounded by the fact that I was supposed to substitute in Primary for da Boo's class. Still no temp or acting sick. I decided he couldn't go to church when his diaper erupted, resulting in yet another load of laundry. We ended up tag-teaming church: the Man got to go to Sacrament and I got to hang out in Primary.

The Man has a touch of it and da Boo is currently sitting on the potty after whining that her tummy hurt. Should make for an interesting evening! Anyone want to place bets on how soon I come down with it?

***Update!***
I had no sooner hit "Post" when da Boo vomited all over herself while sitting on the toilet. So she's crying, I'm trying not to gag and the Man is mocking me. So I made him clean the bathroom while I took a stripped-down girl to our room to shower. She is tucked back in bed with clean jammies, a sippy cup of Sprite and a barf bucket sitting on the floor next to her bed.

Like Father, Like Son

Remember how I said the Man's genetics are stronger than mine in our children? Here's proof:


We noticed the Boy's right eye would cross when he went from looking close up to far away. The good news is that his prescription isn't nearly as strong as his sister's. These were Spiderman glasses so the eye doctor gave him a matching glasses case. He calls it his suitcase. While he's pretty good at keeping his glasses on, he really like taking them off and putting them to bed in the case. When I insist he put them back on, he wrenches the arms open. It's a good thing we got the heavy duty frames. I have a feeling he is going to need them!

Snow Day!

This weekend we had a real snow storm! The Man went to the store for me Saturday morning and brought back some snow boots for the Boy. Because I had cakes to do, I sent the Man outside to play in the snow with the kids. I made him take the camera.

Their first snowman! And yes, the Boy had mittens but refused to wear them because they were toddler mittens and didn't have a thumb. And as he likes to remind me, "I no baby. I big boy."

They came in when the Boy started getting too cold. I had hot chocolate waiting (love that CocoMotion!) so they could warm up. I just love the snow!

FHE: The True Meaning of Christmas

The Man has been itching to put up the rest of the Christmas decorations and hang ornaments on tree. We had dinner a little earlier than usual so we could get all this done before bedtime.

Opening Song: Once There Was A Snowman (Boo's pick).

Opening Prayer: It was the Boy's turn to pick and he decided he wanted to say it himself (but he got distracted about halfway thru and I finished it for him).

Lesson: The Man took out our nativity set. This was a wedding present from his grandparents and it is just beautiful! We really treasure it. The first year we had it, I played with arranging it almost every day. Because I'm neurotic.

After we had them all unwrapped, the Man took the kids through all of them, talking about Baby Jesus first. I was pretty impressed with da Boo. She knew that there were three wise men and that they brought gifts for Jesus. She also knew that He was born in a stable. Just when you think they don't listen to a word you say...

After the Man was finished, the kids gave me the pieces and I got to play - I mean, arrange them carefully.

Closing Song and Closing Prayer: Ummm...we kinda forgot these as we headed to the Christmas tree.

Then it was time to decorate the tree! The Boy mostly wanted to look at the ornaments and then hand them to someone else to actually hang up. Da Boo did pretty good about spacing them evenly - until we got to the candy canes and then she wanted them all together so the Boy couldn't break them. After we finished, we had the kids get into their jammies while I got the Treat ready.

Treat: Hot chocolate with mini candy canes! The kids got to arrange their own nativity at their table. This is a really cute one made by Fisher Price.

After treat, we had to de-stickify the Boy before sending him to bed. Ah, the joys of boys.

Crushing Dreams

Sometimes, as a mother, we have to make our idealistic children face harsh reality. It's not easy. It can make you cry at how - at such a young age - they already have broken dreams. And really? Who are we to tell them what is not possible? How can we do that to their little hopes when all they really want to do is be happy? We might as well go around stomping on flowers or pulling the wings off butterflies.

Today was like that.

You see, I made a ballerina cake. Da Boo and the Boy were both very excited about it. They were so excited, in fact, that they spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon (when not at church), pretending to be ballerinas. I then had to explain to the Boy that while his little leaps and twirls were indeed very elegant, he could never be a ballerina.

But then I was laughing too hard to explain that boys can still be dancers.

Poor guy.

TGIO and TGIF!

WOOOOHOOOOO!!!
I'm done!
Come and gaze upon the loveliness that is 50,000 words. So pretty.

Some of the things that I have learned recently but haven't had time to blog about:

1. The Man's genes are more dominant that mine.
2. Sleep deprivation and too much sugar do not a feasible plot make.
3. I used to think that I didn't have very many friends. After making my Christmas shopping list, I've decided that I have far too many.
4. Red icing is hazardous to white plastic mixing bowls.
5. It's amazing how creative one can be with outfits when one has not done laundry for nearly an entire month.
6. Fleece tied blankets are so very, very comfy.

I promise to resume my regularly scheduled blogging in the days to come but please, I need to catch up on my sleep! (and my laundry)

FHE: New Game

I supposed this could have been a lesson on obedience or feelings but I just did it for fun. The Man was asleep upstairs. He stayed home from work so you know he had to be nearly at death's door for that to happen.

Opening Prayer: Me.

Opening Song: I think it was supposed to be Give Said the Little Stream but mostly it was me singing while both kids ran around like crazy people.

Lesson: Have you ever played Don't Eat Pete? It's a cute game! So I decided I would teach the kids how to play. We are really on a "play games" kick lately. I taught them how to play with a barrel of monkeys on Saturday and they thought that was the Greatest! Thing! Ever!

You can find all sorts of game boards for this on the Internet but I made my own, because I'm crafty/cheap like that. I made a grid on a piece of paper and using markers, drew a face with a different emotion in each box. Unintentionally, I made the grid too big and I was running out of emotions. So along with happy, sad, surprised, sleeping, angry, scared and silly, they got bored, dead, and kissy face. We looked at all the emotions, talked about each one and made the face that went with it. I'm glad "silly" was the last one...I probably would have lost them on that one if I didn't break out the chocolate. Because I am a super cool mom, we played with chocolate chips. One chip is placed on each face. Someone gets to go first and someone else chooses a face to be Pete, without letting whoever is "it" know which one they picked. "It" starts with by choosing one chip at a time, pausing for just a second before eating it. Should "it" select the chip on Pete, then they must shout "Don't eat Pete!" Then we all giggle hysterically. We replace the eaten chips and start over, switching roles.

At first, they just weren't getting it. My kids are a LOT like me: when there's chocolate involved, nothing else matters. Not game rules, not weight loss plans, not store security. Nothing. Here's how part of the game play went:

Boo: I just don't know what to do.
Boy: Chips?
Me: Just choose a chocolate chip, Boo.
Boo: But I don't know which one.
Boy: Chips, Momma?
Me: Any one. Whichever one you'd like.
Boy: Chips, Momma!
Boo: I think I just want to eat the chocolate.
Boy: CHOCOKIT!!!

I understand, Boo. I really do. Sometimes I just want to eat the chocolate, too.

Eventually, the kids got it and ended up having a great time, even begging to play the game again the next day.

And we kinda forgot to close FHE...we went and got in jammies instead. Ooops!

Confession Time

Okay, I haven't been as good at this whole writing thing as I probably should be...
Instead of getting in some good word count this weekend, we put up the Christmas tree (the fake one), did some shopping with the Co-ed, invited friends over for dinner, and then played the Wii some more. I wish I could claim that some of my best work is done under pressure. I am running short of inspiration on how to fill in some of my plot holes. Anyone have any good ideas?

And then this morning, instead of getting on the computer and writing like a mad woman, I did this.

This is probably the first time I've made red icing and not gone completely insane trying to get it to go from hot pink to red. There's this really cool lady who does some awesome stuff and she liked my cakes. So we're trading: I make her a cake, she gives me gorgeous jewelry. Keep an eye out for more cakes for her next weekend!

Of course, that's all depends on whether or not I've killed myself trying to finish my book...

Bird Is The Word

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you have a lovely day and got to spend time with people you care about.

My day started verrrrry early. I got up at 6 a.m. Why? Because I am positively wacko. And because I decided weeks ago that I would try something different this year. After all, I've been roasting my own turkeys since that one Thanksgiving where me and I my brother stayed home when the rest of the family went to Grandma's. No big deal. So this year, I brined my turkey.

Ever heard of brining a turkey? Basically, you make a tasty salt bath for your bird and then let him soak until his fingers get all pruney...well, if he had fingers. If you want more of a science class explanation, go here. I got up early so I could start my turkey's bath - then I went back to bed.



Looks comfy, huh? He soaked in those juices in a big 5-gallon bucket for six hours. Then he was hosed off and stuffed in a bag. (And all those little black flecks are not bugs...they're thyme leaves.)



I am all about using those oven bags for turkeys! They make things sooooooo much easier (and a lot less messy). I have never had a bird go wrong in one of those.



See? Doesn't he look yummy? And he was! Oh my, was that a juicy, tasty, tasty juicy turkey! Just ask the Co-ed! Or Aunt Denise! I'd say ask the Boy or Da Boo but they were much more interested in the fact that I let them drink out of goblets. Plastic goblets. Da Boo turned her into a horn while the Boy decided to go the pirate route and wear it on his hand.

I Saw Someone Famous!

Today, we picked up the Co-ed and headed to the mall to do a little shopping. Aunt Denise joined us for lunch. We went to Jason's Deli. It was mighty tasty.

Toward the end of the meal, a guy walks into the restaurant and heads towards the bathrooms, walking right past me. I did a double take!

Me: Was that Robert Redford that just walked by?
Aunt Denise: I only saw his back but it could be...
Co-ed: Who's Robert Redford?

The lady at the next table heard us and said she thought it was him, too. So we all stared at the restrooms until he came back out. Sure enough...it was him! The Co-ed had her camera with her but didn't get it out in time. Shucks!

Now, I don't mean to brag but this was not my first encounter with a celebrity. Oh no, I've had a few more.

I was sitting in the movie theater, waiting for Lord of the Rings to start. Theater was packed. The Man had gone for drinks and popcorn when who should head up the aisle right past me but Donny Osmond! He was there with his family so we didn't bother him. Well, that and the movie was starting. Couldn't miss those exciting previews!

But the big one...that was meeting Vanilla Ice. Oh yes! Feel free to envy me in all my coolness. Of course, I met him before he was famous. But he was totally flirting with me! Well, I was still in junior high so that's kinda sick and wrong but still...Oh, and I thought he was pretty lame.

Then there was the time I rubbed elbows with the Quorum of the Twelve, even shaking hands with President Monson. But that, my dears, is a whole other blog post!

What about you? Any brushes with celebrities?

Someone I Plan On Stalking...

I just started reading this really funny blog. And this post has me laughing so hard, I had to go to the bathroom - twice! You must read the comments!



P.S.
If you are wondering why I am posting so late/early, I have two reasons:
1) It's November. Writer's block cannot tell time.
2) Waiting for the dang traditional Thanksgiving cheesecake to finish baking in the oven so I can go to bed!

FHE: Alphabet Blessing

Okay, we actually got to have FHE tonight, despite the tears and tantrums (and that was just me). Just kidding. It was actually kinda nice.

Opening Song: Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam (da Boo's choice but the Boy is learning this is nursery and it's pretty cute to watch).

Opening Prayer: the Boy (with Mommy's help).

Lesson: I got this from my awesome fhe4children group. To start, I read a story from the Friend about seeing that you are very blessed. During this, both da Boo and the Boy had a meltdown of some sort, although thankfully not at the same time. Then I had a paper with the alphabet on it. We went down the whole thing, taking turns saying a blessing we were thankful for that began with that letter. Daddy got to go first. (Hint: if you try this, have an adult go first because they end up with almost all the vowels and hard letters!)

A - apples

B - baths

C - the Boy (his real name begins with this)

D - diapers (the Boy's choice, with da Boo's help)

E - elevators

F - family

G - Grandparents

H - hair

I - ice cream

J - da Boo (real name)

K - (had to skip due to tantrum)

L - lunch

M - Mommy (awwww...)

N - night time

O - olives

P - Pop-pop (the Boy's favorite person, my dad)

Q - quiet (as the Boy screamed)

R - restaurants (because I don't have to cook!)

S - suckers

T - trains and trucks (the Boy couldn't decide which he liked better)

U - unicorns (da Boo's suggestion)

V - Valentine

W - water

X - xylophone

Y - You!

Z - zippers

Closing Song: Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree

Closing Prayer: Daddy.

Treats: Daddy made everyone hot chocolate in Mommy's CocoMotion. We sipped this while playing the Wii. (Can I just say that I am a waaaaaay better cook in Cooking Mama than in real life?)

So what are some of your alphabet blessings?

Chocolate Calendar says...

"A true friend will give you half his chocolate bar.
But a true love will give you the bigger half."

Times Flies When You're Wasting It

Soooo...whatcha doin'?

Me? Oh, I'm just putting off writing on my book because I am completely out of ideas. I got nothing. Decided to update my blog instead. Wheeee!

And now for some randomness:

1. What do you think of the new look? I was just messing around (read: stalling) and thought it was time for a change.
   
2. Tonight, I went to a quilting class and a friend asked me why I was dressed up (I have on a skirt and my favorite high heel boots). My answer? "It's laundry day and I washed all my jeans."
   
3. If you haven't been to Sonic lately, it's time! I hadn't been for ages. Da Boo got a free "Wacky Pack" coupon from their birthday club so we used it today while running errands. You can get any soda and add all sorts of flavors to it! I got a diet Dr Pepper, then added vanilla and cherry. Heaven!
   
4. My book is getting kinda dull. I might have to kill someone in order to make it more interesting...
   
5. I seriously need to trim my toenails. I about sliced off the Man's foot the other night.
   
6. So back to my book...because I am obsessive...I already know what I'd like on the cover. There's this perfect scene just down the street, waiting for me to take a picture of it . Today, I was heading that direction and was thinking "Hey! Carpe Diem!" So I grabbed the camera. Batteries were dead.

The FHE That Wasn't

Every now and then, things just do not go as planned. It happens.

Monday evening, the kids were having multiple issues. The Boy didn't take a nap, preferring instead to lay in his crib and sing random songs. Da Boo was frustrated over her new game (birthday present) not working properly. And apparently I'd given them far too much candy in an attempt to get some writing done. So. Dinner was a struggle. The Man was fighting a migraine. My ankle was killing me (total klutz, remember?). I could just tell it wasn't going to happen.

After breaking up yet another fight and putting yet another child in time out, the Man and I just looked at each other. Then I announced it was time for bed, half an hour early. So we dragged screaming children upstairs, stuffed them in their jammies, managed to quiet them down enough for a prayer and then tucked them into bed, ignoring the whining and tears as we left their rooms.

Ahhhhhh...peace and quiet. So lovely.

Smile, You're on NaNo!

This is from Will Write for Chocolate.

Noveling continues! I realized that none of my main characters had children so last night I elevated a minor character who is a SAHM with a baby. Found myself putting a lot of my own experiences into her...

Dreamweaver Part II: The Nightmare

Hey, that title kinda sounds like a cheesy horror movie that was so bad it doesn't deserve a sequel.

When da Boo was four weeks old, I had a nightmare that scared me so much, that I still cried about it over a year later.

In my dream, I was a Secret Agent (cue thematic music). I was so good, in fact, that I was given awards and accolades galore. People would clutch my hand and sob about how I had saved them.

I go on my next mission. All does not go well and I am captured. I am then imprisoned in a dark room. There is a window on the left and a door on my night. And the bad guys are standing in front of me. They tell me that because I've ruined their plans for world domination, my family will be taken and used for biological weapons testing. I can hear the Man, sounds like he is in another room. The more he talks, the more agitated he becomes.

What happens next sends me into hysterics. Through the door floats four orange balls, at about eye-level. The balls are attached to my infant daughter. The bad guys are laughing at me. My husband is getting upset and my baby is floating out the window.

When the Man was finally able to wake me up, I was clawing at the window, frantically trying to open it as I sobbed.

While the dream was never repeated, it still haunted me. Then, the following year, while driving to the other end of town to do some Christmas shopping, I heard a radio program for a guy called the Dream Doctor, Charles McPhee*. I have heard to his show many times before. He listens to your dreams and then explains what it means. But not in a Freudian ("You think your grandma might be a good kisser.") or an astrological ("Scorpio is invading you moon.") kinda way. Just straight up stuff. So I called. I had just gotten a cell phone so I called the show right there is the mall parking lot. I didn't expect the phone to ring because it's a national show but not only did the phone ring, but it was answered by a woman who asked about my dream. Then she told me to wait. Who came on the line next but the Dream Doctor himself! I re-told the dream (in my usual, overly-dramatic way).

Dream Doc: Have you changed your life in any big way?
Me: Well, yes. I became a mom for the first time.
Doc: What did you do before?
Me: I worked for a financial planner.
Doc: Were you good at it?
Me: Ummm...I thought so.
Doc: Because when you're a secret agent or a spy in your dreams, it usually means you've changed roles in your life, becoming something that you've never done before.
Me: Oh.
Doc: And since you went from being awesome to getting captured, it means you don't think you are succeeding in your new role.
Me: Whoa.

He totally hit the nail on the head. I went from earning a paycheck and having an active role in society to being a mom who thought everything she did was going to permanently damage her child in some way.

We talked a little bit more about the dream. I don't know if I made it "On the Air" because I went into the mall and spent a whole bunch of money. But I have to tell you, I slept so well that night.


*In trying to find his website, I learned that Charles McPhee has canceled his radio show due to his diagnosis with Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Dreamweaver

**Posts are going to be a little scarce during November due to National Novel Writing Month. This is the fourth time I've participated and the first time I've gone into it almost completely cold. Usually I have pages of notes and lots of ideas. This time? Nada. I've had some inspiration, though, and am already over 11,000 words. That's not a bad start! Just hope I can keep it going.**

I've always had very vivid dreams. They are a good source of material for my stories, too. But every now and then, I have a dream that is a little too real.

When we were still newlyweds, I had a dream that the Man was flirting with another girl, right in front of me, trying to make me jealous. I was so mad at him, that I almost punched him when I woke up! He was more than a little confused.

Even now, I will still have dreams like that. Just recently, I had a dream where, for some unknown reason, the Man and I were no longer married. We were seeing each other only to hand off the kids (which, by the way, we had several, da Boo and the Boy remaining the same age they are now...that was odd). There was a lot of tension between us and I felt tremendously hurt. When I woke up after that dream, I went through the whole day convinced that the Man was mad at me, simply because he had been angry in the dream.

Perhaps it's because I am a very emotional person that my dreams are so full of strong feelings. I don't necessarily think that these dreams are a true reflection of how I am feeling towards the Man or how I think he's feeling toward me. But then again, I also lack self-esteem so maybe this is how my insecurities manifest. And I do occasionally have good dreams, where I wake up giggling.

Next post, I'll tell you about the nightmare that scared me for an entire year after I had it. But in the meantime, tell me some of your dreams.

Cowgirl Boo and Her Posse

Since she is currently obsessed with horses, da Boo wanted a Cowgirl theme for her party. And that's what she got! This was to be her first all-girl party but when she told her buddy Jacob this, he was very upset. We made an exception.

The invitation was on brown cardstock with red bandanna print paper on top. On that was a two-toned brown cowboy boot. A white "Howdy, Partner!" block was outlined with tiny rope twine. Party information was printed on the back in Western-speak. The invited cowpokes were asked to wear Western clothes.

Upon arrival, the kids were given a cowboy hat (if they didn't already have one on) and then informed that they were being made deputies. And what do deputies have? Why, a badge, of course! So I gave them star-shaped sugar cookies, yellow icing, candies and sprinkles to decorate their badges.

When finished decorating, they were instructed to eat the badge. Some of the girls looked horrified. That was kinda funny!

After badges, came Lasso Practice. It was very much like Hot Potato, only they passed around a coiled rope. I didn't get any pictures of this because I was too busy running the music and consoling those that were out. Winner received a bag o' gold. (Really it was yellow bubble gum in a cute little bag.)

Now that they were deputies with lassoing practice, it was time to wrangle a varmint! Here's the posse giving me a big "YeeeHaw!!" before we started this game.


Wrangling consisted of tossing a hula hoop around a toy riding horse. The kids loved it! Winner got a little trophy.

At the end of this game, I noticed that we were running well ahead of schedule. I suggested we play the games some more and they were all for that, especially since I had more prizes (ie: stuff left over from putting together the loot bags).

Then we had cake.

They loved the cake.

A couple girls didn't want to eat it but once others starting calling dibs on various parts, they got into it eating horse flesh. Strawberry cake served with strawberry ice cream and strawberry lemonade. And yes, da Boo likes strawberries. Why do you ask?

When almost everyone was done with their cake, I ran into the kitchen. All the horses had escaped! I needed my deputies to hurry and help me find them. Small plastic horses were hidden all over the front room. There were enough for each kid to "capture" two. Still with plenty of time left, we wrangled more varmints. After killing some time, we opened presents!


And yes, she is trying to smell the Strawberry Shortcake doll. Only half of her friends gave her Littlest Pet Shop.

After presents, with still a good 15 minutes before parents arrived, we watched the Wonder Pets. If you've never seen the Wonder Pets, count yourself fortunate. We watched the episode where the Wonder Pets save a baby cow that was stuck in a tree when a twister blew through. Interesting how they have very little understanding of physics...

As parents started arriving, Cowgirl Boo handed out the goody bags. These were a knotted red bandannas that held a bag of gold (chocolate) coins, horse stickers, a horse finger puppet and candy with bandanna-print wrappers. And after a couple kids left, we remembered to hand out the balloons, too.

A Little Something

I'm still not feeling that great (AND it's Day 4 of NaNoWriMo and I haven't even broken 1,000 words!) so I'm just posting the cake picture here.

See those silver canisters on my counter? I have a set of four. Love 'em! But my mom got a big kick out of what I keep in them. The two biggest have white sugar and flour. The two smaller have powdered sugar and chocolate chips. Hey, it's what I use the most!

Ugh

I had every intention of posting yesterday, giving you all the frosting-coating details from the party.

But I got sick.

I woke up feeling horrible, sick to my stomach, but had a cake to do and a group of 5 year olds to entertain so I soldiered through it. Shortly after the last kid left, I laid down on the couch...and then didn't move for nearly an hour as my body stiffened up. About 4 pm, I went to bed and almost immediately fell asleep. I woke up this morning as the Man was leaving for bishopric meetings. I felt better, although weak and my muscles felt like jello. Nothing some food and a hot shower can't fix! But now I'm starting to feel it again.

Let's all keep our fingers crossed that this is due to morning sickness!

Birthday Boo

Today is da Boo's birthday! I cannot believe that I have a five year old...whoa... So far, for her birthday week, she's gotten pink Rice Krispie treats, a new craft (loves crafts), went to work with Daddy, had a friend over to play, and got an extra cookie. Tonight, we're going out to eat at her favorite resternot with Aunt Denise and the Co-ed. That would be IHOP. The smiley face pancake is her favorite because - and I quote - "Mommy, that pancake looks just like me!" Ah, yes. How could we forget her chocolate chip smile and cherry eyes?

So in honor of my beautiful Boo, here are some of my favorite pictures of her from days long gone:

From her first Christmas. Not quite 2 months old. I loved that outfit!

And here is the Princess, wearing her crown. She had to wear this helmet because she would only look to the right, causing her head to go flat at an awkward angle. Now, she is perfectly formed.

About a year old, da Boo is mastering the stairs.


It appears that she likes chocolate...I wonder where she gets that from? Also, this is one of the first photos of her with her new glasses that she got just after turning two.

Before her third birthday, da Boo took a toddler cooking class and this is the peach pie she made.

What kind of a mother would I be without at least one bathtub picture? Here, she's 3 1/2.

Last summer, we went to Moab and toured Arches National Park. Here, we're locating a geocache and of course da Boo had to hold out GPS. That's Balanced Rock in the background.

Taken just a month ago, this is da Boo riding Danny, the Horse. With the hat and bandana, I was trying to replicate a picture of my mother at age nine, riding a minature horse. Da Boo loves horses. So much so that her birthday party this year is Cowgirl themed. Should be fun! Look for those pictures to come in the next couple days.

If you've never met da Boo, it's hard to help you understand just what kind of person she is. Just ask Crazy Grampa about his little granddaughter. She is very talkative and will often crack me up with the most innocent comments. In fact, just minutes ago, she returned from preschool, carpooling home with her buddy, Jacob. While chatting with Jacob's mom, I noticed she had gum in her mouth so I asked if her teacher gave it to her as a prize. She said no, she got the gum from Jacob while his mom went inside their Grandma's house. Busted!

Happy Birthday, Boo!

Happy Halloween!

Ready for the Halloween pictures?

Introducing...Princess Boo!

And loyal knight, Sir Boy!

I am totally going to do the themed costumes until they kick and scream and refuse to go trick or treating. Because I'm evil.

It was a busy day and we are all exhausted. Except the Man. I guess he doesn't get that worn out at his strenuous desk job. I am ready for bed! But first...



The first comment the correctly identifies my costume gets a prize! But you have to play fair and if I already told you what it is, your answer doesn't count.

Time to go "inspect" the kids' candy bags...

FHE: Halloween

I pink puffy heart Halloween! It's my favorite holiday! Last night we were supposed to carve pumpkins but the Man had to work late (didn't get home until after the kids had gone to bed) so instead we prepped for the Big Day.

Opening Prayer: The Boy (with some assistance).

Opening Song: Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam (da Boo's choice).

Lesson: We went over the schedule for Halloween. We've got da Boo's preschool parade, the Man's office party and another party in the neighborhood. After that, we go door to door.

We practiced the door approach, shouting trick-or-treat and then saying "thank you" before we go to the next house. The Boy was very good at remembering to say "Fanx."

Closing Song: I Don't Like Candy Corn (This was the 2nd choice after I vetoed the theme song to a cartoon show. I think my kids have been watching too much tv lately...)

Closing Prayer: Da Boo.

Treats: GHOSTS! I poked the tip of a chocolate chip in the side of a large marshmallow, adding two mini chips for the eyes and voila! We've got ghosts!

The Co-ed Makes Dinner

Remember how I said I can only cook a few things and then after that, you may be asked to sign a waiver before sitting down at the dinner table? Well, I've gone through the list for Sunday dinners with the family. Without subjecting the Co-ed to anything too weird, I suggested she make us dinner. And that was the beginning of a very interesting evening.

I suppose I should take it easy on her. After all, while in college, one of my favorite meals was toast with spaghetti sauce. She was making manicotti. I've heard rave reviews about her cooking abilities so I guess I was expecting her to be a little more adept in the kitchen. Since I had the evening "off," I was relaxing (with my eyes closed) after Church (I substituted in Primary so I was worn out). I didn't get up when the Co-ed and Aunt Denise arrived. I didn't get up when the Co-ed started asking where things were in the kitchen and the Man didn't know. Finally, I got up when the Man came looking for me to settle a spice dilemma.

The Co-ed stuffed the shells, I made the sauce, and she told me all about her week. Can I just say how much fun it is to re-live my college days vicariously through her? Anyway...the manicotti is in the oven. The Man made strawberry lemonade (ain't he sweet?) and the kids ran amuck until Aunt Denise showed them a new game to play that consist of her puffing up her cheeks and them squishing her face until the air pops out (yeah, thanks for showing them that one).

Dinner is served! But...it's only the manicotti, which smells wonderful. So I ask the Co-ed if there's anything to go with the pasta.

Co-ed: Ummm...I didn't have any vegetables.
Me: Okay, there's lettuce in the crisper. You can make a salad
Co-ed: Where's the crisper?
Me: Bottom drawer in the fridge.
Co-ed: How much should I make?
Me: I usually do one full leaf per person.
Co-ed: Okay!

We sit down, offer a prayer, and then dig in. I reach for the salad to dish some up for da Boo. Only...the bowl is full of lettuce leaves...not torn up. This gives us all a good chuckle as we mock the Co-ed. After salad and the main dish are served, it's time for drinks. Da Boo is pouting (as usual) because Aunt Denise won't pour her some lemonade. Aunt Denise, since explaining wasn't working, attempts to show her that she can't pour the drink because the salad bowl is in the way. But Aunt Denise is a little too good in her demonstration and proceeds to pour strawberry lemonade onto the remaining lettuce. After we stop laughing, I warn them both that I will be blogging about dinner. The Co-ed rolls her eyes. Hey, I warned her!

Boy-isms

Surely you saw this one coming after yesterday's post. The Boy is a man of few words. Although he is starting to speak more, mostly he will utter one word - with as few syllables as possible - and expect me to fully understand. So here we go...

1. Mee Mee. Translation: his blanket. I have no idea how this started. One day, he started dragging around a baby blanket from his crib and it has been his constant companion ever since. The Boy was the one that named the blanket and should he ever be without it, well, then it's an instant meltdown.
2. Stabby. Translation: Strawberry. To hear him say it, you would have no idea what he was talking about unless he was pointing to the small red berries.
3. Keen. Translation: Lightning McQueen or really, any red car. He loves the movie Cars and has some of their licensed merchandise so we hear this pretty regularly.
4. Byper. Translation: Diaper. He's starting to get this one right, though. Especially with as many as he goes through.
5. Breckbist. Translation: a)Breakfast or b)his morning poo. Try not to gag. Nearly every morning, he poohs just after eating. Like clockwork. It was the Man that first referred to this act as his breakfast coming out the other end and well, it stuck. Gross, I know! Boys...
6. Pop Pop. Translation: Crazy Grampa. This is one that we will encourage. It's hard to keep all those old people straight! :)
7. Deet Doo. Translation: Thank you. He's getting better at this one. Also? Now, he mostly just says thanks.
8. Fanx. Translation: Thanks. Kinda cute when he says this. He says thanks and thank you whenever given anything. The Boy is very polite. Even hollers goodbye to the toll booth people.
9. Cammies. Translation: Jammies. I have to wonder if this started with the camouflage pajamas he had or if it's just something he started himself.
10. Cusser. Translation: our Roller Coaster. Kinda glad to see this one fading! Seriously, what would people think when they heard him? And of course, the roller coaster was all that the Boy ever talked about. (Did you notice the past tense? The Man made good on his threat and the contraption is currently taking a sabbatical in the basement. Yipppeeee!)

And there ya go! Any more from your kids?

Boo-isms

Sorry for the posting drought. Things have been a little busy and let's face it, I'll take any opportunity to slack off. So for your enjoyment today, I am listing some of my favorite words from da Boo's vocabulary.

1. Can't Denise. Translation: Aunt Denise. She never called her Aunt 'Nise. It was Can't Denise from the beginning. Sadly, this word had been replaced with the proper pronunciation.
2. Mine. Translation: Mommy. From the time she started talking to about her 2nd birthday, I was Mine. Now, she calls me "Moooooooooom!" (to get the proper effect, make sure you say it super whiny).
3. Breckbist. Translation: Breakfast. I'm not encouraging her to change this; it's cute. Just ask my sister Emily how she has always pronounced this word.
4. Resternot. Translation: Restaurant. This one is fading, too, but she sometimes uses it.
5. Fanny On Even. Translation: Family Home Evening. Kinda sounds like a new dance move. Her brother slaughters this one even more. Never know what he's talking about.
6. Bears. Translation: Teddy Grahams. Not really a mis-speak but still leads to confusion in babysitters.
7. Bee Cereal. Translation: Honey-nut Cheerios. Same as above. Causes some interesting looks of concern that we might feed our children winged insects for breckbist.
8. Abba Dabba. Translation: Abby, da Boo's best friend. Seriously, she rarely calls her friend by her given name.
9. Stew-whoa-whoa. Translation: Stool. Never quite understood where this one came from but she insists that this is the way to say it and encourages the Boy to follow suit.
10. The Chocolate Store. Translation: Heaven - just kidding! See's Chocolates at the mall. This is not to be confused with any other storefront that might offer cacao bean-based products. Only the See's at the local mall is the Chocolate Store. She even knows where it is located. She gets that from me.

So what are some of the cute things your little ones say that make you giggle every time?

FHE: Missionaries

Tonight was another memorable Family Home Evening. It was the Man's turn to teach the lesson, which means it was the one time this month that I don't have to plan and give the lesson.

Opening Prayer: Da Boo calls on Daddy.

Opening Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (during the entire song, the Boy shrieks at us for singing because, really, what were we thinking?)

Lesson: The Man's youngest brother is currently serving a mission. We recently received a letter from him so this must have gotten the Man thinking about his own experiences in the field. He talked a little bit about what missionaries do (teach others about Jesus Christ and the Gospel). Da Boo knew most of the answers, as usual. The Boy wandered around, holding his blanket and sobbing, also as usual. Then the Man showed us some of his mission pictures. Oh boy...I think you just have to see it to believe it. First, go look at his most recent picture here. Then look below:

See what I mean? Just a kid! (By the way, he had this picture taken because of the address...911 Hospital Rd.)

Closing Song: Once There Was A Snowman (this was selected after we wouldn't sing Twinkle Little Star again).

Closing Prayer: da Boo. She prayed that I did a good job on the treats. Thanks for your vote of confidence, kiddo!

Treats: Chocolate cake. It had a chocolate ganache frosting (which is just cream and chocolate) so it was very tasty.

Why I Live In Utah

I took these pictures as I was making dinner. Ahhhh...I just love the snow!

The Co-ed does not like snow. We will convert her to true weather.

Story of My Life

Project After: The Bathroom

FINALLY!

Way back in the spring, we started painting the downstairs bathroom (really a "powder room" but we're not picky). You might want to refresh your memory a little. Here are pictures from the finished bathroom project:

Here is the shelf I made to hold up the big letters. And the little cows were a souvenir from a recent trip. They smell like chocolate milk.

I had this print framed because I liked it so much. Print: $1. Frame: $54. Having a picture up on the wall: priceless.

The Shadow

The Boy got a taste of his own medicine this past vacation. It came in the form of a cousin - a younger cousin. The Shadow is 14 months old and completely idolized the Boy at his mature age of 2 1/2. Every where the Boy went, the Shadow followed, even during a diaper change. This was especially frustrating to him during playtime.




I just had to take a picture but you really can't see all the dirty looks the Boy was giving his cousin whenever the younger boy dared to touch the train tracks at Grandma's house. Now he knows why da Boo will spontaneously burst into tears when the Boy is only trying to play with her.