Scenes from a birthday party

Thanks to my life-saver friend, Kristian, I got the pictures from Craig's birthday party! And without further ado, here they are!

Here's Party Central. It was a really nice day...a little too windy (we never did get the candles lit), but a very nice temperature.

Craig with his green balloons...I included this picture mostly for those of you who wanted to see a belly-shot of me. 25 weeks and counting!

Pizza and juice--did you know that Capri Sun is now making a 100% juice? That's what we had for the party and all the parents were surprised to see it. Thought I'd pass the word along.

Craig wanted the pinata, so here we are. This was chaos, but the kids loved it.

Opening presents. I think this one was from my mom and dad. Craig was so excited each time he opened one that he would want to play with it right then. We kept telling him to open the rest of the presents and we'll play with them later. I kind of felt bad, though, because I don't want him to just rip through everything without learning to appreciate it first and say thank you. But we don't want to be there all day, either. It's a double-edged sword.

All of Craig's little friends were helping him get through the unwrapping. The older kids knew the routine and were quick to help move along the process. :)

What could it be?

An orange bike! With a size 3+ helmet that we had to return to Walmart for a 5+ for my little blockheaded Swede.

Here's Craig with Cody, Kristian's son. They were our neighbors when we first moved to Mesa. Craig wasn't quite 18 months yet and Cody was 5, but they have always loved playing together. Even when we moved to Fountain Hills a year later, Craig would always ask me where Cody was. We've been able to keep in touch and now that we're back in the same stake as them, we were able to make it to Cody's baptism! They still love playing together...even more now that Craig is getting to be such a big boy himself.

Ethan always seems to blend into the crowd during things like this. Here's where I found him at one point...sitting on the table, eating candy from the pinata, wrappers and all. His face is blue from a sucker, I think. He did really well, considering we went straight through his nap time. On the way home, both Craig and Ethan passed out in the car and stayed asleep when I put them in their beds. They both took three hour naps that day.

It was crazy, busy, and exhausting, but a lot of fun. Now I know why we rarely did blow-out parties when we were kids. This wasn't a blow-out, but any means, and it was still a lot of work. My mom usually let us invite about four girls over and we would either do a slumber party or do something like go to Roller King in Modesto. Of course we had cake and presents, but it was all very low-key. I think I may follow in those footsteps.

Birthdays

Last Saturday, the 30th, was Craig's and my birthday. He turned 3, I turned 30. We had a nice party for him at a park in the town we just moved from, Fountain Hills. It's only 20 minutes away and all but one family of friends lives up there. Everyone seemed to have fun. We had pizza, cake, a pinata, and opening presents. I tried to keep it simple, but even just those few things made for a pretty hectic party. Just herding 10 kids for each event was difficult. Thank goodness for helpful parents and our adult friends who were there. We forgot the camera, sadly enough, but a friend of mine was there who had brought her's! She took a lot of pictures for me and I took some, too. I'm just in the process of communicating with her to get them. So, those will be posted later.

We've been taking Craig and Ethan periodically to play with the bikes at Walmart and Craig seems to be getting the idea of how to use the peddles. Last year, we got him a little plastic tricycle and he never did like using the peddles. Ethan uses it now and just pushes himself around like a Flintstone. But, when we brought out the REAL bike (with training wheels, of course) Craig was ecstatic! He's getting the hang of it, too.

When I asked Craig what kind of cake he wanted he said, "Orange!" I wanted chocolate, so I made one layer a white cake mix and dyed it orange and the other I made chocolate. It turned out well. Then I asked him what kind of presents he wanted and he said, "Orange!" Luckily, when we went to buy the bike, there was a perfect orange one, just his size. When I asked him what color balloons he wanted he said, "Green!" So, he got green balloons. It was really fun planning his party this year. We did a Thomas theme and I loved being able to get his input. This was his first real birthday party with friends and everything...it's fun seeing him grow up and become more of a little boy and less of a toddler.

As for me turning 30.....that's another post.

Happy Easter (I remembered pictures!)

I had forgotten to hype up the visit from the Easter Bunny throughout the week for Craig so he could get excited about finding his basket on Sunday morning. As a matter of fact, I had forgotten to dye eggs, too. I remembered to boil them on Saturday night so we dyed them Sunday morning. Luckily we have afternoon church. So, Easter morning comes and I tell Craig that the Easter Bunny had come the night before and hidden baskets for them somewhere in Mommy and Daddy's room (perhaps in the cupboards under the sink?) and to go look for them. Here's where they found them and after they dug in:

There was a lot of candy on the carpet yesterday morning. They loved their visit from the Easter Bunny, though. :) Later, we (mostly I) dyed eggs. Here's the end product.

Nothing fancy, but fun. Craig helped put the stickers on and smeared some chocolate on a couple of them. He also gave one or two a nice spider web crack, which made him sad but I told him it would be okay. Then the boys had naps and we all went to church. When we got home, we had our Easter egg hunt. This was the first year we've done one for real. Previously, we've kind of pretended or didn't even try because Craig wasn't old enough to really get it, but this year he was all over it. He's even asked to do another one today with our plastic eggs. I think that will be a good afternoon time-killer. Ethan caught on quick, too, with Craig to follow around and watch.

I love having a backyard to do stuff like this in, even though it's all dirt, dead grass, and paving stones. For dinner we had fajitas (neither of us felt like having the traditional roast or prime rib and we are not "lamb" people). I planned on making creme brulee for dessert, as our something extra special, but it wasn't until I was putting them in the oven that I realized they need to set up and chill for at least two hours, if not overnight. I've made them once before but somehow forgot that crucial step. So, I guess we're having creme brulee for dessert tonight. :)

How was your Easter?

Bacon-Cheese Pull-Aparts

I've been experimenting with different breakfast ideas lately. We're all getting kind of tired of eggs and toast or Eggos. I found this recipe on the Pillsbury website, I also had several Pillsbury coupons and there was a good sale going on them this week, so I tried it. These turned out really well. Very cheesy, bacony, crispy in the right places and soft in others...I highly recommend you try it.

Bacon-Cheese Pull-Aparts

1 egg
2 tbsp. milk
8 Pillsbury refrigerator biscuits
1 2.1 oz. pkg. precooked bacon, crumbled (or about 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled left-over bacon)
3 oz. (3/4 cup) shredded cheese (cheddar or colby jack)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions (4 medium)
I actually forgot the green onions and they were still good.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or grease a 9x13 baking dish. In a large bowl, beat egg and milk until smooth. Separate the 8 biscuits and cut into quarters. Gently stir biscuit pieces into the egg mixture until coated evenly. Fold in bacon, cheese, and onions. Spoon mixture evenly into the baking dish and arrange in a single layer. Bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares.

More family visits!

Last Thursday my brother and his family drove about 11 hours from Colorado Springs to visit us for a few days. He's in the Air Force so they move around every few years. Coincidentally, we've moved around, too, so for about the last four years, we've been within 10 to 12 hours from them but never managed to visit each other. Yay for them for being the first to get it together and make the trip! We'll have to go there sometime this year, for sure. It was really a lot of fun having them here. They came in early enough on Thursday evening that we were able to have dinner and head out to the Mesa temple pageant. The kids were tired and somewhat cranky, but we made it through. I've been wanting to go for the last couple of years, but never made it since I knew it would be hard with little kids and being so late at night. But it was worth it.

The next day we went to the Children's Museum in Phoenix. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the camera for much of our activities. The kids really seemed to have a great time. To finish off the morning, we had lunch on the front lawn of the museum. The weather was really great, too. We got home in time for naps (almost all of us got to sleep, which was awesome) and then got dinner together to take to the great splash park in our old town of Fountain Hills. We had steaks, chicken, potato salad, and corn. Robert got the grill ready and the meat cooked while the rest of us played in the water. These are the things I love the most: eating outside, playing in water, corn on the cob, being with family, watching my kids have fun. This was the very best day I've had in a long time. There have been other good ones, but this will be classified as one of the very best.

The next day was Saturday so Robert was with us and we all went to the zoo. I did remember the camera then and Robert took the pictures. First, we saw the stingrays.

Craig and I are on the far side of the pool. One stingray kept swimming up to Craig and trying to nibble his fingers. He kept saying, "Mommy, he likes me!" I'd let it stay for a second, but then shew it away. I'm sure they wouldn't let you stick your hands in there if they bite or have nasty teeth, but it made me a little uncomfortable anyway.

After that, we walked around a bit, saw the big animals mostly, and made it to the camel rides. By now, it was getting to be lunch and some of us (mostly us pregnant and sore ones--me--and those under the age of five) were getting tired and hot and hungry.

We saw this golden eagle just "sprawled eagle" in his food trough. We thought that was pretty unusual. Here's a picture of all the cousins together:

From oldest to youngest, there's Eden who's the only girl and she's 8 1/2. Then there's Andrew, in the orange shirt. He's 6. Then Craig in the striped shirt, Jake in yellow is only about 6 weeks younger than Craig, and Ethan (hiding behind Eden). It was so fun to see them all interact and play together. Craig loved Andrew and loved his "big boy" ways. Before he learned his name, he would call him "the big boy." Oddly enough, though, Craig and Andrew are close in weight and wear the same shoe size, but Andrew is taller. Jake, who is closest in age to Craig, was closer to Ethan's size in many ways. Andrew loved Ethan, though, and was always sharing with him. I think one of the best parts of the whole time they were here was just having the boys so well occupied all the time. They just loved playing with their cousins, or "friends" as Craig calls them.

This is my last picture. There's Lani, my sister in law, and in front of her is Craig and Eden holding hands. It was so cute. Craig loved to walk around, holding hands with any of his cousins. Jake is in the yellow to the left, Andrew in on the far right, and Scott (my brother) is pushing the stroller.

The best part of the zoo day was when we sat down and had lunch by the water/splash pad area. While Eden and Andrew were riding the camel, Robert got lunch from the car and met us by the water area. Again the kids played in the water and we all ate. Robert had made California rolls for the adults (the kids had peanut butter and jelly) and they were so good. At some point, Craig got shot in the face with a spray of water and freaked out then a few minutes later was accidentally hit in the face and given a slightly bloody nose. That was when I decided to keep him out of the water and let him dry off. I bribed him with a snow cone. There's something so perfect about the zoo and snow cones.

That night Scott and Lani offered to watch the kids while we went out. We took them up on it so we went to P.F. Changs and it was every bit as good as we've heard. Then we just walked around a few stores before getting home early enough to spend a couple hours talking about the old days and old friends with them and going to bed. They were off by 7:30 Sunday morning.

It was such a fun few days and I am so glad they came down to visit us. Now I am that much more motivated to make the trip up there to do it all over again. :) Thanks guys, for coming, and for all the fun! Craig will be talking about his cousin/friends for months, I'm sure.

Catching up

Things have been busy around here the last few weeks so I'm behind in my blog posts. First of all, as you probably know, my mom flew out here to take care of Craig and Ethan while I did my 25 hours of student teaching the week before last. To fill in some details of that week, I'll tell you it was really fun in a lot of ways, but REALLY HARD too. Craig and Ethan both decided to not sleep well for almost the entire week, the worst of it being the first few nights. Also, on Monday morning (after being up with either Craig or Ethan off and on and only getting about 4 hours total and being up since 4:30am) I came down with a cold. I was stuffy and miserable the whole week and felt so guilty for being in a room full of kindergarteners and possibly passing my germs along to them, but I had no choice. There wasn't enough time to postpone it and my mom was already there. Most days I felt like I was walking around in a stuffy, caffeine-assisted fog. The upside was that I was able to come home and take naps most days. I can't imagine what I would have done if I had to take them to a day care. The mornings would have been chaos with getting everyone fed, dressed, and out the door in time and I would never have been able to sleep like I did in the afternoons to make up for the sleepless nights. So, in the understatement of the year, I say, "Thanks Mom!"


Friday night was the father/son campout so Robert took the boys and they were off by 5:30.

My mom and I went out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (I love that place) and then to see The King's Speech (PG-13 version :)). It was a lot of fun and a great movie. They were going to be gone until the afternoon, but after getting a phone call at 6:50 in the morning, I found out it had snowed on them! Poor guys.

They actually had a great night sleeping, ironically enough, but weren't able to do any of the planned activities since they had to get out before they were snowed in. I took my mom to the airport in the morning and ran a couple of errands, and by the time I got home they were all here, warming up and watching T.V.

So, that was our week the week before last. The next post will be about this last week, which was also fun and eventful, and much better slept.

Phew!

I am here and I have survived. This week I spent five hours a day (from 8 to 1) Monday through Friday doing observation and student teaching in a kindergarten classroom. My mom flew in from California to be here and watch the kids. It's been busy and a big change in our routine, but it has also been fun. Today was my last day since I only need 25 hours. It was a good experience for me. I had a really great teacher to watch and some good experience teaching my own little portions of the lessons to individuals and small groups. I'm going into Secondary English teaching (high school) so it was different than what my teaching experience will be, but great experience nonetheless. I am glad it's over, though. This has been looming over me all semester and I'm relieved to have it done. Tonight Robert is taking the boys on the father/son camp-out so my mom and I get to have some time all to ourselves. I'll try to get some pictures of them leaving and coming back...this is a first for them. :) I'll post more later.

Albers Cornbread

Since I tore myself apart in the last post, I wanted to show you that I do have some self-esteem left, thanks to the lovely members of Tasty Kitchen. I post maybe one recipe every six months on that website, but once in a while I go on there to see if anyone has tried my recipes and what they thought. I checked those reviews right after posting my last blog entry and found several more comments on a recipe I submitted last September for cornbread. I was so encouraged by their comments that I wanted to share it with you. So, here it is. Let me know if you try it and how you like it. It validates me. :)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/breads/albers-original-cornbread-recipe/


P.S. Since I first did this post, I went back to Tasty Kitchen and saw that this recipe was listed on their homepage as one of the most popular because of all the reviews it's received and they are all a full five mittens! I am so honored...I need to explain, though. This was the recipe my mom used for years and got from the back of the Albers cornmeal box, so it is not original. The special part about it, though, is that Albers changed the recipe on the back so it has less sugar and more cornmeal so this is kind of a lost recipe.

P.P.S. While you're there, check out my latest recipe submission for really quick and easy cinnamon rolls. Make them for conference this weekend. Actually, here's the link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/breads/really-quick-and-easy-cinnamon-rolls/

The Worst Mother of the Week (at least) Award

You know how there are things you know your kids shouldn't be playing with? And then there are the things you know you should baby proof but they never really seem to notice them so you never get around to it? Don't you hate it when those two things come together and your baby has a near death experience?

What do you mean that's never happened to you? Well, I will tell you my tale so you can avoid being as careless as me and avoid the guilt that instantly ensues. Let me begin this by saying everyone is okay now, but it was a close call. I'm not really sure how everyone turned out alright, especially Ethan, but there it is. Angels were watching over him.

Ethan LOVES playing with these:


Sometimes they are the only thing keeping a total melt down at bay, so I cave. Yesterday I was trying to get a bunch of homework done (I have deadlines coming up) so anything that would keep them quiet I let them have. Ethan was walking around, just holding the keys as he played with other things. After quite a while passed, he came up to me, holding out the keys with a cringe on his face. I looked the over and noticed the black marks on the side of one key and the key ring. Those were new. He wanted up and then he wanted me to kiss his fingers. I asked him to show me what happened and he led me down the hall to this:


It actually looks a lot worse in person. So, my little baby boy stuck my keys (that I shouldn't have been letting him play with) in a light socket (that should have a plug protector in it) while I was ignoring him and typing away on the computer in another room. Can you think any other crimes I committed against motherhood yesterday?

I only tell you this so you can learn from my mistakes and so I can somehow cleanse my soul through this confession. I really don't know how he got it to spark like that without being electrocuted. The laws of physics state that if he were holding onto the metal key while it made contact, he should have gotten a shock, too. The only thing I can think of is that the linoleum floor acted as a non-conductor so it never even went through him because it didn't have an exit point. Or he was just being watched over. Or a little of both. What ever the case might be, I've learned a valuable lesson and Ethan has turned out perfectly fine, and here's a picture from right after the incident to prove it.

The only side effect is that now he gives that light socket a wide buffer whenever he walks down the hall.

Ultrasound results

There's no mistaking that.

In honor of Baby Boy Leal #3, I have gone blue on the blog. I don't know if I'll ever make the blog into a family album, but I might regret this entry if I ever wanted to. Or little #3 might regret it more. :) Oh well, what fun is it being the mother of three boys if you can't embarrass them now and then?

As most of you know, I had my heart set on a girl, but as is usual in these sorts of circumstances (and as I knew before we found out) I've felt a measure of relief and peace about the whole thing. A girl would be nice, of course, but boys are usually more resilient and less emotional. We won't have to pay for any weddings, most likely, and they can play and rough each other up all they want. Not to mention that I already have all the clothes and boy paraphernalia to get me through the next century. There'll be a lot of camp-outs (the first of which is coming up next weekend and Robert is SO excited to take Craig and Ethan), sports, boy scouts (I see the words "den mother" in my future), and bad odors (since boys in general just smell bad). But there will be all those things anyway, even if this one were a girl. I have two sisters and a mother. I guess I've had all the girly-ness I need. It's time to jump into this boy stuff with both feet and my eyes closed. Wish me luck!

I thought I'd throw in a profile shot to off set the other one.

Initiation

Craig finally accomplished what he's been attempting for about 19 months...he gave Ethan a black eye. All I know is they were playing in Craig's room and, according to Craig, he had pulled out one of his plastic dresser drawers and was swinging it around when it collided with Ethan's head. As Craig puts it, "Efan hit his eye on the drawer" because "I was swinging it around." It was even bleeding from the corner a little bit. Poor baby. I could tell it was most likely an accident because as soon as it happened, Craig ran and hid under his blanket and kept muttering, "I'm sorry, Efan." Even now, as I asked Craig about the details, he apologized again without me asking him to. This just happened last night, so if it starts to look any worse, I'll be sure to document it.

Belly shot

19 weeks (approx.) yesterday

Who thinks I look more like 30? Who would dare admit it? :)

By the way, we're going for the gender-telling ultrasound this next Tuesday.

{Think pink thoughts}

Six Years

Today is Robert's and my anniversary. We were married in the Oakland Temple on March 18th, 2005. It was a Friday, like today. If I weren't lazy, I would get a picture from our wedding album (which took me half of these six years to put together), scan it into the computer, and put it with this post. Instead, picture me much skinnier, in a fluffy white dress, Robert in a really cool tux, and us kissing under a white umbrella. One thing I really liked about our wedding day (besides the obvious) was that it was overcast and very slightly sprinkling off and on. The temple provides these beautiful, huge white umbrellas for brides on days like that and, with the lighting being so subdued, it makes for great pictures.

After taking lots of pictures, we changed and the family left to go back to Sonora...about a two and a half hour drive. We, however, stayed in the Bay Area. The reception was planned for Saturday, which was an idea I got while hearing other peoples' wedding stories in college and always wanted to do it, too. It worked out really well since the temple is so far away. Plus, it gave me a second day to wear my dress. :)

We drove out to Half Moon Bay to a beautiful little hotel right on the seashore. We had dinner at a great seafood restaurant down the road that was built on a pier overlooking the water. Later that night we splurged and "rented" one of the hotel's movies (for $12.99) to watch. It was Lemony Snicket. I watched the whole thing, but Robert fell asleep. The best part of this room was the sliding glass door that faced the water. We opened it and shut the screen so we could hear the water and waves against the rocks all night long. It was awesome. That was pretty much our honeymoon. The next morning, we drove up to Sonora for the reception.

My mom and friends and family had been setting up the church gym and it was just as I had imagined and planned it. Everything was perfect and fun and pretty. We had good food, thanks to some of the ladies in the Sonora Second Ward, and dancing. And, of course, the cake was great, too. That night we left the church, drove around Sonora until people left the reception, went back to pick up our gifts, and headed out of town. As a wedding gift from my aunt, we had a hotel reservation in Angel's Camp, not far away. We stayed there for the night and the next day drove all the way through to Rexburg. Robert and I both had to work on Monday.

Yeah, we could have planned it for the summer when my internship was done and had more time to save for a honeymoon, but we were impulsive and couldn't wait to get married. I also remember how surreal it was when I took all my stuff over to our apartment before we left for California and hung my clothes up next to his in the closet. I could go on with the thousands of memories I have. Everything is still so clear.

Now, a (relatively) lot of time has passed, we have two and half kids, and life has taken us places I never could have imagined. There have been many ups and many downs. Some people have a magical first year, others say it was the roughest one they have yet experienced. I would say we were the latter. But, through it all, we have come out to be better people and each year gets better and better. All in all, through thick and thin, I am so grateful to have Robert with all our pros and cons to be my companion in this life. I vividly remember being single and the fun I had, but I also remember not having anyone to go to the movies with sometimes. Or watching T.V. alone on a Friday night. Or eating dinner alone. He has brought so much to my life and I want him to know how much I love and appreciate him.

Playing with the dog

I haven't posted any new pictures of our dog, Jade, since we got her. She was only 6 weeks old then and a teeny tiny puppy. Now, however, she's 6 months old and a little over half grown, I think. We'll see how much bigger she gets. She's loving the new backyard she has to play in. It's much better than being cooped up in the garage or out on the narrow patio of our old place. Craig and Ethan go out there and throw the tennis balls for her or play tug-a-war with her ropes. We let her in for part of the day and I've been trying to go out every morning for walks with her and the kids. Being a puppy, she still needs supervision or her desire to chew up all the kids' stuffed animals overwhelms her desire to not displease us and be put outside, but she's getting better. She's learning the rules and keeps them, most of the time.

The other day Craig was playing with her in the house and I got some good pictures. Ethan got in on the fun, too. I love that she is so good with them and pretty much lets them abuse her in every way and rarely makes a peep.

Here's the best one. Jade was so good the whole time they were sitting on her. I just kept telling her to stay if she tried to get up and she did.

I liked this for an action shot. Craig has a great smile going on.


Jade is so great about letting them reach in her mouth and pull toys out or just play with her mouth and face in general without biting down on them or accidentally hurting them. That was a concern of mine with getting such a big breed of dog, but she's really gentle. I also loved how Ethan was off on the side of this picture trying to steal the scene. :)

Car repairs :(

This is a cell phone picture, if you were wondering why it's so blurry and yellow.

The last three days before we moved, the van needed a pretty major repair. The steering has been really lose for a while and has had a slow leak since we bought it but we knew it would be costly. Plus, at the time, it was livable. On Wednesday before the big move, though, the steering went out completely. Luckily we had our tax return money and a quote on the repairs... roughly $2700. Robert talked to the mechanic at work and he decided he was going to do it himself. The part that needed to be replaced is called the rack and pinion. It also needed a new steering high pressure hose. Yes, it did take three nights out in the garage for a total of about 15 hours of labor, but that wasn't far from what Aamco had estimated for labor. However, the total cost, for parts and tools, was around $700. Everyone has little things they bring to a marriage that just make life a little easier. I must say that I am just so grateful that one of Robert's things is his way with fixing things, especially cars. If it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't have a van right now. There wouldn't have been an easy way to pay that much money for the van to get fixed. So, thanks Sweetie. You're one in a million.

One more thing...

As I was sorting through my files and filing it all away, I ran across a stack of papers my parents gave me. It's a bunch of stuff from when I was in school, all the way from elementary through high school. Diplomas, awards, reports, etc. One was a picture I drew of a camel smoking a cigarette. I'm not sure where that came from or why my mom would keep it, but there it is. I'm keeping it, too. :) I also found a piece of paper that said the following (in print and cursive):

My name is Sherry Lee Olson. My favorite colors are any kind of purples or blues. My favorite food is mashed potatoes. I like drama movies like Dance With Wolves (man with a naked bottom in this one...hmmmm), Regarding Henry, and Ghost. I'm 11 1/2 years old. I like basketball. The games I like are Corners, Slap Math (probably the last time I liked anything math related), and Heads Up Seven Up. I have two sisters and one brother. I hate nail biting and high pitched sounds. I usually read or take a walk. My favorite T.V. shows is Murphy Brown and Cheers. My best friends are Talea Ramsey, Kerrian McDermot, Maggie Sentieri, and a lot of others.

What 11 1/2 year old's favorite shows are Murphy Brown and Cheers? I guess that just shows that I was the youngest and went along with the crowd. I just pretended to know what the jokes meant and laughed along with everyone else...or asked a lot of annoying questions. I also thought it was funny that in the best friends part I added, "and a lot of others," just to be sure and state that I have a lot of friends. Status was everything back then. Know what? Even though my childhood was virtually carefree and rarely do I run across a truly unhappy memory, I wouldn't go back. Being a kid is rough.

Here We Are Together

I just wanted to post something to let you all know I'm alive and well. We moved, so that's what I've been up to. Two Saturdays ago, the 26th, was the official moving date but we've spent this last week making trips back and forth to the old place with extra stuff we couldn't fit in the moving truck and cleaning. I was fortunate enough to have my mom come out and help this last week. I am so glad she thought about coming out and helping...I never would have thought I needed so much help this time. We've moved two other times in the last 2 years and I managed those well enough on my own. At least I think I did. Maybe it was such a bad experience I've blocked it from my memory. It was so nice having her here so I could run off and clean the old place without having to deal with Craig and Ethan. I even got to go take my midterms and we still had one fun day to walk around the temple and downtown Mesa.

In case you're wondering, we moved from Fountain Hills back to Mesa, about 20 minutes away. Why? Because we found a place (smaller, but it meets our needs) with three bedrooms and a fenced yard. It's close to the same neighborhood we lived in when we lived in Mesa before so I know the stores and where all the parks are. Plus, Robert has a five minute drive to work. He's even considering getting a bike. We've even kept in touch with some friends from our old place in Mesa. I am going to miss Fountain Hills and there's something very sad about going back to a place you've made into a home when it's empty and void of all your things...physical and not. We had great neighbors there, too, but I'm sure we'll get to know the people here and make friends. It's just a process I hate going through over and over again. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the rent here is about $275 less per month. We just couldn't pass it up.

So, I'll be getting back into the swing of things here pretty soon. Since my mom was able to come and do A LOT of the unpacking and getting us settled, I don't have too much left before I get back into my old routine. There's just filing away all our papers and things (now that we got the filing cabinet in the house and out of the driveway), cleaning the tools and extensions cords off of the kitchen counter and putting them out in the tools box, reorganizing a few things, getting the last load of stuff out of the back of my van, and hanging pictures! Wish me luck!

Adventures in Babysitting (Part 2)

After showing the babysitters the ropes and putting Ethan to bed (since it was now 15 minutes to his bedtime and he would just cry for ten of those minutes after we left), we got out the door. It was 7:00pm. Fifteen minutes later, we get to the restaurant we were planning on eating at and that I had been looking forward to for weeks (Cheesecake Factory). It's a beautiful Friday night in Scottsdale (the "most livable city"--if you make over $100K per year) and the wait is over 45 minutes long...for two people. We go to the next place and it's the same thing. And the next. And the next. See, we're in a very fashionable part of the city where our little Eclipse is tacky and people would rather wait in line for a valet for 20 minutes, holding up traffic, than to park and walk five minutes to the restaurant. Oh, and then there was the limo we were behind that sat at a stop sign for several minutes until the occupants finished their drinks and decided to get out. After about 15 minutes of this chaos, we drove toward the city limits.

Another side note: as we were walking around, looking for a place to eat, the cell phone rings. It's one of the girls. She's saying the pizza is there and the delivery guy is asked for a credit card. Sigh. Robert talks to him, makes him give them the pizza, and calls the manager back. It gets taken care of, but it was a little annoying.

Using the GPS, we called around until we found a place that had a five minute wait. It only took a few minutes to get there. It turned out to be this little Italian bistro (from 1/2 mile away you could see the big red letters on the front of the building that said "ITALIAN BISTRO") out of the way, behind the airport (a place that the people who fly their private jets into that airport would never step a Prada toe). It was nice, though, with friendly people, quiet customers, and good linens.

The minute we sit down and before I can say, "I'll take one of everything-STAT!" the phone rings again. This time she's laughing. She tells me that while they were checking on the kids in bed, they heard a strange noise downstairs but decided not to check it out right away (naturally). When they got down there, they found that the dog--who was outside when we left--had knocked the pizza and their paper plates off the kitchen counter (which they had admittedly left slightly hanging over the edge), splattering sauce everywhere, and had devoured every last piece. Ha ha...SO funny. We call in another (albeit un-free) pizza and get back to our meal...at last. It's now about 8:30.

They bring us bread and we devour it within minutes, crumbs littering the tablecloth. I almost drank the lemon garlic oil they brought for the bread, but luckily my coke had come. We ordered, it came quickly, we ate, and we were stuffed. The only reason I didn't call these posts Nightmares in Babysitting is because without all this hoopla, we never would have discovered this little gem...this Italian family bistro where everything is house made and fresh and better than you hoped. Even Robert didn't really have anything to critique about the food, which NEVER happens.

By this time, we've pretty much lost all hope of doing anything else that night, like a movie or bowling, and just head home. I guess we'll just have to save that for another night when things go a little smoother.

When we get home, the girls are fed, the kids are sleeping, the dog is out, and they had picked up the toys. Even the kids' books were in order from tallest to shortest. I took the girls home (chauffeur-style) and the night was over. Phew. It might be a long time before we do anything like this again.

Adventures in Babysitting (Part 1)

Robert and I didn't go out last Monday for Valentine's Day because we thought it would be too busy and we'd never get into the place we wanted to eat and the service would take too long. Also, we wanted to go bowling or do something after dinner so we thought Friday would be better since he wouldn't have to work the next morning. Finding a babysitter proved to be just as hard as it would have been in Valentine's Day. Our two regulars were out, one had an unwilling sister, and the third we used one time (who was great) turned out to live about 20 miles out of town down a long, bumpy, unlit dirt road. It was about a 45 minute round trip to take her home. So, we called around and someone said they knew a family with two daughters who liked to babysit. Robert works with the dad and I know the mom but never really met the girls. I trusted the source, however, and I like the parents. The mom said the older daughter was busy but her younger one wanted to do it. She was having a friend over for the weekend and was wondering if her friend could come with her. I said yes and thought it would be better, anyway, since the younger daughter was (from what I heard) about 12 or 13 and would probably want someone to help her.

We agreed to have the mom drop off the girls on her way to work and I would take them home. They were to be there at 5:30. At 5:25 the daughter called and said her mom was running late and could we come pick them up. I gave Robert the directions and he went out to get them. While he was gone, I consulted the ward list to make sure I had the daughter's name right (Tylinn) and saw her birth date. She is 12...this Thursday. I never guessed she was under 12 since (it turns out) she's been going to Young Women's on Sunday with her sister for the last six months since I've been in Primary. The friend, however, was over 12 (thank goodness, for legal reasons) albeit far less mature than Tylinn. As a side note, when they got in the car they both had to sit in the back seat since one was under age and the over-12 one was only 65 pounds--which is less than what Craig and Ethan weigh combined. Ai-yai-yai.

About 10 minutes after Robert left the mom called and told me Tylinn was gone and hadn't said goodbye and she hadn't gotten our home number. About 10 minutes later, Robert still hadn't shown up. I was concerned since they only lived about five minutes away, one way. I couldn't call him, however, since his phone had died earlier that day. Another few minutes pass and he finally shows up...without the babysitters. I call the mom and it turns out they had gone outside to wait and came back in when Robert didn't show. He said he drove all around the area, couldn't find the road they lived on, and even stopped at a gas station to get directions and look at a map. Their road wasn't on the map and he had no phone to call me. I check the address with Google and call the mom again. Sure enough, Google is right and she had given us the wrong directions. I hop in the car and pick up the (small and young) babysitters.

Oh, and then it turns out they haven't had dinner so Robert orders them a pizza. Apparently, everyone but the manager is training that night and they lose the order/get it wrong so many times that the manager gives it to us for free. Plus side, right? It doesn't last for long.

To be continued...

The Pay Off

Remember this post a little while ago? It's all about Craig and Ethan and the big mess they made in our closet one day. I figured out that they had done it by Craig climbing up on top of the dresser and pulling the hangers off. Then Ethan got in on the fun by pulling down on the clothes.

In a related subject (you'll see how), Craig has started watching a PBS show on Netflix called Super Why. In one episode a little boy named Wyatt accidentally makes a mess in his brothers room. He wants to make it up to him but doesn't know how, so they consult the book "Goldilocks" to find out what she did to make it up to the bears when she made a big mess. The answer is to clean up the mess and to apologize, which Wyatt does at the end.

To come full circle, I was getting dressed this morning and we were all in the closet. Craig was talking about the show and cleaning up messes. Then he pauses for a minute, looks around, and says, "Craig made a big mess in Mommy's closet." I hadn't even made that connection! He is constantly surprising me with his progressive little brain, always learning. I said, "Yes, he did. And what would be the nice thing to do if Craig makes a big mess?" He said, "Clean it up. Mommy wasn't happy." I said, "You're right. Mommy wasn't happy with the big mess and helping to clean it up would be the good thing to do." And then, Craig surprised me again and remember the second half of the lesson from his T.V. show. He said, "I'm sorry for making a big mess, Mommy."

I was floored! I gave him big hugs and kisses...he nearly brought me to tears. He's not even three yet but this is the first time he has, of his own thinking and without being prompted, apologized for something. I believe he even felt some sort of almost-three-year-old remorse. It's moments like these that make all the persistence worth it.

Potstickers

Before I begin my food post, I would like to take a minute to jot down some thoughts.

I am not a food photographer. When I was in high school, I took two years of photography and loved it. I thought I was pretty good, too. What I liked most was how we developed and printed our own pictures. That's really half of the creative process. Nowadays with all these digital cameras and photo shop, I'm lost. In a world where professional-like photography has become accessible to the average joe, I am back to point and shoot. I used to be able to manipulate apertures, shutter speeds, and meters--all with a garage sale 1970's camera--and I would get a really nice result. Now, everything comes out blurry, too dark or too bright, and down right ugly. Food is the hardest for me. I see these beautifully composed photos of people's culinary creations and I try to copy their techniques, only to come up with less-than-my-best. Oh well. Maybe when we build our own house someday that will be my stipulation: I get a dark room. That would be awesome. Okay, I'm done. Just don't expect a great picture of these pot stickers.

See, I told you.

I made these a couple nights ago and I've made them once before. They always come out really well. Chinese cooking is sort of like a mystery to us (yes, even Robert). He loves experimenting with Asian cuisine and does well, but sometimes we just can't seem to replicate their flavors. I found this recipe in a magazine and thought I'd give it a try. It's so good, I had to pass it along. I might even put these on Tasty Kitchen, if I feel so ambitious.

Pork Pot Stickers
Yield: About 15-20, I think?

Filling:
1/4 pound finely shredded Napa cabbage (about 2 cups)*
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. oyster sauce (find this in the Asian food aisle of any grocery store)
2 tsp. sesame oil (same as above)
1 tsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt*
1/8 tsp. white pepper*
1/4 cup minced green onions
2 tsp. minced ginger*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground pork
Won ton wrappers (usually in the refrigerated section of the produce dept.)
Vegetable oil
Water

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place cabbage in boiling water for a few minutes, until it begins to soften. Remove from hot water immediately and rinse in cold. Drain and rinse then drain again. Squeeze handfuls of cabbage then wrap in paper towels and squeeze again until you've squeezed and wrapped all the cabbage. Wrap and squeeze in paper towels one more time. This is necessary to decrease the moisture in the filling and prevent breakage of the won ton wrappers during cooking. Set cabbage aside. Whisk together the egg white, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, corn starch, sugar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the cabbage, green onions, ginger, and garlic. Add the pork and mix until thoroughly combined.

Take one won ton wrapper at a time, brush outer edge (about 1/2 inch) with water all around just to moisten. Place a small amount (how much depends on the size of your wrapper--usually 1-2 tsp.) in the middle. Fold wrapper over (forming a triangle, if wrappers are square), squeezing out the air and pressing the edges together to form a seal. Sometimes you can find round wrappers which are larger and are more traditional. Either one works. You can pleat, if you like, to have a good seal. Heat a skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, tilting to coat. Place pot stickers in a single layer in the pan without letting them touch. Fry until the bottoms are brown. Flip them over, add 1/2 cup water, cover, and let steam/cook for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the water is evaporated and bottoms are golden brown. If the water evaporates quicker than this, turn your heat down. You need this much time for the filling to cook through (based on 1-2 tsp. of filling). Be aware that when you add the water, there will be a lot of spitting and sputtering of the oil. I used the lid as a shield and moved quickly at that step.

*Don't not make this because you don't want to buy a whole piece of fresh ginger, for example, and only use a small portion. I *starred* the things that can be cut short. You could use regular cabbage, if you want, regular salt, powdered ginger, or regular pepper. Garlic, however, must be fresh. It lasts a long time in the fridge, anyway, and is very useful. (Okay, okay...if fresh garlic is stopping you from making these, then just use powdered, but I'm a believer in fresh!)

* Also, don't not make these because there seem to be lots of steps or they seem complicated. They are SO good, better than anything I've had in a Chinese restaurant, and they are relatively quick to clean up.

Craig's House

Yesterday I had to take the van to Aamco to get some problems diagnosed and get an estimate.

We had about three hours to kill and, luckily, there was a Costco right down the road! We walked around, sat on the couches, I "picked out" new furniture (a girl can dream, can't she?).

Anywho, we rounded a corner and what did Craig's wondering eyes behold? A massive $1000 playground set, complete with a two story play house, slide, and swing set. Luckily, it was lifted up off the ground and onto a platform about ten feet up so I didn't have to fight him to stay off. I did feel bad for him, though. He wanted to play with it in the worst way, but realized it was out of reach. He said to me, "Can I play up there?" But before I could answer he disappointingly said to himself, "No, it's too high." Then, however, we came around the other side and he squealed and clapped in excitement. There, underneath the play structure, was a little wooden play house. Craig said to me, "Mom, it's my house!"

It even had a little doorbell. I sat down and they played with this thing for a good 30 or 45 minutes. People were walking by and making comments about the little house and how much they loved it. I almost felt like Costco should be paying me to have them playing there and making it look fun. I wonder if they sold any of these houses while we were there. :)

Craig, looking through the door.

Ethan came to answer the door when I rang the doorbell.

Thank you, Costco, for keeping us warm and occupied for a big chunk of our long, cold morning.

Before and After

Saturday was a big day for us. It was one of those days when everything is planned down to the second. We had a thousand things going on and I had no time for anything extra. In an effort to help me, Craig and Ethan decided the rearrange the closet. Here's what is looked like before they started:

Here's the "after" picture:

This happened at about 8:30am. I think I handled it well. I didn't blow up or get angry. The pile sat there until this afternoon (Monday). As the french say, c'est la vie.

The other big event happening on Saturday was the trading in of Robert's beloved Jeep. We got this Jeep back when we had one car and were living in Montana. We needed something big enough for the family and all wheel drive. Now, however, we need something small and economical for Robert to commute in since we have the van for the family car. We were also wanting to lower our payments by $100 a month. The babysitter came over at noon and we headed out. We spent all day going to dealerships in Phoenix. Just as I was getting hungry and thought we were going to head home, Robert found IT. We debated and decided it met all of our needs and even still had some warranty left. And he loves it. Since he loved that Jeep so much, and he loved the Mustang we had to get rid of when we had Craig, we decided to go for it.

Sayonara, Jeep. It's been fun. (This picture was taken the day after we bought it.)

Helllloooo Eclipse. We're looking forward to this.

It does fit the two car seats in the back, by the way. We went for a drive yesterday with the boys. They love it, too. It looks like the same color as the Jeep, but it's actually kind of orangey.

Fancy Food Show

Early last week, Robert went on his first business trip for his job at Lehi Valley Trading Company. He spent two days walking around, sampling, and discovering all the fun things at the annual Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. He said it was absolutely enormous. Lehi Valley had a booth there, too. They even had samples of some of Robert's most recent creations, including his fried peanuts (salted and cajun flavored). I guess you eat them shell and all. I haven't tried them yet, but I hear they're really popular among the show-goers. He and his supervisor did so much walking, his feet were bruised, blistered and swollen for days afterward. He had fun, though. He learned a lot and ate some good stuff.

Did he meet anybody famous, you ask? Why yes...yes he did. On the first day, he met this Guy:

If you're not into the whole Food Network thing or if you don't watch much T.V., I'll tell you who he is. His name is Guy Fieri. He got his start with the Food Network when he won the show The Next Food Network Star several years ago. Since then, he's had several shows on Food Network, he owns a few restaurants, he does commercials for T.J. I. Fridays, and recently started hosting a new game show called "Minute to Win It" on NBC (I think). Robert talked to him for a minute and got a picture with him, but I don't have that picture yet. I will post it when I get it.

The next person he met was this gentleman:

Except he wasn't much of a gentleman when Robert talked to him, unfortunately. It sounds to me like he was stressed out and over worked that day. Robert did get a picture with him, too. It was just a bit more awkward. If you don't know him his name is Duff Goldman. He is a trained pastry chef who, while going to the Culinary Institute of America in San Francisco, worked at The French Laundry (the premier restaurant of Robert's idol-chef Thomas Keller), and later started his own extreme cake-making business. His show is called "Ace of Cakes." The day Robert met him, he was making cake pops for a demonstration and giving them out. Robert got two and brought them home for Craig and Ethan. By the time I could get a picture of them, nothing was left but the sticks. So, that's what the picture is of: Craig and Ethan licking the last of the icing off the stick. They look very determined.

Yep, those cake pops were made by Duff himself! Apparently they were yummy. :)

As I said, when/if I get those pictures of Robert with Guy and Duff, I will post them. I'm glad he had a chance to go. This is a whole new world for him--business stuff, travel, desks, computers, memos, etc. All mixed with food, cooking, and recipe development. He's really loving it, though. And I couldn't happier for him (or for the kids and me). :)

Nap time

Jade's favorite nap spot. She just loves sleeping under our bed.

Haircuts

I gave Craig and Ethan hair cuts the other day. I've been getting a lot better with them but still struggle with the blending. Everyone says, "Just keep the clippers going straight up and it will blend itself." I guess I don't understand because that's what I think I'm doing but it always turns out with a really obvious ridge. It's not so bad with Ethan because his hair is still so fine and it lays down pretty well. Craig, however, has this hair that sticks up and out, unless it's several inches long but I'm not into that new long look for boys. This must be how my hair would be if it were short because Craig's hair reminds me a lot of brother's because of this. Since it's like this, it makes a bad fading job more obvious (Lani, have you found this to be true?) I did really well this time, though. I almost got it right and I would have had it perfect if Craig weren't a squirmy 2 year old. I finally gave up (like I always do) and declared it good enough. Robert, however, who has this ability to access a reservoir of patience somewhere deep inside him when it comes to the boys, sat Craig down and managed to finish it, doing an awesome job. Here's side one:

I was gone to the temple at the time (my first trip in a LONG time and it was such a treat) so I wasn't there to help keep an eye on the stinker. Twenty minutes later, Robert realized everything was awfully quiet. He finds Craig upstairs with the clippers. He had managed to get a guard on, thank goodness, but this is what I found on the other side of his head when I came home:

It's much more obvious in person, plus this was several days ago on Saturday. There are two distinct chunks gone, one right above the fade and one right below. So for church on Sunday we did the best we could to spike the top. That made it much less noticeable. I'm just grateful he's a boy and it grows out quickly. I've heard horror stories of girls cutting their own hair. I don't think I ever did that one, but I do remember shaving my legs when I was about four or five. And by "legs" I mean hair AND skin. Yeah, it wasn't a pretty sight. My dad found me and, being a former EMT and a career 911 dispatcher, was more than capable of handling the situation. I remember it vividly, though. What will these kids do next? I'm kind of afraid to find out.

(Mental image that flashed across my mind when I typed that last sentence: my brother falling several feet out of an apple tree at the age of about 10 and my mom having him lay face down on his bed while she cleaned up his back and him crying.)

aaaaaaahhhhhh

I began the remodeling of my attitude and therefore the attitude of the household on Tuesday night. I snuck into my bedroom after I put the boys to bed and before Robert knew I was gone for some quiet reflection and scripture reading. I looked up "anger" in the topical guide and came across some very interesting things in Psalms and Proverbs. That quiet time alone was refreshing. Then, on Wednesday morning, I restructured our morning routine. Instead of cartoons and T.V. while I made breakfast, the boys simply played. The most amazing thing was that they didn't even seem to notice! It was hours later before Craig even mentioned the T.V. I turned on some church music, did the dishes, got us all ready for the day, and we went to the park. It made such a difference in the day and in myself, I can't even thoroughly describe it. We did the same thing today and I am looking forward so much to canceling our T.V. altogether. It's set to go off on Feb. 7, after the Super Bowl. :) The only T.V. we watched yesterday was during Ethan's nap when Craig and I sat and watched Ponyo. It was so cute and he really liked it. Today we went to the store, the bank, took the dog for a walk, and went to the Farmer's Market. How did I ever get anything done before with our old routine? I feel so much better and the boys are doing much better, too.

It's amazing what no T.V. and a little music can do.

I ain't gonna lie

Someone please tell me they can relate to this.

For the past few weeks I have been feeling awful. Not just nauseous and sick. But angry, mean, moody, and everyone (especially Robert) annoys the heck out of me. I keep waiting for this to pass, but it just keeps lingering! Maybe our family blog isn't the best place to post something like this, but I just need to know I'm not alone here. What do I do? I've said it before--I feel the old saying is completely true, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." That's how it is here. So now that I'm going through all this, everyone else is crankier and moodier, too, which (of course) makes it harder for me to cope. I feel like every last ounce of inner peace I've stored up through life has drained from me and I'm constantly in turmoil. I was moody with Craig and Ethan, but nothing like this. Maybe this one is a girl and she will be the biggest drama queen on the planet. Or maybe she'll get it all out of her system now through me and will be a little Jane Bennett. (You know, from Pride and Prejudice?) Or maybe it's just a baby causing all these raging hormones and the best we can do is hold on until it's over.

Any other tips or suggestions?

Reverie

I go through my days noticing things happening here and there and think to myself, "That would be a great blog post. You wouldn't even need pictures." Sometimes I even formulate clever phrases in my head. Later, I get some time to sit at the computer and...nothing. I can't remember a darn thing. Right now is one of those times. So, instead I'm going to write whatever comes to mind.

I've been thinking a lot lately about where I imagine us settling someday. I hate moving, especially long moves, so I've resisted the idea of leaving Arizona. Or Fountain Hills, for that matter. However, I've come to realize that I expect certain things in life in order to have a fulfilling experience. I can be happy anywhere that I have my family, so where ever the Lord takes (or keeps) us is where I can make a home. But if I could choose where we'd end up, it would have to meet these requirements.

1. Some semblance of different seasons other than just different temperatures.
2. In the country, but near enough to a city and airport.
3. Within an hour or two of a temple.
4. Small town, summer festivals, close knit community.
5. Average-sized ward, not the kind where you're lost in a sea of faces.
6. Farm land nearby to get fresh produce for canning.

That's all I can think of right now. Is that asking too much? Does everyone want the same thing--the "good old days?" Do you think it's possible? We used to live in a place that very nearly met all of these requirements. The only exception was it was three and a half hours from the temple, but all the other parts were so thoroughly met, it made up for the longer drive. That place was Stevensville, MT. I have felt home sick for that place for the entire year and a half since we left. When the decision came to leave Montana, I was so excited to come to Arizona. It has been everything I imagined it would be and I have thoroughly enjoyed all the benefits of living here: the zoo, the children's museum, the awesome libraries, the conveniences of living in a city, the restaurants. If nothing else, the job opportunities. Which brings me to the clincher. Places that I dream of living, places like Stevensville, Montana, are out there. The problem is not finding them or even moving to them, it's finding jobs in them. Where does a chef find work in a town with a diner that is only open for lunch and a family run burger joint? "Open your own place," people have said, but that takes $$ and there is a small chance of success in a place where the population of horses is higher than people.

I keep the faith that somehow, someday it will work out and we can go back to our life and our friends in Montana. That once we do, our sojourn here in the wilderness of the big city will have been something we "got out of our systems" and we'll raise our children in that beautiful place with the house, the land, the animals, and the small town life we dream about. Of course, I don't expect there to be no complications and problems once we reach our Eden, but I like to think their stings will be lessened by the healing powers of the Bitterroot Mountains.

Ah, well, now to reality. Off to get dressed, go to the library, and buy some diapers and dog food!