Hot and Not so Hot.

Things I am really loving.
1. Spring.
We spent almost two hours outside today. Playing at the park, blowing bubbles, going on a walk. I am so anxious to get outside and work in the yard. Our Zucchini start from last weeks preschool is already about to outgrow it cup on the kitchen window sil. I am sure it won't stick around- both the spring or the desire to weed. What a shame. I am also loving SmartDraw and have used their free download to detail weeks of back breaking backyard work hopefully coming soon.
2. Reading.
This week I am reading two books from the Orson Scott Card Women of Genesis series, and a Goodman novel- Intuition. Partially because Jake informed me he would be working late some nights this week, and partly because I always going on a reading spurt in the Spring. I usually don't read a single book October through February. Then March hits and I can't get enough. I read anything I can find, reserve books at the library, have a steady stream of books coming to my door via Amazon, and easily read three novels a week. It slows and by September I am down to two a month- then no reading until Spring again. I think the reading feast after famine is actually what drew my attention to the fact that I am going blind.
3. Allen's Camera.
I had a problem with my SLR on Sunday. Yes the very same SLR camera, I spent nearly three years saving and planning to buy. I was freaking out about it. Well of course I was, do you know me? First thing this morning I drove down to Orem. Allen's fixed the problem in about two minutes, free of charge and with a smile.... and I didn't even purchase the camera there. They are just awesome. And here is a tip for you too. If you are not a faketogropher like me and everyone else who owns an SLR- Allen's hand corrects your prints for you during printing, and they have cheap classes too. If I wasn't a loyal customer already (and I was) their service today convinced me to never leave (or shop at Best Buy).

Things that are no so hot.
1. Twenty year old cashiers and waitresses calling me "Hun".
I have been called "Hun" more than three times this past week. And not by someone appropriate like my spouse or grandmother. Really? I am obviously older than you. Maybe it is hard to tell with the oh I don't know two children and husband in tow. Are you trying to be demeaning? Do you think that because you are helping my find the garage door aisle at Home Depot that you are smarter than me... because you are not. Are you even allowed to drive yet? Are people training you to call people older than you "hun". Is this suppose to be cute? I would prefer "ma'am". No seriously I would.

Birthday Jake!

Happy Birthday Jake.
We are so glad you have had 31 birthdays.
So you can be just where you are today.
With us.
Because I think this may be as good as it gets!

Recipe for Chicken Sparkles

Kate and I were putting dinner in the crock pot earlier.
I took some chicken out of the freezer.
It has some ice, a little bit of freezer burn on it.
Kate proclaimed "our chicken has SPARKLES on it!"
She was delighted
So I guess I am making chicken with sparkles on it for dinner.
Way to go me!
Two year olds can turn anything into something special.
Even freezer burn.

Discovery Saturday.

Saturday was a day of discovery for our kids. Until mid afternoon they discovered what it was like to be without a mother. I had some things to do in Salt Lake including a shower to throw for my sister-in-law. I enjoyed the party, but it was strange to be away from the kids for so long. With driving to West Jordan, an errand, setting up, the shower, and clean up with a little extra girl talk, it was almost 6 hours mid day sans children.
We decided Jake and the kids could meet me at the Gateway.
We wanted to try out the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum.
I have used passing myself off as one of my sisters before, and it paid off this time again. Using a membership pass with photo ID is not a problem when you have an identical twin.

The museum- though maybe a little old still for our family- was still a lot of fun. We got some big smiles out of this girl riding a fake horse.
Kate is a little suspicion of a sandwich we have created at the fake deli.
Sam likes it though. Of course he tried to actually eat everything.

Riding cars.
Kate enjoyed the building site a lot. And she was not intimidated one bit that it was mostly full of boys a few years older. In fact when a seven year old tried to take a block from her- she let him know she was using it.
To document that both Jake and I were there as well. Just usually carrying around a not-so-interested one year old.

We spent the last twenty minutes of our visit in this green ball garden.
We discovered some other things too.
Like that Kate was a knack for dressing herself like she is me in the fourth grade- mid 1980.
Complete with some aerobics moves. Nice.

And Sam finally discovered that he can stand erect. Once he discovered this he spent the next thirty minutes doing it over and over again. Usually a free stand pushing himself off from the floor, but sometimes using a person to help himsel get standing.
No steps yet. But at least there is an interest in not crawling on all fours.

What the Day Brings.

Today the saga of my eye problems continued with a trip to the local optometrist.
It was a ridiculous event. What was ridiculous?
Was it the fact that I will likely need surgery again?
Was it the fact that the optometrist referred to me as a MIDDLE AGED woman?
Was it the $100 eye drops I had to buy that will hopefully stave of blindness?

Nope it was the overweight 55 year old male waiting in the lobby that made everything I said (and to the receptionist- I surely was not talking to him) in to a sexual innuendo.
And not it that kind of funny- I'll let that slide- Micheal Scott- kind of way.
More in the you are so creepy- I think you are trying to hit on me- gross- sort of way.
Even if I was middle aged at 27.
This could never be appropriate.
Or not disgusting.

In other problems un-related to eyes or creepy optometry patients.
I think we may have a binky problem?


Other things of today-
Jake and I have a family motto for the year-
"Come what may- and love it"
This includes pulling over when you see a sign advertising Chicks for Sale.
And this includes laughing when the children take everything out of every cupboards in the kitchen.
What's for dinner?
Mmmmmm. Children. Yes they are grilling up themselves.
Without any prompting from me.
Some days are just so random.

St. Patrick's Day

I had dreams of taking cute picture of my children in green for St. Patrick's Day today. My mistake to try to tell Kate about the holiday and that she needed to wear green. She threw a fit, and told me she was wearing her white and pink sweatshirt- and that she would wear green on her birthday. Do what you want- it is not worth the fight. I'll make it look more festive with some throw pillows.
How about a picture together? Fat chance.
It quickly turned into this.
Maybe I will just post some pictures from years past
Kate and Samuel St. Patrick's Day 2009
Kate St Patrick's Day -2008

Disney on Ice

I took Kate to Disney on Ice this past week. I feel like I am finally getting to a point where I can pay as much attention to Kate again as I do to Sam- since he is getting older now. I have missed my little buddy.
We invited my mom, Amy and Kaylie to come along with us as well. A real girls night out.

I tried to tell Kate what we were going to, but she didn't understand. I kept saying a show and she thought we were going to the movies. Then I told her it was a party show and she still didn't understand why you dressed up.Of course we dressed up the girls. Kate was Cinderella. I even let her put a ton of my make up on. She wanted to dress in her snow white dress ups- but we are missing most of that, so I told her she had to find it if that is what she wanted to be. After making her look for ten minutes she said to me "okay lets just be CinderELLA." It paid off when we got to meet Cinderella.
Grandma spoiled them with a souvenir. Kate was a little weary of the wand, but then she warmed up to it and kept talking about how she wanted to let Sam play with it when we got home. She seemed to miss her brother the whole time- commenting about how other people had brought their baby brothers and asking why Sam did not get to come. It was very sweet.
Waiting for the show together. Kate actually spent the entire show in my lap so she could she better.
Tears of joy- or maybe her eyes are watering because she refuses to blink. Favorite parts of course included Ariel, Ariel with Sebastian, and the sea horses... in the Little Mermaid. Oh and the snow at the end. She even picked up some "snow flakes" to bring Dad at home. There were three other Disney movies featured- but Kate remains loyal to her first favorite The Little Mermaid. I will admit I had tears of joy too just watching her be so excited.

Kid Pictures.

I finally did some one year posed pictures for Sam. A few at least. He still is not quite over the requiring me to hold him all day long side effect that comes with being sick. It is exhausting, so I don't know why I thought making him pose for pictures on an old chair in the snow- not in my arms- would work. Regardless- we gave it a shot.
Last night while Jake was at scouts I worked on our family scrapbook. Something I am not sure anyone else experiences is feeling guilty you haven't taken more pictures. I do. Especially when I try to make a book for the kids and realize that we only have five pictures from all of November. It was the added push I needed to get these done.








This is the best picture I could get with the two of them. UGGG!
Some pictures of Kate. The bright snow was killing her eyes. She doesn't have any idea how to pose. When she smiles she lunges forward at me. Although I appreciate her attempts to do what I want it is so far what I want it is almost pointless giving direction at all.

Getting Well and One Year Stuff

The kids are returning to their normal and happy selves. Yup those are smiles you see on the children above.
A Doctor's appointment again today confirmed that aside from an ear infection we are almost better.

It was also Samuel's one year well check.
Here are his stats

Weight: 20.13 lbs 20%
Height: 30 1/6 inches 75%
Head: 18 1/2 75%

Having Sam in our lives has been a delight thus far. He is a very expressive child- meaning we always know how he feels. Thankfully this is almost always happy so we enjoy a household of laughs and smiles. He loves to cuddle with his mom and get flipped, wrestled and thrown in the air by his dad. He literally begs for more. He is a bit of a godzilla, but Kate usually tolerates him knocking over things she has built and stealing anything she is playing with.
He likes cuddling his cat and blankets, playing with the dog, pointing, reading books, getting into the cupboards, climbing the stairs, following Kate do whatever she is doing, and playing in the bath. He also loves going to bed a night- and happily is sleeping from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am with a two hour nap in the morning.
He hasn't been eating solid foods with the ravenous expectations I had for him. But he loves his bottle- as long as it doesn't have whole milk in it.
He has two almost three teeth.
He says "Mama, Dada, Dog, Tate, What's That, Nigh Nigh" and has an awesome tiger "Growl"
He waves, claps,"sings" dances, throws a ball better than our two year old and likes to say "ahhh" back and forth with us in the car.
He still won't let go of the furniture to walk. Kate was walking like a pro by this age, so his reluctance surprises us. He actually gets scared over a lot of things, but I think some of this is just because he is so attached to me his mother.

All is well with our little guy. As soon as we are fully recovered I intend to have some one year pictures taken.

The S.S.RSV

Goodbye world-we likely will not return to the world of people and places for at least another week. Looks like my buccaneers are battling RSV. It turns out I am pretty much willing to let my kids do anything as long as they will let be put them down and not cry anymore. Including turning the living room furniture into Kate's custom pirate ship. Captian Snot Face and 1st Mate Cranky Pants have entertained themselves for a least thirty minutes with this idea.


Looks like 1st mate cranky pants has been thrown overboard into the crashing waves. Here is to getting better and putting the "loving room" what Kate calls the living room- back together. And trying to stay sane.

Fresno Trip #17

This past week we headed out for what I believe to be our 17th trip to Fresno during our marriage. It always feels like a second home. Have I explained how great of a family I married in to. My Mother and Father in Law are good at everything. If you want to learn to do something- they are the people to consult. No wonder Jake is the king of everything- it runs in their blood. Furthermore his siblings and their spouses are some of my best friends. Marrying into this big family I figured that there would be some people I liked- but I didn't guess I would love all of them. We only wish we could hang out with them all more.
Our trip there went smoothly. We drove through the evening and night and the kids were pleasant and sleepy. Our first order of business upon arrival after some catch up was a trip to the Fresno Zoo. Kate loved being the tour guide, sitting in the stroller and pointing things out she wanted to see in the brochure. The brochure featured a parrot- which we did not see, leaving Kate a little confused.
The Stroller Limousine we borrowed from my sister in law was a hit with the kids. The cooler weather brought out the animals. Sam growled at the tiger and Kate name every animal there- including a cabybara. Zoo trip = success.
We have never been to Fresno in February. It is completely gorgeous. Yes- these pictures are from February. Jealous of the states weather? Sadly- we didn't have much sun, but lots and lots of rain- and even a little snow when we headed to the "mountain house" as Kate calls it. Any plans to go Marine World or the coast were out. But I felt like we were still always doing something.
These are the bee boxes. If you didn't know- farmers bring bees in to help pollinate their trees. One of my favorite things to see is the trees in bloom and the bee boxes lining the rows.
The Freeman Farm grows a little of everything. The everything trees are a bounty of fruit that they spread between all their family and friends and there is still too much to ever eat. This trip we brought home a box or oranges and tangerines. The majority of the land- what they harvest for profit and sell to Sunsweet -are plums for drying. If you have ever bought a bag of Sunsweet prunes you may have just been eating something from The Freeman Farm. The prune trees are not in bloom, so not as lovely- but interesting to look at still. I think they always look spooky.
Mid trip we traveled to Los Banos to visit Grandma Wood, Aunt Marilyn and cousin Tina. They were kind enough to play with the kids and not mind the mess they created.

Kate loves her cousins. There are seven little girls 6 and under who make perfect playmates for Kate. Kate enjoyed playing with the four that live near by. She is already talking about her cousins coming to visit her and making plans for what they will play. We love it because we don't spend an ounce of energy entertaining her the entire trip.
Sunday we had some great weather. Sam soaked up some sun while dancing on the trampoline.
The last day or so there the kids came down with colds. They were cranky the whole way home and I just chalked it up to the colds and long trip. When we got them out to get a bite to eat half way home we discovered their 102.4 fevers. I guess they had a reason to be crying after all. But who needs crisis training when you have dum- dums. They seemed to help the kids at least soothe themselves to sleep. One time I promise we will manage not to get sick in California.

Now we are home. My goals for the day include unpacking and getting the kids better. Then I need to catch up on chores so I can get to reading Cathing Fire. I read Hunger Games by Collins this trip- despite my usual stance against reading anything trendy- and was pleasantly surprised.