Sunday Morning

Have you ever noticed that some days the stars align, you look around you, and you realize that in that moment, everything is good. Everyone is peaceful and happy and well. You feel rested and have something to look forward to that day. Sunday morning I had one of those moments. I was sitting on the couch reading, Craig was trying to fit into Daddy's shoes


and Ethan was hard at work, doing what babies do best.The thing I had to look forward to was going back to church for the first time! The best part was, the peace stretched through the morning. I love those moments.

The Art of Self-Centeredness in Motherhood

This was written by Courtney, otherwise known as cJane and the sister of Stephanie Nielsen, or NieNie. Their mother had 9 children and this is how she did it.

Read this if you need encouragement, if you've been feeling guilty about doing too much for yourself lately, or if you are feeling completely drained. Or just because it's great advice.

The Art of Self-Centeredness in Motherhood

First question people always ask me, “How many children do you have?”

Second question people always ask me,”What was your mom’s secret to raising children?”

She must’ve had a secret, she had nine babies and didn’t go insane. But if you ask her she’ll reply “I was just sent wonderful spirits!

But I answer, “She was self-centered.”

In a good way. Like, when you are getting safety instructions on a plane and the stewardess explains that if the oxygen masks fall, put the mask on yourself first, and then on the child next to you.

Or I could explain it in another way.

Remember those wood painted signs in kitchens that read “If momma ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy?” (do you have one in your own kitchen?) my mother was a good example of those words (although, she did not have one in her kitchen.)

My mom didn’t sign us up for every lesson, team or passing whim. She didn’t want to spend her life drifting here and there in our suburban. When we expressed real interest in a particular past time she saw to it that we had the training we needed, but it was never obsessive.

We went on vacations and family outings to places that she loved. If she read a book about Antelope Island, we’d pile in the suburban the next Saturday and spend our day on that big brown mound in the middle of the Salt Lake. And it was fascinating to us, because it was mesmerizing to her.

She loved to hold tea parties for us. The tea was delicious sugar water, served with Fig Newtons. No child likes Fig Newtons. But that didn’t stop my mother, who thought them quite divine, from buying them weekly.

We did a lot of shopping, because she loved shopping–but only to stores that carried her size as well. So it was that I became a Nordstrom shoe fanatic. Just last month she bought me two pair for my birthday. And two pair for herself.

There were times of course, when she felt divinely inspired to do that which she didn’t want to do. On my first day of preschool–just down the road–she walked me while pushed my siblings in the stroller. “I need to tell you something,” she said to me very seriously, “I don’t believe in preschool because I want my children to be at home with me. But for some reason I feel that you are supposed to go this year.” I had a lump in my throat, I didn’t want to go either.

I met my best friend that day at preschool. A loyal, supportive best friend who I needed very much in my life.

And 12 years later that friend and I were having a discussion about boyfriend trouble when I suggested to her that she solicit advice from her mom. “I can’t do that.” she protested “She’s not like your mom.”

She always talked me in to handmade invitations because store bought ones were so unoriginal. We had Brick Oven pizza because any other pizza in her mind was lesser. She didn’t “do” wedding receptions because they were too formal, so we had dinner parties. And when she became a grandma she insisted that we called her “Umi” which is mother in Arabic and she loves anything Arabian.

In short, my mother survived because she was smart enough to see that a little bit of quiet time for her, made for a lot of personal time for us. If she fed herself, she would have enough energy to feed us. Her sacrifice came from giving up pride in the holy mother quest. And she didn’t wear motherhood like it was Sainthood–she wore it like a smart pair of Nine West shoes.

There is something to be said about a bunch of siblings that come out of a happy home. We knew what it was like to please our mother, to make her laugh, sing and dance. In turn, we all turned out alright. Not perfect, but happy.

And that, I suppose, is her secret.

Trip to Grandma's

Robert had yesterday off so, since it was conference, we have a DVR, and it was his mom's birthday last week, we decided to go to Show Low to visit her. She also hasn't met Ethan yet and it's only about 2 1/2 hours away. It was a lot of fun. It was nice to get out and go on a little day trip. The drive went well, all things considered. Ethan and Craig had their fussy moments, but we took food, toys, a pacifier, and with only two stops for bathrooms and nursing time, we made it there in about 3 1/2 hours. (The trip home was a little faster, actually.) We got there about noon, met some friends of my mother-in-law's who we've heard about and they've heard about us, and then went to the park. Craig had so much fun. It was very windy and a cool 65 degrees out (we were in the mountainous part of Arizona). The last time we went to a park, Craig was too little to really enjoy much of it on his own. We've been stuck inside because of the heat all summer and before that we were stuck inside all winter in Montana, so it has been a while. This was a lot of fun for him and something new. He even went down the big, spiral slide all by himself! (That's his leash/harness thing strapped around him.)

He loved it. Here he is on the swings:

He also loved just having a bunch of room to run around. He kept chasing leaves and giving them to me. If I tried to discreetly drop them, he'd see me and run over and pick it back up to give back to me. I decided to just keep them and try to think of something Martha Stewart-y to do with them. We'll see. This is what Ethan did most of the time:

That's Robert's mom holding him. It was good of him to be so cute and cuddly! He did have a crying fit for a few minutes and of course he ate, but other than that, he was sleepy and pleasant. After the park, we went back to my mother-in-law's apartment and had lunch and chocolate cupcakes I made (the recipe is here). Grandma had lots of toys and things for Craig to play with and take home. She also has lots of animals (dog, 2 cats, fish, turtle, and a bird) and Craig LOVES animals...a little too much. She also had this, and I just thought this was a cute picture.

So, that was our day yesterday. It was fun and a nice way to spend a weekend. :)

Lemon Meringue Cake and Wild Mushroom Soup

I found a couple of really good recipes and we liked them so much, I wanted to share them. The first one was Wild Mushroom Soup. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect, so here's the link. In case that doesn't work, here it is to copy and paste: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cream-of-wild-mushroom-soup-recipe/index.html

And here's the picture from the website:

It looks exactly like that, too. It's so good. I'm eating it right now, actually. It's great for a nice hearty fall soup. By the way, the recipe calls for white wine and if you choose to use it, don't worry about the alcohol. Just sniff it to be sure that it has all cooked out. That's what I used, but we tend to keep some wine on hand (for cooking :)) in our house. If you don't want to use it, you can use chicken or vegetable broth instead. Of course, the flavor might be slightly different, but I'm sure it would still be good.

The Lemon Meringue Cake is somewhat my concoction. Well, I didn't actually make up any of the recipes, but I took a couple different ones and put them together to make this, and then I named it. Robert and I had a lemon cream cake at an Italian restaurant a couple weeks ago that was so good I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. So, this was an attempt to recreate that. It turned out differently than I had hoped, but it is very good in and of itself. It somewhat reminded of lemon meringue pie--hence the name. Here's the recipe.

Lemon Meringue Cake











For the cake:

6 eggs, separated
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh--really, it's better that way)
2 tbsp. lemon zest
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake rounds.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add 1 cup sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the oil, the remaining 1 cup sugar, and salt. Add yolks 1 at a time. Add the lemon juice and zest. Add flour and mix until just combined. Set aside.
Slowly add 1/2 the egg white mixture to the oil and flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the remaining egg white mix. Divide evenly into the two pans and bake for 40-45 minutes. Tops will have a crust from the egg whites (hence the "meringue" part of the name). Let cool for a few minutes in the pans, then remove and let cool completely before compiling and frosting the cake.

For lemon cream filling:

2 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I can't stress fresh enough)
2 tbsp. butter, slightly softened
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a cold, small to medium sauce pan (not non-stick), whisk together egg yolks and sugar until just combined. Whisk in lemon juice, butter, and salt. Turn to medium-low heat and cook for at least 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Mixture should turn opaque, thicken, and coat the back of the spoon. Do not let it boil or it will curdle. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Stir in the lemon zest and allow to cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto the surface, and refrigerate until chilled. In the meantime, whip the cream to medium peaks. When the filling it cooled, gently fold the cream into the lemon filling until just combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. This filling tastes just like the inside of a lemon meringue pie, hence that part of the name.

For the lemon frosting:

3/4 cup butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powder sugar
2 tbsp. heavy cream
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (again, must be fresh)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon zest

Beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the sugar. Add the cream, lemon juice, vanilla, and zest. Beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

The cakes shouldn't need to be leveled, but check to be sure. If they do, use a serrated knife to flatten the tops and/or straighten the edges. Stack them with the tops down, to avoid getting meringue crumbs in your icing. This cake will need to be refrigerated to stay fresh.

Tips for icing:
Place four pieces of wax or parchment paper in a square shape on your serving plate or cake stand. Place bottom round of cake on paper. Dollop the filling on top and spread, leaving about 1/2 to 1 inch border. Place second layer on. Dollop icing on top and spread evenly to the edges, then down the sides. When done, carefully slide paper pieces out from under the cake. You should have a clean cake plate left and a perfectly frosted cake! (Note from the picture that I didn't take the time to do this, but it's nice to do when you're trying to impress someone. :))

Blessings

I've decided it's okay to vent once in a while, as long as you follow it with a list of blessings. And the blessings list has to be longer than the complaint. (See below if you don't know what I'm talking about.)

I'm grateful that...

Ethan's asleep now.
Craig's asleep, too :)
Robert came home early from work!
Craig has been very happy and pleasant since Robert's been home.
Robert has tomorrow off.
Conference is next weekend.
I have been able to take a shower every day since Ethan was born.
I am not pregnant anymore (peeing is SO much easier).
We have a good air conditioner.
Robert likes his job.
Our car has good air conditioning.
I have good neighbors.
I just ate Capt. Crunch. :)
Craig and I get to go to church tomorrow (well, for one hour at least).
I can bake and eat it too! No sugar restrictions.

Well, I think Craig's awake, so I'd better go. Thanks for indulging me today. :)

Life

Can a thing like the terrible twos exist before they're two? Craig is driving me crazy some days. It's not really his fault. I'm his only playmate and now I have to spend some time every day feeding and taking care of Ethan. Ethan doesn't require a lot of maintenance, but more than Craig would like me to spend. The really difficult thing is I would have more time for Craig if he didn't bother me and Ethan so much during the times I'm holding him. Usually he falls asleep after a feeding, but Craig has been so clingy and obnoxious (yelling, pulling on Ethan's hands, climbing on me) that he keeps Ethan awake. Therefore, my time with Craig is greatly reduced. Sometimes I just put Ethan down to be with Craig, but then Ethan's only happy for about 20 minutes, which isn't enough for Craig. By the time I get him calmed down and unfussy, Ethan's needing to be put to sleep since he never was allowed to go to sleep in the first place.

Gotta go...I have one crying my arms and another pulling on me and screaming.

Two weeks, already?

Ethan was two weeks old yesterday. It's hard to believe. He's already outgrown his onesies that are sized "just born" (they're tiny and fit perfectly for the first week, before he filled out). He's been a great little baby...so easy. Well, so far. He sleeps most of the day and when he's awake and fed and has a clean diaper, he's content to sit and watch the world go by, until he gets tired again. Then I have to swaddle him and put him back to sleep. He also is a decent sleeper, unless he gets some gas pains. But even that doesn't last too long. I'm taking advantage of this while it lasts, since I know very soon he'll be awake and wanting attention more. And he'll go through the growth spurt where all he wants is to eat 24 hours a day. I'd better begin making a list of movies to rent.

Here's a picture after his first bath at home.

Craig was acting so strange while I gave Ethan his bath. Normally, when Ethan cries, Craig is just curious. It doesn't seem to bother him. But during Ethan's bath, Craig was nervously walking around the house and started crying himself. This was a real cry, too, not "dry" crying. I tried to take a picture of him, but whenever I turned the camera on him, I got this.

I guess when you're not quite a year and a half old, your concern for your younger brother only lasts until a shiny electronic thing is put in front of you.

Robert got a new job! It's not ideal, but it better than before. He's a cook at a catering company in Phoenix, but it's a very large, very prestigious catering company. It's much more of what he enjoys, it pays a little bit better, and it is a guaranteed 40 hours a week. Plus he gets some Sundays off. So, he's happier. He also goes to work super early, which means he's home by 4pm. Well, I'd better go. Craig needs to take his morning nap.

10 Odes to Mom

"Mom"
circa 1970

When I started having contractions on Friday, I called my mom and let her know. We'd been worried about how her getting out here was going to work out with her work schedule and prior engagements (she has such a busy social calendar :) ), but babies just know when to come. Ethan timed it just right. My mom was able to finish out the work day Friday and fly out Saturday. She was here Saturday afternoon, just in time to take over Craig-duty for our neighbor and be with him the last night before Robert and I came home.

That was #1--having her here so Robert could be at the hospital.

It also worked out well since Monday was Labor Day, she was already off work and getting paid. She went home last Saturday, so she only had to use 4 family sick days. That was #2.

Robert also ended up having a lot of time at home since Ethan came between his days off, so he was around until Thursday. Which meant my mom didn't have to pay for a rental car and was able to spend some extra money on Craig and buy him some awesome books and toys. He was very happy and very easy to deal with last week--plus he got a little attention while the new baby got all of my attention for a couple of days. That was #3.

It was also great having her here to stay with me while Robert ran to the store, cooked, and went to a job interview on Tuesday (more on that later). She was also able to stay with Craig while Robert and I took Ethan to his first doctor's appointment. All of these things I had been planning on she and I doing, or Robert and I, depending on when she was going to be able to get here. But it worked out perfectly. I think that's #4-7.

She picked up doughnuts Monday morning. A BIG #8.
(Remember, I've been avoiding sugar since January.)

Robert hates dishes, so my mom was on dish duty. I never saw a dirty dish in the sink.
That's #9.

And last but not least, the day before she left she cleaned all three bathrooms--showers and all.
There's #10.

There were more things, too, that I could go on about. It was just a lot of fun to hang out, talk, chit-chat about things she thought I knew but hadn't come up in phone conversations and vice-versa. We had a good time together, all of us, she got to see grandchild #12 and she was able to spend a lot of time with Craig and really get to know his unique little personality.

Thanks Mom, I had a great time and can't wait until we can see you and everyone again.
We miss you already.
We love you.

Ethan and Me

I woke up at about 7:00 last Friday morning to a welcomed and familiar cramping. I was so relieved. I didn't know how long it would be, but I knew I was beginning labor. Throughout the day, they came regularly and mildly, between 10-20 minutes apart. So, as I mentioned yesterday, I thought a way to get them to come quicker was to go shopping for a kitchen table. We got the table, but the contractions didn't seem to speed up or intensify much. Finally, around 8:00 that night, I noticed some significant changes. They were slowly getting closer and stronger. By 11:00, we decided it was time to go to the hospital. When we got there, I was 5 cm! Yay! They have a spa tub, so I sat in that for a while (and it was really nice and soothing).

Then we went back to the room and I laid down for a while, at which time the contractions jumped from uncomfortable to bring-me-to-tears intensity. After about 2 hours, they checked again and I was 8 cm! That was really fast compared to the last time. They called the doctor, pulled out the carts, and we got all geared up. That was about 5:00 am. Then things slowed down again. I finally started pushing at about 8:30 am with little progress until they broke my water. After that, I had two big contractions with some big pushes, the nurses began running around calling the doctor, telling me to stop (I'm thinking, "What? After all this time? Can't you just catch him?"), and then the doctor comes in, has to put on his blue gown and gloves, which seemed to take an eternity, and finally we got going again. A moment later, at 9:10 am, Ethan was born. Whew! He took his sweet time getting ready, but once he decided it was time, he didn't want to wait for anyone.

So, that's the story, and believe it or not, it is condensed.

More pictures

Thanks to this:

I have a few minutes to post some pictures. It's a new vibrating chair I got for Ethan yesterday. We put him in it and few minutes after I took this picture, he was sound asleep.

Craig was sleeping during this picture, but Ethan was so cuddly and cute and Robert and I both happened to be dressed and showered, so we took it. We never did get one of the three of us in the hospital.

I took this one yesterday. He looks a little angry--his nostrils aren't usually that flared.

Robert got me these flowers on Tuesday. He picked them all out himself and even chose the base. Then the florist arranged them, of course. I really like the colors and combinations. He's got an eye for that sort of thing. :)

Here's our new kitchen table. While I was in labor all day Friday (literally) I wanted to get out and walk around. So, we went shopping for a new table. We got an amazing deal on this one because of the Labor Day sale they were having. It was delivered Tuesday and we love it. The flowers look perfect with it.

I will post my condensed labor story later.

Ethan Joseph

So it's still true--no baby ever stayed inside forever! These are the pictures we have so far. We'll take more and post them later. Ethan Joseph Leal was born Saturday morning at 9:10 am. He weighed 8 lbs 1 oz and was 21 inches long. He took to nursing right away and eats regularly, unlike mister Craig who slept straight through his first 24 hours of life without hardly a sip. My mom got here yesterday afternoon so she was able to stay with Craig last night and we got home by about noon today. Everything is great, I feel great, and we're just sooooo thankful for our wonderful friends who helped us out when we left for the hospital. Kristin came over at 11:00 Friday night and stayed the night, leaving her own family at home a few doors down. She took care of Craig all the next day until Robert was able to go spend some time with him and until we got my mom here and settled. What would we do without the church and the people in it? See you all next time I get a chance to post!

(Jeopardy Theme Song)

Still here, still waiting, still pregnant, still have cartoon-style feet that only look more like balloons with toes every day.

What a guy (and what an egg!)

Earlier this week, Robert rubbed my feet for me. :) But that's not all. He noticed how scaly and yucky one of my heals was getting--it's summer, I'm hugely pregnant and bending, for me, is like trying to fold a hard boiled egg. (More on eggs later.) So, my good husband (who is quite adverse to anything "gross") offered to file my heal down for me with our little flat foot file. I got to relax on the bed while he scrubbed away. What a guy! It was awesome and my heal felt SO much better.

While in the process of scrubbing, he mentioned how we should get one of those Ped Eggs you see on TV. Yeah, we thought, someday. Whatever.

Well, very serendipitously (I think that's a word...blogger didn't highlight it) we were at Ross yesterday. I love Ross. I even considered it as a name for one of our boys--really--but not because of the store. And not because of Friends either. Anyway, at Ross, I was wandering the kitchen aisles, and saw a misplaced Ped Egg glowing like a beacon among the pots and pans! And the best part was, it was only $5.99! (I REALLY love Ross.) I snatched it, to be sure.

That afternoon, when we got home, I opened it and due to its ease of use, I was able to do it myself (since I didn't have to fold at my waist for very long) and loved it! It is exactly as they describe in the commercials, even down to the part where you open it up when you're done and have the satisfaction of seeing all the shavings inside and dumping them in the trash. So, I recommend everyone take a trip to Ross today and find their own little Ped Egg for $5.99 and give it a whirl.

My only complaint is that my toes didn't come out painted a pretty pastel pink. I guess you can't have everything.

Due date

By the way, I'm officially due Tuesday, the 1st.

Final belly shot

Here I am. This was taken about two weeks ago, but not much has changed (well, you can't see the daily-expanding stretch marks on my belly). I am making some progress, slowly, and expect this little guy to come within the next week, but we'll see. Anything can happen, of course. For the most part, I have a million false contractions every day, and a few times a day I'll feel something a little stronger, but that's been going on for a couple weeks now. I did wake up the other night with a pretty strong one that made me lie awake for the next 45 minutes waiting for more and thinking about all the things I still had to do. But, of course, nothing came of it. I'm getting really anxious and everyday I make a list in my mind of all the things I wouldn't have to deal with if I weren't pregnant. I also list all the things I could be doing with my new little baby. Sigh.

Maybe I should start sniffing peppermint oil and eating eggplant parmesan. I hope there's a full moon coming.

Craig and his pot (not that kind!)

Yesterday Craig carried a pot into the living room where Robert and I were, pulled out a spoon, set the pot on the couch, and proceeded to dip the spoon into the pot and serve us his imaginary concoction. And, woowee, if we didn't actually stick the spoons in our mouths, he was not satisfied that we had enough to eat...several times. It was pretty cute. I am constantly amazed at the connections he makes and the things he figures out.

Free Mars Bar!

Click here, enter your information, and they will send you a free Mars Bar within 6 weeks! Why the heck not? If that link doesn't work, copy and past the one below. You can do this every Friday through September. Hurry, they only give out 250,000 every week.

https://secure.realchocolate.com/default.aspx

Some more good news!

Last week Robert also interviewed for a job as a general manager of another restaurant in the food court at the same mall he's working in now with Sbarro's. Today the man called to ask him to come back for a second interview on Friday! We have no idea how much the pay would be, if they offered it to him, but we're guessing it would be at least a little more than the sous chef job and would probably include benefits. Of course, there's also the issue of how many hours he'd be working and Sundays off or not, but even after today he won't know about the sous chef job until the end of the week, so this gives him some time to look into both and see what is offered! It feels good to possibly have some options on the horizon. :) If nothing else comes of it, Robert feels better about himself. He was feeling pretty down last week with Sbarro's pulling the carpet out from under him. He felt like he wasn't doing a good job and it was his fault, but this has rebuilt his self esteem. Even if neither people offer him the job, at least he knows he was good enough to get two interviews out of hundreds of applicants. (Literally, hundreds.)

Some good news!

First of all, sorry for the downer last time. I don't think I'm the only one who just needs to get something off my chest once in a while (at least I hope not). And thanks for all your encouragement!

Robert did get a call back from a catering company he interviewed at last week about the sous chef position. They called on Saturday instead. They had said they would call Friday if he was chosen to do a second interview and if not, they had picked other people. That was part of why I was feeling down on Friday--they hadn't called and it didn't seem like they were going to that day. Anyway, this would be a much better position--more of what he wants to be doing. He would get salary pay and it would be more than at Sbarro's. It's also only 10 months out of the year, so he'd have July and August off for vacations or to make a little more money. It also would be fewer hours and he'd have almost every Sunday off. And they would give him the option of working some events for a really good hourly wage on top of his salary. So, he's going in today for this second interview and we should hopefully know what they decide by the end of the week. I just wanted to let you all know that and be a little more positive today since I was so negative last time. :) And thanks again for your help!

Is anyone out there?

Um, I guess I've been pretty boring lately. Did anyone read my last post? I didn't get any comments on it. Maybe no one was interested enough to watch the video and let me know what they thought.

Things have been difficult lately, so I will try to post as much as possible, but I guess there's nothing post-worthy. Craig and I stay home almost everyday since Robert has the car at work for 13 hours a day. Sometimes I bake something, but most of the time it's naps, organizing baby clothes, playing, and watching Disney movies. We don't go anywhere, and when Robert is off, we don't go anywhere exciting since he's exhausted from the long week and we don't have the money or gas to spend. Sometimes we go to the mall so Craig can play in their kids area for a change of scenery.

Plus, I haven't felt like getting creative with my posts, as far as the stuff we do at home. That's why I've been trying to post other things that are of interest to me. It's been pretty stressful around here with Robert's work. They told him two days ago that they are not going to promote him to co-manager, he won't be getting a raise, they are keeping him at the mall he's working in now instead of the one closer to home (which will be about $150 more per month in gas), and they're cutting his hours back. They're also not giving him Sundays off anytime soon and I was just called as a Primary teacher. Craig isn't old enough for nursery, but there are people willing to help. I have to get rides to church every week, and I don't know what I'm going to do at church in a month or so with no husband at church, no car, a newborn and a toddler, and just getting to church will be a challenge, let alone getting a lesson together that's creative enough for a group of rowdy 7 year olds who like to take turns sitting under the table and every answer they give starts with "underwear". We also have no idea how his pay is going to affect our medicaid, so we may not even have any health coverage in a few weeks when the baby is born.

Well, I'm sure this depressing rant has driven many of you away for awhile. I guess I just need to vent it all a bit. I will try to post stuff more interesting to you all, but it may be a lot less frequent. Like, I may see you in several weeks after the baby comes and there's something to tell. Or if Robert finds a better job. Or if I get released from my calling and don't have that to worry about anymore. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

America's Got Talent?

Robert and I like to watch America's Got Talent. This week a group of kids performed (two brothers and one sister) called Voices of Glory. They're pretty good, but what people like best about them is their story. Their mother was in a car accident and left pretty severely disabled and they want to win so they can provide for her. However, I think that sometimes people are blinded by the sob-story of the contestants and fail to recognize their talent for what it really is--good enough for a church choir and community stuff, but not worth $1 million dollars and certainly not an act I'd go see in Vegas. Go to this YouTube link and watch their performance this week of "You'll Never Walk Alone" and tell me what you think. Like I said, they're not bad, but the judges (for the most part) praise them and fail to point out some of the biggest flaws in their singing. They start out rough (which on judge mentions), they do get better in the middle, but then at the end, to me, it was literally a train wreck. It starts when the boy on the right (watch him at the end) cracks on the "a-" of "alone" and sings the "-lone" before either of the other two. Then they get to the last phrase where they sing "you'll never walk alone" and the little girl (who's 9) is supposed to belt out the "ne-" of "never" and not only misses the note, but doesn't sing the word at all. Anyway, I know it's just a show and no big deal, but it seems that everyone thinks these kids are close to flawless, and Robert and I were wondering if we were just hearing them wrong. Let me know what you think. If this link up top doesn't work, I put it down below for you to copy and paste.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMik73IHdTA

Bagels!

I attempted bagels a year or so ago with a recipe from someone's yuppie-I-think-I-know-how-to-cook-because-I-by-$90-cookbooks cookbook and they were a total flop--flat, hard, and flavorless. Nothing went right. A few months ago, I came across this recipe from the Smitten Kitchen and it seemed to have everything the other recipe didn't, so I gave it a shot. Here they are:

The recipe makes 12 so I made 6 plain (back left), 3 cheese (back right), and 3 cinnamon and sugar (front). They came out wonderfully. If you have a taste for authentic bagels but can't seem to find a good bakery, these are worth making. Robert even said he's never had bagels any better, not even from a bagel shop. They do require some patience, but they're not difficult at all. They also have to sit overnight, so they take two days essentially. But they are worth it. The first day is the most work. The second day they take probably 30 minutes total to prep and bake, so you can do them first thing in the morning and have fresh bagels for breakfast and not have to get up at the crack of dawn. Let me know if anyone tries them!

In case the link doesn't work, here it is again for you to copy and paste: http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/09/bronx-worthy-bagels/

Something to post!

I was in the kitchen and heard Craig beginning his frustrated whimper. He usually does this when he's trying to open something and can't, or put a toy inside something it doesn't quite fit into. This time he came toddling over to me and pulled on my dress. I looked down and saw something like this:

He had put the container on his head and it got stuck. I thought it was the funniest thing, I couldn't stop laughing. I took it off for him, but since I had laughed, now he thought it was funny and kept putting in on over and over again and every time I have to pull it off. A couple of times he got it on there pretty tight. I almost had to get out the butter.

As a side note, this new fascination with seeing what fits inside where has led to me catching him trying to put things like crackers and toys in his ears. Right now, he hasn't figured out those are all too big, but sooner than I'd like, he'll figure it out and then it will be off to the emergency room. Sigh.

More Famous Mormons

Since there isn't really anything interesting going in my life, and since I have been forgetting to get the camera out of its hiding place in a locked cupboard, I am going to post another set of famous mormons, in case you were interested by the last one. After this I promise to try harder to post things about my life.

Aaron Eckhart



This one surprised me. And it seems as if he's active. He served a mission in France and says that he loves things about the church but doesn't want to be known as a "Mormon actor".

Katherine Heigl



From "Grey's Anatomy", "27 Dresses", and the current movie "Ugly Truth". This what she says about herself: "I'm not as disciplined about it was I once was, but I hope to find my way back as I get older and a little less selfish."

Rick Schroder



“Schroder is ... a religious man; four years ago, he converted to Mormonism, joining his wife, who was already a member.” Interesting.

Ted Bundy (infamous rather than famous)



Serial killer and converted to Hinduism on death row.

Butch Cassidy



Bank robber born in Utah to pioneer parents.

The website has famous Mormons in sports, writers, artists, and all kinds of categories. Check it out at www.famousmormons.net.

Famous Mormons

Someone emailed me this website that lists a bunch of famous Mormons from music, movies, media, reality shows, etc. Of course there were some obvious ones (like the Osmonds and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) but some surprised me. See how many you knew about.

The Jets (remember?)



They are active and had 17 kids in the family!

Derek and Julianne Hough



She's a country singer and they both are dancers on Dancing with the Stars.

Lacey Schwimmer



She was a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance and is now a dancer on Dancing with the Stars.

Amy Adams



Amy Adams, who grew up in a Mormon household in Castle Rock, Colo., the middle child of seven.

Amy Adams was raised Mormon until she was 11, when her parents divorced. She never practiced after that.

Wilford Brimley



Some of you might now him from something other than the Diabetes commercials he does these days. What was that 80's show he was in? Our House, or something?

Keene Curtis (for you Cheers fans out there)



He was a big time Broadway/Shakespearean actor. He was John Allen Hill on Cheers and Daddy Warbucks in Annie. He passed away in 2002.

Miss Utah 2008 Jill Stevens



I realize that most Miss Utahs are probably LDS, but this girl was a sergeant in the army was and actually a childhood friend of mine. Well, her sister Julie and I were the same age and little tomboy Jill was a few years younger. She was the only contestant in the Miss America pageant last year who wore a one piece bathing suit and a modest evening gown. Way to go!

There's more I'll post later.

A job!

I realized that I haven't written about Robert's job yet. He did get one (not up to his qualifications, but you take what you can get, right?). He's a manager at Sbarro's in the mall--you know, the pizza places. He's still training right now, but he'll hopefully be in his normal routine in a week. That means he'll get most Sundays off. He's worked the last two, so it's kind of stunk, but we're grateful he's working. He's still been trying to look and has had a couple other prospects, but nothing too promising. So, we're thinking we may just have to stick with this for a while. It's enough, but barely. The other unfortunate thing, though, is that he's been working 13 hour shifts. The overtime is great, but we never see him. And with only one car, Craig and I have to get creative with how we manage our days. Once the weather cools off, there are tons of places to go around here within walking distance.

I finished my online classes last week, hallelujah. I think I got A's in both! Considering how much time I didn't have to study, that's was a big accomplishment. Today was my catch-up-on-cleaning day since I haven't had the time or energy lately. It stinks to do, but it's so nice once it's done. Hopefully I'll only have to do one more big cleaning day before the baby comes. I can't believe I have less than a month. It's gone by so quickly and I feel totally unprepared as compared to my last one. Nothing is set or organized. We haven't gotten a frame for our bed so we can attach the co-sleeper to it or a double stroller, which I know I'll eventually need without having a car. We also need to start stocking up on newborn diapers and I need to go through the bajillion bags of baby clothes and at least separate out the newborn and 0-3 months ones. I'm exhausted just thinking about it all. :) But it's exciting at the same time. I can't wait to have another little cuddly baby, and to have the beginnings of a normal body back. Here are the things I look forward to the most, immediately post-partum:

-Peeing normally again
-Being able to see Craig when he's pulling at my knees
-Getting dressed without almost falling over
-Standing for longer than 5 mins. without my feet throbbing
-Bending at my waist
-Non-itchy and dry belly
-Turning over at night without the aid of a boon
-Being able to get up and down off the couch, or off the floor, easily

There are many other things that come later, too, that I am looking forward to. Not that I dislike being pregnant, but I'm just not one of those women that relishes the experience. I appreciate pregnancy more for the prospect of a new baby and see it as a means to an end, or a new beginning. Let's just say it's going to be a while before there's a third little Leal on the way.

37 Things About Me

I haven't had much to post lately, so I thought I'd throw this in. Copy and paste it into your blog and see if there's anything we didn't know about you. :)

1. Do you like Blue cheese dressing? NEVER!!!

2. Have you ever smoked a cigarette? No (if I had, I wouldn't admit it on here!)

3. Do you own a gun? No

4. What flavor Kool-Aid was your favorite? Grape, maybe...it's been so long.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? No

6. What do you think of hot dogs? With mustard, ketchup, onions and pickles!

7 Favorite Christmas movie? Muppet Christmas Carol

8 What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Orange Juice

9. Can you do push-ups? Nope, never have (not even when I had my Pilates body!) and probably never will. (I don't know why the font changed on this question...weird.)

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? The earrings Robert got me for Mother's Day.

11. Favorite Hobby? It used to be reading, but Robert felt left out, then it was crocheting, but Craig felt left out, and now it's spending time with Robert and Craig, by default. But I do really enjoy going for rides and outings as a family.

12. Do you have A.D.D.? No

13. Do you wear glasses/contacts? I should sometimes for distance, and I have some, but I don't wear them. I can pass the test at the DMV, so who cares.

14. Middle name. Lee

15. What are you thinking about at this moment? My middle name and how is sounds funny with my last name.

16. Name 2 or 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, juice, Coke Zero (it really does taste more like Coke than Diet Coke.)

17. Current worry? Money

18. Current hate right now? Robert's long shifts and not having transportation while he's at work.

19. Favorite place to be? At home, ironically.

20. How did you bring in the New Year? Went to a party at a friend's house with no kids. Played fun games, ate junk food.

21. Where would you like to go right now? California to visit (thanks Josephine for making me home sick! :))

22. Name three people who will complete this. Probably not anyone, but maybe someone will surprise me!

23. Do you own slippers? Yes

24. What color shirt are you wearing? I'm not wearing a shirt...;) I'm wearing my blue nightgown.

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No, kinda sweaty.

26. Can you whistle? Yes

27. Where are you now? On the computer (duh) in the kitchen.

28. Would you be a pirate? For Halloween? I have been, I think. In real life? Only if Orlando Bloom were there, too. And only if he dressed up as Legolas.

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I find it difficult to sing in the shower--I have my face under water too often.

30. Favorite Girl's Name? Hmmm, I forget. I've been racking my brain for boys name so much lately.

31. Favorite boy's name? Ethan right now, maybe Isaac.

32. What's in your pocket right now? I don't have pockets.

33. Last thing that made you laugh? Craig spontaneously cracking up when he put the ties from my dress in his mouth (why would that seem so funny to him?) Or maybe it was watching The Office. They were both happening at the same time (Dwight's such an idiot.)

34. What vehicle do you drive? Jeep Grand Cherokee, occasionally.

35. Worst injury you've ever had? Sprained ankle from falling off a horse. Worse than the broken arm I had. One of the worst parts was it happened in Sweden and even though everyone at the hospital spoke English, all the paperwork they gave me to help manage the pain was in Swedish.

36. Do you love where you live? Sure.

37. How many TVs do you have in your home? One, and it's plenty (the stupid thing is the size of four friggin' normal T.V.s)

Do you live in the Phoenix area? Are you a "manscaper"?

I was looking on craigs list for jobs for Robert and came across this. I don't think Robert would...um...be...um...willing, but if anyone else out there has this special talent, by all means, check it out!

Looking for somebody to shave my back for me, possibly regularly. I am overweight, if that is an issue please don't respond. I would prefer a male.

If interested, please let me know and include your rates.

Does someone out there actually have rates already set? How much would you charge?

Bon bons (shhhh--don't tell anyone)

So, I'm supposed to still be on this "no sugar" thing for 6 more weeks (any longer and I'll scream), or until the baby comes. But sometimes, you have one of those days: it's 110 degrees outside, you're 8 months pregnant, the only parking spots at Wal Mart are 100 yards from the store, and as you carry (because the cart guy just came through and there are no carts) your 14 month old 26 lb. son across the asphalt Sahara you notice half of the close spots are filled with people just sitting in their cars with the air conditioner going. And I had more to complain about that day, but I try not to complain. :) I just get ice cream. So, I found these wonderful little things in the ice cream novelty section. I tried to find a picture online, but I can't remember the name of them, so I will describe them. They come in a box of 12, there are a variety of flavors (I got strawberry), they are dipped in real, non-waxy dark chocolate (I think some kinds have milk chocolate), and there is a yummy, chewy, fudgy cookie on the bottom. I ate 6 on the way home, and the other 6 later that night. They're not cheap, mind you...about $5 for the 12 of them, but more than worth it that day, let me tell ya. Hope you find them and that they make your stinky days that much better!

A Day Away

Last week I had a doctor's appointment and it was going to last all morning. There was a lot of catch up work that needed to be done. The new Harry Potter movie came out the night before so Robert said, "Since you'll be gone a while anyway, you might as well go see Harry Potter." I was so excited!!! Neither of us have been able to do anything fun (date nights or anything like that) since we moved and Robert's been looking for work. For one, we don't know any baby sitters down here and on top of that, we haven't had any money to spend. But, Robert said I could spend $7 and see the movie. It was so nice to have a day to not worry about nap times and everything. Oh, and I really liked the movie.

What's the story about JK Rowling writing another book?

Monsoon!

Something I've learned about this area is they have this thing called Monsoon season. It starts pretty much in July and goes through the summer. Every night for the past couple of weeks, the clouds have rolled in and we'll get thunder and lightening in the distance, but no rain. Finally, last night for the first time, we got The Rain. It was quite the show. The thunder was so loud I was afraid it would wake up Craig, but it didn't. The cat got pretty freaked, though. The wind, the rain, all of it was pretty cool. I really love storms like that. I've missed it since Montana's primary form of precipitation is snow, not much rain and certainly not many summer thunder storms. By the way, I didn't take that picture, but you can pretty much see the lightening as clearly as that.

As a side note, we've decided that Craig isn't going to make his first words clear to us for quite some time. For now, he's content to speak his first language...Ewok.

Me: Craig, will you bring me the remote?
Craig: Yib wada wob doooooooooo! Daba dish?
Me: Thank you, love.

Yesterday, I asked him to find the calculator and bring it to me which I wasn't sure if he knew the word "calculator" or not, but he dutifully marched off with the gleam of a quest in his eye. A few seconds later, he came back and triumphantly thrust the bag of cough drops into my hands and smiled at me so proudly. I just said, "Oh, thank you Craig! What a good boy! You're so smart!" I can't wait until he begins actually speaking English. Oh the funny things he'll say. :)

Updates

Things have been kind of busy lately. Robert's been out doing the job search thing. It's tough right now. Since we've been married (and we've moved and changed jobs a lot) it has never taken Robert longer than two weeks to find a job. And we've lived in much smaller places than this. I know we hear about the economy and unemployment statistics, but until you live it, you don't quite realize how bad it really is out there. But we continue to be greatly blessed in many, many ways. I just keep thinking that this time is meant to build our faith and to literally put everything in the Lord's hands. Everyday I think of that scripture that says not one sparrow falls from the sky without Him noticing, so then we should feel confident that He will notice and take care of us, too. Don't worry, though, I'm sure something will work out. I feel oddly at peace. :)

On other subjects...I believe in karma. Right after I posted that last thing about men and colds and being sick, I got a cold. It hasn't been bad, but enough to tire me out and make sleeping difficult, especially since I'm limited on what medicine I can take. Now Robert is getting it. So far he's being womanly about it :). If it gets any worse, I may have to take my own video of him and his "man-cold", which we all know is much worse than what I have right now. Oh, I guess I shouldn't say that. Now I'll get the stomach flu or something.

Craig had his first little bleeding accident, the poor little guy. The other day he was squeezing himself between the recliner foot rest and the couch next to it and tripped on something. His body barely fits into that little space, let alone his head, so when he fell he really mashed his face along the side of the foot rest. We weren't too worried since the foot rest is padded, but he was crying really forcefully. I just held him and shushed him, then he pulled his head away from my shoulder and his mouth was covered in blood! We cleaned him up, gave him a Popsicle to eat and numb the pain, then he let us look. His lip must have caught on the edge of the foot rest because he had completely torn the flap of skin connecting his top lip to his gums! Wow, that must have hurt. He had a little fat lip for the rest of the day, and whimpered a few times when he accidentally bumped his lip a couple times, but he's fine now. We haven't looked at it again, but I guess it's healing. Those mouth wounds just bleed so badly, it really freaks you out. He's a boy, so we'd better get used to it. :)

Do you know someone like this?

It is just my husband, or do all men think that when their wife has a cold and he sees her still tending to her daily chores, taking care of the kids, and making dinner, that it must not be that bad, but then he gets the cold, and is bed-ridden for a week, he must have gotten something much worse because he couldn't possibly get up and do things for himself? Do all men think a stubbed toe, a lost night's sleep, or going up the stairs for the fifteenth time that day are somehow easier for us than for them? I think the answer is here (scroll down to the video after clicking on the link):

http://tokenasianfriend.blogspot.com/2009/07/on-my-mind.html

And then ask yourself this: Why did more women survive the Donner Party than men?

Whoop!

Still haven't heard from the Food Network people yet. Oh well.

I made some noise the other day and Craig thought it was hilarious. So I took a video, of course. I haven't really had anything else to post. I've just been really busy with my classes and I have a test to take today, so I have to run.

Update

Sorry it's taken me a couple of days to get back to this. I'm taking these online classes for the summer and they are consuming all of my extra time. I'm still not caught up and the house is a mess, too. Anyway, Robert's audition went well. They just do a short interview. He said the interviewers were really interested in him, though. For those of you who don't know, he has quite a story about how he got started working in restaurants and risen to the level he's at now. They said a couple of times that they wished they had more time to talk to him. They are doing callbacks within the next couple of days, so I think he might get a call. We'll see. Well, there's more stuff I want to post, but I have to run. I have some cute stuff about Craig, but I'll try to get it on here later.

Could this be the Next Food Network Star?

We found out last week that Food Network is doing auditions here in Phoenix today for next season's Next Food Network Star! Of course Robert wanted to go. Not only is it a great experience (and "positively providential") but he doesn't have a job where he has to get time off work either. (There's for looking on the bright side for ya.) This is no small feat.

First, there was the 11 page application. Then the laundry list you have to read of all the terms and conditions, where they tell you that if you are selected, you agree to sign a contract stating that Food Network owns you. (I am not exaggerating here.) They say that during the filming of the show, they can tape you anytime, anywhere, 24/7 and you have to let them. They also say that you are allowing them to use the recordings for anything that they want, including slander. Of course, I don't think they actually do tape you that much, and they probably don't want to slander anyone that is representing Food Network, in essence, but it's kind of a scary thing. Then they ask you to sign the application in your own blood.

They also require two pictures and an optional video. If you're attending a live audition, you don't need to come with a video, but Robert thought it would add a little oomph. So last night we stayed up until 11:00 (since we couldn't start until Craig went to bed). Robert demonstrated how to make Chicken Feta Ravioli with a Creamy Pesto Sauce. (Yeah, he made it up--what a stud.) He handmade the pasta, too. It went really well. You know, I think he has a shot, but I guess everyone thinks that. But we were tired and hungry by the end. Luckily, we had some awesome ravioli to eat. And it was so dang good, too. I'll see if I can post the video. It's about 30 minutes long, but you can skip the parts where he has to wait for the oil to heat up and when he's filling all the ravioli. They say that they don't want you to edit, so he had to do all that on the camera. If I can't get the video on, then I'll just try to post the recipe.

The next thing they needed was five original recipes. So, this morning we spent about 2 hours typing up his recipes since the last time we did that they were saved on the work computer in Montana, and they're still in Montana. Then they tell you to start working on 25 more recipes, because if you're selected, they ask for that many.

The auditions started at 10:00 this morning. He's there now and I'm anxious to find out what they have him do and how many people were there (and if any of the current Food Network stars are there)! I'll keep you posted!

Children's Museum

So I am finally getting these pictures posted. I was just so glad I remembered the camera! Last Thursday Robert and I met Josephine (some of you know her) at the library in Phoenix. It's an awesome place with a whole area for little kids to play and you can sit and read. It's also like 5 stories high and they have a ton of books. We got the pass wanted (to the Children's Museum) and it was just right down the road. First, Robert had an interview (also down the road) so we went down there and waited for him for a minute. (The interview went well--boy it's tough getting a job these days.)

Then we went to the museum. It was really neat. I can't tell about everything, so I will just narrate the pictures that I have.

This is hanging on the wall when you first walk in. There's a big open room that goes all the way up to the third story balcony. These CDs are all strung together and hanging all the way down from the third story. It was pretty neat idea, I thought.

Then there was the car wash area. They had trikes and little scooters for the bigger kids, but I just took Craig through in the stroller. Again, pretty darn creative!

I think this was one of our favorites. It was really hard to get a picture, though. The green things are those pool noodle things. They have a billion of them hanging from the ceiling really close together. You can't see anything and at first Craig was a little confused. But then he started hitting them and flailing his arms around and was laughing. I took this between smiles. We put him down for a minute and he liked walking through it on his own, but it was too easy to lose someone in there so we picked him back up.

They had an area for 3 and under, and this was probably his next favorite place. They had this tree-house type thing built in there and this was part of it.
Here he is with Matthew, Josephine's youngest. I think they are playing with kitchen stuff.

This is another part of the tree house.

He kept wanting to climb up the slide. His sticky little hands would get him about 1/4 the way up, then he'd slide down. I showed him how to go up the stairs and then slide down, but he still needed one of us to sit him at the top of the slide and give him a push. I love the concentration on his face, like he's calculating his landing.

This is the last picture from the 3 and under room. I think these were here for the really little guys, but Craig liked it. It was cushy (I wished they had something like this for the parents to lay in) and it moved. It was a bowl on a pedistal so Robert was rolling it around while I tried to get a picture. This was the best one I got of him smiling. He really liked it.

Last of all, we went out through this big, noisy room. Craig loves to bang on things with other things, so he got the hang of this pretty quickly. Little Matthew there was a regular Ringo! He had one stick in each hand and went for it! Benjamin, Josephine's other son, is the one in background with his head cut off (sorry kiddo).