In the process of moving...

We're in the process of moving, so I've been going through stuff that I haven't looked at for years. I know. If I haven't even seen it in the past two years, I probably should get rid of it. I am trying to prove to my husband that I'm not a pack rat, but there are some things that just shouldn't be thrown out.

When we were teenagers, my sister and I didn't always get along. I'm sure it frustrated my mom. I feel the same when my kids don't get along. So, one time, Mom made us list ten things we liked about each other. This is what my sister wrote.

How can you not like someone that likes you because you're "clean," "get to drive," and "don't smell that bad." Pretty endearing. That's how my husband and I got together. He didn't smell too bad plus he could drive. That equaled our first date.

Why Parents Hate Stickers...

Tagged...

I was tagged awhile ago. So I have to apologize for not getting to this earlier.


8 TV shows I enjoy watching when I have time and would like to chill:

1. Supernatural
2. Dancing with the Stars (I find it oddly addicting)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I really don't watch that much TV (no cable, dish, etc). The only shows I watch are kids' shows or ones that I can catch later over the internet.


8 Things that happened yesterday:

1. I walked my son to the bus stop. We walked very slowly because my daughter had to push her baby stroller all the way there.
2. I went to Hobby Lobby (with my 40% off coupon) to buy a birthday present for my son's friend who's having a party on Friday.
3. I went to Walmart for allergy medicine, toothpaste, and Herdez salsa.
4. I put my daughter (dressed in her Cinderella costume) down for a nap.
5. Cinderella and I walked to the bus stop (with the baby stroller) to pick up my son and almost came home with an extra child.
6. I put away the clean laundry.
7. I picked up the living room.
8. I helped my cute husband make dinner. (He won't let me make the creamy pesto sauce.)


8 Things I am looking forward to:

1. My parents coming for Christmas.
2. November 10 and 11 because Hubby has those days off.
3. Finishing a cute pink hat for my daughter.
4. Hiding the Cinderella costume. (It's hand wash only.)
5. The cooler temperatures. (90 degrees is a little too warm for October.)
6. My birthday. (I'm turning 29 again.)
7. My son's birthday, which will be my first time hosting a kids' birthday party.
8. Sleep. (I suffer from insomnia.)


8 Things I love about Fall:

1. It's the beginning of a whole string of fun holidays. (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas)
2. Seeing my kids' excitement during the holidays.
3. Cooler temperatures.
4. Making pumpkin soup for Halloween dinner.
5. Confiscating Halloween candy. (I take away a piece if I have to clean up candy or wrappers.)
6. Fun decorations.
7. Seeing the leaves change colors, but that doesn't happen much here.
8. Baking fall treats.


8 Things on my wish list:

1. Good health this winter
2. Clothes (I really need another pair of jeans -I just stole a pair from my husband.)
3. A new cell phone
4. Financial stability (I define this as affording a second car, health insurance, and something bigger than a two bedroom apartment.)
5. A dog
6. A happy family

That's my more realistic wish list. My not so realistic wishes include:

7. Traveling the world.
8. Winning the lottery. (Not realistic because I never buy lottery tickets.)


8 people I am tagging:

I don't tag, but feel free to tag yourself if you'd like.

I Voted!

Did you?

Baby Polar Bear

This weekend I watched Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus -repeatedly. This is because I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter that has recently discovered "princess" stuff. My sister once theorized that if you want to market something to young girls, all you need to do are put the right words on the packaging. Beautiful, fairy, and princess. This became the source of inspiration for many inside jokes and birthday cards.

So what does this have to do with the baby polar bear? Obviously you haven't seen Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus over and over like I have. Early in the movie Anika (aka Barbie) adopts an orphaned polar bear cub and names her Shiver because the bear cub is cold and shivering. Shiver is not only Anika's cute little sidekick throughout the movie, but she also causes a fair amount of problems for Anika. But that's alright because she's cute.

So after seeing hours and hours of Shiver frolicking around on screen, I made my own little polar bear cub.

Before you ask, I'm not going to sell this pattern. Instead you have to "pay it forward." I will send you the pattern for free, but you have to promise to do something kind for someone else in return. If you'd like to participate, email me at eebrs(at)yahoo(dot)com. Make sure you put "Polar Bear Pattern Request" (or something similar) in the subject line.

The pdf is also available for download from Ravelry.com! Hopefully the link works. Let me know if it doesn't.

download now

I would love to keep a running list of the service that has been rendered to others as part of the "pay it forward." I'll only list the service you rendered, not your name. If you would like your deed added to the list, let me know.

Pay it Forward Services Rendered:

• Toys donated to Kristie's Kids Toy Drive benefiting the University of Minnesota Fairview Childrens Hospital.
• Donated 15 balls of crochet thread to a local charity quilt club.
• A daughter's promise to treat her mother with respect and help out more at home.
• Making a polar bear for Granmar sick with cancer.
• Donating old toys to a charity shop.
• Making something nice for another person.
• Making and donating "snugglies" for local animal shelters -along with toys and food.
• Making hats for Inocent Smoothies which in turn donates 50p to keeping the elderly warm.
• Donating toys to the local fire and police departments.
• Making the bear as a gift for a friend in need.
• Brightening the day of a sick little girl.
• Donating to the local children's hospital.
• Donating to the local Firemen's Toy Drive.

A Little Less Wisdom

Yesterday I had two wisdom teeth pulled. Not fun. At least I got to watch a little bit of Olympics while they drilled away. It wasn't quite that bad. They only used the drill on the second one. The first one came in almost six years ago while I was pregnant with my son. The second one was just breaking the surface and coming in at an angle. In fact, it looked like this.

The second tooth was a problem. It had four roots and was straddling the nerve. The oral surgeon thinks there might be a tiny sliver of root left in there, but it was too close to the nerve to go poking around without risking damage to the nerve. It was barely visible on the x-ray they took so he's not too worried about it, but I do get to go back next week just in case.

I was lucky to have several friends help us out yesterday. One friend watched my daughter during the surgery, another friend drove me there and back, another friend picked up my son from the bus stop, and someone I barely know brought us dinner. Too bad pizza doesn't fit into a liquid diet. I even had offers for more free babysitting after my son came home from school. By then I was well medicated and the kids were being good, so we just relaxed in front of the TV. My husband was great too. He came home early and took care of the kids and put them to bed. He even made me pudding and soup for my dinner.

So now it's day two and I'm trying to work the painkillers into my daughters nap schedule so that I'll be coherent enough to take care of her and to make it to the bus stop this afternoon. I'm also trying to decide if I'm still content with my liquid diet. More lemon pudding and instant breakfasts just aren't sounding good anymore. Brownies are a soft food, right? Does the oven count as heavy machinery? I'm not allowed operate heavy machinery while taking Percocet.

Pain medicine wearing off.... I better go do something that doesn't require much effort on my part. Time to snuggle on the couch and watch Curious George on PBS!

Time Travel

I had no idea that my sleek silver station wagon was also a time machine. This weekend we left on a trip thinking that we were simply traveling to Holbrook, AZ to see relatives. Little did we know that our car would take us back to a time when Route 66 was at its prime. A time when treasures like the Wigwam Motel stood waiting for travelers along the sides of the highway.

We pulled in next to a car that was obviously from a different era than our 2003 Saturn, wondering where we were. Perhaps it was the fading light that fooled our eyes.

Maybe my car can't travel through time, but it was fun to stay in the wigwams. It was even more fun to see my parents, my sister, her husband, and their little girl. My kids really enjoyed it as well, but now when my daughter sees a picture of a wigwam she says it's "Nana's house." Someday our silver time machine will take us back in time to when I was a teenager living in Oklahoma and my daughter will get to see what Nana's house really looks like.

Tagged!

I've been tagged by Biz.

Here are the rules:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


7 things about me (in no particular order):


1. I have a weakness for good chocolate, not the over-sweetened American version. Despite being related to Milton S. Hershey (through his mom), I am not a fan of Hershey chocolate.

2. I can type really well one-handed. I can even use the shift key. It's a skill I acquired when my first child was born.

3. I don't like wearing shorts. I would wear blue jeans all year round if I could. Unfortunately, living in Arizona that's not a good idea. Let's hope capris never go out of style.

4. I suffer from periodic depression. Usually it's pretty mild and no one but me realizes it. Only once have I had a serious bout and that was shortly after my grandpa died.

5. This will be my first summer without a move. I have moved every summer (and sometimes more than once a year) since I graduated from high school twelve years ago.

6. I grew up collecting sea shells and have since added sand to that collection. We have sand from New Zealand, Taiwan, France, Australia, Japan, the Caribbean, Mexico, and more that I can't think of off the top of my head.

7. I am responsible for most of the pranks that occurred in my apartment during my freshman year of college and a fair amount that happened during the first half of my sophomore year as well. The list includes bear-napping and moving copious amounts of furniture.

I'm not going to tag anyone, but if you'd like to tag yourself just leave your blog address in the comment section.

Cats

I'm not a big fan of commercials. I think that most of us hate the in your face, consumers are idiots sales pitch. This is part of the reason that we rarely watch TV and refuse to get cable or satellite. Luckily the only shows that we watch regularly on available on the internet, which is great since the commercial breaks are shorter and therefore easier to ignore. I realize that commercials are a necessary evil and that they help pay for the shows that I watch. I still don't like them. However there is an occasional exception to the rule, like the Tidy Cats commercials. If you watch shows on ABC.com, they play commercials from just one sponsor through the entire show. So when we watched Lost, all of the commercial breaks were Tidy Cats commercials. I actually sat and watched the entire commercial and looked forward to the next. So, while I'm not endorsing the product, I highly recommend the commercials.


Since we're on the subject of cats, here's another funny cat video for you. Try to imagine this: two engineers with too much time on their hands + three cats = a very quirky guide to cats.

Arrg!

Recently I was talking to my five year old about jobs and how when we grow up we get to decide what kind of job we want. Before I had finished, he had already decided what he wanted to be -a pirate. He wants to be a pirate because pirates find treasure. He then proceeded to tell me about all the things he needed so that he could be a pirate. My favorite was that he needed a "talking bird." So like any good crafty parent, I enabled his current obsession.

Here's Squawky, our piratey version of Chaco the Parrot Puppet. It's not the best picture. He's really cuter than that. I had to alter the pattern so that I could fit my hand inside and because my son wanted green on the end of the parrot's tail. I also added a row of sc to the parrot's beak to even out the edge.

We also made a pirate hat and eye patch out of two sheets of black foam. The stencil is one that I got on clearance from Michaels.

I guess the next step is a treasure hunt. A year ago, I made a treasure hunt using laminated cards so that I could reuse it later. I drew pictures of each room on a card and colored a big red 'X' on the back. He starts with one card that shows him which room to look in for his next clue. The cards send him from room to room until he finds the last card which only has a red 'X' to show that he's found the treasure -candy or chocolate chips inside a shiny gold box. He's getting pretty good at it. I have to hide them really well or he can run through it in less time than it took me to set it up. Any parent can tell you the value of a happy child spending a long time in search of a carefully hidden item (and more importantly leaving Mom/Dad alone) -priceless.

Where Does it All Go?

Have you ever noticed how quickly money can disappear? It disappears even faster when you only have a meager income to begin with. I have a cycle that I tend to follow with the proceeds from the patterns I sell on etsy. I usually ignore it for a while. It starts out small and you can't buy much with just a few dollars. So it sits there and slowly accumulates. Then suddenly I'm surprised that it's more than $10. Yes, for me that's a lot. Add a Michaels' or Joann's coupon for 40-50% off and I'm a happy camper. That happens to be where most of my pattern proceeds go -towards more craft stuff. That way I don't have to justify the expense to my darling husband who happens to do all of our finances. So I spend a little on me and a little on my son (my daughter's too young to feel left out yet) and then we start all over again -ignoring the few cents left over.

So on Wednesday (that's the day that I get the car since we only have one) I loaded up my two kids and we went to Michaels. It wasn't for me this time. We bought t-shirts for my five year old since they were on sale for $2. The catch is that he can't wear them until the fall when he starts school. I picked up a pink one for my daughter, but it's currently way too big for her (they don't carry toddler sizes) so I'll either save it or turn it into a t-shirt dress. We made it through the store with only one major crying spell (my two year old wanted the red shopping cart and my five year old chose the brown one).

On to the next store. Target. We were in search of basil. My aunt gave us a pesto recipe that we are hopelessly addicted to now. We put it in spaghetti sauce and also make a creamy pesto with it. Mmmm, yummy. Since we're running low, we decided to plant basil. But when you live in a second story apartment, you don't just plant basil. You have to buy a pot, dirt, something to keep it away from little fingers, the basil plant, plus seeds for the older child because he hates to be left out of big messy and potentially expensive projects. Back to Target. They didn't have basil.

So we went to K-Mart. This may sound like a lot of wasted gas, but they were all in the same complex. So instead of driving, we walked back and forth. My daughter decided that she was unsure about the experience and needed to cling to me like a koala bear the entire time. She's around 25 pounds so carrying her can wear you out after the first store. I'm getting really good at pushing shopping carts one-handed now thanks to her.

So at K-Mart we found the basil, some hang the pot over the balcony things and some Ipomopsis seeds (a humming bird mix) for my son. Thinking that I wasn't buying much, I didn't grab a cart on the way in. Silly me. So I'm carrying my 25 pound koala bear, an awkward metal hanger thing, and two wet gooey biodegradable pots containing basil. My son carried yet another metal thing and his beloved seeds. So we made it to the check out counter, leaving a trail of water from the dripping pots. Why do I always get behind the lady that has a problem with her purchase? At least my daughter offered me her used tissue so that I could clean the dirt off my hands while we waited. Eventually I got to make my purchase and before I left I noticed a mistake on the receipt. They didn't take the advertised 20% off of my metal things, but of course I have to wait to tell the cashier because someone else had a mistake that needed to be taken care of first. Then she tells me that I have to take it to the customer service desk. I did. It was awkward, but we made it and I got my $3.41 back.

We made it back to the car. That was a feat as well since we didn't park in front of K-Mart, we parked in front of Circuit City. At this point I'm grateful that my kids were fairly good through the entire process even though it's almost lunch time. So home, lunch, and the two year old goes down for a nap. Everyone loves that time of day. So my son and I head out to the balcony to plant his precious seeds. I pull out the left over potting soil that I already had and dump it into the pot that I already had. See, there's a reason we keep things. However, there's not enough soil. Not even close. So I waited until after dinner when I could leave the kids with my husband and pick up dirt while running his errands.

Finally we got to plant my son's seeds. He was very excited. Now let's hope he's patient. The seed envelope said it takes 2-3 weeks for the seeds to sprout. I have no doubt that he'll be checking on them everyday until then. He already checked on them three times today.

If you were keeping track throughout this rambling narrative, you may have caught that I didn't mention planting my basil. That's because I didn't. My two little basil plants are still sitting in their soggy biodegradable pots because I ran out of dirt. I have a nice pot, which won't fit the second metal hanging thing that I bought, but it doesn't matter since I don't have enough dirt anyway. Not only that, but my funds have run dry. Yep, I'm poor again. So that is where my money went this month. Into the ground more or less. At least my son is happy and I'm half a step closer to my pesto.

Easter Sweet Rolls

Easter almost snuck up on me this year. We just happened to be looking at the calender to schedule a trip for the summer, when we discovered that Easter is in March this year. So know I've been thinking about Easter. We've been trying to remind my five year old that Easter is more than the Easter Bunny and egg hunts. We sat down to share the story with the kids and my husband asked him "What does Easter make you think of?" My son immediately answered "Jesus died for us." Then we did a flannel board story (minus the flannel board -just double sided tape and the TV screen) and he proceeded to tell my husband and I the story of Christ's resurrection. I guess he pays attention more than I think.

So, I was remembering what we did last year for Easter. I had to teach the children at church and did an egg activity (plastic eggs filled with different items) to tell the story of the crucificition. But the highlight of the class was the rolls. I spent the day before making almost five dozen rolls. It was worth the effort. They tasted great and I got tons of compliments. Not only is it a great way to remind the kids of Christ's resurrection, but they taste great. I'm posting the recipe now in case anyone wants to make them this year. If I remember, I'll add pictures when I make them.

Even if you don't celebrate Easter, these are a great treat.

Easter Sweet Rolls

1 package of frozen dinner rolls –thawed (or make your own roll dough recipe)
1 bag of large marshmallows (don’t use old or stale marshmallows)
1 tsp cinnamon
6 Tbs sugar
¼ cup (half a stick) of butter/margarine

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Melt the butter and set it aside. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.

Divide the dough into roll-sized servings as you normally would to bake them. (Store bought rolls will already be divided.) Flatten each roll into a circle and place one marshmallow in the middle.

Close the circle of dough around the marshmallow. Be sure to seal it inside by pinching around the sides, then roll in your hands to minimize the seam and reform the ball.

Place in pan. Brush the melted butter on the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the rolls.

Bake for 15 minutes or the amount of time recommended for the frozen dough. Rolls are done when they turn golden brown.

The marshmallow will have melted inside, leaving the roll empty, just as Christ’s tomb was found empty when he had risen.

*You can make these the day before. After sprinkling the cinnamon sugar on top, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until you're ready to bake them Sunday morning.

FOUR THINGS ABOUT ME:

A friend sent this to me and I thought it would be easier to post it here than to forward it on.

A) Four jobs I have had in my life
1. Housekeeping in the Grand Tetons
2. Teaching English in Japan
3. Receptionist in the university mail room (where I met El Guapo)
4. Adult Education TA (teaching GED and ESL classes)

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Pride and Prejudice
2. Phantom of the Opera
3. Hairspray (I've only seen it once, but I'd love to own it.)
4. Curious George (It's a good thing I like it since my daughter constantly requests it.)

C) Four places I have lived
1. Provo, UT
2. Dallas, TX
3. Stillwater, OK
4. Flagstaff, AZ

D) Four TV shows that I watch:
Before starting this list I need to explain that we don't have cable or Dish Network. We get our TV from the broadcast channels or the internet. I would have added Monk to the list if I could have.
1. Supernatural
2. Lost
3. Curious George (with my kids)
4. Berenstain Bears (with my kids)

E) Four places I have been:
1. Melbourne, Australia
2. Shikoku, Japan
3. S.M. de Tucuman, Argentina (and S.S. de Jujuy)
4. Vancouver, Canada (for the World Expo in 1986)

F) Four people who email me regularly
I'm going with a very loose definition of "regularly."
1. El Guapo
2. My mother-in-law
3. My sister
4. My brother-in-law on a church mission in Germany

G) Four favorite foods
1. Buried Cherry Cookies from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
2. Sweet and sour chicken
3. Chocolate
4. Cheese

H) Four places I'd rather be:
I'm quite happy where I am, so there's no where I'd rather be. However, there are a few places I'd like to visit.
1. Machu Picchu, Peru
2. Germany
3. Spain
4. New Zealand

I) Four family/friends I think will respond? (not including the people that already sent this to you)
I guess this doesn't really apply since I'm not emailing the list.

J) Things I am looking forward to this year:
1. Not moving
2. My son starting kindergarten in the fall
3. Not moving
4. El Guapo having the summer off (although he'll be busy taking classes)

Total Lunar Eclipse

There is a lunar eclipse coming up tomorrow night (Wednesday February 20). North and South America should have a good view of the total eclipse. It will start at 10:01 pm EST and last 51 minutes.

I'm excited about it. My parents always showed us the events of the night sky. We stayed up late watching the Pereid meteor shower (every August) the night before school started. We saw Haley's comet and other wonders. They made a point of taking advantage of learning opportunities that they knew wouldn't come around often.

While living in Flagstaff in August, 2003 we had the chance to see Mars at its closest point to Earth in almost 60,000 years. We saw it through the original 24-inch Clark Refracting Telescope at the Lowell Observatory where Percival Lowell studied Mars (and discovered the canals on Mars). The telescope is the same one that Percival Lowell built in 1896. On the same sight is the Pluto Discovery Telescope through which Pluto was discovered in 1930.

Luckily the eclipse starts right at my kids' bedtime (8:00 pm MST) so they can stay up a little bit to see it as well. Read more about the eclipse on Space.com.

My Book List

As one of my New Year's resolutions I am trying to read 25 books this year. That's just over 2 a month. It's not really a hard goal for me, but I had gotten out of the habit. I grew up with a book constantly in my hand and I've missed it. My mom jokes that when I was home sick from school, she knew I would feel good enough to go back to school when my book was finished. I also spent most of my Sophomore Geometry class reading and only occasionally glancing at what the teacher was doing on the board. Of course he was a basketball coach first and then a math teacher, plus he spent the first half of class giving us the answers to the previous day's homework.

So here is the list of what I have read so far this year. I will update it periodically.

1. All Through the Night by Mary Higgins Clark (I actually started this on Dec 31, 2007 but since I had only read the first 2 chapters before 2008 started I'm still counting it.)
2. Pretend You Don't See Her by Mary Higgins Clark
3. My Gal Sunday by Mary Higgins Clark (The characters were annoyingly perfect)
4. Dancing in the Dark by Mary Jane Clark
5. Do You Want to Know a Secret? by Mary Jane Clark
6. M is For Malice by Sue Grafton
7. O is For Outlaw by Sue Grafton
8. The Bureau of Resurrection by D. Kim Burnham
9. Against the Grain by Mary Margaret Jensen
10. Still Watch by Mary Higgins Clark
11. A Stranger is Watching by Mary Higgins Clark
12. Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie
13. Murder at Hazelmoor by Agatha Christie
14. They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie
15. The Mirror Cracked from Side to Side by Agatha Christie
16. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
17. A Cry in The Night by Mary Higgins Clark
18. Where Are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark
19. Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Mary Higgins Clark
20. The Anastasia Syndrome and Other Stories by Mary Higgins Clark
21. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
22. Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
23. Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull
24. Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull
25. Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
26. Unlikely Assassins by M. E. Cooper
27. Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
28. The Host by Stephanie Meyer
29. The Mad, the Bad, and the Innocent: The Criminal Mind on Trial -Tales of a Forensic Psychologist by Barbara R. Kirwin, Ph.D.
30. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
31. Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
32. Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark
33. Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
34. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
35. For Freedom: The Story of a French Spy by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
36. Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
37. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
38. Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
39. Games for Reading byPeggy Kaye
40. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
41. Stand the Storm by Breena Clarke
42. An Assembly Such as This: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan
43. Duty and Desire: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan
44. These Three Remain: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan
45. Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child


Currently reading
Editing a book (The Mobile Conscience: Immunity and the Laws of Sinai)
The Book of Mormon

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a great 2007 and will have a wonderful 2008! I had mixed feelings looking back over the past year. A lot of good things have happened and a few things that I wasn't really thrilled about as well. My baby has gone from crawling to walking and talking. My little boy isn't so little anymore and is in 1/2 day preschool twice a week. He uses words like distract, disgusting, panic, and filthy that make him seem too big for having just turned 5. So while I'm thrilled to see how far they've come over the past year, I'm not ready for them to grow up so fast.

Other highlights over the past year... I picked up crocheting again and started making my own patterns. We moved. El Guapo started a new job. I went from working with the kids ages 3-11 at church to teaching a Sunday school class with my husband for 14 and 15 year olds. I found out my sister and sister-in-law were expecting (both due in February 2008). I visited Mexico for the first time on our Mexican Riviera cruise. I got to visit my 91 year old Grandma introduce her to my daughter who shares her name and take a 4 generation of girls picture with my mom there as well. We bid farewell to my brother-in-law who will be serving a church mission in Germany for the next 2 years. My son got ear tubes put in and his adenoids taken out. It's been eventful. We've done a lot, survived a lot, and learned a lot. I have mixed feelings on it's passing, but I'm looking forward to the New Year and all that it might bring.

To welcome in the New Year we had a party. It was over by 7:00 PM since since half the party (our kids) had to be in bed by 8:00 PM. We started with a yummy dinner of homemade sushi. It was our first attempt, so they weren't as pretty as you get in a restaurant. We had a great time and improved as we went. My 5 year old even made some with a little help from Dad.

After dinner we had a mini carnival. It's a tradition from my in-law's that we've adopted. It's great for young kids and doesn't involve staying up 'til midnight. We each were in charge of a game and handed out prizes. My son did a penny toss. You try to throw the penny as close as you can to the line without touching it. The closest wins. My daughter tampered with the results (she kept picking up the pennies) so we're not sure who won. Then we did a bean bag toss, a fishing game, and a shooting gallery (with a toy gun that shoots foam discs). Then we toasted in the New Year (I'm sure it was midnight somewhere) and did confetti poppers. The kids were thrilled and no one lost any more sleep than normal. I have "chronic insomnia with acute episodes." That's what the doctor said. By the way never take Ambien.

I have to admit that in the past I have skipped the New Year's resolution tradition. I figured why make a resolution that rarely makes it past the middle of January. But since there were a few things that I've been wanting to do anyway, I decided to make them into resolutions for 2008. I'm going to list them here, not because I expect you to care, but to help me remember and for a little accountability.

My first goal is one that I talked El Guapo (see previous entry for explanation of Hubby's new name) into doing as well. We plan on reading 25 books this year. We have a few already specified as part of the goal. We are both reading the Book of Mormon and El Guapo also wants to read Crucial Conversations as one of his 25. I have to admit after sitting in on my father-in-law's lecture based on the book, I am tempted add it to my book list as well. I'll be adding completed books to my list as I finish them.

Another goal El Guapo and I have in common is exercising. El Guapo has a specific goal of so many pounds by a specific date. I don't. I just want to be more active and maybe loose 5-10 pounds. I just like how I feel when I've exercised. I have more energy and a more positive outlook. So I'm not looking at a strict exercise schedule, but I plan on having a few dance parties with my kids. And I love that my son likes to do pilates with me. He thinks they're fun, which makes me laugh.

Next goal is to have a better morning routine. I admit that I'm kind of lazy. There are days when we don't get dressed until almost lunch time. Although some of my most productive days have been spent entirely in pajamas. I like to clean in my pajamas. So the goal is to get up, have breakfast with the kids, get all three of us dressed and properly groomed, and read stories. Then we can get on with whatever the day has in store for us. I may have to skip the stories on preschool days though. I hate waking the kids up, so we're often in a rush on those days.

I am also continuing the goal of making one toy a month for Kristie's Toy Drive. So that's a minimum of 12 toys by June 2008.

I am also joining in on El Guapo's goal of not moving this year. It may seem like an easy goal, but we've never had a year without a move. We're worse than the military. We've moved 9 times in 7 1/2 years. Alone I'm even worse. I haven't lived in one place for more than a year since I graduated from high school in 1996. So we're hoping to avoid the hassle of moving and save the cost of a move this year.

There may have been more goals that I was considering, but I can't remember them. Now you see why I'm listing them here. And I used to make fun of my mom for making lists all the time. Now I wish I was in the habit of doing it more often. Sorry this post went on so long. Thanks for humoring me and reading to the end. Have a wonderful New Year!

Ballet Sweater With Picture!

I mentioned earlier that I had finished this, but I was busy getting ready for a family vacation and hadn't taken a picture yet. This is actually the best picture I have of it. Unfortunately it doesn't show up well in black over a black dress. It did turn out great and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law both loved it. They were hinting that they'd each love one, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to make 2 more.

Our vacation went well even though I was really sick while trying to pack for it. I felt better a few days into the cruise, but didn't get in as much crocheting as I'd hoped. I spent the time chasing my little girl around the ship instead. We had a great time though and I'm very grateful to my in-laws for helping watch the kids so my cute hubby and I could have some child-free time. And for paying for the cruise too. I hope they have as many wonderful memories as we do.

Lunchtime at My House...

Here’s how lunch went for me today. I actually let my 4 year old pick between leftovers and sandwiches. He went with the nacho leftovers from last night. We did have to open a new can of olives though. There are never olive leftovers at our house. We have been known to go through more than one can during dinner. Keep in mind that the biggest olive eaters at our house are the munchkin-sized ones. My not quite 2 year old can eat over half a can all by herself. If you’ve ever had an olive lover in diapers, you’ll understand why we refer to olives as black beetles.

So, I’m peacefully eating my lunch as my toddler is crushing tortilla chips and dumping them on the floor. My cute hubby refers to the area beneath her chair as her food storage and has realized that trying to keep it clean is a loosing battle. Just as she asks for her water (keep in mind it’s not in a sippy cup), my almost 5 year old informs me that he needs 4 more olives. Knowing him, I ask to see the hand he’s hiding behind his back. He just smiles and asks for 4 more olives. After asking a few more times to see his hidden hand (with no results), I give in and dish out 4 more olives. Then I ask to see the hand again. His has olives stuck on 4 of his 5 fingers.

Back to sister, she has dumped the water on her tray and is trying to lap it up like a puppy. Now you see why it was just water. I’m wondering if the sour cream that her hair is falling into will leave her hair crunchy or work more like a natural conditioner. Her last bath was only 2 hours ago, so I’m really hoping for the natural conditioner. So I hand her a napkin in hopes that she’ll soak up some of the water from her tray with it. Don’t laugh, it occasionally works.

Then there’s olive boy. He now has the newest 4 olives on the second hand and is doing battle between the two hands. Apparently olives make excellent helmets for warring bands of fingers. Oh well, at least he’s not blowing bubbles in his water anymore.

And the other little mess maker (good thing she’s so cute –all kids need a redeeming value or two) is shredding her water soaked napkin and throwing it on the floor.

And me? I’m trying to listen to soothing Christmas music and wondering why Grandma has 14 copies of Away in a Manger on her iPod. Two of which are by the same group. We all need our little escapes, right?

Lunch is over. The mess is still there. My son is already asking for a snack and doesn’t seem to understand that if you finish lunch you won’t be hungry 10 minutes later. I’ve learned that logic doesn’t work well with young children. Soon it will be naptime for the youngest and I’ll finally get to shower. I do love my life. I love it even more when I don’t have to wait until “someday” to look back laugh at it.