Good Morning Sunshine

Today at the Hamiltons

2012-02-02T18:51:00.002-05:00

1. I made a billion loaves of sour dough bread. Okay 10.

2. After eating the bread with some canned strawberry jelly I made last year, Trevan told me, "Mom, you should start your own restaurant."
I said, "But, if I did, then I wouldn't be able to cook for you at home very much."
He replied, "You just cook the best food!"

Very sweet coming from my seven year old that won't eat half the food I make...

3. I purchased an item to make a throw pillow for my living room at least a year ago. I finished it today. One project down, one hundred thousand gazillion to go...

4. It's official, Mallary knows how to purchase items on my Nook. I find that pretty crazy considering she can't even read!!!! Or can she... Fish Preschool Adventures anyone? And, now I need to put a password on my Nook.

5. I showered and changed out of pajamas without anyone getting hurt, or anything getting broken while I was in there. Trust me, it's a big accomplishment when all three kids are home and awake. Kudos to me.

October 2010 Time Out

2012-02-01T16:58:00.001-05:00

Jennifer, Shasta, Rachel, and myself

I went to Georgia with three of my friends for Time Out for Women. I was still nursing Jonah at this time, but left him at home with John. The second day of the conference, I pumped in the morning, and then wasn't able to again until we got home late that night (oh the relief!). Towards the end of the conference that second day I looked down, and had started leaking (not just a little...)! Very noticeable in a green shirt... So, in this picture, that is why my right side is hidden behind Rachel... I forgot to pack nursing pads, and extra clothes, luckily Rachel had an extra shirt I could borrow, and paper towels made great nursing pads... Good times!! (Oh, and people that I knew grewing up were there too, she actually took the picture and you can see her mom in the background of this picture.)

Blogging Book Club - January

2012-01-31T09:28:00.001-05:00

If I had to say I had some kind of super power, it would be speed reading. I can devour a book. Think cookie monster with a cookie...

I've discovered that I can request books from my library online, and they get them for me, and call me when they are ready to pick up. How easy is that, especially when you have kids?!?! Why have I not already been doing this????

You and I now know that Trevan prefers non fiction, my favorites are anything based on a true story, historical fiction, true stories, and anything inspirational, but I like non-fiction too.

Here are the books I read this month, if you've read any of them and have comments to add, please do. Or, if based off the books that I liked you'd think I'd like another book, please share!

1. Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig, It was a little slow to get into, but I liked being able to hear the other half of the story from Gone With the Wind. I wish I had read it right before or after my trip to Charleston though, with it being the main location of the book.

2. One Summer by David Baldacci, this is one of those summer reads even though I read it in July. Easy read. Liked it.

3. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks, Another summer, easy read. I feel like the story from this book has been told many times, but it had an unexpected twist... Most likely, it will be a movie in 10 years...

4. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity, I enjoyed this book. Another easy read. What would it be like if I had an accident and forgot the last 10 years of my life? Crazy.

5. The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew, This was another easy read. It is based during segregation times, and like most books based during those times, it was a little depressing. I just can not imagine living during that time. This book could have been better, maybe had a better ending like The Help or something. I don't know if I would really recommend this one... but it had this quote in it I liked,

She said, in her most religious voice, "One nation under God, indivisible. 'It's so wonderful."

"Hmph." Mary crossed her arms on her chest.

I asked her, "Don't you think it's a good thing, adding God to the pledge?"

"Putting God in the pledge and on money -- that's like a sign in the sky saying 'air.' Sometimes Mary surprised me, the things she thought about.

6. House at Riverton by Kate Morton, This took a little while for me to get into... It was all right, but maybe I had too high of expectations for it?

7. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, I liked this book of hers much better! Good read. Though,  do all of her books end kind of sad?

I did start two books that I did not finish:

1. Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close (It felt like this story wasn't going anywhere, or it was going to slowly, and then the potty mouths started... so it wasn't hard to stop reading.)
2. Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon (Just too many garbage can words for me...)

If a book has a few pages with A LOT of 'f - bombs' in it, I'm totally turned off. In all my life I've never been around someone that talks like that, so I'm not interested in reading about a character that does. Even in all the war books I've read that had language in them - they don't go crazy with that word. To me it's just kind of tacky/trashy, even if it's a character in a book. (But, I get it if they are trying to make the character trashy, I just have no desire to read it...)   So, those books don't get finished.

And the most inspiring book I read this month was:

8. The Walk by Richard Paul Evans, This book was such an easy read, and by easy, I mean 150 pages in 40 minutes. (It does have more than 150 pages...) I really, really enjoyed it, and there is a second book after this one, that I can't wait to read!   This man loses everything and decides to walk across the country...

I liked this quote from the character's journal when he was a kid after his mom gave him his first journal that I think can apply to blogging;

"Mom says it doesn't matter what I write and if I wait to write just the importent things then I'll probably never write anything, because importent things just look like everything else except when you look back on them. The thing is to write what yor thinking and feeling."

This part in the book reminded me of my mom,

"When I was a child, my mother taught me about God. My mother was a big fan-even as she was dying. Especially as she was dying. She would pray, not as some do, repeating a script or chant, or shouting out to an empty universe, but as if He were actually int he same room. There were times, during her prayers, that I opened my eyes and looked around to see who she was talking to."

This reminded me about what my dad said at my mom's funeral. She prayed as if God was right there in the room with you. Like if you opened your eyes you might see Him.

What did you read this month????

October 2010

2012-01-30T08:06:00.000-05:00

This was Trevan's first field trip in Kindergarten. They walked to a fire station close to the school.

In this picture is the girl he ended up having a little crush on the second half of the school year. She is to the right of Trevan looking at this picture. Her name was Kaylie. He would get all embarrassed if someone said her name. Ah, young love...

Right behind him over his right shoulder is his little best friend, Brody. To quote Trevan at the beginning of the school year, "Mom, he likes Star Wars too!!!!"

My favorite part of this picture is Trevan's Transformer shirt. Shirts like this were a big part of Kindergarten. Forget all the cute preppy clothes I bought him, he had to wear his Star Wars and Transformer shirts that Aunt Candi bought him, because she knows I don't like them. I've loosened up a lot, and finally let him wear them whenever he wanted (I made a deal with him then that he could choose his clothes every other day, I gave up on that half way through the year, and gave into "the force..."). It really, really bothered me when he said he wanted to dress like "the other kids." Aaaaghhhhh!!!!!

I was able to spend one day a week in Trevan's class room, and I really enjoyed it.

Non fiction

2012-01-29T13:12:00.000-05:00

I came home from the library yesterday with some chapter books for Trevan. This was going to be the first time for me checking any of those out from the library for him, and I got a variety that I thought would be fun.

I showed him the books I picked out, and had him pick out one to take to bed with him. He didn't seem very excited...

A few seconds later, he came back in the kitchen and asked, "Why did you get such weird books for me?"

"I'm sorry Trevan, I thought I got fun books for you."

"Yeah, but these are fantasy, and I like non fiction."

Oh. My bad.

I went back to the library bag and pulled out some National Geographic books I got for him too, but was going to save for later.

He grinned like a madman, put the "fantasy" book down, and excitedly grabbed at the books about tornadoes, elephants, and animal travels.

I didn't know seven year olds were so picky about their literature. I also didn't know seven year olds used the words, 'fantasy' and 'non fiction' to describe the books they read...

I'm so out of touch.

September 30, 2010

2012-01-28T09:33:00.002-05:00

They are such angels when they're sleeping...

Though Jonah was an angel all the time, now that he's almost two he has his devilish moments...

Mallary - mostly just an angel when she's sleeping ;)

Trevan's Reading Revelation

2012-01-28T09:26:00.001-05:00

Trevan 9/26/2010

This is an unpublished post from February 25, 2011

Trevan will not read a book to me. He won't. I have to force him to do any required reading that he needs to do. But, I know he can read more than he's showing. I don't get it.

Last week, he sat down and read Dr. Seuss's, Foot Book, all by himself. "See?" I told him, "You could probably sit down and read whatever book you want to?" He tried to hide his grin.

Last night, he read an entire book to me, a "long" one with more than one sentance per page. It was the book Runaway Mummy. Of course, I had to help him with words like, 'humongous, and cathedral,' but he did the others on his own! You could tell he was proud of himself.

This morning, we got up early enough that the kids could play a little bit in their rooms before eating breakfast. I looked over at Trevan, and I could tell he was reading a book to himself.

"Trevan, isn't it fun that you can read books to yourself now?"

He immediately hid his face, and said, "I wasn't reading."

"Honey, I could tell you were reading. Why would you want to hide that? Why don't you like showing people that you can read?"

"I don't know. I get stage fright I guess," he shrugged.

"That's silly, why do you get stage fright?"

"Sometimes I don't know the words."

"Well, if you don't know the words, someone will tell you what it is. That's no big deal, that's how we learn to read."

From that point on, he picked up books and read them himself. I guess he was worried that he didn't know ALL the words, so he didn't want to be embarrassed or something? That silly boy!

September 27, 2010

2012-01-28T09:19:00.000-05:00

Still catching up...Little Jonah has always been a ham. This was his smile at five months. He would squish up his face really tight, that was him saying, "Cheese!"

The following was our family home evening activity: Play with Jonah!

His little outfit from John's mom that his Aunt Julie helped pick out.

Yes, that is a smile!

He's like, "I can't squish my face together any tighter!!"

Friday Flashback - Plucking my eyebrows

2012-01-27T08:43:00.000-05:00

Fall 1998, College Roomies - Arlena, Me, and April

Some of the scariest moments during my college years,surprisingly wasn’t when there was some creep hanging around the apartmentcomplex I was living in, whom I eventually chose from a police photo line up,and was the only one out of a group of girls that identified him correctly (stillVERY scary, I just didn’t fear for my life, though it left me with a tendencyto have anxiety attacks for a while, but that’s a story for another Friday Flashback…),but they actually came from a job I had.

I’m not sure how my roommate, Arlena and I even scored thisjob, but I was engaged to be married (not to John…) and wanted money, and wasup for anything. Even having my eyebrowsplucked…

We agreed to help this older couple organize and clean theirhouse. She had a bad back and couldn’tdo the things she wanted done, and her husband had just had some surgery wherehe wasn’t able to either. Let’s just say he was the scariest driver Ihave ever ridden with. (That last sentenceshould make my husband feel good…)

He was old, nice, white hair, kinda chubby, kind face - that’sall I remember. He picked us up in anold truck, and we had to sit in the front seat… Arlena and I next to him. I want to say that neither of us wanted tosit in the middle close to him, and I’d like to think I was able to talk Arlenainto sitting there… (“Don’t let Holly talk you into anything you don’t want todo.” I’m quoting one of my roommates and dear friends. Do you know who you are???)

Well, we were in Idaho where they still drive on icyroads. Old man plus icy roads equals nervouscollege girls. Arlena and I exchanged glanceson that drive from our apartment to their house quite often. Maybe thinking, “It was good to know you,” or“If you make it out alive, tell my family I love them.” Othertimes we just tried to suppress our desire to giggle about the madness of itall. Those drives were awkward. I remember being chatty, and keeping upconversation, all the while not really wanting to be in that truck. And I remember sitting as close to Arlena asI could so I wouldn’t have to be close to the old man. I just remember, we were headed south(though, trust me when I say, at that time I had no idea what direction southwas), and the truck fish tailing. Thosewere always scary drives.

Oh my goodness, the woman - Did she wear sweatpants? Or those polyester pants that older women tuckedtheir shirts into? Maybe both, my memory fails me there. Her hair was short, tightly permed, and anorange-ish, gold-ey color with maybe even a hint of pink. She climbed her basement stairs on allfours. I’ll never forget having tofollow her up the stairs. Her pants weremint green (so, maybe polyester?).

I don’t really remember much about her house, except it wasdecorated like my grandma’s but less country. She was big into make-up. Shetalked about appearances a lot. She wastalking to two girls not wearing make-up, we got it… I think she looked at us like a serviceproject, like it was her duty to help us. I mean, I was engaged. Obviously someone found me attractive, but to noavail, my eyebrows had to be plucked. She taught us where our eyebrows should begin and end, and where weshould pluck. Now, I don’t know if you’veever seen my eyebrows, but, I really don’t have any. Nevertheless, Arlena and I plucked oureyebrows after work one day, dutifully following crazy lady’s instructions.

I obviously survived those scary drives, and my eyebrows survived the plucking.

And that, my friends, is why and when I started plucking myeyebrows. I knew you were just dying to know...

Was that Yellow or Jello?

2012-01-26T09:00:00.002-05:00

I have got to write this down....

Mallary just came to me with a rainbow book, and the page was on yellow.

"Mom? What color is this?" She asked like, tell my friends that I am right (she has friends over).

When I said yellow, her face was like, "Huh?" I was thinking the same thing, "huh??" Mallary knows what color yellow is.

"Nuh, uh, it's Jello!" She demanded!

I reminded her of the song, "Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, followed by blue..."

She copied me, and sang it too, "Red, Orange-gello..."

Orange and yellow blended together makes jello.

Too funny. Glad we got that straightened out before Kindergarten.

Thrifty Thursday

2012-01-26T08:37:00.002-05:00

Here are my Thrifty Nifties today:

1 - On Sunday, I discovered something amazing... maybe you already discovered it, and maybe you should have shared that idea with me, say, oh, four years ago??

I was picking out Mallary's tights for church, and I found a good pair (meaning no picks, nubbies, fuzzies, you know what I mean...), and then realized they were wrong side out. The right side, however was filled with all of the above. So, you guessed it Mallary just wore her tights wrong side out, JUST LIKE NEW!

Big deal? You've already been doing that? Well, I thought it was brilliant, and why hadn't I thought about it before!?!?! Usually I just toss them or save them to cut up to use to tie up my tomato plants in the summer. (That's right, TWO thrifty nifties in one! Use your torn up panty hose and tights to help stake your tomato plants.)

2 - Don't be afraid of Dry Clean only or Hand Wash. On Monday, I saved at least 25 bucks washing some stuff I had been saving to take to the dry cleaners. I don't know why I waited so long to wash it myself... I worked at a dry cleaners as a teenager and learned a few things about labels and dry cleaning. A company can only put one label on your clothes, so they are going to choose what might be safer for the complete silly person out there that would put wool in the dryer (not intending to make felt mind you), which is by default, dry clean only.

Hand wash - For example, if a clothing item says this, my sister won't buy it. Half of my clothes I bought last year are hand wash only, but you won't ever catch me hand washing anything... Take advantage of your washers hand wash setting! (Usually that item needs to be air dried though) I've never had a problem. I know people throw away dirty baby toys. Who's going to hand wash those? Not me! Throw them in the washer!

Dry Clean - The trick is to look at the material and use common sense. Is it mostly cotton? Wash it in cold - to be safe, just don't dry it (in case it has a lining then the cotton will shrink, but the lining won't, making your item of clothing uneven). Just don't wash silk. The only time I've been burned actually, because I didn't look at the tag. I thought it was some kind of washable taffeta. Men's ties? I've washed TONS of these. Obviously don't wash the pure silk ones, but you have to wash these on delicate, so they don't get beat up in the washer. Maybe toss them in the dryer for a few minutes, then hang to dry the rest of the way.

Most likely, half the clothes you dry clean you can wash in your washer.

Now, maybe with the money you saved on not having to buy new tights and not dry cleaning you can go catch a movie! Or come visit me!! :)

Tuesday Tips

2012-01-24T10:23:00.000-05:00

Here are some money saving tips just for you!

TIP #1: Instead of buying new toys, just buy a pack of paper plates. They are a highly coveted item from my pantry!

TIP #2: Why do we buy chairs? It's so much more fun to sit on the table...

TIP #3: Seriously, no need for new toys... Just show your children where you keep your kitchen towels, and they'll stay busy for days!

TIP #4: Why do we buy Barbies? A piece of string can keep your child occupied all day - the possibilities are endless!

Not even kidding, my kids fight over string...

TIP #5: Buy new batteries! (On sale or with a coupon, of course) It makes your child feel like they have brand new toys once you get those new batteries in them!

The best thing I did this day was to put batteries in the Zhu zhu pets from last Christmas... the kids loved it!

TIP #6: Don't waste your money on those pretend dishes when your kids could just use the real thing!

These two items are Jonah's favorite toys. A small stainless steel bowl and a tiny whisk keeps him busy for hours!

TIP #7: No need to waste your money on buying spoons plus you won't have to wash them after meal time!

My children teach me so much about saving money...

So far today

2012-01-23T07:42:00.000-05:00

This is another random, old post from 2010, not sure of the date exactly, but I'm pretty sure it was after this we decided not to allow multiple children to sleep in our bed at the same time...

5:50 AM - Wake up to screaming, hungry baby who also woke up Mallary down the hall.

Take baby to bed with me, Mallary follows.

I try and nurse hungry, crying baby, and I'm just not satisfying enough: fuss, eat a little, fuss, eat a little, and so on...

Trevan wakes up and joins the party.

Trevan and Mallary fight over blankets.

Jonah thinks about going back to sleep,

Mallary decides he needs to be kissed and talked to instead.

Jonah doesn't go back to sleep.

Trevan and Mallary fighting more over blankets.

Send Trevan to get dressed for school and make Mallary go with him.

Pray not to lose it with my children.

Ten minutes later....

I find Trevan playing in his room in his underwear - which is not what he wears to school...

Oh, the joys of having children.

Scratch

2012-01-21T08:30:00.002-05:00

Another random post from: 10/10/10

Cracker Barrell has some random billboards. Have you noticed? There was one I think that read, 'scratch made breakfast.' John and I thought it sounded weird. "Scratch made?" But, I think they have weirder ones than that. I often read their billboards and think they need a new marketing team...

(SIDE STORY: (added today, 1/21/2012) While, we are on the 'made from scratch' topic, I was on the phone with my neighbor, and I think she told me she was making a cake, or I was making a cake. I asked if it was from scratch... Her definition of from scratch is from a box, and I told her what my definition of scratch was, and she was like, "you add your own flour and milk?" We still laugh about that...)

Anyway, on a totally different note, I've got this itching to start all over, from scratch, regarding different areas of my life. Today? I want to gut all the stuff in my house and start over. Tonight, I decided I want more color. I know, I know. I know what you're thinking if you've been in my house, "more color?" Yes. More color! I'll add it to my list...

I've also thought about moving somewhere. I don't know where... somewhere different. Hawaii? Somewhere new... New foods, new people, new shopping, new house. To start over from scratch.

(added today, 1/21/2012, I've decided that my mom was like a home base for our family. We wanted to be near to her. After she passed away, and my dad has remarried, that home base isn't really the same. I don't have that desire to stay close to home anymore, it doesn't really feel like a home base without her. Though I would like to be relatively close to my siblings, but I know they would totally come to visit me in Hawaii!!!)

I always thought I wouldn't be that type of person, who'd want to pick up and move. I grew up in the same house that I was brought home from the hospital to when I was born. I played in the same yard, went to the same church building, etc. etc. etc. I thought I wouldn't like change. I really never had a taste for exactly what change was.

Within these past few years I've been able to taste it quite frequently. Some I liked. Some I didn't.

But, on our road trip this summer, I decided I want to be a gypsy. I want a little change. I want to live in different towns for small periods of time. Enough time to try all their good foods, experience all the good shopping, see and find all the natural treasures, and then move on to the next town. I think after John asked how we would fund this new way of life (to which I responded that we could just make stuff and sell it on the street... carpet baggers? is that what they were called) he then told me he thought I wouldn't like it very much. "What would you do with all of your dishes? How would you host parties?" What? We wouldn't be able to host parties in a motor home?

I do have this urge to start from scratch. I love to see new places. I want to plan for us to be away every weekend exploring a new place. I like to see new things, and try new things. I try to keep that part of me satisfied by trying new recipes. That's something feasible I can do. I guess I cook so many different recipes that when I asked my husband what his favorites were he responded with, "well you make something really good, but then you might not make it again for two more years because you are always trying new recipes."

That's my change, I guess. 'Scratch made' recipes.

September 2010 Part III

2012-01-20T08:39:00.006-05:00

The next weekend we traveled back to my where we were the previous weekend, for my mom's side of the family reunion. Sadly, we didn't take any pictures at the actual reunion. I love being around some of my mom's brothers, because it reminds me of her, and they were part of her too. I absolutely love my uncle's laughs!

We were literally a few minutes away from my Aunt and Uncle's house, and Jonah needed to be fed. So, we pulled over in a grocery store parking lot, and I fed Jonah there, so I wouldn't have to worry about it at their house. After I fed him, John burped him. Then I had to take some pictures, because basically, that is where Jonah spent most of the summer on all of our travels, in the front seat getting fed and burped!!!

This is a super funny picture to me, because almost as soon as he got on John's lap, he looked up to make sure that sign was still there on the sun visor. On all of our trips that summer, he would always try to look at it while John burped him.

He's almost five months here.

This was the end of our summer travels for 2010!

September 2010 Part II

2012-01-20T08:37:00.001-05:00

The next day, we traveled from Marianne's to my Grandma's for a family reunion on her side of the family.

The day before at the lake wore them out...

My cousins, Jamie, and Gerri

I absolutely love these pics of my Grandpa with Jonah!

These pictures make me really miss my Grandpa

Trevan and my Great Grandma, Granny Cole who passed away this past September 7, she was 101.

She was asking Mallary some questions

Mallary giving her a kiss

This is a fun picture of her smiling holding Jonah

He's like, "Who are you?"

Playing Bingo for prizes

Granny Cole with her children that are living, my Grandma is behind her

Bingo!

These were her only great grand children that were there - though she has a lot!

These were the only great, great grandchildren that were there - and she has a lot more of those too!

We went back to Marianne and Ben's house that night, and made s'mores

This is my great aunt Dorothy holding Jonah. This is a really good picture of her, but my memory card was broken and wouldn't save it after I flipped the picture.

It was a fun weekend with family!!

Lesson of the Day

2012-01-19T08:18:00.000-05:00

Mallary on 9/26/2010

Since Jonah was sick on Monday, he hasn't been going to bed very well. He ended up sleeping with us last night. Then, sometime in the middle of the night, Mallary joined the party too. However, I had about twelve inches (of a king sized bed) to sleep in. Let's just say, I didn't sleep very well... At one point I was resting my arm on my night stand, that's how little room I had.

I was in the middle of a dream, and while in that dream I felt something warm, my eyes immediately pop open, and I touch where the warm is... I was SOAKED in Mallary's pee. She had peed the bed. Not just any bed, but MY bed where I was sleeping. G-ross!

It was five in the morning, I got up, got Mallary up, and woke John up so he could take Jonah to the guest bed while Mallary and I showered and changed the sheets.

We really don't mind our kids sleeping in our bed every now and then, but after last night (technically, this morning) I won't be so willing.

The one thing I'm thankful for though is that fleece sheets hold liquid very well. I didn't leak through to the mattress pad! Also, because I think I got most of it.

Today's lesson:

1. Letting your child sleep in your bed - BAD!
2. Fleece sheets on your bed - VERY GOOD!

Future Food Critic

2012-01-18T07:54:00.007-05:00

These pictures are from 9/26/2010, making Jonah five months old

He liked the rice cereal this day, but never really liked it after that day... My first kid to refuse rice cereal, and he wasn't a HUGE fan of baby food either, he wanted what was on our plates.

I call him my future food critic, because he doesn't like anything plain (like my other kids demand...), no plain noodles, pancakes, bread, or anything else that you might give a kid plain to protect against making a mess.

He loves everything, especially spicy food, and chocolate.

He even smells his food before he eats it (Mallary does the same thing).

September 2010 Part I

2012-01-17T23:06:00.000-05:00

We usually like to have one last summer hurrah over labor day weekend that includes sun, water, and sand. So, we went to visit my sister and her husband, and we went to a fun lake for the day!!

Trevan was in heaven.

These are the "old people" - Ben and Marianne, are the youngest in our family, but they go to bed early, etc. so we call them old people.

Sweeet Jonah so cute!

I love Mallary's ruffle butt swimsuit!

What is Marianne building on Ben?

Those silly geese!

Mallary looks kind of confused.

Trevan loves to warm himself in the sand. He is part reptile!

It was a super fun day, and we love that lake!

August 2010 Part V

2012-01-17T23:01:00.003-05:00

While Trevan was at school, Mallary, Jonah, and I had fun playing at home.

Jonah is about 4 months old here, and Mallary has on two swimming suits.

Mallary loved being able to play with all of the toys without having to share with Trevan!

Jonah just loved hanging out with us!

August 2010 Part IV

2012-01-17T22:58:00.000-05:00

The next week, Trevan started Kindergarten!!!!!

This was his first day

(SIDE STORY: Last month we had to throw this back pack away, it was getting thread bare on the edges, and Trevan broke down in tears about having to get rid of it. So, I had to throw it away after he went to bed, and he didn't ask about it again. Except one day he said, "It was sad, that we had to throw my back pack away." He's going to be a little hoarder...

My little big man didn't want to give me a hug goodbye. He was so ready for Kindergarten!

Trevan was so excited to ride the bus. John takes Trevan to school, and he got to ride the bus home. He actually only did it two days, and now I pick him up.

He loved Kindergarden!

August 2010 Part III

2012-01-17T22:49:00.002-05:00

The weekend after the fair, John and I celebrated our anniversary by spending a day at the beach together while my sister watched our kids. I blogged about it, but that is one that won't ever get published, because I know you don't want to see pictures of me in a bathing suit!! On that Saturday, we left my sisters house and drove to a lake closer to our house, where there was a church activity being held. We enjoyed a day at the lake with friends!

Mallary and John

Cute Trevan

John resting on Mallary's float

Trevan wanted to jump off the dock, but he was a little nervous to do so. He eventually did.

These are two of my good friends here, Jennifer and Rachel

Trevan jumping off the dock with his friend Zayne

What a fun weekend we had!!

August 2010 Part II

2012-01-17T22:40:00.001-05:00

The next weekend we went to the fair! Our family tradition. Here I am with Grandma and Grandpa making a traditional fair meal, fried biscuits and Grandma's eggs! This year was Grandma and Grandpa's first year at the fair not using a camper or motor home. They slept in a tent! Eighty + year olds sleeping in a tent... I didn't believe that they would do it, but they did!! Oh my goodness, the stories they told about Grandma being bounced off the air mattress by Grandpa sitting down on it. Can you even believe they slept on an air mattress? In a tent?? Too funny!

See my grandma? That is me in fifty years... if I live that long...

Helping Grandpa do the biscuits. He kept talking about how lots of people don't know how to fry them in our family... "The secret is not getting the oil to hot..."

The chefs

My Great Uncle, Ranny with Mallary and his son Jimmy

Jonah's first year at the fair at four months old (I found out I was pregnant with him the year before at the fair!!)

My Grandpa always holds the babies. He passed away this past summer, and all these pictures of him healthy are so precious to me.

John and I usually always do one of these at the fair every year, I wish I could find an extra spicy one we've done before...

That is our cousin Tyler. This was the first time we have met him. He kept saying, "If we're cousins, how come we've never met before?" It was really funny. But, he hung out with us and rode rides with Trevan.

How cute are they? We love the fair!

August 2010 part I

2012-01-16T20:19:00.002-05:00

We went to my niece, Caroline's baptism. (SIDE STORY: (rember these?) It seems like every time we get together with my family, John makes it an "experience." This time he forgot his suit pants, and didn't realize it until late the night before. He thought he would have enough time to go buy some before the baptism, but he got lost and missed the whole thing. What's so funny is that at the neices baptism before that one, he started throwing up at church at her baptism, and missed standing in the circle at that one too! He's so funny that John...)

Caroline

Another thing John does when we visit family, sleep.

Caroline and Trevan

Lanning and Jenna

Jay, Laurajane, and Jonah

It's so funny to look at these pictures and to see how much everyone has grown up since then!!!

2010 Family Road trip Part VII

2012-01-16T20:05:00.001-05:00

After we left Idaho, we went to visit the Wickstroms!! It was a "Hamstrom" family reunion!

Trevan and Hazel.

I think it must be tradition for our kids to watch Shrek when the Hamstroms get together. When Trevan was little, he'd watch it on repeat while we all played games.

This is so sad. Somehow, we don't know when, but Jonah got a sunburn on his face while I was visiting with my friend Jen, and we were all sitting outside (though we thought we had him in the shade...) or he got it in the car, because we forgot to put his shade down on his carseat, and the drive back from Idaho, he had the sun on his side of the van the entire time. It was so sad!! I felt like such a bad mom!!

Chris and Jonah - so cute!

My kids love auntie Becky and uncle Chris!

On a trip to Japan earlier that year, Chris had bought John a souvenir of baby squid I think. Well, John packed them and brought them to Chris and Becky's house so they could try them together. It is too funny to look at Chris and John trying these in the next pictures.

Look at them, both ready to vomit!

I love the next few pictures...

They went to the trash can to spit them out. I love the picture below because it shows how John laughs, he throws his head back and puts his hand on his chest.

Trevan is grossed out too, and he didn't even try it!

And of course we took a "Hamstrom Family" photo! Which now we need to update with another dog, Jasper, and the twins, Scarlett and Asher!!!!!

We loved visiting with Chris and Becky! We loved it so much we did a crazy thing - we stayed an extra day forcing us to drive straight home - 36 hours, stopping only for gas, potty breaks, and food. Let's just say, we learned our lesson and will never do it again.

Although our kids were really great on the drive home, and crazy good troopers about sleeping in their car seats two nights, we had too many close calls. For example, It's the middle of the night, and all of a sudden John says, "I can't see!!!" I totally freaked out, and was like, "What do you mean you can't see???!!!!!" He responded, "My eyes are open, but I can't see anything!" I told him kind of frantically to pull over, and I drove.

Another time, we were driving through mountains, in the middle of the night I was driving, and I slammed into a wall of fog. The fog was so thick, I couldn't see anything, but I knew there was a huge drop just to my right! I woke John up, so he could freak out with me, or keep me calm. Plus, since we hadn't had our van very long, I didn't know if we had fog lights, so I was experimenting with the lights, and kept turning them off, and that freaked me out as well. Needless to say, I was doing a lot of praying, and thank goodness it didn't last very long.

In case you didn't know, the trick to staying awake on long haul trips is beef jerky, and sunflower seeds (the kind you have to shell). Although early in the morning when I was driving the last stretch literally getting off at our exit, the beef jerky, and sunflower seeds had started to lose their effectiveness, and I was so bloated from all that salt!

We loved our road trip, and visiting our family, and our friends!!!!!!!! We hope to do it again soon...

But, we'll be stopping at hotels this time, no more overnight drives for us!

2010 Family Roadtrip Part VI

2012-01-16T18:28:00.000-05:00

Ummm... So, a few years ago we had a family reunion... My last post on it was here...

So, I am picking up where I left off! :)

We had a brief dance party to celebrate Mark and Nicolette's wedding from the previous month.

Mallary didn't really like the noise, but she loved that Twinkie. (gag...)

So, I didn't get a very good picture of the kids room lined with bunks so you can fully appreciate this next photo... But, we went to check on the kids before we went to bed that night, and we saw Trevan sprawled out on the floor. He had fallen from the top bunk and didn't even wake up!!! That is how much fun they had with all of their cousins!

Some of the cousins watching a movie downstairs.

And it wouldn't be a Hamilton gathering without lots of games!!!

That was the end of the reunion. But while we were in Idaho, I was able to visit one of my old college roommates, Leah and see her cute kids!!! And I also saw Josh her husband (I called him Joshie when we were all in college), and it was so fun to visit with them! I was going to find a picture of all of us from college to post too, but I'm too lazy!

This is really a horrible picture of me, but oh well.

Such a cute family, and they have another little boy now as well!

We also got to stop on our way back to Utah to see another one of my college roommates, Jen (actually my first roommate in college ever back in '98!). It was so good to visit with her and meet her kids too! I wish I could live in the same town as all of my fun college roommates!!!!!!!

As we drove out of Idaho, I remember telling John that maybe we should be gypsies... I spent a while trying to convice him of it, and how we would live and make money, then we could spend as much time as we wanted seeing all of our friends, and traveling to new places... He didn't buy into my sales pitch... I guess I have to work on it some...

Train of thought

2012-01-12T11:52:00.000-05:00

I've been going through my unpublished posts to start posting some of them. Though, I think this one should go unposted... you'll see why in a minute...

I'm not sure of the date of this post though, because when I went to view it, it changed the date of the post to today's date... does anyone know how to fix that? I'm not digging this whole new Blogger thing...

This post is about a year old, I'm guessing... Anyway, I'm not sure where this post was headed, because I never finished it, but I'm sure it was going somewhere... I'm posting it, because it's THAT ridiculous...

I told myself I was going to eat good breakfasts this week; cream of wheat, eggs...

After I made Trevan's sandwich today, there was only one piece of deli ham left, so I ate it.

An hour later I enter my pantry in search of some breakfast...

Pistachios!

I stand in my pantry shelling, eating, shelling, eating...

Can you believe that my grandparents only tried pistachios within the last few years, and didn't like them because they "looked moldy?"

I also used to try not to share my precious pistachios with my kids... oh... maybe that's why they don't like to share...

Can you believe my three year old can shell her own pistachios?

I decided I needed more than just pistachios for breakfast. I look up and see the cereals, oatmeals, grits, and cream of wheat... look to the left...

Hot chocolate!

I rarely drink hot chocolate. It makes me sick, but I thought, "Hey, why not?!"

I open the cup cabinet, and pull out the mug with John's name on it. Someone from work gave him that for Christmas. I guess for all that coffee he doesn't drink.

I put water in John's mug (I'm a water/hot chocolate drinker, don't stone me), and put it in the microwave.

Yeah, John needs to be getting up earlier. To help me with the kids. Help me "encourage" Trevan to get ready faster...

The hot chocolate's done. I add marshmallows.

I wait for the marshmallows to melt a little. I go to take a bite and there is a dirty spot on my spoon.

Ick!

(back to the present... I hate dirty dishes, even water spots... but I do now drink A LOT more hot chocolate, I just have to make sure I have food in body first...How was that for a random post?!?!?!)

Puffy? Post Script Added

2012-01-11T09:20:00.002-05:00

Women use this word to describe what they look like in what they are wearing NOT a SEVEN year old boy...

I put Trevan's coat on him Monday morning, it is one of those coats that has layers that you can wear seperately or all together, and I was making him wear all of them.

I looked at his very unhappy face and asked why he looked so sad...

"I don't like wearing all (of the layers) of the coat together."

I asked why.

"I look puffy."

Puffy??????

Cry me a river! What seven year old boy cares if he looks puffy?

Who is this child?

Post Script: This morning I noticed that Trevan had his Henley style shirt tucked into his jeans. "Honey, why is your shirt tucked in??" He said it was "too long." People, it was the perfect length... I think I have another John on my hands....

Tuesday Tips

2012-01-11T09:08:00.000-05:00

Is it spring?!?!

I am on this crazy "spring" cleaning trip! Except it's January... but, my house is well overdue for a good spring cleaning.

I just cleaned out my sock drawer - got rid of the scratchy, icky sports socks that I never wear. Why did I keep them for so long?

I've cleaned out the kids' toys, part of the garage, my pantry, my kitchen cabinets, organized my Christmas stuff, and still working on my work room...

I'll share a few tips with you from all that cleaning.

So, my kids' bookshelves were overflowing, and I got this great idea... (props to you if you've already been doing this, but poo on you for not sharing!) I store all of my kids Christmas/winter books with all of my Christmas decorations. When I pull out my Christmas decorations, I get out all of those books, when I put my decorations away I put away all my Christmas decorations (except I leave all the winter themed ones out a little longer). BUT, I realized I should be doing this with all of their holiday books!!! Why didn't I think of this sooner??? So, I went through all of their book shelves and pulled out the holiday ones. I stored all of the holiday books in their respective holiday rubbermaid tote in the garage! Great solution for their overstuffed shelves, and then their books are like new when that holiday comes around!!! Ready... now, break! Go do your own! :)

My next tip, I've been wanting to do for a while. When I was putting up my Christmas decorations, I finally did it. I took a picture of all of my Christmas Tree Ornaments. I'm going to print them up (Shutterfly/Snapfish prints for one cent...) and write on the back what is special about that ornament/when we got it/who gave it to us/etc.

I especially wanted to do this because we give our kids ornaments every year that has to do with something they were into/did/etc. the past year. I wanted them to know why I picked out a specific ornament for them.

Here are a few of the new ornaments from our travels this past year...

Jamaica with John!!

Family reunion in Maryland

Sisters Trip to Charleston, SC

Bad Words

2012-01-09T07:41:00.000-05:00

Did you have garbage can words in your house growing up? We did, and we had a lot.

We have garbage can words in our house now, and my kids are quick learners.

It's funny to listen to them play or watch movies (Disney movies have LOTS of "bad" words in them...) and hear, "You said a bad word!!"

They even call me out too...

Hamilton garbage can words: I'm bored, stupid, hate, dumb, shut up, (and you know, all the regular words, but they aren't to those yet, thank goodness...)

Like no one's watching...

2012-01-07T10:27:00.000-05:00

you can buy this print HERE

So, I've been on Etsy a little bit this morning looking for some quotes and this one kept coming up. Then, after the billionth time seeing it, it hit me, instead of that sign, someone needs to make a sign that says,

LIVE! like no one's watching.

I mean, sure, we should dance like no one's watching - but more importantly, we should live like no one's watching.

I think lots of us make choices based off what people will think of us... Some people blog based on what others will think of them.... We may choose what to put on from our closets based on what others might think of us... What we drive.... What we plant in our front yards... What comes out of our mouths... What we buy... What cell phone we use... Where we go... Etc... Etc... Etc... You get the idea.

Really, who cares what other people think of us?

We should always be true to ourselves and LIVE like no one's watching...

Can you help me find my self control???

2012-01-05T21:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, Hulu.... why dost thou tempt me so???

We have a nice sized television, yet I've been finding myself watching shows on my computer waaaaaay too much!! (to my credit I do get a little work done while I'm in front of my computer at the same time...) We don't have cable, and mostly our TV stays on PBS. (We get three of them (PBSs) with just an antennae) So, why do we have a TV again???

I have never in my life wanted to stay caught up on so many television shows!!!! Curses to the TV show maker people!!! I am addicted to way too many new shows that started last year... But, we are busy people, so I feel like I'm mostly watching them on Hulu.

For example, last night, I decided to check out one of the new shows that I never tuned into before, but so many people were talking about it, so I just had to check it out. I did, liked it, and therefore went to bed very late (ahem... early...), . I'm not going to even say which show it was because I watched ALL of the episodes on Hulu, and if I told you, then you would know exactly how much time I spent (read 'wasted') on Hulu...

I've been sucked in...

Self control where did you go??????????

so...

2012-01-04T18:22:00.002-05:00

I really didn't blog much in 2011...

and I only blogged half of 2010...

2012 will be different...

maybe...

I keep thinking about a few things I need to write down from 2011...

Trevan - Finished Kindergarten (ending the year with holes in the knee of 13 pairs of pants! - that's got to be some kind of record, right???) started first grade, started losing teeth! (cue forgetful toothfairy... did you know the tooth fairy can't fly when it's raining? that's how Trevan explained the absence of money under his pillow...), learned to read, learned to swim (mostly), is still an easy kid (thank goodness), he's a picky eater which is kind of annoying (who's kid is that????), he likes to pick out his own clothes to wear (I've learned to be okay with it...), he's a good big brother for the most part, played baseball and basketball for the first time, so thankful he is my oldest!

Mallary - tried a few different "hair styles" (some of her own making...), learned to whistle! (a four year old that can whistle?? I'm so proud considering I was like 12 or something when I figured it out.) she often comes up to me and randomly gives me a hug or a kiss on the cheek, she loves her papa, she started preschool (me and three other moms rotate teaching) and asks every morning if we're having preschool that day (we're still working on the days of the week thing...), she loves holidays and hates to see them pass by (already she asks when it will be Christmas again, she sounds like a northerner when she talks, i.e. : cah (car), she likes jumping on the furniture (and apparently likes getting in trouble for it), she always wants to eat at Olive Garden - she loves the salad?!?!?!, she likes to know where I am in the house at all times, she also likes answering the phone, she loves dogs, she likes me to snuggle with her during the day, who can resist a four year asking, "Mom, will you snuggle with me?"

Jonah - is the most adorable little boy on the planet. not a big talker still (but will sign please, more, more please, and thank you), his favorite word is "GOP" (how he says, 'stop,' can you tell he has older siblings??), loves to play with cars, he pats people (you just have to experience it to appreciate it...), he hates hair cuts (unlike his sister), he loves pushing around this little doll stroller (no dolly, and actually no seat either, so a stroller skeleton...), started climbing on everything, loves sleeping in his own crib (every time we came/come back from a trip that first night we put him back in his own bed he's in heaven! It's adorable!), he gives open mouth kisses on your lips, he'll give you a hug and pat/rub you on the shoulder/back, he loves to jump on his bed, and he loves to jump anywhere, he'll eat most anything, and actually really likes spicy food, his smile still melts my heart.

Christmas break?

2011-12-28T15:13:00.000-05:00

What break? It's definitely not a break for me...

I was wondering if maybe I should coordinate a children's swap for next year's Christmas break...

1. It took ME more than half a day to clean their bedroom. Trevan did help a little bit, but I banished Mallary to her bed because she was getting on my nerves really, really bad. I needed to make room for the new toys. (Read: They have too many toys!) I seriously think that next year in lieu of toys, I'm putting new batteries in the toys they haven't played with in ages because they needed new batteries, and wrapping those up and putting them under the tree. I'm kinda serious. If I take the toys out of circulation now, Jonah really would never know...

2. My kids bought games on my Nook without me knowing it. When I told John about it, he blamed Trevan because he can read - though Trevan pleads innocent and said Mallary did it...

3. I cleaned and organized Jonah's bedroom last night, only for my kids to completely tear it apart today - empty out the bookshelf, empty every toy basket, etc. etc. Do kids have something against a clean floor? I think so.

4. We've been in our pajamas since Christmas. To our credit, we have changed into different jammies within that time period... well, except Mallary.

5. I usually wait until after New Years to take down our Christmas tree, but ours was dead, and I am ready for a clean house, so I took it down today with the help from my kids. Only one ornament got broken... "Mallary do not throw the ornaments..." About five minutes later, she throws a glass heart I've had since high school, and it breaks. She is banned from "helping" anymore.

6. The one thing I am enjoying about Christmas break? No cooking! That's what I love about the holidays - leftovers!!!!

Hope you get a break on your Christmas break!

The naughty list??

2011-12-23T15:42:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to lie.... I love having one more reason to give my kids about why they should be listening at Christmas time.

"Remember, you better be nice, so Santa will bring lots of presents..."

We used that line just this morning at around 6:30 AM.

My kids were wired this morning at six!! You would think that it was Christmas morning every morning for the last week according to the times they have been waking up! UGH!!

I know lots of parents tell their kids that Santa isn't real, but I love it! Not just for the reason listed above, but it's just magical. I can remember the excitement as a little kid, and trying to figure out how Santa works. I love that my kids are experiencing the magic of Christmas too!

Though Mallary, the other night at bed time, told John, "I don't want Santa to watch me."

I mean, really, it's kind of creepy thinking of this old man watching us all the time and he will bring us presents accordingly. But, I think from Mallary's perspective it was purely, she had been a stinker that day and didn't want it to affect her Christmas loot! Rather than change her behavior, she was thinking maybe Santa could just not watch her...

Love it!

Hope you're on the nice list!!

"don we now our gay apparel"

2011-12-21T08:30:00.001-05:00

Fa la la la la la la la!

I know your Christmas wouldn't be complete without seeing a picture of our "festive" Christmas sweaters. I would hate to leave you with an empty feeling on Christmas morning, so here you go:

Merry Christmas!!

I love Christmas

2011-12-21T08:18:00.000-05:00

I am loving Christmas this year! Some day I'll blog about last Christmas, and you'll see that it wouldn't take much to improve upon it!

But, seriously, I was driving home yesterday morning from dropping Trevan off at school, and I was thinking of how great Christmas feels this year!! I honestly feels like my heart is dancing to 'Rockin Around the Christmas Tree' during McCauley Caulkins "party" he had to trick the robbers in Home Alone!

I am so excited for Christmas and for my kids to open their presents! Honestly, I think Christmas is like a perk for parents, it is so fun to be a parent on Christmas morning. I absolutely love it!!!

The thing is, I've been crazy busy. Craaaazy... like started a hundered new projects in December for some reason...but, I still love it! I even had all my shopping done before December, but still found a bazillion things I "needed" to do!!! I haven't been able to get up all of my decorations, and I don't even care!!!! We usually put up three fake trees in addition to our real one, and we haven't put them up this year either... but who cares?!! Honestly, it would be nice if I could get them up, but I can't so, who cares! We have our family one, and that's really the only important one anyway!

I am in primary (kids ages 3-11) at church, and the last few Sundays I have taught, and I have loved it. Feeling the spirit of Christmas (the spirit of Christ) in my lessons has just added to this great season for me! I hope they felt it too!

I hope your Christmas season is going well. That it's full of joy, love, and that there is peace in your heart.

Christmas wouldn't be complete on my blog without posting some of my favorites....

Here are a few of my favorite things this Christmas...

1. These printable tags - How funny are they???!!

found HERE

2. This awesome bread pan - I never have enough bread pans when I make my 14 loaves of bread at a time! No embellishment there, for real. This is a super long pan, normal sandwhich bread size, I coveted for a while, and then gave it to myself for Christmas... Perfect for the bread maker on your list...

found HERE

3. All these awesome things on my Must Have Pinterest Board - See HERE

4. This Christmas CD by the Lower Lights - Another Christmas gift to myself. Love! Enjoy!

<a href="http://thelowerlights.bandcamp.com/album/come-let-us-adore-him">Come Let Us Adore Him by The Lower Lights</a>

#5. Michal Buble's new Christmas CD. After seeing him on Saturday Night Live last week, we (I) decided we needed it... (Even though John did add that he sings so effortless-ly)

#6. FLEECE SHEETS! We just put ours on our bed last week! Christmas doesn't seem complete without my fleece sheets! Love them!!!! I absolutely love getting in my bed and snuggle in my fleece sheets!!! I ithink you need some...

Hoping your Christmas season is Merry and Bright!!

He's funny

2011-12-18T01:07:00.000-05:00

John was outside hanging up the rest of our Christmas lights, and I went outside and asked him again, if he wouldn't mind tucking the rest of the lights into the gutter so there isn't so much overhang.

He responded with, "Why do you have to squelch my artistic abilities?"

"Honey, running out of gutter does not equal artistic abilities..."

"But, it's an icicle."

I snapped this picture of him, and then had to ask, "Was you sticking out your leg behind you llike a girl an example of your artistic abilities?"

My thoughts this morning

2011-11-23T08:09:00.000-05:00

"Who wants to do this everyday? Who signs up for this? Oh, yeah, me... three times..."

Well, maybe I should just count two times. Let's be honest, I had no idea when I was pregnant with Trevan that one day I would spend every morning after breakfast (and lunch, and dinner...) on my hands and knees cleaning up the floor under his chair. But definitely, after him, I had a better understanding of what my future might hold....

This morning it was Cheerios (Honey Toasted Oats to be exact) and bran muffins. Some mornings, Jonah does an excellent job to make sure he covers a wide radius. This morning was an average coverage, could have been worse, could have been better. My absolute favorite (read least favorite) is while I'm on my hands and knees cleaning up the floor under him, he takes his dirty little paws and pats me on the head. His way of saying, 'Thanks, mom! You're the best!" and leaving remnants of bran muffins in my hair. You would think I would learn to clean his hands first, right? See? Even after three kids I still don't know everything!! Maybe it's after your fourth? Or fifth?

I wouldn't change a thing. (Except, maybe get a dog to clean up the floor under them? Hire a maid?) I had no idea when we made the decision to start having kids what exactly was in store for me. There is no way I could have known. You can be sure I never pictured myself on my hands and knees every morning cleaning up my kitchen floor. I think I did try to picture the love that would exist. I knew I would love them, but I really had no idea of that either. No dictionary could define that love, no test could measure it.

But, I think to some degree it is measurable - I mean, I get on my hands and knees every morning and wipe up Jonah's breakfast... and I'll do it again tomorrow. No big deal. I'd do it for the rest of his life if I had too. That's how much I love him.

(Though, I'm pretty sure if he's sixteen and still tossing his breakfast on the floor, he's going to get in BIG trouble...)

Mommy's Nest

2011-11-20T22:07:00.000-05:00

When I'm on the couch lying down, the space behind my legs is called, Mommy's nest. It's a coveted spot to be in at my house.

I love snuggling with my babies.

How do you like your eggs?

2011-11-19T10:11:00.000-05:00

Salty? Or, Soapy?

I know, you thought I was going to say, scrambled or fried.

Nope, not in my house.

For the record, my husband can cook. He can follow a recipe, and he especially likes baking, but he can not seem to get scrambled eggs right.

When we were engaged, he came over to my apartment and made me breakfast. I'll never forget sitting next to him at that table, scooping up a bite of scrambled eggs on my fork, taking a bite, and then wanting to vomit.

It was as if I had just put a cube of salt in my mouth. Really. I remember him saying they couldn't be that bad, then he took a bite, and made a sour face as well. Ick! One of the saltiest things I have ever eaten. We still talk about it. (Obviously...)

This morning, my sweet husband made us breakfast. I take a bite of my eggs.... ummm... soapy. "Soapy?" I know you are asking yourself. Yes, soapy. The skillet was dirty, he washed it, and of course didn't get all the soap off. "Well, no big deal, it's just one time," I know you are thinking to yourself (do you like how I try to read your mind?), but it's the SECOND time that he has served us soapy eggs. Honestly, I think soapy eggs are worse than salty eggs.

I walked over to John at the stove and whispered that the eggs were gross and soapy. (I had to whisper because the last time I announced it at the table, the kids wouldn't eat theirs (which didn't bother me at all...). Though, Trevan still knew something was up and didn't eat his this morning either...)

John sat down to eat his eggs... "You can barely taste it," he said.

"The fact that you even said, BARELY, is not good," I responded.

"You can hardly even tell," he added.

"HARDLY?! There shouldn't be ANY soap in scrambled eggs!"

Consider yourself forewarned - if you eat breakfast at our house and we serve scrambled eggs, just make sure John wasn't the one cooking them.

Tuesday Tips

2011-11-15T07:40:00.000-05:00

Just one tip today...

I know how you feel - it's the middle of the afternoon, and you are soooooo tired. Do you dare attempt to take a nap on the couch while your kids run around you??? No!!! Don't do it!!! Unless you are prepared to deal with the consequences...

My consequence on this paticular day was to clean up Jonah's mess... He started to empty out the trashcan...

Lesson learned - mommy can't nap! Or... put the trashcan in the pantry if you're going to attempt a nap...

Thrifty Thursday

2011-11-03T10:30:00.000-04:00

Before, I get into this weeks deals and steals, have you started your Christmas shopping??? Here's my thrifty nifty that can benefit you for years to come:

Shop for Christmas ALL YEAR LONG!

For real.

That's no fun, you might say, but it really is - and then November through December are a little less stressful. I promise.

Here's the thing. There are some staples that I can shop for that I know my kids will be getting every year at Christmas - like pajamas. So, all the pajamas have been purchased. In fact, Jonah's pajamas were purchased last year in February for like 3 bucks! Gotta love Old Navy clearance! (I've told you my rule on not spending over 5 bucks on pajamas right? Don't spend more than 5 bucks on jammies!!! I promise, it's do-able. I do it all the time!!! I just bought Mallary's princess jammies at Kohl's. I had a 10 dollar coupon off any purchase, plus an extra 15% off, and the pajamas were half off already - so I payed 5 dollars for her 35 dollar jammies. Score!)

Also, end of season clearance at all stores provide the best stocking stuffers! TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Old Navy, and The Children's Place have the best end of season clearance items. Let's just say Santa already has some stockings stuffed... Woo hoo!

Also, Ross Dress for Less carries a lot of the same stuff that you will be buying at WalMart and Target for HALF THE PRICE. Last year, we scored Star Wars, Transformer, and Lego stuff there at half the price I saw it for at the major stores.

Last but not least, DO NOT PAY FOR ANYTHING FULL PRICE! It's kind of my rule. (Except at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ross, or other discount stores where the price is rock bottom anyway.) Anything I have bought online lately, I google for a coupon, and I have lucked out every time! At Kohls online, I found these forty dollar shoes that they didn't have in the stores, after some discounts and googling for a coupon, I got them for 13 bucks including shipping!

Anyway, moral of the story - you can get great deals without even working hard. AND save lots of money Christmas shopping all year around instead of forking out all the money in one month!

So, because those tips were so long here is my shopping list this week:

Super double coupons at Harris Teeter this week! Shop away!

This should put a smile on your face

2011-11-02T22:19:00.000-04:00

I love this - you should watch it:

http://screen.yahoo.com/father-daughter-dance-medley-27138015.html

What do you think I did today?

2011-11-02T10:55:00.000-04:00

Halloween!!

2011-10-31T12:23:00.000-04:00

What are your traditions for Halloween?

We have one that surprises people...

When Trevan was two or three, we went trick or treating with my brother and his family. After the treats had been gathered, we went back to their house and watched their girls devour the candy they had dumped out on the floor. There were no limits placed on how many pieces they could eat or anything. I thought that was interesting, so we ended up doing it too.

So, I am here today to be a myth buster. Your kids will not get sick if you let them eat a ton of their Halloween candy in one night. (and, if they ever did get sick, wouldn't that be a great lesson to them?)AND they will NOT stay awake all night bouncing off the walls. Who came up with that stuff?? It has yet to happen to us, and our kids sleep like babies. Hello?! They are exhausted from all the trick or treating!

What I have found is that my kids have learned how to monitor themselves. They stop when they are full, and give us their buckets. We let them have their candy when they ask for it. Well, we do make them eat breakfast first. The other benefit to this great tradition? The candy doesn't hang around very long. Although, our kids kind of get sick of the candy, and stop asking for the leftovers - so it usally gets dumped.

Another rule? We make them share. I must have said once, that if they don't share, they don't go trick or treating. So, they share... :)

Happy trick or treating!!

Friday Family Feature

2011-10-28T09:28:00.000-04:00

I can not even believe that my oldest niece is a senior in high school. Really?!?!?!?!?!?!? She's my favorite Laurajane... ;)

She is so gorgeous! I know if my mom were around she'd just gush over these pictures and tell Laurajane how beautiful she was. These were moments my mom knew she would miss.

Laurajane is so funny. She's such a great dresser, and has her own fun style. (Some day I'll blog about her 16th birthday party I helped her do...) She loves shopping at Goodwill and finds the best stuff to wear! Adults usually comment on her clothing and wish they could shop out of Laurajane's closet. Though, I'm the auntie that thinks some of her clothes are pretty weird because she wears some 80's fashions that I think should have stayed buried... But, let's just say she's come a long way from the days she would pull her underwear up her crack (seriously when she was three, she gave herself wedgies - that's just how she wore her underwear) (embarrassed yet, lj?), and dress up like pioneers (her absolute favorite play time thing). She loves to write and to look through baby names books. She loves to plan and throw parties, which I love. :)

I still remember the days when she was little, and my sister and I would race off of the bus because we were so excited to see her! I remember these days on our trampoline with her as if it were yesterday!!!

It's fun to see, now she makes the face I'm making at her in the picture on the right to my kids!

Here we were one summer while I was home from college having a tea party with her and one of my college roommates - (hi April!!)

Here she is on the right at my wedding.

Here she is holding Trevan when he was a baby. Though I'm pretty sure Jonah is her favorite baby on the planet.

I think she has a bright future ahead. Maybe some day you'll read something she'll write...

I love my Laurajane as if she were one of my own kids!

Thrifty Thursday

2011-10-27T11:13:00.000-04:00

Nothing too exciting at the grocery stores this week except 93% lean ground beef at Harris Teeter for $2.99/lb. I already stocked up.

So, I thought I would share another little thrifty nifty with you. My friend, Jen, tipped me off on this one! She blogged about finding jeans at WAL-MART! That's right, Wal-mart! So, back in the spring, on a Wal-mart trip I stopped and tried on some jeans - and they were great!

I just went back last week and got two new pairs (because I'm finally down a size! yay!)!

Here's the skinny: They are Faded Glory Jeans - $13.88. Yep, you read that right.... THIRTEEN DOLLARS AND EIGHTY EIGHT CENTS!!!!!! They have the perfect amount of stretch, the perfect length, which is hard for me to find (they have lots of lengths to choose from), and I think they make my butt look good. Come on, you know that's important to you too! They also have jeggings in case you are interested. I think I'll check out all of their jeans for the whole family! They have some really cute washes.

I also tried on some Levi's while I was there - and they fit good too!! They even come up a little higher which is good for my post baby belly! They are a little bit more expensive, but still super cheap for jeans!

Anyway, I was super impressed, I think you will be too! Thanks Jen!!

Keeping it old school

2011-10-27T07:53:00.001-04:00

Yep, this is how we watch TV...

Post script: I think it's very fitting I published this on Thrifty Thursday - because this is one way we save money (and time) - not having cable....

I'm loving Skype

2011-10-26T08:37:00.001-04:00

We were skyping with our BFF's a few Sundays ago, and I was just loving it so much, I had to capture the moment on camera! They had no idea I was taking pictures at first because we had frozen on their screen. But it was so fun to be across the country from them, and feel like they were sitting in our kitchen.

So, here are a few pictures from our chat:

What I love about this picture is how intently John is listening to what Becky is saying (bottom right of picture).

To be able to see Becky's wheezy laugh across the country is priceless - Thank you Skype!

Also priceless? To be able to watch them prepare for their TWINS!! We got to see them set up their pack-n-play, watch Chris finish assembling their stroller - John even asked him to model it for us. It was so great!!!!!

Thanks Skype for making 3,000 miles not feel so far away!

When he grows up

2011-10-25T11:10:00.000-04:00

It's so fun watching your kids grow up, and watch their personalities and interests develop. I know Trevan says he wants to be an engineer when he grows up to invent things like robots, but I think he has a future in marketing.

I am going to be the coach of his little basketball team, and we decided to let the boys come up with their team name, and they decided on The Toxic Cobras. So, a few days later, I was working on the computer and Trevan came up to me and said, "I have an idea for our team uniform shirts. We should put a cobra head on the front, and do a tail on the back by the numbers. We could make the eyes red on the cobra too."

I guess, I didn't respond quick enough to his idea, because he had to add a few minutes later, "It's eyes can be red, you know, because it's toxic..."

Then, we were driving to a donut shop yesterday, and I told him the name of the shop, and he said, "I bet the O in donut is a donut instead of an 'o.' Which in fact it is. I knew he had never been there before, and it isn't in our town, so the possibility of us driving by it had to be slim, and I asked how he knew that, and he said, "if I were making the sign for it, that's what I'd do."

In case you didn't know, John and I like watching commercials and critiquing them. I love seeing other people's creativity, and what they come up with, and John likes saying what a company should have done instead of a stupid commercial.

So, I guess the apple hasn't fallen very far from the tree.

Pretend Play

2011-10-20T17:17:00.000-04:00

Mallary got a Rapunzel Barbie and Flynn Rider Ken doll for her birthday, and I heard her and Trevan playing with them this afternoon.

I heard Trevan and Mallary arrange for Rapunzel and Flynn Rider to kiss - and I suggested from the kitchen that they not kiss too much... They responded back that they were just doing what they did in the movie!!! Too funny.

I also heard Trevan dressing Flynn Rider for church, and Rapunzel happened to be pregnant - which I do not remember seeing on the box... but, apparently she's due in January.

Thrifty Thursday

2011-10-20T15:49:00.001-04:00

There really aren't a whole lot of screaming deals this week - but here are a few deals on my staples.

Food Lion

Green Peppers - 2/$1

Lowes Food

Boneless/Skinless chix. breast - 1.77/lb
Seedless red grapes - 1.47/lb (I usually only buy grapes when they are $.99/lb, but this is good too... I know, I'm hard core...)
Bounty Basic Paper Towels - 8 roll - $5.49

Harris Teeter

Sweet Potatoes - $.79/lb
Angel Soft - EVIC 2/$10 limit 2

I know there are a lot of coupons out there, but I haven't bought a paper in quite some time - but if you have coupons there are some other deals on laundry deteregent and such.

And, you know you could always price match these prices at Wal-Mart - even though I don't do that anymore, just because I don't go there as often as I used to...

On slow sale weeks like this I really save on my grocery budget!!

Happy shopping!

Tuesday Tips

2011-10-18T13:01:00.002-04:00

At the end of the summer, I was tired of our van being a mess,and decided to clean it out - which inspired today's Tuesday Tips:

HOW TO MAKE YOUR VEHICLE FEEL MORE LIKE HOME

If you're like us, you spend A LOT of time in your car (we've put 42,000 miles on our van in 1.5 years), so here are a few tips to make it feel just like you are sitting at home while sitting in your car!

Tip #1. You have souvenirs from all of your trips in your home - why not leave a few in your car too?

Tip #2. Make your kids comfortable by leaving some socks on the floor of your vehicle - just like their bedrooms at home!

Tip #3. And it wouldn't feel like home if there weren't toys scattered everywhere, now would it??

Tip #4. Don't forget the stickers!!! You know, to match the walls and the kitchen chairs at home!

Tip #5. It also wouldn't feel like home if you weren't able to brush your hair when you wanted to!!

Tip #6. Make sure you leave lots of shoes on the floor too - to create the same environment that is on your kitchen floor...

Tip #7. It definitely wouldn't feel like home to you unless there was trash left by your kids for you to clean up after! So, encourage them to scatter their wrappers and trash!

Tip #8. Don't forget about the crayon drawings all over the walls at home - you want to be sure to duplicate that in your vehicle!!!

Tip #9. You also want to make sure that snacks are readily available... This works best if they are found in every car seat, and in every crevice or crack...

Tip #10. What keeps you busy at home (besides your kids)? Whatever it is, you want to make sure it has a presence in your vehicle as well!

Let's just say, I was very happy to get my van cleaned out that day - unfortunately, I had already thrown away all the fast food wrappers, and half eaten, old cheeseburgers the kids had thrown on the ground before I got out the camera...

Thankful Thoughts

2011-10-17T12:04:00.000-04:00

Today I'm thankful for:

A dentist that didn't let me feel any pain
Ibuprofen
A good neighbor that watched my kids while at the dentist
Dental Insurance
A tooth that no longer has a big chunk missing after dealing with it for 9 months... Yikes!

I wasn't always so traumatized about going to the dentist, but after I had Trevan I went to the dentist and have 12 cavities!!!!!! After never having cavities before in my life! Needless to say it was very traumatic... It took five torturous visits. He never numbed me enough, and would have to stop and numb me again. He said my mouth was really small to work in, we basically ended up not really liking each other.   I probably cried on my way to pick up Trevan after every trip to that dentist. TORTURE.

Needless to say my next trip to the dentist I was really nervous and sweating bullets. I was a basketcase! Luckily, I was seeing my friend's brother, and he was super, and it was pain free, but then we moved, and I hadn't gone to the dentist since then...

That visit was over FOUR years ago! Last month, I finally went to the dentist because I couldn't put off getting the hole in my tooth fixed anymore. Well, I had had two kids since my last dentist visit, so I was expecting 12 more cavities, but luckily, I only had the one tooth that needed to be fixed, the tooth next to that one as a result of waiting so long, and one other cavity.   Needless to say I was very relieved!!!

Today, I finally got my tooth fixed. Yay! I even found myself relaxing in the chair.  Pain free! Thank goodness. I think I'm over my HORRIBLE experience finally!!! I told the dentist and her hygienist I could just hug them for making me not feel any pain!

HALLELUJAH!

Just call me Red

2011-10-14T08:50:00.001-04:00

Just kidding - don't really call me that.

Well, I guess you can if you want to.

Here is my new hair for those of you that aren't my friends on facebook.

Wait, why aren't we friends on facebook???

I love it. It's already faded though, but I guess red does that. It takes a while for hair to attach to red color molecules or something like that...

Here's my before picture before I went and had it done: (yeah, I can't wear that color lipstick anymore with my red hair...)
John likes it too - I know you were wondering.
My kids like it too. Now this is what they say:
Trevan: I want to dye my hair orange.
Mallary: I want to dye my hair pink!
Jonah: dis, mama , ga ga, mooo

Thrifty Thursday

2011-10-13T09:53:00.000-04:00

I have people say that they wish I would do their grocery shopping for them all the time!! Or they ask if they could follow me around, or just copy my grocery list. So, here it is people.

On Thursdays I will give you a list of a few of the deals I plan on picking up this week (or technically, I do my grocery shopping on Wednesdays, so I'll give you a list of what I already picked up!) These are all things I use, I don't just buy them because they are on sale.

Here's my grocery list lingo (how I actually write it down, if I do, usually I print it up):

I always put the brand if it's store brand, I abbreviate it (HT = Harris Teeter)
To say Buy something get something free I use B1G1F or whatever the numbers are
To say 2 for $5 I write 2/$5

Harris Teeter

HT Black Beans - 2/$1 (sometimes you can get these at grocery stores for .33 cents a can, but if they go on sale for .50 I usually buy some too. I don't pay more than .57 a can for any beans.)
Northland Juice - B2G3F
Certain Kellog's Cereals - 1.97 each (EVIC Limit 4) (Plus $1 off coupon for this)
Boars Head Trio Special from the deli - 1/2 lb turkey, 1/2 lb ham, 1/2 lb American cheese - all for 9.99 (this is a super good deal, usually the meat and cheese by themselves is 9.99/lb!!)

Food Lion

All Laundry Detergent - 2.99 (I don't spend more than $3 for detergent anymore - I buy all major brands and just buy it on sale and with a coupon)
Tangerines - 2.99/3lb bag
Red potatoes - 2.99/5lb bag
Bird's Eye Steamfresh Vegetables - 10/$10 (I always stock up when they are this much!)

So, we just got a BJ's near us! We have a Sam's Club membership, but it is farther away, and it expires next month. I went to BJ's yesterday and found these deals:

Milk - 2.35!!!!!! (no artifical growth hormones added) (for all you westerners that pay less, I don't want to hear about it - usually the regular price here is about 3.99)
3 dozen eggs - less than 4 bucks! great!
GAS IS CHEAPER THERE! YAY!!

Random Tips in case you didn't know...

Don't throw away your expired coupons! Sometimes they work! I tried it yesterday, and it had already expired and saved a dollar!
When there is a sale for example 10/$10 - you don't have to buy 10 to get the sale! I have random people asking me that question in the grocery store all the time.
When an item is B1G1F - you don't have to get two to get the deal. They just charge you half the price for one item.

If I could do your grocery shopping for you, I would... (maybe I should start a business...) But, this is the next best thing! Feel free to share some other deals you find with me!

Happy Shopping!

The Present Pantry on Facebook!

2011-10-11T10:59:00.000-04:00

I have finally gotten around to putting my buisness on facebook - feel free to visit my page and like it!! I'll be posting stuff for sale soon!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Present-Pantry/259173460783987

Monday's Mommy Moment

2011-10-10T15:30:00.001-04:00

So, I know I already deserve The Mother of the Year Award, but now I really deserve it for finally taking my kids to the dentist - for the first time! I know you are supposed to take them when they are two, but Trevan and Mallary went today for the first time (ages 7 and almost 4).

They did so good, and I couldn't help myself by telling them how proud I was of them over and over and over.

Trevan has been nervous about going for a while, even to the point of tears welling up in his eyes just talking about it. I was able to get Mallary on board about going to the dentist after I got back from the dentist a few weeks ago, and she only started crying when the dentist came in. She had already had her teeth cleaned, but she started crying. She got over it pretty quickly though, and was excited about her princess toothbrush. It did make it easier that their dentist had game boys for them to play while they were in the chair for a little while.

No cavities or anything, thank goodness.

It was a proud mothering moment to see my kids be so brave!!

John and parenting

2011-10-09T18:10:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wonder about John's parenting skills....

For example...

Mallary gets out of time out -

John asks, "Why were you in time out?"

Mallary answers, "Because I pushed Jonah."

To which John replies, "and how many times do we push Jonah?"

"One time," she said.

I knew as soon as John asked that last question that he was setting himself up.

I'm just surprised Mallary only said 'one time' and not 'five times...'

My genes

2011-09-30T15:35:00.000-04:00

I wish I had a picture to upload with this post, but I can't find my connector thing to download pictures... (my office has been undergoing some renovations... for a few months...)

So, Trevan's birthday is coming up, and on Monday, he informed me he had a plan for his birthday party...

He said I could pick him and his friends up from school, come home and have a snack, then go bowling, then go to the little playground by the theatre, then go home and everyone go on a treasure hunt, then open presents and have cake and ice cream.

I informed him accomplishing all of that after school was impossible.

He told me he knew what decorations he wanted and everything.

He's such a little party planner. I wonder where he gets that from???

Then, the other day I asked him what kind of birthday cake he wanted and he told me he wanted one side to be chocolate and one side be vanilla, and then swirl it together. I informed him that that was called a marble cake, and he said, "See, that will be fun huh, mom? It will be different and cool."

I guess he came from me after all...

Some of my favorites - Blogging Book Club

2011-09-28T08:01:00.001-04:00

Okay, I'm not going to blog about every book I read this summer, because that would be insane. I read a lot I don't deem worthy of sharing anyway. But here are three of my favorties, and I'll blog one more of my favorites, and then I'm done.

I loved all of these books. Loved them. I was going to put excerpts from each of these books, but... When I read a book, and I like a quote or something I'll mark it, but when I read on my Nook I don't do that, even though you can highlight stuff, I just haven't taken the time to figure out how. Sarah's Key was about an event that happened in France during the World War that I didn't even know about, so I learned something. Unbroken was inspiring, and The Help was simply great all around.

Different... - Blogging Book Club

2011-09-22T17:28:00.000-04:00

Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall

Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

These two books were both interesting reads. Both books on growing up in a not "normal" environment. Both true stories, both raised differently than you and I (most likely), and both strong women.

My heart broke for both of these women at various times in their stories. It is really amazing to read how other people live in such different environments.

I enjoyed both books - though sad at times - both admirable women. Proof that children can overcome sad environments they are raised in, and not become exactly like their parents.

Tending Roses - Blogging Book Club

2011-09-21T09:44:00.002-04:00

I'm selecting books from my summer reading in no paticular order. The first book is, Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate.

This is a book that my sister lent me to read. It was a good read, not amazing, or the best book I've ever read, but it was good. I could identify with parts of the story making it a better read for me.

The general idea of the story is a young woman and her husband, who have a new baby, go and live with her aging grandmother for a short time. In that time, she ends up learning more from her grandmother than she expected. Her grandmother starts leaving a journal of sorts lying around with short stories/excerpts of her life for her granddaughter to read.

I'm going to share one of the excerpts with you. It has stuck with me since I read it at the beginning of the summer, and I didn't want to return this book to my sister without writing it down first, so I'm going to do it now! It is a little long, but read it - especially if you are a mom.

I'll introduce it for you, the granddaughter finds a book that her Grandmother left on a table (for her to find) with a story written in her grandma's handwriting...

"Time For Tending Roses," I whispered and thought of the beautifual rose garden that bloomed on the lawn in summertime. It had been there for as long as I could remember, carefully manicured, every bloom perfect - just as perfect and neat as everything else in Grandma's household.

I read the title again, then dove into the story with a strange hunger for the words.

When I was a young woman, I seldom owned anything of which to be proud. When I was old enough to work in a shop in St. louis and live on my own, most of my wage was sent home to provide for my younger bothers and sisters, for my parents had not even their health by this time. When I was married, I came to my husband's farm with all that I owned packed in a single crate. Everything I saw, or tasted or touched around me belonged to my husband. I felt like the air in that big house, needed and used, but not seen.

God sent an answer to me in worship that spring, when an old woman told me she wanted the gardens cleaned around her house, and if I would do the work, I might have flower bubs and starts of roses as my pay. My husband pretended to think the idea rather foolish, as I was needed on the farm, but he was patient with me as I worked through the early spring, cleaning gardens and moving starts to a newly tilled bed by our famhouse. He was older than I, and I think he understood that I needed something of my own.

Those roses were the finest things I had been given in my life, and I tended them carefully all spring. As the days lengthened, the roses grew well and blossomed in the summer heat, as did I. Coming in and out of the house, I would look at them - something that belonged to me, growing in soil that belonged to him.

Even passing folk admired my roses, for my work made the blooms large and full. Once a poor hired lady came with a bouquet of roses and wildflowers clasped in her hands. She told me that her children had sneaked into my garden and picked them for her, and that they would be punished. I bade her not to scold the children, for I was proud to give them this gift. She smiled, and thanked me, and told me that with so many children, she had no time for tending roses.

I did not understand her words until my own children were born. When the first was a babe, I took her outside and let her play in an empty wash barrel so I could have time for tending my roses. I was often cross with her cries while I was at my work. As she grew, and as my second child was born, I understood what the hired lady had told me - that motherhood leaves no time for selfish pleasures. Only time for tending others.

My roses grew wild and died as I busied myself with feeding and diapering, nursery rhymes and sickbeds. I missed those bright blooms that had been mine and felt it unfair that I must leave my hard work there to die. But I did not think of it overmuch. My mind and heart were occupied with the sorrows and joys of motherhood.

The day came, it seemed in no time, when my children were grown and gone, and I again found time to tend the roses. I could labor over them from dawn until dusk with no children to feed, no husband needing meals, and few passersby on the old road. My flowers have come thick and full and beautiful again. From time to time, I see neighbor children come to pick them when I am silent in my house. I close my eyes and listen to their laughter, and think that the best times of my life, the times that passed by me the most quickly, were the times when the roses grew wild."

I loved everything about that story. Totally relatable to my life. I have a lot of "roses" in my life, and this was a good reminder that one day, I'll have plenty of time for them, but right now I need to enjoy my kids, and let the roses grow wild. Honestly, I still try to "pick the weeds around my roses", but I'm just not as concerned about them as I used to be, and as I catch up on my blogging there will be posts that explain how I finally came to peace with that feeling.

My Summer Reading

2011-09-19T08:52:00.004-04:00

(my husband knows me so well and got me the lime green nook cover...)

I have no self control when it comes to reading. I never have. If I start a book, I have to finish it in under twenty-four hours or less. Sometimes more than a few books in twenty-four hours... Impossible! you say. Yeah, so did my fifth grade teacher, and my sixth grade teacher...

In fifth grade my teacher called me into the breezeway/supply closet and point blanked asked if I'd been cheating on a reading contest that we were having in the class because I was blowing everyone out of the water. Of course I hadn't been cheating. I had to explain to her that we didn't watch a lot of TV at home, and that I would often take a flash light to bed with me to keep reading after bedtime. Not to mention I was a natural born speed reader, which has always benefitted me in school.

My mom would tell you it was pointless to ask me to do anything if I was in the middle of reading a book. I can picture me reading everywhere in my home growing up. In the summers I would stretch out on my bed, or in the living room reading, reading, and reading some more. I can picture my mom coming and standing by the entrance to the livingroom via the dining room, she had asked me to do something (probably many times) and I hadn't heard her. I can picture her shaking her head at me.

This is a characteristic that is not so great as a mother or buisness owner... For some reason, I can not casually read a book. There is something in my head that insists I devour it, right now, not later. I purposely don't pick up books if there are a lot of things I need to get done, becuase then I won't accomplish anything except finishing the book.

So, I don't know if you remember, but I was a little skeptical when John gave me a Nook for Mother's Day, but turns out I love it! Maybe I loved it a little too much... So much so, John came home from work one day and said, "I think you need to limit how many books you purchase on the Nook every month..." Meaning, he had looked at our checking account that day and noticed I had purchased "a few" books...

One thing I love about the Nook is that you can download samples of books to read, usually about the first 30 - 50 pages. I also love that I can read in the car at night when we are traveling, and in bed without having a lamp on.

Needless to say, I have downed a lot of books since Mother's Day (and ignored a lot of housework, and buisness work which I'm now having to make up for). This week, I'm going to share my favorites with you, a sort of week long Blogging Book Club. Titles, excerpts, and little tidbits. If you've read the book feel free to share your thoughts too!

Stay tuned!

I admit it

2011-09-15T00:03:00.000-04:00

I'm cheating on my blog with pinterest.

I can't help it.

Don't know what that is??? Give me your email and I'll invite you.

Addictions love company, right?

Quote of the day

2011-09-13T19:15:00.003-04:00

Trevan: "I eat my earwax, that's why I can hear better than her."

Son, there are some things in life we shouldn't be proud of...

Post Script -

(After Jen's comment I realized that I should put the rest of the story... We were eating dinner and John kept asking Mallary to sit on her bum, to eat her food, to stop feeding Jonah, etc. etc., and then he asked her, "Why aren't you listening??????" That's when Trevan stated his comment, basically saying in his own way why he was being a better listener than her. Too funny!)

What do you think?

2011-09-08T12:42:00.000-04:00

I have been toying with the idea of dying my hair a reddish/auburn color for quite a few years now. I'm a little afraid... I like my hair color, but want to do something different... I saw this picture on pinterest and love the color. Should I do it?

(no idea where this picture is from to give credit to...)

Hi!!

2011-08-30T08:29:00.001-04:00

So, for real I'm coming back.

Not today, but soon.

I'm coming back with some fun stuff, some sad stuff, some crazy kid stuff, and as always, REAL stuff.

For reals.

Soon, very soon...

(...And I'm going to try to remember my password so I can turn off the music

playing automatically... I know a few of you will appreciate it. Such a tough crowd...)

I've been thinking about it...

2011-07-26T14:28:00.000-04:00

So, I haven't posted in two months, and I'm technically behind about one year...

I'm sorry, I've been busy - you know how my summers are.

Oh wait... you wouldn't know... I never finished blogging about last summer - it was busy too.

I'll get back to blogging when I get a lap top (hopefully this week). My computer stinks, and it just isn't worth my time to sit here and try to do anything on it. (Except pinterest, and that takes forever too - it freezes my computer, but I'm so addicted.)

Don't you worry. I'll catch up, and it will be like we haven't missed a minute.

I know, you can't wait. I can hear you clapping your hands from here.

I didn't get the rose

2011-05-23T09:09:00.002-04:00

Okay, so it's no secret that when our babies wake up in the night that it's John's job to go and get them. This all started when Trevan was no older than two months. For some reason, I just do not hear them... (wink, wink) So, three kids later, same story, EXCEPT when it comes to a sick child. (My half asleep brain can distinguish the difference...) My eyes fly open, and I pop out of bed; mom to the rescue!

Three o'clock this morning I hear Trevan crying/coughing/moaning. I give him medicine, and let him get in bed with us. The only problem was that Jonah had already woken up earlier, and was in our bed. We have a king sized bed, but that is still tight quarters my friends. I slept in the middle of Jonah and Trevan.

Trevan likes to snuggle really close, and Jonah rotates in his sleep. So I had a feverish body against me on one side and alternating legs, arms, or head in my face on the other for the rest of the night. I kept trying to find a more comfortable position to sleep in, but it never worked.

It's no wonder that for the remainder of the night I dreamed I was on the Bachelor, competing for Brad Womack's heart. My only problem was that I couldn't find anything to wear... I just kept changing shirt after shirt, but nothing would fit over my post babies jelly belly.

I think it's funny that I was dreaming about the Bachelor to escape kids crowding me out of my bed, and even though my kids were not in the bachelorette mansion with me, I had to have my post babies body there.

No escaping motherhood - not at three o'clock in the morning, and not even in your dreams.

That John...

2011-05-12T10:53:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to lose weight. I mean I could try harder, but I'm still trying... I'm holding steady at 7 pounds.

That's it.

At least I'm not gaining, right?

Well...

For Mother's Day, John ordered these brownies for me again. (my favorite are the toffee and the caramel)

When I opened them up, I just looked at him, "I'm trying to lose weight, remember???"

I happened to look on the wrapper at the calorie count - over 400 calories for ONE brownie!

He got them for me last year, and I ate them like there was no tomorrow. No wonder I gained weight after I had Jonah!

400 calories!!! Yikes!!

There was another box to open as well, and before I could open it, John had to give me his speech (like he always does before giving me a gift, and I've now realized that when he does this, I know he's spent too much money, because he's trying to justify why he got it for me...).

His speech went something like this:

"You are so stressed out, and you do so much for our family, and I want you to be able to relax more, and this will help you do it..."

I open it, and it's a Nook Color.

I just looked at him again.

"When am I going to have time to read?" (You can call me a mean wife if you want, but the first words out of my mouth were not, 'thank you.' I'm a pretty practical person when it comes to bigger ticket items, and this did not seem practical.)

John tries to give thoughtful gifts - his thoughtfulness; "It has a light so you can read in bed (which happens far less than I'd like, but when you go to bed at 2AM you can't really make time to read) or on our car trips," "you can search the Internet," "I was going to get you a new GPS (ours broke... John broke it), but you can use this as a GPS too," "it has kids books on it too," "you can read magazines," "and you can use it in Jamaica." (we're going to Jamaica!) All very thoughtful sentiments.

The conspiracy: One - John likes to give me gifts that he wants too, and Two - I've decided John really wants me to look like I'm five months pregnant for the rest of my life; he wants me to sit on my rump and read my Nook while I eat 400 calorie brownies...

So, I need your help on what to read on my Nook for my trips this summer. Give me some of your favorite books, must reads, enlightening reads, motivational reads, inspiring reads! Along with your recommendations, could you give me a movie rating on the book?

Thanks for helping me, and John thanks you too as he tries to keep me well read, and well "rounded."

Random Photo

2011-05-11T08:10:00.005-04:00

So, I thought I would blog about whatever random photo I downloaded. I clicked on download photo, browse, and then I just chose a picture randomly by it's number, and this was the photo.

This is Trevan digging in the dirt (one of his favorite past times) in November. His favorite past time is one of the reasons we need to bring in some top soil and re-seed our yard. He's like a little doggie, if he sees an empty spot in the yard, he's just going to start digging there making it a bigger hole. He has also taught this fine art to his sister.

See? We don't need dogs.

Post Script: What is up with Bloggers crazy spacing on posts???!!!

Tuesday Tips

2011-05-10T07:57:00.003-04:00

Do you have a problem with sweaty feet??? Have I got the solution for you!! Forget about all those medicines and powders, all you need is a little space in your freezer! Just toss your shoes in for two days, take them out, put them on, and they will keep your feet nice and cool!!

A while back, we couldn't find Trevan's shoes for two days. We looked EVERYWHERE!! Well, except the freezer, obviously. He has a habit of getting distracted easily. My guess is when he was putting his ice pack away from his lunch box, he just threw his shoes in there too instead of putting them where they belonged. Oh, the adventures of having children.... we honestly thought he had absentmindedly thrown them away, and were relieved he had only absentmindedly put them in the freezer.

But, that could be a solution for sweaty feet...

Anyone need some cilantro?

2011-05-09T09:04:00.003-04:00

I could probably spare some...

It looked like this on Easter:

I have tried to grow cilantro for the past four years, and it has NEVER EVER looked like this! NEVER! This just came up from seed from the cilantro I've planted in previous years. We built some raised beds this year, and I transplanted the cilantro that was already coming up from our old garden to the new beds, and can you even believe it?!

I LOVE cilantro. They should make a perfume out of it... that's how much I love it.

We have a few finishing touches to put around our raised beds, and a few more things to plant, then I'll post pictures, and a how to if you are interested.

Love it!!

Today, I'm thankful for good soil to grow my cilantro!

Bad day?

2011-04-20T16:58:00.006-04:00

I was talking to someone who was having a bad day, as I left, I said, "I hope your day gets better..."

"I don't think it could get any worse..." she replied.

"Well, things can always get worse," we both said at the same time.

Then I had a thought, not truly profound, but true:

"It could always get worse, but things will always get better."

Isn't it true?

You know... "This too shall pass..." "It's always darkest just before the dawn..." "Time heals wounds..."

Cliche but true.

Things will get better. Maybe not the better that we were hoping and planning for, or the better we expected - but it always gets better.

Sometimes we have to choose to make it better, and sometimes it's a waiting game for better to arrive.

But, it does, and it will.

If only you could order one...

2011-04-07T13:24:00.003-04:00

I just got an email from Victoria's Secret, the subject is, 'Your New Body is Waiting...'

It is?!?!?

I don't remember ordering one, but I would love to be able to fit into my clothes again...

Where can I pick it up?!?

Oh yeah...

THE GYM!

Dear Trevan,

2011-04-06T00:41:00.003-04:00

I just want you to know how proud of you I was today. Really, it was a very simple thing, but I was so proud of you!

At your swim lesson today, I looked over and saw what your teacher was asking you to do, and I'm going to be honest, I thought you weren't even going to try. I could tell you were pretty nervous, but you totally did it! Over and over! I was seriously so proud of you! All through your swim lesson today, you kept trying new things. You might not have totally gotten it right, but you totally tried, and that totally made me happy to see you just try your best.

I can't even explain how it feels to watch your child be willing to try something new, even if it's kind of scary. I saw a new side of you today, and I was so proud of you! Could I say it any more times?

Trevan, that's just the thing. You don't have to be the best at (or even like) swimming, sports, music, math, or whatever it is that you participate in in life. I just want to see you try your best at whatever it is that you do. You did that today, and I watched you grow up a little bit in those 45 minutes.

I loved seeing the confidence on your face, which came by knowing you overcame a fear, and you knowing that you tried your best. Trying your best will always make you feel good. We grow when we push ourselves. It won't always be easy, but knowing you gave something your all is a very satisfying feeling.

I loved watching you give swimming your all today. I'm glad you couldn't hear me laughing at you as you swam (kicked and stroked), but didn't go anywhere. It was so cute, and you were trying so hard! Let's just say it took you a while to get across the pool.

Good job Trevan!

High five and a hug!

Love you, Mom

I'm sorry, hold on just a second...

2011-03-25T20:56:00.005-04:00

I have to say that phrase too many times when I am talking on the phone - BECAUSE MY KIDS ARE CRAZY.

We go over phone etiquette ALL the time! Sometimes it works, most times it doesn't. Many moms will tell you, there is just something about it, when you pick up a phone, the kids go crazy!

Usually, I go to the garage to carry on a conversation. It's the only way to escape the voices of my children, and carry on a conversation in peace! Though one time Mallary was banging on the door while screaming, and the person on the phone could totally hear.

Plus, "kid-tastrophes" always happen when moms are on the phone.

Case in point:

Today while talking to one friend on the phone, her girls were in the bathtub, and her two year old pooped in the bath. Classic.

Then, while talking to another friend on the phone (who had been cleaning in the kitchen before picking up the phone), after stepping out of the kitchen for a second while on the phone, she walked back in the kitchen to find that her two year old had dumped her cleaner ALL over.

Mallary always tries to get away with helping herself to whatever she likes in the fridge or counters while I'm distracted on the phone. Little stinker. I think she had two or three of those smaller Go-Gurt things during one of my phone conversations today.

This afternoon I had to end a phone conversation with this, "Yeah, I gotta go, so I can put my kids in time out." They were totally screaming!

Sometimes, talking on the phone is hazadarous to a mother's (mental) health.

Milestone

2011-03-17T08:44:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday night, Jonah went from here:

to here:

He has only pulled himself up to standing one other time, and he's 11 months old. It's funny how for your first child you want to rush them through the milestones, walking, talking, crawling, etc. Trevan did most everything early (but last to get teeth!) The more kids you have, you kind of don't want them to reach the milestones, or you want them to take their time! He's growing up too fast! With every milestone, my baby is not so much a baby anymore... tears...

His motivation: the remote! Once I saw he was standing up, I noticed the remote, and figured out what made him stand up!

Hopefully he won't walk for a few more months.... I didn't walk until I was 16 months old, so there's hope! :)

Ummm.... Foolish.

2011-03-14T08:57:00.005-04:00

Yesterday in the car, Trevan made up a game for him and John to play. It was called, Wise? or Foolish?

It went something like this:

Trevan: Wearing your seatbelt.

John: Wise.

John: Not cleaning.

Trevan: Foolish

Trevan: Washing your car.

John: Wise.

John: Eating Worms.

Trevan: Neither!!

Help Me

2011-03-10T19:11:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I'm looking for a navy blue and white area rug - zig zag.

I can't find one anywhere. I swear I've seen one before...

Help me, please.

Please...

Thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!

Those were the days...

2011-03-10T08:32:00.003-05:00

I used to gradually wake up in the mornings to John rubbing my back.

I am now FORCED out of dreamland hearing my children say things like:

"No, it's my turn!"

"Give it to me!"

"Trevan won't give me...."

"Mallary took my....."

Followed by Jonah screaming from his bedroom because the other kids woke him up.

I HATE the six o'clock hour in my house.

Tuesday Tips

2011-03-08T08:32:00.003-05:00

My simple tip for today:

Make sure your spouse turns down the volume on his alarm clock...

Or, you will also be really tired of your children repeatedly waking up at 5:30 in the morning!

John doesn't wake up to his alarm clock, but he successfully manages to wake everyone else up with it.

That Johnny...

You might be a mom if...

2011-03-07T09:42:00.002-05:00

the water bottle you take to the gym looks like this:

My head has been stuck in the clouds apparently

2011-03-04T06:54:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I NEVER listen to the radio anymore, unless I'm in the car by myself, which only happens maybe a few times a week, and then I'm usually deep in thought and forget to turn it on.

For the last few weeks, when John's alarm has gone off, this one song was always playing. I would hear it subconsciously, and keep forgetting to look up the song. One morning, I think I scared John because he turned off his alarm, got back in bed, and all of sudden I realized the song had been playing, and I jumped up and shouted, "Hurry! Turn your radio back on!" That was at least two weeks ago.

This morning, I googled some words I remembered, and I found it.

This is what I'm listening to today (on repeat):

The Plain White Ts - Rhythm of Love

And don't make fun of me because I'm so far behind in the music world!

Our snuggable baby

2011-03-03T08:02:00.004-05:00

I came home from the gym on Tuesday night to this:

And this was our conversation the night before that:

(I was holding Jonah while he drank a bottle.)

John: Are you going to let me hold him?

Holly: Probably not, he's just so cute...

John: But, I made him the bottle.

Holly: But, I carried him in my belly for nine months.

John: You get to be with him 90% of the day, and I only get 10%.

Holly: It really doesn't matter what you say, I will always win, because I carried him in my belly for nine months, and gave birth to him.

...but, I did end up sharing Jonah.

Can you tell we really like him?

Dear John,

2011-03-02T08:16:00.004-05:00

You know what I would really, really, really love?

One day.

Just one day.

All to myself and my sewing machine.

To think.

To sew.

To create.

My project list is getting longer...

And, craft show season will be here soon.

Pretty please?

I'm even willing to do a trade...

I'll rub your toes for five minutes if you'll let me have ten hours.

That sounds fair, right?

Thank you.

I'll love you forever.

Oh, wait. I already promised I'd do that.

Well, I will rub your toes.

Promise.

The only thing is it has to be on a day where my craft room is already cleaned up.

So... maybe I'll need two days...

One to clean, and one to create.

In exchange for that extra day, I'll rub your toes for 10 minutes.

TEN WONDERFUL MINUTES!

Thank you Johnny cakes.

Tuesday Tips

2011-03-01T16:49:00.003-05:00

I'm sure many of you have asked yourselves these questions many, many times.

Well, it's your lucky day, because I'm going to answer them for you!

1. How do you make a baby happy?

2. How do you help your baby develop their fine motor skills?

4. How do you get your baby to applaud you after feeding them?

5. How do you teach a baby to feed himself?

ANSWERS?

You just put Rice Krispy cereal on your kitchen floor, and let your baby go to town!!

Yes. I let me son eat off the ground.

The difference between a mother of one, and a mother of three - I totally didn't give Trevan food that had dropped on the ground, and now I'm putting it on the ground for Jonah to eat off of...

Now accepting Mother of the Year nominations

Monday's Mommy Moment

2011-02-28T09:43:00.007-05:00

As I snuggled Jonah this morning, before putting him down for his nap, I thought of something...

I always worried that if I had multiple children, I wouldn't be able to spend enough time with all my children. When Mallary was born, it made me so sad that Trevan wasn't getting my undivided time anymore. That didn't last long, once I got into the swing of things.

Now I realize, after having my third (for almost a year!!!), they all get enough love, time, and attention. Sure, Jonah doesn't get me all alone like Trevan did for three years, but we sure take advantage of that time whenever we can.

Jonah gets special alone time with John and I when the kids go to bed. Most nights, we usually hold him (fight over who will hold him) until he goes to sleep. We laugh at his quirkiness, and his silly, puppy-like behavior. We coo over this almost 11 month old as if he were only three days old. We just soak in Jonah.

I've learned to let go of the schedule, and the 'to-do' list in my head during the day when I'm holding him. I tell myself, this is 'Jonah time.' I don't worry what I have to do, or should be doing, he is more important. I don't think I did that when Mallary was this age. I know he's only going to be little so short of time, and I want to absorb every bit of his baby days that I can.

I think I've said from the beginning of his life, that he's helped me to slow down, and it's true. He has made me a better mother, for sure. If Mallary ever asks me to hold her, or snuggle with her, I drop, or stop what I'm doing, and we snuggle. My old self would have said, "in just a minute..." I'm more religious about not doing work during the day, and I don't feel guilty about it.

Anyway, another motherhood myth proved false. Younger children in a family can definitely get equal amounts of love and attention. Trust me, Jonah has no shortage of either!

John loves to pick on our kids. He thinks it's so funny to put this mask on Jonah, but Jonah didn't really appreciate it. I call the picture below, "Crazy Eyes."

Pictures from November 2010

Maybe he is my child

2011-02-25T22:09:00.005-05:00

Today was "island attire" day at Trevan's elementary school. What's funny about that, is that I thought it was on Thursday (yesterday), and sent Trevan to school in his Hawaii shirt, and a shell lei. (Note: that read Hawaii and not HawaiiAN shirt. Can you believe my son doesn't have a Hawaiian shirt??? He had like twenty the first summer he was alive!) Anyway, what's even funnier is that I volunteer in his class on Thursdays, and I thought I would be a "cool" mom and dress in my island attire. So, I donned my Hawaiian shirt, and pineapple charm bracelet, only to walk into his classroom to find no one wearing anything that resembled "island attire." Almost immediately, some of Trevan's class members informed me that "island attire day is tomorrow!" So much for me being "cool." I made a few jokes about it with his teacher, but kept my coat on. I was just glad I didn't wear one of my muu muus...

So, this morning, Trevan tried to wear his Hawaii shirt to school again. Sorry, Charlie. He really had no other "island attire." (Though now, I realized he could have worn his swim trunks over jeans or something.) I was pretty sure he wouldn't want to wear a grass skirt or a coconut bra that I did have, but I had another idea, though sure it wouldn't work...

"Trevan, you could wear this blue shirt. The ocean is blue, and an island is surrounded by the ocean..."

He shook his head, "I don't think so."

I thought I would give it a go, "I'm pretty sure that no one else will have thought of this, and you'll be the only one in a blue shirt that stands for the ocean. Pretty cool, huh?"

I was very sure that was a fail comment (you know, because of this), but he processed it quickly, and shook his head up in down in excitement. I was proud of my little boy in the blue shirt.

When we walked in the door from school today, I asked him, "What did everyone think of your blue shirt?"

He said that two of the girls at his table, said that he wasn't really wearing 'island wear.'

Obviously, they have never been to an island, or seen the ocean....

Note to self: Buy Trevan a Hawaiian shirt

Dear Mallary,

2011-02-25T11:53:00.007-05:00

You still have your moments, but for the most part, you are absolutely, very pleasant to be around lately. I mean, I could do without you saying every five minutes; "I'm hungry, I need a snack, I need a treat." Where are you putting all of your food? It gets old.

What is not getting old, is you coming up and giving me a hug out of the blue, and saying, "I love you." Or you come up to me and give me a kiss. You do the same to Jonah. I love it. I love how you make Trevan give you a hug before he leaves for school. You really are so sweet. I love how you use good manners... well, except for your potty mouth. You should be a little boy with how much you laugh and giggle about potty humor. Really? Where did you get that from?? You are worse than Trevan!

I love how you aren't afraid to eat new things. For lunch, you took cabbage off of my plate to try, and kept coming back for more. I love how you sit next to me and watch me work, or "help" me work. You hand me the hair clip, or you choose the color of bow I should do next. The other day, you sat next to me for over an hour and helped me take apart flower bushes to make hair clips out of. You loved putting the piles into bags. I can't wait until you are big enough to actually help for real!

I have decided that you must really be your aunty Candi's daughter, because you get up and get yourself dressed almost every morning before breakfast. I'm fine with you staying in your jammies all day with me. Granted, most of your outfits aren't my favorite, but whatever.

You love playing with friends, and ask me about them ALL DAY LONG.

I think you're pretty adorable.

Love you,

Mom

We don't need a puppy,

2011-02-23T17:29:00.003-05:00

we have a Jonah.

He really is a little puppy -

He gives wet, sloppy kisses...

and he loves playing with socks... even carrying them around in his mouth!!! I could not believe it when he was doing that this morning, and he was doing it again this afternoon with Trevan's socks!

Our little Jonah is so silly.

Tuesday Tips

2011-02-22T08:00:00.006-05:00

Today's Tuesday Tips - My "Get the Look" (for less) Edition

Look #1: Fashionable Torn Jeans

Get the look for less! Don't pay for overpriced torn jeans! Just borrow my six year old, and he can give you the look you want for FREE!!! (Eight, EIGHT!, pairs of pants Trevan has gone through since the beginning of school, four were hand me downs, and four were brand new!!!!!!)

Look #2: Looking for that perfect vinyl decal to put over your fireplace?

Get the look for less! Just pick out some stickers instead and let your kids go crazy!

Look #3: Don't you love the clean vanity look?

Get the look for less... Or not at all! (My kids have a nice little drawer thing to put all this stuff in...)

Look #4: Fun vinyl names on your chairs!

Get the look for less! Give your kid some stickers, and you'll be able to tell which chairs are theirs!

Look #5: A well decorated tub!

Get the look for less! Don't spend money on an interior designer or spend money at the florist for those flowers. You could hire my kids for much less and they would give you an equally well decorated tub!

Look #6: Short bangs!

Get the look for less! Hire my daughter to cut yours! She's had a lot of practice!!!!!

Happy Monday

2011-02-21T12:51:00.003-05:00

1. Trevan has been awfully cooperative since the "accident."

2. My husband bought home asiago cheese bagels from Panera for me this morning, after dropping Trevan off at school. (I called them a guilt treat, because on his vacation day off from work today he went golfing with a friend from work instead of spending time with me... Though, he says it was because he loves me and he knows I like them...)

3. Jonah is starting to try and pull himself up... which means he slips and bonks his head on the floor.

4. Mallary is getting so cute and lovey. She randomly gives me hugs, kisses, and cute smiles. She now loves to play beauty salon, and "does" my hair. Today she even got the hand towel out of the kitchen and draped it around my shoulders, and "dried" my hair like a pro would after a shampoo.

I saw (then stole) this picture on my sister in law's blog from Thanksgiving of Mallary and her cousin, it made me miss Mallary's long hair... (thanks A!)

It will be a while before we can do anymore long french braids like that!!

5. Monday = laundry day, and I'm on my 7th load!

Comfort sound

2011-02-18T08:45:00.005-05:00

From 11/2/10

There's comfort food like soup, and macaroni cheese to warm your soul. But, I think there are comfort sounds that may trigger a memory that warms your soul as well.

A moment ago, I could hear a train passing by, far off in the distance. It immediately sent me back to my bedroom in the house I grew up in. I'm in that middle world between sleep and awake. It's dark, but not quite, because the moon is shining through my window. It's a humid summer evening, the window is open to supposedly make it cooler, but there is no breeze. The only thing coming through the screen is the faint sound of a train passing by, far off in the distance.

No wonder this house felt like home so quickly.

Process then Publish

2011-02-18T08:36:00.001-05:00

I've been going through some of my saved drafts this morning to see if I could finish and publish any...

No such luck.

I've figured out that usually I can't write about something until I'm done processing it.

I seem to have a lot of processing to do.

Dear Anonymous,

2011-02-17T09:07:00.003-05:00

That was really sweet of you. Thank you, thank you.

Oh, the children I'm raising...

2011-02-17T07:46:00.008-05:00

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? Wrong!! I am not flattered at all, just flabbergasted!

I'm raising future hair stylists, I guess...

First, Mallary cut her bangs off AT HER SCALP last week:

On Tuesday, I take her to the salon and have my girl cut her hair so I can help hide her crazy bangs. She also trimmed it to make it all pretty. So pretty...

On Tuesday night, I come home from the gym, and head upstairs to tell the kids good night. Trevan is standing at the top of the stairs with a weird look on his face, Mallary comes out, and her hair seems funny, but it doesn't register...

"Trevan cut my hair," she said very matter of factly.

I look from her, to him, to her hair hoping that statement wasn't true. Then peek around the corner at John, "WHAT???"

Her beautiful hair, totally chopped up.

John was feeding Jonah, and sent the kids upstairs to get their pajamas on. Trevan went to use the bathroom in our room for some reason, and got "distracted" by the scissors. Here's the thing, he had to SEEK them out! They were my hair cutting scissors, and I keep them in this basket thing on my vanity. They weren't just laying around so easily accessible. He knows where they are because I cut his hair. With Mallary, it was totally my fault for leaving them out, not this time!

I have never in his life been so mad at him. It was just so out of character for him. What in the world possessed him to do such a thing?! I was so angry. I like totally wanted to beat him! I left him in his room, and hit the wall instead. I took toys away, he can't play his Star Wars video game thing for who knows how long, I took all of his Star Wars and Transformer shirts away for who knows how long, and every day after school after he does his homework he has to do chores for me. Yesterday, he cleaned up the living room and kitchen floor, helped me clear off the kitchen counters, and washed the doors down stairs.

"That wasn't hard," he said too cheerfully when he finished yesterday.

I'm trying to think up something "harder" for today. That little stinker.

What really made me sad, is that I was growing her out so I could do Locks of Love without having to cut her hair off to her chin. I couldn't do it because Trevan cut off too much hair.

That night, he just kept saying, "It was an accident," and "I only cut a little bit..." Does this look like a little bit to you?

The hair framing her face? Yeah, that was ALL Trevan...

Yesterday morning, I called the salon, and my girl wasn't coming in until noon, and then didn't have any openings until Saturday (But, just so you know, I'll be getting her cell phone number just in case something like this ever happens again, which it better not...), but the girl on the phone was totally sympathetic and offered to do Mallary's hair for free. I took her in the second I got off the phone, and she got her hair cut. She didn't do as good a job as my girl would have done though, so I'm pretty bummed about that, and wish I would have waited until Saturday. I gave the girl ten bucks anyway. But I thought Mallary's hair was going to have to be cut above her chin, so it's nice that I can still do pig tails or whatever. Though, I will actually have to DO (style) Mallary's hair now, not just brush it and run. That, I am NOT excited about. You should see her hair this morning, totally crazy. Ugh...

Does that look like a three year old hair cut to you? I think it makes her look so old...

Though, the barber scissors are now hidden in a secret place, my friend gave me these last night, just in case:

Good idea, huh?

The girl who cut Mallary's hair yesteray told me that when she first started cutting hair, people would come to her house to get their hair cut, her 5 year old brother would sit and watch. Then one day, he had three friends over, and he cut all three of their hair!!!

Oh, the craziness...

When, Mallary cut her bangs last week, I was so bugged. I kept trying to figure out ways I could fix it. While I worked on her hair, or just while looking at her hair from across the room trying to think of another way I could do it, she would look at me while flashing a cute smile, and say, "Smile, mom." If you only knew how many times she has told me that recently...

They are such little stinkers.

I think Trevan will be cleaning the downstairs baseboards today...

with a toothbrush.

That makes me smile.

Dear Mom,

2011-02-16T12:40:00.004-05:00

It's been almost three years, but I still feel like I should be able to pick up the phone and call you...

"Johnson's Pool Room, Eight ball speaking..."

Today is just one of those days I would like to talk to you. Well, yesterday, carried over to today. I just want to hear your voice. Sure, I can imagine the things you'd say, but I'd like to hear you say them, not me imagine you saying them. I'd like to hold your bony, clammy hands, and rest my head on your bony shoulder. I just miss you today.

Your grandkids are crazy. Well, except Jonah. You'd get a kick out of Jonah, and the silly faces he makes, and how he crawls so funny, kind of like Trevan did. Well, I guess you probably can see him from where you are, but I'd like to see your face while watching him. It's sad you aren't here to love on him. He's so loveable.... Can you believe he has only peed on us twice when changing his diaper? Remember, you said you'd never been peed on as much as you were by Trevan? Oh, mom, I am so mad at Trevan. The maddest I have ever, ever been at him. In your words, "I'm going to give him back to the Indians!" When was the maddest you ever got at one of us? How long did it take you to get over it?

I thought of you today when I used a coupon to buy some Neutrogena hand lotion. I remember you always seemed to have a coupon to buy that. It was even super double coupons today, you'd be so proud...

In December, I made a new bread pudding recipe that I know you would have loved. John sent me these cookies for Valentine's Day, you would have loved those too.

You should have seen Mallary in the salon, getting her hair cut yesterday. She sat perfectly still for almost an hour! She loved it. It was so cute. You would have gotten a kick out of that too. On Sunday, John was brushing her hair, and she was screaming because she said it hurt, and he said to me, "Now I know why your mom cut your hair off when you were little." You would have laughed.

I miss our daily chit chats about nothing.

I can't believe it's been almost three years...

I wish you were here. Or there. Or somewhere I could hear your voice.

Love you,
Holly