Our "Egg-Sighting" Easter

(Actually, our Easter was pretty low-key. What's exciting is that I really am posting this before the Fourth of July!!!)

Saturday night, the kids dyed Easter eggs with Chris. For the second year in a row, I made the mistake of forgetting about the eggs until it was already close to bedtime, but maybe I will try harder to remember earlier next year. The Easter Bunny procrastinated as well, so at least she and I were on the same page. (Didn't you know that the Easter Bunny is actually a she? In our house, mythical gift-bearing creatures are always female by default.)










Since she needed an afternoon nap, the Easter Bunny brought baskets of goodies in the evening after suppertime. She is very smart to do that since she knows little kids are prone to ruining not just their appetites but lots of other things as well if they find their candy beforehand and get too wired on sugar. Instead of keeping with conventional Easter Bunny traditions, she left baskets on the front porch while nobody was looking before hopping back down the Bunny Trail. Sneaky, isn't she? After finding their baskets, the kids hunted for plastic eggs hidden throughout the house.








(By the way, the kids and I actually spotted the Easter Bunny--or one of her helpers--earlier in the week in the yard across the street, so Zachary and Ashley got a sneak-peak of her looking for places to hide Easter eggs. They thought that was GREAT!)

Below, you can see how much trouble I was having getting a good picture of both kids in their Easter Sunday attire. After church and before lunch is probably not the best time for a photo shoot, but I tried!






Hope you all had a Happy Easter!

Space Invaders

Last week, Zachary and Ashley found a very entertaining use for my closet. (Come over and see for yourself if you must.) And what's more fun than playing in a closet? Playing in a clean one, of course! (Much too dangerous otherwise.) Just couldn't let all those smiles get away.

Love You Forever (and don't you EVEN try to stop me!)

From birth to the Terrible Twos, through grade school and the formidable teenage years, during young adulthood and finally on up to the attempted escape to married life, this book shows you, step by step, how to become a true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool Stalker Mom.



The main character in this story is your typical, Suburban-driving, let's-have-your-friends-over-for-milk-and-cookies kind of mom. Each night, no matter how many poopy diapers she'd had to change; no matter how badly her toddler trashed the bathroom she'd just spent 2 hours cleaning; no matter how many times she had to call her boy in for supper; and no matter how many times she found mold spores growing on dirty dishes in his room, she still loved him more than you can imagine, and she never, ever used excessive force. Even though there were days when he drove her crazy and those when she felt like she lived in a zoo (or wanted to sell him to one), their nights always culminated in her singing the same sweet love song:

"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living,
My baby you'll be."

But the more you read, the more you'll realize that this is one persistent lady. When her son packs up and tries to leave home, she takes to driving madly across town with a ladder strapped to the roof of her SUV and zip ties and duct tape on the seat beside her just in case (oh, and his mended pants and a casserole dish of his favorite chicken and dumplings), and she climbs through her grown son's window to rock the nearly 200-lb. sleeping man in the very same way.

Isn't this the kind of mother all women aspire to be? I know I do. And that's why I love this book! (And you think I'm kidding...)

Can you feel the love tonight?

For Valentine's Day, my sweet sister, Wendy, sent me 4 boxes of these little gems.



I think it's safe to say, "WENDY, IT'S YOUR FAULT I'M FAT!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and you better be glad you're in Boston, or else I'd come sit on you." :D


How's that for hello?

Me Encanta la Musica de Plaza Sesamo!

Ever since the 6th grade, I wanted to learn Spanish. I enjoyed all the classes I took from 8th grade on up through 3rd-year in college. At one point, though sadly no longer, I considered myself pretty proficient. I dreamed that one day my kids would also learn Spanish and that maybe they could become fluent in it even though I never was.

Several years ago, I found this cute CD that I thought I'd use to introduce my kids to Spanish. It worked wonders at keeping Zachary calm and happy in the car during the frequent trips we made to Houston his first year. And the tunes are catchy enough that I actually didn't mind enjoyed listening to the whole thing TWICE on each stretch of the trip. Now that Ashley is into all things Elmo, she loves listening to this in the car or when I put her down for a nap. (Both kids request it nightly, actually.)

Who knows? Maybe my kids will speak Spanish someday...just hopefully without furry monster accents! If you love Sesame Street (in English or Spanish--the songs are mixed) you might will definitely want to check this out!

[My favorite track? No Me Gusta (I Don't Like It)]

Food Fights and Rave Reviews

I have had enough of the mealtime protests that have been going on lately at our house. I know I am mostly to blame, but with all the candy-ridden holidays we've celebrated between Halloween and Easter, the sugar levels in this house are enough to put us at risk for developing sudden-onset diabetes. If sugar could spontaneously combust, my kids would be close to being carmelized. From the time they get up in the morning to the time they go to bed, I hear this sporadic chirping throughout the day:

A: "Treat...Mah-mee!" Uh-huh! uh-huh! Treat! Peez? Treat!"
Z: "Please, Mommy, I wanna treat!"
A: "TREAT! MO' TREAT!"

Is it any wonder why actual FOOD doesn't sound so good anymore? (If they eat the candy, then at least I won't, but that doesn't mean it comes in a steady stream.) So when it comes to dinnertime, I know I'm supposed to let them eat whatever we're having, but occasionally I'll fix them something else just so I won't have to hear the complaints. I've decided to try again to make a concerted effort to do things the right way.

I made chicken fajitas for dinner last night, even though I know very well that my kids won't touch chicken (or any meat, really.) I got an unexpected response to the rice and beans, though:

Ashley: "Mmmmmmmm! Mummy!"
Zachary: "This is deeeeelicious!"

(And a few minutes later, after second helpings):

Zachary: "Oh, Mommy and Daddy...You're our best friends!"

Well, then! Beans and rice it is...

..every night until you grow up and leave home.

Spouse vs. Spouse Tag

How did you meet your spouse? Chris was the choir director in our single's ward (church) and his friend, who was the accompanist, introduced me to Chris one Sunday and jokingly said, "You can only be friends with Chris if you join choir." I'm still not exactly sure how my brain registered that. I can't sing, and I don't like being up in front of people. Choir wasn't really my thing, so I thought Chris wouldn't be either. But the same day, just a couple hours later, we crossed paths again in the hall. I guess you could say I got a second chance glance. In that short moment, there was something I can't explain that attracted me to him and I ended up at choir practice the next day. My interest in him was a well-kept secret. He hadn't even realized, when he asked me out 2 months later, that I was even interested in him, because all I did was go to choir and sing really bad! :)

Where did you go on your first date? He took me to dinner at Houston's (a nice steakhouse in Austin) and to see the movie, Remember the Titans. That dinner was the first and last time I think I have ever seen him eat salad (trying to make a good, lasting impression, I'm sure.) It was also on our first date that he told me he would never have a dog. (My parents had always promised me that I could have a dog when I got married.) I chose the right!!! :)

How long have you been together? Our first date was Oct. 20, 2000 (two days after his birthday.) We were married on November 9, 2001. We've been together almost 7 1/2 years.

Who eats more? Chris has a bigger appetite but more selective taste. I like more of a variety of things but actually eat less.

Who said I love you first? Christopher did, but I suspected something was up when he invited me to go house-hunting with him. We picked out our first house together before he told me, "I love you." How strange is that?! He signed a contract for the house and then admitted that night that he intended the house to be ours.

Who sings better? No question. He does for sure.

Who is smarter? Chris is incredibly smart, and I had the good sense to marry him. :)

Who does the laundry? I do, but he occasionally helps fold or put it away.

Who does the dishes? I do.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do.

Who pays the bills? Chris does.

Who mows the lawn? Chris does all the lawn work, but it bothers his allergies, so someday he will pass that off on somebody else (just not me!)

Who cooks dinner? I cook almost all family meals. He's a great sport about cooking for himself when our schedules don't line up.

Who drives when you are together? I do a lot of the driving when we go places as a family, but he always drives when it's just the 2 of us.

Who is more stubborn? We are both stubborn in different ways and about different things. He's silently stubborn and I'm a Leo. (Enough said.)

Who is the first to admit when they’re wrong? I readily admit when I'm wrong. Chris readily admits when I'm wrong. Problem is, he is never wrong...or so he thinks. :)

Whose parents do you see the most? My parents live 15 minutes away, and Chris' parents live 15 hours away.

Who kissed who first? Chris claims I did. I guess that's why there was a 2nd date, and a 3rd... :D

Who proposed? Chris did. We had already picked out the ring and the house. I'd met his parents; he'd received permission from my parents. So, it wasn't a big surprise. We were in the midst of planning the wedding and on our way to pick out our announcements (the weekend of my 25th birthday) when he casually passed the ring box, wrapped in birthday paper, to me in the car like it was my present. I was so mad at him for that! (Who combines their birthday and anniversary so they only get one gift? Not me.) So, we had a pretty lousy time picking out our announcements, and I just wanted him to take me home afterwards, but he started driving the wrong direction. He made me go with him to Zilker Gardens, and I thought it a little strange that a guy would take his backpack with him to a botanical garden, but I was blind-sided because I was mad at him. Then, at my favorite spot overlooking the rose garden, he opened his backpack and started handing me some little birthday gifts and tried again to just toss the wrapped up ring box at me like it really was no big deal, just my birthday present. By then, though, I realized what was happening, but when I opened the ring box, the ring wasn't even in there. He had completely set the whole thing up (getting the rise out of me) to throw me off, and after we both got a good laugh, he got down on his knee and officially asked me to marry him and presented the ring. (And, of course, I wasn't mad at him after that.) It was a very memorable birthday for me--one of my favorites.

Who has more friends? I do. Neither of us is especially outgoing, but Chris is less so than I am.

Who has more siblings? Chris has 2 and I have 4.

Who wears the pants in the family? Chris does, but I'm the belt that holds those pants up.

Tag! Your turn!

What's Cookin'?

Here is a very easy recipe that I like to make each year to eat with our traditional Easter feast. My grandmother first introduced it to me when I was a kid, and I have tweaked it just a little to make it more festive for Easter.



Watergate Salad

1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Pistachio Flavor Instant Pudding and Pie Filling
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, in juice, undrained
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP
1 cup JET-PUFFED miniature marshmallows*

*I like using the FunMallows flavored miniature marshmallows, because they make this dessert look like colorful Easter eggs hidden in grass. For this reason, you could probably also add a little shredded coconut if you like.

COMBINE marshmallows, dry pudding mix, pineapple and pecans in large bowl until well blended.

ADD whipped topping; stir until well blended. Cover.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Makes 8 servings (1/2 cup each)

Pardon my French, but this site rocks!

I love music. Among my favorite types is classical, but I'm not stellar at remembering composers' names or which music was written by each. It didn't occur to me until a couple nights ago (as I was trying to figure out the origin of a particular piece that was stuck in my head) how hard it is to satisfy that annoying need-to-know when it comes to classical music, mainly because a lot of it is purely instrumental. I started humming the melody and wondered how I could possibly get Google to translate that into the information I was looking for. I thought I would never figure it out and it was going to just bug me until I finally did. Don't you just hate that? I do.

And then I had an idea. I tried to think of everything I associated with this snippet of music. My gut instinct was that it came from Romeo and Juliet (a scene from a movie flashed in my head with two lovers running in slow motion toward each other), but based on my complete lack of interest in Shakespearean literature, I figured that I'd never seen Romeo and Juliet, or if I had, I had probably slept through it. I dismissed the thought but felt that I was headed in the right direction. I typed in "greatest classical love songs" and pulled up playlist.com where you can search and listen to music clips. I listened to several clips before I hit on another clue. I'd just finished listening to Tchaikovsky's music from Swan Lake. That wasn't it, but I felt like I was getting closer. The style seemed to fit, as I usually hear this music played on strings. What song was this??? It was driving me nuts. Then I came up with another clue: I was pretty sure that I'd heard this music used in Bugs Bunny cartoons when I was a kid. Hmmm... I set that aside while I opened a few of the sites that were pulled up on Google, and I found this site: kickassclassical.com. And, wouldn't you know it, Bugs Bunny's name was right there on the main page.

I love this site! It's like the closest thing to Cliff Notes for classical music, I think, only it's way better. Broken down by composer, this site offers previews of some of classical music's most famous composers and their most celebrated works and even makes them interesting by including some fun trivia about their music...like where you might hear them in the movies or which companies have used these songs in their advertising just to name a couple. "Kickass Classical features Classical Music's Top 100 Greatest Hits based on their exposure in today's pop culture." There's a ton of cool information and a handy little link to iTunes so you can download the music to your computer or the iPod Shuffle that the Easter Bunny might be bringing you or whatever. Very cool!

So, after playing around for awhile, it was back to business. Finally, I'd gotten far enough down the page to Tchaikovsky when, Cha-ching! I found my answer! Wouldn't you know, the music in question most certainly was (ta-da!): Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture! "Picture 'two lovers running toward each other in slow motion,'" {SMILE}

Guess they don't need to go to the trouble to rename their domain. No false advertising here.

Never Say Never

For nearly 4 years, I have succeeded at holding a perfect record for keeping my kids out of the ER, and I intended to keep that perfect record..FOR-EV-ER. That is, until this past Monday when I lost control of a slippery wet little boy and sent him, face-first, onto the bathroom tile. Now, my record is nothing more than a shattered dream. If only I had... If I would have just... If I had never...

Wrapped in a towel after finishing his bath, I picked up Zachary to carry him into his room to get dressed for the day. Yes, his little legs work perfectly fine and he is very capable of walking the 10 feet between the bathtub and his bedroom, but he LIKES for me to carry him. And he likes to have a look at himself in the mirror, all wrapped up in his towel and swaddled in his mother's arms. This is something that will not last forever, so that being said, it is a part of our normal routine.

It is all sort of blur now, but I recall that, just as I began to turn toward the mirror, I started losing my grip on Zachary, which grip I could not recover. Slipping...slipping... And then, SPLAT. I watched helplessly as Zachary fell flat on his face. Thoughts racing through my head, I pick him up off the floor to assess the damage. My worst fear was that he might have broken teeth, and I was very thankful that he didn't. I noticed that his chest and stomach were red where they smacked the floor, but after seeing that everything else was OK, I noticed a little blood coming from beneath his chin. I took one look and knew right away that he was going to need stitches. It was off to the ER we went.

Luckily, Zachary was fine, and though he didn't want to have to go to the hospital (who does?), he was remarkably calm and handled the situation very well. I was happy that the waiting room had been virtually empty so we didn't have to wait very long to be taken back for him to be treated. Of course, the doctor and nurse did have to strap Zachary to a board and wrap him up like a mummy so he would stay still for them, but once they cleaned out his wound and glued it shut, we were on our way with an armful of stickers and a stuffed animal souvenir.

I've now realized how unrealistically high my expectations were, so I've decided to modify my goal just a little. Instead of "never having to take my kids to the ER," my new goal will be: "Never having to take my kids to the ER for SOMETHING THAT WAS MY FAULT!"

Dressing Up and Dressing Down--Fashion Faux Pas When Your Mama Dresses You Funny

Whenever I buy new clothes or shoes for the kids, I usually try to buy things big so they won't outgrow them too quickly. I like to think that I am stretching our dollars further that way, and I just figure that all budget-conscious parents do the same.

So, I recently bought these cute shoes for Ashley, who has been wearing a size 5 for quite some time now. Knowing that she's bound to outgrow them any day now, I opt not to buy these new shoes in a size 6 but in a size 7. She should be able to wear these at least through the summer, I'm guessing. I made the mistake of showing them to her when I got home, and already displaying signs of a shoe fetish, she demands I let her wear them immediately. I slip them on her feet, and yes, she looks and walks like she's got on a pair of mommy's shoes, but because they have a nice little strap to hold her feet in, she shuffles around in them a bit but the shoes don't fall off. Well, because they have this floral pattern on them in colors she hasn't before worn, I went in search for a couple of outfits to match making a mental note to buy some that will not only fit her now but that she will be able to wear for as long as she can wear the shoes. I was successful in my search, or so I thought.

This morning, for church, I put Ashley in one of these new outfits, thinking she'll be so happy to get to wear her pretty new shoes. She is happy enough to also let me put on the new outfit as well. (Sometimes we have power struggles over her fashion sense vs. mine.) The clothes are big, but not too big. Except the little skirt, I discover. Yes, the skirt's too big, but we're going to be late, so I grab a safety pin and pin it at the waist. Voila! Works like magic. She's dressed, she's happy, and we're off to church.

The kids behaved during Sacrament, even if they did get restless and needed to be taken out near the end. There were no issues while dropping Ashley off at Nursery, and Zachary, as always, went willingly to Primary. The next 2 hours go by smoothly and I'm feeling so pleased that I had such a great day even though I had to do this all while Chris was out of town. That's a feat in and of itself, since he helps me so much with the kids on Sunday mornings. After classes were over, I picked up the kids and started heading toward the car but stopped to chat with someone for a moment. The next thing I know, Ashley is walking down the hall in a shirt and a diaper. OK, so she is not quite 2, but I am still as easily embarrassed by this as if it were my own skirt that is missing. I scramble to put it back on without making it obvious that my daughter has just lost her bottoms. Meanwhile, I'm blocking the hall, so I hurry to move out of the way just as Ashley's Nursery leader's husband comes walking by and announces, "Oh yeah, she was just pulling that thing off ALL DAY!"

Oh, to be 2 and to drop your clothes wherever you like without a care in the world. Someday, she'll have nightmares about this sort of thing just like I do.

OCD Wannabe

Last night, I discovered that our closet really IS a walk-in closet, or at least now I know it CAN be. Of course, I had to go on an archeological dig to find it, but now it's so clean I could live in it if I had to! I thought I would take the time to share ten of the most random things that I found hidden among 6 1/2 years worth of "collectibles":

1 unopened letter containing a vehicle registration sticker which expired in 2003 (Oops!)
1 pair of men's tap shoes (I told Chris that if he made me keep them, I better see him tap!)
1 name tag w/pin from the Sealing Room (his), presumably from our wedding day
1 fortune that reads: "New financial resources will soon become available to you." (Ahem!)
1 pair of blue gym shorts with the gray felt initials "RS" ironed on (mine from 6th grade, and, yes, clean!)
1 post-surgical xray film
1 petticoat (never worn)
1 original piece of poetry (a priceless heirloom to be handed down to all of our posterity) written by Chris' mom about the kind of wife he was supposed to marry. Here's my favorite line: "Five foot eight, or six, or two, She'll stand much taller next to you." HA!
1 book, entitled "The Portable Therapist: Wise and Inspiring Answers to the Questions People in Therapy Ask Most..." (never read--think I'll add that to my shelf now!)

AND

1 very informative packet: "HOW TO ORGANIZE A CLOSET"

Future Spelling Bee Champ

This weekend, Zachary successfully learned how to spell his full name! That's pretty amazing, if you ask me, since people have always reassured me that he would probably figure it out by the time he hit the 5th grade. What should we work on next? Algebra?

Sick, but still sweet

Little Zachary is sick today, although he doesn't even seem to notice. He's slept most of the afternoon away which was the first sign I noticed. This kid doesn't nap...EVER. He has a fever of almost 102. I couldn't get an accurate reading, though, because he was getting upset that I was even trying to do that without apparent reason. He wouldn't keep the thermometer under his tongue, so I tried taking it under his arm, but he said, "My arm's fine." It's sort of scary when you know your kid is sick and he insists he isn't even though his cheeks are flushed with fever and his eyes are glassy. Makes me worry that he's just going to peacefully go to sleep and not wake up. (Yes, I'm feeling a bit paranoid.) So, I press lightly on his throat and ask if that hurts, since strep is going around. I ask if his ears hurt or his tummy. "No" to all of those things. "Are you tired?" There's one I'm sure he'll say "yes" to. But, no. He's totally well...except he isn't. He didn't drink his juice or eat his snack earlier, so I just tried to offer it to him again, "No thank you, Mommy." I bring his pillow and blanket, and his stuffed bunny is always welcome. "Do you want to watch something?" "Clifford's Pets, o' course." No matter that this is the 3rd (or is it the 4th?) time I've started this movie today and he's fallen asleep in it. And? He wants his Mommy to come sit with him.