Guitars, guitars, guitars

A few days ago, Craig discovered Robert's and my guitars stuffed into the back of our closet and has been obsessed ever since. Every time I put them away, he pulls them out again. I'll sit and play it with him. He loves it when I "play it loud," he says. I only know two songs by heart anymore, but (bless his heart) each time I play one he acts like it's the best thing he's ever heard. The guitar in this picture is mine, the "less valuable" one. Yesterday, he was gone and totally quiet for about fifteen minutes, so I went looking for him. I found him upstairs in our room sitting just like he is in the picture. So cool. So mellow.

Unfortunately, today my guitar turned from being a really cool way to make sounds and music to a platform for his race cars. And then it was a stepping stool. Ah well, all good things must come to an end. My guitar now lives at the top of Ethan's closet until it can become "new-to-him" again.

Christmas Day

I didn't get many pictures of Christmas Day. I was either exhausted or too busy. Once everyone was up and at 'em, we started opening presents. Robert's mom was here for a few days, but other than that it was just us this year. I made cinnamon rolls and bacon for breakfast. Craig really had fun opening presents. We hadn't kept any presents under the tree at all so when they came down Christmas morning, they were all there and their stockings were full. I loved watching Craig as he came downstairs and saw it all. We'd been talking about Santa coming and leaving presents for a while, but I think he sort of got it when he saw it all there. Craig's favorite present is the red guitar we got him. In fact, it's the only picture I took. Don't ask me why he's naked. He's at that stage where he likes to take all of his clothes off.


He likes to watch The Wiggles and play his guitar. He'll play and tell me to sing and then Ethan will dance. Ethan had fun, too, but he was just going along with the opening of presents for the fun of it. Robert's mom got them a remote control truck which they love, too. I got Robert some cookbooks he's been wanting called Ad Hoc and Under Pressure written by his favorite chef, Thomas Keller. He has his first two books already, so this rounded off his collection. He got me a new set of kitchen knives. I've already broken them in and cut myself with them, too. :) I was pulling them out of the box and their wrappings and handing them to Robert as he put them in the knife block. I got so excited I wasn't paying attention and one of them nicked the heal of my hand. They're sharp, so it was a clean cut. :) We had prime rib, funeral potatoes, and asparagus for dinner and orange marmalade cake for dessert. The best part of the day, though, was unexpected. Once we were done with presents and breakfast, all of us adults felt totally wiped out so we laid down. The boys were so preoccupied by all their new stuff, we didn't have to worry about them. At one point, Ethan came in ready for a nap, so I put him down, too and went back to bed. All in all, I got about an hour and a half nap Christmas morning! It was very nice. We stayed in all day, watched The Muppets Christmas Carol, and played with the new toys.

I know it's been a great, fulfilling Christmas season when Christmas Day comes and goes and I feel ready to take down the decorations and get on with the new year. That's how I feel now. Not sad that Christmas is gone, but excited for what lies ahead.

Christmas Goings On

I tried to leave my last post up long enough for everyone to see it, but I guess people are getting busy with the holidays and don't have as much time for blogging and reading blogs, so I am moving on. If you haven't seen my last post, then be sure to scroll down.


Anywho, a couple Mondays ago, we went to the local Bass Pro Shops to see Santa and his winter wonderland. It was awesome! They had toys to play with, trains, so many things for a couple of little boys to see, and (of course) Santa! The line wasn't that bad (much better than the mall, I hear). I thought Craig would be afraid to sit on the old man's lap. Ethan is usually the one to be all for something new so we have to have Craig watch Ethan do it first before he wants to try. However, thanks to our morning friends at Nick Jr. and their Christmas cartoons, Craig was totally prepared for the hairy white guy in a big red suit. Ever since, he's been asking to go back and see Santa again. Ethan, however, was the reluctant one, but he made it through.

I've also been baking a lot of Christmas cookies this year. It's tiring and a lot of work, but there's just that Christmas spirit that makes it worth it. This year I did these:

One dozen Brandy Snaps, from Pioneer Woman (I used maple instead of brandy). Sadly, they were a disappointment. Not "snappy" at all--more chewy. Way too much molasses (unless you like that sort of thing, which we don't). I didn't even bother putting them on the Christmas plates. Oh well.

Four dozen Sugar Cookie Buttons with Licorice Laces. I got this idea from the Family Fun magazine but the cookie recipe I used is called Favorite Sugar Cookies from Tasty Kitchen (I think).

Four dozen Gingerbread Men. The recipe I used for these was actually a Swedish cookie called a Pepperkaker, which is kind of like a Swedish gingerbread but different and better. There are some wide variations out there, so if you want the recipe I used, let me know.


Two dozen Peppermint Chocolate Pinwheels from Food Network's 12 Days of Cookies eNewsletter. They are okay, but I wish I had used semi-sweet instead of unsweetened chocolate and the Favorite Sugar Cookie recipe instead of the one they provided. They made the cut, though.


And last but not least, 36 mice (some with Oreo bottoms and some without). If you haven't seen these before, they are really easy. I first made them with a lady and one of my companions on my mission. You dip maraschino cherries (with stems) in chocolate, set it on half an Oreo with the cream, push a Hershey Kiss on for the head, and stand up two almond slices for ears. I used left over Royal Icing from the gingerbread men for the eyes and noses. They're a lot of fun to eat, too. If you start with the head, it's kind of like a real mouse head: small, firm, but not too hard. Then the body is red inside and squishy. (No, I haven't eaten many mice in my day. Snails, yes, mice, no.) I know, that's gross, but I thought it was kind of a cool comparison nonetheless.

All in all, I made 156 cookies (including the mice) and distributed them onto about ten plates (I think) with some leftovers. Phew. Now we are off to deliver them! Happy Baking!

More NEWS

This is what I emailed to Robert at work last week and then called him and told him to check his email while I was on the phone. I couldn't wait until he got home.

Okay, it's only been a week since I found out but I can't stand not telling people anymore.

How am I feeling, you might ask? Great, until today. As I was going to bed I felt a little person inside my head begin pounding a little hammer. It didn't go away after (sort of) sleeping or taking Tylenol. The pounding is making me feel nauseous, the constant drumming kept me from getting much solid rest last night, and when I passed out for 20 minutes this morning, Craig and Ethan created about 30 minutes of clean up time by bringing a Tonka dump truck full of rocks into the living room and evenly spreading them around.

Regardless of all this, I am really excited and feel like this is the right time. I know this will all pass. More will come, but this will pass nonetheless. :)

Ladies and Gentlemen...our 2010 Graduate!

It's been 11 years since I began my college experience at Ricks in June of 1999. There have been many breaks in my education (work, mission, marriage, kids, etc.). Last year, fall of 2009, I began an online program through BYU-Idaho to complete my degree and here I sit, over a year later, facing GRADUATION!

I just took my finals and posted my last posts in the discussion boards. On Saturday, December 18, 2010 I will be an official graduate of BYU-Idaho with a Bachelors in University Studies and a minor in Communications!!!!!

This is something I have always wanted to accomplish but when Robert I got engaged six years ago, I knew it wouldn't happen traditionally for me. I can't explain how awesome it feels to have done this through what some people might call one of the most difficult times in life: having young children, moving, changing jobs, etc. Ethan was only five days old when I began my classes last year but I knew if I didn't take this opportunity now with this online program, I would never do it. I knew things would only get harder and more complicated as the years passed. In January I am starting an online program to get my teaching certificate and will be done with that by this time next year. If I've learned anything in life, I've learned that it's best to start now than to put it off (if possible). I am saying this for all of you out there who have been wanting to do something but didn't think you could right now.

There's no time like the present. Carpe diem!

(There. That's my graduation speech. :))

Our little Pavarati

We've been working with Craig on his ABCs and, since it's the same tune and The Wiggles sing it, he's learned Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Here he is showing off. :)

What is it with kids, dogs, and blankets?

Craig is under the blanket.

I can't seem to wash or fold a blanket without these guys taking it first and rolling around on the floor with it. This one had just come out of the dryer so it was nice and warm. Why do they love these blankets so much, anyway? Are your kids/dog like that?

The 10 Best Cities for Babies/Young Families

I have a subscription to Parents magazine. Most of the time they offer pandering, irritating advice on parenting that only applies to wealthy, middle-aged parents living in big cities (like how to choose a good nanny, for example). I do like their family time ideas, though, and every issue usually has at least one good article. In the November issue they had an article listing the ten best cities for young families to live in. I hoped that the Phoenix area might have made the list somewhere, but I was pleasantly surprised. Did your nearest city make the list?

We live in a (relatively) small community called Fountain Hills. Most people know this area as Scottsdale. And Scottsdale borders Phoenix to the East. Here's the list, beginning at the number one best city to raise a family.

1. SCOTTSDALE! No, joke. :)
2. Fort Wayne, IN
3. Lincoln, NE
4. Pittsburgh
5. Portland, OR (We lived there, too.)
6. Madison, WI
7. PHOENIX! Again, no joke. :)
8. St. Paul, MN
9. Oklahoma City
10. Boston (That one surprises me)

All in all, the best places to live are either in Arizona or the midwest, for the most part. They actually had chosen 100 cities to survey in all. I'm not sure how they chose these 100 cities to being with, but here are a few facts about the rest of the list. You can go here to see the full list.

Number 11 on the list is Mesa! We lived there until earlier this year. Just south of Mesa is Gilbert, which made number 14 on the list and Chandler, which is slightly to the West, made number 17. Glendale, which is West of Phoenix, is number 25. Arizona is the place to be, folks. :) For all the NCRM missionaries out there, Raleigh made number 23 and Charlotte was pushed to number 77! Ha Ha! Even New York got #60. Other than that, for those Californians out there, Stockton did surprisingly well at #93 (being the armpit of California and all) and the very last city on the list? The one that had the worst stats for a family-friendly city? The worst crime, the least family activities, the worst child care resources, the worst finances, and the most dangerous place for a family? Number 100 on the list is................

MODESTO, CA!

For those of you who don't know, my hometown is about 1 1/2 hours away from Modesto, it's where our stake center was, where we would go to the mall, and the closest place with anything like an amusement park.

I just thought this was funny and ironic and interesting. I hope it was to all of you, too. :)

Where did you go, Fairport NY?

Fairport NY has disappeared from my site tracker and now Salt Lake City is stalking me....


I think I know who the culprit is.

Thanksgiving

Sorry, no picture. I wanted to take a picture on Thanksgiving Day, but it just didn't work out. I started on Wednesday and made a pumpkin roll, a pecan pie, a pumpkin cream cheese pie, boiled eggs to "devil" later, brined the turkey, and put together the sweet potato casserole to be baked on Thursday. I think that's it. Anyway, it was a busy day. Robert did the rest on Thursday while I cleaned and prepped the house. What a nice trade off, don't you think? We were trying to get some people over who might not have family nearby, but everyone either had family or were going out of town. We did, however, find a woman in the ward who has two sons in primary (so I know the family a little) but she's a single mom and the boys were with their dad for the day. Her parents were out of town visiting a sibling, so she was going to be all alone. We planned to eat at 3:00, but by the time we all sat down around then, Craig and Ethan were both sound asleep for their naps. So it was just the three of us with a huge table full of food. :) Eventually the boys did get up and eat a little, she took some leftovers home, and we worked on the food over the next few days. All that's left now is some stuffing and a few pieces of pie. And two bottles of Martinellis. I love Thanksgiving and the big gatherings of family and friends. This year was nice, but here's to hoping for more and merrier next year!

Cute things

Jade got a bath today. I also blow-dried her (what IS the proper conjugation for that word, anyway?) She looks pitiful, but I just can't help but laugh at her sad-sack little face. It's like she's pleading for her life. A wet dog is always good for a laugh.

Craig has been getting better with the camera lately. He's learning how to point and shoot. The other day he brought me the camera and said, "Mom, take picture of Craig." And then he smiled this toothy smile. One more thing about Craig: I usually tell him he's a big boy or a cute boy or a smart boy, etc. But when I ask him, "Are you a big boy?" he says, "No." However, the other day we were at Target and he was carrying a little hand basket which he had filled with toy cars (which were strategically placed on the bottom shelf of a display at the front of the store). He was really struggling with it so I said, "Do you want Daddy to help you carry that?" To which Craig replied, "No, I carry it. I'm a big boy." It was so cute and it made me laugh out loud in the middle of the aisle. Of course then he spent the next ten minutes saying, "I'm a big boy, Mom. Hey Mom, I'm a big boy. Mom? MOM? I'm a big boy!" I love my little broken record. :)

What could be better?

Popcorn and chocolate milk. They were in heaven. And so was I...they were quiet for about 20 minutes solid! Not long after this picture was taken, we were vacuuming popcorn off the couch, the floor, in between the cushions...

What have YOU won at a Relief Society activity?

We had an activity tonight where people were supposed to bring an unwanted item to "auction" off. Before the auction, we got "money" (or points) based on our answers to questions like, "Have you done your scripture reading everyday for the last month," and, "Have you done your visiting teaching." Then we used those points to bid on items. Someone (no one said who it was) brought two highly anticipated bags. Now, I've never been one for name brands and expensive things, but it was thrilling to win this. It's nice and roomy, too. It could hold some diapers, a water bottle, and a change of kid's clothes.

Or maybe I'll see what I can get for it on eBay. :)

A Belated Birthday Post

I have been meaning to get this posted, but time has been slipping by me. Robert started his new job on Friday and before that we were all just bumping around the house all day, trying to get things done without our normal routine. So, things have settled, Sunday has come (which is when I find time to do my posts usually) and this is the next one my list.

Robert turned 28 on November 7th! We were in California so we had a big dinner at my parents' house with my sister and her kids. For the birthday "cake" I made these peanut butter and jelly cupcakes that Robert is eating in his picture. They turned out really well and were so easy. I saw the idea on a Foodnetwork show called Cupcake Wars. You just mix together a cake mix, put a little dollop in the bottom of a lined cupcake tin, put a bit of jelly or jam in the middle, some more batter on top and bake as the box says. Then you frost with peanut butter icing. I used this recipe. That's it! Unfortunately, his birthday present hadn't arrived before I left for California and then it got mailed to our old address so he didn't get it until about a week after his birthday, but he loves it. I got him a set of CDs called Malt Shop Memories. It's all the fifties music a person could want. So, that's it. Happy birthday, Robert! I love you!

California, there we went

I've been dreaming of going to California for a visit all year. My chance finally came and we jumped on it. My aunt, who's been meeting with the missionaries for several months, decided to get baptized! At first I was debating about going due to other conflicting things, but when my mom told me that my brother was flying out from Colorado Springs to baptize her, I loaded up Craig and Ethan the next morning and we were off! It's been almost two years since I've seen my brother and his family and three and a half years since all four of us siblings were together. It was the best time of year to go. I love the fall and Sonora (my home town) has everything I love about it.

First, we went to a little farm called Covers (pronounced co-vers, not cu-vers). They have apple orchards, a train ride, and farm animals. Craig's favorite things were the chickens and the train. Here are Craig and Ethan with two of their cousins at the little hay maze there.


And here's the train. This little train ride was so peaceful. It goes around the farm and past the apple orchards. They even take you through two tunnels and you go around twice! Craig was so excited to go through the tunnels and Ethan was just about rocked to sleep by the motion of it. Oh, and that's not Cousin It behind me--that's the back of my sister's head.

The next day we went to a little state park/ghost town called Columbia. It's charming, nostalgic (I have many memories there plus it takes you right into Little House on the Prairie), and beautiful. Once again, we saw chickens! They sell little bags of feed you can throw in to them. Craig was cracking up when the seed would fall on their backs and they would frantically peck around for it.


When we were kids, one of the places we loved to go in Columbia was to what we called Rock City. Since Columbia is an old mining town, there are several places where the dirt was washed away, leaving these big, lumpy boulders exposed. It was very poignant for me to see Craig and my sister's girls playing on these rocks, discovering all the cool little nooks and crannies as if they are the first to find them.
Here are two shots to give you an idea of how pretty and serene this place is. It really feels magical (however corny that might sound). Yes, the first is an outhouse, but it makes me wonder the same thing I think every time I see an old building, "If these walls could talk..."

One picture I wanted to take but never had the chance was of downtown Sonora. There were these beautiful, vibrant red trees deposited here and there among the yellows and fading greens. I seriously wondered if those trees had always been there or if I had just never noticed them before. I guess when I was a kid I always thought that everyone's hometowns had trees that turned red and orange and yellow in the fall. Palm trees don't. (Sorry, Arizona. There are other things I love about you.)

My parents have a picture of my brother and sisters and I sitting on the seat of this wagon sometime in the late 1980s or early 90s. It was a traditional picture, so of course I had to have one with Craig and Ethan. Three of my nieces are riding in the back: L-R Lily, Lanie, and Kate. The next picture is of all the cousins on the seat together.

Saturday was the day we had been waiting for: Nancie's baptism. Here she is with my brother before the baptism.

It was a really neat experience. My parents have been members for almost 40 years and we all thought that if any of the extended family would be baptized it would have happened a long time ago. It just goes to show you that everything happens when it is supposed to happen. Here we all are together afterward. We had a little dinner and time to talk before heading home. Robert, the boys, and I went back to Sonora so we could attend church and celebrate Robert's birthday (another post).

Unfortunately, Scott's wife and three kids couldn't come out with him. He, himself, was only able to be there for about 24 hours before flying back for church on Sunday. But it was great to see him. Now that I think about it, we should have gotten a picture of all four of us together. Oh well. We'll just have to do that next time!

Halloween (finally)

I'm going to start with Halloween pictures and then move on to our California trip.

We had a busy Halloween this year. On Friday night we had the church party. It was fun, but Robert was working so we had cut the night short. I find my patience running short on things like that when I'm flying solo. Saturday was the town party. They had trick or treating at the businesses up the main street and at the top there was a smallish carnival. The best part of that was the fire truck. Craig got to touch it and sit in it and talk a real firefighter. He loved that part. Sunday we went trick or treating in a really good neighborhood near the elementary school. We got to dress up a lot, which I love to do. Craig really liked it, too, for the first time.

Craig was a little chef. Robert's been dying to get him his own little chef coat and we finally decided to justify it for his Halloween costume. He was resistant at first, but then decided it was totally awesome. Once he made the connection between Halloween=candy=party with friends, I could hardly keep the jacket off of him. Ethan wore the Batman costume that Craig wore two years ago. I made myself a gypsy outfit that I was rather proud of. Unfortunately, I was never able to get a really good picture of it. Here we are, all together:

Here's a close up of Ethan in his costume and below that is one of Craig when he was wearing it. It's funny to me because Ethan is over a year, but smallish for his age. When Craig wore the costume, he was only six months old.

The cutest little batmen you'll ever see! (By the way, Craig wasn't really standing at this age...I just wanted a full body shot so I propped him up against the couch. Two seconds after this picture was taken he fell over. )

I'm waiting....

I would like to say that we JUST got back from California and not that we've been back almost a week and I still haven't posted the pictures I promised, but unfortunately the last one is true. I do have a (kind of) good excuse, though. My camera batteries died while we were there and I hadn't brought the charger. My sister let me know borrow some batteries until we left, but then the old miser took them back when we left. :) I have been trying to charge the batteries, but something might be wrong with the charger or I keep plugging it into bad outlets. Unfortunately, I fear the first one is true. So, I need to buy some batteries. Or steal some from Craig and Ethan's toys. Either way, I will try to get those pictures downloaded soon and get them posted.

As another note (and another reason that I've had a hard time getting much computer time this week other than what I do for my classes) is because Robert's been home. He's starting a new job next week and he quit the last one when this new one was offered last week so he could come out to California. When he's home the routine changes and I can't seem to get some of the things done that I normally would, especially on the computer. We're really excited about the new job, though. He'll be working for a company called Lehi Valley Trading Company. They make snack foods and sell them in grocery stores. One of their biggest accounts is with the Kroger markets: Kroger, Frys, and Smiths. He will be the manager in charge of quality control and developing recipes for a new line of canned foods. It's a really great opportunity and just another step up on his career path. He'll work normal hours, too: M-F, 8-5. I'm really excited to have him off on the weekends and home in the evenings. We can count on him being home on the holidays and getting regular paid time off. Well, I gotta go. That's the update so far. More to come later.

Catching up

I have pictures from Halloween I want to post but have been in California this week. I decided to come as a last minute thing on Monday, so here I am. When we get back next week I'll have Halloween stuff and CA stuff. See you then!

Those little moments

Usually when I put Craig to bed for a nap or at night I say, "Good night, Craig. Say, 'Night, night Mommy." Then he'll say, "Night, night Mommy.'" And then I'll say, "Love you, Craigers. Say, 'Love you Mommy.'" Then he'll say, "Wuv oo, Mommy." Today, however, when I put him down for a nap he beat me to it. For the first time he said, "Night, night Mommy. I wuv oo," all by himself. I became a little puddle on the floor. How do they do that? He can make me burn in frustration at one time, and melt my heart at another. Motherhood is a roller coaster, for sure.

Or maybe more like an old time rail journey. :)

Family Halloween party

Monday was Robert's only day (and consequently night) off until next Monday, after Halloween, so we had our pumpkin carving and Halloween party all in one night. I made these little ham and cheese sandwiches from a recipe I got out of a magazine and roasted applesauce. The sandwiches really don't need a recipe. They're just pie crusts cut out with a pumpkin cookie cutter (the top pumpkin has the eyes and nose cut out) with ham and cheese in the middle, egg wash brushed on top, and baked for about 15 minutes. They were kid-friendly and fun. The applesauce recipe is awesome and I got it here. I think I might have posted this last year, too. Sorry for the repetition, but it's THAT good.


After dinner, we carved pumpkins. Craig didn't remember it last year, of course, so this year he was fascinated by the inside of these big orange things he's been seeing in all the stores for over a month. Here's Robert working on his while Craig is trying to set the house on fire.

Don't worry, I took the lighter away after this picture. It has a safety anyway, but just in case. And there's my pumpkin in the background. Here are the two finished products.

Robert's, of course, is awesome. Mine's cute. They look great outside on our wall together, though. Well, Happy Halloween everyone!

McDonald's Farm

We went to the Pumpkin farm yesterday! It was really a lot of fun. Craig was really able to enjoy himself this year. There were a few times he was afraid to try something new, but we convinced (pushed) him into it and he loved it. He is going through the phase where he likes the idea of something like riding a horse but when it comes down to it, he's afraid to try it. I guess that's pretty common, but it's annoying because I know he'd really love it, which he always does. When it came to horseback rides, we had to make Ethan go first.
He liked it, but was kind of oblivious. Once Craig saw Ethan go, he loosened up. Although, it wasn't for another hour, after the petting zoo and a hayride, that he finally started to get really excited to ride the horse. Even then, Robert had to stand on one side while I lifted him up onto the saddle. He was clinging onto me for dear life and whimpering all along the way. Once up, he decided it was awesome.It's funny for me to think that the last time I rode a horse I was about 12 weeks pregnant with Craig. On the way out, he kept asking for another ride. I think it was a success. Here we are on the hayride to the pumpkin patch:

That was something else we had to drag Craig onto. Once he got up and we got going, he loved it. They were so cute at the pumpkin patch. Ethan found a little one with a nice long, hooked stem and carried it around. Craig spent his time rearranging them all and saying, "I put away!" Then there was the petting zoo. When you walk in, there are several pot bellied pigs, two miniature donkeys, and a miniature horse. Regardless, Craig yells, "Chickens!" and starts to chase them all over the yard.


We also got to go into a bunny pen and pet all the bunnies. That was a big hit with both of the boys. I love this time of year. I'm glad we found this little farm/ranch right here in Scottsdale. They do trail rides and camp outs and all kinds of neat things. We'll definitely have to go back.

Ah, Facebook

Texting flushed the English language down the toilet for the first ten years of the twenty-first century. Facebook, with its on-the-fly status posting, seems to be proving itself the grammar-killer for the 2010 decade. My favorite mishap for today:

aspherguis

Any guesses what this says? (Hint: it's a vegetable.)

ANOTHER new addition to the family

We got a puppy! Her name is Jade, she's a Rottweiler, and she sleeps about 90% of the day. As you can see, she's just about the cutest little thing you've ever seen. We were looking at either her, her sister, or another person had an English Mastiff male puppy we were THIS close to getting. Both Robert and I really like Mastiffs but I was a little nervous about the size of them. I know they're really gentle and friendly, but with such little kids I was concerned he would just be too much for me to handle. We decided to go with the Rott because she's a girl, she's really mellow, and she'll be smaller than the Mastiff, of course. We came up with the name Jade because Robert has been trying to convince me for years to name our first girl that (if we ever have one). I, however, think we're just asking for trouble if we name our daughter something that sounds like an exotic dancer's stage name. (No offense to anyone out there named Jade who's not an exotic dancer.) It's a great name for a dog, though. Anyway, she's seven weeks old and is so cuddly, cute, and loves playing with the boys. They love her, too. We're trying to get Ethan to say "Jade" since he's pretty much called her "Kitty" since we got her. In his defense, she's a small black animal, just like the cat, so I can understand the confusion. Well, wish me luck!

First words and endless chatter

Two kids and "Mom" (or some variation) has yet to be the first articulated, recognizable word out of either of their mouths. Ethan burst out with, "didy!" (kitty) the other day when the cat walked into the room. He proceeded to follow her around the house, repeating his version of her name for the next fifteen minutes. He was only distracted from that activity when he heard Robert walking around upstairs. He toddled over to the gate on the stairs and yelled, "Da-ie!" To my credit, I have at least been able to prompt him to say, "Mama," which Craig refused to do until he was over 18 months old, at least.

As a side note, I need to get something off my chest.

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Phew.

After the day we had at church today, I needed that. The last few days Craig has been a little monster and this morning while we were getting ready for church was the same. He is constantly doing something he shouldn't: taking toys away from Ethan, pushing Ethan, hitting Ethan, putting several movies into the PlayStation, saying no whenever I ask him to do anything, etc. I was continually stopping what I was doing to put Craig in timeout or count to three. We finally got to church and the only reasonable seats were in front of a family of three active children. Practically the only other active children in the whole ward. Any noise during church came from one or both of our families. Craig refuses to whisper (he's still learning, I know) and seems to think that everyone else is so quiet and reverent during the Sacrament just to listen to him. His cute/annoying motor mouth becomes unbearable during church. And again, any attempt on our part to distract him with toys, snacks, or coloring is answered with, "No!" For the second week in a row, I've had to take him out during the passing of the sacrament just so others could enjoy a little peace for fifteen minutes. However, our ward doesn't pass it into the foyer (or at least they haven't noticed me leave, somehow) so I've had to go without. Needless to say, by the end of the first hour we are all more than ready to send Craig off to nursery. Luckily, he gets nothing but glowing praise from the nursery leaders. He's a good sharer and very polite. The real kick in the pants is that so much of the time he is so funny, cute, sweet, and innocent I'm constantly feeling guilty for letting myself get angry with him at his worst times.

I know many of you have been there (or are there now) so what do you do for active 2 1/2 year olds during church?

Tangled necklaces? You've come to the right place!

The Relief Society here had an activity night where they made necklace holders. I couldn't go that night, but I did see the examples they had at church and made my own. I have been looking for a way to hang up my necklaces for so long and this was the perfect answer. I thought I would share it in case someone else out there is having the same trouble I had.

First of all, the example at church said to stretch a piece of fabric over the cardboard piece inside a decorative frame and glue it in the back. I didn't have a nice frame or a pretty piece of fabric, so I went looking at Ross. I found this picture instead. So mine's not fabric, it's the generic picture that came inside. I just had to break the glass out. The hangers are just decorative drawer pulls that I got at the hardware store. I screwed them in through the back of the picture and I was done! I did have to cut a little extra cardboard from an old box to use as spacers in the back, but that was the most complicated it got. Anyway, I thought I would share since this has solved about ten years of tangled necklaces for me and I think it's pretty.

Pinanta

I tried making my own pinata. Should've known that I always need to follow directions and looked up some tips online first. I did have the presence of mind to use a balloon with a rubber band on one end so I could hang it while I put the paper mache on. However, I forgot to build some kind of thing to hang it up with once I popped the balloon. I also started by using way too much flour and water so it dried kind of funny. Here is it while I covering it with the paper mache.


I wanted to paint it white and then let Craig have at it with his paint brush, but the thing's been sitting around for so long, I just want to punch a hole in it, hang it up, let Craig whack it with a broom, and be done. I love the idea of this, though. Here's a really cool one from Family Fun with all the directions you need if you want to try it. Maybe I'll do that one next time. I'm looking forward to watching Craig have fun with it, but it would've been so much better if I had been organized from the beginning.

Poor baby

Ethan was walking around outside the other day and started going up a slight incline in the driveway. When he realized it was too steep for his little unstable self, he turned around to walk back down. Instead, he fell forward and totally face planted into the gravel and rocks that run alongside the driveway. Poor baby. He just laid there until I ran over to him, face down, crying, with his arms tucked under him. I can't figure out why he didn't even try to save himself. Poor kid. His little nose was all scabby and red for a few days. It's a good thing babies heal so quickly.

My new toy

Meet the newest member of our family!

I have been wanting a freezer for a very long time and we finally got one. Now I can't wait to really start maximizing on the couponing thing and stocking up on perishables when they're really on sale and I can get a good deal. Is it weird that I'm so excited? I don't think so.

This picture says so much about my husband, Robert. First of all, they're all obscure Asian foods and sauces. Okay...so the little chocolate filled panda cookies on the left were my pick. But after that (from left to right) there's sweet soy, sweet chili sauce, oyster sauce, black sesame oil, and black bean garlic sauce. We found an awesome Asian market in Mesa and he just about had a heart attack among all the udon noodles, rice paper, weird sauces, and kim chee.

The other part of this picture that defines Robert is this. When we got home, I went upstairs to put the kids down for naps and Robert put the groceries away. This picture is what I found on the counter. We don't have an Asian food shelf in our kitchen, so these got to live on the counter for a while. Notice, however, that they are all lined up, tallest to shortest, and each with its label dutifully facing out for easy identification. This is a classic Robert move. If it were up to him, all the canned food would be lined up like little soldiers, labels out and in a neat row. The funny thing, though, is that he's not the one who has to use the stuff and try to resort everything back into their rows whenever I go shopping. I'm doing well to have a shelf for canned fruit and a separate one for veggies with no intermingling.

Anyway, I just thought this was funny and wanted to share a little about him.

Candid moments caught on camera

I love it when one (or both) of the boys does something cute and I happen to have the camera right there...and I actually get a good picture, too!

Craig loves to hold the cat. She doesn't love him so much, as you can tell in this picture, but she is so tolerant with him as he learns how to be gentle with pets. I've wanted to get a couple of pictures of him hugging her or giving her kisses, but I never seem to have the camera handy. Good thing for her she's too big for him to pick up on his own and he still needs my help.

When most toddlers just start walking, it's all they want to do. That's how Craig was. Ethan, though, is so cuddly. Whenever he comes across a pillow or blanket on the floor, he has to lay on it, tuck his little arms under him, and snuggle for a minute. Here he found my pajamas and decided to wallow in my scent, I guess. The kid loves the camera.

Today I'm thankful for balloons

This:

Plus this:


Equals about 30 minutes of a happy two year old and an un-tormented baby.


Today I'm thankful for balloons and all the fun, safe, active playtime they create! I think it's time to go to the dollar store and invest in a case of these things. The possibilities are endless.