The Daily Life

Story

2012-02-11T19:07:00.000-06:00

Here's why I wanted a frying pan for a present from my husband. Really, it could have come from anyone, but since D is the one who will be benefiting from my amazing culinary skills, I think he saw the need and strove to fill it. What a good husband.

Back to why I wanted a frying pan.
And not just any frying pan.
A Lodge Logic 12" cast iron pre-seasoned frying pan.

When I went to visit my parents in January, I did a bit of cooking.
"Bit" may be an understatement.
I did a WHOLE LOT of cooking.
But, why would I want to travel, 'literally' (said like Chris from Parks and Recreation) 1,800 miles in one direction.... to COOK?
Two words: no kids.
It was awesome. I got to cook and no one was fighting/hitting/playing-under-foot/talking incessantly etc...etc...etc...
Have you children? Do you cook? Then you know what I'm saying. It's almost impossible to do what you need to make GOOD food.

But it was wonderful. Sans kiddos I made:
2 full size Texas Sheet Cakes
Chili (Rick Bayless is my hero)
Chicken Tikka Masala (Pioneer Woman is my heroine)
Biscuits/eggs/fried potatoes/ Jimmy Dean Sausage (that I hauled all the way up from the states!- guess what you CAN'T get in Canada?) (Also, my Dad is my Hero)
Carrot Cake (Betty is the woman on this one) with the most amazing Mascarpone/Cream Cheese/Heavy Whipping Cream frosting. The calorie count on the frosting alone has to be over 1,000 calories!!!
3 pans of cinnamon rolls (and again, my Dad is the one to listen to. You were right dad. Don't be stingy with the brown sugar. Nor the butter. Nor the pecans. You know what- just be generous with everything)
And doubled my favorite Julia Child roast chicken recipe, plus sauce and asparagus.

Granted, the asparagus turned out significantly over-done. So, no score on that.
But everything else was, if I say so myself, GOOD.
So, take that naysayers from my youth. I CAN cook.

But while I was making all this food, I was introduced to the cast iron skillet.
Oh. my.
Lovely, easy to cook with, perfectly done everything, great sear, great flavor...
I could go on.
Perhaps I should write a sonnet:

Oh Skillet of my heart you cook so well
You brown and sear the beef, the chicken too
When hot and oil'd thy flavors blend to swell
The hearts of those who eat of food from you.

I could go on. There ARE another 10 lines of rhymed iambic pentameter for this particular work.
Should I publish? Just think of it- a whole tome of sonnets about cookware.
I'm thinking Pulitzer. You're probably thinking "round file".

But since I have returned from my Great White North adventure, I have been jones-ing for a cast iron skillet. It's the pan of choice. I may never have to buy another frying pan. Ever.
All-Clad can eat my shorts.
Cast iron just stole my heart.

Valentine's present

2012-02-11T16:23:00.001-06:00

In the immortal words of Flynn Rider:
Frying Pans! Who knew, right?!

Happy V-day to me! Thanks lovey. It's perfect. And it will always fit.

Nap time

2012-02-08T15:27:00.003-06:00

No longer exists.

I'm devastated.

No more afternoon naps for me.

I'm going to bed tonight at 9.

Update

2012-02-04T09:41:00.000-06:00

I just checked out this website: www.Sproost.com to take their personal style quiz.
They say I'm a 'Cottage Chic' gal. I guess that's true. I like light neutrals, a few fun-color pieces, and cozy spaces. At least, that's what they say I like.

Decorating

2012-02-04T09:33:00.000-06:00

I have no personal interior decorating style.

No, no. It's true.

Here's my problem: I like it all.
Southwest? Great colors, patterns, textures.
Mod? Clean lines, bright, spacious.
Victorian? Beautiful attention to detail, woods, and lush fabrics.

Paintings? I love 'em all. Except for the boring ones. You know the kind. The ones you find at Hobby Lobby. ugh.

Photos? Fantastic! Except, again, for the self-indulgent, pointless ones. Paris at midnight overlooking a bridge on the Seine, focused toward the Eiffel Tower? Pu-lease.
Give me Ansel Adams. Or other EXCELLENT work.

What color is my couch? Stone.
How about my furniture? Brown wood. Mismatched too.
What is framed? A family picture. And a quartet of other pictures starring my family.
Well, what colors are your frames? Brown and beige. It's true.

I have no personal style.

I wish I were one of those people who can decorate with eclectic pieces and make it work. My sister is like that- but then, she's always been able to collage well. Do you remember when we had that assignment in the 5th grade to create a collage of ourselves? Your collage was in the shape of a peace sign and you had shoved all the pictures you could onto it and it looked fantastic! Mine was a square, and the pictures were ordered side to side in neat lines and spaces. Bo-ring and dull. And your room was always full of things that were interesting to you- odd signs, vintage suitcases as coffee tables, that TV tray you decoupaged a million pictures of David Duchovny onto- it was all brilliant, always laced with the same color: green.

I need a place to start. A color. An idea. A direction.

I NEED A DIRECTION.

Otherwise, I dread the day when my house turns into a mishmash of half-finnished pinterest projects. Or worse, toll painting. (shudder)

Kissy face

2012-02-03T11:05:00.000-06:00

In my family, we kiss.
It's a perfectly normal and appropriate way to say from one person to another, "I love you, respect you and want to show my appreciation for all the wonderful things you are to me".
As children, we would all kiss our parents after each family prayer, my parents would kiss after every meal-time prayer, we children would all kiss our parents hello and goodbye. We still do this.
My Mom is the BEST kisser. She kisses everyone! I love it. Now, to be clear, she's not kissing everyone on the lips, because that's inappropriate. And the Simpson's are all about appropriate-ness. And if you buy that, I have a pig with wings I'd like to sell to you
But in all honesty, we love to kiss.

Yesterday, I realized the power of kissing.

My kindergartener was waiting for me to pick him up from school yesterday. As I drove up to the available spot, he was escorted to the car by the Vice Principal. As a side note, the Principal, the Vice and I are all well-aquainted by now:)
As I'm getting James loaded into the car, the Vice tells me, "I just wanted to let you know we had a little kissing incident today."
"What?!", I said.
Yelled is more what I did.
"Yes", he explained, "James kissed another little boy on the lips in class today. But we had a little chat about not kissing our friends and I think things are all okay."
Imagine my surprise.

So, in the car, I asked James about it. He said that he did, indeed, kiss another little boy ("his name is Sam, mom") on the lips.
When I asked him WHY he would do such a thing, he said simply, "He was pretending to be Star Of The Week, but he's not, so I kissed him."

What do you say to that?!!!

I chuckled and clarified that he kissed this little boy (poor guy!) in self-defense. How often do you think of kissing as a tool for defense? I can just see the Karate Kid getting his a** kicked just after kissing the Cobra Kai dude for a winning point. Geez.

But would you rather have a kiss or a punch in the face?
Kissing just seems more peaceful.

pictures

2012-02-02T13:56:00.000-06:00

What my five-year-old said

2012-02-02T07:13:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, after a long day of teaching lessons both gymnastic in nature and musical, I arrived home with my children in tow to get ready for a night of more lessons. ('look, more lembas bread'. I'm such a nerd)
As I was removing James from the car and moving to get Oliver, he said:
"Mommy, do you have a baby in your tummy?"
Stunned, I looked down as he came over to my side, looking at my abdomen with a sweet, soft look on his face.
"No, James. Mommy does not have a baby in her tummy."
Determined that I am not telling the truth, J continues to look at my tummy and then pats it. Gently.
"Yes you do."
"Does it look like I have a baby in my tummy?"
"Yes. You have a baby in your tummy."

It's no longer a question. It's a statement of fact.

To be clear, I am not pregnant.

But my five-year-old certainly thinks I am.

Back to the ol' drawing board. I might need more core work.

Worlds Easiest Focaccia Bread

2012-01-08T16:54:00.000-06:00

It's not often I post recipes on this blog, but I should probably share the new hit of the daily house: Focaccia Bread.
It's made with my pizza dough recipe which I altered from my sister-in-law's version.
I hope you can use it.

2.5 cups flour
1 T Fleischmann's breadmachine yeast
2.5 T sugar
1/2 t salt
Mix in a bowl
Heat water in a tea kettle until you hear it start to boil.
Turn off the heat immediately.
Measure 1 C water and add 2 T Olive Oil to the hot water.
Make a well in the flour mix and add the water/oil mix all at once.
Beat into submission, or until all the wet stuff is incorporated.
cover and let sit for 12-13 minutes.
heat your oven to 400.
roll out dough into circle shape on lightly floured board.
poke with your fingers, brush with melted butter and top with rosemary, thyme, garlic, and sea salt.
Bake until golden brown on top.
Eat and be amazed.

How to start the new year

2012-01-06T08:25:00.002-06:00

With a link to an awesome you tube video. Of course.

We did celebrate the new year with great friends, LOTS of laughter and an enormous nightshirt that says "hot chick".
Thank you, white elephant, for that.

But here's the link. Think Chips.

Themes

2011-12-28T14:01:00.000-06:00

Have you thought about your new-year's resolutions yet?
I have seen a whole lot of people wanting to get fit- but that's pretty standard.
I have seen a whole lot of people wanting to do better things with their money.
I have seen even more people who seem to have no idea what to do with their lives.

Every new year I ask myself a few questions:
What did I do really awesome last year? And do I want to continue to do that?
What did I say I would do but then forgot about?
What is a new thing I can work on?

My dear friend chooses a theme for her family each year. She has her new theme up and going already.
And that inspires me to share with you my family's "theme" for this year.

Last year, I used the quote: "Fix it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or Do without". That worked very well for us. I learned to use what I had and re-purpose a lot of old things into new things. That will be my "keeper" quality from last year.
I said I would make it to the temple EVERY MONTH, but then things were not as awesome in the summer, and truth be told, I think I made it 50% of the time.
That's clearly not good enough.
So, I am re-committing to making temple attendance a priority.

My new thing to work on is:
FOOD.

Here's the skinny. My kids won't eat.
Well, they won't eat anything that is remotely good for you. I may have mentioned how difficult it is getting them to eat anything.
So, that's my project this year.
I WILL GET MY CHILDREN TO EAT VEGETABLES, FRUITS AND GOOD GRAINS!
I realize this will take planning and probably a lot of food prep.
But I think I can do it.

Step 1:
We have a fresh veggie tray out on the dinner table everyday before dinner right around 5pm when they get all hungry. That way, we can get more veggie in them, they can be raw and hopefully that will help them be a little more adventurous.

Disclaimer: I was a picky eater when I was a child, but I don't think I was ANYWHERE NEAR the level my own kids have achieved.

The Christmas Letter

2011-12-25T17:25:00.000-06:00

The Daily Christmas Letter- 2011

This year has been a wonderful blessing! We have done some neat things and have a few highlights from our year to share with you.

Drue: In February, Drue traveled to Kearney, NE to present his work Brass Quintet at the New Music Festival X. His music was well-reviewed and he landed a gig in San Francisco in July, where another group performed 5 short movements from his Trio. Scholastically, this year has been very difficult and we are pleased to share with you that he is officially ABD (all but dissertation). This means he can apply for jobs- and that makes me very happy.

Ashley: In April, I ran a Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) in Olathe, Kansas. It was a great experience and I’m beginning to train for it again this winter! In addition to running, I teach gymnastics at the local YMCA, teach Yoga, teach piano and conduct the Primary music. I also went to Girl’s Camp this last summer and it was fantastic!! I’m really looking forward to going back! We moved houses and while that was difficult, it was worth it.

James: This big boy is now in kindergarten! It’s hard to believe but it’s true. He is doing very well. This year, James learned to read (and he’s great!), learned to ride a bike without training wheels (on the first try too!), learned how to swim underwater and hold his breath, and is growing like a weed! He had a great time with BOTH sets of grandparents this year, and went to the beach for the first time ever.

Oliver: Continuing the year of learning, Oliver learned how to talk- and he’s very good at it. He also grew up enough to start riding a bike which he loves. He’s still not a fan of swimming- in fact, he get’s really mad when he’s forced to just try it, but he loves being around his big brother and wrestling. Oliver started a little pre-pre-school this fall and he LOVES ‘going to school’.

We had a blessed 2011 and wish you all a safe, happy and abundant new year- 2012!

Merry Christmas,

Drue, Ashley, James and Oliver Daily

In which we learn that I am a genius.

2011-12-24T09:11:00.000-06:00

No, seriously.

Problem: Your 5-year-old has been trying to eat ALL the gingerbread house by himself. He keeps breaking off pieces of frosting and saying, "Look! This piece of frosting broke off all by itself!" To which I reply, "Well, I guess you had better eat it." This happens many many times.

James was looking forward to making the gingerbread house all year. Whenever I mentioned christmas, he would always ask if we were going to make a gingerbread house this year. I always answered affirmatively. So, when it was time to build the gingerbread house, he was well prepared and excited to help this year. "Help"being the usable term for "eat all the candy before it gets put on the house". It was funny and so I let him eat a bit.
This may have been a mistake.

So, I came up with the most brilliant way of getting rid of the gingerbread house without permanently scarring my kindergartener by throwing it out right in front of his face.

I made up a story.
It goes like this:
On the night before Christmas Eve, Santa Claus travels around the whole world with his reindeer going from house to house to get food. The only food reindeer can eat the day before christmas is gingerbread houses. It's the only food that gives them enough sugar-power to get them around the world, delivering Santa and his sleigh for one whole night. So, on the night before Christmas Eve, we leave out gingerbread houses with a note for Santa to give the sweets to Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer, and maybe he'll leave a note for you!

With a little help from me, James wrote a note to Santa explaining that our gingerbread house was for Rudolph. We left it on the table and J went to bed.

Imagine his surprise this morning when his gingerbread house was gone and there was a NOTE FROM SANTA saying thank you for the gingerbread, Rudolph really liked it, and to be a good boy.
I've never seen a child so excited. His face went from confusion to "OH!!!!!!!"in under 5 seconds. Then he ran to me and was jumping up and down, giving hugs and kisses and was wriggling with excitement- like a puppy would. It made his morning. It made mine too:)

He wrote another note to Santa:
Mery cherismas Santa chllohs. I (heart) you.

Definitely a happy morning for sure! I can't wait to see his reaction to the presents Santa brings him tomorrow.
Major plus: I don't have to sorry about that silly gingerbread house anymore! Hooray!!!

When life gives you lemons

2011-12-22T18:48:00.000-06:00

go shopping ASAP. Retail therapy almost always works wonders.

So, I did.

Here's what I bought:

It's my big christmas gift this year from my wonderful Aunt.

It was a MAJOR STEAL OF A DEAL.

It helped me feel not quite so sad.

A bit.

Here's what I love about it:

Solid Oak. Can you say "sand and paint" or "sand and stain"?! Or maybe just keep it that warm honey color. It kind of matches my project armoire.

The chairs are solid too.

Turned legs.

HIDDEN LEAF. Not a take-out-and-store leaf, my leaf is hiding under the table top!!! Sneaky sneaky, table.

Bigger. A lot bigger. So, I'm not bumping elbows with kids/guests.

When the leaf is in, two people fit on each long side! So, if more kids are born, we'll have room for them.

Round corners and beveled edges. Child-safe.

And did I mention it was a KILLER DEAL??!

So now, we have a beautiful table on which to serve you all a delicious dinner.

Chicken Tikka Masala, anyone?

THE WORST DAY EVER

2011-12-21T10:39:00.000-06:00

Or,
Why I'm Not In Canada Right Now.

I had the most horrific experience today. As a matter of fact, I'm still sobbing my head off about it.

A word to the wise: do NOT try to "save money" by getting the passport card.
It will NOT get you in an airplane to go see your family for christmas in Calgary.
It will NOT even get you through the gate in Omaha.
It will NOT listen to your pleas to the ladies behind the counter, to the person on the customer service phone, to the congressman of your district to see if he can do anything for you, and it will NOT comfort you as you shed tear after tear because after all you have done- it's still not enough.

So, do me a favor.
Don't ask me how Canada was. I will not have an answer except for bursting in to tears- and that will be awkward for both of us.

Off to Canadia

2011-12-20T16:56:00.000-06:00

Dear two people who read my blog,
I am going to Canada tomorrow morning.
I will return.
With pictures.
And stories.
But mostly with priceless memories.

love
Ashley

Day #33-#37: Before and After

2011-12-13T21:46:00.001-06:00

Moving is the worst. Why don't I EVER seem to remember that?!

I always get excited about moving.

A time to cull through the accumulated crap of a few years spent in one place.

A time to go piece by piece and evaluate the worth of every pen and pin.

Did it serve it's purpose this year? Did I use it even once?

Did I even know I had one of those?

If the answer is ever 'no', then out it goes!

But when the answer is 'yes'.... well, things get cramped quick.

Lovely, isn't it?

I honestly thought I was going to LOOSE my MIND.

The boys thought it was hysterical to remove all the things I had carefully packed and use them as weapons/bouncy things/missiles.

Boys.

Then, we moved all the stuff from one tiny place to a MUCH bigger place.

I feel like a grown-up.

I have a Master Suite with a bathroom AND walk-in closet that connect only to MY bedroom and not to any adjacent hallway.

I have another whole bathroom for the convenience of everyone else.

I have an extra 2 feet of head room- because I now have 12-foot ceilings.

You want to come stay with us because you happen to be passing through Nebraska?

Fine! I have an extra 400 square feet to oblige you.

And a very comfy sleeping bag.

The Living Room from the boy's hall, in front of the laundry room. Notice my stockings hung on the wall? Yeah, we don't have a fire-place.

The Living Room from the front door. Do you see my crown moulding? Looking at the laundry room doors, to the left is the boys room, to the right is the boy's/visiting bathroom. It's huge. Like, waste-of-space huge. I love it. But the toilets are low-flow and the pressurized water flush has a very loud "WHOOSH!!" sound that scared the pant off of James the first time he used it.

It was both sad for him and very very funny for us.

The Dining Room off to the immediate left of the Living Room. I've got a project going on that Armoire with the Nutcrackers on it. It might be done in 10 years. We'll see.

The Kitchen to the right of the Dining Room. I LOVE THIS KITCHEN FOR THE COUNTER SPACE. You can't see it in the photo, so come over already and I'll make something delicious for you.

My bedroom looks EXACTLY like I remember my parent's room looking for my ENTIRE LIFE. Clean laundry on the bed, separated in to piles that will eventually be moved not to their destination, but to the floor of the room so the inhabitants can slumber. Did you notice the sleeping bag?

James is back to sleeping in my room.

It's been tough on that poor guy.

But last night he slept in his own room until 6am this morning when he came booking it into mine. And just because I told you that, he'll be in my room tonight at midnight. Awesome.

The view of 'The Office'. I wish I had a cool theme song to play here. But no.

Big picture will be hanging here soon. But I need to hit up Home Depot for a wall-anchor.

I'm not sure if you noticed this amazing piece of home decor in the earlier picture of the living room, but I just HAD to show it off!

My dear friend made this for me for my birthday. Isn't it beautiful?! It's made of old sheet music!!!! So, you know, it's PERFECT for the music nerd family. And truly prodigious in dimension! It's almost 3 feet in diameter. Yeah, my dear friend loves me that much.

And here's the nook. When the christmas season is over, a bookshelf will occupy that place on the wall and I will have what I've always wanted: a library. Or at least a place to sit and read. Wing-back chairs are my new obsession.

I would have taken you through my closets and bathrooms, but some things need to remain a mystery. Amen and amen.

ps. Do you love my tiny tree? Big ones are expensive and I'm ~~poor~~ ~~cheap~~ frugal. So take that, consumerism!

Day #32: The Shopping List

2011-12-09T08:14:00.000-06:00

Here is James' shopping list:
popcoarn
pizza
candy
poatato
pear
turkey
meat
chiken
duck
caret

I'm not really sure why there seems to be so much meat on that list- even including the word 'meat'!- because we don't eat much of it, and James won't touch it with a yard-stick, but there you go. A full 60% of what's on this list is stuff he refuses to eat. Maybe you can get him to eat. I sure as heck can't.

for your musical entertainment.

2011-12-06T08:14:00.000-06:00

You need to see this.
Carl Orff is rolling in his grave with laughter.
I am still chuckling.

The first is for my fam-damily in Canadia.
The second, because it's funny.

And I love funny.

Day #31: James spells

2011-12-02T07:48:00.000-06:00

This is too funny not to share.
J is in Kindergarten and he loves it. He's a pretty advanced reader- for a 5 year old- and is also pretty good at spelling.
Here are some 'c' words in the original spelling:
cat
corn
cherismas
chokleit

Day #27-30: continuing

2011-12-02T07:44:00.000-06:00

We moved!
I'm sending out our new address today so you all can update your christmas card mailing list. I think this year we are going paperless. Unless I hear a public outcry in the comment section. Then I might think about sending REAL cards.

We moved and we have almost doubled the amount of living space we had in our old place.

We moved and I have NO idea where some important things are.

We moved and I feel like a grown-up: I have a master suite. Bedroom, bathroom and huge walk-in closet all connected together. I. have. arrived.

We moved and I haven't had my bed to myself since. The boys are not acclimatized to their new surroundings. Especially James. He's having a very difficult time with this. We are actually back to using a sleeping bag on the floor next to my bed. BUT. I am getting sleep. Now if only Oliver would stay in his bed...
Guess I know what I'm asking Santa to bring me for Christmas.

We moved and I decided that baby gear is not something you want to drag from house to house with you. Ergo, I'm selling my double stroller, jumparoo, swing, exer-saucer, bouncy chair, and a few other things on craigslist. I hope someone wants them because I surely do not.

As SOON as I have everything in it's right place (double bonus points if you can name the band with a song of that title), I'll post pictures.

Day #25-26: The Move

2011-11-26T07:16:00.001-06:00

We are moving. Not too far away but far enough that we needed two days to do this thing. Thank heavens for good friends who help us out- if it were just D and I, it might never get done:)
I promise to post pictures of our new palace.
As soon as I get my mind put back together.

Enjoy the days off!

Day #24: Spiderman

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

This had been a whole year of Spiderman.
A YEAR. James has been referring to himself as 'Spiderman' for a whole year now.
oy.

Day #23: Awkward

2011-11-23T07:54:00.000-06:00

You're all familiar with the website that specialized in awkward family pictures, right?

I love seeing those.

It makes me feel infinitely better about my family photos.

But I think this one could be labeled an awkward family photo.

I look manic. Oliver is CLEARLY not happy to be on my lap, Drue looks like he's nauseated. Or in pain. and James has that serial killer look.

'We are a ha-ppy fa-mi-ly'.

Day #22: Thankful turkey

2011-11-23T07:48:00.000-06:00

Family Home Evening.

Or, as we lovingly referred to it when I was growing up, Family Fight Night.

I've heard of people who had wonderful FHE experiences, full of loving and insightful words of wisdom from the scriptures and parents, fun things to do that have been planned all week, a delicious treat baked with care by Mom that day, with nary a snarky word nor hurt feeling.

But then, how much fun would that be if that was the ONLY kind of FHE?!

Ours was a full-on brawl that opened and ended with prayer.

I jest.

Maybe.

Drue and I have been trying to get FHE to be interesting for our EXTREMELY demanding audience and difficult demographic: namely, male children aged 2.5 to 5.

But we have found something that really seems to work!

ART LESSONS!!!

That's right. Every monday night, we have a small lesson that focuses around drawing.

Monday's lesson was about gratitude (what else?!).

See how thankful we are:

Just in case you can't read our thankful-feathers, here's what we came up with:
Parks and Recreation (the activity and the show. I heart Ron Swanson)
Warm water
Good friends
Family
Fresh bread
Train tracks
Volcano
Sewing machine
House
Yoga
Spider (I'll let you know that I am NOT thankful for spider. James is)

Happy thanksgiving and may your FHE's always be merry and bright.

Day #21:Underwear

2011-11-23T06:47:00.000-06:00

There comes a point in every boy's life when you just get to sit around in your underwear and watch a movie.

Today was that day.

you're welcome.

Day #20: Hide and Seek

2011-11-22T21:35:00.000-06:00

We have been playing a LOT of hide and seek.

This is how we play.
James counts to ten: onnnne, twoooo, threeeee, fourfivesixseveneightnine, TEN!!! I have found his counting pace to speed up in a direct correlation to how fast the hider is removing from his sight.
He also counts with his eyes open. But we're working on that.

Once he has counted- quickly- he goes on a tip-toe tour of the house.

If you are not found just around the corner, he starts calling your name with increasing panic.
"mom? Mom? Mommm? MOM?! MOM!! MOMMMMMMYYYY!!!" It might be pathetic if it weren't so funny.
I know, I know- he's going to be in therapy because of me.

Here's how Oliver plays:
He starts counting and then HE goes and hides. When he gets done counting, and you're standing there looking confused, he POPS out of his hiding place with a big "Ifoundyou!!!" said with a binky clenched between teeth.

The proof is in the pudding.
I guess if I were as small as he is, I would totally claim a vacant bookshelf as a hiding place. He just looks so cozy!

Here's a video of this whole thing with me counting, James hiding (and I really didn't tell him where to hide- he figured that one out on his own), and Oliver giving him away.

All But Dissertation

2011-11-21T14:08:00.000-06:00

All But Dissertation is the step before graduating with a phD or DMA.
It's affectionately known as ABD.

And I can now announce that Mr. Nels Drue Daily is officially ABD, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

It's like being a dr. without the dr. part attached to your name.

I am so proud. We have been 'students' for 6.5 years. 6.5 years without a steady income. 6.5 years of stretching our budget as tight as possible. 6.5 years of hard work, multiple jobs split between the two of us, late nights and early mornings. 6.5 years of riding the bus to school and work- Drue really has done this. We do not have a second car so he has been riding his bike, walking, and riding the bus to school AND work for 6.5 years.

He has worked so hard. I do not say this glibly. Hard hard HARD.

And when he graduates in May, he will be the only person in his family with ALL 3 DEGREES, and be the only one with all 3 degrees from different universities, and and the only one without a single degree from BYU. (I'm referencing the one in Provo)
He'll also be the only one with a degree in something other than the hard sciences:)
I guess that makes us, like SUPER black sheep.

I'm not prone to boasting:). But this accomplishment I feel calls for a special blog post.

Congratulations hon!!! The light at the end of the tunnel is ALMOST HERE!

Feel free to add your congratulations in the comments:) I know he'd like to see them.

Day #19: Family pictures redux

2011-11-16T18:22:00.000-06:00

My friend took family pictures for us this year. She was great- we were in and out of pictures in less than an hour! That's my kind of photo session!

James- 5 years old

Oliver- 2.5 years old

Two boys: 37 years, cumulative

The family: 67.5 years old, cumulative.
Almost 7 years old as a unit.

And I will expect a 'happy anniversary' from each and every one of you...... come April 29th.

Day #18: The difference apparent

2011-11-16T09:47:00.000-06:00

This video clearly shows the difference in personality between my two boys.

Just seconds before I took this, both boys were laughing, jumping and being all-around cute.

Then I tried getting video.

Note to self: just sneak up on them doing funny things. NEVER let them know you're getting the camera.

If you surprise them, they will continue to be adorable.

If you clue them into your intentions, they will either freeze in the spotlight or go wild with performance.

But I got a couple cute stills of them.

Day #17: What I made

2011-11-16T07:39:00.000-06:00

What do you get when you take one sleeping owl...

And one awake owl......

And put them together?...............

Well first, you get an accurate picture of what my bedroom looks like at 6:00 this morning. I am the awake owl. That would be because my ~~devil~~ charming children woke up WAAAAY too early this morning.
You also get a preview for a friend's birthday present. I made these all by myself. Hand stitched, stuffed and loved. I think they are darling.
What's that? You want one or two? Sure. They are a million dollars a piece. Just kidding. Only $200. Maybe that's a bit over-priced. But my sanity is worth at least that much.

Day #16: a little bit of trivia

2011-11-11T11:47:00.000-06:00

When you see a cloud trail in the sky and you think it might be from an airplane or a rocket, you are automatically incorrect. James says it's from a shark- a cloud shark.
And he cannot ever be wrong.
Ever.

Cloud shark.

Day #15: The whole fam-damily

2011-11-09T07:18:00.000-06:00

This summer we took a surprise trip to California. Like, a VERY surprise trip. We got the call on Sunday morning and left on Wednesday at 6am. It was a wonderful trip. We did some fantastic things with the whole family- Drue's whole family. One of the things we did was to have family pictures taken with the ENTIRE Daily family- all the cousins, families, children, grandkids. Organizationally, a nightmare- but the results were worth it.
Here's our family picture from the summertime

And the boys:

Day #14: Crazy Day

2011-11-06T18:51:00.000-06:00

James had drug-free week at school last week. We had major drama about this, but I was able to catch him all dressed up for silly/clash clothes day.

He picked out everything. Even his hair do.

But, after about 3 minutes of being dressed like this, he just couldn't take it anymore. He was NOT smiling about his hair. Note for future reference: Infusium B-23 negates super-hold hairspray.

We tried! I can see this half-smile being the bane of family pictures for years to come...

Day #13: oh boy.

2011-11-05T21:31:00.000-05:00

This morning hit me right between the eyeballs.
And it also hit Drue, in the left eyeball.
To be a bit more specific, pink eye hit Drue in the left eyeball.

No pics. He looks like a zombie. That that's the nice way of putting it.

My day started at about 12:30am. That's when D woke up totally confused and VERY concerned about his eye. It's all goopy, it throbs, I can't find anything wrong in it, he says. I go back to sleep. I know, I'm a really concerned wife at 12:30am. Not.
I was awakened again at 2:00am- this time, it's James who has decided to be afraid of monsters and is once again sleeping on my bedroom floor. Okay, I think. At least Oliver isn't up too.
I thought so. I was wrong.
Ollie gets up because he can't find his binky. I throw myself out of bed to deal with this at 2:45am.
Back in bed. Try try try to get to sleep. Can't. You know what I'm talking about here- I've had to think for more than 2 minutes in the middle of a REM cycle, so now I'm up a creek without a paddle. Metaphorically speaking.

James is up at 4:30-he's had a bad dream on my bedroom floor. Oliver is talking in his sleep- I can't help but listen in. He's calling my name in his sleep. It's DARLING.
James is up at 6:15- he's cold and wants in the warm bed.
I'm finally wrenched out of bed at 6:45am (my normal wake-up call) by both boys.

Oy vey.

The morning is great, I'm trying to get ready to leave for the Y to teach my gymnastics classes, I wake up D and his eye is swollen, glued shut and he almost vomits. Yay for the morning! no y for me.
Spend the morning at the Dr.'s office where I talk the boys into playing hide-and-seek for 45 minutes.
It's been basically me and the boys ALL day. I usually get a break on saturdays. Not this one.

But the talk-about story tonight was sweet.
James told me a story about a Skeleton on October 31, 2-3000-and-11, that looks up and sees a planet with rings, and the sun and he wakes up and the end.

Oh, and it's daylight savings time tomorrow. Don't forget to set your clocks! I did mine at 8pm tonight:)

Day #12: Move it.

2011-11-04T11:33:00.000-05:00

My boys think King Julius of Madagascar fame is The. Best. Character. Ever.
King of all movies.
Best.
Super-Julius.
Coolest Marsupial.
Above all others.
I apologize for the superfluous hyperbole, but they just love him.
They have learned how to "move it". You know what I'm talking about.

James is particularly good at this.
behold:

Day #11: Put me in the zoo

2011-11-04T07:30:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, there was a mommy who could read very fast. Her little boys loved to hear her read whole books in one breath and they would dance and run until, when she was finished, they would collapse into fits of giggles and laughter.

And now, the story comes to life:

Day #10: when your car gets sick

2011-11-02T20:44:00.000-05:00

One day, while minding my own business, and parked very nicely at a stop light, I got rear-ended.
It thoroughly smashed in my trunk hatch, moved my bumper, destroyed the lights and knocked some internal things loose.
Suffice it to say, I was not pleased.
The only good thing about this whole debacle is that it was not my fault in the least. The other insurance company has taken good care of us, and I am thankful for that.
My car needed to get fixed ASAP on October 5th (date of the accident). Too bad it couldn't get fixed until October 31st! It may just be me, but I felt that was an unusually long time to wait until I could even take my car into the shop to get it fixed.

Halloween arrived (see my previous post) and the car went into the shop (almost) as planned. And I got this to drive:

It's a Mazda. I think that should be 'nuff said. But I'll elaborate. It's a Mazda POS 3.

Well, maybe that's not entirely correct.

It's not a total lemon.

Although, for the last couple of days it's been telling me that a tire has low pressure, but not which one so I can fix it!

jerk.

It's good points:

It can accelerate faster than my shaggin' wagon.

I think that's it.

It's not that I dislike Mazda cars.

I just really miss my Subaru.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T14:52:00.000-05:00

See our bones? We need to eat more.

Oliver refused to put on his whole costume. He went out in his favorite footies- I had to BEG him to wear the shirt I made for him!

As you can see, D didn't have the time to get makeup on.

But James and I had a great time with face paint.

Oliver dictated his own- including the colors. I had nothing to do with that. He looks like a space clown.

Happy Halloween 2011!!

Day #8: Halloween was a success!

2011-10-31T21:51:00.000-05:00

We celebrated the epic holiday of Halloween by paying homage to my mom's heritage: We all dressed as skeletons.
My girlfriend took a picture of our family with her FAR NICER camera than mine, and I expect to have those photos tomorrow to share with you. But I'm sure you'll remember our pics of Boo at the Zoo. Same thing, more makeup.

We attended our ward Trunk-or-Treat and on the way home, passed our neighbor friends and this whole troop of children. Not wanting to put anyone out of their comfort zone, we immediately turned around so James and I could join them!

I have never seen a child so excited about Halloween. Including myself when I was young enough to be a trick-or-treater.
J RAN to every. single. home. whether they had their porch light on or not. At one house, that did NOT have a porch light on, but it DID have a door open, James stood there talking through the door to the person on the couch inside who was, I'm positive, desperately trying to ignore my 5 year old. To their everlasting credit, they did come to the door and explain to the hoard of children now gathered on their tiny doorstep that they did not have any candy, and they were sorry. It was sweet how all the kids kindly said 'thank you' then DASHED off the porch to the next house- presumably to make up time.
There was one house that was handing out a brilliant treat: JUICE BOXES!!! All the kids with us cracked theirs open ASAP- it was refueling time. But that meant J needed to go potty while we were out.
Another house, whose owners I had never met before, opened their house to my little 5 year old to use their potty. Bless them to high heavens for their generosity. I would have had a hard time keeping J from just dropping his pants and using an obliging bush as a latrine. Thank you thank you thank you house on Briarwood dr. You know who you are.

And the candy. Oh my. My boys did Boo at the Zoo, the 3-ward Trunk-or-Treat AND traditional Trick-or-treating. We. Have. Candy.
Honestly, we threw most of it out- you know the stuff: Jawbreakers, gobstoppers, pixi stix, starburst. The stuff tough to get out of teeth.
But our Reeses peanut butter cup pile was staked 10 high. Full size. Guess who's keeping those?
And we now have as many dum-dum's as the bank.
My favorite treat was a tiny bag of swedish fish! Who GIVES that anymore?!! I loved it.

And I'm thoroughly looking forward to next year's Dia De Los Muertos!!!

Day #7

2011-10-30T20:20:00.000-05:00

Still no photo.
It's sunday- no buying batteries.

but I had a little interview with James during Talk-about. Here it is:

Q: James, what did you learn about in Primary today?
A: I learned about Jesus God and the Temple. And there were some kids and I told the girl with the big fish.

Q: I know Sister Friest gave a lesson today. What did she talk about?
A: I learned about the knee fights.
Q: knee fights? Oh! The NEPHITES!
A: yes, the knee fights and how they (sound effect, like swords, maybe?) did that.

A: I love Thomas S. Monson. He's my favorite prophet.

Q: What did you sing in song time today?
A: I love to see the Temple and the best one.

There it is. He learned about knee fights. age appropriate.

Day #6: the day the camera died

2011-10-29T20:50:00.000-05:00

It's true. She ran out of batteries this evening, JUST as I was attempting to take a picture of the boys outside.
James is still wearing his Spiderman costume, thankyouverymuch.
And Oliver is just as cute as a button.

But a funny story.

Every night, our bedtime routine is executed with exactness. James will have it no other way! The funny thing is that James has added a part to the schedule: the talk-about.
In this segment, he talks about anything he wants to, and the listener is just there to listen. Sometimes he talks about what he wants to do, and that can include anything on any day in any year. So, for example, sometimes he talks about stuff he DID when he WAS 6. Welp, he's not 6. Not even close. He loves to talk about whatever is his obsession at the moment. Currently, he's talking about skeletons and spiderman. Tonight, in fact, his name was "SkeletonSpider". But if he actually SEES a skeleton or spider he's absolutely TERRIFIED. I'm not sure what to do about that- I'm not really sure anything ought to BE done about it. He's just got some fun ideas.

Tonight's talk about was a story.
He said:
Tonight's story is about a Man who had all bananas, and a skeleton by Dr. Seuss.
Once there was a man who had all bananas and he ate them. And a skeleton. The End.

I love to hear his stories- they crack me up and I just want to sit there with a paper and pen to transcribe everything he says. But I'd have to work on my short-hand and I've just not got the time for that. So it's very luck tonight's story was so short. Sometimes he tell such fantastic stories that I can't keep the characters and story lines straight. Maybe he'll be a writer. Or a mechanic. Yes, I need a good mechanic.

Please accept my apology for no picture tonight. I hope the story makes you smile.

Day# 4 and 5

2011-10-28T20:44:00.000-05:00

Question: What do you do when you're all dressed up as Spiderman and have no where to go?

Answer: You go to Boo at the Zoo!!

Okay, okay. We didn't just FIND him all dressed up with no where to go. Confession: I dressed him up AND told him where to go.

So, that first part may have been a fib.

Maybe.

Boo at the Zoo is a great celebration! It's especially good when you remember your zoo membership card (which I didn't do) and it's even better when they FIND your membership on the lists just in case you didn't bring your card (which they didn't).

I DID remember to bring my "Early Bird" passes though!

Just the fact that I had those I think saved our night.

And by the way, they STILL didn't find our Zoo membership on their lists, and actually told me that we didn't have one for the entire YEAR! Too bad we went to the zoo EVERY WEEK during the season. But they still took our money.

Can you tell I am nursing a small grudge here?

But to make a long story short, we got in, we went through, and we arrived home having consumed only 3 pieces of candy between the three of us.

I call that a success.

The boys.

And one with the mommy. Please excuse the tired eyes. It's been a long week.

And Spidey, in the flesh.

Advice for my future self: come up with costumes that can be WARM. We might all go as Polar Bears next year.

Yes, that's a great idea.

The Hubs on the Radio

2011-10-28T09:28:00.000-05:00

BIG NEWS!!!
Drue is on the radio this morning!!!
Thank you to NET Radio (our local NPR station) for having him on your Friday Live program, interviewing him AND playing his music!!!

We love NET!

Day #3: Biggest surprise ever

2011-10-26T22:07:00.000-05:00

I have been keeping a secret from James for weeks. And it has a whole lot to do with one of his favorite people in the whole world- Drue's mom, Grammy.

I've known about this visit for a couple of weeks and it was STILL a surprise to me when the day actually came.

But I have been carefully plotting this afternoon for all of that time.

I picked up Grammy and Papa in Omaha this afternoon and we rushed home so Grammy could come to school with me and pick up J.

I carefully placed her in the spot where I normally stand, I stood just to the left of her and waited. And waited. And waited.

Of course, J's class was the LAST one out.

But it was priceless!!!!!!

He saw us both, looked at me, then her then back to me, very unsure of what was going on. I'm pretty sure he thought he was hallucinating.

Then he looked at me and back at her (again!) and back to me with a dawning realization.

It wasn't until the third try, and with a small wave and "hi James" from Grammy did he allow himself to believe.

This photo is of him beginning to say "Hi Grammy"

Look at how excited this boy is!! HIs smile was just HUGE! And he couldn't believe she was really there until he for a big hug!!!

Here's my James and Grammy- he is just so happy she is here. His teacher saw how happy he was to see her, she even came up and told me she got a little teary-eyed.
And I'll admit I did too.
Alright, I got a lot teary-eyed.

Just the look of pure joy on my boy-o's face was worth the wait. Here's to a few days of heaven.

to be continued...

Day #2: Egg nog

2011-10-25T18:43:00.000-05:00

Egg Nog is...

is...

Delicious?

Yes! Delicious!

Hey, I need a picture too!

Check out my light saber.

I am trying to find a way to successfully upload video I've taken of our family to ANY video hosting website. Perhaps because I am such a video rookie, no site will WANT to host my films- and hey, I may not blame them- but I need suggestions now. The suggestion box is now open. Tell me how YOU do this.

Also, by way of explanation, tonight was the first time I've ever let James try Egg Nog. I've traditionally hid it in the back of the fridge so NO ONE- not even Drue- may drink my Nog. But for some reason, I've decided to become a bit more charitable regarding the dispersement of my coveted drink. And tonight was the night.
Step one, let J see the egg nog. His reaction "eww.... what is THAT!?"
Step two, let J smell the egg nog. His reaction "ugh...(wrinkles up his nose)"
Step three, get J to taste the egg nog. His reaction "..."
It was love at first taste.
He GULPED it down then asked for seconds. And when we told him no, asked to finnish D's drink. And when we told him no, asked to finnish MY drink.
He loves it.

I am glad.
He needed a taste of this before the holidays!

A new idea

2011-10-24T21:35:00.000-05:00

I have been searching for a reason for this blog. My dear friend uses a blog to find the joy in everyday moments, and I love to read it. She has taught me so much about what a blog can do and what a powerful tool it can be. She is funny, insightful, poignant, and deliberate- all qualities I desire but seem to lack.
This little corner of cyberspace has been mine for a while now. My mom calls me often and begs for more updates- but most often I feel that what I have to say is nowhere NEAR interesting enough to even be considered reading material. Like my comments about life are banal. Boring. Common. Whatever.
But I have found a purpose. A logos. A reason to write.
For the next little while, my reason for this blog is to conduct small video interviews with my children, husband, myself (that should be interesting), and/or post a picture of a sweet/funny/ordinary thing my family does EVERYDAY. It's a project to bring the dispersed of my family close together for a season.

So, here we go:
Day #1

Tonight, we carved pumpkins in preparation for Halloween. The boys thought it was so much fun. Oliver was laughing so hard he was snorting. Cackling even. I wanted to get video of that but I was up to my wrists in pumpkin goo.

And for some reason, my video is not uploading to neither Blogger nor YouTube. I will try again tomorrow.

But for the sake of a picture from today, here we all are with the 'Superman' pumpkin

Starring: (from left) "Skel the Skeleton", the superman pumpkin with a frog candle inside, Oliver without pants- it was a nice night, and the mama (me) wearing a hat on my frizzy-unwashed-barely-braided hair.

To be continued....

Kind of random collection

2011-10-24T20:09:00.000-05:00

One day, James came out of his room wearing the following: His Nebraska cape, the helmet D made for him form a milk carton (it's supposed to be a star wars pilot helmet, but that's not readily apparent to me either), his woody-without-a-head shirt, a pair of Oliver's pajama pants, and carrying a small rolled american flag. He called himself Nebraska Man. I called it hilarious.

Oliver's version of Nebraska Man is a bit more subdued. He's such a calm little dude.

Where is Oliver? (He actually said that- it's why I took the picture)

Peekaboo! (Again, verbatim)

Mustache Sundays

2011-10-24T19:39:00.000-05:00

I got a little creative while using my eyeliner, as I was applying my "war paint" as my father likes to call it, and the boys were in the right place at the right time. Behold:

The mustache lives! They thought it was awesome. I thought it was awesome. We all loved it. And now, whenever I pull out my eyeliner, my boys line up to get their mustaches. I guess there are worse things to do than draw on your kids with eyeliner:)

Today was awesome.

2011-10-02T17:13:00.000-05:00

General Conference edifying and uplifting- we actually took our kiddos to the church to watch the first session! It was a resounding success, thanks mostly in part to Nicole Leafty- mine and my son James' favorite primary teacher. She sat with us and we love her!

James made an appropriate comment while watching the choir sing.
"Look mommy! Some of them have brown hair, some have blond hair and some have gone hair!"

"Yes son, yes they do:)"

October

2011-10-01T07:33:00.000-05:00

coming up:
Halloween.

James has been planning his halloween costume for months.
He'll be Spiderman.
Big shock, I know.

I don't know if I'm ready to have Spiderman wars this month. I can already feel the stress. Here's how this will go:
J: I want to wear my Spiderman costume!
Me: Not just yet. It's only October 1st. You can wear it on October 28th for Boo at the Zoo, and on October 31st for Trick or Treating.
J: But it's OCTOBER!
Me: Yes it is.
J: I WANT TO WEAR SPIDERMANNNNNN!
Me: You may wear Spiderman at the end of the month. It's still the beginning.
J: SPIDERMANNNNNN!!!!!

Lather, rinse, repeat.

October is one of my favorite months, but maybe not this year.

Pray for me.

One More.

2011-09-18T09:33:00.000-05:00

I saw this sign on the drive home from the wedding.

We had to pull over for gas anyways.

But the sign made it worth it.

population: 1

Pictures of the Wedding from James' perspective

2011-09-18T09:26:00.000-05:00

The following pictures are what happens when you let your 5 year old take pictures at a wedding.

My beautiful cousin, Angelina.

Bro Sam.

Lane, Tante Nina's husband. And we were so happy to see him there!

I guess this picture was an accident, but I'm not at all convinced that it is.

Bro Sam. Again.

Oquirrh Mountain Temple. James saw the Moroni on the top and he said: Look mommy! A TRUMPET!
Well, take a picutre! I said. So, he did. I think it's actually a pretty good shot.

Takin' pictures of people his own size.

Daddy. Funny face.

Mommy.

Granna. THIS lady is amazing. I love her so.

The day was beautiful: not too hot, nor too cold. Windy, but not too windy. Clouds floating lazily in the distance. Majestic mountains. It was a truly lovely experience.

At the Hotel. And a restaurant.

2011-09-18T09:16:00.000-05:00

We stayed at The Little America in Salt Lake. It's a great hotel. They have a great cafe, delish room service, and family in spades.

Amy taught James how to play Sushi Cat.

He still asks to play it.

Sorry kiddo. I'm not technologically advanced.

Mona Lisa needed to rest her feet. So, I told her to put her feet up against a wall. Oliver decided he wanted to do that too:

And he was so sweet about it too. He just walked up to Mona Lisa, sat down, swung his legs up and laid there.

Later that night:
We went to Buca Di Bepo to celebrate with the WHOLE family: Granna (my grandmother, my father's mom), Uncle James and his family, My mom and dad and our family, Tante Nina (which, translated means Aunt Aunt in German and Spanish), Uncle Stevie and Nettie and their family, Brittany and her family. It was a big party. James was excited about pizza and bubbles.

And so was Oliver.

It was so great to meet Brittany- FINALLY!- and to meet her family too. She's a DARLING girl, and will fit in so well. Way to go Jacob! She's great!!

Zoo for you

2011-09-18T09:05:00.000-05:00

We went to the Zoo. The Hogle Zoo. It was great too.

Woo hoo.

moving on.

We had a great time at the Hogle Zoo. Jacob came with us and the rest of the family met up with us.

The Zoo was having a "Zoo-rassic Adventure".

Which means they had animatronic dinosaurs placed around the zoo.

This is James' reaction once he saw the dinosaur.

Jacob in front of the water-spitting scary dino. Seriously, freaky dino.

This sucker was so scary that my FEARLESS child was not getting anywhere near that thing.

Check out that straight-on view! Enough to freak me out a bit.

But then we found wooden horses to ride. That's WAY more our speed.

And Jacob's speed too:)

We passed by the elephants- that was cool. But the Carousel was better...

..... for some, but not all.

Don't worry, once the ride started to move, he got this fantastic look of dawning realization that: 1. this ride will not kill you; and 2. it's actually supposed to be fun. Once he got that down, he loved it.

This is my father. He's absolutely one of the neatest people I know. And everyone who knows him just loves him. I love him too. He's sooo amazing that he persuaded my terrified-of-the-T-Rex 5 year old to come and pose for a picture. Now THAT'S talent.

From the left: Bailey (my parent's new daughter. Well, not REALLY, but she is awesome and my family loves her. She came pasear:), Sam, Amy, James, Jacob. For a point of reference, Amy is about 5 feet tall. Yeah, my brothers are tall.

And what do you do when you find mini- diggers in a sand pit clearly intended for use by children under 70 lbs. and 4 feet tall? Why, if you are a part of MY family, you weigh around 180 lbs. and you're over 6 feet tall, YOU PLAY ON THEM, OF COURSE!

We had a great day at the zoo! Sorry it was so hot Ft.Mac-ers. But I had no control over the weather:)

Fun in the Sun (hot hot hot)

2011-09-18T08:44:00.000-05:00

We had a bit of fun at the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake. When we lived there, I always wanted to take James to play in the splash area, but he was too little. Then there was another pregnancy and junk with my health and, long story short, it never happened.

Until!

I promise this boy was dressed when we left the hotel.

And then Spiderman decided to show up.

And he stayed around for a little while.

These kiddos were all congregating around this one area that seemed to shoot foam instead of water. Odd.

I didn't upload the funniest part- because I accidentally deleted it. (shakes fist at sky- why?!!! HOW?!!!)
The splash park plays music every 15 minutes and has a mini-water show. It's neat because the water gets choreographed and the kids go BONKERS. My child was no exception. As soon as the music started, he was dancing, bopping, running, jumping, and striking hero-poses ALL OVER the place. It was truly hysterical. It also really made me appreciate my high-energy boy-o. He's just so genuine- genuinely interested and excited by just about EVERYTHING. Which can be exhausting most of the time. But that day at the Gateway, all I wanted to do was enjoy him for the little individual he is!
Sweet boy.

And after he got done in the water, he needed dry undies and shorts (I had held onto his shirt while he was running around in the water. Thank heavens!). Unfortunately, I don't just pack extra undies and shorts. So, I had to send out Amy and Ethan to get some. They came back with some awesome undies, all Halloween themed. Eyeballs, Weird Science, monsters/spiders. And he wears them as often as possible. I don't blame him. They are sweet.

Here's my moose. And Joseph!

Why we went to UT in the first place

2011-09-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

Can you seem them?

Here they are! All the good photo angles were taken... grr.

ahh. Much better. Isn't she lovely?

And he's so handsome!

Jacob: What IS this?

Jacob: How do I put this thing on?

Jacob: uhhh, new wife? Can I get some help?
Brittany: Sure honey. As soon as I'm done loving on the children.

Welcome to married life!

because....

2011-09-11T20:34:00.000-05:00

This post has been a long time coming.

And it's not because I've been procrastinating.

Like I have been on all the OTHER posts I'm trying to talk myself into working on.

One thing at a time here.

But this post has an awesome story behind it.

My birthday came this year with no fanfare at all.

Not that I NEED fanfare- that's not the point. Because I don't.

But my birthday was a crazy day. Its was the first day of school for my Kindergartener (insert stressed sound here), I had to teach piano, teach Young Women's in the evening... and all the blah blah blah things I do everyday just trying to keep my family in working order.

Any ways, is was an un-awesome birthday.

The next day, the Pioneer Woman had a give away on her blog.

I always do those.

Because, in the immortal words of my high school AP Gov teacher: "Ya know, ya never know"!

The giveaway was for an awesome pair of boots.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Yeah.

I won.

Crazy right?!!!

Anyway, after a couple of SNAFU's, here they are in all of their glory:

Why, YES that's leopard print distressing on the leather. And YES, they are made of a soft and supple cognac suede with a shiny chestnut patent leather inlay. YES, the design is an eagle and they ARE located on the toe, shaft, heel and back. YES, they are very comfortable- felt like broken in shoes right out of the box.

And yes. I'm in love with them: Ma Bouuts.

Once upon a time

2011-08-30T21:51:00.000-05:00

I cannot be the only person in the world who is NOT feeling the blogging mojo.
Mine seems to have taken an extended 'leave of absence'.
Or maybe it jumped off a cliff.
Or both.
I'll never know.

But I do know I have a TON of pictures that need to be catalogued somehow.
I need to prove that some things happened.
And also, maybe that some things didn't happen.

In no particular order, I need to tell you all about:
Birthdays
Spiderman
Planking
Big Surprise Visit to CA
Kindergarten
Beaching
Big Non-Surprise Visit to UT
Wedding

Oy vey.
But I promise to get a little bit of everything in. Now that I have TIME- because the boy is in kindergarten!!!- I hope to use a bit to update this silly thing.
No one really wants to hear me ramble.
But I think the pictures are cute.
Stay tuned.

What we have been up to

2011-07-03T09:14:00.000-05:00

I realized yesterday that it has been over a month since I last posted anything about anyone.
So, I guess we'll go in chronological order.
1. We celebrated Drue's 32nd birthday by going out for sushi and a little bit of shopping without children. It was amazing to not have to be constantly looking out of the back of your head for any escaping kiddos. I remembered that shopping can be a relaxing experience.
And I made Minion Cupcakes.

Minions are from the movie Despicable Me. We think they are pretty hilarious. And they make delicious cupcakes. The end.
2. James got his tonsils out, poor boy. But the good news is that he's doing SO MUCH BETTER without them! He did so well with recovering from his tonsils that D made him a spiderman shirt. And boy does he love it!

I'm not really sure what he was doing in this photo. But the next one is pretty self-explanitory.

"kszchhhhhhhhh!!!!" is the sound of Spiderman's webs shooting at the photographer.

3. Bill and Kathy, AND JESSE!!! We love having visitors. Especially Grammy and Papa visitors! We loved spending time with them so much that I just didn't take pictures at all. I guess I should work on that. But we did quite a few things with them- The Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, the movies, the Dairy Store, and some great card games, just to name a few. And boy to we miss them already!

4. Ashley went to Girls Camp as a level 2 leader. It was fantastic. And again, no pictures.

5. We took the boys to "the beach". Because we live in Nebraska, believe it or not, we don't have a local ocean to worship during the summer months. The smarty-pants people here realized this, and so every lake/recreation area has a few swimming beaches. I actually really like it. It's the closest thing to Scott's Flat Lake we can get here in the heartland- minus the three hour drive (15 minutes!!!). It is also minus the mountains but let's not dwell on that, shall we?

James at the swimming beach before we started building sand castles. He LOVED it!!!

Oliver on the grass. He liked the shade and staying on the blanket.

6. A big congratulations to my middle-big-little-brother, Joseph. Or Joe. "Just call me Joe" He graduated from High School in Ft.MacMurray, Alberta, Canada and will be attending BYU-I for his first year of college. That's exciting!!!!

7. My youngest-big-little-brother, Sam, turned 16 and acquired his driver's license. No one is safe.
Just kidding. He's a very responsible dude. He'll be great at driving. note to self: do not drive with him, ever.
Just kidding. Maybe.

8. My eldest- big-little-brother, Jacob, decided to get married! He'll be adding to the family by a factor of one a young lady named Brittany. We are excited to meet her and welcome her into the fam-damily. This happens in August.

9. I ran a 10K just to have something to do and I didn't totally suck. Which is progress!

10. My girlfriend took these photos of Oliver just because she's awesome!

And that's about it.
I hope to blog about July too. Eventually.

Who's 2?

2011-05-25T15:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, little man!
You're our tiny, squeezey, funny, super chill lovey baby.
We love you Ollie-bear!

coming attractions

2011-05-21T07:35:00.000-05:00

When I can get this figured out, I shall post:
Thunderstorm footage. The lightning is wicked.
James' pre-school program songs. I think it's darling!

Keep checking back- hopefully, I can get this done on sunday. We'll see.

What happened last night

2011-05-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

I'm was putting James to bed when the following altercation occurred:
Me: Good night sweetheart. I'll see you in the...

James: Look mommy! This is my WEB!!!

At which point, he very enthusiastically punched me right in the eye with his hand which was holding a long piece of yarn.

Me: OUCH! Ow. ow ow ow owwwww... (my eye is shedding tears because he punched my EYE- the WET part and not the lid or the area. Nope. My actual EYE BALL.)

James: Look at my Web!

Me: James! Can you way you're sorry for hitting me in the eye?

James: I'm sorry, Mommy? Look at my web!

The end.
My eye was swollen and puffy for the rest of the night.

Moral of the story: Just look at the web. Don't try to examine it at such short range. And being in the dark doesn't help either.

My adventure with Moms

2011-05-08T20:36:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day is a big deal.
And I think most mothers will agree.
It's a bigger deal than father's day.
And still, I think most mothers will agree.

I have a better Mother's Day than most. Why? Because I have two. Two Moms.
I differentiate between these two women by entitling one 'Mother' and one 'Mom' in my thoughts and speech.
One of them gave birth to me. One of them raised me. And yet, I can still call each one my mother.
This puts me in a position I think is enviable. Most ladies are close to their moms. They call each other to chit-chat, to ask for advice, to relate a funny story or just to hear the other ones voice. I am close to mine. I love my Mom. She is the most wonderful woman. Full of compassion, thoughtfulness, service and loves with all of her heart, this lady taught me so much by her example. My Mom stands as an ensign. A clarion call to those who wish to do more, to be better. I love her for her faith, her perseverance, and her support. She is still my Mom- which means she still has that "parent" mantle. But I am coming to feel her more and more my friend and confidant. This is perhaps a natural progression of a mother-daughter relationship. The transition period may be difficult to navigate and perilous at times. However, the end result is stronger than it began, and on more even footing. I am thankful everyday to my Mom for showing me how to BE a MOM. Happy Mother's Day to my Mom. I love you so very much. And yes, I am your daughter.

But I don't have just ONE Mom, I have two!

My Mother is the woman who selflessly gave birth to me. She gave me pom-poms to dance with. She took care of me and loved me. She loved me so much, that she saved me by giving over my care to another person. This had to have been the most difficult thing any woman can ever do- give away the child you love, so they can have a better chance at life. I know how I feel about my children, as I'm sure you feel about yours. That connection between mother and child is so strong, and to break it even temporarily is pain I cannot understand. My Mother had a difficult time with life, but she overcame her trials and has succeeded in her school and work endeavors. I am proud of my Mother because she has made herself into a woman with strength and compassion. I love you too, Mom (mother). You have done well for yourself. That is a good thing.

I am a mom now, with two beautiful children. I love waking up to their faces and telling them all the fun stuff we get to do over the course of the day. I love helping them wriggle into and out of clothing- sometimes a few times a day. I love the smell of clean baby and the squeeze of chubby buns. I love watching with pride as James zooms around the sidewalk on his bike- fast as the wind. I love watching Oliver's little legs as he runs to keep up with his brother: bippity-bippity-bippity-bippity. I love to snuggle with my family at the end of the day, reading books and giving kisses.
Being a Mom, no matter how hard- and it is the hardest thing I've ever done- being a mother and a mom is always worth the sacrifice.

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, my Mother, my fellow moms and to me. May we remember they joy of our lives brought to us by our venerable position as the MOTHER.

Finally!

2011-04-28T21:34:00.000-05:00

I finally have two seconds to sit down and tell all of you (the two of you who read this) how my race went. Here we go.

I'd like you to meet my running ladies, from left to right.

Michelle, Karen, Cindy (up) and Ashley (that's me). See how happy we are at dinner? It was rough getting there- let me tell you!

We left Lincoln noon-ish and had a great drive down to Olathe, Kansas where we were registered to run the Olathe Wizard of Oz Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K. Michelle ran the full 26.2 miles and K,C and I ran the 13.1 mile distance. Yep, you read correctly- I actually ran. And enjoyed myself too.
After about and hour and a half, and 2 pit stops, I got a call from my hubbs just to inform me that James had been picked up from school early, lay down on my couch and then threw up all over it. I'll be honest here. My first thought really was "Oh no! My poor baby!" My VERY NEXT THOUGHT was "why on my new couch?!" Not my finest moment, I'm sure. But so it was.
We arrived just in time to get lost trying to find our hotel. Which made us late for the race Expo. But don't worry- there was nothing to see there. Hence, no pics.
But we did go eat right after that with all of these wonderful people:

I'll make the introductions. Left to right, again. First there's me. Then Roger and his wife Shirley. Then Karen, Michelle and Rob who was the race director. Then there's Cindy standing up again, and Aaron and Kendra. These were really really REALLY neat people! Roger and Shirley are retired. Shirley doesn't run more than a 5K. But Roger has run Boston 10 TIMES! The only reason he wasn't running this race was that he was recovering from Plantar Fasciitis. Roger also has a really cool connection to history. He was fishing buddies with a man who ran the olympic trials with Jackson Schultz and Charlie Paddock.
Who are they?
Have you never seen Chariots of Fire?! They are the unbeatable Americans. Who ultimately are defeated.
But I digress. Buddies with a man who ran with the best but got kicked out of the trials for getting hammered. Sloshed. Soused to the Gills. Fall-down drunk.
So that's why he's neat.
Rob, the race director, was full of information! He had great stores to tell and although I can't remember a single thing he said right now, I can tell you they were fun to listen to.
Aaron and Kendra are married. Aaron does the Ironman triathlon. Now THAT is insanity. And Kendra is a runner in a big, winning-every-race kind of way. She actually placed second in the women's over-all Marathon with a time of 3:45. That's 3 hours, 45 minutes. Which qualifies her for Boston. She was so neat. Definitely inspiring. And she has kids. Two of them actually. And the youngest was 11 months old!
So this was our race posse.

On the morning of the race, Cindy and I woke up at 5, got ourselves ready, and moseyed downstairs to meet our compatriots. We ended up meeting these people:

Aren't they just fantastic?! And they ran the entire race just like that! These two awesome ladies were also a great example to me of what running can be. They are both almost 40, run at least two races a year and "Galinda" is running the Chicago half in a few months. So cool. These women knew how to have fun in a race!

So here's how the race went:
I began, I ran, I ended.

Actually, it was a nice race. Except for the weather
30 degrees with s 30 MILE AN HOUR HEADWIND!!!!!
It was rough. But it did not rain. So I guess we have to be thankful for that.

Since you don't really want to hear the course and a mile by mile breakdown, I'll just give you the cliffnotes version.
It was cold, windy, not sunny. The police and volunteers who stood out in that weather directing race traffic were heroes. The course was pretty fast, with only a couple of hills. There was some neighborhood running which I always love because as I pass the houses I always ask myself how I would make that house better. There was one house with a little girl holding a large pom-pom, hiding behind the storm door. Every now and then, she would stick her little arm out into the cold and shake the pom pom at the runners. I also think she was cheering for us, but it was hard to hear over all that wind. It was really cute.
I was genuinely surprised when I reached mile 9. I felt great- not at all like I had just run 9 miles. So, I downed some "Magic beans", put on my headphones (because I had been running without them), picked up my pace significantly, and ran my little heart out.
I reached the finnish line rocking out the "Eye of the Tiger", a personal favorite.
If you really want to see a picture of me with my medal, you'll have to e-mail me. There's no way I'm posting that. Embarrassing.
But here's an awful picture of the medal:

Karen said that after I ran this race, I would know if I am a runner for life, or just a one-time-gal. I am proud to say, I'm a runner for life.

Dang it. Better find another race!

coming soon

2011-04-22T18:46:00.002-05:00

A picture of my medal.
A picture of the people I ate with.
A picture of the people I ran with while we are eating.
A stirring story of overcoming all obstacles to win the day.
Or just a story about the race.
Because I just KNOW you all want to hear a mile-by-mile breakdown.
Right?

Here's what I've been up to

2011-04-12T20:27:00.000-05:00

See these legs? No, they are not mine. But one day. Some day.
I have taken up running.
Remember when I announced my intention to run the Olathe, Kansas 1/2 Marathon?
Well, that's on saturday.
And boy am I ready!
Not just "ready", I'm READY. (puff out chest)

My girlfriends are the best. And there's really no other way to say that. It's just a fact. They have run (almost) every step of the training period with me, encouraged me, pumped me up, let me take a breather. I owe my preparation for this race to them.
The winter's here- maybe I've mentioned them- can be rough. But you fantastic women kept me motivated to run in the snow, the wind, the cold, the sun, run long distances, short intervals and kept me going when I thought I couldn't possibly go another step.
You have helped keep me hydrated. THANK YOU.
And entertained. I love hearing all of your stories. And even if I've heard them before, I'll never ever say that to you- because I just like hearing you talk about your lives.
Talk about consistent! I love having group discussions at the YMCA. People there must either think we're crazy- which maybe we are a bit- or they probably get a little jealous because we have so much fun together. You know what? I'm just going to go with that second option. Knowing I would bump into one, some, or all of you at the Y and hear you ask how my running was going, that kept me going strong even on the hardest of days. You all inspire me.

So ladies, here's to you. I'll run this race for me and for you too.

And then I will go and have delicious pie. Maybe I'll have a slice for each of you.

The Library

2011-04-07T20:42:00.000-05:00

I love our local library. But really, who doesn't appreciate the beauty of books? I love to look at the stacks in the Library and observe the books themselves. Which books seem most loved? Where are the newest versions? Who would check out a book about christmas tatting ornaments for an elderly couple from the AFC west?
I love the diversity found in the library reading rooms.
The children in the kids section: babies, toddlers, crazies, and grade school-ers.
The pre-teens in the "chapter book" section. Sometimes I actually see a lone teen-ager meandering through the aisles, looking for "that book that one girl said was, like, pretty good... um, Twilight?"
I love to see the adaptive adult class working on the computers- they are much better at navigating the Library comps than I.

But who doesn't also love the idea of having one's own library? A refuge from the storm. The rock of knowledge in an increasingly fragile world. History makes mention of some of the most important, well cultivated, incredibly beautiful libraries. The Library at Alexandria, pre-fire of course, stands as a prime example.
Oh to have sat in that library.
There are other great examples of libraries that were not destroyed: the New York Public Library is one of the greatest in the world. Should I ever go to the big apple, I would want to spend a great deal of time in their magnificent library.

But this is a fantastic library too: The Prague Baroque Library.
I love everything about this library.
Except for one thing:
I cannot fit it inside my home.

Which I think is a shame.

The (d)evolution of a beard

2011-03-16T13:52:00.003-05:00

Winters here are tough. They are hard on the health, hard on the skin, and hard on the face.

Drue has been sporting a home grown face-muff (read: beard) for almost all winter.

And last week, enough was enough.

So, he decided to shave it off.

In pieces.

awesome.

We tried to plan the best possible removal method, trying to find the one that would result in the best pictures.

Here is what we came up with:

Step 1: Start with a full beard.

Step 2: Shave just the middle of your chin like so-

Step 3: Shave the rest of your chin to give you the awesomest mutton-chops ever!
Now pucker up and give your wife the worst kiss ever.

Step 4: Trim down the mutton chops into a great droopy 'stache-

( I'm so grateful he doesn't have a super full beard- it would just be hideous)

Step what-ever-we're-on-now. 5: Trim to just a plain ol' 'stache and adopt alternate persona, one that ensures your wife will disown you if you keep that horrible hedgerow.
When in a pinch, a smile always works.
Step 6: Trim long border into a short border. Become a french inspector momentarily.
Step 7: Enjoy that clean face once again! Bonus: Loose 10 years in the process of conversion! I love that he looks perpetually 20- even at 30ish.
Give me a big cheesy smile that I can Vignette and Matt and Blur Edge to show of that clean-shaven visage.

Ahhh... that's better.

A totally random collection of thoughts

2011-02-28T19:55:00.002-06:00

Here's what I'm thinking about right now:

There are dishes in my sink from this morning. Still. Actually, last night when I made Lemon Bars. But this computer is WAY more fun than unloading the dishwasher, loading it up again, adding soap and pressing "start". Even as I type this, that really does sound like too much to do right now. Take THAT kitchen!

Speaking of the kitchen- my kitchen floors are now classified bio-hazardous. Ew. Yuck. Maybe I should mop them. But that might not be enough. I may need to get down, Cinderella-style, and scrub scrub scrub while singing to little mice and harmonizing with bubble reflections of myself. hmm. How would I do that........?

Those cookies on the counter- the yummy ones with white chocolate chips and macadamia buts are NOT for you, Ashley! So quite thinking about them RIGHT NOW!!

If you want something to munch, a sliced apple will do just fine.

Boy, my run was great this morning. I love running 10 degree weather. No seriously.

reasons why:

1. no one else does- I've got the whole trail to myself

2. I never over-heat which means I can just go and go.

3. That crisp, cold, clean air just can't be beat anywhere ever!

4. With all the layering I have to do, just think of the color options!

5. Man, I love my crochet headband- keeps my hears just right. plus the flower is way cute too.

6. two words: new nano.

7. two more words: fantastic shoes.

I'm sure if I tried really hard, I could get 10 reasons, but I 'm done thinking really hard today.

Sometimes I wish I had piano students that did everything I asked of them, every week. Just think how great they would be already?! But then I remember that I practiced WAY less than I should have, I did okay in the end, and I had a rewarding childhood-teen-young adulthood. So I guess I should just cut them some slack.

James is getting to be really aggressive. What can I do to put an end to this?! Probably nothing, it's just a phase. But why do we have to get this phase when he's almost 5? Why not have the aggressive phase at, say, 3 mos when they are too small and uncoordinated to do anything about it?

Dang it. I've left a load of wash in the washer for just about 24 hours! I need to get it out of there!

Speaking of laundry, I should probably go fold that basket of clean whites sitting in my room.

What's going on tomorrow?

Kick-you-in-the-seat-of-your-pants bread.

2011-02-23T07:31:00.003-06:00

I'll admit it.

I can bake a mean loaf of bread.

Last night, I tried a new recipe and I think it's my favorite. thing. ever.

So, I'll share it with you here.

disclaimer: if your bread does not turn out as beautiful and mouth-wateringly delish as mine, don't stress. It may just be you. Kidding.

Here we go.

1. preheat your oven to 150 or 200.

and turn on your kettle full of water.

2. In your KitchenAid, mix 3 cups BOB'S RED MILL WHOLE RED WHEAT FLOUR,

1/4 cup shortening,

1/3 cup honey

2 packets of yeast

1 T salt.

Mix this until it gets nice and grainy- all the honey and shortening has been incorporated, the flour is evenly mixed- you know what you'll look for. This might take a little bit. I think it took me 5-6 minutes.

3. As soon as you hear your water start to sound like it might barely be boiling, take it off the burner and measure out

2 1/4 cups water.

4. SLOWLY add this water to your dough WHILE IT IS MIXING. (I just leave mine on until the dough ball has formed).

5. once all the water is added you should have something that resembles goo. Like, Nickelodeon slime style goo. This is good. Keep on mixing- at a medium speed. for a couple of minutes.

6. THIS IS IMPORTANT: CHANGE YOUR MIXING TOOL FROM A PADDLE TO A DOUGH HOOK!!! I made the mistake of not remembering this crucial step and I've now got dry dough up to there on my Mixer. yuck.

7. One cup at a time, add:

3 cups more of Bob's Red Mill Whole Red Wheat Flour

keep this mixing until the dough is not overly sticky, but still too soft to use your hands.

now, here's the kicker.

add 1 cup all-purpose flour.

That's right folks, just one cup of white (or unbleached) flour.

and let this knead for a long enough time until it forms an awesome ball of dough. It shouldn't be sticky anymore.

Now, remember your oven? turn it off.

Get a big bowl- I like to use glass. Do not use plastic.

grease the inside with whatever you have available. I use spray oil.

Dump out your dough-ball in the bowl, turn to coat with oil, cover lightly with plastic wrap or a wet towel and put it in your TURNED OFF oven.

leave it to rise for an hour. Or more.

Yesterday, I let it rise for an hour, then I had to teach piano for another hour. Just took it out of the oven and took off the plastic wrap. That stopped the rising and held it until I was ready to work with it.

When it's done rising, remove it from the oven, punch it down, split unto however many pans you need. I did two.

Knead each small dough ball for a little bit. Like a minute or so. Flatten it out and roll it into a log shape. Pinch the seams, roll under the ends and pinch them shut. Toss it into your loaf pan, put them in your oven and turn your oven on to 150. Turn it off when the heat gets there. Rise until you have a loaf-looking dough.

turn your oven on to 350. WITH THE LOAVES STILL INSIDE!

Bake until you just can't take the smell anymore and you just HAVE to eat it! Or about 35 minutes plus or minus 5, depending on your oven.

Please notice I did not say to preheat your oven again after you get through with the second rise. By starting at a low temperature, you allow the inside to cook thoroughly without burning the crusts.

Also, you may brush your loaves with melted butter, egg white, egg yolk, or even just water to achieve slightly different finishes on the crust.

And there you have it.

Give it a try tonight!

Try something impossible.

2011-02-10T15:45:00.002-06:00

I'm going to try something impossible- well, to me at least.

A you may (or may not) know, I participated in a Sprint Triathlon last fall and had a blast. It was a REALLY emotional experience for me because I NEVER EVER EVER EVER in a million years thought I could do something that difficult and live to tell the story.

I lived.

And now I have decided to try another impossible feat: I am running the Olathe, KS Wizard of Oz Half Marathon.

I'm all in.

Why not the full marathon?

I'll say it: I'm a little bit chicken. At first, I thought I could do a full marathon, but then reality slapped me across the face.

That was nice. Not.

So, for all you people in the Land of Blog, I'll be running in the Land of Oz on April 16th.

And no, I'll not be dressing up. But I hear there are people who do (and run the FULL monty). Crazies.

New Year

2011-01-20T20:47:00.002-06:00

I'm glad to be posting a little something.

We made (read: I made for everyone including myself) some new year's resolutions.

Can I ask just one thing- Why do we only make resolutions in January? Why not make a single new resolution each month? I think this approach might make sense. Instead of trying to turn our whole life upside down and inside out all at once, I think it might be a little better to make one new change per month. Don't feel like you're doing enough to change? Fine. Make a new resolution every two weeks.

Anyways.

I have set a few new goals for myself- only one of which I will share now.

It is my intention this year to have a perpetually clean kitchen.

What does that mean?

Well, my dishwasher is loaded after every meal, the extra pots are washed, the counters are wiped, the floor swept and at night, the dishwasher runs.

I think this is going to be great.

That way, I never have to apologize about the mess my kitchen seemed to be in perpetually last year!

Here's to a clean sink- if your sink isn't clean, nothing else looks clean(ish) either.

At least, that's how I see it.

Family Pictures!!

2010-12-07T06:39:00.005-06:00

THEY ARE DONE!!!

My AMAZINGLY talented friend took these photos for us at the beginning of november- and those of you getting christmas cards from us, don't worry you get a different picture than the ones seen here:).

I'm thinking these are just about the best pictures I've ever seen of my kiddos.

Classic James.

The thinker.
take 2.
See the piece of prairie? That was his "fishing pole" that ended up in a few shots.
"Nothing comes between me and my calvin's"
Oliver-bear.

Probably my favorite shot of the bunch!
cute cute cute!
Right before this picture, O gave us his impersonation of cookie monster and proceeded to eat this stick in lieu of cookies, complete with "ahh-nom nom nom!!!" sound affects.
The whole fam damily.
I like this pic, but D is a little fuzzy.
I know it looks like James is picking his nose, maybe, in this pic- but he's really telling us to "shhh" along with D. This is why D is not smiling.
Our photog called this our Norman Rockwell shot. If you are familiar with his work, you might agree:)
Just us.
Thank you Jesa!!!!

The most wonderful day of the year.

2010-12-04T19:38:00.002-06:00

I hope that title was sarcastic enough for you.

If not, let me try again.

(ahem)

WOW! TODAY WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE! I HOPE I HAVE DAYS ON END LIKE TODAY!!!!

but why?

ah, yes. Two words: The-freaking-car-wouldn't-work-the-way-the-stupid-thing-is-supposed to.

Last night, in the dash-console, my car put on its battery light and its parking brake light. The battery light I though was fine, but the parking brake light was a little weird especially since the parking brake wasn't on. Oh well, I thought, I'll just take it in on monday, because tomorrow is saturday, I need an oil change anyways and my mechanic is not open on saturday.

I should have taken it in today.

I knew something was wrong when, after dropping my husband at the library and the kiddinks at the Y, the radio was throbbing in very regular intervals- and I do not own a sub-woofer. I turned off the radio to listen to the engine. Nope everything sounded okay.

I got another 100 yards down the street. Then the noise from the radio (which is off by the way) turned into a noise from the vents. I try to listen intently and notice that the engine is idling in strange spurts. Uh-oh, I think. Maybe I can make it home.

100 yards later and the speedometer AND the tachometer both abruptly stop working.

100 yards later (at a stop light, and please note- all the distances are relative) the car starts to shudder. oh crap.

I start praying- you know the kind- the "please, Lord, I'll never ask for another thing ever again if you can get my car home in one piece, thank you, thank you, amen".

Maybe the Lord was taking someone else's call, because that didn't happen.

What did happen was this:

I expected to spend all afternoon sewing up a storm, trying to get all my orders filled so I could start on more.

What I did instead was spend all afternoon on the phone trying to find

1. a mechanic- no luck. none of them work on saturday afternoons.

2. a new alternator in town- this took 3 different stores.

3. someone who was available to help me get to the stores to pick up the alternator.

4. someone who was magically home with auto repair skills and time to spare, who could come help ASAP.

5. someone who could help me pick up my various family members from the Y and the library and deliver us safely home.

Let me es'plain. No. There is too much. Let me sum up.

Things worked out- expensively- but not as expensively as it WOULD have been without amazing friends.

I have a car that works again. Hopefully through tomorrow and into monday morning.

BEST. DAY. EVER.

too funny

2010-11-26T12:00:00.002-06:00

okay- this just happened and it is too funny not to post.

James was sitting at the table eating some pretzels. He took two of them out of the bowl and started a conversation:

Pretzel 1: hi pretzel!

pretzel 2: hi! how are you?

Pretzel 1: fine. kjhaksuehmngfus ahseuh sajdkfh hjk, okay, lets go!

pretzel 2: good!

Then he took a bite of one pretzel. Enter mommy.

(speaking for pretzel 1): aaaah!! you ate my head!!!!

James looked up at me like I was crazy.

You know the look.

The "mooooommmm, you are so embarrasing!!!!" look.

Apparently, I overstepped my bounds here. Moms DO NOT get to play pretzels with the kids.

And I'll probably see that look many more times in the years to come!

Dear Santa

2010-11-26T11:41:00.002-06:00

Last night, as per tradition, we sat down- stuffed to the gills with yummy thanksgiving feast- and helped the boys make a christmas list. We tried to explain Santa Claus, but I'm not sure that inspired any behavior modification. Because to a boy who takes things literally "Santa Claus" just doesn't make much sense. A magic elf who can see every thing you do, hear everything you say and judge whether it's bad or good? Oh, and he also happens to be Papa Alan. Maybe he'll get it next year.

But the word he DID understand was: PRESENTS.

My parents came up with a GREAT christmas present system many years ago. They gave us kids CATEGORIES (play, read, listen, wear, eat, watch) and we just filled in the blank so to speak. I am doing this with my kiddos this year.

So, Santa, here's what my boys came up with:

James

to read: (parental help here) anything by Mo Willems or Audrey and Don Wood

to listen to: no answer. my child chooses not to use his ears WAY too often.

to watch: How to Train Your Dragon

to wear: undies (4t), socks (sz.10-11), or PJs. (okay okay- he didn't actually ask for any of that!)

to play with: SUPERHEROS!!! (said in large booming voice). Oh, and a Basketball.

Oliver

to read: anything featuring animals.

to listen to: what ever James wants too.

to watch: Curious George

to wear: winter coat (sz.18 mos). You'd think that I would already have a winter coat for this kid- but you'd be wrong. James' winter coats are WAY too big on this little peanut! man!

to play with: I can get MORE toys?!

And to fill out the parents' side...

Drue

to read: anything besides a textbook.

to listen to: Complete Beethoven Symphonies

to watch: All Creatures Great and Small.

to wear: wool v-neck sweater (navy)

to play: a new conducting baton.

Ashley

to read: The Sewing Book by Alison Smith

to listen to: new running ear-buds

to watch: a new Gayle & Terri watch (see me for details:)

to wear: running tights/running gear in general

to play: fabric. lovely fabric.

well, Santa. There you have it. Apparently, you get off easy this year! No one wants anything larger than a basketball!!!

and one more thing..

2010-11-24T18:31:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. And until then, it is still halloween season!!!

I had the brilliant idea for our family halloween costumes this year: we would all go as The Incredibles! It would be so easy, I said. Just get matching stretch tops and bottoms in red, stencil the i logo and draw on masks- POOF!, I said. I found the stretch tops and bottoms just fine. And then the i logo. But I put it off, and off and off (almost like this blog post). Until the night before (and I'm seeing flashes of high school as I type this) and I'm working feverishly on getting our costumes together! But the final product is something to be proud of I think...

Presenting Dash Incredible in all his super-hero glory!!!!

He adopted the Dash persona to completely that I'm still having to refer to him as "Dash" instead of James. To be fair though, he has also identified himself as: Russell (from UP), Dash, Batman, Super James, Horse, Charlie and Alligator.
Here's my pumpkin. My excuse? We were finger painting! I had to come up with something that could be done with fingers!
Dash's pumpkin. He got all excited about all the colors, pained a few on the squash and then just had a BALL smearing everything around. The pumpkin went from Jackson Pollack to 4-year-old in no time flat!
And that's all I have for the rest of October.

I really need to get on the blogger ball here.

This is really late....

2010-11-23T06:54:00.004-06:00

Ok. In the middle of October we went to Martin's Hillside Orchard. I may have mentioned them before on this blog. Or I may have mentioned them many times. Either way, we love it there!

Oliver was excited! This was his first trip that he could actually get down and around. Notice the shorts? It was a warm October.

I tried and tried and tried and tried etc.... but these two boys simply CANNOT "look at me!" at the same time.
James was in motion the ENTIRE time we were there. I thought this was appropriate picture to explain the boundless energy that boy has in spades.
J is climbing Mt. Haymore with his friend, Oliver Friest.
When I told him to smile, he gave me this. I guess it qualifies as a smile if you squint real hard.
This was a tee-pee made of corn stalks. It still had dried corn on it and James had a great time finding them and tearing them apart. lovely.
And where was Oliver during this whole time? Petting this dog:
A little information about Oliver: he LOVES dogs. And I've never ever seen a baby so good with animals. James was another story entirely- he and dogs just don't seem to get along well. He's actually been nipped a few times! But Oliver is so soothing. Even at 12 mos. Oliver is so gentle that the animals don't mind him. I think James may be a little too high strung for the animals.

And then we found these awesome trikes. Who knew John Deere made tricycles?!

I went to Martin's with 2 of my dear friends- Heather Janssen (and her little GQ Dane)
And Sara Friest- I love this girl! I have the prettiest friends ever.
Do you see Oliver with the dog?
We took home some gourds and caramel apples and these pictures. Not a bad haul for an October afternoon.

Grammy

2010-11-16T07:17:00.002-06:00

I'm not really sure how to start this post. Should I try for humor? Should I make it sappy? Is there really any appropriate way to write about passing from one life into another?

I don't really think so.

So, here are the facts.

Fact: Grammy Maria Bailey passed away yesterday morning.

Fact: It's a good thing for her- her body was done living.

Fact: She influenced so many people and was a good woman.

Fact: Also fiery and VERY funny (now, as I'm older she gets funnier).

I have a few memories of her I would like to share.

Since I am part of a blended family, I have more of the best family than most people. 3 sets of grandparents instead of 2, more fabulous aunts and uncles, and lots and lots of CULTURE (or "cul-tcha" as we like to say when we're being snarky)! Which is nice for little white-bread old me. I need as much culture as I can get.

When we were very new as a family I remember going to El Paso, TX for christmas one year. Or maybe it was a stop on the way to somewhere else for christmas. Either way, we ended up at Grammy's house. She had this enormous walnut tree in her yard that we tried to pick nuts and eat. I'm not sure if we ever succeeded in this endeavor. but I DO remember playing the front runner to Jenga called Takarati Blocks. It was such a novel game and I remember playing it with my sister. Grammy had wood floors and I remember thinking the crashing sound of the tiles sounded so neat against the hard wood- but Grammy wasn't so excited about that sound. She came out of wherever she was and told us to clear out and try to find some other place to play because she couldn't listen to that awful sound anymore. It's a small memory but it's my first of her specifically.

Another memory:

Grammy came to visit us a few years later. I was so excited because she got to share my bed with me!!! We had a wonderful time with her until bed time. Now, I don't actually remember what happened in the bed, but I do remember that the next morning Grammy had to ask to sleep somewhere else because all I did was kick her in the back all night long. I felt so bad about that!!! Amy always has slept like a mummy- just as still as a log and I've always been a thrasher- you know the kind. Poor Grammy, she had to sleep with "The Thrasher".

Last memory:

Grammy came to visit us one more time. Amy and I were in high school and taking spanish. Grammy, of course, spoke spanish and would watch Univision all the time! After school, she would be watching Telenovelas and invited Amy and I to join her. This was a great way to learn a few things:

1. Conversational spanish goes MUCH faster than english and you need to develop your ears just right to listen that fast

2. No one does soap opera like that channel.

3. Maria Del Sol was the awesomest soap opera ever! I still remember the deep voice and smooth words of the announcer. Maria del SOL.

Grammy, you must be so much happier right now and I'm proud to have been a part of your family. Thank you.

ps. I have two little blond boys! You would have loved meeting them!

coming attractions

2010-11-02T12:22:00.001-05:00

here's what I am trying to get around posting about:

Martin's Hillside Orchard

Halloween

Capture the flag

maybe it will get done by Jan 1. You know that's only 2 months away right?

Oy vey.

Row Row Row Your Boat

2010-10-26T11:47:00.003-05:00

James loves to sing.

Here's a new twist to an oldie that you might find engaging:

Row Row

Your Boat

Down da streem

merry merry

like a spider's dream.

the end.

Pumpkin-ing in 3 parts: 2

2010-10-13T20:16:00.004-05:00

Essay two. Subject: James

Pumpkin-ing in 3 parts

2010-10-13T20:01:00.001-05:00

This is a short photograph-essay about the pumpkin patch. Subject: Oliver

CA Trip- Fentons

2010-10-13T19:38:00.002-05:00

I'm not really sure how many of you out in blogger-land have seen UP. My guess is quite a few. THis is based on the premise that many bloggers (I'd say a majority of us 'casual bloggers') are Moms and Dads, which title necessitates at least one offspring. Having progeny causes many grown-ups to do things that most other grown-ups wouldn't normally do. Things like visit the zoo on a weekly basis, eat fruit snacks (i.e. gummies), and see all G rated films.

Since I am a:

-casual blogger

-Mommy

-fruit snacker

and

-zoo enthusiast

I also go see movies for children. That's pretty much all I see. Ever.

But enough about me.

In the movie 'UP', at the very end, Karl and Russell are sitting down outside an ice cream parlor spying the colors of the cars that zoom by: "red", "blue!" This parlor has a name: Fentons.

It's a real place. I would know, I had my wedding reception luncheon there.

The BEST ice cream sundaes in the WORLD. Three words- Black and Tan.

Fentons is an institution. Especially for the 'Just Married' or 'Almost Married' crowd.

I was only able to get a few good shots. But I'm not really sorry about this.

reason #1. Have you TASTED the crab salad sandwich?

reason #2. kids.

reason #3. ice cream.

I was focused on the higher good here people.

So, here are the few good shots I got.

Me, Jacob (brother #1), Sam (brother #3)

James, Joseph (brother #2), Dad in the bottom fore-ground. (Doesn't he have the coolest grey hair?!)
James giving us all the "gig'em aggie". Or the "yeah, good job!".
This was before the thumb picture. He had a sip of something (I'm not really sure what) and made this fantastic face:
This lovely lady is my Granna, Karen Simpson. She's amazing. I should be so lucky to be related to a woman like her. See her cool grey hair? Can you guess what color mine will be when I get to this stage of life?

And my darling Oliver.

The rest of the CA trip went well enough, I just didn't take pictures. The wedding was very nice. My sister now has a husband- who is very cool too. If I get to post some wedding pictures, I will. Or I might just link to her site. And the day after was General Conference.

And then home.

We had such a wonderful time seeing all of our family and friends in Livermore, Concord, Oakland and Emeryville!

until next time

CA trip- fun at Amy's

2010-10-09T11:48:00.002-05:00

My sister, Amy, is the one who got married and the one who justified the giant trip out to the west coast. She also just bought a house with her husband, Ethan. But they were still in the process of moving in when the entirety of the Simpson clan descended upon them. Sorry about the pictures Mame.

Here is my mom:

This is the first time I've been able to post pictures of her:) Her name is Lisa Michelle and goes by Michelle. But she has the coolest "grandma" name of all time: Mona Lisa. Don't you love it?!

She is the picture queen. Takes pictures of everything and anything that will hold still long enough for her to snap the shutter. And then, when things weren't holding still, she got a camera that captures images IN MOTION. NO one is safe.

Good things James is a camera lover. Ham, I believe is the word.

In this photo, James is showing off the "fishing pole" that he used all evening to catch cats. It's really a cat toy with feathers at the end. But that didn't matter to the boy. For all intents and purposes, he was just fishing for cats. For 2 hours.

He actually caught one! Amy's kitten, Lenin, loved playing with the toy. He's laying down in the background- the 4 little white legs. The problem with Lenin playing with James is that Oliver LOVES LOVES LOVES all things animal. So, Lenin would come out to play with James, Oliver would get excited about the kitty being out and chase him. Lenin would run away. James would being Lenin back out with the toy. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Half of the family:

Jacob on the couch intently focused on the game.

Amy on the chair.

Sam in the background smiling.

Joseph's arm behind Amy.

Dad's arm in the very foreground (he was showing me cool dialysis stuff).

I found this on my camera. Hey, Jacob. I think I'm getting you nose-hair trimmers for christmas!:)
I love my family.

to be continued....

CA trip- nations

2010-10-09T10:08:00.003-05:00

Part 2: Nations.

For those of you not in the know, Nations is an excellent burger joint. In-n-outy, with a touch of Millies of Salt Lake City, and a side of nostalgia, Nations is a nice place for a good burger. Especially if you're starving. And your kids. And your brother.

Introducing to my blog for the very first time, my brother Jacob. Too bad the only pictures of this caveman are of his hairline and concentration lines. Just kidding Jacob. we love you.

Here's one reason why I've got a great brother:

He taught James about straws and all the fun things to do with straw wrappers.

Like, straw-wrapper guns:

Guns take two:
and spit balls:
This picture is of James exulting because of a well shot spit ball.

I think this is a great example of family bonding. I mean, these were my kids being taught by my brother awesome straw tricks that will definitely aid them in college applications.

College application: describe the best two straw wrapper tricks you learned as a youth.

James: well, hell, that's not a problem. My awesome Uncle Jacob taught me how to shoot people with the wrapper as a blow-gun AND how to successfully target and sharp-shoot spit balls when I was four. I've been applying this knowledge to my life ever since. This determination to propagate my knowledge to my younger siblings and my application of this noble art through my life demonstrates blah blah blah.......

See? This was a non-wasted afternoon. Plus I got to hang out with my really cool younger brother.

to be continued....

CA trip- airports

2010-10-09T09:54:00.003-05:00

I decided to do this post about my CA trip in segments.

Segment 1: The Airports

Story time.

Flying half way across the country with a 4 year old and a 16 month old is not something I'm interested in doing again.

And I think any other mom in the world would agree with me.

Why?

Three words: SO MUCH STUFF.

Seriously. Not only am I outnumbered by sheer bodies, but I've also got a backpack with toys and treats to keep the kids quiet, a DVD player and case, James' backpack with books (because nothing beats our own books apparently), and a car seat for Oliver, AND my double stroller because there is no way in hell I'm going to fight my 4 year old about walking WITH me instead of away from me at every possible instant, through a very crowded airport. Add to all this harmonious-ness the need to completely strip at the security check and then reassemble everyone after we're through the stupid metal detector (which by the way keeps beeping for me, and me alone, until I figure out I still have my earrings on which I now have to remove one handed because O is attached to my hip and I'm desperately holding onto James' hand with the same arm) without loosing my mind. You can understand maybe how fun (not) this was for me.

But the good part?

My kids were fantastic.

See?

I said to Oliver, "Oliver! Look at me! Oliver! Over here! Oliver! Oliver?! Ollie!!" That's what I got.

James was awesome though. He played and got really into this cool little puzzle thing.
See?
By the time we got to Oakland, after 10 hours of travel, we were happy to be with Grammy and Papa in Livermore. Thank the Lord we all got there at the same time in each of our whole pieces with our brains almost intact.

Almost.

To be continued.....

CA Trip

2010-10-05T08:07:00.001-05:00

I promise to have a blog post up soon about my trip to CA. But I"m a terrible photographer so let's bring the photo anticipation down a notch or so.

fabric

2010-09-20T19:41:00.002-05:00

Just in case you were wondering, the fabric I used for my shoes is:

Wonderland by MoMo for Moda in Tweedle Dee Tomato. I LOVE the Wonderland series- I think they would all make fantastic shoes! (Or quilts, or aprons or really anything you can fabric!)

ModPodge Shoes

2010-09-20T11:23:00.002-05:00

Here are my shoes. Aren't they cute? Did you know I made them? That's right. Made.

I and my close-knit group of crafterhours girlfriends LOVE to get together and make fun stuff costing almost nothing that other people like to pay mucho dinero for. Like DARLING ballet flat shoes.

Here's what they looked like before:
And after:
So how did I do it?

easy answer- ModPodge.

Here's how

1. I cut off the stringy bow thing

2. I purchased fantastic Moda fabric- don't you love it?! it only takes a fat quater OR a 1/4 yard.

3. Using a craft sponge and a bowl of ModPodge you start at the toe and glue the underside down first- paint, spread fabric, let dry. repeat. repeat. repeat until the whole shoe has been covered.

4. With scissors, make an incision where your foot should go (remember it's covered with fabric?) 1/2 inch from the back to 1/2 inch from the toe.

5. cut out the rest of your foot hole.

6. every 1/4-1/2 inch or so, make a cut perpendicular to the shoe (so when you fold the fabric to the inside, it will lay flat).

7. Using ModPodge again, glue the fabric flaps to the inside of the shoe, covering the sides of the foot hole.

8. If you haven't already, make sure your fabric is ModPodged to the shoe ALL THE WAY to the sole. There will be left-over fabric. Do not worry- it comes off next.

9. Using an exacto knife or a crafting knife, cut the excess fabric from around the sole.

10. ModPodge the heck out of the fabric on TOP.

11. you're done!!!! Let them dry. Wear them out.

just a side note: the ModPodge dries stiff so if flexibility is something you desire in a shoe, we're working on that...

All about Oliver

2010-09-20T07:30:00.002-05:00

Oliver was looking really interested in the broccoli we had for dinner a few nights ago. So, we decided to give him some and see how it turned out. Well....

He actually seemed to like it for the flavor but I also think he enjoyed sharing it with the rest of his face. Ooooh, this tastes so good in my mouth, I'll bet it tastes even better in my EYELID!

Oliver is a tiny little one. He's just.... petite. Yes, Petite. GASP! A petite grand-Simpson?! Hell has officially frozen over. We love our little man- and he is such a little man. But he's little. 30% height. 6% weight. Tiny. So I think it's awesome that the book he's holding is 'Stand a Little Taller'.

Oliver loves to read. 'I Stink' is a particular favorite. Of his. Not mine:)

2010-09-20T07:27:00.002-05:00

2010-09-20T07:25:00.002-05:00

James and his fishing pole

2010-09-20T07:18:00.003-05:00

This is James and his beloved fishing pole. You may remember the history of this particular toy- it actually belonged to the little boy loving next door. The kiddos next door moved and left the shell of this toy so my little scrounger picked it out of their trash. True story. And I, as a wonderful mother, let him both DO that and KEEP it. For the record, I did clean it.

In this picture, it looks like the scope of a rifle. Who knew fishing poles could be so multi-purpose? He's also used it as a pointer, sword, plush stuffed-animal to snuggle with at night- the list goes on.
I LOVE this picture. we attached a shoe string to act as a fishing line and he wanted to " Sit on the moon and fish" just like the DreamWorks boy.
Of course, nothing happens in this house without Oliver being somehow involved.
And now James has decided that he wants to go fishing for real. With his toy pole of course. Not sure how that will work out yet.

The Triathlon

2010-09-18T13:16:00.002-05:00

Since I KNOW you all want to hear a play-by-play about me and the triathlon, here it is.

Saturday morning I was awakened at 12:30am by a little boy who needed to go potty. This is good. I'm glad that he can identify when he needs to go and that even in the middle of the night, he can clearly state "mommy, I need to go potty". But I really just wanted to sleep. So I got Drue to handle the potty. I got up again at 5:10am with a crying baby who just wanted to be held. But I just wanted to sleep. So I brought him into bed with me, and I laid awake for the next 45 minutes thinking about all the stuff I needed to do before I left. The alarm went off, I got up with the kiddos and thank heaven for Sesame Street!

Cut to the pre-race meeting. It was not in the instructions that we needed to place our bikes BEFORE the meeting. That means I missed the meeting because I was 3 miles up the road finding where to put my bike. By the time I made it back, the meeting was over and I had to ask a fellow Cooper YMCA-er what they said in the meeting. Essentially, nothing.

The race.

I was in the 7th group to go. Swimming is first and I skunked them all. Seriously. Swimming is my strong point though, and everyone has them so I don't feel like I'm bragging. I laped all the other swimmers at least twice. That was fun:)

After the swim was The Run. Swim-Run is not the normal series of events for a triathlon, it is usually Swim-Bike, but I was okay with the run being in the middle. It's my most difficult event so it was nice to get it over and done with just a little ahead of the ladies in my heat even though 3 of them passed me at mile 2-ish. The thing that slowed me down during the run wasn't my inability to run fast. I wasn't really all that tired. It was the two little boys, obviously brothers, who seemed to have gotten VERY behind and separated from their age-group pack. So, I ran with the little guys. They were great and such troopers. Their dad seemed relieved when I ran with them to him at about mile 1.5- but they were really cute kids. The rest of the run, all I did was get passed and not by people from my heat either! I was passed by at least 3 people from the heat after me.

But that's okay because I passed them in the bike.

The Bike.

I was actually looking forward to this because I knew I had a chance to make up lost time from The Run. And I did.

The course was a mile loop repeated 10 times. Half a mile down hill, half a mile up. The half uphill was of course hard. But it was crazy hard for me.

Why?

Weeeeel, my bike decided I didn't really need any gear controls anymore after the first 1/2 mile. SO what that means is I did 10 miles in 1 gear- the downhill race gear. I was essentially WALKING up the hill on my bike for 10 laps! I tried making up for lost time during the turns and downhill slope but it was so exhausting to climb that monster hill again!!!

I had a great music mix going for the run and the bike and on the last lap the song changed to Muse- This is The End. Seriously. It was great music to end to.

After I pulled into the finish area, I couldn't believe I had done it. I had no idea what my time was but I knew I was proud of myself. I was also not prepared for how emotional I got. This was a huge thing for me- I've never felt such a surge of gratitude to my body that it was able to go the distance and race so hard. I can honestly say I have no regrets about this race. I did everything I wanted to do and worked my tail off the get there.

And, of course, it paid off.

In my division, I placed second and in the Women's over-all I placed 2nd with a time of 1hr. 35 minutes and change.

Which means I came home with a medal. That was amazing.

things I need to blog about

2010-09-17T14:49:00.002-05:00

Here's a list of all the things waiting to be blogged about:

My new computer

The boys

James on his bike

James in a tree

James ans his fishing pole

boys in the tub

Oilver vs. broccoli

Oliver and books

and just around the corner

Drue's DMA recital #1 starring yours truly (and a violin and a cello, but who cares about them?)

So there.

But I have a few really great reasons to NOT be blogging right now:

I am doing a sprint triathlon tomorrow

Amy's getting married in 2 weeks

I've made 2 pairs of shoes with ModPodge

Wedding gifts

Messenger bag for James

practicing like a crazy-head for this recital. Have I mentioned that this piece is REALLY hard?!

and that's just half of my total list.

Things are busy. I am busy.

But if you'd like to leave a message I'll get back to you as soon as possible

*beeeeep*

Funny as heck

2010-09-03T21:42:00.002-05:00

Sorry, no photo for this one either.

But I promise to elaborate enough so you get the picture.

Thursday was the Music Department Picnic and Drue invited the boys and I up to campus to partake of the free food. Free anything is a great reason to go anywhere in my book. As a matter of fact, I'm going to CA in 4 weeks to see a free wedding:) But that's another story.

So, we go to campus. James is running around and showing everyone his fishing pole.

(side note on the fishing pole. Our neighbors moved recently and James was very good friends with the kiddos. These particular children had more toys than I've ever seen in one place- and of course, they left some behind in the move. This fishing pole is the remains of a Spiderman fishing pole that used to light up, used to have a line and sinker and decoy fish attached, used to have a spinning.... well, whatever that spinning thing is inside the handle of a fishing pole. Essentially, he rescued from their trash pile a shell of a one-time fishing pole. And he loves this thing. So OBVIOUSLY it had to come with us to the picnic. Nothing like fishing at a picnic.)

People are laughing at how cute James is and cooing at Oliver who is toodling around- such an angel. But the wasps are getting really excited about all the free food for them so we decide to move our family indoors.

This plan is working beautifully: the kids are contained, food is consumed, things are good.

UNTIL

James. He is 4 and has very little understanding about what is appropriate to say aloud and what we need to keep to ourselves.

Enter rather rotund man. Walking down the hall towards us.

James notices him.

and in a stage whisper says:

Wow. You're REALLY big. That's Amazing!

It is fortunate for us that at the same time, this same man is commenting to James on how neat his fishing pole is so we cannot be sure whether or not he heard our little boy's observation.

But how do you explain to a 4 year old (who just barely is beginning to communicate his feelings, wants, and discoveries to us) what is appropriate to say to strangers and what might not be as acceptable???

We laughed hard after that poor man was securely out of sight. But what do you do?!

Return to normalcy

2010-08-22T06:37:00.002-05:00

I don't really have a picture for normal. Do you?

We are really excited around here for the return of our routine for 9 months of the year. A full 2/3 of the year is spent in much the same way. And boy am I glad.

I've heard it said that there are 3 good reasons to be a teacher- June July and August. (thanks Taylor)

I disagree.

To me and mine, June, July and August mean a departure from the routine, un-structured time, too many people in the house at one time. I cannot keep my house CLEAN with all 3 boys home. 2? yes. 3? no. Not a chance.

It's not that I'm ungrateful for the extra time spent with family. I have to say, it's been GREAT having Drue home for the summer in the morning- he makes a great "manny" for when I need to do Yoga AND it's Oliver's nap time. Soooooo nice. I go do yoga and D stays home while O sleeps. It's a win-win-win.

HOWEVER

being a teacher means there is NO income for 2 months. Well, that's not really true. I teach piano, so there is some income. But the lion's share takes a vacation.

Here's what I love about the end of august/ september:

School starts

income returns

I have the house to myself and Oliver for 4 hours a day!!!!! (It might actually STAY clean, or at least picked up)

There are more, but I can't list them all....

And all the fun things happening this fall deserve a mention:

Picking apples at the Martin's Hillside Orchard

Drue's recital (I'm playing in the trio)

My triathlon

Amy's wedding and week-long trip to CA

The ward campout

Roadshow

Halloween

And that is just September and October!

I love the school year.

More specifically I love school. I love everything about school- new subjects, new teachers, new friends, new supplies (this is my particular downfall. I purchased school supplies this year even though my pre-schooler needs none of it), new clothes; A new lease on life, a new beginning.

So, yes. I'm a bit envious of my 4 year old who gets to go to school.

But I will not trade my 4 hours of peace for anything.

Super-Hero Party!

2010-08-07T21:27:00.003-05:00

It is James' birthday and he is 4 years old! I CANNOT BELIEVE how fast time has gone. I know that's an incredibly cliche thing to say but it is true with a capital T!

But a 4th birthday is no ordinary thing! It actually needed to have a theme. And since James is VERY into "Super-hero" stuff (and none of his super hero's have a name. They are all color super hero's: red super-hero not Ironman, blue super-hero not Power Ranger. The list goes through green and black and other colors too.) I decided to throw a super-hero party! This was so much fun!

Since it was a party for a 4 year old, I needed a treat edible with hands and nothing else.

Behold the cupcakes.

But then, I also needed an actual cake to set candles in and make wishes over.

Behold the SUPERMAN CAKE!
I am particularly proud of the superman cake. The S sign is done in 2 layers of fondant that I made, and cut myself.

James thought it was beyond awesome. It was BE-awesome!

I finally got a picture of him sans the birthday revelers.
I said, "Show me your present James!" This is what I got.
This is "Superhero James" presiding over the festivities, with his watergun. Note the cape. I made that for him for his birthday! I'll try to get pictures of it on him posted tomorrow. But he just loves it! Actually, he asked tonight if he could sleep with it.
Thank you to our friends who came to make James' day SUPER SPECIAL. We SUPER APPRECIATE having great friends like you. Have a SUPER NIGHT.