April 30, 2011
We were stuck inside all day until a break in the storm about 2 p.m. So after a quick run to the grocery store, we headed to the park. Then we played in the backyard and sort of forgot that eventually we'd have to eat dinner.
I was so glad to hear Jeff suggest we just go get pizza. We tried a relatively new place, The Pizza Factory. After seeing a few other patrons order this giant, twisty breadsticks, we realized we had eaten at this place before on our trip to St. George last January. But we didn't remember the option of ordering dinosaur pizza. Pearl was beyond ecstatic! And I was beyond ecstatic to not have to cook or do dishes.
April 29, 2011
Seriously, was anyone doing anything else today?
Let it be known, however; that I am not that crazy to get up at 3 a.m. to watch the actual royal wedding. I was up at 3 with Cole but crawled back into bed once I realized I could spend all day watching wedding highlights and stories about, now called, Dutch William and Duchess Kate.
And watch we did.
Pearl was fascinated with the whole event. A real life princess! She soon dawned her best princess attire... Cinderella dress, tiara, purple gloves, and red lace "hooker" high heels. But what little girl (or 30-something girl) doesn't dream of being a princess?
April 28, 2011
I am never, I repeat NEVER going to do a craft again.
No matter how cute, how supposedly easy, and cheap some mommy blogger with way too much time on her hands says it is.
Never.
Not only did this take about 60 hours more to complete than anticipated, even with Jeff's help wrapping eggs, it also cost me a pretty penny with the yarn (and I was half-tempted to buy more at midnight as I realized I still had some empty spots showing), new glue gun, and Styrofoam wreath, but it was about two times the size and weight that I thought it would be. I have no clue how or where I'm going to hang this huge thing either... considering I didn't get a practice run this Easter.
April 27, 2011
When people find out where we live, they almost resoundingly comment about how lovely it must be to live right by the park.
Sure, it's fun. If you don't have kids.
Everyday we are reminded by not one, but now two dwarfs pounding at the front door or pointing at the windows and saying "daaaaa!" that other kids are at their park. Em, excuse me, Pearl's park. It doesn't matter that our backyard also has swings, slides, and a sandbox. We have to go to the park. So with the little warmth Utah's weather gave us today, we walked to the park to enjoy the awes and wonder of spring.
April 26, 2011
This picture has absolutely nothing to do with today's weather. Other than the fact that we are all wishing the warm weather would stick around so we could enjoy the beautiful flowers, which are now covered in hail, snow, rain... pretty much anything cold and wet.
When the hail started coming, I told Pearl to look out the window. She was confused by what she saw. I told her it was called hail... sort of like ice/snow/rain combined. Pearl disagreed, certain I was wrong. She kept shouting at me, "No, Mom! It's salting! That's salt on the ground."
I guess it did look a bit like little salt balls everywhere. Luckily they didn't stick around for too long.
April 25, 2011
Cole has been trying to walk for about a month now. His problem is he doesn't want to walk, he wants to run. It hasn't been until this week that his little brain has finally decided it's got go the same speed as his chubby legs.
At least for the time being.
April 24, 2011
Earlier in the week we attempted to explain the REAL meaning of Easter to Pearl.
It fell on deaf ears.
She was more confused than ever. And asking way too many questions that pretty soon I was confused myself. I was hoping her Primary teachers could clarify things for her, especially given the spoils the Easter bunny left behind this morning.
(And if you're wondering, the answer is yes... there is absolutely NO candy in those baskets. Crazy bunny.... pjs, books, art projects, and shoes?)
April 23, 2011
I'm 30 years old and my Dad's answer is still "no way" on my pleadings for a calf. Jeff agreed with him, only he uses a slightly more colorful version of no than my Dad.
Yeah, I'm not bitter or anything.
April 22, 2011
Cole has been on a hunger strike lately. He is usually a pretty non-picky eater and will eat whatever the rest of us are having. But not this week. The only thing he will eat are his dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. I'm pretty sure he'd eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I'd let him.
April 21, 2011
We made a quick craft project run on our way home from work today. My sister talked me into making this yarn egg wreath, that while absolutely adorable on the mommy blog where she saw it (seriously, do stay-at-home moms really have THAT much time on their hands?), has been a royal-pain-in-the-you-know-what to make. It's not hard, just super time consuming. And I've learned that if anyone insists that their craft project costs just pennies, they are lying! I'm just hoping I finish the dang thing before NEXT Easter.
Anyway, with a Styrofoam wreath and about $20 of random other "stuff" Pearl had to have, we were making our way to the checkout line when Pearl spied an "Easter" chicken. It was actually pretty funny, with feathers sticking out everywhere. And just the right size for a pipsqueak to poke her head through and say "Happy Easter!"
April 20, 2011
I had the chance of sneaking away on my lunch hour to see my good friend Nicole and her brand new baby, Parker Madeline. Actually, Nicole insisted I come and see her in the hospital... like I needed any insisting to come and hold a new baby! I just love Nicole! She is such a wonderful friend, funny, great listener, and makes almost as cute of babies as I do. Her daughter Gabby is just a couple of months younger than Pearl and now that Parker has arrived, Cole can have a little friend. I got to hold this sweet little bundle for almost an hour. I couldn't believe how tiny she was! But I guess after lugging around a squirmy, almost one-year-old, a new baby is a pretty drastic change. It made me sad to realize my baby isn't a baby anymore. He's a big boy!
Don't tell Jeff, but getting to snuggle with a precious little baby, almost made me want to think about having another one. I said ALMOST.... I haven't forgotten the nine months of puking it takes for me to get them here yet!
April 19, 2011
Pearl had a rough day today. I got a call from her teacher, Ms. Sara, about 10 a.m. saying Pearl had fallen outside and skinned her lip and face and that she wouldn't stop screaming. The picture doesn't do her ouchies justice. Her lip was bleeding and pretty swollen. She had a small scratch across her cheek and forehead and while most folks wouldn't need a bandaid for either of her scratches, Pearl insisted we find one. To try and calm her down, I took her up to my office. Pearl spent a good hour coloring and jabbering to me about all the things she couldn't do now that her lip was hurt.... like eating, sleeping, brushing her teeth, going to dance class, going the bathroom (???), and most upsetting to her, not being able to kiss ever again! Oh the drama! It was so traumatizing for her that she convinced Jeff to pick her up early for an afternoon of Daddy-daughter time. They went to Welfare Square to say hi to Jeff's previous coworkers, get a sample of the world's best chocolate milk, and watch the volunteers get the cheese ready. Then they spent the rest of the afternoon watching movies and eating popcorn. I think next time I'll take a sick day off with them.
April 18, 2011
Most nights I don't mind reading Pearl a story before she goes to bed. I figure it's probably one of the best things I can do as a parent to help her learn and let's be honest, make up for all the yelling I do throughout the day. But there are those days when everyone is so tired that it would do us all good if we just went to bed without a story. And it's usually those nights that Pearl insists on reading the same book we've read for the past four days straight. This week it's the "Exploring the Seashore" book from the National Geographic Society. I swiped the series of books from my mom because I loved them as a kid. I figured I would be doing her a favor by clearing off one of her bookshelves. Little did I know I'd be tempted to take them back to her house if I have to read the seashore book one more time!
April 17, 2011
I guess Cole had had enough egg hunting.
April 16, 2011
Jeff and I went on an actual date today. Babysitter and all.
But it didn't go quite as smoothly as we had planned.
We were supposed to take the new 4-wheeler out for a spin at the Jordan River OHV park. We figured it would be a little muddy with all the on and off rain/snow we've had this week. What we didn't except was the 4-wheeler trails to be under water. But that wasn't the worst part. We could have puttered around another track but someone forgot the keys. And the other someone forgot to remind the first someone if they had grabbed the keys.
Whoops. It's a good thing our backyard is big... yes, we ripped up our lawn cruising around.
I guess this is why you shouldn't leave two old people in charge of date night.
April 15, 2011
Despite the runny noses, we couldn't stay cooped up in the house with all the gorgeous sunshine today. So rather than clean and finish the laundry, we walked over to the park to enjoy the beautiful weather. After all, it will probably snow tomorrow.
Pearl is a great age to take to the park. She's independent and understands the concept of ledges and falling. Plus, she's not as big of a whimp as last year and will go on the big slides by herself. You could actually sit back and enjoy the sunshine without having to chase her around and make sure she doesn't fall.
Cole? He's a different story. The moment I plopped him down, it dawned on me that this could be a very long summer. He can climb just enough to cause all sorts of troubles on the playground. He throws bark everywhere and at anyone... plus he tries to eat it. And he doesn't understand that falling off the slide could hurt. I remember when Pearl hit this stage. We suddenly became those over-protective parents who end up inadvertently pushing the bigger kids running around because we're tailing behind our super excited baby on the playground.
Oh well, if it keeps me young and my kids happy I'll do it.
April 14, 2011
I've agonized over this day for months.
I'm officially old. Really old. And I feel every bit of it. My body's falling apart. My patience is wearing thin. And my mind? We shan't even go there.
To celebrate my geezerhood, Jeff took us to dinner. He and the kids gave me a green card with hand prints on the inside and some mulah... there was a three involved and you'll have to guess the number of zeros after it.
I was very happy and humbled by all the birthday wishes from friends, family, and coworkers. Some of my favorites included:
- "Happy death day!" from my little brother, Kurtis. (He just happened to be the first person to send me a birthday greeting text)
- "The grim reaper says hello!" from Jeff
- "happy b-day you dont look a day over thirty" from my cousin Jason
- "Happy Birthday! You're just as gorgeous as when I was in y.w.'s with you! :) from my friend Angie (I think she's going blind in her old age)
- "Hope you had a good life. Never wanted to see you die but I guess that comes with age 30." from my brother Jesse... followed by a long discussion by my siblings as to who would now take the role as smartest sibling because I'm dead now.
- "Happy Happy Birthday To You Old Woman! : )" from my friend and coworker Anna
- "Happy Birthday ya old geezer!!!" from my friend Erin
- "Happy birthday to my Wonderful Wife. Everyone make sure to let Jenny know 30 is the new dead..."
April 13, 2011
I actually messed up with my daily posts. Today's post should have been this post. Oops.
With the winter weather in full force this spring, Jeff decided our chances of minimizing tantrums, yelling, and high blood pressure would be lessened with a visit to the pool. We were also hoping for two kids to totally wear themselves out and take long afternoon naps. Dream on.
I was kind of surprised at how lazy and relaxed Cole was, considering the last time we went to the pool he was a wild man, running all over the place. Today, though he opted for chillin' in his floatie device. The twirp even lifted up his chubby legs to keep them from touching the bottom of the pool so he wouldn't have to expend a drop of energy. But he had fun, especially when Jeff found a ball to throw back and forth with him.
Pearl on the other had was everywhere. She even conquered a longtime fear of jumping off the side of the pool without holding anyone's hands. Once she discovered she could leap even further into the pool this way, there was no stopping her. She jumped in and out of the pool for a good half hour... until I was tired!
It was fun to be swimming and look out and see snow falling outside. Although, I think the rec center employees thought the water temperature should match the outside temperature! The fun didn't stop with swimming though. Once we got home and showered, we turned on a movie, popped a bag of popcorn, and fell asleep on the couch - well Cole and I did. Jeff even treated us to dinner! It was way better than staying home all day where we were bound to get on each others' nerves.
April 12, 2011
I did a guest lecture for one of my favorite professors at USU today. She has me come every year and I love it. Plus it's a nice excuse to get out of the office for the day and go to lunch with my mom and dad. Although this was the first year it dawned on me how incredibly old I am. I looked around campus and saw all these young kids and wondered how I have become eight years removed from the college life. The really sad part though, was the realization in the middle of my presentation, just as I was pointing out some interesting data broken down by age groups, that I had moved out of the young adult age category into the middle-aged adult group!
Depressing, yes.
But nothing that world famous Aggie blue mint ice cream can't fix. As Jeff says, "Ice cream makes everything better." Even old-farthood.
April 11, 2011
When Pearl was a baby she loved "puffs." But Cole, he likes these cheeto-like crunchie things. They come in all sorts of flavors, veggie, garden tomato, cheese, and Cole's personal favorite, cinnamon maple. And we always know what flavor he's eaten by the smell of his breath and fingers.
The other day Jeff was reading in the T.V. room when Cole rolled over his canister of "cheetos" to him and said, "Mmmmm. Mmmmm." It was hilarious! He kept shaking the canister at Jeff until he figured out that Cole needed a snack. Now every time he sees these treats, he gets all excited, raises his arms up and says, "Mmmmm. Mmmmm."
April 10, 2011
I told Pearl we could make some sugar cookies after church today. She was very excited at the thought of finally getting to use up the Easter sprinkles that have been sitting in our cupboard for weeks. So I started whipping up these sugar cookies from my favorite cookbook. I distinctly remember thinking, why does this recipe use baking soda instead of baking powder? Um, yeah. Apparently I can't read because the moment I pulled our cute bunnies, ducks, eggs, and flowers out of the oven and saw they had turned into thin, blob-like, disasters I knew what I'd done. Baking soda is not the same thing as baking powder. Not that Pearl or my sister cared much. They still happily decorated, sprinkled, and frosted each and every cookie while I tried to redeem myself with dinner.
Disaster numero two. I took a poll of all adults present and decided to make beef stroganoff. Perfect, I thought... I already have a seasoning packet that will make life simple! Wrong. Not a single packet was to be found and I had already defrosted the meat. Slight panic sets in until I realize my favorite cookbook has a recipe for beef stroganoff. And how hard can it be to make stroganoff from scratch, right? It's not hard unless you can't read and double the amount of water called for in the recipe. Yeah. It wasn't my finest moment - well, moments plural - in the kitchen.
Let's just hope I used up all my cooking plunders today so our Easter party goes smoothly next week.
April 9, 2011
Why are boxes so fascinating to kids? Seriously... you could buy the coolest toy in the world and the next thing you know, it's the box that's captured the attention and imagination of children.
Hence, the reason this box has been sitting in our living room for at least a week. I almost felt guilty taking it to the recycle bin, after all the fun Pearl, Cole, and yes, Jeff, had with it.
April 8, 2011
My sweet friend, Libbey, invited us over for a lunch date today. It was a good thing too because I had a feeling we - meaning I - would have gone absolutely bonkers at home today with two rambunctious kids. It was just one of those days. Our kids are both really close in age, each about 6-8 months apart. They're all so different, it's amazing. And yes, this is the best picture of the bunch. Not a single one with all four kidlets looking in the same direction or smiling. But trust me, we had fun.
We enjoyed a lunch of pizza and fresh peas. The kids played with all kids of gizmos and gadgets of interest to a nearly five-year-old boy. Then Pearl and Jacob played a game of Candy Land, made some water color art, and actually did an amazing job of sharing and getting along. Cole was fascinated with little Alexia and all her toys and books. Someone else's toys are always better than your own, right? Libbey and I chatted and just enjoyed a few moments of not having to keep our kids entertained by ourselves.
I love Libbey. She always makes me smile and feel better about life's ups and downs.
April 7, 2011
I'm not sure who was more upset about the lovely snowstorm today... me or my daffodils.
April 6, 2011
I've said before Cole is destructive. And this morning, he proved once again that I'm right about his quest to conquer and destroy.
I heard a crash, shatter, and screams. I found Cole shocked and still gripping my side table with two picture frames on his head (don't worry, there wasn't any glass in them) and my Willow Tree statue that was next to the guest book at our wedding reception broken on the floor. It almost made it nine years. Oh well, I'm pretty sure Jeff never liked it anyway.
April 5, 2011
Have you ever wondered how many miles you can drive when you're on empty? 10? 15? Well, I almost found out today. Not on purpose, mind you. I mean I admit, I often glance down at the gas gauge when it's drastically low but never this low. The truck's dashboard even flashed this "low fuel" message at me when I pulled into my office's parking lot. Good thing the gas station is just down the street. But not so good that it cost me $60.20 to fill up.
April 4, 2011
My sister sent me a bunch of links from super-moms' craft blogs to various Easter crafts.
We couldn't resist.
So for five hours last night we traced, cut, and stringed together these paint chip eggs. Simple. Easy. And cheap. Although we both felt like petty thieves stuffing hundreds of paint chip samples into our purses. I made a smaller string of eggs to go on our entertainment center and then a really long strand that goes the length of the windows in my sunroom. They are super cute and make me smile every time I walk by. Especially the one in the sunroom because it looks like five smiley faces happily announcing my favorite time of the year every time I walk by.
Not too shabby for a craft-challenged momma like me.
April 3, 2011
Let's face it.... General Conference can be quite torturous for anyone with children. Or husbands who'd rather nap than enforce a spiritual learning opportunity upon two whiny kids. Not that I blame mine considering the last go-around we had with conference. We spent the greater part of the afternoon session trying to keep the peace between Fern and Pearl. Pearl was trying to be good and complete her packet she got at church. She was eagerly awaiting President Monson's talk so she could color his tie the right color. Cole, on the other hand, didn't care that his sister wasn't in the mood for sharing her project or markers. Whatever spiritual learning might have occurred today quickly disappeared with the sounds of screaming, "Cole, STOP! Cole, no! ARRRRR!" And it only instigated Cole's desire to pester his sister more.
Heaven only knows I'm hoping we get a few bonus points for trying.
April 2, 2011
Five reasons Jeff needed a second 4-wheeler.
1. It has more "balls," as Jeff says.
2. Red goes faster, according to Pearl and her Dad.
3. We looked dumb pulling just one 4-wheeler on our huge trailer.
4. Now we can go on rides together. Jeff pulled the "date night" idea on me with this one.
5. Our new toy makes Jeff, oh, so happy. So happy.
April 1, 2011
I really can't believe he is mine sometimes.
March 31, 2011
I'll pretend I didn't just hear the weatherman say it was going to snow tomorrow night. Instead, I'll reminisce in the memories of the gorgeous spring weather we've had today. Cole and I spent a good 45 minutes outside on the playground and walking around my work building. It was just too beautiful to stay inside! And Cole looked very handsome today in his "big boy" clothes. I wish I would have had my camera with me when we were outside earlier because my plan to get some cute pictures of Cole and Pearl enjoying the spring weather tonight backfired. All I got was a hungry and tired little boy who wanted nothing to do with the first daffodils of spring.
Maybe tomorrow.
March 30, 2011
To the untrained eye, Cole doesn't appear to be doing anything special.
But, I assure you, he is.
He's blowing you a kiss. His newest trick he seemed to learn out of nowhere. Well, Ms. Nora has been trying to teach him how to blow kisses for a long time but it wasn't until he saw my coworker, Missi, in the hall today that it clicked. He must know Missi has a candy dish in her office.
And after he blows you a kiss, he expects you to clap. A lot. If you don't he takes matters into his own hands and claps for himself.
March 29, 2011
Jeff kept asking me what I wanted for my birthday in a few weeks and I never had an answer. Until I figured out Tangled was going to be released before I turn the big 3-0. Sigh. That's a story for another day....
So a couple of weeks ago I started hinting to him - and Pearl - that I wanted Tangled for my birthday. I'm sure my not-so-subtle-hints got fairly annoying as I eagerly anticipated Tangled's release today. I even left a $5 coupon on the counter for Jeff to see on his way out the door this morning. Getting two kids out the door before a day full of meetings and projects began left me no time to go to the store and buy my own birthday present. And until Jeff sent me a text at 11:11 a.m., I was afraid the one thing I'd asked for wasn't going to be mine. But as my new favorite Disney Princess, Rapunzel, said, "Best Day Ever!!!"
April 30, 2011
