Naughty and Nice

Taking the girls out to breakfast for stuffed cinnamon french toast at Kneaders = NICE
The words I was thinking when I smacked my head on the table while reaching down for a dropped binky = NAUGHTY
Fixing the girls some delicious, healthy tacos for dinner = NICE
Feeding myself a half gallon of peppermint ice cream and a bag of cinnamon bears for dinner = NAUGHTY
Whipped up a batch of homemade caramels to give to my neighbors = NICE
Decided to eat half the batch instead of giving them to neighbors = NAUGHTY
The girls behavior while attempting to get some oh so sweet pics of them in their Sunday Christmas dresses = NAUGHTY
The next ten minutes of peace I'll be getting while the girls are in time out = VERY NICE

I Miss Blogging

I really do. It's a relaxing outlet for me. I just feel like lately I've been in a blogging rut. The writing juices just haven't been flowing. Whenever I've logged onto my blog to write a post, I end up staring at the computer screen with no outcome. But I feel the need to update, so here's a quick catch-up:

We visited Santa at the mall. It's the first year Emily's dared talk to him. While sitting on his knee, she requested binoculars and a gun. I got quite the look from Santa, and I was just as surprised as he was at my 4 year old's plea for a firearm.

Claire is crawling all over and into everything. And she loves to bath.

Lately Emily has been afraid of turning into a black person. ??? Don't ask, I have no idea. She repeatedly declares that she doesn't want her skin to turn "chocolatey". She has also commented on the African American cashier at Target, saying to her, "I'm looking at your chocolate skin..." Oh, dear. I promise we are not a racist family.

We are all missing outdoor time and park outings. I've forgotten how creative we have to get with things to do inside the house to keep busy and entertained.

We turned off our cable (I have issues with Comcast). This means I no longer hear the sound of sports announcers coming out of the television. Sweet bliss.

I am very tired of hearing myself "SHHHHHH" at my oldest two when Claire is sleeping. They are loud.

Katelyn has a couple of admirers in her kindergarten class. While I think it's cute, Eric may be starting to get a few gray hairs over it.

Every morning the girls look for "silver dust" by the fireplace. Silver dust is a sign that Jingle the elf bear has come during the night and is hiding somewhere in the house with a surprise. Katelyn and Emily love looking for Jingle. I think it's more fun for me than it is for them.

Male Blindness

I swear that all men are born with it. I don't know how many times as a child that I remember my mom asking my dad to get something for her (like from the storage room, while she was cooking in the kitchen), only to have my dad return from a thorough search to declare that there was no more of *item*. Mom would then make a trip to the storage room and return triumphantly 15 seconds later with *item* that we were apparently out of. All the time.

Today we were getting ready for a little getaway with the girls and I asked Eric if he remembered to pack the ipad for the car. He wandered around the house for 10 minutes, unable to locate the device. I then did my duty as a woman with working eyeballs and stepped in to help. (A bit put out from having just packed every other possible trip item by myself.) "Under the couch?" I suggested, as I walked into the living room.

"I already looked there!" Eric called from the next room.

"That means absolutely nothing," I muttered.

"What'd ya say?"

"Nothing!" I called back.

I shoved my head down to the carpet to peer under the sofa, and immediately spotted the vanished ipad.

I made a bit of a show of toting it out to the car. The look on Eric's face was priceless. "Where did you find that?" He asked.

"Where do you think?" I smirked.

What I like to think was a look of awe and admiration swept over his face. "But I lifted UP the entire couch and didn't see it!" He exclaimed.

About a dozen smart aleck remarks ran through my brain, all of which I restrained from speaking. I mustn't boast my super phenomenal power, that being that I am a woman/mother who is the only one in my household with the ability to SEE and FIND stuff. Sort of like that whistle that only dogs can hear.

So This Is Me

Emily made a comment to me the other day that really helped put my self image into perspective.

"Oh, mom," she said, in very patronizing tone. "You're not a real woman. You're just a mom."

Such is my life.

She's Royalty

Emily got to dress up as a princess to go to her friend's birthday party. Oh boy, she felt so very fancy!







I don't know what the deal is with my text and pictures getting scrunched together. Here are the 3 stinker sisters together. Claire has obviously been welcomed into their club. And Emily pulled my boots out of my closet and thought they'd be a good look for playing computer games on the bed.

Something New and Exciting...

Eric's new website... I must say it looks awesome.

Click here. to check it out.

Call Me Pathetic

While getting supplies at Zurcher's party store, two teenage boys walked up beside me and began sifting through the balloon bins. It took very little time for me to detect that they were on a quest to woo young ladies into going to a high school dance.

"Okay dude, help me think of all the letters I need balloons for," one said to the other.

His buddy put on his thinking cap. "Well, you need one for H... O..., M..." the boy trailed off. Then silence. The two of them stared at each other vaguely.

"E ?" I suggested.

"Oh yeah, thanks," said one. Counting slowly with his fingers, he went on. "Then you'll need a C... O... M...." More silence. Their eyes shifted blankly at the air.

"I," I urged.

They smiled gratefully and and were able to piece together the final letters N and G on their own. Well done.

"Grab ten balloons," said one. "Then I can get them to Kristy's house." My keen senses led me to the conclusion that Kristy was going to be the recipient of the Homecoming dance proposal.

I couldn't resist. "I heard that she's going to say 'no' if you asked her," I said casually.

The two boys turned and looked at me with mixed expressions of shock and concern.

"Really?" said the kid.

I shrugged my shoulders. "That's what I heard."

The two boys looked questioningly at one another, and hesitated to select any more balloons from the bins. I hadn't actually planned on them believing me, but for some reason they seemed to put stock in my gossip. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that I initially came across as an all-knowing genius. After all, a woman who knows how to spell the word "Homecoming" must be extremely intelligent.

I'm not quite so mean that I would let this go too far. Of course I set the record straight that I was only joking, and the boy with the Kristy crush breathed a sigh of relief. As I exited the store, I shook my head and told myself I need more adult interaction. Messing with high schooler's heads should not be this amusing to me.

Par-Tay

My big girl is now six! To celebrate, we had a Strawberry Shortcake bash and invited some girlies over to party hardy. (You could say that I "suggested" the Strawberry Shortcake theme, since I am such a big fan.) Luckily, Katelyn is too. Here's a few pictures from the event.




Birthday Girl


Lil Sis of the Birthday Girl


The Favors- Hair bows on a candy stick


The Project- The party guests made these necklaces


The Decor- Tissue pom poms


And the goodies- Cupcakes, of course.

Happy Birthday, Miss K! But I forbid you from having more birthdays. You need to stop growing.

Ready Or Not...

Here she goes! Miss K is ready to take on the world of kindy-garten! Is her mother ready? Yes, you could say that I am. Little Radar is old for her age. She's been at home with us for a good stretch. While she and Emily are joint at the hip, and she is a big help with Claire, it is just time to move on to bigger and better things. That's not to say that I'm 100% jumping for joy. While I'm not experiencing much separation anxiety (kindergarten is only 2 hours and 45 minutes long- no big deal), my apprehension is more related to what kinds of things she'll pick up on at school. (I worked in public schools before I had Katelyn, and I heard some pretty rude and crude things spout out of kindergarten mouths.)

I don't remember much from my own kindergarten years. I mean, YEAR. I really didn't have to repeat kindergarten. Promise. I remember one girl taunted me for wearing the same outfit 3 days in a row (it was my fave- a rockin purple jumper.) I recall a toe-head boy named Seth, who would sneak over and whisper naughty words in my ear during graham cracker and milk time. There was a red-headed girl named Anna, who periodically wet her pants. There was Mark, who constantly had his finger up his nose, and who also wanted to be my boyfriend. (Just my luck to attract the nose miner.) I went to great lengths to keep my distance from Mark. I would creep into the classroom early to make sure that my teacher had not put my chair next to Mark's. If she had, I would relocate my seat, preferably next to my crush, Bevin. I even attempted to deter Mark's pursuit of me by writing him a direct letter, expressing my feelings. My exact words were:

"Dear Mark, I hope you move away so I don't have to be by you." No mixed signals there, right?

There was an outdoor bathroom, which kindergarteners had been forbidden to go. We were told by the third graders that someone's hand had been cut off in that bathroom, and that it was still there. On show and tell day, I had forgotten to bring an object beginning with the letter J. So I ran down the hallway and found my big brother Jake's classroom, pulled him out of class and drug him down to my kindergarten room. He was less than pleased to be used as my show-and-tell for Letter J Day, especially when I shared with the class that Jake and I had sleepovers together sometimes, because he was afraid of the dark.

And then there was the student teacher named Ms. Henderson, who wore too much eye shadow. Did I say I don't remember much about my kindergarten year? I take that back. Anyway, now that I have made this post all about me, here's to wishing Katelyn a great year of kindergarten!

The Lingerie Department

When we were last in Logan, I had to make a trip to Cache Valley Mall to purchase a foundation garment. (Or as you less eloquent folk might call it, a bra.) Trust me, there are about a hundred other things that I would rather shop for. I had Katelyn in tow, but I figured the trip would be quick and that she could stand a few minutes in the lingerie department. I knew exactly what I was looking for, but was having a hard time locating it. To make our way to the back wall, Katelyn and I wove in and out of aisles of animal print underwear and skimpy nighties. It didn't take me long to decide that I may have made a mistake by allowing her to accompany me. I noticed her glancing wide eyed at a table filled with bright, lacy undies, and contemplating a neglige clad mannequin. I tried to make haste.

After a minute of me sifting through a rack of unmentionables, Katelyn pipes up, "Hey Mom, what's this for?"

I turned around to find that Katelyn had put her arms through the leg holes of a polka thong, and had it hanging around her shoulders.

"Umm, why don't you come with me into the dressing room?" I suggested.

She followed me into a room, filled with hangers of enormous brasiers that one could easily use to float the River Kwai. Little Radar took notice of the oversized garments. Then, shifting her eyes back to the two items I had brought in, she shrugged her shoulders and stated, "Well, I guess you wear a small size." She was smiling at me.

I sighed. "In any other department, that would be a good thing," I mumbled.

I made my boring purchase, wishing I could have rather spent the money the fabulous handbag I'd spotted across the hallway. Then again, the adventure with Katelyn might have been well worth the expense.

My First Prom

I went stag. Joe Campbell, a late dear friend of our family, used to take pictures for the high school dances. When I was 8 years old, he and his wife, Debbie, invited me to go with them to the Mountain Crest prom while Joe took snapshots of the couples. I was thrilled. I remember being in awe at all of the fancy dresses and hairdos. I remember snickering at couples who were smooching while they waited in line to be photographed. But most of all, I remember very much looking forward to seeing a particular high school male. (I guess you could say I've always had a thing for older men.)

We'll call him Tom. I thought Tom was the most handsome fellow in my ward. I wanted to look my best for him. Such an occasion called for a slathering of strawberry Lipsmackers and my most ravishing outfit. Every girl knows the way to a man's heart is through white laced knee socks. Joe snapped this picture of me looking most alluring. As you gaze at this photo, I believe the words you are looking for are "timeless elegance".

I decided to sneak into the gymnasium to try to catch a glimpse of Tom. I spotted him across the dance floor with his date. Okay, I STARED at him for quite some time. It was almost more than my 8-year-old jealous heart could take. Some of Tom's friends noticed me stalking him and pointed him in my direction. Tom smiled and walked towards me with his date. A slow song started, and Tom asked me for a dance. I tried to decline his offer out of embarrassment, but he insisted, and my yearning for romance won over. Tom was quite tall, so he got down on his knees, took my hands, and twirled me on the floor for a minute or two. I don't remember exactly what was going through my mind. There is probably a good chance I was telling myself that his date was no match for my charm.

What a magical night. No girl ever forgets her first prom.

And Now There Are 3...

For the last 6 months or so, I've had a vague sense that I have 3 children. Time to get some photos to acknowledge this. The girls had a photo shoot last night at the Lion House. My cousin, the VERY TALENTED Kelly Brown, was kind enough to spend an evening with us taking these pics. Kelly is amazing photographer, crafter, sewer, scrap booker, florist, etc.... There is nothing she can't do. You can see her creative segments on Studio 5, and check out her website simplykellyb.blogspot.com Thanks, Kell!
Enjoy these updated photos of our Sweet Trio!

Some Days Are Like That

Ever had one of those days where...

-You wake up plotting the death of the birds outside your window
-You feel about as attractive as the Geico caveman
-Your daughters unravel ALL of your crafting ribbon (I know- my fault for leaving it out)
-One of them eats Cool Whip out of the container for breakfast
-You roll over her foot with the grocery cart at Target and she screams
-You question how much of a fight you'd put up if a kidnapper attempted to abduct your child
-It's gorgeous weather and you can't get your kids to play outside (except when it begins to rain and then they're mad that they can't go outside.) Go figure
-Your baby is constipated and therefor fussy (for her)
-You lose count of how many spills you've cleaned up
-You forfeit the day's umpteenth clothing battle and let your 3 year old dawdle around naked
-You barely muster up the motivation to make dinner, which is Top Ramen, which the 3 year old eats in front of the television. Naked.
-While feeding your baby, your 3 year old runs out the door to greet her daddy. Still naked.
-Your daughters 'reorganize' all of your shoes and jewelry all over your bedroom floor.
- You cry out, "I can't have ANYTHING the way I want it!"
-All you want to do is lock yourself in the bathroom and inhale chocolate.
-You succumb to the above and lock yourself in the bathroom to inhale chocolate.

-Then you tuck your girls in bed, they tell you they love you and that you're the best mom ever. And you can't decide if that twinge in your stomach is from sheer guilt or from all that chocolate. Thankfully children are so forgiving.



Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Today...

We took the girls to stroll around temple square after church. Katelyn said she wanted to get married in the Salt Lake temple. Emily agreed. They walked hand in hand and decided they were going to marry each other someday. Eric and I tried to explain that they'd marry nice young men instead.

"Okay," said Katelyn. "I'm gonna marry Grandpa."

"And I'm gonna marry Uncle Jake!" Emily chirped.

(Insert explanation that we don't live in Arkansas, and that they can't marry someone in their family.)

Our lesson didn't seem to take, as the girls continued to suggest other uncles they might tie the knot with. Looking back, I might have done well to ask the wandering sister missionaries to assist in the discussion.


But don't they make a lovely couple?








Our three peas in a pod.

Aaaand, we're back!

Something went haywire with my blogging account a couple of weeks ago, and I've not been able to post since then. Much worse, I haven't had access to internet. I know, life is so hard. It's pretty sad that internet has become as vital as food and water. I feel like a lot has happened lately. Here is just a quick update of the past couple of weeks:


We went to a Bees game. More importantly, we got cotton candy. And everyone was happy.


Put flowers on my Gramps grave. We sure miss him!


Emily, cousin Bayla, and Katelyn had some fun hanging out.


Claire still can't get a moment's peace without being mauled. The girls sure love their baby sis!


My big girl Katelyn graduated from preschool! Her teacher was fabulous, and I'm really going to miss having Katelyn go to her school.