Mama Loves Shoes

Winter Wonderland Party

2012-01-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

Look who had a birthday!

For Blanche's birthday party, I decided on a Winter Wonderland theme. Which was kind of ironic because it's been so warm with no snow to been seen. My sister-in-law made this fantastic cake. I sent her a few ideas and she made these adorable polar bears around a fire. The trees were incredible.

For dinner, I wanted to do something that kept with the theme, but also was something Blanche likes. It was her birthday after all. This child loves soup. I think it's kind of an unusual thing for a 2-year old to like, but she loves it. I think mostly because she likes to pick up a bowl and drink from it. We had three different soup options: Tomato Basil, Beef Stew, and Clam Chowder.

And since you can't have soup without yummy bread, I made bread sticks to go with it.

We also had a hot chocolate bar and a cheese tray. I made cute signs on my Silhouette. The pretzel "icicles" were a hit!

Here is the whole table scape. I had a lot of fun putting everything together. Blanche got spoiled between Mom and Dad and two sets of grandparents.

BG spends days before hand cutting out snowflakes. I didn't get great pictures of them, but she had them taped all over the house. It was really cute to see her get excited about her sister's party and want to help. All in all, it was a great party with a fun theme.

Humor Me

2012-01-19T16:51:00.003-07:00

You know how every now and then, you just need a good laugh? Here is a list of my favorite websites that deliver. I suggest putting your beverage down now. You're welcome.

Cake Wrecks: Funny cake, love it.
Not Always Right: People are the worst!
Pinterest You Are Drunk: A fairly new one. I hope they keep it up.
Regretsy: Just because it's homemade, doesn't make it good.
People of Walmart: You've seen this right?
Damn You Autocorrect: Funny iPhone fails. This one does have some R rated content.

What are your favorite funny sites?

This and That and the Other Thing

2012-01-16T16:03:00.001-07:00

Life is busy. Life is always busy, but I use it as an excuse for not blogging. Even in the last few weeks, we have had a bunch of stuff going on. Just since the year began:

I took the GRE. Ack! I am currently working on my application for graduate school to get an MPH (Masters of Public Health). I hope to start this fall for the 2 year program. I fully expect my blog to be pretty non-existent during that time. I will continue working while going to school and trying to balance a family and everything else.
JM has started hiking. He has always liked hiking, but has recently really geared up more for cold weather hikes. He takes the dog and they both enjoy it.
Blanche turned 2. The time flies by so fast. She is an independent, assertive, little personality. She is a mover and loves to explore. Party pictures to come.
We are starting to think about 1st grade. Even though BG is only half-way through Kindergarten, we have already received re-enrollment forms. I'm amazed at how early you have to start thinking about the next year.
We booked a condo for a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth! The kids don't know about it, because I don't need them asking daily if it's time to go to Disneyland. I, however, am pretty excited about it, even though it is a few months off.
We have a new daycare situation. I was not happy with the place they were at before. Now they are with a neighbor and friend who I trust SO much more. It is so nice to not stress about where they are spending their day and what they are doing/learning etc.
I started making a family calendar/whiteboard. The frame has been painted, but I need to do the rest. Hopefully soon and I can show that.

Whew. How's your new year been so far. Do I still have any readers out there?

Top 11 of 2011

2011-12-30T13:44:00.001-07:00

Have you noticed how all the bloggers are posting their top 11 lists? Top 11 crafts, recipes, funniest moments. Since I ~~am desperate to be part of whatever is going on~~ thought it was a good idea, I thought I would jump on the band wagon.

However, my blogging this year has been pretty sporadic, and not cohesive enough to create a complete list. So, without further adieu, here is my top 11 list of things I c/should have blogged about, but didn't.

11. Christmas
10. Thanksgiving
9. The somber post (still sitting in drafts) about being broken.
8. How cute puppies grow into dogs you hate.
7. Camping
6. Spiritual questions and their journey
5. How Steve Jobs now rules in our house.
4. The side business
3. More crafting adventures
2. Babies
1. The family credo

There. Don't you feel better knowing there is more going on in my life than what the blog shows?

Teacher Gift

2011-12-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I love BG's school teachers? Yes? Well, that's because they are great! I have been really impressed with what she has learned so far this year and am excited to see her progress the rest of the year. I think I'm as excited as she is for their Christmas Program on Wednesday. I wanted to give her teachers something for Christmas that would not only be useful for them, but cute as well. I debated on a gift of home baked goodness, but figured they must get tons of that already.

I asked around on Facebook for teacher ideas as well as Pinterest. There are some really great ones out there that I'm excited to use over the years. Many of the comments on FB followed the theme of either:

No candles, body lotions, or smelly products
Gift cards are great

I've also heard in the past that apple and teacher themed gifts are way overdone. So even thought I really liked the pencil cup holders and apple shaped candy holders, I resisted. Instead I went the gift card route. Who wouldn't like a Target gift card? Much classier than Wal-Mart, but just as flexible for the receiver. Did you know their gift cards are scratch and sniff? These ones smell like peppermint. MMmmmmmmm, peppermint........

I put the gift card in a Ziploc bag (along with some fudge, I couldn't resist) and made these cute little toppers for the bag. It says "Thanks for keeping my learning on Target!" I made the bulls eye with my Silhouette, but it could easily be done with by hand or with circle punches. I distressed the edge of the largest red circle so it would stand out from the red backing. BG wrote "from BG" on the back.

Pretty simple, cute, and functional teacher gift! What are you giving the teachers in your life for Christmas?

5 Things

2011-12-01T14:40:00.001-07:00

Mama Kat is at it again with her Writers Workshop. Here's the prompt I chose this week.
2.) Five Things. List 5 things we don’t know about you, 5 things you’re knowledgeable about, 5 things you know nothing about, and 5 things you believe.

5 Things you don’t know about me:

I taught a class at a local university a few years ago and really loved it. I would love to teach full time.
I'm not sure I would make a good stay at home mom. It makes me feel like a bad mom that this isn't my goal.
I crave chocolate at 2 pm everyday.
I have terrible posture. I try to sit up straight but find myself hunched over a lot.
I'm an efficiency fiend. Almost to a fault. If I can't multi-task/make something more efficient, I don't want to do it at all. Example: I have something that needs to be taken upstairs. If there is only 1 thing, I won't go. I need multiple items to make my trip worth it.

5 Things I'm knowledgeable about:

Conference planning: I have planned many, many in my career, both big and small. I enjoy all the details of putting it together; mostly I like being in charge. ;)
Healthy Lifestyles: I really try to live one and teach my kids about them. I'm not always perfect, but think I do a decent job. I fight for healthy nutrition choices in my kids daycare.
Jewelry Making: It's been a while since I've done much with this, but I like making pretty things. I'd love to learn more.
Public speaking: I enjoy giving presentations on topics I know well. (Which does NOT translate to speaking/teaching in church)
Cooking: I really enjoy creating healthy, yummy food for those around me.

5 Things I know nothing about:

Cell Phones: I have one, I use one, but I'm scared of them. My new iPhone arrived three days ago and I'm waiting for JM to get home from a business trip to set it up for me.
Football: Every season, I have to relearn the game to watch them. By the end of the season I can follow a game pretty well, but I lose it all between Jan and Sept.
Business: My hubby has started several and I love listening to him talk about what's going on, because it's all new to me.
The stock market: It confuses me and makes my head hurt.
Single Parenting: After three days of a business trip and I'm desperate for JM to come home. I'm very blessed.

5 Things I believe:

I believe in God, my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, my Saviour.
I believe that most people are inherently good and doing the best they can.
I believe in choice, that everyone has the right to make their own and live with the consequences.
I believe that respect and good communication are critical to the success of a happy marriage.
I believe that teachers should be paid more for the incredible work they do.

Anatomy is hard

2011-11-29T15:09:00.001-07:00

I continue to be amazed with all the things BG is learning in school. Kuddos to her teachers- they are doing a GREAT job!

Most recently, they are learning about the five senses. BG told me all about her eyes and how they are a ball. They view images upside down and the brain has to turn them right side up. Then she moved on to tell me about specific parts of her eye. She pointed to her eye to try and say the word "pupil", but what kept coming out of her mouth was another body part that also starts with P. I tried not to giggle as I helped her find the right word and informed her that she did not, in fact, posses that other body part. It gets confusing when it sounds so much like iris!

Did you know?

2011-11-23T10:24:00.001-07:00

Did you know there are 206 bones in the human body. And the heart is a muscle, but it's not really shaped like a heart? BG learned these things in school and has been educating us.

****
Did you know that chicken fat will stick to the ceiling for several seconds before succumbing to gravity? I know this because my sister and I used to throw chicken fat on the ceiling to see whose piece would stay the longest. This all happened while mom wasn't around (obviously). As an adult, I'm now horrified and disgusted that we did this. Sorry mom.

****
Did you know that I'm hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow for 13 people and a baby? I had to count my plates this morning to make sure I own enough. I do, but they won't match. And we'll either have to wash dishes before dessert or eat pie off paper plates. Ditto for silverware.

****
Did you know that I'm really excited for Christmas? I've been listening to Christmas music and am excited to map out my Black Friday shopping. I'm leaning towards going out at midnight then sleeping in.

****
Did you know that BG wants 2 silver bells for Christmas? She has been learning Christmas songs at school and really likes Silver Bells.

****
Did you know that Blanche can now say STOP. She loves to use this word. She also gets very excited when we go to pick up Sister from school every day. And her new favorite thing is the potty. She insists on sitting on it after every diaper change. She has even gone pee-pee a few times.

Popping the Question

2011-11-17T12:10:00.001-07:00

Since I'm obviously lacking in blog-topic inspiration lately, I thought I'd participate in Mama Kat's Writers Workshop. The topic I choose this time around is
3.) Married? Tell us the story of how the question was popped.

JM and I attended college together (where we met). On one of our dates, we visited the Museum of Fine Arts. After looking around, we snuck into one of the conference rooms that had huge floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking campus. It was a beautiful view and we liked the secrecy of it, doing the forbidden! (We're not all the daring, so this is about as adventurous as it gets. We are rule-keepers.)

Later on in our relationship, he suggested we go back to the Museum and look around. I agreed. There were more people there and he kept trying to get me to sneak into the same conference room. I resisted and told him we should wait until the other people left. He pushed. I resisted. Finally, he convinced me to go into the room. I immediately walked over to the huge windows to admire the view. I heard rustling behind me and turned around to see him opening one of the cabinets. I was shocked the he would be so brazen as to riffle through their closed cabinets! Then I noticed he was pulling out a huge bouquet of roses.

He walked over to me and got down on one knee. He said some wonderful things then asked me to marry him. He pointed to the museum display box in front of me where the ring was placed with a card detailing it's history (in true museum fashion).

He thought I was looking at the ring when I actually hadn't even noticed it; I was looking at the view. I was a little embarrassed that he had to point it out to me. I found out later that he really had to twist some arms at the museum to pull this off. He even joined as an annual member.

Say Cheese!

2011-11-12T20:18:00.001-07:00

We took family pictures and I'm really happy with the way they turned out. In fact, by looking at the pictures, you wouldn't even know the drama that was taking place during the shoot. Blanche did not like getting her picture taken. At all. I'm pleased with the results, I wish we had more time during the session. I thought it was a 60 minutes session, but it was 30 minutes shooting and 30 minutes to edit. If I had know that in advance, I would have better allocated my time for the pictures I wanted.

Now we just have to choose which ones to print and put on the wall.

Sugar Rush

2011-11-01T08:30:00.000-06:00

BG woke up the morning of Halloween bursting with energy. It may as well have been Christmas she was so excited. She got to wear her costume to school and came home and told me about the songs she sang and how she got to drink "Real root beer!" (Soda is not allowed at home.)

After school, she knew that she had to eat her dinner all gone or else she couldn't go trick-or-treating. She explained to Blanche about the dinner rule and tried to teach her how to say "Trick or Treat". The best we got was "teet".

We has a great time trick-or-treating. BG was constantly running ahead, but always thinking of her sister and getting her a piece of candy from the houses with too many stairs. Blanche loved walking around, picking candy, and putting them in her treat bucket. At one point, her bucket was getting pretty heavy so I tried to take it and carry it for her. She got pretty upset and was adamant that she carry her own candy.

All in all, a very successful Halloween.

The best part, was eating all their loot.

9 Years

2011-10-26T08:30:00.000-06:00

9 years ago today I got married. A lot has changed over those 9 years, but I'm loving the journey. In the last 9 years we've:

Lived in 5 different homes
Lived in 1 state
Completed 3 degrees
Had 2 kids
Had 2 dogs
Owned 8 cars (that I can remember, I may be missing some)
Visited 4 countries
Went to Disneyland once
Started 5 businesses
Have 1 business still going

And through it all, we still even like each other. Imagine that! Love you babe!

Friday Fragments

2011-09-30T08:30:00.000-06:00

I love listening to BG pray. Mostly because I usually get a good laugh out of it, but also because it's sweet to hear her innocence. The other night this was included in her prayer. "Please bless Big Foot. Please bless that he has big feet, because his name is Big Foot. Please bless that he can hide so the people looking for him won't find him and he will be safe." After the prayer she asked why I was crying. Instead of telling the truth- because that's what happens when you hold in so much laughter, I told her it was because I love her. Also true.

****
Blanche is talking more and more all the time. When you sneeze, she will say "Bless you", only she can't enunciate well, so I may be the only one who understands what she is saying. I love it.

****
I want to get new family pictures taken soon. It's been about a year since we did our last ones. I'm trying to decide on what colors for our family to wear. I probably spend way to much time/energy thinking about it, but there are lots of things to consider. I don't want anything too girly because JM already endures so much estrogen, so pink is out. I don't want anything too boy-ish because we are a family with three girls. I'd like to use as much as possible that we already own so we don't have to buy all new outfits for the whole family. Should the girls match or not? Should we match the girls? I don't want all white or all black. Should I consider where they hang in our home to match home decor? Dressy or casual? See, told you I am thinking about this way too much.

****
I love that Blanche is getting so big, but also sad. She thinks she is just as big as BG and will copy anything she sees. She loves to climb and jump. Oh, how she loves to jump. It's her newest favorite thing. She is getting pretty good, and can sometimes jump off both feet at the same time. I love watching her grow, but it happens so fast!

Represent, Yo!

2011-09-18T20:10:00.000-06:00

This weekend was the big rivalry football game and I realized my girls didn't have any team appropriate gear. That wouldn't stand so I had to remedy the situation by pulling out my Silhouette to make some team gear. These shirts were free because I used clothes they already had, and I had the paint and everything else I needed. I used freezer paper to make the stencils and fabric paint to color them. We rocked our new attire for the game. I proud to say our team STOMPED the Cougars. Go UTES!

I also up-cycled a sweatshirt into Ute apparel. I really like how it turned out but I haven't taken any pictures yet, so you will have to wait in suspense.

Remembering

2011-09-11T08:30:00.000-06:00

I know there is already lots of talk about this 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001. I wanted to add my story to all those others.

It was the beginning of my sophomore year of college and a crisp fall morning. I was walking to one of my generals classes in the Presidents Circle. I happen to run into one of my co-workers on the way to class. It was the only time I ever saw her on campus. She told me that a plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers. I wasn't quite sure what to think about this; it seemed so surreal, almost like a bad joke. I walked into class which happened to be in a computer lap where I immediately logged onto CNN.com. Their web page was flooded and it took a really long time to come up. The whole class was watching the news online. We didn't do anything at all during that class but watch the news. It was mostly commentary and I don't recall seeing the images until later.

I walked to my next class stunned. It was during my 2nd class that it was announced all classes would be canceled for the day. I walked home the few blocks to my apartment and turned on the radio. We didn't have a TV so I listened to the radio while lying on the couch. No one else was home. I listened to the radio for hours, until it was time for me to get ready for work. I called my boss and asked if the store was really still open. She told me that yes I had to go to work. it seemed that everything, everyone was in a daze. The world had stopped turning.

I went to work and tried to focus but there were no customers and all the employees were sullen. The store manager closed the store a few hours later and I drove home. I still had not seen the images of the planes hitting. A friend was getting married and since I was no longer working, I decided to drive to their reception. I stopped at my parents house and for the first time, saw the graphics on the TV. It's hard to describe the horror of watching that for the first time. It's like watching a movie where you hope it's fake, but the pit in your stomach is twisted so tight, you can't pretend it isn't real. I cried that day thinking of all those who were in the towers and on the planes.

The wedding reception was morose at best. Guests were trying to celebrate a wedding union while we all feared our country was under attack.

I still get teary eyed thinking about that day. I think about the lives lost, the heroes that emerged, and the families affected and it makes me choke up. It makes me feel so lucky for what I have and almost a little guilty. Because how can I even come close to appreciating what I have when there are those who lost so much. I plan to spend some time today remembering, thanking, and hugging my loved ones a little closer. God Bless America.

Friday Fragments

2011-09-09T10:57:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I did a Friday Fragment, so I thought I'd throw out the random things going on at our house.

Blanche is now telling me when she poops in her diaper. She will waddled up to me, grab herself and with a concerned look on her face say "Di-poe". 9 times out of 10, she is poopy and will get a clean diaper. Does this mean she might potty train soon? I sure hope so.

*****
When I opened up my bin of fall decorations, they were all wet and moldy. I'm not really sure how this happened, but it was devastating for me. I had to throw away everything I've collected over 8 years of marriage to decorate my house for fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. I actually cried over it.

*****
We had a parents only back-to-school night at BG's school. She warned me before hand that I was going to have to sit in her chair (hilarious!) and do board work. She also told me if I don't listen to the teacher, she will take away her pencils and will have to do her papers in crayon. "Mom! Listen to my teacher; DON'T get my pencils taken away!" It was tough, but she still had pencils to use in class after I left.

*****
The dog is on notice, on the short list, cruising for a bruisin' and any other phrase you can think of meaning he is in perpetual trouble. We are working with him, but he's basically a disobedience teenager who likes to drive me crazy. We bought several bags of dirt to fill in the holes he has dug in my flower beds. He continues to dig and loves the fresh, loose soil.

*****
We had great aspirations to go camping this summer. We haven't actually gone beyond the backyard. Last Sunday (Labor Day weekend) we decided spontaneously to try again. By the time we made it up the canyon, all the campsites were full. So drove back home, put the kids to bed and built a fire in the charcoal grill. Then JM and I chatted by the campfire half the night. It was a great date night.

What are they teaching you?

2011-09-08T13:53:00.002-06:00

BG has now been in Kindergarten for 2.5 weeks. You wouldn't think that would be long enough for anything too terrible to happen. Not so. The other day, driving home from school, this is the conversation we had.

BG: Mom, I need my own phone.
Me: What?! Why?
BG: So I can call Sydney. (I don't know who that is.)
Me: You have to be a lot older to have your own phone.
BG: How old?
Me: Old enough to pay for it on your own. Phones cost a lot of money
BG: Do I have to be, like (pause) sixteen, Imean six?
Me: More like sixteen. Does Sydney have her own phone?
BG: No

Where did she even get this idea? On the up side, she is reading well, likes her class, and seems to be learning a lot. I guess school isn't all bad.

August Wrap up

2011-08-30T08:32:00.000-06:00

August has been full of a lot of firsts at our house. I keep meaning to upload pictures to go along with this, but that hasn't happened yet. Instead, I will just list them out.

I took two kids on an airplane by myself.

We flew to GA for a family reunion where my kids met many 2nd cousins, aunts, and uncles they haven't met before, along with 1st cousins, aunts, and uncles we don't see much.

BG started liking the pool. She will now jump in from the side all by herself. She will also go down kiddie slides. This is a far cry from last summer where she screamed if we weren't holding her.

Blanche's vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. She can now say Emma (cousin), grandma, buckle, milk, ball, all done, shoes, and diaper in addition to her other words.

BG lost her first tooth! She pulled it out herself at daycare and lost it in the grass before we even hit the car. We left the tooth fairy a note who graciously still left a dollar.

BG lost her 2nd tooth only a few weeks later. We pulled it out in the morning before school and put it in a "safe" place. By the time bedtime rolled around, it had been dropped down the sink. Not playing with a tooth that came out of your own mouth is too much to resist. It's just too exciting. The tooth fairy still left a dollar with a note saying "Don't loose the next one!"

BG started Kindergarten. She loves it.

There are so many mosquitoes this summer. We were sitting outside the other day and I told BG that if she saw one on her, she should slap it to kill it. Not 2 minutes later a mosquito landed on Blanche's cheek. BG did as instructed and slapped her little sister in the face. I was laughing so hard while trying to console a startled toddler.

BG cut her own hair. Really short. Right up front. It's not quite the scalp cut many kids do, but it's not pretty. Luckily it's a small lock of hair that I can hide if I part her hair deep enough. Not much else to do but let it grow out.

I started studying for the GRE. Sadly, this is far from a first. I've already taken this graduate test once, along with the GMAT. I've started studying countless times. I figure that at least the test is good for 5 years if I don't go back to school soon. And yes, the first time I took it was over 5 years ago.

We took the training wheels off BG's bike. She is still working on riding on her own, but getting pretty good at it.

We bought another car. We have, on average, bought a car every summer since we've been married. That's a lot of cars. We are planning on keeping this one longer (assuming it doesn't keep breaking down like the last one). We are going on 3 years for my car, so that's an improvement.

Whew. Now you know why I haven't uploaded pictures. This post could easily be broken out into 10 different posts if I have the pictures to accompany them. This is also the reason why I haven't been around so much.

First Day of School

2011-08-23T09:23:00.000-06:00

BG started Kindergarten yesterday. She is going to a school that requires a uniform and she looked so cute all dressed up. She was really excited about starting school. In fact, she has been looking forward to starting school since she was three. She has known that she had to be 5 to go to the "big school".

I have been doing really well with her starting school. I figured it wouldn't be too difficult on the first day because it it pretty much our usual schedule- getting up, dropping her off and going to work. I asked her on the way to school if she wanted me to walk her into her class or take her through the drive through drop off. She was insistent on going through the drop off and walking in herself. I was fine all morning, I was fine driving to school, I was fine until she hopped out of the car. Then I started crying. I pulled myself together because there was a line of other parents waiting to drop off their kids behind me.

My baby is growing up! She now has homework and is supposed to read to me 20 minutes a day. Her homework for the first day of school was a worksheet with pictures and letters. She had to circle the first letter (of what the picture was), write in the middle sound and underline the last sound. She did great and got them all correct.

Oh my! She's Adorable!

2011-08-05T09:03:00.000-06:00

I have a hard time getting a good picture of Blanche. Not because she's not adorable or anything, because obviously she is. But because I can't seem to capture her personality in a still image. It might have something to do with the fact that she is always in motion, always on the move. But also, I think she kind of shuts down when the camera comes out. Many of the pictures I have of her are a blank stare and not the beautiful smile she has.

I happen to get this shot this summer and am really loving it. I feel like it shows off her personality and happiness so much better than others I have. Yes, she is chewing on a pen, but she's happy doing it! Any tips on how to get better candid, happy shots?

Dog Days

2011-08-02T09:49:00.000-06:00

Duncan stays in the back yard during the day. On days that I'm home, I will often let him come in for a few hours at at time, especially when it's so hot outside.

On one of my days at home, I walked by the window to see this.
I guess he thought the deck chairs looks more comfortable than the floor. I just had to laugh. What kind of dog hangs out on deck furniture?
Apparently mine does.

BG Family Party

2011-07-29T13:01:00.001-06:00

I'm way behind in my blogging and just uploaded some pictures. After BG had her friend Tangled Party, we had a family party. JM got a smoker for Father's Day/Birthday and has been anxious to try it out. He smoked some pork and we had pulled pork sandwiches. They turned out delicious! The weather was nice and we spent a good portion of the party hanging out outside.

This was also the first time some of our family had met Duncan, our new dog, so there was plenty of attention for him. Grandma with Blanche and cousin Emma.

BG smiling cute. I try and try to get a picture of the two of my girls together. It's pretty much an impossible feat. One of them is always looking away or not smiling or getting up. I have a great sequence of attempts from this party that I won't bore you with, but it really does seems impossible.

My sister-in-law recently graduated from Culinary school and loves to make cakes. She also just got a job at a bakery and is thrilled about it. So whenever there is a family event, she is the go-to girl for the cake. When she asked BG what kind of cake she wanted, BG told her Strawberry.

Aunt Rae is known for her fabulous chocolate cakes, so Daddy put in the request for a "Strawberry" (quotes required) cake. With a wink, wink, and a nudge, nudge, he convinced her to make a chocolate cake with strawberries on top. That way we could still tell BG she was getting her request.

The cake was delicious. I had to take this picture to show off the super yummy strawberry meringue filling. We all loved it and BG didn't even notice her "Strawberry" cake was actually chocolate.
Happy Birthday BG! I can't believe you are already 5 and will be starting school soon. Lately, she has been telling me she is going to "act like a Kindergartner" which means she will be nice to mom, listen and obey. Whatever it takes.

Hot, Hot, Hot

2011-07-25T14:31:00.006-06:00

It's hot. Not as hot as some places right now, but still sticky, sweating, squinty-eyed hot. The girls want to play outside in the hot. I don't last very long. It's not long before they start asking for popsicles. My strict nutrition regiment goes out the window when it comes to popsicles. Because it's just so hot.

The one I really feel bad for in this heat is the dog, Duncan. Wearing a fur coat can't feel good in this heat. When we let him in the house, he runs right over to the vet blasting Air Conditioning and plants himself. He lays there soaking it up until the girls come to pester him. That takes about 1.6 seconds.

Even though it's sweltering outside, my office is freezing. I keep a sweater at my desk to ward of the chills. Then I go outside and it's like stepping into a furnace. Crazy summer weather.

Bedroom Remodel: Phase 3

2011-07-12T08:40:00.002-06:00

We have been remodeling our master bedroom. We have been in our house almost 4 years and our room has never gotten much attention. I finally convinced JM to put some budget into the room. We actually really liked the room when we first bought the house, but tastes and designs change and I was tired of the colors.

Here's our room with the old wall colors. There was two colors in the room, a beige color and a rusty brown. The room is pretty big but only has one builder-standard light fixture in the middle. It always felt so dark because the colors on the walls sucked up any light.

We bought the bedding a while back and I was really itching to get to painting. You can even see the "swatch" up on top of the bed. I may have forgotten to take it down before pictures.

I showed this picture earlier after we got the primer up. The paint had a velvet texture to it and since we were going crisp white on the bottom, I was worried about coverage. Even with the primer, I was loving the change.
At this point, I stopped taking in-progress photos. We painted everything and installed crown moulding, chair rail, new baseboards, door and window casings and boxes on the lower half. It took WAY longer than we anticipated.

Then the project snowballed. Once we painted the white, we realized how hideous the color of our doors was. They looked like sun-faded white, a sickly yellow color. So then we had to paint the doors. When we painted the doors, the ceiling turned yellow and that had to be painted as well.

Our room was in complete disarray for weeks while we got all the painting done and trim installed. Then we had to caulk, sand, and paint some more. Whew! It was a much bigger project than we anticipated.

Here is an example of the boxes we put up on the lower half of the room. This is also one of the few in-progress pictures I took. We also added a windowsill since there wasn't one.

And the final result! The pictures are kind of bad. I really should use a better camera than my point and shoot, but I'm pretty lazy.

The color on the top is a stormy blue color, with grey undertones. I am loving the way it turned out. All the trim really finishes off the space.

Now that the painting and trim is done, I have a huge list of other things I want to do. Specifically, replace the furniture hardware, add window treatments, art for the wall, and other accessories. Hurray for having our room back! I love the change. The whole room is so much lighter, brighter, and cozy.

Linking to: Thrift Decor Chick

Praises Be

2011-07-11T11:39:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was a monumental day. A day a mother dreams about for her child from the moment she is born. A day that has been longed for, counted down to, and must be celebrated. It was the day that Blanche went to Nursery. {insert wild applause.}

Technically, she isn't "of age" until Wednesday, but I just could. not. take. it. anymore. We've been wandering the halls during church for months now. After dropping her off, I circled back to look through the peek-a-boo window. She was being held by her teacher with one fat tear lingering under her eye. I quickly ducked away and headed to class, all by myself.

I learned some things yesterday attending classes without a child in tow. For example, I didn't know we are studying the New Testament this year in Sunday school. News to me. I also had the chance to look around and discover there are a lot of new people to our ward that I don't know. But what I enjoyed most of all, was just sitting, listening, and taking it in.

When I picked up Blanche from nursery, her teacher told me she did great. I knew she would. She loves toys, and snacks, and tiny chairs. Nursery is the perfect place for her.

Tangled Party

2011-06-29T20:51:00.004-06:00

BG requested a Tangled party for her 5th birthday. She LOVED the movie and likes to play it often. When I first started thinking about a party, I had no idea what to do. Thanks to the Internet, I "came up" with lots of great ideas! These pictures are in no particular order (and blogger isn't working right to let me rearrange them).

We made these fun Pascal blowers. BG and I cut and glued them all together before the party and let the kids draw on their own eyes and mouths. It didn't take Blanche long to figure out how these worked and she loved them. Find the template here.

This is the cake I made for BG, obviously a tower. I totally cheated and used donuts stacked up on a wooden dowel. I don't have great cake making skills, so I took the easy way out. I didn't even bother to paint/color the roof, just left it a plain ice cream cone.
I did buy some frosting tips figuring once I had the tips, it wouldn't be too hard to decorate. I now have a greater appreciation for cake decorators. Not that I didn't' before, but even with those tips, making it look good takes practise (which I didn't do). I used a leaf tip to make "vines" growing up the tower. They looked more like green blobs. It's a good thing 5 year olds don't care.

One of our party activities was painting the walls. Since Rapunzel is locked in her tower, she takes to painting all the interior walls. I mixed up some washable paint (2 C water, 1/3 C cornstarch, food coloring), taped up butcher paper on the fence and gave the kids paint brushes. They had a great time. I did put aprons on all the kids just in case.
We also made necklaces, complete with a frying pan charm. This activity kept the girls attention the longest. It took some concentration to sting those beads.
We also played pin the frying pan on Flynn Rider. I got the Wanted poster here and the frying pan template here. We colored pictures, opened presents, and ate cupcakes. Again, I'm no cake decorator, but this is what I came up with. I was hoping the purple with yellow piping looked like her dress. I know, I'm pretty awesome to make zigzags on a cupcake and call it a dress. ;)
I made a long yarn braid to decorate the front door, but didn't take a picture. It looked kind of like this. Actually, that site gave me lots of the ideas I used for the party.

The girls had a great time and I survived hosting 6 5 year-olds. After cleaning up this party, we turned right around to start getting ready for the family party the next day.

Working Mom

2011-06-28T10:05:00.003-06:00

I'm a working mom. I have been fortunate to cut back my hours since having Blanche to 30 hours per week. I stay home every Wednesday and every other Friday. My job is flexible enough that I can adjust the days I work as needed. On top of the flexibility, the pay isn't bad either.

And yet, I'm not happy. I don't feel challenged in my work and feel like I'm missing out on my kids. I had considered writing a post about this when I ran across a friend who posted on the exact same topic. It made me feel better that I'm not the only working mom who feels this way.

I'm not saying being a stay at home mom is easy. It's not. And there are many days I am grateful for the reprieve that a job allows. But I feel torn. Just this morning, this was the thought process/conversation that was going on inside my head.

"That job at the state looks interesting. It's in an area that I'd like and it would be a step up professionally.
But I'd have to work full time and the state does 4 10s. Can I really get two kids up and out the door by 6:30 am? Plus it would be a longer commute.
I think I could do that.
Who am I kidding? I can barely get out the door by 8am; I am perpetually late.
Maybe I could hire a nanny. If we had a nanny that came to our house, I wouldn't have to worry about waking up the kids at all. I would just have to get myself up, which is a million times more manageable. Plus, I'd be making more so we could afford a nanny.
(Working the hours in my head) That would mean four days a week I would leave before my kids get up and get home just in time for bedtime. The whole point in cutting back my hours was to spend more time at home, with the kids. I'm able to do that now.
Maybe I should just stay at my job long enough for us to get completely out of debt then stay home. I could stay home for a few years, then go back.
How am I going to stay involved while I'm at home. I need to keep my skills up so I can actually get hired when I go back. How long should I stay home? Can we even afford for me to stay home?
I enjoy working. I like feeling like I'm contributing. I like proving that example to my girls, that moms can be productive members of society while still being a mom.
Maybe I should apply for that job at the state."

Round and round it goes. On paper, I have a great job. Pays well, flexible hours, but I'm not fulfilled professionally by it. If I changed jobs, I would have to go back to full time work, or take a pay cut. There just aren't many well paid part time jobs out there. Working full time means less time with the kids. It makes me wonder how many other women are this plight, or if they have figured out something I don't yet see. It wears me out just thinking about it.

Summer Sandwich

2011-06-22T10:35:00.000-06:00

Last night we had one of my favorite summer sandwiches. It is super yummy and pretty easy.

Egg Salad- you know, hard boiled eggs mixed with mayo and a little mustard
Bacon- because eggs and bacon are great friends
Cucumber slices
Fresh basil leaves

Stack all ingredients on some yummy bread and enjoy. The cucumbers give a nice crunch. The basil gives sweet freshness contrasted with the salty bacon. So yummy! Add a slice of melon and you have the perfect summer meal.

Phase 2: Painting

2011-06-20T08:59:00.000-06:00

Today we painted our room. It's Phase 2 of the great bedroom remodel. I painted and painted and painted some more. This is what I spend all day Saturday doing, and most of Friday. Our room went from this...

to this. Oh, and we slept in the bed and I didn't bother to make it since the rest of my room was a disaster.

And no, that's not done. In fact, that's just the primer. But you can see the blue tape. We did two-tone and will be adding chair rail. The top is a stormy blue and the bottom is white. I should have taken pictures, but I was so sick of painting and being in that room that I had to leave and rest my weary claw hand. Then it got dark and that's no good for pictures. So I'll post them soon. But I am so looking forward to a new look in our room.

Busy Busy

2011-06-14T09:28:00.004-06:00

June is always a crazy busy month for us. This year has been no exception. Here are a few other things we have been doing over the past few weeks and the reason my blog hasn't been updated.

Swim Lessons for BG
Chasing Blanche around the pool during swim lessons to make sure she doesn't jump in.
Dance lessons for BG.
Planning BG's birthday party.
Attending birthday parties (two so far, another this weekend)
Visiting with a new baby nephew.
Hiking
Planning Father's Day.
Father's Day dinner with JM's side. (Last Sunday)
Father's Day dinner with my side. (Next Sunday)
Prepping our master bedroom for paint and moulding.
Getting a new puppy.
Making Popsicles.
Planting flowers.
Growing a garden.

This is on top of work, housework, laundry, yardwork, summer playing... The list goes on and on. I have been taking pictures of many of these events, I just haven't had the time to sit down and upload them to my computer. Maybe someday soon I will and you can see all the crazy, fun we're having. Until then, happy summer!

Giving up Fear

2011-06-03T09:26:00.000-06:00

I'm been thinking a lot lately about why I do and don't do things. Questions like, "why is change so hard for me", "why haven't I gone to graduate school?" and "what should I be doing with my life/family right now?" These are deep questions that have given me much time to ponder on my reasons for the choices I make.

In all my deep pondering (much of which takes place in my car during my commute), I am coming to terms with the fact that I often let fear dictate my decisions, or lack thereof. I'm afraid of a change in our routine so I dismiss a new opportunity. I am unsure of the outcome of a change, so I resist making it. I'm paralyzed by the thought of choosing the "wrong" degree program so I haven't gone back to school. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that fear is a primary consideration in my decision making.

I'm coming to realize that I've got to let go of fear. Fear is getting in the way of opportunities in my life. Fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of mistakes. I'm trying to throw caution to the wind and do what I want, because I WANT to do it. If you know me, you know that I am a planner and don't do spontaneous very well, so this is an adjustment. I want to do things because they are right, not because they are comfortable.

Part of this paradigm shift has led us to getting a dog. It is also leading us to step out of our comfort zone on other things. It is helping me re-evaluate the why of my choices. My kids learn by example (whether I like it or not), and I don't want them to learn to simply take the path of least resistance in life. Being uncomfortable is the only way to grow.

Is there fear in your life holding you back? What have you done to conquer it?

Expanding the family

2011-05-24T09:31:00.000-06:00

The winner of the $30 Jessica's Gems gift certificate is Jessica G! Congrats! For eveyone else, remember the 50% off sale goes until May 31. Use code SRPING50.

Both the girls LOVE dogs. They will chase them down the street to pet one. JM has wanted to get a dog for a long time and I've been resistant. I've been working lately on not letting fear dictate my decision making (more on that later). This last week I decided that I was more afraid of the work of a dog than the benefits of one.

Once I was on board for a dog I really got puppy fever and started looking for dogs. We decided to go with a German Shepard. We visited a local litter and was really impressed with the parents and the puppies were so adorable (ok, what puppy isn't?). This is the little guy we picked out.

BG is thrilled to get a puppy. We haven't brought him home yet. He still needs his mommy, so we will pick him up in a few weeks. We are all pretty excited about it.

How can you not love this face?! We are still working on names. BG suggested Rainbow or Sprinkles, but I think we'll go with something else.

I may have freaked out a little after we got home, realizing that we had just purchased a sweet little puppy that will quickly grow into a BIG dog, but I'm doing better now. We are happy to add this boy to our family.

Funny story: While we were visiting the puppies Blanche was walking around. She wasn't quite sure what to think about the puppies. She loved them from a distance, but got nervous when they got too close. She was backing away from the dogs and fell right into the water dish and soaked herself. She was not too happy about her mid-morning bath in the dog's water. We took off her pants and that cheered her right up.

Room remodel: Part 1

2011-05-21T20:30:00.000-06:00

Looking for the jewelry giveaway? Click here.

We are remodeling our room. We started with the closet and love the way it turned out. We bought a new bed and got bedding a while back too. This is what our bed looked like for many, many years. In our entire married life, we have never had real bedding. We bought this white down comforter a few years ago to keep us toasty warm in the winter.

As much as I like the physical warmth, it wasn't doing much for me style-wise. After we got our new bed, I was pretty adamant that we get some real bedding to go on it. This is what I found and loved it. I wanted something with some natural lines, but nothing too "girly" since I do share the room with a man. Despite my best efforts, JM doesn't love it. He tolerates it, which is what makes him a great husband. He knows it's important to me, so he let me get what I wanted.

Real bedding! On a new bed! My mom is a quilter and suggested that a comforter will last longer if it's been properly quilted. Most of the time when you buy them from a store, they are only attached in a few spots with only a thread or two. Mine was no exception, the front was barely connected to the back. So I took it to a quilter who machine quilted the whole thing. Now it will last longer and not not fall apart after the first washing.

Next up on the list is paint and molding. We plan to do crown and chair rail and maybe even wains coating. We'll see how that goes. I'll keep you posted.

Sale plus giveaway

2011-05-19T10:44:00.012-06:00

Hi friends. Have I mentioned how I'm holding a huge jewelry sale on my Etsy shop? This isn't a rinky-dink 10% off sale. No, this is the real deal, 50% off. Half off! It's not often you can score that kind of deal. But now, through the May 31 you can get 50% off everything in my shop by using the code SPRING50 at checkout.

Have you seen some of the newest things I've posted in my shop? Here's just one beautiful example.
Some of the items in my shop are listed as SALE, but with the code SPRING50, you will get half off everything you purchase.

I'd love your help in getting the word out about my sale. To reward you, I'm giving away a $30 gift certificate to my Esty shop. I won't even make you jump through hoops to get it. Just comment on this post that you want to win. You can also get extra entries by spreading the word. There are four ways you can enter to win a $30 gift certificate. Leave a seperate comment for each one.

Comment here saying you want to win.
Blog about the sale.
Post on Facebook about the sale.
Tweet about the sale.

Please make sure your email address is enabled on your account or leave your email in your comment in order to win. Your gift certificate can be used in addition to the 50% off, making it really worth $60. Contest ends May 23 at Midnight MST. The winner will be announced on May 24.

As if you couldn't come up with your own reason to buy something sparkly, let me give you some more ideas. Graduation, Mother's Day (get what you really wanted), family pictures, the start of spring (or summer if you are lucky enough to be somewhere warm), days that end in Y. The list goes on and on! Happy shopping.

Sisters

2011-05-16T09:50:00.001-06:00

As Blanche gets older, more and more people are saying that she looks like BG. I just don't see it. Then again, their personalities are so different that it is hard to see any physical similarities. And I just don't think they even look much alike. For a while I've been thinking I need to compare pictures of them at the same age to see if they look alike. I finally pulled out pictures of BG so I could have an equal comparision at the same age. Here they both are on their first birthdays.

Aside from matching chubby cheeks (we grow them fat 'roung these parts) I still don't see it. What do you think?

A sale, a sale, a half off sale

2011-05-10T08:37:00.001-06:00

Remember how I held a fabulous jewelry trunk sale back in April? Well, several of you people who don't live within 5 miles of me asked if I was going to hold an online sale. So here it is!

Now through I'm not really sure yet, there is sale happening on my Etsy site. When you use the discount code of SPRING50 at checkout you will get 50% off your purchase. Half off!! That's like getting two pieces for the price of one (assuming they are the same starting price). NO matter how you slice it, it's a great deal. Since I haven't decided exactly how long this code will be good for, I suggest you shop early. I've added a bunch of new stuff to my shop and will keep adding more, so check back frequently. Here is just a sampling of what is there right now.

Pretty right? One of these pieces (or another one just as nice) can be yours. Pop on over to my Etsy shop and have a look. Don't forget to use the code SPRING50 for 50% off.

The Difference of a Decade

2011-05-07T09:24:00.001-06:00

Ten years ago I had just finished my freshman year of college. The world was mine for the taking and I was ready for an adventure. I had great summer plans to move across the country and live with some relatives. I had several job possibilities lined up and was ready for a change of scenery.

My Dad and I packed up his little truck and started the cross-country drive. The plan was that he would drive me out and fly home so I would have a car over the summer. We made it about half way to Virginia when the accident happened.

I had driven the early morning shift. About 8am we stopped for some breakfast, called my mom and trading driving. I climbed into the make-shift bed in the back of the truck and went to sleep.

I woke up screaming, the only time in my life I've done so. I smelled burning rubber and I could tell we weren't moving. I climbed over boxes to the small window to the cab. When I slid open the window my dad was lying across the bench seat on his back. When I asked him if he was ok, he said "I don't know". That was enough to send me into a full blown panic. My dad, my rock, wasn't sure if he was ok. How could I possibly be ok if he wasn't? I pieced together that we had been in a accident asked if it was our fault. Dad told me no.

I made my way to the back of truck and opened the gate to let myself out. There was a woman there with a cordless phone, and I recall thinking that was odd. We were out in the middle of nowhere and she had a cordless phone, not a cell phone. I finally felt the pain in my body, my neck was screaming and I sat down. The women with the phone came over and started asking my questions about myself. She started rubbing my back, I'm sure as a comfort measure, but I couldn't handle anyone touching me. I yelled at her to stop.

An ambulance appeared and the paramedics asked me where I hurt. When I told them my neck hurt, I was strapped to a backboard and loading into the ambulance. Even though I don't remember it, I'm sure I cried. While in the ambulance, I wiggled my toes. I knew if I could feel my toes, I wasn't paralyzed.

We arrived at the hospital where I was treated by a very cute doctor. There are blanks spots in my memory, but I remember the cute doctor! I was taken for X-rays, which was the most painful part of the whole experience. The tech had to position my body and neck in what felt like torturous contortions for the right picture. Finally a spot of good news came when we discovered nothing was broken.

Dad also was doing fine, nothing broken, although he had compressed the vertebrae in his back and was in pain. Once I got some painkillers, I felt much better. We discovered that we were in a little hospital in Boone County, Missouri. The accident was caused my an elderly woman who was in the next curtained area. We listened as the police interviewed her. She had cut-off a semi to make a rest stop, slammed on her brakes, and started spinning. Rather than try and correct, she took her hands off the wheel and her legally blind passenger tried to control the vehicle. While spinning, she ricocheted off the semi and forced us off the road. It's a miracle we all survived.

We called my mom around 10 am. She knew immediately something was wrong. We didn't have cell phones and we were only calling at rest stops. It was too soon for us to be at our next stop. We explained what happened. I'm sure she felt helpless being a thousand miles away while her husband and child were in pain.

We were stranded in Podunk, Missouri without a car. We spent most of the day in the hospital, because there was nowhere else to go. I spent a lot of time in the chapel because it was quiet. My neck was too sore to stand for very long. I must have been quite the sight. A 19 year old laying on the floor of the hospital chapel in a neck brace.

After some time and many phone calls we were picked up by a local LDS family. They were either relatives or friends of someone in our home ward. I don't remember their name or even what they looked like, but I'm so grateful for their charity. On a minute's notice, they gave us a place to sleep, helped us retrieve all our belongings from the truck and arranged for transportation home. I think they even mailed home the rest of my stuff after we flew home.

Sleeping was not easy in a neck brace. As much as I hated the brace, I needed it. My head was too heavy for my injured neck to hold for any length of time. I was anxious getting into a car and onto the freeway. We went to the tow yard to see the truck and collect our belongings. It was crushed. There was a huge indent in the front where we had hit a light pole. The grass was long at the accident site and our path was easy to see. We found part of the bumper on the other side of the rest stop lawn. A concrete stucture had been narrowly missed. We took pictures of everything.

Flying was painful. Dad asked me if I wanted to fly home or fly to VA. I knew I needed to recover so I gave up my summer adventure in lieu of the comfort of home.

I was in and out of physical therapy for the next two years. My neck is still not the same, but is much better these days. I'm humbled looking back now. Ten years ago I could/should have died. Instead, I got to finished college, get married, have two kids and live a wonderful life.

The Destroyer

2011-05-06T08:48:00.000-06:00

Blanche is adorable. She is 15-month bundle of energy. She is NOTHING like BG was at her age.

When BG was 15 months, she was not yet walking, not even crawling. If she wanted to get around, she scooted on her bottom. It was so cute to watch. She was a pretty mellow child, obedient, and happy. We never did much baby-proofing because BG didn't really get into things. If she opened a cabinet, I would tell her No, and she would find something else to do. It was that simple.

Blanche on the other hand, is the complete opposite. She has been walking for months, loves to run and get into any trouble she can find. She loves to climb and open cabinets. In the last week alone she has learned how to climb on top of the kitchen table, open the dishwasher and climb in, and push a stool over to the door, climb up and try to open it. I can't leave that child alone for any length of time without her cleaning out the drawers and putting half the contents in her mouth. She finds all of this incredible amusing.

She is giving BG ideas. Shortly after the table climbing incident, I turned around to see BG standing on the table. What!? She has never done this. I can tell already that Blanche is going to be a bad influence on her sister. She is intensely curious and smart. That can be a dangerous combination. She is sure going to keep us on our toes. It's a good thing she's cute!

It's a Baby Cage!

2011-05-05T08:32:00.001-06:00

Anyone out there a fan of Scrubs? Yeah, I know it's no longer on the air. But back in the day, we used to watch it all the time. There was a great episode where Carla is pregnant and having a baby shower at work. The Janitor gives her a dog crate and proudly proclaims "It's a baby cage! And a really good one too. Not like the one I had. This one has windows and everything." It's pretty funny.

Since pretty much everyone I'm related to is currently pregnant (ok, slight exaggeration), I've been working on baby shower gifts. These are the latest that I put together using my Silhouette.

We (meaning the Silhouette and I) did have a slight disagreement while working on this project that nearly resulted in a two-story fall from a window for one of us (it). However, I took a few steps back, waited a few days and tried again. The second time it worked much better. Just know that you should use the sticky carrier sheet when trying to cut freezer paper. It makes life much easier.

Ca-ute right? A green tie, blue boat, and orange helicopter. I'm thinking about writing "Fly Boy" under the helicopter, but we'll see if I have time before the shower. I like my Silhouette again, all if right with the world.

PS- If you happen to be the recipient of these adorable onsies, act surprised. :)

ABCs and Me

2011-04-22T15:39:00.005-06:00

Since I've been a terrible blogger lately, I thought I'd do this meme that I saw over at Jessica's. I've got nothing else going on, why not?

•A. Age: 29
•B. Bed size: Queen, and I wouldn't want to go any bigger!
•C. Chore you hate: I really hate mopping the floors.
•D. Dogs: Nope, but both the kidlets love dogs. JM really wants to get one too. We'll see what happens over the next year or two.
•E. Essential start to your day: Shower. Is that weird? I have never been one of those moms who says "I just haven't even had time to shower." I will shower. It's sanity for me.
•F. Favorite color: For what? Winter clothing- Olive green. Home decor- Orange as of late. Kids clothes- Pink
•G. Gold or silver: Silver. But I have grow to appreciate gold and wear it more often.
•H. Height: 5 feet 6 inches.
•I. Instruments you play: Piano, but only if chopsticks counts.
•J. Job title: Health Educator. Currently for cancer patients, their families and the community.
•K. Kids: Two. BG and Blanche.
•L. Live: Utah. We have been trying to get out for years, but this state sucks you in.
•M. Mom’s name: Same as Blanche's middle name.
•N. Nicknames: Jess. I'm usually the giver of nicknames, and don't claim many for myself.
•O. Overnight hospital stays: The only time I've ever stayed overnight at the hospital is to give birth, so twice.
•P. Pet peeve: Close talkers. When JM puts his used paper towel inside his cup.
•Q. Quote from a movie: "Squirrel!" The again, we did watch UP this weekend.
•R. Right or left handed: Right.
•S. Siblings: 2 brothers, one sister.
•T. Time you wake up: Early enough to shower before the kids wake up. Usually between 6:30 and 7:00.
•U. Underwear: Umm, yes?
•V. Vegetables you dislike: I like most veggies. I think veggies have a bad rap. Prepared properly, they are quite tasty!
•W. What makes you run late: My personality. It's my weakness, I am perpetually late, even with my clocks set ahead.
•X. X-Rays you’ve had: None recently. I broke my arm twice as a kid; I suppose I had X-rays then.
•Y. Yummy food you make: I'm getting better at cooking, but I'm still not brave enough to make things up myself. So following a recipe, I do pretty well. My favorite as of late is Our Best Bites.
•Z. Zoo- favorite animal: As a kid I really liked penquins. I'm amazed by all large animals- elepahnts, giraffees, etc.

You asked for it

2011-04-14T09:50:00.005-06:00

I held a jewelry sale a few weeks ago and it went very well. I had lots of friends and neighbors stop by and sold a lot. After posting the sale here and on Facebook, I had several people comment asking if I had anything available online. You are all so sweet! I really appreciate you wanting to help support my little business.

I figured I can't possibly let my adoring fans go without the fabulous jewelry creations you are craving. So, I am going to re-fill my Etsy shop and hold a sale there. I'm still working out the details and will need to take more pictures, but I will let you know when it's up and running. I did put a few things in my shop so you can go take a look to see what I make (if you haven't already). The discounts will be similar to what I had at my in-person sale, up to 75% off, so you can expect a screaming deal. Stay tuned for when the online sale will begin!

Friday is Sale Day!

2011-03-31T10:07:00.005-06:00

In case you didn't hear, I'm hosting a fabulous jewelry trunk sale. SALE! Am I the only one who gets excited by that word? I love me a good deal. I have marked down my inventory up to 75% off. Most pieces are 50% off, but everything is marked down. This isn't cheap, plastic, ugly jewelry either. I'm talking high quality, gorgeous stuff. I only use Swarovski crystal, sterling silver, pearls, and genuine gemstones. There will be plenty of beautiful jewelry like this.

Sigh. I love that huge Sapphire crystal. The facets catch the light and sparkle for days. Mix in a some yummy yellow Citrine and green Malachite to anchor and you have one gorgeous necklace.

And how about these?

It's so hard to pick a favorite (because I love them all), but these earrings are up there. I designed them for a friend who was a bridesmaid. We made hers with chocolate crystal to match her deep brown dress. I loved the design so much, I made another pair with deep olive crystal. They are paired with olive and gold colored pearls, all dangling from a gold filigree component. Swoon. I love green and gold together. They are such a perfect match.

And look at these. Black goes with everything. Paired with sterling silver, you can't go wrong. The slider box at the bottom make for some beautiful visual interest. You could wear these with jeans, or dress them up with something more fancy. Did I mention the fish hooks are sterling silver as well? Have you every bought a pair of inexpensive earrings that hurt to wear? That's because the metal is cheap and cheap metal irritates the skin. You won't have that problem with sterling silver (with the rare exception of an allergy).

Do you need a invitation emailed to you with all the details? Shoot me your email address and I'll happily send one your way. In addition to gorgeous jewelry, marked down to killer prices, I'll be running a special at the sale. Buy 3, get 1 FREE. That's right people, you can get free stuff. What's not to love? Bring a friend and split the order.

The sale is Friday, April 1 from 11am to 8pm at my house. I specifically wanted evening hours to accommodate working moms (I feel ya!). I really hope to see you there.

Friday Framents

2011-03-25T15:42:00.002-06:00

Have you tried Velveeta in lieu of cheese in Macaroni and Cheese lately? Don't. It's gross. My 4-year old even told me she didn't like and asked if she had to finish eating her dinner. I didn't make her.

***
Blanche is into EVERYTHING lately. She likes to open cabinets, drawers, pull things out, unroll toilet paper, and snatch anything within reach. It's exhausting.

***
It snowed today. That made me sad.

***
At dinner we like to talk about our days. It's pretty cute to have BG look at me and ask "Mom, how was your day?"

***
BG is still sucking her thumb at night. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get her to stop?

***
And last but not least, I'm having a jewelry trunk sale on April 1. I'm cleaning out my stash of (beautiful and lovingly handcrafted) jewelry at huge discounts. If you want to come, let me know and I'll send you an invite/details.

Closet Reveal

2011-03-23T09:03:00.001-06:00

We recently remodeled our closet. We did most of the work over a few weekends, including New Year's Eve. We took down the dreaded white wire shelving (I hate that stuff) and built custom shelving. This is the final, fabulous result.

Our closet started out like this. I forgot to take a picture before I took everything out, but you can imagine. It had plain white walls, white wire shelves with one rod. There was one shelf with blankets and boxes falling on top of each other. We had shoe organizers on the floor but they were never put away or organized well.

Our closet is actually pretty good sized, but with only one shelf all the way around, it was not a good use of space. Plus, have I mentioned how much I hate those wire racks. They are ugly and the shelves don't hold things properly because stuff falls through. Stupid wire shelves...

Anyway, after we pulled out the wire shelves we patched the walls since whoever installed the horrid wire shelves did a crappy job. Then I got to work painting. We picked out a bright apple green color. As I was putting on the first coat, I was REALLY nervous because it's was looking very 80's neon green. The second coat helped a lot, as did giving my eyes a break from the space.

JM custom built all the shelving. He worked numbers and layouts for days. He would figure and figure, then ask me if 12 shoe spots was enough. I would ask if we could fit anymore. He would go back, figure some more and come back and ask if 24 shoes spots was enough. I would ask for more and he would go figure some more. He ended up building these floor to ceiling shelves to accommodate shoes. We put two hanging rods on each side of the closet.

This is after both shoe columns were installed.

Next, we put up the shelves above hanging rods. They are much deeper than the old shelves, and hold so much more.

The middle section between the shoe columns has several shelves and cubbies to hold a variety of things. We painted all the shelves before assembling, which JM cursed afterwards. When it was all installed, that meant a little more sanding and touch ups on the paint. This was also a pain.

It looked a lot better after the touch ups. I was feeling better about the color, but it still felt pretty bright. I kept reminding myself that after all our clothes and other stuff was in, not much of the color would actually show through.

We painted the top shelves. Things are coming together nicely!

Finally! The time came to put all our stuff back into the closet. It was about time. We lived with our entire closet contents in our bedroom for two weeks. It was wearing on both of us. I actually had a real place to put my bags while not in use.

We found these great milk crates that fit perfectly in the cubbies we built. If you look close, they actually have a cute, but subtle, floral print. Love it!

We also put in these woven baskets on the narrow shelves to store our other stuff. All those things that need homes, but aren't pretty to look at. Things like bras and hosiery and belts.

The final result! This is my side of the closet. Two glorious hanging rods, hung at different levels so I can hang my shirts and dresses without them dragging on the floor. See all those shoes lined up so prettily? I love that. Luckily, since my shoes are smaller than JM's, I can fit three shoes per slot, which means I get to keep my large shoe collection. Hurray!

In case you were wondering, I really do color coordinated my clothes. It makes it easier to find what I want. The are organized by color, then sleeve length. You may also notice that most my clothes are solid colored. I'm pattern-phobic. I try, but I'm not great at patterns.

JM's side of the closet also has two rods, but at equal lengths. He gets the shoe cubbies at the top of both columns because he is much taller than me. I get the bottoms. Since he is such a nice guy, he gives me more than half of the shoe space.

Isn't it pretty!? We left a large opening at the bottom of the middle cubbie space for laundry baskets. Why is it in the pictures you see of beautiful closets, they never have laundry baskets? Is it because they are carefully concealed or do they just leave it out because it doesn't photograph well?

The other big change we did was take off the door. I was a little nervous about always having our closet exposed to our bedroom, but I love it. It makes the closet feel so much more open. Loving it! Let's do one last look at the before and after shots. Left, before, Right, after.

Bitty Leprechaun Lass

2011-03-19T20:18:00.004-06:00

I made shirts for the family for St. Patrick's Day. I used freezer paper and my Silhouette to cut the shamrocks. Then I bleached the designs into the shirts. I made one for each of the girls and one for JM, but he wouldn't let me take a picture of him.

Blanche burst into tears the minute I tried to take her picture, not sure why. So this is the best picture I could get of her.

Both of the girl's shirts say "Kiss Me, I'm Cute". BG loved her new shirt and was asking to wear it for days.

For dinner we didn't do anything Irish, but I did make rainbow pizza for dessert. After school BG was thrilled about Leprechauns. She learned all about them at school and was so excited to tell us all about it. They found a pot of "gold" and she was so excited about all of it. All night long she was looking for Leprechauns. One found it's way into our house and even colored our milk green at dinner!

Birthday Wishes

2011-03-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

Blanche is nearly 14 months old. I thought it was about time to post some birthday pictures.

She got a new birthday dress, which I thought was adorable. JM told me she looks like a little old lady. Admittedly, when she wears a cardigan with it, she does kind of look like a little old lady.

The cake was made by my sister-in-law. She made a cute little smash cake for Blanche too. Blanche wasn't so sure about it. She spent more time playing with the frosting than actually eating the cake. I think frosting in the hair is a sign of 1st birthday success.

She had a fun time ripping the wrapping paper. One of her gifts was a baby doll. It was so cute to see her grab the bottle and immediately try and feed her baby.

Happy Birthday Baby!

Old Friends

2011-03-01T16:15:00.003-07:00

When I say old friends, I mean people I have been friends with for a long time, not people who are old. Then again, none of us are getting any younger....

I went to lunch today with one of my oldest friends. I also haven't seen him in a several years. As it turns out, he is one of those friends that you can not see for years at a time and still have great, deep, thought-provoking conversations with. Love those kinds of friends. We had a great time. We talked about jobs, family, religion, and life. He is soon moving to Texas and making the rounds of his friends to say Hello and Goodbye before he leaves the state for good.

Mario and I met when we were 12. Yup, 6th grade people. I had a crush on him so I did what any 12 year-old girl would do- I started talking to his friend. We ended up all becoming friends and I have fond memories of hanging out at the The Pit. The Pit was basically a big dirt field where kids rode their bikes. It was thusly called because there was a large crater in the middle of the field. The Pit is now a condo complex.

We walked to school back in those days. On the way to school was Mike's single story rambler. One morning when my neighbor and I approached, Mario, Mike and Jesse were jumping off the roof and invited us to join them. So we did. We climbed up from the back of the house, walked over the pitch of the roof and jumped off, landing in the front yard. We did this until we had to leave to make the school bell.

Mario's mom didn't like me much. Funny thing, she didn't like a girl calling her 12-year old son, yet I did. As many mothers do, she viewed her son as perfectly sweet and innocent and thought I was a bad influence on him. I know this because she told me on the phone once "You are a bad influence on my son." I was always a little scared of her from then on.

Mario's family moved across town during Jr. High and we ended up at difference schools from them on. Yet, we remained in contact with each other. We each had our own circle of friends, but still maintained a close friendship. We both grew up, I went to college and he went on a mission. I wrote him and told him when I met, then married JM. He once wrote me a letter, while on his mission, telling me I put the "ass in class". JM and I still laugh about and quote it today.

We kind of lost touch after that. His phone number has always been in my contact list, but rarely used. We last got together when I was pregnant with BG, 5 years ago. But today, we reconnected. It was so much fun. It reminded me why we became friends in the first place. He is sweet and funny, thoughtful and deliberate. We have each walked our own paths, but still have much in common. It was great to see him again and share some of each other's lives.

PS- He is single. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll hook you up!

Zoo

2011-02-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was free day at the zoo (who knew?) so I took the kids with a friend. It was really nice weather (for Feb) and we had a great time. BG had so much fun running around, seeing the animals, and bossing her friends around.

At one point, they were both looking at the map and trying to decide where to go next. It was pretty cute to see them working together to plan out our route.

We went into the giraffe house. Blanche is old enough that she is really getting interested in seeing things. She loves to point and say "Dis, dis!" It's so amazing to watch her face as see sees and experiences something totally new for the first time.

We let the kids ride the carousel, which BG loved! When we go to the zoo on our own, we don't typically let her ride it because the line is always really long (and we're cheap). But since we got in free, I figured I could splurge for the $2 carousel ticket. Blanche loved watching the animals going around and around.

It was really fun time. It's been a while since we went to the zoo and $Free.99 is my favorite price. It was great to go with friends. BG loved having someone else to run around with.

Happy Me Day

2011-02-12T08:51:00.001-07:00

Today is my birthday. I am 29 (for the first time). Somehow, my hands look 80 with all the crazy dry weather.

Somewhere in the recent past, I have turned into my father because when BG asked me what I wanted to for my birthday, I told her "I want you to listen and obey." She laughed and said "No, mom. That's not a toy!" My Dad's standard answer to the What do you want question was "Good kids and a clean house."

My sweet husband arranged for a sitter tonight so we can go to dinner. Not having to find a sitter is such a great gift! I'm looking forward to a night out with JM. I think this is going to be a good year.

What's in My Closet?

2011-02-11T12:05:00.004-07:00

Remember how I design and make jewelry? If you don't it's because I haven't done anything in well over a year. I've been having this nagging thought lately that I need to get back into it. Now sure why, but my brain just won't let go of the idea.

So, I'm going to have a Sale Trunk Show. I have a bunch of product that has been sitting in my closet while I was pregnant, had a baby, and dealt with life with 2 kids. I'm finally feeling good about our routine (it only took a year) so it might be time to add some jewelry back in. Back to my stale inventory. I don't feel like I can sell it for full price because it's old, but it's still good quality. Luckily, jewelry doesn't have an expiration date. After a little polishing, it will be pretty, shiny, and good as new. And for those who come to my show- a great deal too!

This post wasn't really meant as a marketing pitch, more a rambling thought process. Yet somehow it turned into that. I don't have a date yet, but I'm thinking late March/early April to give me time to put everything together and maybe even whip up some new things. I'm excited to start creating again. I'll post more details on the show when I get them figured out. You are all invited to come.

Recurring Dreams

2011-02-07T16:37:00.005-07:00

You may have noticed, my blogging has really gone downhill lately. (If you haven't, you must not visit very often.) I'm feeling empty on the idea-front. Although I do like to use this as a journal of sorts (hence the kidlet posts) I also have a need to please. I figure if I can't provide something funny, thought-provoking, or interesting in some way, there's no sense in posting. Besides, who really wants to read about my boring day-to-day antics?

Having said all that, I've had several friends lately pick up blogging again after taking a break. I figure it they can do it, so can I. So here's a post for you loyal readers (are you still there?)

I have a recurring dream. I don't recall how long I've had this particular dream, but it pops up every so often. In my dream, I'm back in high school. Only I'm my current, late 20's self being forced to attend high school again. I keep thinking to myself "How can I not have a HS diploma, I have a college degree!?" Yet, there I am to fulfill the requirements of high school. I wander around the halls cringing at the cliques, drama, and all other things high school related. I feel my maturity compared to the other students. Then I wake up and thank the Lord that I don't have to go to high school again.

BG-isms at 4

2011-01-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, BG informed me that she wanted a dog. I told her to ask her father, which she did when he got home. He told her that if she was really good for a few weeks, we would start discussing it. WHAT!? Obviously we were not on the same page with this one.

Later she told me she wanted a unicorn. I asked if she would rather have a dog or a unicorn and she chose the unicorn. To get back at JM, I told her she could have a unicorn, but would have to talk Dad into buying it for her. She got really excited and started telling me all about where her unicorn was going to live and eat and all the things they would do together, including walking on a rainbow (obviously). I felt a bit guilty - perhaps I have taken things too far? When JM got home and heard her request for a mythical creature, he told her they can only be purchased in France, but aren't allowed on airlines.

***
BG is really into mermaids right now. She really, REALLY wants to be a mermaid. She keeps telling me that I need to take her to a "special doctor" to give her a mermaid tail. I'm not sure she understand what kind of surgery that would entail, nonetheless, she is insistent. I try to tell her she can be a pretend mermaid anytime, but she insists on being a REAL mermaid.

JM told her that she can't be a mermaid because she hasn't had mermaid lessons. Now she is fixated on getting the lessons. I told her that she would have to take swim lessons and not be scared of putting her face in the water if she wants to be a mermaid. So now we're looking at swim lessons.

***
BG loves family hugs. Anytime she sees JM and I hug, she yells "Family hug!" and runs to join in.

***
She likes to pretend to get married. She asks me to be the boy and marry her. We hold hands and spin in a circle. She has asked on numerous occasions that I find a boy for her to marry when she grows up. Somehow I don't think she will be so into my opinion on that later in life.

Baby's First Birthday

2011-01-14T13:51:00.002-07:00

One year ago today, I was given my second daughter. She was born at 12:52 pm after only 4.5 hours of labor. It's hard to believe a whole year has gone by since she joined our family. In an effort to remember what is going on in Blanche's life right now, here is a list.

Likes
Food: Bananas, Mandarin oranges, blueberry pancakes, carrots, pears
Her sister - She will squeal when BG comes into the room.
Balls - She loves banging them together.
Shape sorter - She can push them shapes through the holes but gets frustrated that she can't put them in the correct spot yet.
Being upside down
Combs - holding them, not in her hair
Eating off the floor
Playing Peek-a-boo
Sucking on her blankey. It helps her go to sleep.
Baths

Dislikes
When mom takes away things
Being put down
Poopy diapers
Washing her face, especially goopy eyes
When BG takes toys away
Having bows or flowers in her hair

Skills
Self feeding and throwing food on the floor
Crawling, standing, cruising on furniture
Squawking, really loud
Putting objects into other objects
Pushing down on levers
Signing "All Done"
Pulling out hair accessories

Cold

2011-01-06T13:52:00.003-07:00

I hate this time of year. I hate feeling frozen all the time. I hate the biting wind and the thick smog in the air. I hate that Christmas is over and I have nothing to look forward to amidst the dreary winter. I have no motivation to do anything. I just want to sit by a fire, while wearing a coat, under a blanket, drinking a hot beverage.

Stupid winter.

Christmas

2010-12-29T21:14:00.004-07:00

We had a lovely Christmas weekend. It was relaxed and low-key, just the way I was hoping. On Christmas Eve, we had a big Turkey dinner at home and read the Christmas story in Luke. The girls opened jammies and a Christmas book. We set out cookies for Santa and BG rushed to bed so she would be asleep before Santa arrived.

We slept in on Christmas morning (so nice!). By the time we got Dad out of bed, we opened gifts and had tasty Baked French Toast for breakfast. Blanche went down for a nap and we got ready for the day. When Blanche woke up we headed to my parents. They were very generous and BG was thrilled to get Barbies. On Sunday, we had a family party with JM's side. It was great to see everyone and they were generous with gifts. BG got a trunk of dresses with jewelry and accessories. She has been wearing them all week.

We brought home our gifts from my parents in a large box. Today BG was playing in the box and pretending it was a spaceship. She told me that I had a choice about where to go in the spaceship- either space or outer space.

And just because you really need some pictures, here's what our Christmas morning looked like.

Christmas Baking

2010-12-15T11:14:00.003-07:00

About this time of year I really, REALLY start drooling over all the delicious Christmas cookie/ candy/treat recipes that are circulating. Since I haven't done my neighbor gifts, I think those recipes work well for giving away. This is also about the time that my idea of not giving unhealthy sugary gifts goes right out the window.

This year JM is doing a workout/diet program. And you can imagine, it doesn't include vast amounts of sugar or chocolate (boring!). That leaves me a bit stuck. Do I support his efforts and give up my love of Christmas calories? Do I make it away and just give it away? Or should I make it all and binge until I've made myself sick (then repeat night after night). So far, this is what's on the list of things I'm aching to make.

Peppermint Bark
Peanut Brittle
Fudge (although I've never had it turn out right)
Caramel popcorn
Anything that includes Peppermint extract

I could go on and on, and I'm not even looking! What's your favorite holiday goodie? I obviously need to add more to my list. If you are my neighbor, feel free to weigh in on your treat of choice from our family.

Thinking about Calm

2010-12-06T09:36:00.003-07:00

There is a strange calm this year around Christmas for me. My decorations are up, the tree has been trimmed, 90% of the gifts have been purchased and wrapped. My Christmas Cards are sitting on the table waiting for stamps. Our calendar is not too full (yet) and my blog background reads "holiday". How did I get so on top of things this year? We have even gone to see the lights.

It's also been interesting watching Blanche, as this is her first Christmas. Yet, it doesn't feel that way. She isn't a tiny baby is awe over the lights. Instead she is a mobile, nearly-toddler, snatching ornaments and shoving everything in her mouth as quick as she can. It almost feels like she is getting cheated out of her first Christmas, because she doesn't feel like a baby. She feels old enough to have one of these holiday seasons under her fat little belt. But, I suppose she is nearly 11 months old. She was born a mere few weeks after Christmas last year. It's unlikely Grandma will get the traditional picture of her on her back, under the tree playing with ornaments. Instead, she will flip over, pull up and gnaw on the branches.

I'm tempted to add more things to fill up the time, the season. Maybe I should be baking, or decorating. Maybe we should be shopping or partying. Yet, I'm enjoying the calm. Maybe, just once, I'll sit back and enjoy the season, rather than stress and let it overwhelm me.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-11-27T20:05:00.002-07:00

I've been slacking on the blogging lately, but we've been busy. This week has been especially eventful, so I thought I'd post about it.

Seeing as how this was a holiday week, I got to take two extra days off work (because the girls were sick). We got to get out and about (to the doctor's office) in our time off. We whipped up a cheese ball for the Thanksgiving feast. On Thursday, we lounged around most of the day (because I was sick) and enjoyed a big meal (brought to us by a kind in-law). I did some Black Friday shopping (online since I had to work). I got some good deals (Saturday, after everything had been picked through) and bought a fresh turkey on sale. We went for a nice drive (to the doctor again) and nearly got admitted to an exclusive facility (the hospital). Blanche has been upbeat (despite moderate dehydration) and really putting her diapers to good use (with excessive diarrhea). We got to watch our team beat their biggest rival (by one point) and settle back for a cozy evening. So all in all, a great holiday week.

All sarcasm aside, we do have much to be thankful for. Right now I'm especially thankful for (typically) good health, health insurance, medication to help illness, and providers who are open during the holidays in addition to the many other blessings we have.

Vacation by the Numbers

2010-11-15T11:58:00.003-07:00

Days on vacation: 9
Days home from vacation: 1

Average temperature on vacation: 75
Average temperature at home: 40

Heating on vacation: Not needed
Heating at home: Broken

Beaches on vacation: 4
Beaches at home: 0

Number of times cooking on vacation: 0
Number of times cooking at home: I have to do what?!

Servers & staff on vacation: 1500
Servers & staff at home: 0

Days in a swimsuit on vacation: 5
Days in a swimsuit at home: 0

Numbers of shows on vacation: 4
Number of shows at home: 0

Kids on vacation: 0
Kids at home: 2

Halloween

2010-11-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

We dressed up both of the girls, but due to the rain, only BG went trick-or-treating. She was Jessie the cowgirl. Blanche was the cow. I thought they were adorable, but I might be slightly biased.

Check out those perfect eyelashes. Where did she get those?!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

My sister visited this month and we took the kids to a pumpkin patch, which included a corn maze. We had lots of fun and we even made it out. There were lots of these cutouts. The kids loved them.

Finally made it out of the maze!

It was pretty hard to get all the kids looking at the camera and smiling at the same time.

Blanche spent most of the time napping, but she did wake up at the end for a few pumpkin pictures.

Friday Fragments: Halloween Edition

2010-10-29T08:52:00.002-06:00

I have sad news to report on my candy corn wreath. Apparently, even with an insulating layer of modpodge, it was no match for the weather. We have had several big rainstorms and my wreath dripped down the front door into a pile of sucrose on the porch. I am too sad to post photographic evidence. RIP little wreath, RIP.

*****
We have three Halloween parties to attend this weekend. BG is excited to dress up as Jesse (from Toystory). I made the mistake of mentioning using red hair spray/dye on her hair before deciding against it. This morning she was literally in tears over not buying it. I'm worried that it won't come out of her blond hair - yes I'm that vain over my 4 year-old's hair.

*****
Ever have one of those rushed mornings where you finally get out the door when you realise you have forgotten something? I had one of those days this week - I forgot to put on deodorant. Sorry office mates!

*****
My parents grew GIANT pumpkins in their garden this year. Seriously. Hundreds of pounds pumpkins. I stopped by this week to pick one up. I managed to get it from the garden, around the front of the house (up huge hills) before being bested by the beast. I couldn't get it into my trunk. IE I couldn't physically lift it into the car - I think it would have fit. So I left it on their front porch instead and took two smaller ones.

*****
If anyone smashes my pumpkins this year, I will be very upset.

Family Pictures

2010-10-21T08:46:00.000-06:00

We got some family pictures taken a few weeks ago and I just got around to looking at the CD. Yes, life is crazy. I'm really happy with how they turned out! Here's just a few of the ones I like. The hard part comes when I have to narrow it down to one to hang on the wall. Suggestions?

Profile Pic

2010-10-19T08:33:00.000-06:00

I must apologize to my readers out there who have been faithfully coming even though "Mystery Man" has been my profile picture since the beginning. I have finally joined the masses and added a picture for you all to enjoy. So... enjoy!

Curly Curly

2010-10-18T08:23:00.000-06:00

Blanche has some curl in her hair. I've been a bit excited about try to style her hair curly since both my and BG's hair is stick straight. Neither of our hair holds curl very well without excessive amounts of effort and product.

I wet down Blanche's hair and added some mouse and it stayed cute and curly for quite a while.

So fun!

Candy Corn Wreath

2010-10-14T08:38:00.000-06:00

Many of you know about my love of candy corn. I'm pretty much addicted and I buy a large supply early in the season - usually when the stores first start selling them.

I've seen around the blogosphere many crafters making wreaths out of my favorite fall sweet and I knew I needed one too. So, I busted out my stash (I did buy more just to be safe), the hot glue gun and some modpodge and set to work.

I didn't bother making a tutorial because there are several already out there. But, in case you haven't seen them, here is the short version.

Dry out candy corn by leaving out for several days.
Assemble supplies: candy corn, floral wreath, black duct tape, hot glue, modpodge.
Wrap wreath in duct tape (kind of optional, but I did it).
Glue candy corn on as desired. I put them on the inside and outside of my wreath also.
Modpodge everything. I did this to ensure I can re-use for many years without worrying about bugs.
Tie on black ribbon and hang!

I LOVE it! Can I leave it up all year long?

Halloween Topiary

2010-10-12T08:06:00.003-06:00

I mentioned that I have been crafting. I am so excited to show what I did! I have a topiary that sits by my front door - pretty much year-round. I had been looking at it wondering what I could do to make it a bit more festive for the season. I also wanted to decorate my porch a bit. After thinking for awhile, genius struck. I was so excited! This is what I started with. (Sorry the pictures is crappy.)

I used scrapbook paper and modpodge to cover the top two balls on the topiary. It was incredibly messy and took a while since the surface wasn't flat. I really hope that modpodge is water-soluble (like someone told me) since I would like my topiary back at the end of this process. After I finally got the surface paper attached, I used more paper for a pumpkin face and cardboard for the bat wings. This is a mid-craft shot.

An the final product....

Ta Daaaa!!

I used white fabric for the ghost and ironed on the face. I love the way it turned out.

Do you think the scrapbook paper and modpodge will come off? I'm a little nervous about it now.

Linking to:

Mama's Kat Writer's Workshop

Bits and Pieces

2010-10-05T12:04:00.003-06:00

I'm not feeling the blogging mo-jo lately. My brain has shifted from thinking in blog posts to thinking in facebook posts. And facebook posts are really short and don't justify an entire blog post. Apparently I'm not good at managing two types of social media at one time. In an effort to update, here are a few things going on our our house.

Blanche is getting really good at crawling. She loves to stand up and regularly pulls herself to standing now. She is even able to stand on her own for a few seconds at a time. We had to lower her crib mattress because she now stands up in the morning. She loves eating shoes and I'm constantly pulling them away from her. Maybe I should get in the habit of putting my shoes away instead of kicking them off wherever.

BG wants to be a princess for Halloween. At one point, she wanted to be a cowgirl and she insisted on cowgirl boots when we bought new shoes at the store. I bought Blanche a cow costume and think it would adorable to have a cowgirl and a cow for Halloween. When I showed BG, she screamed "NO!! I want to be a PRINCESS!" At least she knows what she wants.

We are taking family pictures this weekend. I'm really excited because it's been two years since we've done them. I've shopped and we all have matching outfits. I hope the girls cooperate and they go well.

Last weekend I did some serious crafting. I took a few before pictures and am excited for the afters. The projects are not quite done yet, but I will post when they are! One of my projects was a candy corn wreath, which I love! I need to stop at the fabric store to finish up the other.

We have decided to buckle down and get serious about paying off our debt. I am reading the Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsy and trying really hard to get excited about it. I love the idea of not having payments, but that means no more incidental spending. I'm sure once I get in the habit, it won't be a big deal, but I'm a little sad to let it go.

What's going on in your world?

Flu Shots

2010-09-30T14:06:00.002-06:00

There has been a lot of controversy lately about flu shots, who should get them and if they should be mandatory for health care workers. I fall into the last category; I work at a hospital. While I don't often interact directly with patients, when I do, they are usually immuno-compromised individuals.

My hospital just started it's employee & volunteer flu shot campaign. They do one every year. Where I work (as is the case for most hospitals) a flu shot is not mandatory. It is elective for employees whether they get one or not. However, if you elect not to get the flu shot, you have to sign a waiver (less common among hospitals, from what I understand). Basically, all employees are required to either get a flu shot of sign a waiver. Those who sign the waiver do so with an understanding that if a breakout occurs, they may be asked to give up working hours or wear a mask to protect patients.

I think this is a good policy. It addresses the agency of each employee but also accounts for the health of patients in the event of a severe situation. Most hospitals have employee vaccination rates around 50%. My hospital system is around 80%. I know the critics out there will still be saying that employees without the vaccine are still caring for patients, which is true. But we also have a much higher rate of immunization.

Despite my fear of needles, I got my flu shot today. I will be getting them for my girls when they are available at their pediatrician's office. The CDC is saying there won't be a shortage of vaccine like there was last year. I haven't been a big believer in flu shots, but I think the benefit outweighs the risk.

I'm Falling in Love

2010-09-20T14:26:00.004-06:00

I get stuck in clothing tangents. And by tangents I mean I'm a marketer's dream and fall in love with anything they dangle in front of me. My personal style is whatever is currently on sale (because I'm cheap on top of being impressionable).

I have noticed that I can get stuck on a color story. In high school, 95% of my wardrobe was either black, white, red or some combination. My mom made me a sewing kit when I left for college. It included 4 spools of thread and she had a hard time deciding on a 4th since everything I owned was one of the previously mentioned 3 colors. She finally decided on grey. I didn't own a stitch of pink until well into college. When I recently took inventory of my clothing, I discovered that I no longer own ANYTHING red - so I immediately went out a bought a red shirt supporting my alma mater.

I know I'm not the only one. I recall a friend in high school who went through a charcoal grey and pink phase. Most of what she bought (or made, in this case) was one of those colors.

Now I'm at it again. A large percentage of the last few things I've bought for my wardrobe have been charcoal. I'm loving it. I'm drawn to it. It goes with everything! It calls to me. Is there a color that you are loving right now?

On another clothing note, do you know how difficult it is to find red clothing for little girls? I would think it would pretty easy, especially this time of year with all the fall colors out. It's not. And since I'm a kind wife, I'm not going to make JM wear pink for family pictures, despite the availability.

Guess who's 8 months old

2010-09-14T20:46:00.001-06:00

Today Blanche is 8 months old. To mark the occasion she decided to start crawling forward under her own power.

She is typically such a sweet, happy baby. Mornings are her best time where she will just sit and play for hours. She loves her exosaucer, and thinks jumping in it is the greatest thing ever. She still loves her sister and will light up in a big grin or even laugh when BG walks into the room.

She has recently discovered that blowing spit bubbles is lots of fun and often does it when she is concentrating really hard. She has a bit of spitfire in her personality and when she doesn't like something, she is quick to let you know. Late afternoon and evenings are a hard time and she will scream at the top of her lungs if I'm not holding her. The second I pick her up, it stops.

Blanche is a pro at rolling now and loves to do it mid-diaper change. I usually have to roll her back several times to get the job done. The bath is one of her favorite places and splashing is heavenly for her. She is eating like a champ and will eat two containers of baby food (4 oz) plus a bottle for meals. I haven't found anything yet that she refuses to eat, but she wasn't thrilled with avocado.

She is great about going to bed. Mostly, I just wrap her up in her crib and she falls asleep on her own. She sleeps all night, then wakes up between 6:30 and 7:00 am. I'm not sure where she gets the early bird genes from, but it's not me.

Now that she has started crawling, I think life is going to change. It has been nice to not have to worry (too much) about her as long as she was happy. I need to go through the house and baby proof. Blanche has been such a joy in our family. We love you little Chunkers!

But I'm still putting in the hours!

2010-09-13T13:45:00.003-06:00

I'm irritated today for several reasons. One of them involves a know-it-all co-worker (of sorts). The other one involves my HR rep (payroll actually, but I feel like lumping them all together). I'm channeling my inner Michael Scott.

See, I only work 3/4 time. I have set days for working but have been given the green light to switch my days as needed. I decided not to work on Labor Day (since no one else was) and instead work a different day within the pay period. Payroll is now telling me I have to take my very limited PTO for the hours on Labor Day or take it unpaid. My manager is on vacation this week so she can't back me up. Stupid payroll. Stupid unintelligible policies. Stupid job. Can I go home yet?

Yard Planning

2010-09-07T08:38:00.001-06:00

Last night we were enjoying dinner on the deck. We were discussing plans for the backyard and asked BG what she wanted for the back yard. She said "I think I want a dog, and another baby, and a swing set." I guess we won't be asking her opinion on interior decorating anytime soon.

First day of preschool

2010-09-05T14:58:00.005-06:00

I know I'm late in posting this, but at least I'm finally getting around to it.

BG started preschool a few weeks ago. She loves that she gets to pack and bring her own lunch. She is such a big kid! She was anxious to get off to school and wasn't too cooperative for pictures. She also picked out her own outfit and did a great job getting ready. She picks out her clothes most days and usually doesn't need any adjusting. Then again, I'm the kind of mom who is ok letting her express herself by choosing her clothes.

I didn't get any pictures of her at school because she ran into her classroom and never looked back. I guess it's a good thing that she loves school already. She has a cubby for her lunch bag and a hook for her bag.

Her school gives all the kids their own bag, so we didn't buy her a backpack. When she found out it is just a bag, she cried because she wanted a backpack.

I'm impressed with what she has learned already. She tells me that they work on their manners by saying Please, Thank You, and May I. She is much more vocal about the letters that she knows and will point them out. She can also count to 20 now (mostly, she misses a few of the teens, but it's different ones every time. I figure that means she knows them, just forgets them sometimes.) She loves to talk about her teachers and friends. She traces her name everyday and loves to show off her artwork. I'm so glad we decided to put her in preschool this year. I know she'll do great.

Baptism

2010-08-28T09:25:00.000-06:00

I took the girls to CA to see their cousin get baptised. First, I must say that I am so proud of myself to flying alone with two kids to another state. We even had a layover! Both girls did great on the airplane, much to my relief (and I'm sure all the other passengers). I packed lots of snacks and activities and ended up not even needing most of them.

I was so glad that we were able to be there for Gavin's baptism. He sang a primary song with his dad and did such a great job. It's crazy to think that he is eight years old! A few days before our trip I was telling BG we were going to see her cousin get baptised. She asked if he was getting baptised in the temple and I explained that we only do baptisms in the temple for those people who have already died. She looked at me and said "When I get dead, I will get bath-tized in the temple."

What a good looking family! Gavin looks so sharp in his pin-stripped suit.

This is the whole group that was there for the baptism. It took much ice cream bribery to get all the kids to stand still long enough for a few pictures.

Pool Party

2010-08-27T14:12:00.003-06:00

Last weekend we went to California for my nephew's baptism. While we were there, we also went to a birthday party, spend time with family, and spend lots of time in the pool.

I was a little nervous about BG in the water. Mostly because the few times we have gone swimming this summer she has been terrified and refused to let go of JM the whole time. My sister borrowed a life jacket for her to wear and it made a huge difference. She had a great time with her cousins.

Blanche enjoyed some time in the sun and LOVES the pool. She was so happy splashing away in the water.

It was so nice to have a pool to jump in when it got hot during the day.

Wishing it was November

2010-08-17T09:56:00.002-06:00

In November we are taking a Caribbean cruise.
Without the kids.
It will be fabulous.

Is it November yet?

This has been a test. Had this been an actual emergency, I would have been freaking out.

2010-08-12T08:59:00.003-06:00

I am a *bit of a hypochondriac. When I first started working for the MS Society, I was sure I had MS. When that passed, I was sure JM had MS. I no longer think either. I'm not allowed to go on Web MD unless it is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, I end up with a disease rap sheet sheet as long as Mel Gibson's voice mail rantings.

However, of all the possible diseases or health problems out there, one of my top fears is stroke. I'm terrified of the idea of losing the ability to communicate while still having my mental faculties. (Anyone see that show where the woman has a stroke, can't talk, and they are about to take her off life support because they think she's brain-dead? Freaked me out.) So now, anytime I have an acute pain in my head, I fear stroke. Unless I'm drinking a Slurpee, I figure stroke is the only possible explanation for a brain freeze. Time is critical in the treatment of stoke, so I quiz JM on the signs so he will be ready should it happen. Let's all review together the signs of a stroke shall we?

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one of both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

If you aren't sure if they are exhibiting these symptoms, you can try one, or both of these tests.

Ask them to smile at you. If only one side of their mouth turns upward, it could be a stroke.
Ask them to close their eyes and hold both arms straight in front of them. If one arm drifts down or to the side, it could be a stroke.

It you or someone around you (like me) is exhibiting these symptoms, you should call 911 immediately. Make sure you know the time they first started; again, timing is critical for effective treatment.

This PSA has been brought to you by my own neuroses.

*JM would argue that "bit" is the understatement of the century.

Productive Day

2010-08-07T14:21:00.002-06:00

Today has been oddly productive. Not that I'm not always working on something, but Saturdays have been pretty lazy the last few weeks. Here's what I've already accomplished today.

Picked up my Bountiful Basket
Weeded the herb garden
Made these cucumbers for a BBQ tonight.
Made homemade Focaccia bread
Fed my family lunch
Cleaned the kitchen
Showered

I know, right?! Now I'm thinking I'll chop up some veggies for the freezer. Who knows where this burst of motivation has come from. I just know I'd better take advantage before it goes away.

Friday Fragments

2010-07-30T09:10:00.003-06:00

Blanche is now the proud owner of not one, but two teeth. Center bottom.

Can you see them? They are still pretty small nubs, but they are there.

*****
BG has hit a defiant phase. We have our morning power struggle over something, typically small. She ends up sitting on time out before we have a chat about listening and obeying. After spending all this time on time out, she has learned something. I'm just not sure it's what I was hoping for. After playing with her baby, I found her here. In the corner, on time out.

*****
BG can't say the letter S very well. She has started to notice that we can't understand her when a word starts with S. In an effort to enunciate, her requests sound like this "Mom, can I have a tthhhhh - nack?" or "When are we going to the tttthhhhhh - tore?"

*****
I'm trying to find a preschool for BG for this fall. Thus far, I haven't found one that 1-works with my schedule 2-Falls in my price range and 3-I feel comfortable with. Still searching.

*****
I feel a little dirty admitting this, but I like Facebook. In fact, I really like it. I'm getting to know my neighbors so much better (who knew?). I'm not sure why I resisted for so long, but I really like it now.

Summer Bounty

2010-07-28T13:06:00.003-06:00

Have you heard of Bountiful Baskets yet? If not, you need to look into them! The are a food co-op in the Western US. You purchase a basket online on Monday and pick it up somewhere in your community on Saturday. You never know exactly what will be in your basket, but you always get 6 fruits and 6 veggies. This is what I got last week.

Look at all that goodness! Corn, watermelon, grapes, peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, bananas, plums, pineapple, lettuce, and brocciflower. Whew! We usually can't eat everything in one week, so we only buy every other week.

The buyers buy local as much as possible. If they do buy from Mexico, they go to small farmers, which I like. I have been impressed with their quality, variety, quantity, and certainly price! You get all this for $15. It's really a deal. You are going to spend double that at the grocery store for all that you get. Even better, they just opened up a pick-up location in my neighborhood. Now I just mosey down the street with my stroller to get my produce. Love it!

*I am not being compensated in any way for this post. I am an actually happy customer trying to spread the love. Check their website to see if there is a site near you. If there isn't a site near you contact them about starting one.

Dear Walmart,

2010-07-23T09:21:00.000-06:00

I'm sure you've noticed that I've been mad at you. I have refused to shop your aisles for the past few weeks. I guess I shouldn't just leave without an explanation. Really, it comes down to this; I hate that you are reorganizing your layout. I hate that I can't find anything and that I don't know where to find my needed products. I hate that you are trying to position your store to look and feel like Target. I like Target, but come on. Own your space and be proud that you are Walmart.

Even though I've refused to visit, I can't stop thinking about you. I went to another store, but gasped when I saw the receipt. It's hard to ignore the hard numbers. My budget is missing you. And so, I've come back. It appears most of the musical aisles has settled down. There was even a nice woman who offered me a map of your new layout.

I'm not entirely over our spat, but I'm willing to give you another chance.

Until next week-
Jessica

Swimming

2010-07-21T09:01:00.000-06:00

BG loves the inflatable pool we got for her birthday. We don't keep it inflated all the time because we don't want to kill the grass. It takes about 30 minutes to get it blown up using the air compressor. BG has such a great time playing, I wanted to get a shots of her playing in the pool.

Look Who's Sitting

2010-07-18T09:06:00.001-06:00

Just in the last week or so Blanche has started sitting up on her own. I am loving it! It is so nice to put her down with a toy and not have to worry (too much) about her falling over. She plays so well with toys and keeps herself entertained.

She doesn't particularly like sitting in the grass. It's prickly and kind of itchy. She makes great disgusted faces (none of which I could get on camera).

I really liked the angle of this shot. I was trying to be at least slightly more artistic.

The Dark Side

2010-07-09T08:35:00.001-06:00

I have succumb. I resisted the evil as long as humanly possible. Even with family and friends pressuring me, I resisted. But alas, no more. I have turned to the dark side and joined Facebook.

Holiday Weekend

2010-07-06T08:29:00.002-06:00

We had a busy weekend! On Saturday we slept in (as much as you can with an infant and a 4 year old), then puttered around the house most of the day. I braved a trip to Costco on a Saturday, on a holiday weekend. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be - thankfully!

We knew the fireworks would be that night but I didn't really want BG staying up that late. So I told her to go to bed and that I would wake her up before the fireworks started. About 9:30 I went upstairs to get something and her bedroom door was open. I found her in my room, peering through the blinds watching the neighborhood fireworks across the street. So I let her get up and come downstairs. We got out the sparklers and let her play with those while we waited for the big show.

We live a mile down the road from a firework display so we get to just sit in the driveway to watch. We pulled the deck furniture around and watched the show. BG did really well this year. I think it's the first year she actually enjoyed them. Usually, they scare her. Blanche slept through the whole thing.

Sunday was a pretty low-key, average Sunday. Church, etc. We grilled and ate out on the deck.

Monday morning, my dad picked up JM and BG and took them flying in his plane. Mom and I stayed home and got some scrapbooking done. We all had lunch then the kids got naps. I got some more scrapbooking done while JM dozed. When everyone woke up we decided to head over to the city pool.

Poor BG didn't like the pool very much. She clung to JM the whole time and wouldn't let go. After we got out, she kept insisting that we had to go back because she "didn't wim on mine own yet." We need to go to the pool more regularly to get her used to the water. Blanche, on the other hand, had a great time. She loved watching all the other kids. They even had a little bitty-kid part of the pool with infant swing things. She had a fun time swinging/bouncing in those.

After we got home, we grilled again for dinner on the deck. It's so nice to eat outside! After baths and jammies, it was off to bed. All in all, a very nice holiday weekend. How was yours?

Through the years

2010-06-26T09:24:00.003-06:00

I love when people post birthday pictures of their kids through the years. It's fun to see how much they have grown. I have never done so because my photos have never been all in one place where I can access them.

I spend the last two days rearranging our digital photos onto the external hard drive. I organized everything by year then into seasons or events. Now I can finally, quickly find a picture of BG when she was born. Oh look! There's one from the hospital.

Or maybe one when she's a little older - 6 months and just learned how to sit up on her own. Bammo! Christmas pictures.

1st birthday? It was a big to-do complete with burnt fingers and her confused by cake.

By 2 she had the party and cake thing down. She was loving being the center of attention, the camera, and all things sugary.

At three she felt so grown up. I had a hard time believing my pudgy baby was gone.

Here we are at four I am still in shock that she has grown up so much. She is turning into a little lady! My how the time flies.
Being able to find my pictures is also nice when people ask me, does Blanche look like BG did? Since I (obviously) don't remember, I can pull up a picture of Blanche and compare it to BG's from the same(ish) age. Nope, they really don't look the same, unless you just mean the cheeks. Those match.

Blanche (top) & BG (bottom) - four months old

BGs 2nd party

2010-06-25T15:14:00.003-06:00

Like I said in my earlier post, we had two parties for BG. The second was a family party which includes a BBQ. There were plenty of presents and BG loved posing for the many cameras.

I made this tutu for BG and she loved it. She also got a leotard with attached skirt for her dance class.

Since summer finally arrived, we bought an inflatable for BG. She was really excited about it. She also got goggles to go with it.

In keeping with the pink theme, we had strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting. It was pretty tasty. I was mostly proud of myself for baking a cake and frosting from scratch.

Happy birthday BG! We love you!

It Made My Day

2010-06-22T10:11:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I picked up my dry cleaning, paid for it, and took it to my car. I didn't think much of it until something caught my eye as I was putting the clothes in the trunk. I picked up the top bag the contained one item.

Upon further inspection, I discovered that one item was a sock. A single sock. That got dry cleaned. Who dry cleans their socks? Who only does one? I laughed all the way home.

* We did not intentionally send a single sock to the cleaners. It got mixed in with the wrong basket. I can only imagine what the cleaners thought when they saw it! For those who are curious, it costs $.50 to dry clean a single sock.

Party Time!

2010-06-21T07:59:00.000-06:00

BG's birthday is on Tuesday. We celebrated on Saturday, and now she thinks she's 4. (I figure it's a minor technicality so I don't correct her.) It's hard to believe that only four years ago she was a tiny little thing in my arms. JM and I left the hospital feeling surreal and almost didn't believe they would let us take home a newborn.

Here we are (nearly) four years later with a grown up little girl. No longer a baby and not even a toddler. She is assertive, sweet, loud, and a joy to be around. This year was the first year we had a friend party and it was a lot of fun. We invited 8 kids but only 3 were able to come. It turned out to be a good number for a 1st friend party (for me and her!).

She wanted her hair curly for her party so we put it it rollers the night before. I always have to take pictures since it has fallen out by the end of the day or more often, after nap.

We had a Pinkalicious party and it was lots of fun. First, we decorated crowns while until all the party guests arrived.

Then we read the book Pinkalicious to get everyone excited about pink. After, we went outside to decorate pink cupcakes. Everyone got a pink apron with a cupcake on it. We ate our pink cupcakes with pink sorbet.
After cupcakes and ice cream, we opened presents. This was a favorite part for BG (obviously). All in all, it was a really fun party.
After all our party guest left, we cleaned up, and had lunch. Then I send BG to her room for a nap, so I could get ready for the second party of the day - the family BBQ party.

Capitol Punishment

2010-06-18T09:18:00.003-06:00

I woke up this morning thinking about Ronnie Lee Gardner, a man I didn't know existed until about a week ago. He was executed shortly after midnight for a murder he committed over 25 years ago in Utah.

For some reason, this news story has had an impact on me. It might be the documentary I heard this week on NPR about the life of an executioner. It talked to prison officials, guards, and clergy who have been involved in executions in Texas. It brought a very personal element to the practice of capitol punishment. It made me look at this issue from their perspective - talking to the condemned, walking with them, praying with them. It gave a glimpse into the life of the condemned in their last days as they face their own mortality.

This week I have spent time reflecting on my feelings about capitol punishment. Truly, I'm ambivalent. I believe in justice, accountability, and owning up to your choices. I also believe in mercy, that people who desire, can change. I believe in second chances.

But do those who have committed the most horrendous of crimes deserve mercy? Do those who take another life deserve anything other than swift justice? I believe that God should be the only one to take life. Sadly, some use their agency to make that decision for God. In those cases, it is just to say "An eye for an eye!" or should we leave that choice & judgement in the hands of God? I'm just not sure.

Gardner was executed by firing squad, which I think is kind of barbaric. I think lethal injection is the more humane way, but that could just be my personal aversion to guns. I suppose that I think the ending of a life should be a solemn (IE quiet) event. A loud gun shot contradicts that notion. Apparently he was given options for how he wanted to be executed, and he choose by firing squad.

Are you ever considered the psychological toll it must be for those marksmen? I hope our system offers them counseling or some other means to cope. What are your thoughts? Is this a cut and dry issue to you or are you, like me, ambivalent?

Tasty Toes and more

2010-06-17T16:51:00.003-06:00

Blanche likes to eat her own toes. It's adorable. She thinks they are especially delicious during diaper changes. Sometimes I have to pinch the back of her thighs to get her to put her feet down to secure a new diaper.

***
BG talks to Blanche like I do, but it's so funny coming out of her mouth. She will get right up close to her and say "Hey there cutie little miss!" in a high pitched voice. Blanche loves it and will smile a gummy grin.

***
Blanche has a unilateral mullet. Meaning, she has one really long lock of hair in the back. But it's not centered, it's off the the left side. The perfectionist in me wants to cut it and even it out, but the mommy thinks it's cute and doesn't.

***
I'm not a reader. If I don't finish a book within a week, it's not going to happen. Case in point, I started reading Valley Boy several months ago. Tom Perkins reminds me of my husband. I have yet to finish it. Then I won a copy of When Did I Get Like This?. I started reading it and really enjoyed it. It is funny and a true reflection of motherhood. That was several weeks ago and I have yet to finish it. Both these books are sitting on the sidetable but my interest has waned.

Anatomy Lesson

2010-06-12T16:14:00.003-06:00

While I was cleaning my bathrooms this weekend, I got to thinking about anatomy. It reminded me of a question a fellow blogger asked recently "Why can't the male species aim?"

I must preface this by saying, JM is a very clean guy. I don't have much to complain about and he does have good aim. But I remember growing up when I shared a bathroom with my older brother & sister. It was nasty. My sister and I would fight over who had to clean the toilet because neither of us wanted to do it. We usually made my brother clean it, under the logic that he was the one with the bad aim making it dirty in the first place. (He has since grown up and I hope for his wife's sake, learned to aim. We haven't shared a bathroom since he was 14.)

All this got me thinking, would this be an issue if our anatomy were reversed? While (most) women tend to be more clean than men, if we were the ones taking aim, would our bathrooms be cleaner? Or is the fun of holding a hose that creates the problem, no matter whose hands its in?

Deep thoughts.

Things Worth Remembering

2010-06-10T08:26:00.002-06:00

As a parent, I like to think I will remember all the sweet moments that happen with my children. Sadly, as the days quickly march forward, my memory fades. Unless I make the time to write them down, I fear they will be gone before I know it. Here are a few of those moments I want to remember about Blanche.

She is getting really good at rolling. She loves to roll from her back to her tummy. She often gets stuck on her belly, with her arms and legs flailing. Then she spits up on the carpet.
When I undress Blanche for the night, I use my right arm to hold her head while I pull her onsie off. She will grab my arm and hold it with my hand under her head and gaze and me. It's a personal little snuggle every night.
Blanche thinks it's hilarious when BG dances. BG will jump and down and Blanche will laugh and laugh.
After I feed Blanche for the last time at night and wrap her up, she will often gaze up at me with her big blue eyes looking so content. Her fat, fleshy cheeks are irresistible and I have to kiss on them.

Bowling

2010-06-07T08:49:00.000-06:00

We went bowling as a family a few months ago and I just found the pictures when I was cleaning out my photo card. BG had a great time. I have a bowling app on my iPod that she loves playing. She is surprisingly good at the app version of bowling. She was so excited to go bowling for real.

Picking up her ball all by herself.

A high five from dad after a frame.

Concentrating hard on the frame.

Mom helping with a frame.

Nightstand Make-over

2010-06-05T20:47:00.004-06:00

When we did the great room switch last fall, I had a vision in mind for BG's room. I painted her toddler bed and we bought a dresser. We painted her room and it was looking good. I wanted to get a nightstand table to go next to her bed. I found this one at DI and decided to buy it to paint.

I sanded it and got it primed. Then it sat all winter. Sometimes it takes me a while to get around to finishing projects. I finally got it painted on Memorial Day. This weekend I went to Home Depot to get a knob for the drawer. I got it all put together and up in BG's room.

Ta Da!! I took apart fake flowers to make the petals on the knob. We added them to her dresser also. I like the way it turned out. It's not a super high quality nightstand, but I figure that's ok for kid furniture. This piece of furniture is a good step in the right direction of getting all the toys off the floor.

Dress Up

2010-06-03T08:59:00.001-06:00

Over the weekend, I left BG to play while I took a shower. She is usually good to play on her own long enough for me to shower and get ready. On this particular morning she did not play well on her own. I got out of the shower and found this.

Does this remind anyone else of a scary circus clown? No? Just me then.

Anyway, my first reaction was to freak out and punish her. Something in my head told me to stop and take a picture before I cleaned her up. So we took some pictures, cleaned her up, then she spent a long time on time out. It did kind of make me laugh. I knew it was only a matter of time before she got into my make up. I guess this was the day.

The Garden

2010-06-01T08:47:00.000-06:00

We planted our garden a few weeks ago. I am so excited to have fresh veggies from the garden. This year, we also put in a garden box since our soil is pretty much solid clay. We built it up and filled it with fresh soil. Our garden went from this...

To this!

Ok, so you really can't see any difference (except for my one tomato plant). But I'm hoping a few months from now it will be bursting with corn, carrots, squash, and beans. I anxiously check for new little sprouts on a regular basis.

Astute Observations

2010-05-27T09:10:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, while we were sitting outside Costco waiting to be rescued, BG was saying hello to everyone as they walked in. An older man wearing a cowboy hat walked by and BG piped up.

BG: Hi! Are you a cowboy?
Man: I am! How did you know?
BG: Cowboys ride horses and ponies.
Man: Yep, I bet you could tell by my hat.

It was pretty cute exchange and I was grateful that the man was kind about it. I'm not looking forward to the day when she blurts our equally obvious, but less socially correct observations such as "That man is fat." or "Why does s/he look that way?"

My genius is overwhelming

2010-05-26T16:40:00.003-06:00

Have you ever put your purse in the trunk while loading groceries?

Then closed the trunk? With your keys, phone, and wallet safely locked inside.

I did today.

Awesome.

*Thanks Mom for coming to rescue us!