Bringing Back Michael!

Thanks, Mom, for figuring out how to add music to your blog and sharing the knowledge with me! Now everyone who reads my blog can be inspired by Michael too!

Have I mentioned how much I love Michael Bolton?!

It is well known among my family that I am partially deaf. If there is a lot going on, I am likely to not hear someone talking to me, calling my name, or otherwise trying to get my attention. I can't hear anything but unrecognizable whispers if I put the phone up to my left ear. If someone is sitting on my left and is trying to whisper to me I cannot make out a word they are saying.

I am wondering if my children suffer from hearing loss as well. They can't hear me when I tell them 'no.' They don't come when I call their names. When I am trying to explain something they need to understand, they don't hear a word I am saying. When I try to get their attention it is in vain. Yes, now I am convinced it must be hearing loss. I think their ears are immune to the sound of my voice. At least now I can explain it.

Excited

I am so excited about my new product at SayItOnTheWall!

Stick Family car decals! I have wanted to do these for a long time--every time I see a vehicle drive by with a cute little stick family on the back window I think, "I want to be able to cut and sell those!" Well, I found a talented artist, we struck up an arrangement, and here they are! Aren't they so cute?! If you want to put your family on your vehicle window, you can find my cute little people here.

By Request

A friend of mine complained that I only post pictures of the kids; none of Brad and I.
So today, for you (you know who you are) I am posting one of us up in Taos.
It was beautiful there and we had a great time.

Wish lists

Did you know you can make wish lists for all to see on Amazon.com? I must be a caveman because I had no clue until tonight (I have a lot of time on my hands tonight, can you tell?). Anyway, I had fun starting one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3SQJ6QSUB7E2U

Good idea in theory, makes it easier for someone to shop for you, but wouldn't it ruin the surprise?

Tagged: 6 Facts About Me

Looks like it is time for round two; I have been tagged once again.

1. Most people really don't "get" me. I have a weird personality and sense of humor. My family and close friends understand me, but I think upon first meeting me I bewilder a lot of people. They don't know when I am joking or being sarcastic. This is hard for me because I offend a lot of people without ever trying to or knowing that I have.

2. My favorite books to read are true crime books. I find it fascinating. It must be the psychologist in me.

3. I am such a cliche-I love getting flowers, jewelry, sweet love notes...all the typical "woman gifts."

4. I have GREAT taste in music. Example: I absolutely LOVE Michael Bolton. His Greatest Hits CD puts me in the best mood. I can't help but sing out loud and dance around. Dev, on the other hand, has horrible taste in music. He dislikes Michael Bolton and tells me his songs are "hideous" (he must have heard that from his Daddy!). I also love Boy Bands, Britney Spears (the poor mess), horrendous rap music, and sappy country.

5. As mentioned a few times before-I love all things teeny-bopper. I have no idea why. Yes, I realize most of it is stupid, brainless, and possibly kills my braincells just for listening/watching/reading it. All the same, it is still my curse.

6. I cannot stand being called Miss, Mrs, Lady, or Ma'am! I seriously would prefer "HEY YOU!"

****PS- I don't quite know why my post is in two different colors/sizes....

Today's Adventure

I have been a mom for a little over 4 years. Today was the first time I have ever had to call Poison Control. My little curious Reesie decided to dig through the trash and pull out my foam brush full of Americana Baby Blue Acrylic Paint. By the time I turned around and saw what she was doing, she had the whole thing in her mouth like a Popsicle and baby blue paint forming a ring around her lips. She was quite happy---until I took it away, then the screaming began. I called the pediatrician who informed me I needed to call poison control. By the time I got the poison control lady on the phone Reese was in a full fledged fit. The lady was very concerned and asked me if the screaming began after she ate the paint. I told her no, the screaming began after I took the paint away.

Apparently acrylic paint is one of the things you want your child to eat if they are going to eat something they aren't supposed to...it's non toxic and only causes a belly ache for the baby. It doesn't appear Reese has a belly ache, but I sure have a head ache from listening to her protestant screams!

Being a Super Hero is exhausting

When I'm Not Watching

Today I got out of the shower and found this:

Devin had dressed himself up as "The Fang from the Tastic Four" again and decided that Fang was thirsty and could only have juice because his "sugary blood" was "low."

{Think he listens to his mom mumbling about low blood sugar?}

This isn't the first time I have gotten out of the shower to find surprises that could have been disasters. When we first moved here I got out of the shower and found my block of cheese hacked up and on the floor. Next to it was a very sharp knife. Devin came over and told me that the "sharp life" wouldn't cut the cheese, and asked that I please do it (this was when he still said please and asked for favors--not demanded them. Ahh, the good old days...)

This next picture is of Reesie following in her big brother's foot steps:

She pushed the box of water and the bucket over there. I have no idea what she was after...nothing was on the counter but the toaster.

Funny kids--I guess until they get hurt that is.

Exciting

This picture has nothing to do with my post...I just think my babies look so cute in it!!!

Anyway, last weekend I bought myself the most exciting toys: a router and a router table!!! Brad laughs at me because my new obsession is power tools. I told him I hope he is not used to me having 10 fingers because very soon I might be down to 9 1/2. I am only halfway kidding--I am not a very careful person, and I think power tools are probably very bad toys for me. I just got done finishing up the set up of my new toys (I made my nice husband do the hard parts) and I got to do a trial run on a board--it turned out great! I didn't even hurt myself, besides a slight slash to the forearm-but I am not counting that as an injury. I can't wait to add to my new collection of power tools!

Did You Know:

• My life expectancy is 13 years shorter than any other average female my age.
• Even if I lead a completely healthy life with healthy lifestyles and eating habits I am still likely to suffer from organ failure, amputations, loss of eyesight, and heart disease.
• I have a 75% chance of dying from heart disease and/or stroke.
• I have a 40% chance of developing kidney disease by age 50.
• I have an increased chance of having a baby with deformities, as well as an increased chance of having a miscarriage.
• For me, nerve damage is inevitable.
• My risk of death is 2 times greater when compared to my peers.
• Rather than dying of natural causes, I will likely fall victim to the United States' 5th leading cause of death.

Have you figured out what the common denominator is? DIABETES

Pretty grim isn't it? Even more grim is the fact that my children have a 40-60% chance of the same fate. Millions and millions of Americans share my fate already. I am sure you all know at least one person first hand who suffers from Type 1 diabetes. I have heard that I am "lucky" to "only have" diabetes, and I guess I can see why someone might say that. But really, who would CHOOSE those statistics?

THE GOOD NEWS:
Research is being done, and it is said that scientists are very close to a cure. While I am skeptical of exactly how close a cure is--I know the research is being done and that someday there will be one. I don't think I will see it in my life time, but I am hoping my kids will see it in theirs. To support this cause, Brad and I have started donating to help fund research for a cure for childhood diabetes. I would ask that you support the cause also. There are many ways to support the cause--direct donation, participating in walks, as wells as a few others. To find out how to donate click this link.

My Little Monkey

First off, to my family- Sorry, this is a repeat. I have been talking about this all day and you no doubt have heard it probably at least two times each. That being said:

This morning I awoke to Reese's happy little chatter. Since she wasn't yelling for me to come get her, I dozed off again. Next thing I know, I am awoken a second time, but this time to the most sickening thud immediately followed by Reese crying. I jumped out of bed and ran as fast as I could to her room because I knew exactly what had happened--Reese dove out of her crib! There she was in a little heap on the floor dazed and crying. Keep in mind my baby is only 13 months old! WAY too young to be figuring out how to escape from her crib! I swooped her up and held her tightly and she calmed down almost immediately. Apparently her little stunt only scared her, thank goodness. As soon as Brad came into the room to see why I frantically yelled his name, Reese wanted him and snuggled him for a good 10 minutes letting herself be reassured that she was indeed alright.

This little happening today scares me--I would like to believe that Reese is just top heavy and being the very tall girl that she is, leaned over the rail causing her top half to tip her over and out. I am afraid that is not the case, and that she is instead a "spirited child" like her brother. In any case, it seems I need to invest in a crib tent. Yes, I have to cage my child in--appropriate since 3/4 of the time I feel like a zoo keeper to my little monkeys anyway.

'Tis the season...

for vinyl, apparently! I have been so busy lately with tons of Super Saturday orders from wards all over the U.S. So far I have finished and shipped 5 very large orders, and I currently am working on about 5 more. It's been really fun, but stressful at the same time. I have decided I can't do vinyl when Dev and Reesie are up because 1.) I go into this vinyl daze and don't pay attention to them, what they are doing, or what they are getting into, and 2.) My poor kids would never get to go outside, play, or do anything fun all day. Because of my little rule for myself, I have been up really late for the last 2 or 3 weeks finishing orders, boxing them up, answering emails, and basically weeding the vinyl until I go cross-eyed. It's nice to have a hobby, and one that makes me some spending money at that!


These are digital images of some of the most popular tiles--I need to thank Aubri for these--they aren't my crafty work. Thanks, Aubri.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARIELA!

I hope you are having a great day! Love you!

Bills to pay

I just thought I would let these pictures illustrate one of Reesie's favorite things to do...

A HA!

Found another cute {and free} blog template! Thanks, Courtney and Lindsay.

If you find yourself missing from my blog roll, it's cause all my peeps got deleted with the switch-a-roo. I am in the process of adding you back!

Back to Boring

BLAST! The chica that I got my cute template from was shut down, so my blog was all messed up. I had to switch back to a boring old regular template. I really need to learn how to digi scrap so I can come up with my own template. Then my genius of a husband can work his html magic and make it work on blogger. Sounds like a plan, right? It'll never happen. I am too intimidated by all things photoshop--that and I don't need to take on any more projects in my life right now.

Anyone want to make one for me?

Holiday Plans

The holidays are quickly approaching--I can't believe how fast time goes by. This time last year I had a brand new baby and a almost potty trained 3 year old. This year I have a opinionated, personality filled one year old and a fully potty trained, independent four year old. How did this happen?!

Anyway, I got off track. This is supposed to be about holiday plans. Brad and I are so excited for Thanksgiving! We always love Thanksgiving, but this year it is going to be extra special because Brad's family is traveling a long way to come be with us and Brad's Grandparent's (who live in Taos) for Thanksgiving. Devin is excited to see Grandpa Pants and Grandma Stacy(and his aunts and uncle too!), and I am excited for Reese to be able to spend some more time with them also. I am crossing my fingers that her anxiety of others doesn't apply to them. Stacy, Tyler, Kirsti, (maybe Trisha?) are all going to come a little early and spend some time in Rio Rancho with us. I am trying to think of some fun things to take them and the kids to do together. Maybe the tram? Vance is going to come on Wednesday, and we are all going to travel to Taos to be with Tom and Glenda. Spending time with the Harris' is always fun. Brad and I miss them terribly and don't get to see them often enough.

For Christmas, we will be staying in NM and hopefully my mom will have her annual gingerbread making contest. I really stink at it, but it is so much fun! I also love our tradition of a Mexican food dinner on Christmas Eve. Growing up I had so much fun with my family on Christmas. I love all the traditions, and I love being with them. Christmas time and traditions are especially fun now that I have kids of my own. I love to see their faces light up. My favorite though, is teaching my kids about the holidays and their true meaning. I love teaching Devin about Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us. Devin has such a simple, innocent understanding of Christ--I learn from him!

The holidays truly are special. I love this time of year. Last year Brad and I made a goal to not lose sight of the true meaning of the holidays. That is my goal again this year. It is not about gifts and Santa and food and lights and decorations. It is about giving unto others, celebrating the birth of our Savior, remembering those in need, and being thankful for everyone and everything we have in our lives. These are the things my family will celebrate this year.

Yet another shout out

This one is for my good friend SAGE! It was great seeing you, I wish it were for longer and more often. I am glad to know you read my blog--you really should start your own!

LOVE YOU!

Just Pictures

Another Laugh From Devin

It's 6:45 this morning. Devin is watching me change Reese's diaper. This comes out of his mouth:

"Jesus' miracle for us is he makes babies come out of bellies with no holes!"

Being that he was in the delivery room when Reese was born, Brad did a good job of distracting him!

That Lady Eats Too Much!

Devin is in the stage where he describes people by what they look like. I have carefully been trying to correct him when he says things that might be hurtful or disrespectful to others. well the other day he had to tell me something about "the fat lady." I thoughtfully tried to explain why we don't call people fat. Then he asked me why some people are fat, so I told him some people eat more than their body needs, and some people have medical conditions that make them that way. He seemed to accept this answer and I didn't hear anything else on the subject.

Fast forward about two weeks: We are walking through Albertson's shopping when I hear him whisper (very loudly, at almost a regular volume) "MOM! THAT LADY EATS TOO MUCH!!!!!" I dashed into an isle, parked the cart and asked him to repeat what he said....Yup, he said what I thought he said. So then I asked him why he thought she ate too much? He replies meekly but matter-of-factly, "Because she was fat."

Oh my. That was another fun one to explain that it can hurt people's feelings to point out the obvious.

What a funny boy. He sure keeps me busy and entertained!

Reesie's Daily Doings

• Finds my purse. Pulls everything out until she finds my gum. Takes a piece, paper and all, and shoves it into her mouth. Crawls throughout the house to find me and show me. Screams at me when I dig it out of her mouth.
• Goes back to where she pulled everything out of my purse. Finds my pen. Finds my checks. Writes out checks. She has many bills to pay, apparently!
• Goes into my bedroom, opens my bottom drawer, pulls out every single item of clothing and throws them behind her. Shuts my drawer, crawls out of the room--she remembers she has one more check to write.
• Finds Devin while he is laying down watching TV or looking at books. Pulls his hair and squeals happily.
• Sees a bathroom door left open, hightails it into the bathroom to fish in the potty before mommy realizes she is too quiet and missing.
• Makes her way into the kitchen. Tries every cupboard until she finds one with which she is satisfied with the contents {usually the one with the most stuff to pull out} and begins her laborious work of cleaning it out.
• Finds mommy. After all her hard work she is famished. She needs food, drink, and love. In that order. If you do it out of order, you have to suffer the consequences of her yelling at you in disgust--how many times does she have to tell you? Food! Drink! THEN Love!
  
• Finally, morning nap. After morning nap, she re-attends to all her previous business listed above.
  

Cheese, Please!

We are going on 5 days now...all Reese will eat is cheese! Except for at breakfast time, I mean, the girl does have standards: she eats only oatmeal for breakfast. Not eggs, not pancakes, not french toast. Only oatmeal. Anyway, I regress. For lunch and dinner I offer her everything we eat, plus some used-to-be-favorites but nope! She will only eat cheese. Sometimes she will trick me and take the non-cheese food out of my hand like she is going to put it into her mouth, then suddenly she throws it on the floor and scrunches up her nose like she is telling me, "SICK!" So, every day I get out the cheese, cut it into bite sized pieces, and let her have at it.

2 days ago we ran out of cheese. All I had was string cheese. I cut it up for her and she looked at me like, "what is this?" She gathered all her pieces, took one big handful, and threw them on the floor. For two days I tried to get her to eat string cheese. She wanted nothing of it. Finally, exasperated, I pushed a piece of it into her mouth--Guess what? She liked it. She realized it was cheese too. So now the only choice she wants is: orange or white?

Silly girl. I have an opinionated on {two!} on my hands. I wonder where they get it from?

BUSY BUSY BUSY

Wow, what a week! Things have been getting a little crazy here. My vinyl business is really picking up speed these last couple weeks. It has been really fun to fill all these orders and to see what projects others are working on. The only downside is that my house has been neglected. I do only the essentials--the rest has been having to wait. It is finally starting to drive me crazy. I need at least 4 hours to dedicate to some serious house cleaning. If anyone wants to donate their time and energy and come clean a messy, child tromped on house, CALL ME! I might even offer you a snack or something--if I can pull myself away from the vinyl!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

Happy Birthday, Mom! We miss you!! Hope you are having lots of fun!!!

Shout out to MARLANA!

Hey Mar-

Just wanted to let you know I am thinking of you! And I lost your phone number--can you email me with it?

The Sweet Stuff

I think I have stated before that Devin is a very, very smart boy. He will hear something and think about it for days trying to make sense of it. Occasionally he will ask questions to gain a better understanding, but mostly he is a contextual thinker. He runs it through his head over and over, until he is certain it makes sense, and he is right {about whatever it is}.

Lately his wonderings have been about the gospel. Devin listens to the scriptures on tape at night before bed. A little over a week ago, he started listening to the New Testament. Along with this came many questions and observations--mainly about Jesus Christ's crucifixion and Resurrection. One day we were in the car and I was listening to the Book of Mormon on CD. It must have sparked his memory of the New Testament and all the things he was trying to work through in his head, because suddenly he had many questions. Good questions. He asked me why "the mean men" killed Jesus Christ. He asked me how they did it. And he asked me why they did it. I turned the Book of Mormon off, and began answering his questions as best I knew. One of the things I explained was that Jesus died so we have the chance to repent of our sins. I then went through the steps of repentance with him. Devin was quiet the whole time I was explaining to him. When I finished with the steps of repentance, he quietly said, "When we repent, Jesus will make us more righteous." Nowhere in my whole shpeel did I say those words. I was/am so humbled to have such a remarkable little spirit, with such a remarkable understanding of the principles of the gospel. He strengthens my testimony every day with his observations and desire to learn and understand the gospel.

Now, those that know my Dev know this: he is very cunning. He is known to bust out with the sweetest "I love you" right after he has gotten into some big trouble. He is known to give kisses freely after he has done something he knows he shouldn't. Well, he has added on to his cunningness. The past two days after he does something his dad or I ask him to apologize for, he quickly says "sorry" and "Jesus will make me more righteous!" Who can be angry with that?!

Reesie's Birthday Pictures

I decided not to do a huge cake--I made these flower cupcakes instead. {Thanks, Mandy}

After a lot of help from her over-eager brother, the present is finally unwrapped!

Not interested in opening presents--I just want to clap!

Marshmallows are yummy!

Still working on it!

I realized we are very bad at taking pictures. We take a million of the same one, and then think we are done. What about the rest of the day?! I will have to work on my picture-taking skills.

Update on Bedtime

Bedtime is 100x's better! Sweet Devin hasn't gotten out of bed or prolonged bedtime in over a week. I don't know what caused the wonderful change, but I am sure grateful. As soon as we complete the bedtime routine, Dev stays in bed and goes right to sleep. YAY for us!

Words

Words Reesie Says:

• hi
• hello
• bye
• momma
• daddy
• uh-oh

Words (Phrases) Devin Says {that I wish he wouldn't}:

• no!
• freak (while singing Don't Cha)
• You're making me frustrated!
• I can't!
  
• It will take too long
• There's too much
• Why?

My kids are so much fun. They make me truly happy.

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY, REESE!

Happy Birthday Reesie! I can't believe you are already one! You will never know how much joy you have brought to our family. Your little smile and laugh are contagious. We love you!!!!

OAMC- Part 2

Well, I did it. Actually we did it. My mom and sister were also interested in doing OAMC so we decided to cheat a bit and do a meal exchange--we each picked 4 meals and made those same 4 meals 3 times. Then we traded. So we now have freezers full of 12 meals. We decided to go with 12 for this first trial run to see how we liked it. Next time I think I will be making more. I really liked the way we did it this time. It was much easier to just go with 4 meals 3 times rather than do 12 different meals all by myself in one day. We saved a lot of time by making it into an exchange. So all in all, good experience! Can't wait to eat my yummy, no fuss meals!

Brad Returns!

Brad is back from his conference in San Jose, and boy are we glad! We sure missed him. I got to see what it would be like to be a single parent, and it is HARD! Lucky for me my babies were on their best behavior. While Brad was gone, we only had one minor emergency: my minivan broke down in the middle of a busy street! That was no fun, but it could have been worse. We are so happy that Brad is back and we love him so much!

A Favorite!

I LOVE this picture of Reesie!

Finally! A few Disneyland Photos!

We had so much fun at Disneyland! It was great to be able to be a kid again and ride all the rides. It was even more fun though, to watch Dev and Reesie's reactions to the rides and the characters. In this picture we are having a late breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen. Dale came out to say hello. So did Wendy and Goofy. Dev got to be in a parade with Goofy banging pots and pans, but unfortunately we didn't get pics of that.









I call this picture "How Many Harris' Can We Shove Into an Elevator?" This is at the Disneyland Hotel. We are excited for our BIG day at the park!

{PS Count two more in the pic: Brad is taking it, and I am strategically removing myself from view on the side}


















This is in the Haunted Mansion. Isn't that such a look of fright? I asked Dev if he was scared and he said "NO! I wasn't scared! Ghosts don't scare me!" Yeah right! We've got the proof right here!
















Dev's first ride of the day--It's a Small World. He loved it! At the beginning of the day I told Brad this is the only ride I WOULDN'T ride. I remember hating it when I came last time in 4th grade! I skipped out on this one, but I am sad I did. Brad said Dev was loving it, and I think this is when he realized what Disneyland actually was. He didn't know what to expect before this.






















Look at this mug! Isn't she a doll?! This is at the very end of the day as we were sitting down for dinner. Reese ate ALL of her VERY OWN kids meal {a large portion of mac and cheese} PLUS 1 1/2 cups of chocolate milk {bad mom, I know} and she was just exhausted! Nothing like eating a huge meal after a long day. She was so ready for bed!











The day was so much fun and the kids were great. I know that we had such a good time because Grandpa Pants and Grandma Stacy were so great and incredibly helpful. They were amazing. I know I would have wanted to yank some hair out had they not been there. Vance and Stacy, my head thanks you! I look much better with hair!

We don't have many pictures that actually include sights at Disneyland...most of them are just people shots--but I promise we were there and we did have a blast. Dev is already talking about 'next time' we go and hoping that he is tall enough for all the rides.

Hope you enjoyed!

I hate bedtime!

I hate having to put Dev to bed 52 gajillion (now, I know I spelled that right!) times. Every night it's the typical kid thing: "Mommy, I'm thirsty," "Mommy, I have to pee," "Mommy, I need you to come tell me good night again," Mommy, I need a toy," "Mommy, I'm thirsty again," etc, etc. You get the picture.

I swear by 5:30pm I am DONE! I have had about all I can handle. I count down the minutes until bedtime, and then to have bedtime last an hour and to have to do the whole routine 5 thousand times, it's infuriating! Drives me mad! I know, I know, he is 4 and every kid does this. But why does MINE have to? I hate it.

That being said, I just put Dev to bed and have already had to go in there twice. I wonder how many more times tonight before he is asleep?

My New Purchase

An elliptical machine! It's not this exact one, but it is cool none the less.
I am really enjoying being able to relax at night and ride my new toy while I space out to the TV. Even Brad has ridden on it a few times.

If you are looking for some sort of work out machine, I would highly recommend an elliptical machine!

What's On Devin's Mind???

To name a few:

• Don't Cha by the Pussycat Dolls
• Big Girls Don't Cry by Fergie
• Take A Look At My Girlfriend - Google says it's by Supertramp, but I don't know if this is the artist that sings the version I am talking about.
  

(He has been singing these songs for days now. Good grief, is there hope? They are AWFUL songs! Well, except Big Girls Don't Cry. I do like the remix of that because once again, I like all things Teeny Bopper...almost. Although I can admit it is a STUPID song)

• Numbers-he is always mashing numbers in his head. Out of the blue the other day he told me that 2+2=4. {Genius!} He is also always counting and telling me what the "number of the day" is. When ever that number comes up he cheers. It's cute.
• All the things that being 4 allows him to do now: poop in the potty with no skids in the undies (don't know why 4 was the magic age but I am sure grateful it was!), talk to strangers (I keep reminding him that he is NOT allowed to talk to strangers no matter his age, and he then politely tells me that all the strangers he talks to are nice. I am still working on this one!), boss Reesie around (he lets me know several times a day that he and I are both the "bosses" of Reesie), and play with his Lego Castle.

So, there are a few of the things on his mind lately. I seem to have drawn a blank on the rest. I will post as I remember them.

Cool Giveaway!

Here is a cool giveaway! If you win I will be jealous!

Click HERE

Good Read

Especially if you live in Utah, I am sure you are aware of the new craze: Stephanie Meyer's Vampire series. I just finished reading the first book"twilight". I found this book to be a fast, entertaining, and worthwhile read (Angie, don't hate me for my differing opinion!). I actually couldn't put the book down. This is a bit silly, because it is such a teeny bopper romance type book, but we all know that I still enjoy all things teeny bopper. As my mom said in her blog, this book is definitely better than High School Musical! If you haven't read this book yet, you should. Put aside all the horrible assumptions that it must be dumb because it's about vampires and give it a try. Then you can judge for yourself. I can't wait to read the next book "new moon".

If you have read the book, I would love to know what you think!

****disclaimer-this book is not for those who are looking for something intellectually stimulating, growth promoting, or thought provoking. If you are a person who only likes books that make you smarter this is not for you!

OAMC

Once a Month Cooking. Have you ever tried it? Did you like it? Do you have any tips for me to help it go faster/smoother?

For those that don't know, once a month cooking is just that: cooking once (all in one day) for the rest of the month. Then you have 30 days ahead of you that are fantastic. No trying to think of what to make for dinner, no actual preparing of the meal, no messy clean up. All you have to do is put your pre-made meal in the oven or crock pot. Sounds good to me, so I am going to try it next week. I purchased all three of the books off this website and I am going to give it a shot. The recipes look fairly simple, and the book outlines exactly how to do it. I will give all the details when I am done (cost, time, and quality).


So, what do you think?

Bathroom Humor

Last night as I was giving Dev a bath I asked him to stand up and soap himself. As he was doing so, I reminded him that he needed to wash his bum. He started washing his bum and I could tell he was thinking something over. He looked at me and asked me how many bum cracks he had. I told him only one. Then he looked even more confused and asked, "Why does Reesie have three?" I about died laughing. What a cute observant boy. He then answered his own question and said, "It's because she is chubby!"

I was TAGGED!

Yourself: loud
Your partner: On the Computer
Your hair: too short
Your mother: Mimi
Your father: Pabio
Favorite item: my vinyl cutter and computer (sorry, had to put two!)
Dream last night: don't remember
Favorite drink: diet dr. pepper
Dream car: Honda Pilot
Dream home: has my very own craft room--a BIG one!
The room you are in: bedroom
Your fear: don't laugh--butterflies
Where you want to be in 10 years: done having kids and looking more like the old mckay
Who you hung out with last night: Bradley
You're not: a girl...not yet a woman (haha--ashley and nicole!)
One of your wish list items: a pedicure
The last thing you did: put stain on my clocks
You are wearing: Oregon State Soccer T-Shirt and scrub bottoms
Your favorite weather: summer
Your favorite book: There are too many, I can't have a favorite
Last thing you ate: Lean Cuisine
Your life: is a circus
Your mood: excited
Your best friend: Brad
What are you thinking about right now: the huge 4 loads of laundry that needs to be folded and put away
Your car: a mini van. I still can't say that without laughing!
What are you doing at the moment: filling out this survey and watching Picket Fences
Relationship status: married with two adorable kids
What is on your tv: Picket Fences
When is the last time you laughed: tonight at Devin and Reese. They like to scream in each other's faces for fun.

Okay all you blog readers-- Now it's your turn: TAG!

High School Musical 2!!!!!!

I am so excited for High School Musial 2 to premiere on Friday! So excited in fact, that my mom and sisters and I are having a High School Musical Party! We are having Fat Friday before the movie starts, as well as karaoke to the first movie's songs. Can't wait!

*****yes I realize that this is a total teeny-bopper movie---I love teeny-bopper movies. What of it? =)

Karaoke Fun!

So I have a new love....KARAOKE! I spent two hours today with Dev singing karaoke as loud as I could. I will be the first to admit, there is nothing lovely about my voice, but I don't think my 4 year old knows that! We had a great time. I can't wait to get more CD-G's to play. I am going to master Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway." Anyone want to join Dev and I?

Blogging Rut

I am in a blogging rut. I just don't have much to say lately. As I go down my blog roll and read everyone else's blogs I don't feel as guilty. Looks like lots of us are in a blogging rut. I think it's just because summer is so busy. Hopefully it will pick up again and I won't be at a blogging loss for words forever.

And now for my excuse for there being no posts in this week to come: WE ARE OFF TO YOSEMITE AND DISNEYLAND! YAY! I am so excited for a break and a change of scenery. I am prepared however for the lack of vacation that this vacation will be. Mom's have to work 10x harder when they aren't in their own territory. Now that I have learned this, I am ready for it and won't be too upset! Hope you all have a great week!

Craft Camp 2007

Craft Camp this week was a huge success! This is the third year we have done it and every year it just gets bigger and better. Some of the crafts we did are: altered composition notebooks, magnet boards, diaper/wipes cases, quiet books, altered acrylic frames, Japanese cooking, bleached bags, cards, and making our own chapstick. We had a packed three days!

One of my favorites this year was the Tea Party that my mom hosted. It was a blast! And the food was great. My mom had us all wear hats (because you can't come to a tea party without wearing a hat!) and they were so funny. Everyone had a different style. We decided that the Tea Party is going to be a tradition every year at Craft Camp.

We also had a dutch oven cookout before our closing ceremonies. That was a ton of fun too. I loved being able to just hang out and chat and laugh with everyone.

My mom was great, she was the hotel for all of our guests. She is a great host. I kinda wished I was staying over too!

I hope that those who couldn't make it to Craft Camp this year can come next year. It really was the highlight of my summer so far. I am excited to plan 2008's!

Funny Devin Story For The Day

Last week as I was getting Devin ready to go to the zoo I asked him to find his hat and put it on. He found it quickly, put it on and looked at me with a look of contemplation. He then turned his hat around backwards and said to me, "I want to wear my hat backwards." I said, "Okay, that's fine." Then asked me, "But will I get a wedgie?"

***Remember the talk he had with Brad about backwards underwear? Apparently he didn't understand it as well as we thought!

Picture Heavy Post

It's definitely summer around here. It's hot, the days are long, and the kids are getting bored. To break up the monotony we went to the zoo last week. We had a lot of fun. I think we will be going again. Enjoy the pictures!

My Beauty Queen Baby.

All tuckered out. Isn't she sweet?

My little ham. I told him to smile for the camera, so he made funny faces.

Dev decided to try on Reesie's shorts today. They are 9 month size. It was so funny. Here he is demonstrating stretches for me.

Disgusting Scam

I can't believe some people and the gall they have. This is a disgusting scam. To think that some people would stoop this low just baffles me.

Reese update

Reese has officially graduated into a front facing car seat. At her 9 month well child check yesterday, the pediatrician told me to turn her around. She is 30" long, and 22 lbs. Her legs don't quite fit comfortably the other way anymore. Her doctor also told me that she is as big as your average one year old! Where did she come from? Dev was so small, it is still surprising to me to have such a big baby. I haven't turned her around yet--to me that is just another mile stone that is part of her growing up, and I am not ready for her to grow up. These last nine months have flown by.

Reese is also trying to crawl. She can successfully crawl maybe 2 steps, then she hits the belly again. She is getting pretty good at army crawling, but isn't very fast at it (thank goodness). She can go from laying to sitting (this is a brand new feat) but she still can't pull herself to standing. She still doesn't like baby food (smart girl) but she will try mama's food from her plate. She is a prissy little princess and doesn't like to eat food from my fingers, she prefers I stick it on a fork first. She loves to scream at the top of her lungs (for fun, when she is happy) and she gets her brother doing the same thing. They love to take turns screaming in each other's faces and laugh at one another. She loves her daddy and her brother. She lights up when they walk in the room, and her attention stays focused on them. She laughs at everything they do. Her laugh is so cute. It is one of my favorite sounds. She has some stranger anxiety, but that is normal for a baby her age.

We love our Reesie, and she is such a blessing to our family. I feel so lucky to have the two wonderful kids I have. I sure learn a lot from them.

Birthday Parties and Birthday Suits

We had a little of both today. We went to Devin's friend Rowan's birthday party, which happened to be a swim party. Dev was excited to try getting in the big pool, but as soon as he got in he became a little intimidated and got right out. The cement was hot, so I told Dev to run and get his sandals and bring them to me so I could help him put them on. A few minutes went by and I realized that Dev wasn't back yet so I went to check on him. I rounded the corner and found Devin outside on the porch, once again in the middle of many socializing parents, wearing NOTHING but his birthday suit and sandals... on the wrong feet! I tried my best to hold in my laughing and asked him, 'What are you doing?' He told me he was going to go play with his friends. Well why not? It was a birthday party. Might as well wear the appropriate suit.

An Example of My Days with Devin

This particular day started at the park. Fun right? Only mostly. We were very excited to play at the park, but when I pulled up, Devin began to whine and cry that we were at the wrong park. Apparently the park we were at didn't have enough toys. I quickly got him to stop crying and complaining by telling him we were going to play at this park, or we were going to go home. He decided the park we were at was okay after all. So there we were. I was socializing with other moms when I noticed Devin in the play sand in the middle of the park, circling. Kind of like a dog when he is about to sit down. I wonder to myself, 'what is Devin doing?' And then he answered my unspoken question, right there in front of everyone: he yanks down his pants and begins to pee. I ran to him. He looks at me and tells me nonchalantly "I gotta go pee. There is no bathroom" he says this as he is trying to run away, pants around his ankles. I get him put back together and he runs off to play. I do the walk of both embarrassment and amusement back to the other moms who are laughing. One of them asks me why his underwear is on backwards. I told her the truth. Devin's truth: Because he doesn't have eyes in the back of his bum, and can't see Batman with them on the right way. Makes perfect sense.

Now, the above scenerio is funny, right? You can see the humor in it? Well so could I. The first time. The kicker is that he did it again. The same day. At Brad's work party in his co-workers backyard. There he is playing with his new pal Rowan when all of a sudden he stops what he is doing, drops his drawers right where he is, and let's the fire hose go. When he is finished he pulls his pants up, and continues playing with his pal just like nothing ever happened leaving all the adults both stunned and disgusted, probably. I hope the tree survives. Man, it must be nice to be a boy.

After all this occured, I was watching him like a hawk to make sure he didn't decided to pee-n-go for a third time, when I noticed he was running like he had been riding a horse all day. Weird, I thought. Then, I notice him constantly picking a melvin out of his rear end. I guess if I wore my undies the wrong way I'd have some problems too. I left it up to Brad to explain the chaffing business and it seems to have gone over well. Eyes in the back of his bum or not, Batman is staying close to home.

Ahh, my Devin.

They're Here!

My sister Courtney and her family are finally here! I am excited that they have decided to spend the next year here for their internship. I already got to watch my darling nephew Cole while they were unloading the moving truck. It was so fun to watch him and Reesie interact and to see Devin try to take care of both of them.

Now Courtney, Mariela and I have to get down to business and start training for our 10k... hopefully we will keep each other motivated.

My Latest Creations

Just wanted to post pics of my latest vinyl creations and give a shout out to Aubri who I mostly copied. Thanks, Aubri, for "showing me the ropes!" I am loving the vinyl!!!!

Yes, I am sheltered: Beer Mugs?!

I am such a doofus! I hauled Brad and the kids to the dollar store with me on Saturday night to find an item for my handouts for the Beehives on Sunday. While we were there, I remembered I have broken all of our drinking glasses (I am also a spaz) and that I have seen some that look decent at the dollar store. I began looking for some (found some too! They aren't too bad) and Brad was browsing, having a grand time I am sure--because isn't the dollar store every husbands favorite place to be?--when he picks up these HUGE mugs and tells me we each need our own. Anyone who knows us knows that we love our sinful drinks of Mt. Dew (for Brad) and Diet Dr. Pepper (for me of course!) and the bigger the better. So if you can't follow my chain of reasoning, we could pour TWO cans into these huge mugs rather than just boring, lonely, plain ol' one!

As I am paying, Brad is trying to keep Devin at bay from throwing all the cheap-o toys on the checkout belt (Brad's Dollar Store hell is Dev's personal heaven) and the man is ringing up all of our unnecessary items and gets to the mugs. He wraps them in paper, puts them in the bag, I swipe my card, pick up the bags and begin to walk away, and the man says "Have fun with those beer mugs!" What?! I just bought beer mugs? They make special mugs for beer? Where have I been? Anyway, I am grateful for beer mugs, and have now renamed them addiction glasses. Appropriate for whatever drink goes in them. So much for avoiding the appearance of evil....

ISO Book Recommendations

Alrighty, dear blog readers: I need some good book recommendations both for myself, and for my kids. So lets hear them! What have you read and loved lately?

Also, I need good movie recommendations. But they have to be out on DVD. Theater movies aren't very practical for me at this adventurous point in my life. Ready, Set, Go!!!

My antidote to laziness

I have known for awhile that I am lazy, but recently I have decided I need to come out of denial and face it: I am lazy! So here is what I have come up with--I am going to run a marathon. Now, I don't know if I should have used the word run (there might not be much actual running), and I also need to add that I am NOT doing the full marathon, just a 10k. It is August 25th up Taos Ski Valley. I am excited, but I also know that I must get serious about training for it. It is unrealistic of me to think that I can go from coach potato to 10k. I have been walking about 2 miles a day, and am hoping to up that to 5 miles in the next 2 weeks. We will see from there. I want to get to the point that I can actually run without feeling like I am going to die.

Something that will help me is that my sister Courtney is moving here in two weeks, and she is going to do the marathon with me, so I will have someone to go through this whole process with. K, now that I have written this all down, I don't feel like I can easily back out without feeling like a quitter.

12,000 years

That is how long Devin says it has been since he has received any mail. The past few days he has been so sad that there has been no mail for him in our mail box. Today he started crying and said "I haven't gotten mail in 12,000 years!" I tried to tell him that Merry Moose sends him cards and it hasn't been 12,000 years since he has received one of those, to which he replied, "Merry Moose sends me letters, but it has been 12,000 years. I want to be the king of letters!" So, to all those who know my Dev, please, make him the king of the mail. You know where to send it!

Things I Love About My Kids Right Now

First off, thanks for this idea, Mandy. I love reading what you love about Laney. It is so fun to know what she is learning/doing.

Okay, so first things I love about Dev right now:

• He is so eager to learn anything. He is inquisitive and won't settle for "I don't know" as an answer.
• He loves Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We have conversations about them everyday. Devin is convinced that Jesus did not create birds that bite. He also thinks that only the birds that are black bite, therefore Jesus did not create them.
• He loves to run around in nothing but his undies. He thinks it helps him play better.

• He eats about 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 4 snacks, and dinner everyday. While I hate all the meal preparation and set up, I think it is hysterical that he is finally making up for all the years he WOULDN'T eat.
• He tells everyone we see in public, "I am not yours. I am mommy's. You can't have me." He will say this to people who weren't even talking to him or looking at him.
• He also lets everyone know that Reesie is ours, not theirs.

Okay, now for things I love about Reesie:

• She is such a momma's girl.
• She is starting to let us know what she wants, and when she is unhappy with us. She likes to eat paper. When I take it away she sure lets me know that she is MAD!
• Her mode of transportation is rolling. She can roll anywhere, and get into anything. She isn't even interested in crawling. Rolling gets her there just fine.
• Her fat rolls. I love to squeeze them and listen to her laugh.
• When she bounces in her jumper and makes little earthquakes. She sure can get going.
• Her growl. I especially love it in church when it is quiet and she lets it out. I wish you all could hear it.
• She loves her Daddy and Devin so much. I can't even nurse her with them in the same room because she is too busy smiling and laughing at them to nurse.

There is a lot more, but I will spare you all. I could go on forever about how wonderful, cute, intelligent, funny, etc. my kids are. They really are such a joy to me. I am so blessed to have them.

Summer Vacation

Lately I am so excited that it is summer. Summer is by far my favorite season. I love it. I love the heat, I love the sun, I love the plants and flowers, I love barbecuing, I love it all.

This summer we consider ourselves very lucky... we get to go on a vacation! YAY! At the beginning of August we are going to Brad's family reunion and then after we are going to Disneyland for Dev's birthday! I can't wait to see my little boy get to experience "the happiest place on Earth." We will see if he feels that way. I am also excited to see how Reesie will react. She will be just one month shy of one year old.

We are making sure to stay in a hotel across the street from the park so that I can take Reesie back to nap if needed. Does any one have any other suggestions or musts for us?