Ty and Sierra

Christmas Letter

2011-12-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Our family is grateful this year for the little things in life: pancakes on Saturday morning. A bubble bath. That Christmas Village puzzle from Ty’s Mom’s things. When we pay attention, we see goodness and life all around us.

Anne is two this month and so entertaining. When she first learned to talk she inserted a click in place of every k. So quack became, qua-click, and milk, mil-click. My sources tell me that Africans use the click in just this way! She’s a funny one and loves to tease, so one of the first sentences she learned was “gonna, gonna, get you!” We laugh with her every day.

After a close call with a cashew last month, Annie discovered the word “itchy.” Ty discovered the American Fork ER location as well(apparently it’s hard to find in a panic), and learned to say the words, “WAKE UP” loud enough to get some immediate medical attention after the nurse told him politely to “please be seated.” We had to say good-bye to Nutella and peanut butter at the house, but we’re so glad that Anne is safe. She kind of makes our day, so we want to keep her around.

I asked Maddie, who’s four this year, what she wanted for Christmas, and she told me solemnly: “My greatest wish is to watch Barbie and the Three Musketeers and to get an x-ray.” I told her x-rays cost too much because you have to break something first, although that’s a real possibility. She loves her gymnastics class so much that she’s always jumping and flipping off the furniture while I frown disapprovingly. She still believes she’s invincible, (and hopefully she stays that way).

Maddie starts Kindergarten next year, and she’s uber excited. She’s a small fry with a big soul, so I’m not worried for her. I know she’ll mother all those bigger kids who cry the first day and help them get adjusted. I don’t know where I’m going to find a uniform in a size 3T, but I’m pretty excited for her too.

As for my oldest, Alli is turning 8 in January and ready to be baptized! We were able to get her into a wonderful charter school called Renaissance Academy this fall, and she’s loving every minute. She’s done lots of crafts, from a Trojan horse hiding plastic army guys to a Japanese sand garden with a fork for a rake. I can’t wait to see what she comes home with next.

Alli is reading some fun books these days, and sometimes I can’t wait for my turn to read her
book. She talked me into reading Fablehaven with her and now it’s a race to see who finishes first. I read pretty fast, but she’s tough competition!

This Thanksgiving we had a really fun surprise with my cooking website. A neighbor pinned the chocolate chip cookie recipe on pinterest, and it was repined thousands of times. Our website hits soured into the tens of thousands. My friend Ashley and I are so excited to see what we can do in the coming year to build the site. That means a lot more trial recipes for my poor family. One night I made something new and Alli calmly pushed away her plate, saying, “It just tastes kind of like throw-up Mom.” My toughest critics are at home…

Ty, who’s one class away from his Masters, takes the fitness award this year. He ran 5 half-marathons in five months (he even did one in 1:23 minutes) and is training hard to run the Utah Valley Marathon in under 3:00 hours next June so he can qualify for the Boston Marathon. He’s so fast that he outran a rattlesnake on the trail up Provo Canyon this summer. He nearly stepped on it and lived to tell! The rest of us couldn’t outrun a turtle, so we’re very proud.

In June I tried to keep up with Ty by running Ragnar, a two day 12 man relay from Logan to Park City covering over a hundred miles. It sounds pretty grand but I had one of the easiest legs and still ran the slowest. Oh well, I had fun. (There is no Boston qualifying in my future.)

Until next year, thanks to all our family and friends for your love and support. We send our love to all of you and wish you a merry Christmas!

Love,
The Hansens

Sleepovers Beware

2011-02-16T09:10:00.000-08:00

Last night I received quite a shock when I heard that the parents of the 5 Browns, Keith and Lisa Brown were in the hospital. It appears that they tried to commit suicide by driving their car off a cliff on the night of Valentine's Day. Apparently, earlier this month, Keith Brown was accused of two counts of FELONY child abuse dated from 1990 and 1997.

Let me see, 1990... I was 10 years old...That would be the very same year that Keith Brown was my PRIMARY TEACHER in Houston! That would be the same exact year that I used to SLEEP OVER at his house!

The whole idea of this is giving me the creeps big time. I'm doing a full body convulsion right this minute. Now, bear with me while I take a trip down memory lane... Keith Brown. He was the best primary teacher I ever had. He took a group of disrespectful, unruly 10 year olds hiding saucily behind chair forts at the beginning of class to the most well-mannered children all eagerly awaiting a turn to say the prayer. I can still remember the inspiring speech he gave us about the opportunity to pray. I cannot even count the number of times I have shared this touching moment to illustrate one point or another. Now it seems that there were other methods in play that I was unaware of...

Then our most beloved teacher was called into the BISHOPRIC, and we got a new teacher. But there were still the sleepovers with his daughters to look forward to... Oh. My. Gosh. Good thing I had my trusty guardian angels with me.

This just further emphasizes the point that you just never know about people, so it's better to let your kids sleep at home. That's right, no sleepovers in my family. I don't care how godly, there is no man alive that is going to have my kids sleeping at his house.

What a shame. I feel like another hero has been shot down, and I don't know how many men are left standing to take his place. I am really bummed about this.

The Masquerade Ball

2011-02-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

Not just paper faces on parade, but little carefree girls dressed in feather boas, huge fake rubys, and masquerade masks they made themselves. This is what life is about: dancing like mad around the living room with all your friends to the sounds of Kidz Bop.
Then it was on to the fancy dinner on black-tie paper plates, complete with pizza and jell-o. That's about as fancy as my kids get. Even though I would have loved to make a picture perfect Martha-Stewart style kid meal, I knew it was a waste of my time. At least they had the plates...

The masquerade wasn't over yet, though. Next Alli put on her diva crown to open up some cool gifts and eat cake and junk food.

Why can't adults have parties like that? It was so fun, I almost wanted to be seven again. I'm still trying to figure out why feather boas are strictly for Kids and Vegas. They're "SO FLUFFY I'M GONNA DIE!" (That's from the Despicable Me movie they watched later on.) Yes, a masquerade was just the thing, and as always, I can't wait till my next party fix.

Well, "BOO" to you too.

2011-02-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

Anne's favorite game has been Peek-a-Boo ever since she learned to see past her balled up baby fists into the wide world beyond. As she's aged, she's learned to participate. In her one year old mind it goes like this: Pull the blanket over your face. Giggle. Repeat.

So it isn't really surprising that her first word was "BOO." I was driving down the road the other day with Anne in the backseat all alone making baby noises. After a few minutes, I realized she wasn't making random noises anymore. She was saying "Bah" and then "ah-ha-ha" over and over. She was playing peek-a-boo with herself. She keeps doing it too, and she's getting better at prounouncing it. All day long I hear "Bhoo." Not "ma-ma" or "ball" or "mine." She's like a little puppy that just wants to play.

At almost fourteen months, she's finally learned to stand on her own two feet as well, which is encouraging. She's a long way from taking steps, but it's a start. She's so busy playing she forgot that baby's have a lot of work to do learning to do new things... Like every other member of this family, she's got a mind of her own.

Happy Birthday Annie!

2010-12-15T20:57:00.001-08:00

My baby is one today! I can't believe that one year ago today I was at the hospital having surgery two weeks before Christmas. My goodness, I feel great! I have a lot more energy this Christmas, and we are back in the traditions game at our house. We're reading Christmas scriptures, doing the advent calendar, and baking up stuff. We even have a new tradition-it's Anne's birthday party...Right in the middle of all the other hoop-la.

Anne loved the cake. She can really pack it away if she likes what's on the menu, and let's just say she likes sugar. Here she is taking a first little taste:

It didn't take her long to figure out this was something oh-so-yummy:

I don't think it's all going to fit, Anne. You've got to pace yourself.And then the sugar high hit: She really demolished that cake. Then Dad took her off to the tub,

and we ate some grown-up food. I made some homemade ice cream with blackberry balsamic sauce that was pretty tasty... I didn't need a shovel or anything like Anne, but it was good.
After Anne got cleaned up, she hopped on her new car, and then headed upstairs for a nap. It was a great day.

We'd also like to say thanks to all the grandparents who made this day possible.

Bryn's Bridal Shower

2010-12-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

My Cousin Bryn is getting married next month, and I catered the food for her bridal shower at my Mom's house. We had:

Salmon salad
Yogurt parfait
Mini Quiche
Maple Walnuts
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Orange Juice

I was in gourmet heaven grilling 6lbs. of salmon for the salad. It was the best salmon I've had in a few years- Costco never lets me down, and there was salmon leftover for days. I ate it all myself...

This is me with my grandmother and her twin sister. They are going to be 80 next year!

I had a lot of fun doing the shower--Thanks Bryn, and good luck!

Anne Eating Garden Peas and Other Stories

2010-11-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

Alli has always hated anything hygeine related: bathing, brushing her teeth, putting up her hair, clipping her fingernails, washing her hands... Stuff in that realm. I have been under the impression that these things are painful, making her dislike them. She has a sensitive head, the water is too cold, etc, but after a conversation we had Sunday, I think I've had it all wrong.

I was getting the girls dressed for church, telling them they needed to look extra pretty etc. I say these things to help them get motivated and stay focused.

Me: "We always want to look our best Sunday, Maddie, so let's wear the shirt that goes with this dress."

Alli, interrupting: "I don't really like being pretty Mom. That's why I don't look forward to it. I'm more the dirty-adventurous type."

Maddie, thankfully, assured me that she liked being pretty. As for Alli, I'll check in with her on this pretty thing at a later date and see how she feels.

Apple Bobbing and Other Stuff

2010-11-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

It's no wonder it rained this year on Halloween. I actually put some effort into our Halloween costumes, and so it just makes sense that it would rain all over them. Still, I had so much fun crafting these costumes that I just might do it again next year. But let me explain...

You see it all started with an idea and a friend. One day early in October I had this thought: Hey, I have a glue gun. why not use it on those costumes I got for Halloween? That was followed by me doing absolutely nothing because I don't even know where a craft store is, and I'm not really into Halloween.

If not for my friend Lessley stepping in, the holiday would have passed as usual. The week before Halloween I took my store bought costumes over to her house, and we brainstormed ideas. Between the miscellaneous stuff she had and a trip she took to the craft store, we came up with some great stuff. Lessley made Alli's cape and found some fringe and things to glue onto her dress. I picked up some bling stickers and hair glitter and the rest is history. I am so thankful for all of Lessley's help! I'm sure she had better things to do right before Halloween. But without her I wouldn't have caught the Halloween vibe, and it made the night a million times more fun.

I even found the energy to get some apple bobbing and mini pumpkins together for the kids and some friends to decorate. That was a lot of fun as well, and it was nice to have one last good memory in our trusty house that has seen us through so much. Soon we will say our final goodbyes, but that is another story for another blog.

Picky Eater the Third

2010-10-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

All of my kids are picky eaters. I was a picky eater. Ty was a picker eater. It's a family trait. I was that stubborn kid who refused to eat anything but the marshmallows from my Lucky Charms cereal and pretty much survived on bread and butter or mac and cheese until I reached adulthood. Ty got by on those candy machines inside ZCMI where you put in a quarter and get a handful of sugar. That was his big Friday night plan as a kid. Jump the fence to the mall and lock and load.

My kids didn't fall far from the turnip truck. I know other good moms who get their kids to eat healthy food all the time; perhaps they dangle a dessert threat to keep them munching on that carrot or make them sit till they eat it. Maybe it's the three bite rule. And then there's the old standby: If they don't eat tonight, they'll get hungry and Mom'll say, "I'm so sorry you are hungry. That's no fun at all! I will make an extra big breakfast in the morning, and perhaps you will remember to eat more tomorrow night."

Yeah. My kids don't remember. They just starve. Again. and Again... It's crackers and candy or nothing, as far as they are concerned. And let's just get one thing straight. I am cooking kid food, people. It's too "spicy" though, or it's too hot or cold or whatever. The other day Maddie told me that the Bug Juice we bought on the way up Provo Canyon was too spicy. It's a sugar drink. Come on.

Somehow, the survival technique of eating food when it's available did not genetically encode. Instead, they only want food when it's not readily available, and/or I just spent an hour cleaning up the food they decided not to eat at mealtime. It's a wonder they've lived this long on bread and water(not the crusts), but I just have to keep reminding myself that I did the same thing to my Mom. What a stinker I was!

And now the third girl of the bunch is showing her true family colors. She won't eat anything unless she can pick it up herself and put it in her mouth. No rice cereal, no jars of baby food, no applesauce, no kidding. I have to bake her sweet potatoes once a week and cut them up for her to eat. That or grapes, frozen berries, or cheerios. No bananas, though. That would be too close to baby food for her taste and too easy for Mom to keep on hand.

It really is funny, considering how calm and happy she is all the time. I guess I can give her this one tactical advantage. Besides, she lets me call all the other shots, so what's the big deal? Someday I'll have grown kids to cook for, and they'll appreciate what I can make for them. Until then...

More Family Firsts

2010-10-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

It's seems like the more you try to hang on to life as it is, the more it changes and slips away from you, like a river current bent on moving downstream. I keep trying to fight it, but walking upstream is hard work and I'm losing ground! Alli is in 1st grade. She takes a lunch to school and rides the bus all on her own. She eats meals without me? How can this be? She even wears glasses now, just like I did in 1st grade. In short, she's growing up, and I can't do a thing about it.
And those aren't the only family firsts. Ever since school started my life keeps dumping itself out and re-arranging, like my toddlers used to do with my purse. I agreed to teach Maddie and four other little girls from a pre-school system called Mother Goose, which takes two hours every Wed and Fri. In a couple of weeks, my turn will be over, and another Mom will take over, but for now, my entire living room is covered with signs and alphabet charts. We can guess the weather while we watch the evening news and wave a color wand whenever we want... My girls have spent hours pretending to play preschool using the visual aides I have tacked up all over, so just for that, it's been worth the effort. I'm mostly glad to spend some extra time with Maddie.

Then there was the "Hullabaloo" over Alli. That's what she called it the other day, so I knew it was time to take the conversation behind closed doors. I had her tested, and the school gave us the option to put her in second grade or leave her with her teacher, which is what she desperately wanted. I can understand why. Her teacher is awesome, and I quite agreed with her that second grade was "scary". After talking myself nearly to death with as many people as I could, I made a decision. Alli would stay in first grade and get some extra lessons at home to fill the gaps. I'm really lucky to have Ms. Oliekan teaching Alli, and I'm glad I didn't have to give that up. So, again, with the rearranged schedule. And I was so happy at the end of the summer with a simpler quieter life... I guess that will be postponed until further notice.

After making all these changes during the past few weeks, I'm thinking I need a nice quiet boring week next week. I'll hunker down and get it done-- forget about any extra anything that might pop into my head. That's the plan, but you know how that river current is. I could end up doing anything next week. The possibilities are endless and endlessly possible.

Virginia

2010-09-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

A week ago, Ty's mother died. We knew the day was coming, but it just didn't seem to help ease the suddeness of it. The finality of death is something that I don't think you can ever prepare yourself to face. You can imagine what it will be like without someone you love, but actually facing up to it is quite another thing. As I watched Ty carrying the casket to the gravesite, I could hardly stand that feeling of emptiness- that hollow place where something was and will never be again. I know we will all be reunited in heaven, but there is so much separating us from it. I don't think I ever realized how far away heaven is until that moment we closed Virginia's casket, and I knew in real terms that I will never again see her in this life.

Alli seemed to understand and accept her grandmother's passing up until the bagpipes started playing outside the chapel. I can understand. Those dang bagpipes did me in too-it must be why Virginia wanted them. A lesser contingent of people held out after the bagpipes, but everyone else just gave up and cried away. Alli and her cousin Lexi where hitched together boo-hooing, and I wished we could stand there forever and soak it all in.

I heard Alli say to Lexi, "We're never going to see Grandma AGAIN!" and then more sobs on Lexi's shoulder, which was actually very touching coming from such small fry. I wanted to be the one huddled together with my sad little girl, but somehow I felt like her cousin was just the right size and perspective to comisserate with at that moment. I'm glad they have each other, and I'm glad that Alli was able to spend time with her grandmother when she was with us. My other kids will miss out, and that makes me the saddest.

Ty's family asked me to write the obituary, and here it is:

Virginia Mitchell Hansen, beloved wife, mother and grandmother, passed away September 9, 2010 in her home, surrounded by her family. After fighting with diabetes for many years, it was her wish to end her days at home, with those who meant the most to her in life. From sons and daughters, to sisters, brothers, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, many came to support, love, and care for her during her last week.

Virginia was a gifted and innovative artist and craft designer. She sold her work nationally through a family owned business, Decorative Designs, for many years, which she and her husband eventually sold to Provo Craft in the 1990's. Her painting techniques set new trends in the industry, and many of her pieces are still treasured today within her family and the community.

As a successful business owner, she was able to magnify her painting skills and teach others to paint. She employed each one of her children in turn, truly creating a "family" business that supported and nurtured both her family and hundreds of friends and neighbors over the years.

Her expertise was recognized by BYU Academy when she was commissioned to paint panels in the rose mulling style for the building.

The mother of six children and one foster child, Virginia loved her family and served them well. She attended all of her grandchildren's baby blessings, baptisms, and other important events, never missing a chance to be with her family. She was also an active member of the LDS Church, holding many teaching positions and other callings where she was able to serve.

Virginia was born February 19, 1942 in Provo, UT to Brigham William Mitchell and Mary L. Keith. She was married September 22, 1960 to Jack Kent Hansen in the Salt Lake City Temple, and is survived by her husband, six children, Jackie Schroeppel (Mark) of Orem, Kent Hansen of Orem, UT, Kay (Van) Parker of Kimberly, ID, Robert (Alicia) Hansen of Herriman, UT, James (Tamra) Hansen of Clearfield, UT, Tyler (Sierra) Hansen of Lehi, UT and foster daughter Vida Cleveland of Aurora, CO. She is also survived by seven siblings, twenty five grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 11 a.m. at the Orem Hillcrest 4th Ward Chapel located at 440 E 800 S Orem, UT. Viewings will take place at Sundberg Olpin Mortuary, 495 S State Street, in Orem, on September 13, 2010, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and at 10 a.m. prior to the funeral at the 4th ward building. Interment will be in the Orem City Cemetery.

Ryan's Home!

2010-08-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

Two years have come and gone, even though it feels like only yesterday that I watched my little brother walk through those MTC doors. But when I stop to think, a lot has really happened. It's like he never left, and at the same time he missed so much. It's funny how time starts to play tricks on you the older you get.

On the way to the airport, it was like an Amazon rain storm accidentally migrated to Utah, and our car was just pummeled as we navigated the point of the mountain, the belt loop, and eventually, the airport. Ty was at school, so I had three kids strapped in the back seat and my Mimi, who used to drive 18 wheelers for a living, in the passenger seat. Between her and Alli, I was getting a lot of driving advice. All I know is that I've never gone 20 miles an hour on the freeway, even in the snow, and it was white knuckle all the way. We made it, and arrived at the terminal with bells on. No, we actually did. My grandmother brought them. And balloons. And signs. We stuck out a bit.
Anyway, Ryan looked great as he came down the escalator still holding his scriptures, name tag in place. Now that's dedication. All I would want on an 18 hour flight from Australia is a sleeping pill and some atarol. Not Ryan. He rocked that trip in a full suit and my parents to boot. They picked him up two weeks before and showed him the sights that he missed while preaching and what not.

Fast forward to coming home. The special sign I had made at Kinkos for 60 bucks blew away in the freak rain storm, and was nowhere to be found. Sitting at Chili's with my family an hour later, looking out at the dry ground and beautiful blue sky above, I don't think they quite understood where that sign could have gone. I promise. It was like the... tropics... and stuff...

My next few days were spent preparing food for the Welcome Home on Sunday, which I catered for my Mom. Ryan gave a great talk, and we had fun entertaining so many old and new friends. Welcome Home Ryan! I'm so glad you're back.

Are we Having Fun Yet?

2010-08-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

"Don't bother me. This hat is so going to get me more candy"

We are serious about our parades in Lehi. Especially Maddie. She gets the good stuff: hats, Frisbees, Barbie Boot Camp beach balls... You name it. This year Ty finally got the shade to park proximity exactly right, and we were nicely shaded the entire time. Then we were able to get in line at the face paint tent before it was an hour long because we were just across the street! Way to go Dad. Making the memories.

That's right, it was a parade to remember. The girls got their faces painted, we bounced in the bounce houses, and then we got some good old over-priced Lehi take-out in the park. I love it all. Can't wait till next year.

Anne of our Gables

2010-07-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

I feel like rhapsodizing about how perfect my little Anne is today. I don't know if it's possible for me to love her any more, and yet there is still so much time to find out! She is the sweetest, most happy little thing in this world, and at 6 months old, she still has yet to throw a fit. (We're hoping there isn't anything wrong with her...)

She always has a smile for me and anyone else she comes across, especially when she is getting tired and starting to babble in her nonsensical baby way. I can say with complete surety that no one else in the family smiles when they are tired. None of us do. Not at all.
We all take turns trying to get her to giggle because it is hilarious. She is just starting to find peek-a-boo entertaining, so we don't have to rely as much on the toss and tickle methods, but it isn't hard to make her laugh in any case. The one thing she dislikes is eating any kind of solid food. She doesn't cry when I stick the spoon in her mouth, but the faces she makes are clearly saying, "this is disgusting!" The other day when the small grunts of disapproval didn't work, she finally just threw it all up and more, soaking me and her. OK, so maybe we'll wait a bit on that.

I love this daughter of mine.

Clean and Bright

2010-07-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

We finished June, and I met my goal of playing one game a day with my girls for every day of the month. There were glittered butterflies to make, Twizzler Pete's Treasure Map to follow, and home-made car washes to cool us down on a hot day. One note to self: Learn how to use a compass. I hid Twizzler Pete's Twizzler stash in my North facing bedroom, but the map clearly said take 15 steps East. Good thing the girls didn't even notice...

The Car Wash game was my favorite by far and the easiest. I set up our ladybug sprinkler head on the driveway and turned on the water. Then they drove bikes, cars, scooters, and themselves through the "car wash" over and over, handing me tree leaves for money. Oh how I love the summer.

Run, Run, as Fast as You Can

2010-06-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

Finally, I saw him round the corner, just yards from the finish line and moments away from the rest of his life as a marathoner. He said it felt like giving birth. I said, I'm so glad this is over, even as I prepared myself to hear the inevitable the next morning: Maybe I'll run another one. I knew he would say that, just like I knew he would finish the first one. Sometimes you just know. But it wasn't an easy road- are there any medals available for Babysitter of the Marathoner? I didn't think so. Just cheesy songs about being the Wind Beneath the Wings and so forth.

The night before the Utah Valley Marathon, I went to bed early. Ty was getting jittery- setting his alarm for 3;30 am, trying to decide what to wear in a rainstorm/windstorm/hot June day, and generally freaking out. My job was to leave the house with my 3 kids at 7:30 and get down to the finish line before Ty crossed it. I was necessarily worried a good deal myself about those logistics.

Even still, it wasn't my Christmas morning. I fell asleep without another thought, until 4:30 am when I was shocked awake by my panicked husband. The alarm never went off- he was an hour late to catch the bus up to the starting line. Old school alarm: 1. iPhone: 0.

I saw the past few months of 2 hour runs, counseling sessions, and indepth excruciating conversations about shoes, peppered with words like "pronate" and "IT band" flash before my bleary eyes. There was no parking up the canyon and no access to the starting line after 5:00 am. Even at 4 I can do that math. We were 45 minutes away with 20 minutes and counting.

I grabbed my shoes, grabbed my kids, and grabbed Ty, who was protesting a bit about the insanity of the situation. I started backing out of the driveway before he was even in the car, only to turn around a minute later when we realized the ipod was still on the kitchen counter. That catastrophy averted, we were on our way with three children wide awake in the back seat.

It was raining and chilly, but we were going to take a stab at this, and secretly I knew that nothing was going to stop me from getting him there. We had both invested too much, and I'm just not that flexible. I didn't care what road they closed, I was prepared to do whatever it took.

Luckily for me, I didn't have to find out because my Dad had decided to bring his state of the art camera to the starting line and was already en-route. We met at the freeway, and Ty jumped in. That wind helped as well. The weather delayed the race just enough to push the road block back to 5:30 and allow Ty a nice leather-seated ride right up to the starting line at precicely 5:27 am.

He ran the race. And he finished it. I was there at the finish line to see him cry. I cried a little too, and it was a very good good day.

Summer Fun

2010-06-20T12:43:00.002-07:00

With my first year as the mother of a school aged kid under my belt, I figured it was time to bring out the big guns this summer. We only have so much time before it's off to school again, and yet we also have so MUCH time that I decided to get prepared. Well, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I also felt a little bit of guilt for all the time I spend working from home. I don't want that to get in the way of a proper summer. So here it is: The List. I compiled all the ideas we have done in the past and some new ones I wanted to try, and each day I pick one thing off the list.

The only rule is that we have to do it together. That way we spend time together, and the moments don't pass me by. I am only prepared through June though, so who knows about July.

1. June 1- Nature Scavenger Hunt from Hollie Hobby website
Think find a twig, something soft, something red etc. It's a classic. You can't go wrong with a scavenger hunt. When we were finished, they colored the paper and Alli drew pictures of each item she found outside.

2. June 3- Puppet Show
I helped them set up a coffee table stage and write a script- then we did the show for Dad when he got home. The Lion had to make the elephant laugh to get some Kool-aid because he ran out of money to buy it. (Just like real life!) He finally made him laugh with the bit about the Dark Dark House... When Maddie tells it, it's a "dawk, dawk howse in the dawk, dawk woods"

3. June 4- Learn to play Chinese Jump rope
I ordered one from amazon for a couple of dollars and taught the girls how to do the jumps. I used to play this game at recess, so it makes me all nostalgic...

4. June 7- Make Pictures with Colored "Glitter" Rice
I always have some of this on hand, but it is a pain to clean up. (I keep stepping on stray grains of rice for days) so it was a treat for them to get to use it. We drew letters with Elmer's Glue for Maddie and then she dropped the rice on top. You shake it off like glitter to reveal the picture underneath. Then we hid buttons in the leftover rice and played pirate "treasure hunt." Maddie counted the loot to see how much treasure she'd found.

To make: Mix 1 C rice with a few drops of food coloring and 1t vinegar. Bake in a 200 degree oven for 40 minutes on a cookie sheet. I make 2 or 3 colors at a time.

5. June 8- Library Story Time

6. June 9- Outdoor Bear Hunt
This is kind of a joke at my house. A couple of years ago I printed off some pics of bears and hid them in the bathroom. Then I got a flashlight and convinced Alli to follow me around on a "bear" hunt. She kept saying, "Mom, there aren't any bears in the house" When she found them in the dark bathroom with the flashlight, she was so shocked. So this time I made the pics bigger and hid them outside. We pretty much played hide and seek with the bear pictures. After I hid them, Alli and Maddie both wanted a turn to hide them and take us around on a bear hunt (through the river, up the tree etc) It was lots of fun.

7. June 10- Hide and Seek
After our bear escapades, it was time for the real thing.

8. June 11- Art Day
We pulled out the good old Usborne art book and made some cowboys with string arms. Then Alli and Maddie spent a good hour using those cowboys and sheriffs like paper dolls. I think there was even a wedding amongst the cast. Not very rough and tough, but we have a house full of girls and certain accommodations have to be made.

9. June 14- Google a Topic
Alli decided to look up Mozart and Louis Armstrong. (Um, I think they were both stories in the Magic Tree house series because I'm cultured, but not that cultured.) After we read some bios on Wickipedia, I put Louis Armstrong into the Pandora radio website. What an amazing site! Not only did she learn about Louis Armstrong and what he sounded like, but it played all the other major Jazz contributors from the era as well. There were even little information boxes that popped up with each new song. Wow. The Internet is amazing.

10. June 15- Make Father's Day Cards
See it was on my list, so I didn't forget. Handy.

11. June 16- Backyard Soccer
We set up deck chairs to mark the goals and kicked the ball around. I can't believe how willing they are to chase that ball all around the yard while exercising their little legs. That Hello Kitty soccer ball finally got put to use! It only took three years.

12. June 17- Maddie's Tea Party
I made some lemonade and little peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Maddie and a few of her friends. I love tea parties, and I never miss an opportunity to pull out our little tin tea set. We even pulled out the glitter and sprinkled a little "fairy dust" on all the girls.

So far, we are having a great summer. We've also been swimming at the outdoor Lehi pool, gone to the Petting Zoo, and taken plenty of picnics to the park.

Stay tuned for the next week of fun.

Kindergarten come and gone

2010-06-06T16:19:00.001-07:00

When I dropped Alli off for the last day of Kindergarten, I got all choked up and cried all the way home. I just can't believe she is going to go to first grade next fall. What will I do with myself all day long without her? What will Maddie do? It's just too much time. Where did the time go and did I make the best use of it? I know this can't be true, but I have this feeling like I'm losing her and whatever I've done up until now will have to be enough becasue now she's out there on her own.

I picked Alli up from school that day and she started to cry, which made me cry all over again- I know... this is getting rediculous, but we just sat there crying together. Isn't it wonderful having a house full of girls?

Mrs. Wright took some pictures during the school year that have been fun to remember. This is Alli at the Jazz read a thon. I think she won the kindergarten reading prize. I don't actually know- Alli wasn't clear on the details.

Here we are at Alli's doughnut date:

And then there was field day. I still remember field day when I was a kid. It was always really exciting, so it was fun to see Alli participate for the first time.

I love Alli so much! As hard as it is, it's fun to watch her grow up and learn new things. I am a lucky Mom, that's for sure.

Ty/Mother's Day Photo Shoot

2010-05-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

Ty asked me to give him some pictures of our kids for his Birthday, which was two days before Mother's Day. So I spent the last couple of weeks taking shots of the girls. It just also happened to make a good Mother's Day present as well. Without Kiddie Kandids around anymore, what's a girl to do? I guess I need to figure out how to use my photoshop.

Happy Mother's Day!

See How They Run

2010-04-25T19:45:00.001-07:00

I must say that I am a lucky Mom. I have three beautiful girls, and the last one is so sweet and happy that even a stingy baby dis-liker like me can savor the moment and say things like, "I wish she could stay like this forever," and, "I could just sit here and hold her and kiss her all day." I used to hear things like this and think What in the world are they talking about? Okay, y'all. I get it. I'm converted. Just don't spread it around because it feels very un-like me, and I don't want to completely over-haul my image here.

The other day I was awakened around 3 AM, as is our routine, to Anne giggling. Usually she just wimpers quietly until I come feed her, but this was a full on laugh fest. She was so loud that I had to book it into her room before she woke anyone up. Then she did it again a few nights later. What was so funny alone in the dark? Does she find herself hilarious, or are there comic angels watching over her? I don't know, but, my, what joy she brings into our house.

Bearing this in mind, I did something unthinkable to my little sweetheart. I was planting peas last week while Ty sorted out the sprinkler hoses in our garden boxes. I had Anne sitting pleasantly in the early morning shade behind the house, probably dozing in and out happily or cooing at the bugs. I don't know. Honestly, I wasn't paying that much attention to her.

Once the garden was all set, Ty and I went into the garage to test the irrigation. "Turn it to station four." "How many minutes do you want it to run?" yada yada yada, and then the terrible aweful... Alli comes running around the house yelling, "Mom, you're giving Anne a bath!"

I have never run so fast. That's actually not saying much, but anyway, I ran fast. Anne was in her bouncer drenched, looking around frantically, and taking quick intakes of air as the water droplets beaded up on her face. Her socks were even soaked. Apparantly the garden station runs in the back flower bed as well... Who knew? To her credit, though, as cold and wet as she was, she didn't cry until I started stripping off her clothes.

I put on her fluffiest fluffys, wrapped her in a big blanket, and fed her some. Then I sent her off to peaceful slumber where she spent the rest of the morning safely in her crib. Oh, how sad I was. I might not get over it, but I think she's already forgotten about the whole fiasco. Love that little girl.

Annabelle is here

2009-12-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

Annabelle Nicole was born on Monday, weighing 6 lbs 11 oz, which was exactly what I guessed she would weigh. The Doctor was impressed.

Anne is so easy going that even I can handle it when she cries. Most of the time she doesn't even cry. She just makes cute little baby noises. (I still laugh when I think about the time right after Alli was born when Ty said, "Don't worry, you're going to be a great Mom when the kids are five and older...") Now that I have a five year old, I'm less sure, but I'll take what I can get.
After two emergency C-sections, Anne's was my first scheduled C-section birth, and let me tell you, it is a whole lot scarier. I think it was the adrenaline I missed because the whole experience was terrifying, and I don't remember that from before. Unfortunately, the adrenaline hit after the surgery was over and, instead of enjoying a morphine induced coma, I was wide awake at midnight, at 3:00 am, at 5:00 am... When the nurses came in to check my vitals, I was so excited to see them that I don't think I've ever been so chatty. Weird, but then again, don't discount the morphine.

The surgery was just plain uncomfortable. The wonderful anesthesiologist, Kelly Myers, who, coincidentally works with my Dad when someone wants a laser treatment, told me just what to expect and practically held my hand through the whole thing. Even still, when he explained that my brain wouldn't register deep breathing because my chest was numb, I wasn't prepared for an hour of near suffocation. And when he said, "Okay, this is going to make your heart race for a minute," what he meant was, "I think interrogationists use this to simulate heart attacks." I would totally talk.

On the upside, Dr. Myers bent the rules a bit and let my Mom come in with Ty. I heard one of the nurses was upset about it, but oh well. I was grateful for another hand to squeeze and for another set of eyes to watch that monitor saying I was getting 100% oxygen absorption. No, you are not suffocating, that little number on the screen said to me. Just relax.

Afterwards, I spent three more days in the hospital with the best nurses I've ever had. They were so nice to me and made my stay as comfortable as possible, even with staples in my stomach.

We're home now and so happy to have baby Anne in our family. I know she is going to bring us all joy in ways we can only guess.

Our Christmas Letter

2009-12-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

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Happy Holidays all,

It’s time for decking the halls again: time to finally turn on those lights strung from our rooftops and pull out the Nativity— maybe set up a tree sometime before Rudolph comes to eat the magic reindeer food Alli threw on our lawn. It’s Christmas time! I’m ready to bake sugar cookies and wrap presents. There’s just one hitch: there’s this little baby girl named Anne, and she’s coming to our family right in the middle of it all.

On December 17^th Anne will interrupt the festivities with her birth, hopefully coming home just in time to celebrate another important birth one week later: our Savior’s. As we gaze upon the fresh newborn face of our little one, we will remember another pure countenance—one that also radiated peace and love in ways that continue to guide me through the hardships of this life. This experience is certainly a privilege—one I will remember fondly and hopefully never duplicate…

After two emergency c-sections, I’ll have this c-section on my own terms. I’m excited to reduce the mayhem associated with childbirth, even if it means another surgery. I just pick the day and the time, and my Dr. shows up. What could be better? Not walking on Christmas day will entail some creative planning, such as freezing sugar cookie dough and what not, but maybe that makes it all the more fun and stress-free. I just might change the way I approach the holidays forevermore.

This year has been one of possibility and pain, firsts and “let us never speak of this again,” moments. Through it all, we’ve had a lot of fun. For me, it was catering my first wedding, while for Ty it’s been climbing and running 15 miles at a time like it’s easy. Alli started piano this summer and Kindergarten in the fall, and she continues to surprise us with her brilliance. I continue to hear, “Everyone thinks their kid is smart, but yours really is.” I know. We don’t know where she gets it.

Alli played “Silent Night” on par with her 7 and 8 year old counterparts for her first piano recital. She continues to love Nancy Drew, and her biggest wish is becoming a super spy when she grows up. She carries around her little girl makeup in her “spy purse” that also contains a compass, flashlight, and pretend PDA device. She cracks me up.

Even though Maddie still doesn’t fit into 2T clothes, she acts grown, and her third birthday party this February is all she talks about. She wants a lunchbox so she can go to school like Alli. (This little tidbit of Kindergarten lore has been lost in translation somehow because Alli doesn’t take a lunchbox to school.)

She could be getting her faulty information late at night, since Alli and Maddie recently started sharing a room. It was such a meaningful experience for Maddie that she responded by losing the diapers. That’s right; she potty trained herself, and I couldn’t be happier. In the midst of all these big changes, Maddie still has a killer smile that could melt a rock, and the kind of laugh that teaches me true happiness.

With so many blessings this year, it’s hard not to feel grateful for family. We wish you all a wonderful Christmas season full of joy with your own families.

Potty Saga

2009-11-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago Maddie gave up her room for Anne. Until Ty can build a bunk bed, Maddie gets a toddler bed in the corner of Alli's room. I was worried that the arrangement would cause my girls distress, but so far they are loving it. Maddie is so excited to be a big "tid" in Alli's room, and Alli hasn't complained once about the intrusion. Hopefully we can rearrange everything soon so it will feel more like a shared room than a sharecropping. One obstacle down, I was consigned to the idea that potty training would have to wait until after the baby. After all, Alli was in diapers long into Maddie's first year of life. Alli was almost four, in fact, when she finally took the plunge.

When Alli was a toddler I was so worried about screwing up. I read everything out there on potty training. There were programs to follow: one day programs or one week plans. Alli had potty parties. She had candy bribes and charts. She eventually had expensive toys leering down at her from atop the refrigerator. In the end, she had some yelling, I'm sorry to say.

The last day I tried to potty train Alli, she wore her underwear all day long and held it until 8:00 at night. You wouldn't think such a big bladder could fit in such a small body, but we all share this trait. Anyway, I was beyond frustrated because she refused to sit on the potty before going to bed, and we both knew she needed to go. She broke me at that point, and I totally gave up.

A month later, she put on those princess panties on her own and hasn't looked back. She's never had an accident, and I've never had to find the bathroom in Target for her (she can hold it indefinitely).

With Maddie, I wasn't about to follow a program. In fact, I finally read a doctor quoted in Parenting who said it takes 6 months to fully potty train. To that man, I would like to say, "Thank you." Finally, some advice that makes sense to me. A few months ago I bought Maddie some undies and showed her the potty chair. She was totally excited about it all, but had no clue how to use them. She never had one success in all those months. One day she would wake up and ask for her underwear, and I didn't stop her. The next she wanted her diaper back, and I was okay with that too. In the meantime, I cleaned up the messes she made and never interfered with her wishes. Maddie sometimes went a month at a time without mentioning the underwear, while the potty chair became her favorite step stool and TV chair. I never even sat her on it. She didn't want to.

Then came success. Maddie asked for her underwear. She sat on the potty and used it, while I thought, so she does know what that thing is for. She continued using it all day long! I was so proud of her I was ready to bust. Seriously, the look on her face was so priceless. It was her own accomplishment, and this time Mom hadn't tried to steal the thunder. Man, I love that little girl.

Halloween

2009-11-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

The girls had a lot of fun trick-or-treating this year. It was the usual bing bong, give me some candy kind of affair, and they came home an hour later with overflowing buckets. I always think it's funny to realize what it must be like for little kids on Halloween. "You mean, they're just

giving away candy for free? Everyone we know is giving it away?" They'll pretty much do anything to participate. Personally, it's not my favorite holiday. I don't like to dress up, and I don't like candy that much. I mean, I like it, but after about twenty pieces of misc fun size candy bars, I want to throw up. Then I go ahead and do it again a couple of hours later. I just can't hold my candy like I used to. I'm about ready to throw the rest away, to be quite honest. Don't tell Ty, or he'll have a fit.

Wedding Dinner

2009-10-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

My friend Monique got married last week, and Ashley and I catered the wedding dinner... It was a lot of work but so much fun! Monique wanted to do something like Sweet Tomatoes with soups and a salad bar, so we came up with a menu based on that. I made corn chowder and minestrone for the soups and a blue cheese and strawberry prepared salad in addition to the 25 item salad bar.
I also made an artichoke dip and we served some pita chips and hummus along with fruit and bread. Ashley made all the bread, including two kinds of muffins, wheat bread, corn bread, artisan bread for the dips, and cookies. Of course, we had to have the cookies. Those cookie recipes are still at our website, by the way (www.theperfectchocolatechipcookie.com).
After refilling the punch, salad bar items, etc for 100 people, we started dishing up the apple crisp and ice cream... Then I carried them out on trays to everyone. Man was I tired. At the end of the day, I needed some recovery time, but I seriously don't think I've had so much fun in a long time. Thanks again to Monique for letting me be a part of her big day.

Kindergarten or Bust

2009-09-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

Alli started Kindergarten last week, and I cried. I tried not to, but the moment I watched her walk away into her new classroom, I choked. I'm the one who's supposed to teach her new things and play with her! It was like turning her over to who knows what behind that door--something I'm not a part of, and that made me a little sad. But there's no going back now. She's got to start making her own way in the world, I guess. At least it's a small one for now. At least it's not her first date with some crummy boy. Man, milestones are harder than I anticipated...
I was surprised, actually, because Alli had a hard time going back to Kindergarten after all the anticipation and excitement for the past couple of years. Ever since she knew what Kindergarten was, it's been the Holy Grail of kid-hood. Already the legend has passed down to Maddie, and all I hear about now are "pat-packs" and her lunch box that she's going to have. Alli doesn't even have a lunch box yet, so I guess part of the lore has gotten lost in translation. This is the beloved back-pack, however, that Grandma Pat bought for Alli:
After a great day with her new teacher Mrs. Wright, Alli couldn't stop talking about school. She was thrilled... Until about two in the morning when she started throwing up. I didn't know if it was school-time jitters or the real deal, so I kept her home. When Monday finally arrived, Alli had decided that school was not for her. She cried and cried about it, and I didn't know what to do. Finally, I made her a promise. Go to school for the entire month of September, and if you still hate it, you can have school at home with Mom. (I'm thinking this sounds really lame, but it calmed her right down.) She's been going ever since, making lots of friends, doing her homework with zeal, and most importantly, not crying about it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for October.

A Day in the Life

2009-08-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today I will get up first and hurry into the shower before anyone realizes I'm awake. Maddie will come in with a pile of books, insisting that I read them to her, and Alli will get herself dressed and her bed made before the rest of us have time to rub the sleep out of our eyes. We'll eat breakfast. If Dad isn't in a hurry, he'll make pancakes while Alli and Maddie argue over who's turn it is to get the first plate.

If we remember, we'll let Alli read us a scripture and try to explain to her what it means. Maddie will do her best to distract us all. When it's clear nothing is getting through, I'll pass out the toothbrushes in a hurry, but the girls will run away screaming anyway. When I catch them, we'll sing "When you wake up in the morning" or pretend we're brushing dinosaur chompers and hopefully remove some plaque.

Maddie and Alli will play, probably "pee-tend." Maddie will pretend she's the Mom and Alli will pretend she's the baby. Maddie will say, "you be the glirl, otay?" and Alli will agree. Then the real Mom will get something done.

If peeking into the playroom didn't ruin the fine balance of good humor that only occurs right after breakfast, I might see Maddie putting all the dolls to sleep under her favorite "bloppie" (her blanket) and Alli "packing for the trip," gathering fake food and doll clothes and shoving them into bags for easier transport. After a while, Alli might read some books to Maddie or start pushing her around in the play stroller.
After lunch, we'll put on a TV show for Maddie while Alli practices the piano. Alli will play 'the Woodchuck" for me and then try to sneak a peek at the Care Bears. Alli will play all her songs like a pro and then the two of them will lay down on the floor to watch TV under Maddie's blanket.

A few minutes later, Alli will start crying because Maddie hit her on the head with the remote. I'll put Maddie in time-out and come back a couple of minutes later to talk to her.

"Do you know why you're in time-out?" I'll ask her.

"I hit Alli on the head!" Maddie will say, smiling.

"Do you think that made Alli sad?" I'll say.

Maddie will giggle. "Yeah."

I'll try not to laugh and send her to tell Alli sorry, which she will gladly do, adding a hug just for fun.

At dinner, Ty will ask the girls what cup they want today. Maddie will say, "the Ollie cup," or "I wanna Mimi tup," But hopefully she doesn't ask for the "smiley tup" because we haven't figured out which one that is. Alli will take her water with ice or ask for milk, but Maddie will always say, "Want water, no ice." Whatever we are having, Maddie will eat all of it and Alli none, or vice-versa. There doesn't seem to be a food combination that they both eat the same night. They do come together on one thing, however, and I have to agree: Broccoli is the best vegetable ever.

At bedtime, Maddie will climb into her new toddler bed and feel like a big "tid," while Mom and Dad collapse on the couch and hope she doesn't come downstairs more then once.

Barefoot at the dentist

2009-08-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, I had a day... We were leaving for Idaho at 3:00 for a wedding, I had a doctor's appointment in the morning, and my friend from DC was coming into town at noon. Whatever, I had it covered, though. The day before we had run out of gas on the way to the temple, and I was ready to put it all behind me. I just needed to get organized and get it done.

Just as visions of super-me playing car-games with the girls all the way to Idaho were dancing through my head, I realized that my teeth were really hurting. A few minutes more, and it was like my jaw was in a vice and no amount of pain medication had any affect on it. Super-me vanished into thin air, and regular me took over with the moaning and the dying. I didn't sleep.

At 8:00 AM I was sitting by the phone to call the dentist. Luckily my neighbor is a really great dentist and he was happy to see me. I just had to make it to 11:00 AM, and everything would be okay. Oh, the pain...

Went to the baby check up. waited and waited.
...just me and my tooth.
complained about my tooth some more to the nurse. made it out in time. On to the dentist.

There was just one small problem. As I got out of the car, my shoe broke. Damn those Old Navy flip-flops! I couldn't even pretend that I had a shoe. It wouldn't stay on no matter what I tried, so I had to walk into the dentist's office with only one shoe.

You might wonder it one shoe was worth walking on at all and if barefeet would have more, I don't know, continuity, but by this point, everything was just a blur. My tooth and I were in our own little world.

About five minutes after I sat down in the chair with only one shoe, my neighbor decided it was my wisdom teeth causing all the trouble. Twenty minutes later, I was down, still one shoe, and two very large and apparantly wise, teeth.

Let me just say that having teeth pulled is gross. It actually doesn't hurt too much, but it feels very wrong. Maybe it's just the pack-rat in me. In any case, Dr. Curtis did a great job, and my mouth is much happier.

But I still had to walk out of the building half-barefoot, gauze loaded to the hilt, while balancing a pile of papers about when to eat and what not. Meanwhile, I had a day, and time was ticking. I went up to the second floor in my Dad's office building to drop off some work, still shoeless, rushed to the babysitter's to pick up my kids two hours late, and barely made it in the door before my friend from DC came over to say hi. Marathon one: done. Now on to Idaho.

But seriously, do you have any idea how weird it is to walk in public without two shoes? I actually brought the broken shoe with me to all those places. It was kind of like a prop, so I could pretend to be adjusting something in the elevator, or limping in the hall... I don't know. I was in a stupor, so who knows what I came up with to save face. I think Old Navy shoes should come with a buyer beware disclaimer.

the perfect chocolate chip cookie

2009-08-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

I have started contributing to a cooking website that my friend Ashley started. Together, we have added quite a few recipes that I think some of you out there might enjoy making. There are chocolate chip cookies, soups, main courses etc- lots of stuff. You can take a look at www.theperfectchocolatechipcookie.com If you like to bake, which I do NOT, Ashley has a bread section that is really great. The cookies, though, even I can duplicate, so try them try them, you will like them.

Parade Time

2009-07-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

We love a parade, although it can be a challenge to avoid heat stroke. I've decided that I need a few simple things to make a parade fun: food and shade, and if there are snow cones, it's even better. This year we went to both the Lehi and Provo city parades. After six times at the Lehi parade, some of which we spent in full sun the entire time, Ty decided to put out our chairs early in the week. It paid off, and we were much more comfortable. At the Provo parade, Ty's broker company Security Home Mortgage, did all the work for us, and now I think I might add one more necessity to my list: let someone else do the prep.

We had plenty of shady awnings, coolers full of food and cold drinks, and a popcorn machine. It was great, as is the company. We're so happy to work with such an outstanding group.

Maddie was a little scared of the noise at both parades, so she spent a lot of time in her stroller with the top down, but I did get her to come out for some candy that Alli grabbed for us. Of course, she pulled it right back down when I got out the camara, the little tease. Alli was out on the curb scouting out free stuff and pointing at the princesses on the city floats. They might as well have been Cinderella because I didn't bother to explain how the pageant scene works-I'll leave that for another year.

Top 3 Reasons Father's Day Doesn't Exist Publicly

2009-06-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

3. Our ward didn't have a Father's Day talk (Which is, in fact, preferable to the usual topic assigned to situations such as this, namely, "The Father's Day Lecture").

2. There were no little gifts at church for the Dads. I once went to a ward in Monterey that has a tradition every Mother's Day to set up brunch in the gym served by all males young men age or older in the ward. Ward Father's Day tradition: none.

1. Wal-mart didn't have a Father's Day display anywhere, and if Wal-mart doesn't recognize it, does it really exist? I happen to know that every single other holiday is represented at Wal-mart, since I am always there, with huge displays, including non-holidays such as St. Patrick's Day. The obvious conclusion is that Father's Day is an underground movement and not a publicly recognized day.

I'm sure there are more reasons, but I think I've made my argument pretty well. The question I am now asking is this:

Is it really that hard for us to show appreciation for our hard working Dad's once a year? Maybe we should make the holiday a tri-anual event so we don't over-tax ourselves. I mean this constant ordeal of wrapping a box and signing a card... Are we expected to do this yearly? Apparantly not, since the holiday isn't real anyway.

Wonder Child

2009-06-17T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, Alli has graduated from Pre-school. She loved every minute of it, even though she already knew how to read two years ago when she started. That's one of the things I love so much about her. She is insanely smart and yet has no qualms about learning letters with the rest of the kids. I don't think she really understands how amazing she is, and, frankly, I'd like to keep it that way.

The other day I walked into her bedroom to find her finishing up the last page of a Nancy Drew book my Mom bought her. I told her Alli liked the elementary school version called ''The Clue Crew" but apparantly she didn't know what I meant and bought the "Mystery in the Old Clock Tower" instead. It was 135 pages of old english. Well, not like Chaucer old, but you know what I mean. Being of a skeptical nature, I sat down and quizzed her. She told me all about the secret passage way and the ghost that wasn't really a ghost. Where did this kid come from? She is five right? I didn't mistake her birthday? Or maybe she is related to Benjamin Button.

Anyway, she astounds me. I don't know what to do with her, but I love her to bits.

Mendel visits my Garden

2009-06-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

Purple Pea flowers? Every other pea plant I have ever seen has white flowers. What the heck? My snap peas have white flowers and pea pods everywhere, but there are only two tiny pods on this entire purple plant. So the question I am asking is, what am I growing? I guess all Mendel can really tell me is that the hybrid of my two plants cannot have pink flowers next year. Great news. I was so worried.

At least my strawberries are producing this year after a pesticide mishap last year that nearly killed them off. I don't want to name names, but... Okay, it was me. I did it. This year they are healthy, although I'm not exactly getting buckets of berries. Next year will be awesome...

I'm tyring some new things this year as well, like corn and pumpkin. The weather has been so rainy, so I hope they do okay. Almost everything I planted loves heat. Still waiting for the heat-75% above average rainfall is not my idea of an ideal summer either. Here is Maddie helping plant the garden earlier this year:
And here is the carrot, broccoli, and onion box a few months later: Gardening is so fun, but it really tries my patience. I can't believe it takes so long! I think it's the anticipation that makes the vegetables taste better when you finally eat them.

My Belated Easter Post

2009-04-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

I broke our camera, so I took some pictures with my Mom's camera and then had to figure out how to transfer them to my computer. There were too many cords to keep track of... We spent Easter at Ty's house this year, and Jack bought lots of candy for an egg hunt. Ty filled and hid the eggs on the front lawn and did a spectacular job, if I do say so myself. Jim and Tamara came down, and I brought a ham. It was a lot of fun to spend the day with everyone.We did the Easter photo shoot at my Mom's house on Saturday and colored some eggs. The Easter bunny brought sunglasses, which Alli is modeling below:

Attacking Squirrels and other Misadventures

2009-04-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

After a much needed break from society (no offense to those reading), I feel like myself again. My alter ego, "Mean Mom" is gone, replaced by a kinder, gentler person who I forgot existed. Vacations really are the best.

We spent the first two days in St. George with our friends the Nelsons and the Andertons and then drove to Zion for the last day of our trip. I love hiking in Zion so much. It's not really strenuous, and that's why I think I like it so much. The girls were ecstatic playing in the dirt and climbing up on the rocks. Every time we go to Zion, we have to hike up to the trail head of the Narrows so Ty can jump in the frigid water and re-prove his daringness. It was a little chilly this year, so I wasn't sure he was up for it. Plus, five minutes after we got there, the river claimed one kid's flip flop and no one was brave enough to jump in and fight for it. That little shoe is still out there somewhere, probably making a new home for an attack squirrel, but I'll get to that. After lunch, yes, Ty did get in the river.

Here he is keeping tradition and going all the way under:
But, wait! There go his flip flops. He's got to swim now, but me and about thirty other people watching know they're goners.

Look how fast that water is moving. You can see Ty up in the left corner climbing out in defeat. Oh, how little faith I have. Ty found the flip flops after all! I could not believe it.

Some of you are wondering why I couldn't get one shot of Ty and his feet together, and that is a very good question. Like I said, I was in shock and still planning my "you're hiking barefoot because I am not going home" speech.

Other entertaining misadventures of the day included lunch cave-man style. We had to hover over the food and keep a constant watch. The squirrels in Zion, you see, are well fed on trail mix, and they have gotten very brave. I was kicking them away from my lunch all day, and I swear one of them figured out how to unzip my backpack and pull out the crackers I hid there. I came over to find the guilty little guy with his head four inches deep in cracker heaven, and the funniest part was that he didn't run away in shame and fear when I nudged his head with my foot. Doesn't that violate some sort of squirrel code? Absolutely no human contact from closer than two feet. The ones in the real wild seem to abide by it.

Anyway, we had some good laughs. Now I'm wondering where we can go next for cheap.

Something for Nothing

2009-04-09T12:50:00.001-07:00

Today I would like to make a tribute to free stuff. I love free stuff! When I first started couponing, it seemed to take forever before something was free. Finally, after two months, excedrin went on sale and it was free. I had to go to three stores to find it in stock, but I was determined to get something for nothing. That was almost a year ago, and I still have three of them sitting proudly on my shelf. I can't bear to use them because they've become sentimental to me. I'm a nut, I know.

But last week I could barely keep up with all the stuff that was free. I even missed out on some things because I just couldn't get to the store to "buy" them. In conference last week they called the "something for nothing" attitude prideful, and it's so true. But honestly, if you call driving around to eight stores and fastidioulsy storing away coupons like a certified pack rack nothing, then so be it. Judge me how you will. I can take it. I'll just be at home eating my free stuff and thinking about how much money is still in my grocery budget.

Pictured above:
$30 worth of albertson's deli meat
8 croissants
2 dozen eggs
5 quaker rice cakes
3 dial hand soaps
5 bags of halls cough drops
8 mentos gum packages
5 wrigley's gum packages

Plus there were the six boxes of post cereal, the $18 ham, and the 4 packages of diapers, but I ran out of room on my table... All free, free, free.

Spring Hiking

2009-03-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

We decided to take advantage of the reasonably warm weather on Saturday to go walk around in the canyon. We took some lunch and headed out down the paved trail at the mouth of Provo Canyon. So maybe it's more of a running trail and we were only out for a stroll, but we saw some nature. That's what's really important here. Ty has been working so hard and such long hours lately, that it was a stress relief to get out with the family. We climbed up hills and crawled over rocks and visited the bank of a river. I couldn't ask for a better Saturday. Alli and Maddie love to throw rocks in a river, so we spent a good amount of time doing just that. Here's Maddie showing us her rock: This is her throwing her rock: (notice the rock flying through the air by her feet- my camara caught something in motion, I can't believe it.) And this is Maddie picking up the next rock. This really could go on all day.

2009-03-01T10:29:00.001-08:00

There's a little bird shopping the real estate inside our dryer vent. It's warm and cozy in there, apparently, and he sang me a pretty little song the other morning as I came down the stairs, which resulted in some screaming by the kids(and me too). Then some frantic flapping noises ensued followed by silence after he finally found his way out. A couple of days later he was back. Dangerous neighborhood, but the climate is good and the other tenants are all talk and no bite.

Birthday

2009-03-01T10:17:00.000-08:00

So I have this goofy, hillarious, awesome little girl named Maddie. Maybe you've met her? She's the one that's always hiding her face in my leg whenever you're around. She just turned two! For weeks she's been singing "happy birthday to you" and having long conversations with me about her birthday party, consisting of lists of everthing she knew would be apart of the event: "Cake, and 'bloons, and grandmas, and presents..."

Then she would stop and repeat "presents?" over and over until I confirmed that, yes, Maddie, there will be presents. It was funny, I tell you, but do you think she would sing one line of "Happy Birthday to Maddie" or even look at her birthday cake when we finally sang to her for real? Nope.
In fact, she was perfectly healthy until about 3:00 on her birthday, when we started hanging streamers, at which point, and I am totally serious, she developed a fever and stopped eating any and all food or drink. She didn't take one bite of her cake, although she did consent to open her presents... Ahem. Before she went to bed, she threw up to solidify her sickness alibi.

The next morning at 6:00 freakin am she woke up chipper, with no sign of fever or illness, and ate four pieces of toast and, yes, some cake. Gotta love that stinker.

We did have lots of fun with all of Maddie's grandmas, even without her consent, and I made my first ever cake. I know that almost everyone I know can make a cuter cake, but I am particularly proud of the frosting. I made it myself and it tasted oh so yummy. MMMM... frosting.

2 Year Old in the House

2009-02-23T16:10:00.000-08:00

I have a two year old! I can't believe this day has finally come.

We can play picnic in the playroom, or dolls, or play dough. In church today, Maddie leaned over and smashed her mouth right into my ear to whisper, "Hello Kitty, upstairs, playroom." After a full body shiver, I passed the message on to Alli.

I love to watch Maddie throw a tea party. She is so serious about it. First, you have to put the teapot under the play kitchen spout. Then you bring it back to the table and fill the cups. This is done by picking up each teacup and hanging it upside down on the spout while making a shushing noise. (Since there isn't any liquid involved, nothing spills). Then the guests arrive, and she divides up the food. "Hungly, mama," she'll say as she puts the plastic chocolate bar on her itty bitty plate.

Her vocabulary is growing every day and my favorite laugh of the day is listening to her sing "Give Said the Little Stream" before bed. "Seennin seennin all a day..." Maddie-speak is always entertaining and cute. "O-lo-me" means, "I just spilled food all over me," and "hose me" means "pick me up."

When Alli was born everything was scary and new to me. When she was a baby, she cried, and I would panic. It was like every moment was a test. "If I can't stop her crying in the next two minutes, I have failed as a human being..." She cried a lot, so there it was. I figured I was a failure.

But this so called failure has also been one of the greatest lessons in my life. You can either walk around all the time thinking you're incompetent, or you can move on. I learned from Alli that I don't have to take myself so seriously all the time. Gasp, I'm not perfect? Oh, no, other people can do things better than me? Sometimes you have to let go of it all and laugh. And then cry. Then repeat as necessary.

As I look back on Maddie's first two years of life, I can see where I've grown, and how we've all enjoyed the moments more. I don't worry myself as much. All I can say is, "Sorry, Alli." I guess someone had to break me in.

Conversations with Maddie

2009-02-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

I came to get Maddie out of her crib the other morning, and I found her stark naked. This is the conversation we had:

"Where are your pajamas Maddie?"

"Jammas, OFF"

"Did you take them off?"

"yeah"

"Maddie, you need to wear your pajamas so you don't get cold."

"I'm freezin" (Brr motions and gritted teeth)

"Tomorrow, can you wear your pajamas all night long?"

"No- jammas -ON!"

I actually already knew that her pajamas were off. She took them off before she fell asleep the night before and the night before that... What am I going to do with this kid?

Ball Pit Bubble Bath

2009-02-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

I've known this day was coming for a year now. Anyone who has ever put one foot inside a Chucky Cheese's is aware of the problem. It's the balls. They stink. So when I hauled that $20 dollar clearance Easy Peasy ball pit up to the check out at Target last year, I thought, "This is an awesome deal, but some day I might regret this." That day was today.

My ball pit wouldn't stink. Not in my house. After all, my kids bathe and change socks every day, so why would that McDonald's Play Land mustiness invade my ball pit? I don't know, but it's happened. You know how you can smell everything just after you shower? Well, I had just taken a shower this morning when I was nearly knocked down by the smell in my living room.

I immediately decided to give the balls a bubble bath in my jetted tub. I figured the jets would work kind of like the swishing of the washing machine. I cannot even express how much fun this was. If laundry was like rolling brightly colored balls in mounds of bubbles, I'd do it every day and not complain.

Rinsing off the bubbles wasn't so fun, though, and I realized that a Clorox bath would have been more practical (but certainly not as fun).

2009-02-03T23:22:00.000-08:00

Lauren, my friend, it's been ten years. Whenever I think of high school, I think of your smile and your pink lipstick. Always glamorous, even at the beach. We had some fun times together then. Now I hardly recognize you. I wish I had known that you were so sad. I wish I had been a real friend to you.

A real friend would have told you that God had a plan for you and that he loved you individually. A real friend wouldn't have kept everything I know about God and heaven and life to myself. I wish you were here again so I could tell you that we come to this earth to get a body so we can learn about happiness. I remember a time when you were happy, and someday I think you'll see that it was always there all around you. I let you down, mistakenly thinking that you were living your life your way and I was living mine and that you would find your own happiness in life. Now you are gone, and I am very very sorry, for whatever that is worth.

May God Bless you and take away your pain.

The Case of the Missing Jewels

2009-01-30T09:51:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Alli is five years old! School is coming: riding the bus, school lunch, and "after school time" are all a few months shy of this moment in time. I have this irrational fear that the age of innocence is ending as well, and all the quiet, controlled mom time we've spent together will be dashed on the rocks of the real world in a tidal wave of "Santa's not real" and "the boys at school told me all about where babies come from, mom." Maybe I'm ready to home-school. Oh, wait. I have no patience for kids.

I suppose Kindergarten will come, no matter what, and it will be a great experience, despite all my fretting. In the meantime, I am trying to savor every "play with me now, mom," and "I'm hungry. Get me some milk, too." Soon her constant energy will be channelled elsewhere, and maybe that will be a good thing for both of us. After all, I can't be her sole source of excitement forever. There's a whole big world out there for her, and she's ready to take it on. There, now I've gone and made myself cry.

So anyway, the point is that we had a great big Alli-pa-looza this past weekend to celebrate her five year old coming of age. It was a Nancy Drew Detective Party, which Alli decided on two months ago. Let me just say that I have a thing for matching everything, and there isn't a single Nancy Drew party item for sale anywhere in the world. I looked. Hard.

So we improvised, and the result was a lot of fun. First Johnny Jewel thief made an appearance and our detectives in training got fingerprinted and donned name badges and "evidence bags" before heading down to the basement to recover the lost jewels, aka craft rhinestones, that were hidden all over the floor. They absolutely loved this, which surprised me a little. After all, I did search high and low on the Internet for mystery games, but all of them required reading skills. When I came up with "let's scatter sparkly stuff all over the floor and let them pick it up," I didn't intuitively know it was a winner.

Next we went on a good old fashioned scavenger hunt using the compass, magnifying glass, and binoculars that I put in the party favor bags. At the end of the hunt they found the party favor "detective paraphernalia," and I pronounced them detectives for real.

My friend Konnie, who is even more amazing than I thought, made a magnifying glass cake for me. Those cake decorating classes came in handy, although I think it takes more than a class to create a cake artist. It was even better than I expected, which is a huge improvement on the last birthday cake I bought from Smith's which was much worse than I expected... I'm lucky to have so many talented friends. Thanks Konnie.

Now the party planner in me can go on vacation for another blissful 11 months.

Conversations with Alli: Part II

2008-12-18T17:10:00.000-08:00

Alli, always on the cutting edge of vocabulary, has changed a few things around lately. Knowing her, it seems like she must be doing it on purpose. I can't really imagine she doesn't know the difference, especially when I've told her a few times. She's goofy sometimes and likes to make mistakes on purpose.

"I'm going to shuffle the drive, mom."

"Let's watch that smoofie dog on Charlie Brown."

During a pretend trip to the ice-skating rink, Alli said: "You better be on your best behave, Maddie, or you can't skate." This is all the funnier because I've never ever said that momism to her before.

This month Maddie has also been working on her vocabulary, and we laugh at her all day long. She can now string two words together to make small sentences. The first was, "Daddy's... home." She says each word in the sentence as if it is standing alone, so there is a little pause inbetween. She can also say "C'mon...Alli" and "No...Bed!"

Claus is coming!

2008-12-18T16:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas is coming, and we're dusting off the Christmas cookie cutters, preparing some magic reindeer food, and on occasion, visiting with the big man himself for quick pictures and last minute gift wishing. But what happens when Alli's wish is a new one, and Santa's already bought her present? What's an elf to do then?

After hustling around to eight employee Christmas parties, (well, it was a lot, I don't know exactly how many) and rounding up "ten dollar limit" gifts for people I've never met, it's almost time to really celebrate the season. And that means wrapping the little tongue depressor man that Alli made for her Dad in a ridiculously over sized box with the tacky store bows I swore off when I was prideful and living outside our means...

But I love homemade Christmas presents. I think they're awesome and deserve the pomp and circumstance of a good wrapping job. Who needs another gift card, anyway?

My Mom's also been helping us get into the Christmas spirit this year with some new coats for Alli and Maddie. Maddie likes to wear hers all day Sunday, and she won't take it off even to play in the nursery. Whenever she has it on she struts around like she's ten feet tall, when in fact she's smaller than everyone. It gives her a little attitude, which is really funny.

We've done our shopping and planned our holiday meals. Now it's time to light up those high voltage bulbs on the front of our house and turn on the Christmas train. Before long we'll be sipping cranberry cider and eating cinnamon rolls to the pleasant sound of paper tearing and kids screaming--it's almost Christmas!

A Conversation with Alli

2008-12-02T15:14:00.000-08:00

Alli: "We need to send out my birthday invitations because I'm going to be too busy in January, and I know that you are going to be busy too."

Me: "What are you going to be so busy with?"

Alli, after thinking it over: "Paperdolls."

2008-11-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

This Halloween Alli was ready. She knew the drill, she'd done it before, and it was time to show her stuff. At 4:30 she was already at the door, saying, "I see trick-or-treaters! Let's go, let's go!"

Maddie, on the other hand, was entirely unaware of what was coming. We practiced saying "chich-a-cheet" a few times before we left, but otherwise she was completley unprepared. Once we got to the first door, however, all that changed. She got wind of candy involvement, and her little hand was urgently smacking our neighbor's door with that flat handed high five knock that toddlers use. As soon as the door opened, she yelled, "chich-a-cheet" and made for the candy. She's a very shy little girl, but not when it comes to candy, I guess. I was surprised to see her approach a strange doorstep, much less interact with another person.

Maddie was so enthralled with Halloween, that I couldn't even get her to smile for a single picture. She was too busy working the street. Here she is with a look of determination on her face:

The day after Halloween we were able to take Alli and Maddie around to visit all the Grandparents who didn't get to see the costumes the day before. They looked great this year, I must say, and thanks again to my sister-in-law Alicia who let us borrow her awesome costumes. We visited Ty's mom in the hospital, who is doing much better this week after losing consciousness last week from diabetic related issues. Hopefully we didn't wreak too much havoc while there, but at least the girls got to see Grandma looking more like herself.

Then we went to my Grandma's for her annual Halloween party, which is always fun. We ate our carved apples, and played fun games like "pass the ring" and "who can get to the duck-taped chocolate fastest." My only regret was that we didn't play "glow in the dark musical coffins" this year because I think I could have wrestled away the last coffin and won for once.

Happy Halloween!

Car Fort

2008-10-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

My kids love to play in the car while it's parked in the garage. I know what you're thinking: "Is this code for, 'we're homeless now and living out of our car, aka 'clubhouse'?" But no, it's just their favorite place to play. They've been out there for the past twenty minutes while I've been cooking dinner. When I go check on them, they tell me to go away, so I do. That's one command I will always follow.

When I was a kid, I was always facinated with little spaces. The best birthday present I can remember was a green vinyl umbrella that I used for playing house, propping up fort tunnels and accesorizing my favorite purple mini skirt (My waist didn't quite catch up to my legs until I got to college). The tighter the space, the cooler the fort, I always thought. Unfortunately, that hasn't quite translated well into adulthood. I'm pretty sure that small spaces are not desireable for living with toddlers, and that real houses are better than car houses. I'll let you know if my mind changes on this matter, but for now, that's the way I see it.

Little Witches

2008-10-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

We had our ward Halloween party last night, and I took a few pictures of the girls in their Halloween costumes. Alli decided last week that she wanted to be a witch, based on a song she sang in school called "I'm a little fat witch, my name is rose" sung to the tune of "I'm a little teapot." My sister in law, Alicia, let me borrow these costumes that her girls wore two years ago for Halloween. She added a lot of the pizazz herself, so they are quite fun.

At the party we had chili and played games at the church. Then our bishopric had a pie eating contest and the only sad part, for me, was that I didn't get to shove my face in a huge pudding pie as well. After all, the dessert was all gone by the time I made it to the front of the line. Shoot. Maybe at my Grandma's party this year there will be a pie eating contest...I've always wanted to be ear deep in whipped cream and yummy pie, but it just hasn't happened for me yet.

Our friends, Rick and Lorien, are in China this week getting their little boy after years of paperwork and spending money hand over fist on adoption necessities. They toured the Forbidden City and the Great Wall yesterday, and flew to Lanzhou today, I think, to pick up Luke. We talked to them for 2cents a minute on skype the other day. It was so cool because it didn't even seem like they were on the other side of the world. Technology has come a long way since I was in China almost ten years ago.

We talked for free over the internet then as well, but there was a three second delay and it was hard to hear. It would go like this:

"Hi..."
"Hello?" "Oh, Hi"

"How are y...What? Oh, yeah Hello."

After a few exchanges like this, the person on the other end would feign a technology malfunction and hang up in frustration.

The Witching Hour

2008-10-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

We spent the day scavenging for witches at Gardner's village Saturday, along with about a thousand other people. It's our tradition every October to go pick pumpkins at a pumpkin patch, while also taking advantage of all the scenic backdrops so advantageously placed round about the pumpkins. It seems like the best pictures of the year come from this day, and thus, it's very important for posterity. This year, however, I bought pumpkins for .09 a pound at the grocery store. I saved like $8 on pumpkins, but then I thought, "Oh no! The precious photo-ops." Instead, we took a bunch of pictures at Gardner's Village, and, though they aren't as festive, they'll have to do for this year.

In reality, Ty and I have not been great at taking pictures to document the fun things we've done as a family. It seems like the camera always has a dead battery, or gets left at home- like on our honeymoon in Maui...that still irks me. But on this particular day, I was prepared. I charged the battery, put the camera in my purse the night before, and spent time doing both my girls' hair before we left.
It was quite a lot of work, actually. Alli hates having her hair touched, even to brush it, and I had to endure several stages of a temper tantrum just to get her to put her hair in pigtails so she could decide later to just wear a hat.
And I've decided something. When you do all of that work, the entire experience is about stopping to take another picture. That was the day. It was lots of fun, but I think it would have been even more fun without the camera and with disheveled hair. Sure, people might give each other disgusted looks at the macaroni scum sticking to my kid's faces and hair, and we wouldn't look like the fairy tale family that we totally are when stopped in front of the tea parlor by old work acquaintances, but then I ask myself, "Do I really care?"

Yeah, sometimes. But I'm going to stop beating myself up about our lack of family photo documentation. At least we're out having fun, and in my memories there is never any macaroni scum anyway.

Pictures

2008-10-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

These are just a few snapshots we took for people on missions, who will not be named, who keep asking for more pictures... And here is Maddie making her "grrr" face.

It's hard to make this one act seriously, but at least this isn't one of the many where her upper lip is sticking out.
And that's my pretty girl.
I hope those of you who know who you are, are now satisfied. (And keep on doing a great job preaching the good word.)

Ode to my Garden

2008-10-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

Our yard has served us well. It's big and grassy, and it has a full grown tree in the midst of it, (which habitually loses gigantic limbs with each new wind storm). Some said we should remove it when we were building, but I love it, even with a few less branches. The problem, really, is our lack of neighbors. We have none. Not on any side at all. What that means is weeds and bugs, which have deadened big sections of our grass. Even still, as Frost said, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall."

But one thing has outperformed all of my expectations and become the new love of my life, next to my family of course. That thing is my garden. I planted last spring, and it grew stuff, to my surprise. I weeded it and watered it and fussed over it, and eventually, I loved it. I've noticed that about a lot of things in life. The more work you have to put into them, the more attached you get. Like my kids, for example. Who knew?

Here is the tomato box, which held way too many plants for the space. (Like I said, my expectations were initially low.) I have pulled boxes and boxes of tomatoes off these plants, and each one brings me unadulterated joy. This year, the foods of summer came straight from my own backyard. Bruschetta. Panzanella. Tomato Caprese. It seems like you can never have enough of Mozzarella cheese, vine ripened tomatoes and basil during the summer months.

This is a Caprese I made the other night. You layer the tomato, mozz, and basil, and then sprinkle liberally with Salt, Pepper, and EVOO. If you have a penchant for balsamic vinegar, which I really do, then sprinkle some on top. If you're more in the mood for bread, chop all of this up with some artisan bread, cubed, and let it marinate for about 30 minutes for a quick Panzanella. Sometimes it's the crunch I'm after, and I make bruschetta instead, so I can toast the bread and eat it that way. In any form, you really can't go wrong. Well, as long as there's Balsamic vinegar somewhere in the mix.

I was so taken with my ability to produce food, that I even canned some tomatoes, so as not to see them go to waste. That is not a process that I relish, but it's still fun to have the sauce. It reminds me of, yes, my garden, and how much I still love it.

Then there were the peppers that were supposed to be red, and the snap peas that blew out of the garden and replanted themselves inbetween the boxes in three seperate locations...Those plants actually produced more peas than the one in the box. Maddie, it turns out, will eat next to nothing, but loves peas from the garden. Occasionally I found the odd tomato lying on the ground with two little rows of teeth marks, but she didn't catch on to the taste of tomatoes. Oh how I love to garden.

And I already know just what I want to do next year...

Maddie the Sock Monkey and Other Fun Tidbits

2008-09-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially over, and our thoughts begin turning towards indoor mayhem to replace the wet and otherwise dirty escapades of past months. Last week we re-enacted the bear hunt that I remember from childhood. I printed some pictures of bears off the computer and hid them sereptitiously in the bathroom "cave." Then I prepared my build up speech. Flashlight in hand, I approached Alli with one simple directive: "Do you want to go on a bear hunt?"

We sat down in the playroom and sang the song, only I changed the locations to places in our house. So instead of wading through the cornfield, we "came to a table" and so on and so forth. Then we set out on our trek. After crawling under the dining room table and climbing up and over the couch, I asked Alli if she saw any bears. She took on her matter of fact tone and said, "No Mom. There aren't any bears. And there aren't going to be any bears in the cave either."

Maybe she hadn't yet heard of a little thing called Mom Magic, but she would soon learn. We ended up in the bathroom, in the dark, with our flashlight lit. When she discovered the first bear taped to the sink faucet, she nearly went into hysterics. Then we spent the next hour finding bears with our flashlight. After the third time, I made her hide them, and the game became self perpetuating.

On another long afternoon, we decided to make "crayon glitter." I rounded up all the old crayon stubbs and we chopped them and melted them in the oven. Alli got really nervous when I started chopping the pink and purple crayons, but she caught the vision once she got her hands on some of the confetti colored fun.

As a side note, both of these ideas originated from my friend Ashley, who is a great mom. I hope I can be like her when I grow up.

2008-09-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

Once there was a girl. One day she met a boy. He was funny, and he fixed her car...You see, it all began at a little restaurant in Provo called Wrapsody. After teaching her to warm tortillas and ladle salsa, he...left on his mission for two years, and left her all alone. She was sad, but muddled through somehow. When he came home, girl and boy decided to get married as soon as possible, and the rest is history.

On September 20th we celebrated our 6th anniversary at The Roof in Salt Lake City. Ever since we were first married, we've hidden a certain duck, recently dubbed "beaker," in places around the house such as the refridgerater or dryer for the other person to find. It's been a semi-ongoing joke, but the duck hasn't seen much action lately. Until yesterday. Last week I mailed the duck and a card to my friend Konnie who lives in Salt Lake, so she could take it over to the restaurant. When we walked up to our table, there was the duck. It was really funny, and then we got to spend the night looking out at the rooftop of the temple while eating yummy food. It was a great night.

A day in the life

2008-09-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

Today, Maddie will wake up and yell for someone to come get her out of her crib. I will sneak in and say "Boo," and then she will run excitedly from one side of the crib to the other until collapsing and hiding her eyes to tease me. Then we will go into Alli's room and crawl under her blanket with her. Alli will want to know what fun things we will do today, and I will try to think of some.

Then we will eat some toast, (not the crusts), for breakfast and begin the marathon "getting ready" procedure. Alli will make her bed and clean up her room while I make the other beds and take a shower. At some point, Alli will ask if she can watch cartoons.

If you let Alli watch cartoons, she will want to know all of the shows recorded on the DVR, so she can make her decision. If she decides to watch "signing time," she'll ask if that means she can play on the internet later in the day. Once she watches her cartoon, she'll want to play outside or ask her friend Elaina to come over and play. If Elaina comes to play, I will get a break and shout "hooray!" If I get a break, I'll get some laundry folded in the afternoon and have dinner ready early. If not, I'll watch Oprah and forget the rest.

But Alli won't watch cartoons today. She's going to pre-shool, so she won't have time. Instead, she will hurry and get ready so we aren't late. After I pick her up from pre-shool, we'll have lunch. Maddie won't eat more than two bites of food because she's a stinker, and Alli will have a peanut butter and honey sandwich. After lunch, Maddie will sit in her bed and say "ya-ya-ya" for an hour until I give up on nap and go get her. At dinner, she will barely be able to keep her head up in her highchair.

After dinner, Ty will suggest that we go on a walk and we'll all go. Alli will ride her bike and Maddie will ride in her stroller. Ty and I will look at our neighbors lawns and talk about grand landscaping schemes that we will never be able to afford in the near future while Alli yells at us for getting too far ahead of her. She will insist on being first during the whole walk and ride slowly or not at all most of the time to ensure that she's never actually first. Then we'll go through the Tippet's "car wash" sprinklers and Maddie will giggle as the water splashes her. Before turning homeward, we'll stop to pet the Couchman's horse. Maddie will get very excited about this and make "neighing" sounds. After baths, Alli and Maddie will both go to sleep peacefully.

I swear I didn't pose this picture...

2008-09-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

Some things never change, right? Like mother, like daughter. You could describe Alli as, "sweet," "playful," "kind," or "ready to please." You could also take a good look at reality and describe Alli as "willful." I believe that's the psycho-analytical term for it. This makes for a very exciting mix of emotions in our household. One minute Alli is singing joyfully as she runs circles around the kitchen island and the next she's slamming her bedroom door and refusing to come out because she didn't get to decide who said the prayer.

Many kids with her personality get the "children should be seen and not heard" lecture over and over and the persistent "sit still" advice till the moment their tired eyes finally close as night.

While Alli certainly requires extra energy, I think it's important to remember that the very qualities that extract punishment in childhood are the same ones that achieve accolades in adulthood. Leadership, for example. Persistence in the face of futility. Stubborness, even, is the mark of a fine moralist. I hope with every once of my own overactive willpower that Alli will be this kind of adult, and I'm proud to be her mom-even today.

Something for Nothing

2008-08-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

With all the hoopla about crazy gas prices and economic doom and gloom, I've decided to take some action. I've always been a worried shopper. It's like that "best price" log is somehow embedded in my brain against my will. I'll run into Albertson's to grab some Mayonnaise and think "It's on sale for $4.49? That's ridiculous! It was only $2.36 at Wal-Mart when I bought it there like 8 months ago." Then it's literally painful for me to purchase it, and odds are I won't, and we'll have no mayo for a week until I can get to Wal-Mart and fight my way up to a checkout stand with two whining kids. So I'm not taking it any more. I'm ready for something to go my way, and for 5 months now I've been cutting coupons. But before you jump to any rash conclusions about what this means about me personally or even philosophically, let me explain.

My friend's neighbor runs one of those coupon websites, and 6 months ago she took me down to her basement to see her personal grocery store. I say store because she has aisles down there. You can walk up and down them. Whenever she wants, she can traipse downstairs and pick out just about anything you would ever need to sustain life or keep it clean.

The first thing she said when we walked in was, "Pick anything in here, and I'll tell you how much I paid for it." And so began my interrogation:

"How much for these Lucky Charms?"
"50 cents."
"And the Herbal Essence?"
"Free."
"Oatmeal?"
"20 cents."
"What about the Pasta Roni?"
"ten cents."
"Are you insane?"

I really think that's the first thing crossing anyone's mind when they come across a couponer. Seriously, "Are you obsessed? OCD?" Or worse: "Are you...cheap?" My new coupon friend passed her legacy of irritated cashiers on to me, and now I'm the one walking out of Albertson's with 6 boxes of Dora Band-aids for free. Just experiment upon the word my friends. And the cashiers get over it. They're happy if you're happy and don't yell at them when the computer doesn't scan correctly (which is every time).

Ty's favorite sale was the Powerade deal where I bought 6 Powerades and Wal-Mart gave methree dollars to take them out of the store. He liked it because he got to drink Powerade at home for once. I liked it because it was free.

Now I can walk through my own cold storage and tell you exactly how much every single thing in there cost. It's like a game to see how low you can really go. It turns out that coupons are fun to me and that my "best price" log is useful for once. I'll even get up early if I have to, which is a really big surprise to everyone.

Judgment Day

2008-08-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

We met at the base of the temple, where more and more family members slowly joined our group that finally congregated under the "New Missionaries Enter Here" sign, like Nephi meeting Lehi under the branches of the Tree of Life. We quietly filed into a large room: grandparents, mothers, fathers, children, and missionaries, all united in one purpose as we sat and wept together, reminiscing over the "good old days" and the changes to come. Then Ryan went in one door, and we filed out another. It was like Judgment Day, except that I'm not sure which door led to freedom.

Nevertheless, we're so excited to have two missionaries serving in our family right now. Mimi, in the Washington DC mission, and Ryan heading to Melbourne Australia in October to teach the gospel in Mandarin.

Friends

2008-07-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

July 21, 2008: The day Alli and Maddie started playing together.

It started out innocently enough. Alli was bugging Maddie like she's prone to do, poking her, hitting her over the head with stuff, blocking her way so she can't get by. The usual. But this time it was different. Maybe it was the amazing three hour nap Maddie had just taken, or maybe it was nothing more than the planets in alignment, but this time there was a subtle difference that changed everything: she laughed. Alli poked her again and there it was, as fresh as the diaper wrapped haphazardly around her skinny little bum: another giggle. As far as I can tell, that did it, and now they are bosom buddies. (As a side-bar, I so cannot wait for Alli to read Anne of Green Gables and start using phrases like bosom friends.)

There is a law irrevocably decreed that when it is hot and you are in the company of your very best sister, as Alli now saw she was, you must find water. I was actually on my way outside to drain the kiddie pool from earlier in the day, when Alli discovered this glorious boon. Before I knew what was happening, Alli was down to her underwear, clothes strewn across the lawn in a haphazard trail, with Maddie fast on her heels. Even though she can't talk, Maddie made it very clear that she wanted in that pool, and so I did the only thing I could. I stripped her down as well and put her in the pool where her diaper soon ballooned to the bursting point. There was no time to go in and get the swim diaper, you see. Then I did the next most obvious thing. I took pictures.

The rest of the week has been the same story. They play, they laugh, and I relax. Life is good.

Alli has been so tired from all the play, that she falls asleep on cue. I took this picture at around 11:00 pm earlier this week. Her teddy bear Veronica is holding Alli's sippy cup, two things she can't go to bed without, and there are two additions. The barbie dolls are lined up next to her head in a neat lineup, and all are sleeping peacefully. I don't know how she fell asleep like that.

to the temple

2008-07-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

My parents live across the street from the new draper temple that is under construction. On Tuesday, we went up to watch the workers hoist the angel Moroni up to his post atop the steeple. On the ground, that guy is huge! There were a couple hundred onlookers, and it was like waiting in line at the Eiffel Tower for your photo op. We managed to sneak in and take this photo. The crane lifted him up with a bunch of cords attached to the bottom, and then some men in a cherry picker pulled the cords until he was positioned over the pole on the steeple. They spent about ten minutes turning him this way and that once he was secured, I'm guessing with a compass in hand, so he pointed East. The whole thing took about 15 minutes once they got started.

Games

2008-07-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by my friend Ashley's blog and got a little creative with summer downtime last week. I am shamelessly copying her post, but we tend to do that. Cut our hair the same, have our ovaries removed while pregnant... that sort of thing. Hopefully she won't mind. The game started out innocently enough as a "let's make pretty colors," quick sale, but I tend to overdo things sometimes,and eventually I created the "let's make a color wheel game." First we guessed what would happen if we put two colors in the same cup, and then I arranged them in a color wheel to show Alli the color progression from primary to secondary colors. Looking back, I guess it got a little out of hand...

Another game we like to play is tea party. Finding a cute adult sized tea set is actually on my want list. In the meantime, I make do with Alli's. It's really hard to get enough food on those little plates, although we've tried everything from brownies to pretzels to the timeless childhood standby-- grapes. In the teapot? Lemonade, of course.

Words Alli's Say

2008-05-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

Ever since Alli was first learning to talk, she's had fun with made up words. I think it's from her Dad because he does it as well. For example, there are three made up friends that Alli talks about from time to time. The leader of these little guys is Chonchy, and Alli mentions him the most. The other two are Side-Joe and Leurkler. Ty went through a phase after watching the movie Sahara where he wanted to have a funny side-kick, and this may have influenced Alli on this issue. Otherwise, don't ask me where she comes up with this stuff. One day Ty was listening to Alli talk to herself- she does that as well, but I'm thinking that's normal.

Anyway, she said, "Dear Chonchy. I don't like you. Signed Leurkler." Poor Leurkler. He always get the short end of it. Whenever Alli asks another one of her endless questions, Ty will say "I don't know. Why don't you ask Leurkler."

In Richmond, while we were having lunch with my friend Keely, Alli said to her: "You're a silly ho-ho." Luckily for me, Keely isn't actually from Virginia (see my last post), so she wasn't offended but amused. Later Alli explained to me very patiently that Ho-ho is the name of the monkey on Ni Hao Kai Lan, a show about a little Chinese girl. Oh, it's all coming back to me now.

Lately Madie has been getting in on the fun as well. She doesn't say many words, but she has two all purpose sounds. The first is "dis" she repeats it over and over until you get what she wants. The other sound she makes is "burf," which means: "I"m really mad at you." When she says "burf" or "buf" in sequence she's downright ticked. It comes underscored with a whine, so it's not hard to understand.

The language of childhood is the mother of invention, and I hope they never lose the creativity they have right now.

Reasons why one year olds should be put under house arrest

2008-05-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

We just got back from the most beautiful place on the planet. It's a little known secret: the state of Virginia is nature's wonderland. The weather, while hot enough to remind you that you're still in the south, is just breezy enough to keep you cool, and the trees and rivers and blue sky never end. If I get any say so, heaven will be like Virginia.

My parents, brother, and my little clan headed east last week for a last hurrah before Ryan goes on his mission to Australia, (mandarin speaking). I use the word "hurrah" because we stayed in historic Williamsburg and all the actors kept saying that. I'm not really sure what it is supposed to mean, but it's helping me get in the right frame of mind to write my story here.

Williamsburg is a "living history" experience where you can tour a lot of restored colonial buildings and talk to the people in costume about life during the Revolution. It's sort of like a theme park for seniors. There were a lot of seniors there, despite the fact that the street is a mile long and not easy on the feet. There were also a lot of other types there, but the seniors are the ones that stood out the most.

Senior Specimen number one had a room next door to ours. On the first morning, after going to bed at 8:30 for fear of waking Madie up in her port-o-crib, we were met in the hallway by this lovely 74 year old lady.

"Let's call a truce," she said, looking at us sternly. "I just had heart surgery, and I need my rest." Are we at war? we asked ourselves. We soon understood that a continual door slamming was the cause of her restless night, and she assumed that we let our children run loose in the hotel slamming doors until wee hours of the night. I assured her that this was not the case. We were in bed, like I said.

"Did you hear the baby cry?" I asked, since Madie woke us up at 4:00 am. to my utter horror.

"Oh, yes, I certainly did," she attested, although I really don't think she did. Baby crying is way more annoying than door slamming, so that would definitely make up my opening argument if I were the truce caller, which I wasn't. I was the berated mother.

She didn't bother us after that, although she did corner the maid with a barrage of other room numbers that needed severe discipline in the children department. Oh, we love those elderly tantrums. It's sort of endearing when you reach a certain age. Ty says I haven't reached it yet.

Senior Specimen number two was the gentleman at the spa. We had severe issues getting Madie to go to sleep, and the two hour time change didn't help. The best idea we had all week was to take the kids down to the hot tub right before bed to mellow them out. The pool area closed at 9:00, which was just perfect.

On our way out of the pool, the man says, "Isn't it past your bedtime, little lady?" to Alli, in that annoying judgmental way that still sounds upbeat to the untrained ear.

"Not in Utah it isn't," I told him without even breaking stride.

So things are different in Virginia. Even with the wonderful scenery and easy going weather, they tend to have a stricter standard of proper behavior. I guess there are benefits to living in Utah where children are accepted and not just tolerated. I asked one waitress for a baby sling and she looked at me like I was crazy. That was the same restaurant, by the way, where Ryan found the bumper sticker "Your body may be a temple, but mine is an amusement park." Funny.

I wouldn't even have cared about the slams to my motherly judgment if not for one small cup of ice.

On the plane to Richmond, Madie knocked over an empty airline cup and spilled ice and a little water on the woman's feet sitting behind us. After swearing under her breath for ten minutes of the flight, she finally said, "there's something dripping back here." I couldn't help it, and I think I giggled a little. It was kind of humorous.

We told her it was just water and we were sorry. End of story?

As I was waiting for my stroller at the plane door, the woman exited the plane and muttered: "I can't stand all these idiots who bring their kids on planes. Completely ridiculous." Well, welcome to Virginia to you too!

For these reasons, and other cantankerous Madie moments throughout the trip, I am declaring that one year olds should be put under house arrest. They are not yet fit for the public eye.

Teenage Woes

2008-05-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

My daughter Alli is as friendly and outgoing as I'm reserved and careful in social settings. A month ago we went to a friend's house for a game night. There was a boy there--one that Alli and her friend Livi have known since they were born. For some reason, on this particular occasion, this boy was the object of much admiration, causing Alli and her friend to compete for his attention. Did I mention that my daughter is 4? Anywho, Alli didn't do well in the standoff, and Nathan, the man of the hour, let Livi hold his hand instead of Alli. I would feel for Alli, except that by the end of the night Alli and Livi were exchanging Valentines while Nathan languished. Neither one of them would give the poor boy the time of day. I'm sure he can glean some life lessons from the experience.
You would think that the incident ended there, due to the age of the participants and the obvious lack of 4 year old social capitol. They don't exactly have the capacity to understand complex relationship dynamics. Or do they?
A few weeks later, Alli and I were playing dolls in the playroom. She stopped playing and said to me, in all seriousness: "I will never forget the night when I was disgraced by Nathan." After collecting myself, I tried to reassure her that Nathan was just "silly" that night.
She wasn't buying it. "He doesn't like me," she said, like the world was about to stop mid-rotation.
"That's not true. The next time you play, I'm sure everything will be fine," I said, wondering if I was dreaming in teenage land and needed to wake myself up.
Then came the funniest sentence Alli has ever uttered. It was: "But if he sees Livi, he'll feel a special attraction to her, and he won't know that I'm special."
I told her that I thought she was special, and she said, "Thanks, mom, that makes me feel happy."
So there you have it. My four year old is an old soul.

My first blog

2008-05-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

It feels a little strange to broadcast my life before the world at large, but everyone else is doing it, so why not me...I've always been one to follow the crowd. Actually, I like to think I'm authentic in every way, but let's be honest: we are all influenced by life. Plus, blogging is the new e-mail. Even I'm not that stubborn and have to concede that, yes, I need a blog in just the same way that I need cable and a gym membership-- to remain connected, not only in my daily life, but to those that mostly only exist to me now in cyberspace: college room-mates, extended family, and misc. old friends. To all of you, I say welcome to my world, up close and as personal as the internet can make it.