pasty IS pretty...

February Post

2012-02-07T20:18:00.001-08:00

It looks like once a month posting is my max, guys. Deal with it.
Now on to the good stuff!

People, this is what happens when I attempt to re-create Pinterest projects.

I found this little lovebirds-in-a-jar project while browsing Pinterest on my phone recently (something Ben will tell you takes up 85% of my day... I say 40% is more realistic):

I thought it was kind of creative and cute and not your usual run-of-the-mill Valentine's Day decor.
So, I tried to make my own (apology here for the lack-luster photo... I didn't even bother editing it):

Look closely... those birds look like they are sitting in their own goopy excrement. Just darling, isn't it?

Speaking of movements (hahaha!), Maggie joined the anti-bare-feet alliance and got herself (by unabashedly begging me) a sparkly pair of Toms, thereby donating a pair of new shoes to a child in need. (She was sure to emphasize that perk to Ben who wondered why she needed a pair of Toms in the first place. Of course, we all know that really she just wanted keep up with the smaller Boca crowd, who are- apparently- extremely benevolent...)

This purchase just continues to show that my children dress better than me... (free "gently used" pair of Chaco flip-flops that your husband found on the side of the road anyone???)

~~Ben and~~ I have instigated "Saturday Morning Chores". I make Oscar do them in his undies.

New things that are happening this coming month that would be blog-worthy, but I'll probably be too lazy to blog about them:

We will (hopefully) be finding out soon if this baby is going to be of the male or female persuasion.

Ben put me on a strict cash-not-card budget. Boo.

Maggie is starting ballet.

I am finally potty-training Oscar.

p.s. If you, too, would like to attempt the "Lovebirds" project, go here. Theirs is waaaaay cuter than mine.

Whoooooooeeee!

2012-01-10T10:25:00.000-08:00

That was a refreshing little unintentional blog break. My computer is still in a coma, so I use that as an excuse to not blog... but that's lame, right? I know. It is. But here I am to renew my efforts at blogging on a kind of sort of regular basis. Savvy? Here is what's going on in my life:

I still mother these:

My house still looks like this most days (except my toenail polish usually doesn't look that good):

I still live in a place where you can experience this:

I am growing this:

(Not my manic 5 year old son, although since I feed and water him perhaps I could say that I am "growing" him, too, but I was referring my protruding belly- 16 weeks pregnant...).

Hello? Is there anybody out there?

2011-11-23T06:27:00.000-08:00

Why on earth did I just quote a Pink Floyd song? Ready for a massive update sans pictures? Well then, here we go.

The Quinns now reside in the lovely town of Boca Raton, Florida. When we left Mobile, Alabama for Florida this is what it looked like:

{I lied about the sans photos... my computer is broken and I'm using Ben's computer
but I remembered I have a few photos on the internets that I can use here.}

Pretty classy little get-up, right? Here is what the average joe in Boca drives:

{picture via Google Images}

Okay, so maybe not everyone drives a rolls royce around, but I've seen my fair share. At the grocery store, parked outside the corner drugstore, picking up their kids from school. It's crazy. Also lots of BMWs, Mercedes, Porsches, Range Rovers, and some cars that I didn't even know existed like Maserati and Buggati (Ben had to educate me on the latter two cars and how awesome they are. I'm still like, meh). Suffice it to say, Ben and I felt like we fit right in when we pulled into town in our 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan pulling a U-haul trailer.

We actually really like it here so far. The weather has been a dream, the beaches are beautiful, Maggie loves her school, the parks here are immaculate, and there are geckos that live IN MY HOUSE. Usually I give Cash the task of catching and releasing them on our patio, but they eat bugs and spiders, so I kind of have to see the symbiotic relationship there. My little gecko friends.

The only bad thing about Florida is that we are on the opposite coast of a lot of our friends and family. But there is an open invitation to come visit us! We're like only 1 1/2 hours from the Florida Keys, guys. And 30 minutes south of Palm Beach. Oh, and we live IN BOCA RATON. So, who's going to be our first official guest? Anyone? Anyone?

9 years ♥

2011-10-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

Story Time

2011-10-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, Cash and Oscar were crazy, active boys. Like way crazy. I signed them both up for gymnastics so they would have an outlet for all their energy. Yesterday was gymnastics day and at the very end of class Cash decided to grab at Oscar's feet while he was hanging from a swing over a pit of foam blocks... Oscar's hands slipped and he fell face first into the side of the foam block pit and split his lip open both inside and out (luckily it didn't go all the way through). After I washed all the blood off I got a good look at the wound. It's very reminiscent of a famous scar (albeit it's in entirely the wrong place).

We drove home to find Ben to let him have a look at the lip. Ben (a.k.a. Dr. Dad) decided that this was a wound he could handle. He found a bottle of superglue, laid Oscar down on the kitchen table, dabbed a little hydrogen peroxide on the cut and glued the skin back together. I admit, I was a little skeptical and apprehensive, but it worked! Oscar laid down for a nice long nap and his little lip stayed shut.

But then Oscar woke up. And he didn't like the feeling of glue on his lip. And he picked at it. And picked at it, and picked at it. Pretty soon the cut was unglued. Ben was about to play Dr. again, but at that point I decided maybe we'd better have a professional take a look at it. So, despite Ben's protests, Oscar and I drove down the road to the Urgent Care. Oscar was loving all the attention- the nurses all thought our little man was so adorable and brave.

The doctor came in, took a look at it and said, "Oh this is nothin'! I'll have this fixed in no time!" He turned around, opened a cupboard and pulled out some... superglue. $142 and 30 minutes later, Oscar and I drove home- patched lip, empty wallet and all.

The End

Oregon Coast 2011

2011-09-08T19:18:00.001-07:00

Here are some more photos from our trip to Lincoln City. I should just move there, I love it so much...

Beachy

2011-09-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

Every year Ben and I make sure that we make it out to Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast to stay at my mom's family's beach house. We love it. We take pictures every year to document it. Take a looky-loo.

This concludes the flash-back portion of this post. Please stand by for more posts. (But don't stand too close, it may take a few days).

Scoot

2011-08-31T13:10:00.000-07:00

So I have a bunch of pictures to upload onto my computer from the past month's activities, but my computer is stuffed full- can't take one more little photo byte. So I have to cull and clean out the photo cache, and then download pictures onto an external hard drive and then download the new pics into iPhoto... needless to say all this takes time, and what with Maggie starting school, and the boys starting other extracurricular activities and me being just plain lazy, it hasn't happened yet. But here is an old video clip of Cash riding his scooter to appease y'all. He's about a month shy of being 3 here, and he rides his scooter like a little stud-muffin. (My favorite part of the video though? Maggie's nearly lost temper in the last 3 seconds...).

Without further ado:

Conversations

2011-08-06T17:10:00.001-07:00

Preface: On the menu for dinner tonight-- Pre-seasoned individually wrapped frozen salmon fillets that you simply unwrap, throw on a baking sheet and cook. As a side dish I opened up a can of green beans and heated it up in the microwave. A little salt and pepper on the beans, a squeeze of lemon juice on the fish. Done. Not my proudest meal, but...

Maggie: (After taking a few bites) Mmmmm, oh my gosh MOM! This is sooooo good!!!

Me: (Blank stare)

Maggie: I'm serious mom, you are the best cook ever!

Me: (Blank stare)

Maggie: Mom, I think you should write a cookbook. And you could even put your name on the front of it! And you could have your own cooking show! You could make food just like this and people would be saying, "Oh man! This lady can cook real good!"

Me: (Blank stare)

Maggie: Mom? Do you hear what I'm talking about?

Me: I'm flattered sweetie...Thanks for the complements! Now, can you finish your dinner?

Maggie: (Poking at her fish with her fork) Can you heat it up in the microwave? It's not very good when it's not heated up.

Have a Fabulous Weekend!

2011-07-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

Here are my little lovelies holding an alligator. If I remember correctly this here 'gator is about 3 years old. I think Oscar didn't believe he was real because he kept poking his finger in the poor lil' gator's eyeball! These were taken on our vacation to Florida 2 months ago.

Menu! MENU!!! Read all about it!

2011-07-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, so here is my Menu for this week (FINALLY, right??!?)

Monday: Easy Peasy Taco Soup (made with ground Turkey), sliced veggie platter

Tuesday: Rosemary Fried Chicken, Green Salad, Roasted Potatoes

Wednesday: Roasted Salmon with Spicy Califlower, Roasted Asparagus with Lemon

Thursday: Crock-pot Creole Chicken, Brown Rice, Grilled Summer Squash & Zuchinni

Friday: Home-made Sliders, Green Salad, Baked Sweet Potato French Fries, Mini Milk Shakes

Saturday: Chicken Nachos with Black Beans and Guacamole, Lettuce Wedge Salad

Also, I found a recipe for Donut Muffins that I'm going to try on Saturday morning, I'll let you know how they turn out...

My Boys

2011-07-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

This is pretty much a good representation of what my boys do on a daily basis. They are constant. ♥

Good Times, Good Times...

2011-07-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

This past week "Ben-ha-meen" was working in Arkansas. On Saturday I threw my little minions into our car and drove up to Arkansas, picked up Ben and headed over to Little Rock to visit some old friends from way back in the day when we were childless. As you can see from the following photo, Ben and I weren't the only ones who have been productive the past six years (wink, wink). Joe and Teriney make really cute kids. And isn't it so awesome/adorable how we took turns having babies just so we could have a photo-op like this one? The numbers are their ages (to be super over-obvious):

Here are their parents. Teriney is currently baking number 4:

Thanks for hosting us, guys! Let us know the next time you are having a crazy-busy weekend and we'll plan a last minute trip up there to interfere... we like being "those" friends.

Menu Fail...

2011-07-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, so I was going to post a menu for this week on Monday, but we went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse on Monday for the 4th of July and then Tuesday I had to take my car in to get fixed, so I never made it to the grocery store, which means we had Cheerios for dinner last night. Seriously. Well, I had Almond Vanilla granola (the Archer Farms brand from Target- it's delicious!!!), but everyone else had Cheerios. They were Honey Nut, so my kids thought it was an awesome dinner. And when Ben got home he ate goldfish crackers and downed a V8. We are so healthy! Woo-hoo!

Hopefully my car will be ready to pick up today, and hopefully I'll make it to the store, and hopefully I'll buy something other than breakfast cereal and be able to put up our weekly menu. Oh, and also hopefully I'll finally download some pictures off my iphone and put them on my blog so there is more visual interest here...

Update: Aha! I did it! I downloaded some new photos-

random snapshot of a house while on a Sunday drive in Alabama

my little blue-eyed oscar

lunch at Buck's Pizza in downtown Mobile- best Margherita Pizza ever

4th of July- dressed in appropriate colors (which earned me a HUGE eye roll from their daddy)

In an attempt to make meals more interesting at my house, I'm going to be posting our weekly menu. Accountability can be a beautiful thing, no?

Monday: Ben's birthday- ate out
Tuesday: grilled salmon, asparagus, summer squash, fruit salad
Wednesday: taco salad with ground turkey, fruit
Thursday: chicken shish-kebabs, corn on the cob, salad
Friday: home made pizza, salad
Saturday: bruschetta, fruit salad

So, there's my menu for the week. What's cookin' at your house? (No seriously, what are you cookin'? I need ideas...).

P.S. We're now living in mobile, Alabama... We're hicks. Just kiddin' we love it here! I mean, we're right on the gulf coast, need I say more?

3rd Generation

2011-06-18T08:54:00.001-07:00

My dad raised all five of his children to be Macheads. And we each in turn have converted our spouses (except maybe for Erin- because she's weak-minded {Erin- these aren't the droids you are looking for... move along, move along.}). Ahem, where was I? Oh yeah, so now all my dad's grandkids are being raised on Apple technology. Dad, this photo is for you. Happy Father's Day!

p.s. I just thought maybe I should add that all of my kids are playing educational games on all these Apple products. I promise. (Want to know what apps/internet site they are using? Go here or search "starfall education" at the App Store.)

i love him.

2011-06-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

Picture This

2011-06-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

A week ago today I was driving home from a little vacation to Florida with my mom and these three muffin-heads. I've got some pictures from the trip and I'm planning on posting them here as soon as I download them from my phone/camera... but today I'm taking said muffin-heads to the Children's museum. Their favorite exhibit there? The one where you crawl through a model of the digestive tract starting by going through a mouth and ending down a slide into a toilet- sound effects included... no joke. We love science! (And all things bathroom related!)

Baby Eli

2011-06-04T12:46:00.001-07:00

That's what we named our little boy. Eli means "ascended" in Hebrew, so we thought it was a good name for him. I delivered him on May 23rd. He was so tiny, 10 and 1/2 inches long and only 14 oz. Ben and I were both so surprised at how perfect he was. His little hands, feet, lips, ears all so tiny but completely developed and so perfect. The only thing wrong was that the umbilical cord was all twisted and knotted right at his little belly. I delivered Eli at a Catholic hospital here in Jackson and we opted to have him buried at an anonymous church somewhere in the countryside outside of Jackson. Mississippi will forever have a special place in my heart.

I am doing good- I really am. I am so grateful that I believe in eternal families. I'm so thankful for family and sweet friends who have kept us in their thoughts and prayers. I'm so blessed to be a mother to Maggie and Cash and Oscar. I'm so lucky to have a husband who has been right at my side through all of this. Thank you for all your comments, thoughts and prayers. They are appreciated.

Here is a picture of Eli's hand in mine. I hope it's not too somber to post this here. I just wanted to show how tiny he was. I was in my 21st week when he died- that's only half way through a pregnancy. Babies truly are little miracles.

No easy way to say it...

2011-05-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

The hard truth is, that yesterday at my 20 week ultrasound the doctor was unable to find our baby’s heartbeat. I had felt our baby boy moving and kicking the night before, but sometime between then and my appointment his little heart went still.

The hard truth is that in a few days I will have to go into the hospital and deliver my baby, but come home without him.

I know that there are women out there who have experienced multiple pregnancy losses. I know that every day parents lose children to things like illness, or accidents or other tragic events, and I’m sure that their trials are greater than mine. But the fact is that my heart is hurting. And my arms feel empty. And this is really hard.

Twenty Down

2011-05-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

{Um, major note to self: I really need to have someone take some "good" pictures of me and my pregnant belly. And I should probably try to do something cute with my hair...also I should try and ditch the bathroom setting.}

Like Clockwork

2011-05-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

I still check on my kids in the middle of the night. Every night around 2 a.m. I wake up and tip toe to the kids' room to fix their blankets and kiss them on their foreheads while they lay dreaming in their beds (and subconsciously I find myself checking to see if they're still breathing- disturbing, right?). I wondered last night while going through this ritual if I would still be doing the same thing when they were teenagers... and then I was thinking that if, as a teenager, I had woken up to my mom standing over me in the middle of the night fixing my blankets it would have probably freaked me out a little. So I'm thinking that I'll probably have to stop at some point. (But not yet.)

Yawn

2011-04-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Is is just me, or has my blog been mega boooorrring as of late? And if that's the case, does that mean I've been mega boring as of late too? Yeesh, I hope not. Maybe I'd be more up to posting if the bambino growing in my womb didn't require me to sleep 10 + hours every night. 10 hours or more, guys. What the heck-fire? That's a lot of sleep. And I still manage to doze off anytime I sit for more than 5 minutos. Maybe I have malaria. Maybe I'm narcoleptic. Maybe I should have stopped at 3 kids. I'm not sure what the answer is here, but whatever the case may be I might have to start drinking again (Coca-cola, guys, not the hard stuff). Things to ponder...

On to a funny anecdote: the other day the whole family was driving around in the car enjoying a lazy Mississippi sunday. The guy in the car behind us was in a much bigger hurry than we, and was leaving a 1/2 inch cushion between our bumpers. I was getting a little perturbed and asked Ben, "What is the deal with this guy following so close?" Maggie piped up in the backseat "yeah, he'd better stop following us or we're going to give him some crap!" Heh heh, road rage anyone? I don't know where she gets it. Serious.

Oh, and here's a little p.s. Perhaps you noticed in that last paragraph that I mentioned we were enjoying a lazy Mississippi sunday. Perhaps you thought it should have read lazy Louisiana sunday. Well, here is the deal with that. We are not going to be in Louisiana at all this summer, as it turns out. Instead we will be enjoying our time in the states of Mississippi and Alabama. Am I bummed? A bit. But such is this line of work. We just go where the big boss tells us to. Alright. I'm off to dip my head in an ice cold bucket of water, drink down some stimulants and do something exciting! Crazy! Fun! Or maybe I'll just go take a nap...

We have arrived...

2011-04-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

Oh yes we have. 4 days in a car with 3 kids 5 and under (and Ben would also add here: a pregnant lady) is a trip you should all consider taking- if you're masochistic crazy nut jobs. After about 5 hours in the car Ben broke down and bought the kids an iPad thinking it would keep them all angelically entertained. Bwahahahaha! The constant fighting that occurred (and still occurs) over whose turn it is and who played last and who got a longer turn (blah blah blah) made me wonder if the purchase was worth it. Until the battery died and the kids sang Down By The Bay for a good solid hour. Then I wished for the whining. Actually, the power card Ben and I gained from the iPad was kinda worth it. The Magic Words in our house are now "If you don't stop [insert appropriate verb here] your brother/sister, you lose iPad privileges for a day!". Peace and Quiet. Love it.

I wish I could say the above picture was of our abode here in the South, but alas it is not. Instead we are living in a small, nay, TINY apartment. To give you an idea of what I'm working with here, I can vacuum the whole house while plugged into one single outlet, and not an outlet located in the central area of the apartment either. I can plug the vacuum into an outlet in the kids' room on one side of the apartment and work my way over to my bedroom on the other side of the apartment all while utilizing one little outlet. I know you guys that have to plug and unplug your vacuum like 12 times while you clean your house are so jealous, but now let me tell you about how every time I need to get into the closet in the kids' room I have to move Oscar's bed out of the way. Still coveting? Then you must live in Manhattan.

Apartment space aside, we are having a good time out here. It's so green and there are so many trees. Also we are the minority and that's fun. Our air conditioning pretty much runs around the clock as do the ceiling fans. Short sleeves are the daily uniform. I love hearing the little kids talk with a southern accent and all of them say "Yes ma'am" to their mommas. And here's where I get to tell about a little pat-myself-on-the-back moment I had: The kids and I were out running some errands and Maggie started walking through a flower bed. I asked her to stay on the sidewalk and she answered, "Yes Mom, I'll do it right away!" The woman who was walking past stopped and turned around and said, "Now that's good parenting!" Cue the shot of my face beaming with pride at my respectful little children. (Nevermind that 2 minutes earlier Maggie had told me to wipe the ridiculous look off my face... I'm crossing my fingers that some of these Southern Manners rub off on our little Margaret).

So to recap this sort of lengthy post: we're here, we're having fun, we're going to start saying y'all all the time. When in Rome, right?

{here, Sarah, are the obligatory house pictures- because I love you... yes I do}

A Banjo on My Knee

2011-03-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

And we're off, folks. We're headed down to the deep south. I'm excited for some authentic Cajun cooking- I'm certainly going to try some real shrimp gumbo. And I'm keeping my eye out for a pair of alligator boots. So a big fat good-bye to you, Utah, and to your lovely mountains! Also, good-bye to shirts without sweat stains under the armpits. Xoxo!

May the road always rise to meet you...

2011-03-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well. Hello to all. Hope your March has been fantastico. Mine has been a tad bit crazy, and I love that. It's St. Patty's Day and the whole family is wearing green. We are Quinns after all and must pay tribute to this little Irish holiday. The kids really get into it- Ben will probably develop a hundred little bruises all over his body where his offspring pinched him repeatedly while he still lay (lie?) in bed this morning... his pj's (aka undies) aren't green. Tonight after a feast of corned beef and cabbage, the kids will be bathed and tucked into their beds to dream about leprechauns and rainbows. Meanwhile Ben and I will be packing for a quick trip to California and when we return we will be packing for a not so quick trip to (are you ready for this?) LOUISIANA. A 5 - 6 month stint to be had there. So, here's hoping a little luck-o-the-irish will be with us on our trip to the south (they have alligators there, you know).

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Would you eat them in a box? Would you eat them with a Fox?

2011-03-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

Today is Dr. Suess' Birthday, and Cash was in charge of bringing snacks to preschool today- a very prestigious honor for a 4-year-old. So we racked our brains (which means we googled "Dr. Suess themed snacks") and came up with this idea: Green Eggs and Ham (aka Bacon).

2 pretzel sticks, a dollop of melted white chocolate,

and an m&m in an appropriate color.

Upon seeing our incredible creation, Maggie insisted that she needed to take some to her class as well. This morning I gently placed them in a tupperware lined with parchment for miss Maggie to take to school. Just as she was about to get on the bus she dropped the box, breaking pretty much all of them... I'm sure the kids will eat them anyway- in a house, with a mouse, on a train, in the rain.

So,

you

Green Eggs

and

Ham?

Let It Be Known

2011-02-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

Kathryn's Womb Service is officially up and running once again. Let's be honest- Ben can't get enough when it comes to... newborns. And so here we are, having number 4. Yay!

Ben and baby Oscar, just a few hours after he was born

Me and Maggie, a few days before Cash arrived!

Here I am documenting my pregnancy with Oscar... I'll look like this again soon!

On this very day

2011-02-11T12:04:00.000-08:00

last year, I was sending Maggie off to her pre-school with a bag full of home made little Valentine's. They weren't too fancy, but she helped make them and she loved handing them out to all her little friends. This year all of us are home sick. Cash is missing his Valentine's party today (we dropped off some store bought Valentine's at his school- no home made cut out hearts this year, no siree. Thank you Hello Kitty and Spider-Man for saving the day). We'll see if Maggie is feeling better by Monday when she has her class party. This cold of mine has almost lasted me a full week. Blech. My poor kids have been neglected for most of that time (Ben stayed home on Tuesday so he, I mean, I could sleep all day, so they got real food and diaper changes on Tuesday.) Maggie has been my little helper, bringing me glasses of water and brushing my hair. Right now she's "reading" a dinosaur book to her little brothers (who are supposed to be napping). I just heard her say, "With their big huge teeth, bigger than sharks, moving side by side, and their well-made eyes like bees nests, these dinosaurs are bigger than this house and very scary and meaner than volcanoes and probably were waiting for humans to pet them (they didn't know humans weren't alive yet) so they could bite them."

At least while I'm sitting here in my misery, my kids are getting a quality education.

Maggie's Valentine's: 2010

p.s. I just realized that most people have colds and can still function, but I'm telling you people, this has been the head cold from HELL. I am reminiscent of the swine flu of 2009, that's how crappy this cold has been. So before you get all on my case saying things like, "c'mon Kat, it's a COLD for crying out loud, what is up with that? You are seriously the biggest boob EVER", just know that this is no ordinary cold. It's a cold on steroids. Okay, now you can judge.

Play Broom Broom Now?

2011-02-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

On Wednesdays and Fridays, Maggie and Cash are both at school and so for an hour and a half (or thereabouts) Oscar gets some one on one time with yours truly. And a lot of the time he wants to play "Broom Broom". For those of you that need a translation there, that's Cars.

And yes, Oscar is still wearing his PJ's. He rarely changes out of them until closer to lunch time. (p.s. Neither do I).

New Year, New House

2011-01-17T22:22:00.000-08:00

Charming 1950s rambler in a quiet, coniferous forest neighborhood at an approximate elevation of 5,000 feet. Close to excellent schools, and a wide variety of bamboo forests, this luxurious family home features gorgeous views and central heating for comfortable winter hibernation. For more information, or to schedule a tour, please contact Dolhaus Realty.

Magician in Training

2010-12-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

All day Cash has been carrying around a bead in one of his fists and asking me to pick a hand. If I choose the wrong hand he tells me to pick another one. When I do and he reveals the bead he says, "You're so smart, mom!" Cute, right? Of course I just had to confiscate the bead because he came to me and said, "Mom, pick an ear..."

2 E'en's after Hallowe'en

2010-11-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

Ben's oldest brother Jason is an artist. He's really good. I think he sucked all the visual artistic talent genes out of his mother's womb forcing his younger brothers to be forever content with rough stick figure drawings and toddler-esque doodles. His talents serve to aid his children, too. They always win every Halloween costume contest hands down. And we all know how that can put a child on the path to life long success and happiness. Right? At the very least they get to scare the living heckfire out of my brood. Take a looksee at their Halloween costumes this year:

Apparently Maggie was inspired this year and found some willing people-canvasses to practice on for next Halloween- watch out Jason, it looks like we may have managed to squeeze out a little artistic progeny of our own...

p.s. our "real" costumes were 2 cowboys and a princess, but as my camera is still out-of-order I have no photos (boo).

Dear Camera Battery Charger,

2010-10-08T09:08:00.001-07:00

The camera is dead. And has been dead for several weeks now. I know I complained about getting a new camera a while ago, is that why you skipped out on me? Please come home. I miss you. I need you. I want you. And I promise you a trip to San Diego next weekend if you come home and breathe life into my camera once again.

Thanks,

Me

fresh fish

2010-08-25T15:09:00.001-07:00

So we did a little camping last weekend with the Quinn family and Cash got to try his hand at fishing- and let me tell you, the kid is good! I was a little surprised at how far he could cast (20-30 feet almost every time). After the kids had caught about 15 fish we cleaned em, stuffed them full of fresh herbs and grilled them by the campfire- maggie and cash each ate a whole fish by themselves! Fresh caught fish = yummo camp dinner. Cash keeps telling everyone he wants to get his very own hooker (what he calls a fishing pole). So, if Cash asks you for a hooker for Christmas, don't go giving me a dirty look- the boy just wants to fish!

hello friends!

2010-08-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

We are all moved in! Moved in and well rested from the blogging break and our yearly trip to the OREGON COAST! Oh how I love you, Oregon Coast...

...and that's about all I have. Shed a tear with me as a grieve for the pictures that my camera LOST... grrr. I need a new camera.***

Anyways, we're home, we're all good, we're excited for school to be in session (Maggie starts Kindergarten! woot woot!).

p.s. someday I'm going to live on the Oregon Coast- just so y'all know.

***UPDATE: I found more of my pictures- they got filed weird when I downloaded them to my computer, although I'm still missing a bunch, so I could still use that new camera... Ben, are you listening???

We Interrupt This Blogging Break for a Brief Message..

2010-07-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

Okay peoples, I'm going through my mountains of laundry today since I've put all housekeeping duties on the back burner and have put all my energies into packing up this little homestead of mine. But alas, I've run out of laundry detergent and need to run to the grocery store to buy more- but my kids are in the middle of The Princess Bride and Wesley's in the (read with a super scratchy voice) Pit of Despair and I can't very well pull my kids away in the middle of all that suspense and drama, now can I? So I'm logging on to my blog to really quick fill you in on the details of our move. We are moving to: (drumroll) HEBER CITY, UTAH! Oh man, are you so excited for us? Will you still be so excited for us when I say that we are moving in with Ben's mom? Hmmm? So yes, that is where we are moving... we are paying down debt and saving up so we can finally buy a house (how many years have I been having that as a goal now?). Anyhow, don't you Utahns worry, we will still be close enough for weekly Sunday dinners at your houses.

And now, back to the scheduled program (aka the Blogging Break).

(But first a picture to appease my mom who only checks this blog for snapshots of her favorite grandkidlets)

Um...

2010-07-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

We are moving. In two weeks. I found out last week. Need I say more?

Blogging break to start right...

now.

2010-07-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

Conversations

2010-06-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

Maggie came in & told me that Cash hit her... then she goes back in the bedroom with Cash.

Maggie: Cash, I just told on you.

Cash: Oh yeah? Well, I'm gonna tell on you... [yelling] Mooooommm! Maggie just told on me!

Egads!

-------

I was making a chocolate cream pie for dessert and Cash was in the kitchen blowing on a plastic whistle over and over and over and over. I told Cash if he blew it one more time, he'd lose it... 0.03 seconds later he blew the whistle again & I grabbed it and put it on the counter. He got angry and kicked a kitchen chair & slammed the pantry door and so landed himself in a time out.

Cash: As soon as I'm done with my dessert, I'm packing my stuff and leaving.

Me: Oh, really?

Cash: Yes, but you have to help me pack.

Me: Oh, is that right?

Cash: Yes, and if no one helps me pack, then I'm just staying here...

Dad Love

2010-06-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

I asked the kids why they love their dad:

Maggie: I love daddy because he takes me on rides down the canyon.

Cash: I love daddy because he makes me smoothies.

Oscar: Dowwwwn (the only word Oscar knows besides "no" and "mama").

Aw, we love our little ankle-biters!

We went up the canyon to roast hot dogs

Father's Day Breakfast: sticky, gooey, yummy rolls (recipe here).

Happy Father's Day, Ben- we love you!

How does your garden grow?

2010-06-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

Kale, spinach, swiss chard, lettuce and radishes.

Pretty soon I'll be able to include pictures of zucchini, yellow squash, 4 varieties of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Also growing are basil, rosemary, mint, orange mint, onion chives, and cilantro.

♥ my garden.

scenic drive

2010-06-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

thismorning i threw the kiddos in the car & headed up the canyon for a drive... very impromptu, but fun (well, until maggie got a little bored in the backseat & decided to make her own scenery by drawing on the headrest in front of her with a pen... sigh). but let's let bygones be bygones, right? back to our drive:

one thing is for sure... if ben & i ever do leave utah (not that we're planning on it!) i will very much miss these mountains...

Conversations

2010-06-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

Maggie was playing school with her two younger brothers, teaching them all sorts of songs and how to match shapes...

Me: Maggie, did you know your daddy used to be a teacher?

Maggie: WHAT?!? He did?

Me: Yep, he taught high school students...

Maggie: So he was a teacher and a daddy?

Me: Uh-huh.

Maggie: Wait, so people can be mommies and daddies and other stuff, too?

Me: Yes.

Maggie: Oh man! I'm going to be a teacher AND a mommy when I grow up! This is so cool...

visual aids

2010-05-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

Time: 1700 hours
Location: Riverwoods, Provo, Utah
Date: May 23rd
Event: a walk, indicating that the weather was warm as was the general mood
Warning: lots of pictures to follow... {click on any of the following photos to enlarge- might i suggest you click on the kissing pic? Oooo-la-la}

Sunday

2010-05-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hope all you Mom's out there had a great Sunday!

Here are some pictures from my day:

Can't get kids to sit still for a picture?

Get a cat to sit on your lap.

Warning: if the cat ends up scratching your baby, he might chase it around with a stick

until the cat gets mad & scratches him again...

hanging with Grandma Ma

Ben loves to get his toes done by Maggie

(while doing Ben's toes Maggie told her cousin Lucy "Uh, you probably won't want to use this nail-polish again...")

Dear Ben,

2010-05-11T15:21:00.001-07:00

I know how you stress over what to give me every year for my birthday. It's so sweet, 'cause being married to you is gift enough. Plus you always throw me such elaborate birthday parties, which are amazing and between the incredible decorations and the food you make yourself, I don't know how you always manage to keep it a surprise! Anyway, to help you out this year (although I'm probably too late- my gift is probably already wrapped and hidden away in some large closet...) I thought I'd make a list of some little things I wouldn't mind receiving:

an egg poacher

red italian leather driving gloves

{don't forget the car to go with them...}

some new enamel cookware

this sweater

or this cutie cookie jar

i love these sandals {but oh yeah, you don't}

i also still really want these boots (burnt red, natural or buttermilk, please...)

Or, if you don't want to go to the trouble of shopping, feel free to just give me a couple thou and I'll take care of myself!

Thanks honey-buns...

love, me

Alice in Wonderland

2010-05-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

So, for Maggie's birthday this year I decided to bite the bullet and actually do a friend party...the theme was "The Mad Hatter's Tea Party". We ate fresh fruit, mini muffins and cupcakes (which my kids call "muffins with frosting") and drank lemonade from cute glass teacups. Here are some pictures from the party (thank you friends who had cameras & took pictures, because I couldn't find mine!):

{we played "Pin the Grin on the Cheshire Cat"}

{I made everyone in the family dress up: Maggie was Alice, Ben was the Mad Hatter, I was the Queen of Hearts, and the boys were Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Cash specifically asked to be Tweedledee because he was not about to be TweedleDUM...) }

Check Lists

2010-05-06T10:00:00.002-07:00

I am a chronic list-maker. Every morning (or night, before I go to bed) I make a list of all the things I'd like to have done at the end of the day. It's usually pretty ridiculously long and contains a lot of items that even I know won't get checked off by the end of the week, let alone the end of the day. But I make lists anyways. Bonus points if the lists are on pretty paper. And then I get a nice healthy dose of defeat when I realize that the day is done and maybe one or two things have been checked off my list. So I take the list from my previous day, re-write if for the following day, add a few more items and doze off with the goal to finish my entire list. Repeat scenario.

So, guess what? I'm going to start making my list during the course of my day. It will be my reality check list.

Here's mine so far for today:

Change the sheets on Cash's bed (because he wet it. again.) Check!

Bathe the kids because while I was putting said sheets into the washer, they were playing a game called "Wipe your jam-covered toast in your hair". Check!

Clean up 11 (yes, ELEVEN) eggs off the kitchen floor. Check!

Re-plant the pot of herbs that Oscar ripped out. Check!

Clean up the powdered cheese from a box of mac 'n' cheese that Cash was trying to "help" me make for lunch (powdered cheese has a way of floating through the air and coating everything in orange). Check!

Now, if I can just get Maggie out the door to school, and the boys down for naps, I could have a good solid hour and a half to work on my other list:

Clean the bathrooms
Vacuum entire house
Fold laundry
Weed garden
Make a batch of home made yogurt
Write and mail Mother's Day cards
Clean out and wash the car
Wipe out kitchen cupboards/drawers
Sew quilt for Maggie's bed
Make new pillow covers for couch throw pillows
etc.
etc.
etc.

And that doesn't even start to touch my "Life Goals" list, which includes lofty aspirations such as:

Learn a second language
Run a half marathon
Write/Illustrate a children's book
Learn to play the guitar or harp (or both!)
Go on a Humanitarian vacation
Own Chickens

Sheesh, thinking about all that makes me tired. Maybe I'll go take a nap, myself... I can make a new list for tomorrow- I have an awful lot of pretty paper.

Please Compare the Following Photos:

2010-04-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

When looking at these photos, would you say that:

A. Oscar looks like his father
B. Thank goodness Kathryn's genes were added to the mix
C. Oscar should be a child model

or

D. Who the crap cares, you should write a political blog

Maggie is FIVE

2010-04-27T11:13:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to Maggie... she had about a bazillion birthday parties, and I will post some pictures from her Alice in Wonderland party soon. But for now, here she is at breakfast on her birthday! Love you, Mags. xoxo

Darling Cash,

2010-04-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

You turned 3 in December and here it is April and I'm just now sitting down to write you your letter. You've been keeping me busy, my little rough and tumble boy. Boy- you are all boy. Remember when you used to let Maggie dress you up in leotards and bows and all things sparkly? And you would dance around after Maggie sipping tea and chatting about princesses? Those days are gone... long gone. Now you walk- no run- around the house with some kind of pseudo-sword in hand (usually a wooden spoon or a stick you've snuck into the house) in constant battle with dragons, dinosaurs, and the ever obscure "bad guys" whose motives are always a bit vague. And there are always sound effects included- sword fights (schling! schling!), race cars (weeeerrrrhhhh!), karate moves (hi-YA!), etc. Poor Maggie now has to fit your daily theatrical encounters into her fairy tale sagas, which have morphed into soap opera worthy scenarios in which you, the valiant prince must rescue her, the (all too competent) damsel in distress. This format works for now, both of you satisfied in your imaginary realm, and you continue to be best friends and playmates.

Cash, you have an endless supply of energy. Where Maggie's energy finds it's release through words and constant commentary of the world around her, your energy is released in it's raw, physical form. It has happened more than once that at the end of the day, all worn out, your father and I will find ourselves lying on the ground, Maggie giving us an account of the day's minutiae, and you jumping, balancing, wrestling and otherwise bombarding our weary bodies with all the vigor your 3 year old body possesses.

That physical vigor spills over into the cerebral sphere as well- you are very curious about the world around you. Why just this afternoon you were sitting on the couch with me and wondered about the bump on my ankle. This sparked a conversation on bones and the lateral and medial malleolus' that make up the bony protuberances of the ankle. As soon as I had finished my explanation (thank you Anatomy 101) you stared blankly at me, told me my feet were cracking and went to find some lotion to rub into the heels of my feet (by the way, thanks). Perhaps my answer was a little over-the-top, but I like to be thorough. Little by little, you soak up all this information and one day you will perhaps know the answers to all your questions: how do cars work? Why do birds fly? Can I fly? Why can't we eat lotion? Where does the sun go at night? What's for dinner?

Cash every day you seem to grow and change- pushing limits (both yours and mine). You are between a toddler and a little boy. In attempts to keep up with Maggie you push yourself physically and most of the time I'm amazed at what you learn to do. Sometimes, though, your attempts end in tears and a scraped knee and I get to scoop you up and kiss you and fix your hurts and bruises and I love it- being needed that way. I hope that as the need for comfort in times of physical pain slowly ebbs, that you will know you can still come to me for comfort in times of emotional or mental distress. That you'll still depend on me as a source of constant, unchanging love and support- please know, Cash, that now and forever I've got your back.

Love,

Mom

Ready for E. Bunny...

2010-04-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

Last night while Ben was doing improv at the club, I stayed up and decorated the kids' Easter baskets. They turned out great, all spring-y and such. Too bad it's supposed to SNOW tomorrow... ugh.

Eggs Erroneous

2010-04-02T14:39:00.001-07:00

Ha ha! Did anyone else think the movie "Earnest goes to Camp" was funny as a kid? Anyways, 'Erroneous' is the opposite of how our Easter eggs turned out today. I'd never dyed them before with the kiddleys. I don't know why, I guess because I was afraid of the mess. But mess or no, they turned out so cute! Look:

Did you see that little spouting whale in there? Did you just die of cuteness? Did you just roll your eyes ('cause if you did, you are most likely my husband...).

Hope you all are having fun with Easter activities as well!

Smelling the Roses

2010-03-26T00:16:00.000-07:00

Oregon is all abloom with Spring... we'll be headed back to Utah soon, and hopefully Spring is starting to show her fresh face there, too. (I can't hardly stand leaving all this green!!!)

I came to Oregon bearing gifts: home-made skirts for Maggie and her cousins...

{Skirt tutorial found here}

great trip, family! (even though there was babysitting involved)

love you all! xoxo

we ♥ united parcel service

2010-03-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

{and we love you, mom, for sending it... so THANK YOU! california tree-ripened fruit = bliss}

Minis

2010-03-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

The other day I decided to make hamburgers for dinner (I was craving something off the grill). But alas, my hamburger patties shrank (a lot) whilst cooking on the bbq. What to do? Well, we took a cookie cutter to the hamburger buns and had mini hamburgers! And what goes better with mini burgers than mini chocolate shakes? De-lish.

Also, please meet the newest addition to our family, Curly. He had a near death experience this morning after Oscar knocked his fishbowl off the table and onto the floor. As Curly went gracefully sliding across the kitchen floor, Maggie and Cash about went into hysterics because their beloved fish was dying. Dying right before their very (innocent) eyes.

Oscar proudly watched as the commotion unfolded before him.

Curly was rescued and within minutes was returned to his fish bowl (which, luckily, had not broken). As the older children's cries slowly subsided Oscar found a marker to decorate the kitchen cabinets and when the marker was confiscated he entertained himself by dumping out half the fish food. Eek! This fish was supposed to be step one of our slow transition into being a pet-owning family. Now I'm thinking Frank was probably not all that bad (oh wait, I just remembered that fish don't have to be housebroken...). Tune in next week to see if cats are the only species to have cornered the market on the 9 lives thing...

Nephews

2010-03-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

Meet my 3 new nephews... aren't they adorable???

From left to right: Augustus, Wesley & Zane- good job sisters, they are so cute and make me ridiculously baby hungry!

Conversations

2010-02-25T21:58:00.000-08:00

Maggie: Dad, why is mommy in charge of everything?
Ben: She's not in charge of everything, me and mommy are both in charge...
Maggie: Uh-uh... every time I ask you if I can watch a movie you say, "it's up to mommy".

I also have to add a few more things, lest I forget them...

Cash spent at least 20 minutes this morning talking about "Milo-itis" until I finally figured out he was talking about the movie Milo & Otis...

Also, Maggie loves to sit at Ben's computer and 'network' and check her 'female'.

Shhhh, don't tell Maggie...

2010-02-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

...but sometimes when she's at school and the boys get up early from their naps, we renounce all things princess and get out toys that are, as Cash puts it, "boy-ly" (you know, the opposite of girly...)

Bagels

2010-02-19T16:20:00.001-08:00

Easy to make, yummy to eat!

Here's the recipe from this recipe book (which I love... lots of tips and troubleshooting):

These chewy, ring-shaped white rolls were once the everyday bread of Eastern European Jews, but have since become equally associated with New York City and the classic breakfast of bagels and cream cheese. Before baking, the bagels are poached; this gives them their characteristically shiny, chewy exterior and dense, tender interior.

INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp dry yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cups water
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour, plus extra for kneading
1 1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup of the water in a bowl. Leave for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the dissolved yeast.

2. Pour about half of the remaining water into the well. Mix in the flour. Stir in the reserved water, as needed, to form a firm, moist dough.

3. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. As you knead the dough, gradually work in as much additional flour as you can comfortably knead- this dough should be very stiff and firm.

(Dough is sufficiently kneaded if you gently press your finger into the top of the dough and it springs back immediately- if it does not, continue to knead)

4. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat, and cover with a dish towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down, then let rest for 10 minutes.

(To make sure rising is complete, test the dough by gently pressing it with a fingertip. When rising is complete, the indentation made will spring back gradually. If the dough is under-risen the indentation will spring back at once. If the dough is over-risen the finger will create a permanent mark that will not spring back at all.)

5. Cut the dough into eight equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball (see directions below). Form each ball into a ring by inserting a floured finger into the center of each one.

To form dough into a ball: press gently down on each piece of dough to expel any air bubbles. Cup the palm of your hand over each piece and roll it over a floured work surface until it forms a smooth ball.

6. Work the finger in a circle to stretch and widen the hole. Then twirl the ring around the index finger of one hand and the thumb of the other hand until the hole is about 1/3 of the bagel's diameter.

7. Place the bagels on a lightly oiled baking sheet, then cover with a damp dish towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

8. Bring a large pan of water to a boil (I used a pot), then reduce the heat to allow the water to simmer. Use a perforated skimmer to carefully lower the bagels into the water in batches of two to three at a time. Boil each batch of bagels, uncovered, until they rise to the surface, about 1 minute, turning them once. Remove the bagels from the water using a perforated skimmer, and drain.

9. Transfer the drained bagels to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake in the oven (preheated to 425°) for 20 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Then cut in half, spread with cream cheese and enjoy! I'm going to experiment with cinnamon and raisins, and maybe asiago cheese. My sister Erin already tried some with diced onion and black sesame seeds (after boiling she spread the top of each bagel with egg white and then sprinkled on the onion and sesame seeds before putting them in the oven- she said it was delish!). If you guys try these and do some variations, let me know how they turn out!

loves,

Kat

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

2010-02-16T07:58:00.000-08:00

So let's have an indoor picnic!

I'm LOST...

2010-02-04T14:02:00.000-08:00

So, have I ever mentioned here on my blog that Terry O'Quinn is Ben's uncle? Well, yes, he is. Here I am golfing with him once upon a time (he totally stroked my ego by telling me what a great golfer I was... have I been golfing since? No. On a sidenote: what is up with my outfit???)

Anyways, so after watching the Season Six Premiere of LOST all I want to do is jump on an airplane headed for Hawaii, find uncle Terry, grab him by the shoulders and demand to know what the devil is going on, on that crazy little island... I don't think I can wait until next week for more answers. LOST. It's brilliant. (For all those who have been living in a cave the past 5 years, you can catch up on all 5 previous seasons here. It's worth it.)

UPDATE: For those who are wondering who the other men in the picture are, they are my bro-in-law Patrick and Terry's youngest brother, Tom. Ben was also golfing with me that day, he was just on another "team"...

Cuties

2010-01-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

Things I'm Currently Loving...

2010-01-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

Avocados with salt and lemon. My mom sent me a bunch of avocados (& lemons) off her tree and they are delicious.

Oscar cuddling. You sit on the floor. He plops himself on your lap. Every time. Also, he loves books.

Oscar's kisses. This is a new trick. And I'm in love with it. Big, mouthy, drooly Oscar kisses are the bomb. Come over to my house and get yours today. (Added bonus: he has a runny nose which adds a bit of danger to the mix and makes the whole experience more exhilarating).

Taking the kids sledding. They are old enough to have fun but young enough that we only last about an hour.

(Poor Oscar only lasts like 3 minutes, but then he just lays down and takes a break & we have more fun because now there's an obstacle to try and miss with the sleds.)

Oscar's Snowsuit... "I can't put my arms down!" Love it.

I Want to Win This

2010-01-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

CJane is giving away a pass to Thanksgiving Point. And I want it. Bad.

Hello Twenty-Ten!

2010-01-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

{our family on temple square, salt lake, december 2009}

So here we are in the new year...I have pretty much had a headache for all of it. Sometimes I get these fun little headaches that last several days. So since January 1st I've been lounging around in pajamas and watching my home fall into a state of disarray (which puts Ben into a state of crazy... he's a little bit ADD). But just think of how much fun I'm going to have organizing and cleaning when this headache leaves me! Fun squared, that's what it's gonna be.

So, to recap my New Year so far: pain, pills, and pajamas, Papa Murphy's, piles of laundry, and perturbed husband. Help me.

p.s. Reading this book gets my cleaning juices flowing:

Aw yeah! Tips on removing laundry stains, cleaning duvets, dusting, kitchen maintenance. Gets you all hot and bothered to clean your house. And be all house-wifey...

Time to Slow Down

2009-12-21T12:05:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to all!

And many more...

2009-12-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

Three years ago I gave birth to my little froggie baby. My, what large eyes he had...

And now, well, he's a little boy (unless you ask him and then he'll try and convince you that he's a grown-up). I teased him yesterday about getting a barbie for his birthday. Apparently those are for girls, he wants a hero. And a gun shaped like a swirly... {don't know what that means}.

Happy Birthday, lovie boy.

Kisses.

Dinner Tonight

2009-12-15T16:36:00.000-08:00

Salmon Burgers... they're actually pretty dang good (I buy the "patties" at Costco). My kids love 'em. But my kids also love brussels sprouts, so you know, maybe I have those kids.

Toppings include:
Mayo
Red Onion
Tomato
Lettuce
Cheese
and... Pesto (I got the Pesto idea from NieNie- see her recipe here)

Try it, you'll like it!

Little Oscar M.

2009-12-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

How did Oscar go from this sweet, little, sleepy-eyed, lovie BABY:

to this walking, babbling, blue-eyed little BOY:

in just one year?!

{Just looking at that first picture kinda makes me baby hungry... oh no.}

What is my favorite holiday, you ask???

2009-12-04T22:36:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving. Hands down.

Conversations

2009-12-01T07:18:00.000-08:00

Cash (wielding his play foam sword): Mom this is my awesome glass sword.
Me: Glass?
Cash: Yeah, mom. It's made of glass.
Me: Swords aren't made of glass, hun. They're made of metal.
Cash: Uh, mom? Jesus made my sword out of glass.

(How do you argue with that, right?)

---------

Me: Hey kids... today we're going to decorate the house for CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Kids: Woo-hoo!!! (lot's of screaming, dancing around, jumping, high-fiving).

Me: Cash, what are we doing today?

Cash: Um. I don't know. But I'm excited.

---------
p.s. We gave Frank up for adoption. And my life is back to a normal level of daily chaos. He is now living with some friends of my sister's in California. And I'm sure he's very happy. I think we'll move into this pet thing in baby steps. Step one: Ivy plant.

Hot Dog

2009-11-19T16:42:00.000-08:00

Here's another picture of Frank. He's a Jack Russell terrier and as of yesterday is 7 weeks old. After some serious "I'm gonna lose it" moments the past few days (including calling the breeder on the off-chance he might let us do a return- he said no...) I'm kind of liking having a dog today. The kids aren't constantly insisting he sit on their laps, he's getting used to our home so he's not constantly underfoot, and I guess I'm just plain getting used to him. Can you blame me? He is awfully cute. (Just some one please tell me that the teething stage does eventually end...). Anyways, we'll be enrolling him in plenty of obedience/doggy socialization classes once we get back from our Thanksgiving vacation. So we are now dog owners, I guess. Unless anyone out there wants a 7 week old puppy? Hmmm? It's like having a toddler for 15 years! (shudder).

Let's be Frank

2009-11-16T16:17:00.001-08:00

Are we crazy?

Yes we are...

Comparisons

2009-11-12T21:14:00.001-08:00

Oscar Martin Fall 2009

Jackson Cash Fall 2007

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T19:16:00.001-07:00

Comedy Sportz party: Lady and the Tramp

Hallow's Eve:

Little Animals:

Enjoying the Loot:

Ahhh-Oooo!

2009-10-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Chez Moi

2009-10-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

I hesitate to put any pictures up of our current residence for fear that we may move soon, as has happened in the past. That being said, we have no immediate plans to move and so I'm posting pictures. This is for ma famille.

Maggie & Cash's Room: {I still need to make some bedding for both of them... but my sewing machine is currently out-of-order...}

Can you spot the sleeping child?

Oscar's Room:

Look for the baby...

And for the very anti-climactic ending... my room {yawn}. It definitely needs some attention paid to it.

Other things my home could use:
Dining room table and chairs
Bookshelves
New bath towels

My Son, the Star

2009-10-23T14:30:00.001-07:00

Dear Virus,

2009-10-22T15:03:00.001-07:00

As your host, I feel it is my responsibility to inform you that you have worn out your welcome. Perhaps I gave you the wrong impression when I mentioned that you weren't that big of a deal. I take it back. Your presence in this household has become irksome, to say the least. You are a nuisance and a bore and we are tired of you. Had you shown more generosity, maybe springing for dinner or cleaning the guest bath, your extended stay may not have been so exhausting. But, as it is, all you have caused is pain, discomfort, and a preposterous amount of mucus. Please demonstrate that you have a shred of decency by clearing out at once.

Sincerely,
Your Host Family

p.s.

photo credit: Heather Allred Bliss

Vintage Love

2009-10-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

So I've been wanting to get a headboard for our bed. We've never had one. My bedroom has always been at the bottom of the totem pole as far as decorating goes. Even the kid's rooms have taken precedence over mine. Anyhow, I LOVE the headboard that belongs to Don and Betty Draper on Mad Men. Ben hates it. He says it's depressing and reminds him of something in his grandparents basement. What do you think?

photo via here.

Oink, oink...

2009-10-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

So I'm feeling pretty great. Still coughing a little here and there, but I feel pretty good. Too bad that Thursday night Cash woke up crying that he couldn't breathe. I went into his bedroom and the poor little guy sounded like he was sucking air through a straw. I wrapped him in a blanket and took him outside in the cool air to reduce the swelling in his breathe-way, and then put him in a hot bath with lots of steam. When his breathing was less labored I slathered him with Vick's, set up the humidifier in his bedroom, stuffed some rolled up blankets under his mattress to elevate his head, gave him a dose of Tylenol to bring down his fever, and put him back to bed. Then I went in to check on Oscar. Repeat story. Friday both boys continued getting worse, so Friday evening I rushed them to the doctor before the office closed for the weekend. She thinks both boys have swine flu. Wha??? That hadn't even crossed my mind! Swine flu. After both boys received a shot in the leg of steroids, she sent us home with an armful of prescriptions and an order to stay in the house. Sigh. The last few warm days of the year and I'm going to be stuck in the house with sick kids. Today it looks like Maggie is starting to get symptoms. So I'm buckling down for a week of indoor activities. I have to say though that being a swine flu "survivor", it's really not that big of a deal. Or maybe I should say I'm glad we seem to have gotten a mild case of it.

So, anyone have some fun indoor ideas to keep kids entertained? Pass them along, friends. Pass them along.

Here's a picture of Oscar yesterday. Sad!

On the Mend...

2009-10-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

I feel so much better today than I did yesterday. So much better. I think it was the chicken soup I made last night for dinner. Chicken soup that literally brought tears to my eyes when I took the first bite- it was that good. Lemon and chicken broth and rice. Of course, I might feel really good today because of the NyQuil I took at midnight last night. Two doses. Oscar was up until eleven because one of his front upper teeth is coming in (it finally "popped through" this morning). Ben was gone until about eleven-thirty practicing for a gig he has Saturday night. When Ben got home he put the baby in his crib, brought me a tall glass of water and gave me four NyQuil pills. I hardly thought twice about taking a double dose, I was that desperate for a good night's sleep. And a good night's sleep I got. I was knocked out until ten in the morning. Ten o'clock! Ben got up with the kids and gave them their breakfasts and I didn't even hear a thing until he finally woke me. All day long I've been in a medicinally induced fog. Needless to say the house looks like a war-zone. I reclaimed our couch this afternoon by folding the mountain of clean laundry that had taken up residence there. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to clean a little more. The bathtub needs scrubbing, the kitchen floor needs to be mopped, closets need organizing, and clutter needs to be dealt with. But for now I'm turning in for the night. A second night of heavy sleeping might be what I need to kick this little sickness to the curb. But before I turn in, I'll share the recipe for that magical chicken soup with you (it was such a hit at our house that Ben actually had me make it again tonight... that's never happened!):

Yummy Chicken Soup with Rice

6 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup rice or tiny pasta
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer the chicken broth and rice for 15 minutes. In a bowl, beat the 3 egg yolks and add the lemon zest and lemon juice. When the chicken broth and rice have cooked for 15 mins, scoop out a small portion and add it to the egg mixture, stirring constantly (the idea is to bring the egg mixture up to a warmer temperature so the egg won't cook in chunks when you add it to the soup). Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the broth stirring constantly. Continue to stir and cook for 5 minutes. Soup will thicken slightly. Add salt and pepper. Serve hot. Yield: approx. 6 servings.

I added chunks of chicken meat to my soup- it made it a little more hearty. My mom always cooked her own chicken and made her own chicken broth, but because I've been under the weather, I just went the super easy route on this one and used canned chicken broth and a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket (or at least that's my excuse!). Ben thought it was a little too lemony the first night, so I used a little less than 1/4 cup tonight and he liked it better. I used bottled lemon juice, which may be stronger than fresh...

Bon appetit!

Thoughts

2009-10-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

I'm sick. I've got a horrible chest cold that feels like fiery explosions in my chest every time I cough. Explosions that fling shrapnel into the fleshy insides of my lungs. Not fun. It should be illegal to get sick on the eve of your anniversary, don't you think? Ben and I dropped off the kids with their aunt and uncle anyway and headed up to Salt Lake for a delicious dinner, some shopping, and a movie. On the way home we stopped by the drugstore so I could stock up on some Vicks, Sudafed, and saline spray. Romantic, no? Today my evening of "reckless abandon" is giving me the gift of hoarseness, sore muscles from head to toe, and an extremely clouded mind (ergo this post probably makes no sense). I've been forcing glasses of Airborne down my family's throats. And I've been drinking my fair share of tea, hot lemon juice with honey, orange juice and just plain water. Also the t.v. has been on pretty much all day. Dora, Diego, and lots of Disney. Although 'Map' is starting to wear thin on my patience and so I think the play-dough is soon to be making an appearance at the kitchen table.

Ben and I have successfully navigated our way through 7 years of marriage. We have 3 beautiful, healthy, exuberant children. We have a cozy, comfortable home. We're still in love. And so, even though today I feel like wrapping myself up cocoon style in a thick, heavy quilt and jamming three sets of ear plugs in my ears, I have to say that my life is pretty sweet. Sweet and mentholated...but mostly sweet. Except for that hint of yucky that is wafting from the general direction of Oscar's pants (and actually it must be more than a hint because I can smell it through the Vicks). So I'm off to correct that.

Happy Anniversary, Ben. I love you.

Also, I love Pumpkin Pie

2009-09-14T20:53:00.001-07:00

The past few days have brought cooler weather here on the Wasatch Front. It's been so nice to open the windows at night and have a balmy breeze float through the house. We've also had a few rain showers that make the air smell all earthy and delicious. The Autumnal Equinox falls on September 22nd this year, and marks the official beginning of Fall in the northern hemisphere. I love this season. The colors, the smells, the food, the holidays, the clothes! There's something so nostalgically comforting about sweaters and scarves and stew. I always get excited and a little giddy when the weather starts to change at the end of summer. Perhaps it's leftover excitement from childhood when the fall meant a new year of scholastic opportunity (or perhaps more appropriately in my case: a new school wardrobe). Or maybe it's the first inklings of anticipation for the holidays that lie ahead. Maybe it's because I married my true love in the fall. Or because I look especially good in sweaters. Whatever the case may be, the past few days have breathed life back into my being. I am ready for the fall. (Except for the new fall wardrobe part... anyone know of some good sales?)

Until next year, summer.

Image Credit: "Fall", by Alphonese Mucha

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

2009-09-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

My brother Jonathan is no longer highly eligible. Sorry ladies.

And now I have a great new sister in law to boot! The party to celebrate their union was a blast.

I loved all the hydrangeas. So lovely.

Maggie and Cash loved the music.

Almost 7 years of wedded bliss for my love and me...

Jonathan was the last of the Rick Smith clan to get hitched... so now my parents are officially:

Don't they look ecstatic?

I think I cried like fifty times while reading it...

2009-08-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading this book:

It's amazing. Absolutely amazing. Amazing, inspiring, motivating, touching. Read it.

Three Cups of Tea.

‘Three Cups of Tea is one of the most remarkable adventure stories of our time. Greg Mortenson’s dangerous and difficult quest to build schools in the wildest parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan is not only a thrilling read, it’s proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world.’

-Tom Brokaw

more info found here

Stonebriar

2009-08-28T10:51:00.001-07:00

Stonebriar is the name of my grandmother's farm just outside of Silverton, Oregon. As a kid we would go every year during the summer to visit my grandparents. We swam in the creek, picked blackberries, played with cousins, pulled each other around in the handcart, played with dogs, ate lots of home made cobblers, cookies, cake, and such. We would always have a bon fire where we roasted hot dogs and made s'mores and had a talent show of sorts. Now that I'm grown and have kids of my own, Stonebriar is a place that pretty much drips with nostalgia for me. Seriously. Disneyland doesn't hold a candle...

Walking down the lane to my grandmother's house:

How cute is that? No seriously, look again:

{click on picture to enlarge}

Yeah, I'm probably framing that one.

After those classy shots we get to my grandma's house and then I can't get my kids to take one single decent picture with Grandma GG. (GG stands for Great-Grandma)

Oh well. Here are yet more pictures and (to entice those of you who don't care one red cent about my vacation pics) a link to a delicious donut recipe!

Okay, okay, here's the part about the donuts already. Chill.

My sisters {Ashley and Sarah} and I made these donuts (recipe here) and also made a glaze to go over them, although my favorite way to eat them was dipped in cinnamon and sugar. Delish. That whole platter lasted all of 30 seconds, I think.

And lastly, but not leastly, a small montage of the family reunion fireside:

There you go folks. The second installment of my vacation! Part three coming soon! Hey, don't roll your eyes... the next post is the wedding post! Yay!

OR, will there be drama involved as this picture might suggest:

{Cue the suspenseful music}. Tune in next time to see how it all turns out!

Beachy

2009-08-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Hello, all! We've finally returned home from our vacation to Oregon and California for family reunions, weddings, and fun with the family. We started out driving to Lincoln City, Oregon to spend a few days at the family beach house. This is a yearly trip and we love it. The Oregon Coast is so beautiful. See?

We love going for walks on the beach and finding fun things in the tide pools.

Next up, family reunion at Stonebriar and my little brother's wedding!

Conversations

2009-08-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

Maggie: Mom, I can speak in Spanish... you know that?
Me: No, I didn't know you could speak Spanish.
Maggie: Yeah. I can. Like this: Snoches.
Me: Oh, and what does that mean?
Maggie: It means 'go to sleep'.
{You know, like buenos noches... snoches.}
Me: Yes! Very good!
Maggie: And I know another Spanish.
Me: Let's hear it.
Maggie: Gardonoggines!
Me: Okay...
Maggie: It means 'no I don't want to get on that train right now because I'm scared but maybe later if I have cookie I can get on the train.'
------------

{PREFACE: Maggie's Sunday School class is doing a service project where they are collecting items to sell in a garage sale. All of the proceeds from the garage sale will go to help children in the Dominican Republic. Her Sunday School teachers have been talking a lot about how Maggie's class can help out.}

Maggie: Mom, there's these kids that don't have moms or daddies or toothbrushes or toys. It's so sad, mom.
Me: Yes, and we should go up to your room and go through your toys and clothes and find things that you don't need so we can give them to those kids.
Maggie: Well actually mom, there aren't any girls down there so we don't need to give them any of my stuff.

after...

2009-07-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Forgot to take a "before" picture, but believe you me it was not cute. At all. But I shinied it up with a coat of blue paint and some new drawer pulls and... voila! A masterpiece! Or at least a great little night-stand for the nursery, right?

p.s. have to brag that I got it at a garage sale for $3.

Sum-Sum-Summertime

2009-07-29T11:01:00.001-07:00

We've been enjoying the season.

{click on photos to enlarge}

Conversations

2009-07-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ben: Cash, please eat your sandwich until it's gone.
Cash: It's pretending to be gone, dad.

--------

Cash: Mom, someday I'm gonna grow up to a dad.
Me: Oh? Will you still love me and call me "Mama"?
Cash: No because you will grow down to a little bug and I will stomp you.

Someday I'll Look Back and Laugh... I'm So Sure

2009-07-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

Day: July 14th, 2009

The Events that transpired (warning- reading the following may make you sterile {of your own accord}):

7:00 Ben wakes me up so I can get in a half hour on the treadmill before the kids wake up.

7:05 Cash comes into my room asking for breakfast.

7:06 Oscar starts crying in his crib.

7:08 I get dressed, and go downstairs where I am met with chocolate pudding (last night's leftover dessert) all over my kitchen floor, the refrigerator, and Cash's hands and face.

7:15 After pudding is cleaned up I make oatmeal for the kids and a bottle for Oscar.

7:17 Maggie comes downstairs in a foul mood.

8:00 Breakfast is over, kids are dressed. They are playing nicely in their room, so I jump in the shower.

8:03 Kids are all in bathroom... crying.

8:15 Shower done, get dressed.

8:16 Maggie tells me I don't look very fancy.

8:17 I bite my tongue.

8:30 Put load of laundry in washer.

8:40 Get kids out the door and into the car.

8:50 Arrive at home improvement store. Fight with kids on which toys they can bring into the store and which they must leave in the car.

8:51 We head into the store with 3 kids, one pleasantly smiling at me from the shopping cart, 2 carrying backpacks holding their weight in toys.

9:25 Finally leave the store with my purchase: painting supplies to paint a second hand table I picked up for $3 at a garage sale over the weekend.

9:27 Realize that on the way out of the store the kids threw a package of fireworks and a kids culinary magazine into the cart.

9:30 Apologize to cashier as I return "stolen" items.

9:35 Kids strapped in car, head for home.

10:00 Begin painting table.

10:01 Tell kids to stay in the house.

10:03 Tell kids to stay in house, again.

10:05 Tell kids to at least stay on the back porch.

10:06 Kids start crying.

10:08 Quickly get kids a snack of marshmallows.

10:09 Feel bad about "snack" so rip open bag of baby carrots and toss it on the table as well.

11:00 Finish painting table (it was small... a night-stand, more than a table.)

11:03 Tell kids in a very stern voice that they are NOT. TO. TOUCH. PAINT.

11:10 After cleaning off my hands and leaving the rest of the mess for later (spoiler: BAD IDEA), head upstairs with kids to clean their room.

11:30 Heat up leftovers from last night for lunch.

12:00 Clean up lunch, make bottle for Oscar, and put both Oscar and Cash down for naps.

12:02 Put on "The Jungle Book" for Maggie.

12:04 Breathe.

12:07 Switch laundry.

12:14 Begin to fold mountain of laundry.

12:15 Fold, fold, fold... boring...

1:00 Get glass of ice water for self and Maggie.

1:03 Sit down to watch the end of "The Jungle Book" with Maggie, ignoring the fact that she found a bowl full of peanuts and has littered the entire family room with peanut shells.

1:30 Cash wakes up from his nap and is hungry.

1:34 Get snack for Cash.

1:37 Oscar starts crying upstairs.

1:40 Grab Oscar out of crib.

1:41 Maggie yells up the stairs that "something happened".

1:41 Run downstairs as fast as you can because when "something" happens, it's never good.

1:42 Maggie walks you into the backyard to show you where she has painted the bike trailer, the patio, and her pioneer dress (one we bought for pioneer day) a lovely "Lady Bower Blue".

1:44 Bite tongue, bite tongue, bite tongue... (this is hard.)

1:45 Put Maggie in a time-out/quiet time for 30 minutes (with a glass of water and some grapes) after not-so-gently telling her that I'm angry and she's in trouble.

1:47 Come down the stairs to find that Cash has dumped half a bottle of sunscreen all over himself and the stair landing.

1:48 Bite tongue, bite tongue, bite tongue... (this is really, REALLY hard)

1:55 Send Cash upstairs (after being cleaned up) to join sister for the really long time-out.

1:57 Fish peanut shells out of Oscar's mouth

1:59 Clean up peanut shells so Oscar stops choking on them.

2:10 Attempt to clean up backyard while listening to kids cry upstairs.

2:13 Give up cleaning up backyard (it's too gosh dang hot) and curse self for leaving paintbrush outside.

2:15 Timer goes off upstairs. Kids come running down.

2:16 Cash trips over throw pillow on floor and hits head on coffee table.

2:18 I sit and hold ice on Cash's forehead. At least there's no blood.

2:19 Cash pats my stomach and says, "you got a squishy belly, mama."

2:19 Bite tongue, bite tongue, bite tongue.

2:23 Kiss each kid on the head and tell them I love them.

2:24 Fantasize about how this post should end:

-------

Fantasy Ending:

6:00 Husband walks through door with bouquet of flowers, kisses me long and hard, hands me the credit card and says, "You go get a pedicure and do a little shopping for yourself. I'll take over from here."

-------

2:29 Sigh. Audibly.

2:30 Decide to write post about this day to see if it will be humorous at some point in the future.

It already kind of is.

A Whole Lot of Poppycock...

2009-07-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I mean, it's my life, so perhaps it's not complete poppycock. Saturday was Ben's 32nd birthday. We wanted to give him a super duper special day, so we left him alone for the most part. After a breakfast of donuts (topped with a candle and sparkler) and a hearty round of Happy Birthday to You, he went off for a day of golf and I took the kids to the:

This is part of the Freedom Festival and one week before the 4th of July the kids in the area get to do a fun little parade down Center Street in Provo. We started out at the beginning of the parade right behind the leading band. By the time we got to the last block, the finale band was literally running us over (and I mean literally. If I were any less of a mom I'd have a picture to post of Cash on the ground- having fallen off his scooter- and band members tripping over him while playing "America the Beautiful". Instead I ran back and snagged him out of the way right as the tuba player was about to tread on my boy's noggin.) Afterwards we were exhausted (and some of us were a little miffed that the popsicles they hand out at the end were all gone.)

So we retraced our steps back to the car and headed to the: Farmers Market!

We hung out there, ate lunch, relaxed in the shade and were refreshed. Ben in the meantime was having lunch with his brothers, eating (so I'm told) a slice of both the Concrete Pie and Asphalt Pie at Winger's. But it was his birthday, remember, so that's totally allowed.

Sunday was another beautiful day. Beautiful. And so we decided to get out of doors and enjoy this earth the Lord has given us. We went hiking up to Bridal Veil Falls and let the kids play in the water.

We missed the Bear that was giving folks a scare, but Ben really did save a woman's life. She almost fell into Provo River off a 10 foot cliff. Backwards. Head first.

Then we packed up and took our hero home where later on we hosted a BBQ for Ben's family. Can I just say that I don't think it gets much better than home made grilled hamburgers. That is unless those hamburgers are followed by home made Yogurt Cake with Strawberries and home made Ice Cream. Yum. {Can you tell that someone forgot the camera for this part of the festivities? Oops.}

Anyways, to recap: Ben had a great birthday, the kids and I had a fun weekend, and oh yeah:

There is beauty all around...

2009-06-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Ben and I decided that every weekend we are going to take the kids hiking somewhere along the Wasatch front. Force them to appreciate nature. Then it rained for two weeks in a row. But now that the weather is cooperating once again, we are excited to pack a lunch, slather on some sunscreen, and enjoy the beauty that the Wasatch Front has to offer. We've already done the Battle Creek Falls hike up near Pleasant Grove, and we're wanting to do Timpanogos Cave, Stewart Falls, Donut Falls (near Salt Lake), Devils Kitchen, Grotto Falls (near Payson), Timpanogos Falls, and Twin Lakes (up near Salt Lake). We have to keep the hikes pretty easy because Cash's legs are so short.

On Monday my good friend Olivia and I took our kids hiking up to Bridal Veil Falls (is it okay to call it a hike even though it's a paved path?... I think so). Once again I was awestruck by how gorgeous Provo Canyon is. It really can be breathtaking.

p.s. is anyone else craving Ikea's chocolate cake right now?

to all you dad's who read my blog:

2009-06-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

Vacation May 2009

2009-06-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Okay folks, here it is. The Cruise Vacation Picture Package. Don't get yer hopes up too high, now... I realized after we got back that I really didn't get that many photos. Too much time spent living the vacation rather than documenting it.

We started out on a Wednesday evening (but first before I picked up Ben I had to stop by a jewelry store to peruse some engagement rings with my little bro- he wanted a female's opinion- oh and he's now engaged!!!). Anyhow, I met little bro at the jewelry store with my 3 kids in tow and we were all wearing our comfy traveling clothes (comfy as in frumpy). The jeweler made the mistake of assuming I was the lucky girl! I wanted to play along, "Why yes! After 3 kids, he's finally proposing!" But Jonathan was very quick to interject with, "Oh no. No, no, no. This is my SISTER. Not my fiancee." I still don't know weather to laugh or be offended at his hasty correction. Hmmm.

Okay, back to the vacay. We drove (well, pretty much Ben drove) all night while the kids slept like little angels in the back seat. Oregon is so picturesque:

We got to my parent's house in Oregon on Thursday morning and hung out for a day or so. We had a pre-birthday celebration for me:

this cake was super delish. thanks aunt sharron and mom!

Happy 30th to me! Egads!

Then we left the kiddos and flew to Orlando, Florida. We were so excited to be childless:

More birthday celebration occurred once we arrived in Florida.

I think Ben and his brother Jason were having the most fun:

pretty much they are making fun of me for getting my picture taken with my pina colada...

Next came the Magic Kingdom where we spent 3 days of Magic.

I didn't take many pictures while there. Probably because it was raining a lot and I didn't want to make our kids jealous of all the pictures of us in our plastic ponchos. We are hot.

Then, for the grand finale of the trip, The Cruise.

Oh yes, the cruise. It was fun. And funny. And funnest. And the food? It was okay. I mean, it was good- but everyone always talks about "THE FOOD" like it's the greatest ever. Meh. It was good.

We did a lot of this:

We will for sure be doing another cruise in the future. Like maybe next month. Got that mom?

Patience is a Virtue

2009-06-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hello BBF's (that's Best Blog Friends). So I'm home from my fabulous (too short) vacation, and trying to get my household up and running again. I'm also trying to get my boobs up and running again because as it turns out Oscar is allergic to formula (both cow's milk and soy). There goes my brilliant plan to wean my bambino while I was away for 10 days. I went to the Lactation Specialist's office and rented a dairy-grade milk pump. I think it's called the Bovine 5000. About every two hours I lovingly feed my mechanical Dracula. Is the mental imagery more than you can handle? Anyways, I have lovely, tropical pictures from the trip and I will download a few, but it will take me a day or two.

Uh, Maggie just answered my phone and told the salesman that I was pumping. Egads.

Maggie milking a cow on her 3rd birthday.