Christmas Miracles

1. We made it to the Northwest even though our 6 a.m. flight out of AZ was cancelled and we didn't know until we got there.

2. We were re-booked on another airline (with a direct flight) before we even got there, but still had to wait an hour for them to re-ticket us because of some computer snafu. The miracle part was the direct flight.

3. We were able to stay in someone else's house for 10 days without them killing us! (or maybe they wanted to, but just never acted that way)

4. Kaylie learned to crawl down the stairs. (Good thing, cuz the gate was a pain)

5. Our kids liked their presents... that I bought 6 months ago before a single "wish list" was made.

6. We saw snow... but we had to drive an hour to see it... even in the NORTHWEST!

7. We were able to stay in the Northwest without having it SNOW! (the rest of my family would call that a tragedy)

8. We didn't die of cold exposure.

9. Abby's fish, who was being cared for by someone at home, did not actually "die" after being spilled at that someone's house... but was merely "stunned" for a while....too bad I told Abby that it was dead before I found out.

10. We ate at Sushi.com TWICE! (It was DIVINE.)

11. We did family pictures and everyone complied... for the most part.

12. Peter thought up the biggest Christmas miracle EVER when he decided we needed to make WADE the lap child and strap K down (I mean, put her in her car seat) for the LOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNG plane ride home. (5 hours with a plane change in SEA)

13. We actually MADE our 5 a.m. flight after waking up at 3 a.m. and dragging the kids to the airport.

14. I made it home without punching "Liz" on Horizon Flight #### for harassing me about my car seat and whether or not it was "airline safe". (it was 5 in the morning on the busiest flying day of the year and I have the crankiest 10 month old on the planet)

15. My legs DID NOT FALL OFF after having a 35 lb. toddler sitting on them for 5 hours.

16. Everyone took a LOOOOOONG nap when we got home from that VERY early VERY LONG flight. (And Liz was still alive to harass other people on other flights about their car seats.. I am sure she takes her job very seriously... )

Hope you all had a VERY MERRY MIRACULOUS CHRISTMAS!

And to all. . . a good night.

I think I will be signing off until after the holiday. My computer is going to computer day spa, where they will fix all of it's little quirks... like the ty and t problem.. see, there it is.. I didn't even have to mock it up for you.

But before I go, I want to say, tI had a lot of aspirations for mty (there it is again. I will be soooooooo glad when that problem is gone) blog posts this month.. I was going to do a history of Santa Photos and maybe a history of Christmas Card photos.. but, alas, I didn't. I am not sure why. I am going to say I was busy, because that is the best catch all but means nothing excuse on the planet. No?

There is ONE thing I want to share before I leave though... my favorite piece of nostalgia. I didn't put up many decorations this year. Weren't going to enjoy them for long enough.. I didn't put up a tree, but I DID put up this.

It is my stocking and I have had it ever since.. I don't know, Mom? How long have I had this stocking?? She had someone when I was younger, I want to say around 7, knit it for me. As a matter of fact, she had one knit for every member of our family. And unlike some people who change them each year or from time to time, we NEVER changed them... EVER. Some people would think it is my husband who is Mr. Nostalgia, and he totally is.. but when it comes to Holidays, he has a pretty close rival.



My sister came home one year with stockings knit for her husband and her son, and naturally, I was jealous. How did she get those??? I asked her secret and she said her Mother-in-law had made them! Now, I probably wouldn't have dreamt about asking someone's mother-in-law to make me and my family stockings, but in this case, she has all of ONE grandchild, so, I felt like I was safe.. Maybe she would do it for me too. . and she did. She made this one for Peter.

She made one for Abby, our first little angel.

And this one for Jaxon.. soooo him. He is a little gingerbread man.. catch me if you can!

and one for Wade, and in November, I called begging for another. I figured she had a little foresight and has one sittin' around, and she did. And we talked about it and in a few weeks, I was sent this...

Our last little addition.. Kaylin.. You know, they say that no two snow flakes are EVER the same. . . and the same can be said of Kaylin.. she broke the mold.. and she broke her parents...and we still love her, but I am just sayin.. My sister's poor mother-in-law is SAFE of having to knit anymore stockings in her life time... :)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

*and yes, this is the red armoire I am painting and NO it isn't finished yet... I had to have ONE new year's resolution!!

Knock Knock, who's there? Land Shark.

A few weeks ago, Jaxon came upstairs looking rather uncertain about life and other things... I inquired as to what they had been doing there. Abby looked mischievous, Jaxon looked peeked.

Abby: "Watching a show on Animal Planet"

(Peter has already intercepted shows from that channel that involved Elephants mating... anywho...)


Me: [Looking at Jaxon] "What was the show about?"

Jaxon: [Eyes wide, fixated on something in outerspace] "It was about sharks, and how sharks eat people and how there was a surfer in the ocean and how he was surfing on his surf board and how a shark and his surfboard. . . and ate him too. [Long Pause] It was scary.

Me: [Giving the one eyed skunk eye to Abby] "Maybe you shouldn't have been watching such a scary show!!!

Jaxon no longer likes his favorite stuffed animal, sharky.

Sharky has not been seen for days.

Jaxon will still randomly ask about the Sharks ability to come out of the water.

I now realize that someone who worked for SNL in the 80s must have been horribly terrified by sharks at a young age and wondered at times if they would knock on his door and eat them, and when he was working on SNL in his late 20's he realized it would be a funny skit.

I hope Jaxon can one day think it is funny.

But for now, he asks me, the babysitter, Peter and just about anyone else he might come into contact with about Sharks, and the probability of them getting out of the water and eating him.

I am just trying to convince him he is far too skinny for any shark's taste.

TODAY AFTER NAP TIME:

Jaxon: "Sheesh mom, I had another dream about a shark eating me at nap time, maybe it was a bad idea for me to have watched that show!"

Random Thoughts #4

• Should I even be numbering random thoughts? It could get extensive.



• SYTYCD was gooooood last night.



• Ryan and Kathryn's dance was hot.Hot.HOT!!!



• I watched it like, 4 times. It was very well executed and did I mention, hot?



• I can't believe how many of you are Jakob haters!



• WHO CARES if he is gay? He is an AWESOME dancer, and I think one of the better partner dancers! (even though he is gay--probably)



• Kathryn has really surprised me, YOU?



• Molly has gotten better too



• But Legacy has to go, YES, even over Ryan.



• Did I mention his dance was HOT last night?



• I want to see Burn the Floor in NYC. Anyone want to go with me? GIRLS TRIP!



• This is becoming a Random Thoughts SYTYCD version



• But before I go, I want to thank Matt and Luciana Damon for the wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner we had last night. Matt is just so down to earth, and so is Lucy (as he calls her). There house was charming and NOT ostentatious and everything went swimmingly until Matt got a call on the bat phone (that is what he calls it) which is a direct line from the security company that watches his house saying that there was paparazzi there. I was worried because he went outside to handle it himself, but he was totally cool, and just asked them very nicely to leave. I was impressed. (I AM NOT PREGNANT, why am I having dreams about celebrity friends?!?!?!)
  



• And finally, I wanted to share a picture about how we all feel about our pants some times as demonstrated by my daughter Kaylin.
  

Sometimes, when you sit down, your pants feel like they are doing this to your stomach.

Don't you all wish you could all do this and just make it feel a little better?

And as a side note to Old Navy. Can we put a little stretch in those jeans?? We shouldn't make our daughters succumb to our pressures so early in life. :)

• I am down a pant size. But not to MY pant size. Still working on it. :)

Line Up Run Down

I know you all read this blog for my ever so witty summaries of the latest TV shows.. right?

Ok, maybe not so much.

So, why do you read this blog then????

Oh, never mind, I am getting off the subject.

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting to do a Fall TV line up run down. . . and I feel like I can sufficiently do that now that now that it is OVER.

Let's start with. . .

hmmm. that is hard, let's just go with Alphabetical.


CASTLE: I have already mentioned this show here. It is pretty funny and witty and I really like both the leads. They are perfectly cast. The dry humor is a total draw.

DANCING WITH THE STARS:

I think I have said enough about that one here already. :)


GLEE: I watch it. (gasp!) I feel like it is so controversial!!! No one talks about it. (Not LDS people anyway) and I think it is because of the subject matter sometimes. Although I am not always comfortable with the subject matter.. I have to admit, it is pretty funny/interesting and well done. I think what I am MOST uncomfortable with is the fact that kids who really SHOULDN'T be watching it are WATCHING IT! I really think it is geared to people that are my age.. with all the 80's music and stuff. Really, it is not too far from how high school really was right? We all know someone who got pregnant.. we all knew about clique wars.. etc. It is just a creative re-visitation. And for the most part, it is funny.

I get the most laughs from Sue, and her "That is how Sue sees it segment"

Weird fact: The boys, Puck, Mr. Shue, and Finn are all within 3 years apart in age in real life. WEIRD.


THE GOOD WIFE:

I am not sure why I started to watch this show. I think I was just curious. But I seriously love it. I know they promoted the SCANDAL of her husband cheating on her ala Elliot Spitzer, but that is not all the show is about. As a matter of fact, they don't spend too much time on it, but more about the strong person Alicia Florick is (Julianna Margulies is awesome) and it shows how she is trying to just move forward and be above it all. They have started to elude that her husband might be innocent.. and they might have to, because otherwise, Alicia might start to look like more of a "door mat" wife than a "good wife".


NCIS Los Angeles:

I have never watched an NCIS series.. they never really kept my attention. . I set my DVR for this, but it never recorded because of conflicting shows. It finally recorded one last week because other shows had ended. I signed up for it because I think Chris O'donnell is easy on the eyes and I think he is a good actor that he doesn't get enough credit. . . He is still easy on the eyes, but the show is kinda... dumb. LL cool J is NOT that good of an actor. If they are federal agents why are they always in plain clothes, and who is writing this stuff??? Sorry Chris, even though I like looking at you, I can't stand the rest of the show. It is being deleted off my DVR.


SYTYCD:

JAKOB. That is all I want to say here really. He is amazing and awesome and I LOVE watching him. I hope he wins. What about the Mormon couple? I am on the fence.. Ashleigh did look good when she was with Jakob, or was that because I was distracted by Jakob? She did NOT look good last week. And Ryan's solo's seriously stink.. he needs to talk to Dimitri about those.. I was surprised to see him stay last week. But, in the end, I hope Jakob takes it all.

The Vampire Diaries:

Um.. yeah, I have watched that one too. I think I was just trying to feed my pre- New Moon anticipation. It really isn't that good, well done, or well written. Nor do I like some of the subject matter again because I know kids that are TOO YOUNG TO BE WATCHING IT are watching it. I swear, I am never going to let my teenagers watch ANYTHING!!! (When I in fact HAVE teenagers)


THOUGHT ABOUT IT:

I know many of you watch THE OFFICE: Never have. I tried once and I think it has gotten to the point where there are so many running jokes.. it just isn't funny to people who haven't watched it. (That would be me)

Parks and Rec-- again bounced from my DVR. It picked up a show finally and I watched.. Again, just wasn't that funny.

Anything else I missed??

STILL ON MY DVR:

30 ROCK. Pretty funny, but I have to admit, it is starting to lose me. Kinda like scrubs. Scrubs was so hilarious that first year. . Then they just made it so . . .dirty. They finally just lost me. 30 Rock is on its way there.

AMAZING RACE: I have to admit, I wasn't really cheering for anyone this year except the guy with Autism (for obvious reasons) when he got voted off, they kinda lost me. I watched the finale, but all I can really say is I am glad the brothers lost. They were annoying.

SURVIVOR: Still don't really like Russell, but he is really playing an amazing game. Do you really think people will vote for him in the end? I don't think so.

COMING UP:

Of course I can't wait for LOST and 24... and THE BACHELOR. I don't know if I am all that excited about the dude, but we all know the reason I watch... the train wreck. :)

Which one do you like?

Abigial looking like she is just about to drop the biggest baby on the planet,

Jaxon nervously clutching his elbow like he just hit it on the piano,

Wade clutching his new favorite obsession (a Nemo wallet)

Kalin wondering if she is about to be dropped on a tile floor, but not seeming to care much. .

OR






Abby lookin' like she is She-ra holding the biggest baby on the planet,
Jaxon giving the exuberant, "hey, Hey, HEY!" (with Jazz hands)
Wade slightly more enthusiastic still clutching the Nemo wallet
Kaylin still wondering if she is going to hit the floor, and caring... quite a bit more.


Which is your fav?

Truffled Out

The truffles got dipped..

Couldn't you just . . pop one in your mouth?

It would melt.. YUM.


The penguins have their marching orders...

With a special holiday wish!!

I wish you all lived by me, so I could share!

A TRUFFLE PARADE

You know me... I like to bake. I could probably sit around and bake all day.. in a few years, I might have a hard time getting out the door. . .

ANYWHO.

This year, I came across some amazing recipes.

Recipes for TRUFFLES.

TRUFFLES? I have never made a truffle before, and to be honest, I like a challenge. . .

And it looks pretty easy!

I couldn't resist.

It was like they are calling my name. . .

MAKE ME! MAKE ME!! LINDSEY MAKE ME!!! (Am I taking this too far? Ok.)

I have skipped decorating for Christmas and decided to just start making treats. I mean, that is what is most important anyway. Right? Besides, I will only have like 12 days total to enjoy my decorations.. is it worth it?

Me thinks: Not this year.

Me thinks: EAT CHOCOLATE.

Let me remind you of my other holiday treats.. Like the fab popcorn. . .

or the Almond Roca. . Who doesn't love Almond Roca. . My mouth was sore for weeks. (Good times, good times.)

This year, the first recipe I came across was this one for Oreo Truffles. It was destiny. I am on my way to the store later for some oreos..

Then I saw this recipe on PW. You know I love the PW. And if she says it is good, I most likely will be tryin' it. She posted this: Chocolate Truffles with Sea Salt . They are coming back to room temp as we speak.. Wanna see?

See that hole in the middle? That was me forgetting it needed to come back to room temp before rolling into balls. . . that ball however, ended up in my mouth. I ate it, and it was good. :)

The next recipe I saw while prepping for Thanksgiving dinner. I used a few recipes from My Kitchen Cafe.. a foodie blog my sister hooked me on to. She posted these..

Cookie Dough Truffles. You know me and cookie dough, we go waaaaaay back.

Soon, these little morsels will be dipped in milk chocolate... oh my yum.

And then, since I am making all things small and dipped, I thought I would make these. I had some left over cake and added some frosting... canned, yes, which to me is completely sac religious. So far, I am not impressed with the taste.. But they look cute. We will see what they are like in the end. I might be pleasantly surprised. So far, they just look like this. .
These are my truffles, on parade. Check back for the end results.

Let's just call it a day. .

Rotten,

Horrible,

NO GOOD,

Day.

It started with K waking up at 6. Not my favorite thing. I haven't complained about her sleep issues lately because they had actually gotten better! I didn't want to Jinx it. After a few nights of tough love, she started sleeping until 7 ish. . (A totally reasonable hour in my book). But today, it was 6, and yesterday it was 6 and I am really, not, loving, it.

At about 8 a.m. she started crying inconsolably. For the life of me, I just could NOT get her to stop! I had to get ready to take Jaxon to therapy and because she was on the fritz that meant, hurry up, no shower, get out the door, maybe she will be happy in the car.

I dropped Jaxon off and went to the Library to get our Culture Pass to the Science Museum because the kids have a half day! MOTHER OF THE YEAR!

Waited 15 mins for the library to open and they don't have them at that library. Put two kids back in the car, go to the other library, get them back out of the car. . blah blah blah. In the car, out of the car, in the car, out of the car, back in the car. Got it.

I needed to run a little errand to the store. It involved a box and two kids. Instant problem. I convinced Wade to help me carry the box, but in order to do so, he had to drop the toy he had in his hand. It dropped into the parking lot island flower bed right next to our car and I convinced him it would be fine for the 10 minutes I needed to do my return.

My return turned into 15 minutes because 1/2 way through the transaction, the guy voided the transaction and had to start over. K was finally going crazy. It now being almost 11, and still no nap. I let her amp it up to get the guy to hurry. (You have all done it, I know you have)

We left the store and Wade went to get his toy, and guess what. It was GONE. After 15 minutes!!! We were the ONLY car parked right on that island so it would have to have been someone walking by. I was furious. I don't even recall a time where I have been so furious. It wasn't even a toy, it was PART of a toy. Of course Wade asked where his toy was a gazillion times, I felt like the crappiest mom EVER, and he was reduced to tears. GREAT.

I seriously waited in the parking lot for at least 10 minutes to find the culprit and to console my crying 2 year old. The only person that came back to their car was an old lady. Doubt it was her. Lucky for them.

By noon, I finally get K down for a nap, where I think she is going to sleep for at least 3 hours. She wakes up after 1 and cries for the next two.

So do i.


I realize Jaxon has therapy at 3, and we will not be going anywhere fun for the afternoon. . . Earlier hassle for mother of the year. . .pointless.


Abby comes home with bad grades on her writing papers. . which we have discussed several times already (that is such a big saga that I have even planned on scanning papers and blogging about it--but just never have). She is grounded from TV and of course, more crying is involved.

As I make dinner, I open the fridge and K gets her hands on a new, glass bottle of soy sauce that of course, got dropped and shattered all over the floor.

THE GOOD THING:

Peter came home from work.

I check out.

It was a no good, horrible, very bad day.

Be prepared to DIE from CUTENESS!

That is all... I am not biased.

Wanna see more? Please check my facebook page... or twist my arm, and I will post more here.

Do something good.

This is probably the easiest good thing you can do today. Jaxon gets all of his Autism therapy at a school called Lauren's Institute for Education. Chase bank is making donations to non-profit groups that get the most votes. PLEASE VOTE FOR THEM!!!

This only takes a second of your time to help me and hundreds of other kids with Autism out. Click on the link... become a "fan" of Chase Bank Giving and click on

VOTE.

Isn't it great when helping someone is soooooooooooo easy?

Thank you.

RANDOM THOUGHTS #3

If you have a piece of furniture to paint. Don't paint it red. Because it takes 24 hours in between each coat to dry and it takes several coats to cover and seriously .... just don't do it. Especially if it is an armoire because then it has a gazillion pieces that you have to paint and they will have to lay all over your kitchen floor all night and then you have to pick them up and then get them out the next night and then clean them up and then get them out and SO ON AND SO FORTH AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. (just don't)

If you decide to go see New Moon, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HUMAN, please DO NOT TAKE YOUR HUSBAND. Is that really not such an obvious thing??? It will ruin it for you... because, it is a teeny bopper flick that you really shouldn't be seeing unless you are under the age of 21. Unless of course you are a fan of the book and you just want to see the dream in your head in reality. . . but then for PETE'S SAKE!!! DON'T TAKE YOUR HUSBAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, it really did need all of those exclamation points)


Watch Castle. It is on after Dancing with the Stars, and it is funny. Seriously. It is one of the best new shows on TV. Totally entertaining. (At least at this point) I wonder if it will begin to be formulaic, but for right now, it is funny, and is filling the spot left in my heart from Burn Notice, which I can't watch because I don't have that channel anymore.

Speaking of Dancing with the Stars... I was worried Donny was going to pull out the faces last night... VERY worried. Is anyone inspired by it this season?? I am not really. And I miss Julianne Hough. Too many of the other pros are getting too . . . . full of themselves... (HI MARK) However, I have LOVED seeing the change in LOUIS. (Kelly has changed him . . seriously.) And I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Dimitri.. Is anyone as happy as I am to see his smiling face (not to mention. . . never mind) on this show?? I love it when they bring people over from SYTYCD.


And don't even get me started on Adam Lambert... what a joke. I should have realized when I saw those album covers.... Oh wait, I did.

Need something else to bake??
Make a spice cake (you can use a mix) and put Penuche Frosting on top... Completely and totally addictive. . . YOU'RE WELCOME.

Still in my pajamas

It is 4:39 p.m. and I am still in my pajamas. I went to bed at 2:30 a.m. and Kaylie woke up at 5:00. Gotta love that girl. LOVE IT!

We have lived in this house for nearly 6 months and the most I have done since moving in was decorate my kitchen. The only reason I decorated it is because Abby was having a birthday party. (And I needed more room than having boxes all over the floor could provide) I LIVE in my kitchen. My laptop even resides in my kitchen now. I used to reside on my bed when I was pregnant, but since then has gotten quirky about me moving it about. (husband said it is not for bed use. To that I say, whatevs) I figure, if the kitchen is the only room I see all day, why should I do any other room???

I was on strike. How could I possibly unpack another box or decorate another room after moving 9 times in 9 years. The answer was, I couldn't. I couldn't do it anymore. I was worn out. Not necessarily because of moving, but because the strain of the last year was so overwhelming. . . moving again was the the culmination of a gigantic ugly year. A GIGANTIC UGLY YEAR.

I didn't want to deal with the after math of THAT. Everyone has their limits. I finally met mine. I consider myself tough. REAL TOUGH. But I met it. (hello wall, nice to meet you!) I am sure everyone in their life at some time meets it.

My thought is: if I don't unpack. I won't have to RE-pack in a year... (not saying we will move in a year, not saying we won't, it just seems to be the pattern).

I protested for these last 6 months. We didn't have many people over, so, it didn't matter. As a matter of fact, I used to entertain people several times a month in our house in WA. It was built that way... for entertaining, and I loved it. I love to entertain! I think the events of the year were just so overwhelming I lost the desire to entertain. Plus... anyone else could do it, so, why put the additional strain on myself.

I lost a bit of myself in not entertaining. I love to. I love to feed people. I love to welcome them over. I love to enjoy other people's company. But I just lost that love.

It was sad.

I lost a part of me.

But my husband is a smart man. A very smart man. VERY VERY smart man. You see, normally, I am the "coordinator" i.e. We are having so and so over for dinner, so, like it k honey? (he is a fan) But for almost 1 1/2 years since we lived here, I just haven't done it. Suddenly, he started lining up dinner dates... AT OUR HOUSE. One person one week... another person next week.. oh, and this person a few weeks from now.. I was willing. It felt kinda good to have "entertaining Lindsey" back.

But there was a problem.

My house.

And the boxes all over my house.

It is kinda weird.

To have boxes all over

and to have lived here for plenty of time to get those boxes unpacked.

RIGHT?

right.

My house was becoming a reflection of the last year of my life. ONE BIG DISHEVELED MESS.

So, today, I did it. I unpacked my living room. It was therapy. It brought me joy. I like things to look nice. But I just kinda gave up. It feels good. And I am sure it will feel better to those visiting my house next time too.

I think I am almost back to my old self.

ALMOST.

HOW TO WEEK

Nice that I am going to do HOW TO week when the week is 1/2 over?? Yeah, that is just how I roll. I think my blogging has slowed because I have my weird t problem still. tSeet? tI am serious. It is such a pain to correct.. that it has kept me from blogging.

TODAY we are going to do:

HOW TO HAIR FLOWERS

Don't be intimidated by making those cute hair flowers.. they are easy. You just need a glue gun, ribbon, silk flowers, hair clips or a head band, and a lighter.

If you are someone who says, WHO ON EARTH WOULD PUT A BIG FLOWER ON THEIR CHILD'S HEAD...

don't bother reading this post. And to you I say, you don't live enough.

Anyway, K was in desperate need of some hair accessories, so, I got to work today getting some put together. The one you see above is for Christmas... not really for what she was wearing today.. You can see she wasn't the most "willing" model.

First, get some flowers. Something with lots of petals. It will be easier that way. Get some wire cutters and cut the stem right off, as close as you can.

Peel away the flower petals one by one. Don't worry, we will put them back together again later.



If you aren't going to keep the center, take that off too. It might be glued on, like this one was. If it makes the petals look gunky, don't worry, you can re-arrange the flowers so that doesn't show.

Cover your clip with ribbon. Use a lighter to burn the edges of your ribbon so it doesn't fray. Don't worry, it will just melt it a little. Cover your clip or headband with the ribbon using a glue gun. Get ready for some sweet burns... it is worth it.





See that little piece of gunk? Yeah, you can cover it up later.

So, arrange the flowers like you want them. If you feel like you want a fuller flower, just clip another one and put them together.

Now, glue inbetween all the layers. You don't want that thing falling apart.

Now you glue your cutie jewel in the middle and let it rest for a minute. Then just glue it on your clip or head band! YIPPEE!



SOOOOOOOOO cute huh? This one will make a debut in the family pic.





Make some clippies while you are at it!!



Here is my afternoon work load: DONE!


NOW YOU GO TRY IT!!!

I had one of those nights . .

You know, the one of the kind that you hope are seared in your memory forever. . .



The kids were out of school. I tried all day to put together something fun for them to do. . . We took a ride to the park and ate lunch, but I was desperate to go to the Zoo, or to the Children's Museum or SOMETHING! But, I was unable to find anyone who would tag along. . .



I like crowds.



I also like traveling in a herd.



Anyway, Abby got to play with a friend and Jaxon did too, but had to go to therapy, so it was cut a little short.



I finally determined that we would burn up the 100 tokens that we got at Chuck E. Cheese. I was saving them for a rainy day, and since it doesn't rain here, we went for dinner. Every time we got to Chuck E. Cheese, for a long time now, Abby has asked me, WHEN DO THE TICKETS FALL FROM THE SKY???? My answer has always been... Abby, I don't know what you are talking about!! You must have just seen a commercial or something. She has said this at least the last 3 times we have gone. (that makes it seems like we have gone a lot, but once was for Jaxon's Birthday Party) Anyway. . . I would always tell her she "dreamt it" and told her "that doesn't happen". . . She has held firm in her convictions. . all this time.



After we had been there about an hour, Chuck came out and said hi to all the kids . . He finally herded them into a corner and with his big fuzzy fingers, turned on a CD player that had the Chicken Dance on it. The kids all did it, and I was enjoying watching. . . especially Wade. When the song was over, the manager came over and told Chuck to get the kids to scream. I honestly can't remember what they were screaming because guess what happened next. . .



Tickets fell from the sky. . .



Well, Chuck chucked them up there. . .



But still the same. . . tickets were falling from the sky.



I looked Abby to see her reaction and she was on the floor with every other kid gathering up as many tickets as she could, and when she stood up, she immediately turned to me and

mouthed . . .



I TOLD YOU SO!



It was hilarious. It still makes me giggle just thinking about it. It will definitely go down as one of my favorite memories.



K debuted a new hair doo. . . it made me giggle too.

If you see this. . .Please pull over

Wade has decided that riding his scooter in the neighborhood is more liberating if he doesn't have his pants on, and if his parents have no idea he is out there.

Video Crazy

tI have this weird bug on my computer. If I use caps or a tab, I get a weird random t somewhere. I don't feel like fixing it right now, so, if one pops up... just know that is whty! Mkay?

tI took a bunch of silly videos lately. tMty kids are just doing funny things. tI know no one will probably watch them, but the grandparents will! t:t)

Does anyone know how to fix this bugt? It is soooooooooo annotying. tGessh.

tAntyway, here is the first video. tAnd if you can resist the title...

tJaxon Does the tRobot. tI am seriously obsessed with the song he is dancing to. tI just love it right now. tYou know how you just fall in love with a song and listhen to it over, and over and tOVER?? Yeah.. that is this one.

I love the hook and love the remix. tI can't even think of the song it is remixing. I am sure it is an 80s song. tWish tI could think of it.



tThis is a nifty trick I saw Katylie doing while eating peas. . . I was super impressed . tI have never seen a baby do something so dexterile. (tIs that even a word? I think I just made it up) tAntyway. I explain what to look for on the video. If you miss it, rewind.



This is another video of the super talented K. She had the slinkty in her mouth and was pulling it out like a large green tongue. Well, tyou will just have to see what I mean.

tOk, so, she didn't quite get it done in that video, but it is still cute. HERE is the video of the large green tongue. tShe didn't do it that well in this video, but it was hard to capture.

Dear Adam Lambert

Dear Adam,

You are not Beyonce. . .

Nor are you Britney Spears. . .

Hate to break it to ya.


Much Love and Best Wishes,

Lindsey

You can listen to britney's. . . i mean Adam's new single HERE.

Down-right Spooky

I knew putting that one first would make you laugh.. .




Things around here are down-right spooky. .
(Who is that even??? It doesn't even look like my daughter!)

But not because of me. . Because I have not gotten out a single, solitary Halloween decoration. I just can't do it. . . I mean, Where would I put it? Every square inch of surface is taken. Maybe next year. . .There is always NEXT YEAR.

But thanks to Pam, my kids had a lot of fun today. Who is Pam? Wade calls her Grandma, but Pam is Jaxon's respite worker. What is that you might ask? She is a complete and total angel who has been hired (by the stat of Arizona of course) to take Jaxon to and from therapy for me. . .and consequently, she has adopted my kids as her "grand kids" and brings them all sorts of fun stuff. We love her, and if I knew she was going to read this. . (she doesn't have Internet) I would say, PAM... YOU SAVE MY LIFE ALMOST EVERY DAY!


THANK YOU!

SYTYCD-

I LOVED LOVED LOVED So You Think You Can Dance on Monday night. LOVED it. It was awesome... amazing and wonderful... and then, today I read this:

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/10/28/mia-michaels-why-i-left-so-you-think-you-can-dance/?xid=rss-topheadlines


It made me sad. She was hard, weird, and sometimes an egotistical nightmare... but the truth is:

I will miss seeing her work.


Badly.

I AM DOING IT!

I am finally doing it. FINALLY! I have been putting it off for almost 9 months. I was tired, I was worn out, I didn't want to . . . but the thing is. . . It is time.

I am working out
and I am going to lose it. .

Some of it.

The baby weight I mean.

20 lbs.. I hate losing weight. It goes against my natural desire to cook and bake.

I haven't really "tried" since I had Kaylie because I just didn't want to! But I think I am ready. I am sick of looking in the mirror at these 20 lbs. I realized that the people who know me here in AZ pretty much think I look like this all the time. . . Because I have either been pregnant or post pregnant since I have lived here!

Now, I have no excuses. (Except being tired of course) My first excuse was:

I have a newborn! And 3 other kids! And a family crisis going on!!!

The it was: It is Spring Break! My kids are home! I can't do it now!

Then it was: It is HOT outside and I don't have a gym membership and I am MOVING! (I actually did lose a few lbs. during the move, which I promptly gained back)

Then it was: My kids are out of school!

Then: My kids are going back to school!

Then: It is still too hot outside!

Then: My kids are on fall break!

Then: It was going to be: but the HOLIDAYS ARE COMING UP! And before I knew it, it K was going to be a year old and I would be carrying around all the extra lbs. for a year!

I took it as a sign when I found my Slim in 6 diet book. Oh come on, you know I LOVE INFOMERCIALS!

I have used it before... after Jaxon was born (or something like that) and it WORKS. It really does!

I found it a few days ago and realized it was just what I needed to get back on the bandwagon. SOME DISCIPLINE and some DIRECTIONS! It gives you a step by step what to do and what to eat and I need that kind of instruction at the start. . . Otherwise, I lose focus and start eating whatever and then suddenly, I am just off my "diet".

It needs to be hard core at first... until I see some results and believe me. This one IS!

Yesterday was my first day. I was hungry.

But today (day 2) I already feel ok, like I am going to make it. Believe me. It is no fun. I don't eat the same dinner as my family etc. But, it is a 6 day plan. . and ANYONE can do ANYTHING for 6 days, right?

Wanna join me? Let me know. I will e-mail you the details!

GO ME!

I am swirling inside.

Have you even felt that way? Like you have thoughts, desires, images all swirling around in your head and you just can't get them to stop? It starts to feel like you are nervous. . . But I am not. Sometimes that kind of feeling can frustrate me. Tonight, I just think it is kinda funny.

I feel like I am on the edge. Of what, I don't know. Maybe tomorrow will tell me. But, right now, I just want to laugh. I think this would be clinically described as: delirium.

Abby: Since when did she become a tween? Ok, she isn't really a tween, but with Peter spending hours and hours studying, she is becoming my "buddy" and on occasion I find myself being lax on rules to let her hang out with me. . . I NEED SOMEONE TO HANG OUT WITH!! Besides, she suddenly acts like she can "hack it" and like she "gets it". Maybe not all the time, but she puts on a good show. She can still put on the master manipulation tactics and try to get what she wants, but Peter finally told her that wasn't going to get her anywhere and she has tried to put it aside. Such a mature thing to do. . . and then she won't share with her two year old brother at a friends house . . . so IMMATURE. She's right on the cusp, and I love it.

Jaxon: Jaxon re-constructed a scene from PeeWee's big adventure tonight without even knowing it. I didn't realize it until Peter re-enacted it to me again. In short, Jaxon was making a "book" the "book" (i.e. pieces of paper cut up with nothing on them) Got thrown in the garbage can by Abby who was told to clear off the table. To express his feeling on the situation, Jaxon drew a picture of ME: in the kitchen, with a smile, looking the other way, and ABBY: picking up the papers to throw them in the garbage. Then, he proceeded to re-tell the story to us and told Abby she was a liar when she denied it. (Think PeeWee re-enacting the stolen bike. . "IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH THE REST OF US, AMAZING LARRY???) I am sorry, but it was nothing short of hilarious. Especially Peter's re-cap. Seriously. I wish I could document all of the hilarity that he brings to this house. . But there just isn't time in the day.

Of course there are the not-so-fun moments as well. Like when he caused a COMPLETE SCENE when we were in a very small room looking for previously used costumes from a theater company for Abby to wear. He and Wade knocked over an entire rack of clothes and . . . never mind.


Wade: Calls me by my last name. All day long. Even when asking for a cup of juice. I guess I see a future QB in the making. I have tried SEVERAL times to explain to him that that is our LAST name, and that my FIRST name is LINDSEY and that his name is WADE and that he can call me mommy and then the next thing I hear when he is on the potty is. . . . LAST NAME!!!! (Sorry, I have tried to not post that here)

Kaylie: Let's just put it this way. The girl knows what she wants. And don't tell her otherwise. Or she is gonna let you know that . . . THAT ISN'T THE WAY SHE WANTS IT! I have no idea where she gets that from. Seriously. Sometimes it makes me laugh. Like, if I am trying to get her to quiet down and I put the binki in her mouth - - in one swoop, she grabs it out of her mouth and chucks it across the room. That girl has amazing coordination for an almost 9 month old. Seriously. She is crawling like a mad woman, and if you thought my kitchen was messy before, now just imagine it with cheerios scattered to every single corner. . the kitty bowl turned upside down (several times a day if she can manage it). . every garbage can tipped over and magazines that were left inadvertently on the floor- torn to shreds.

No wonder I feel swirly inside.

first words

The first words Wade said after we put his costume on for the trunk or treat were:

"Impressive wingspan!"

Ps- He is getting ready to laser me. . . Obviously.

What to do for fun around here!

I like a deal. A good deal.

So, I thought I would let you in on some "deals" that I have found around here!!

We went to the Arizona State Fair tonight. Most people think that going to the fair would be a serious $$$ activity. However, you CAN do it on the cheap! (Just take your parents like I did!) Ok, aside from that.

Check the website for deals! We went during "Happy Hour" if you can get there before 6 p.m. on a Friday, your ticket will be 1/2 price! Mine was $5 and my 2 kids (under 5 are free) were $2.50 a piece. They have other deals on other days, so, make sure to check the website for further instructions.

GET FREE RIDES! The rides at the fair are CRAZY expensive. Of the rides that we went on two had a 7 ticket value and one had a 5 ticket value. Just to give you an idea, 10 tickets is $5. Of course you can get a pass, and get some off that way, but you can also fill out THIS reading pass for each child over the age of 5 and get 3 free RIDES (not tickets) per kid! Some of the carnies. . oh, I mean, RIDE OPERATORS, even let Wade get on free b/c he was riding with Abby.

Use the parking shuttle so you don't have to pay $10 for parking! I don't know how they did it, but my parents actually found a spot for me on the street! (It is easier when you go early)

Feed your kids before you go, or get $1 pizza and take water bottles to drink instead of buying soda.


MAKUTU'S ISLAND

Have you even been there? SO MUCH FUN! I guess it used to be a Disney's Kid Zone until someone who owns a Football team bought it for his kids to play there. Now that his kids are grown, he has opened it up and my kids thought it was a BLAST! Normally, it is quite an expensive night, but, if you are lookin' for something fun to do, feed the kids and then sign them up for the KID'S CLUB!

You USED to get FREE admission and a FREE shirt, but I guess they figured out that was crazy, and now they just do 1/2 price admission. Still! That is a good deal considering regular admission is $8.50. You can sign each child up and get their own coupon as far as I know!



Chuck E. Cheese

I know the weather is getting nice, and these places are inside, BUT if you sign up for the Chuck e-Cheese e-mail club you can get a rockin' coupon for 1 Large Pizza and 40 tokens for $18.99! HELLO!!! You can spend that just going through a Wendy's drive through! Go to Chuck E. Cheese and let the kids burn off some steam! And the last time we were there, the messed up our pizza order and gave us 100 more tokens! YIPPEE!!

Ok, now that I have shared my secrets, what are yours? What do you do for fun around here??

360

I did it. He had NO CLUE. I showed up at his office at 5:00 p.m. and I had harangued one of his co-workers into keeping him at work. . . No, she did much more than that. She got him OFF work, TOOK HIS SHIFT (he normally works Tuesday nights) AND made sure that he stayed there until I got there. (Andrea... really, THANK YOU)

I went to the reception desk and asked the receptionist to please let Peter know he had a student here. . . This is where my lying catches up with me. I am NOT good on the fly, and when she asked my name, I said . . . PEGGY. Yes, I said PEGGY. Why I could not come up with a more normal name, I will never know.

As soon as the receptionist recited that student "Peggy" was there to see him and "Peggy" did not have a scheduled appointment, my cover was blown. . . Not to mention, Peter was given a standing ovation at work as he was leaving. Not something, if you know my husband, that he appreciates. . . ME:Attention seeking HIM: NOT attention seeking (I don't know how we EVER got together..) Anwho. .

I had a video of him leaving from my secret covert undercover agent that she recorded on her cell. It is on my cell, but I can't figure out how to get it here... MOVING ON.

I took him to dinner. I was informed by my "insiders" that it would take about 1 hour to get there. (NEVER TRUST INSIDERS) We chose a little Sushi joint that was doing 1/2 off night. Even though our meal was quick. It wasn't quick enough. By the time our meal was over, Peter had figured out where we were going by asking two questions:

1- Are we leaving Mesa?

2- Are we going to Glendale?

After that, he knew.

We almost immediately hit traffic on the 10 going to Glendale and it was about 6:30. I wasn't expecting to get there on time... After all, Peter was not going to be heartbroken if he missed some of the Black Eyed Peas.

I, however, WAS going to be heartbroken and sure enough, WE MISSED THE WHOLE FIRST SET.

Here is where I release my UTTER DISDAIN for the person who designed the ON and OFF ramps at the University of Phoenix Stadium as well as the PARKING!!! (they should be fired and never hired again to design public use facilities. . thank you) After 2 HOURS in the car... YES.. 2 HOURS... most of which were spent on the 101 staring at the stadium but not being able to move, we finally got to a parking lot and were told THEY ARE FULL, IT IS CLOSED.

Great.

It is now 8:15 p.m.

And believe me, those parking attendants were OH so helpful about where else to park. We finally just gave up and paid someone who lived near by (not really that near by) to park in their driveway so we wouldn't get towed for parking in the neighborhood and RAN. Yes. WE. RAN. to get to the concert. I wasn't about to miss my 6 months of planning by missing the SHOW!



Luckily, we got in, and well, the concert didn't start until 9:15 p.m. I mean, the Black Eyed Peas were long gone, but Bono... He was yet still to come.

The show was phenomenal, and we had a blast. It was a great surprise, and much needed. As we talked at dinner, we realized that we hadn't been to do something "celebratory" or "special" since our trip to VEGAS. Nothing. Just dinner/movies for 1 1/2 years. I am definitely hoping for our 10 year Anniversary we can pull something together!

For your viewing enjoyment, here are some short vids that I took at the concert. I cannot describe the overwhelming feeling it is to be at one of these concerts. Amazing band . . .(seriously, they have been doing this for 30 years!) Amazing show, Amazing sound... Just

AMAZING.

Enjoy.


This is ABSOLUTELY one of my favorite songs of theirs. I have NO IDEA why I didn't record the whole thing!




Be sure to wait for the hook on this one. Amazing light display.



YAY!

You have to read this story.

I know my page says Happy Thanksgiving. I like it, so, just get over it ok? And we are 11 days away from staring thanksgiving down anyway, so, why not.



When I was in college. . (I was a wild one in college) a few of my girlfriends and hopped in my White Acura Integra (that had the cool fin on the back. . it was my dream. . I loved that car) and we drove to Vegas.



We had a hot date with BONO.



We had bought our tickets on-line (or was it in-line? I can't remember) and we were pumped... as pumped as 5 or 6 college girls on the way to scream their heads off at a concert might be. I don't remember where we stopped. I don't remember where we ate. I don't remember much of anything. Except, when we got there, we were like wild animals. Pulsing with wild anxiety and excitement. (Was that too much of an explanation? I'll think about that one some more.)



Anywho. We found some friends at the concert. They were in the nose bleed section. We were on the floor. At first, we had no idea WHERE our tickets were. We had to ask several people until we could figure it out, and then we were told they were on the floor. . . 11 rows back from the front. We were screaming. . shouting and clutching each other. . jumping up and down and telling our friends our great stroke of luck.



Just as we were doing so, a guy with a U2 t-shirt on told us to give him our tickets. He insisted. We rejected him and said we would NEVER give up our great seats. He smiled at us. . me, my friends, and my friends with the nose bleed seats and said, "I'll give you front row seats."



I guess Bono wanted to stock the stage with some screaming chicks. We were just the girls he was looking for. We grabbed our new seats and headed down with our friends. To be honest, the 11 row seats were better and next to the cat walk. Bono knows how to work a cat walk my friends. He does. Yes. He. Does.

Photo courtesy of some site I just snagged it off of. (Zimbio)

I don't even remember the opening act. I didn't care. Public Enemy maybe? I know. I just wanted to see Bono. The concert was amazing. Seriously. Amazing. I hadn't been to many concerts, but you don't have to stretch your imagination too far to realize U2 is going to put on an awesome show.



Bono walked the cat walk SEVERAL times. I finally climbed the fence. Realizing that my freakishly long arms could maybe grab his pant leg. I am not sure what I would have done with it after that but, I wasn't thinking that far ahead. Here he comes... down the cat walk. . . He picks up someones shoe... he is walking toward me. . REACH... REACH... REACH!!!!!



Bono handed me a shoe.



Who's shoe?



I don't know.



I don't care.



I have a shoe bequeathed to me by Bono. It is a miracle. (ok, maybe that is going too far)



Of course there was a major frenzy in the stands where I was. My friends causing the most of it. A few seconds later security approached me. . .



"You have to give us the shoe."



me: NO!



"It doesn't belong to you"



me: SO!?



"The girl wants it back"



me: I don't care! She chucked it up there!!!!



"Give us the shoe"



They were big. I am Mormon. I gave them the shoe.



U2 is going to be in concert here tonight. I bought tickets. . .





6 months ago





without talking to, or asking my husband.



We have never been to a concert together. . . Married 9 years. I know! 6 months ago, when I bought them, I figured we would be far enough past all of our drama to celebrate. I was close. We still have a lot of drama, but I want to celebrate anyway.



He has no idea.



I wrote this two hours ago.



I am driving to his work right now.



He. Has. No. Idea.

11 days

Isn't that kinda a record for me? I mean, 11 days since you heard from me. . . and no one even wondered where I was. Or did you? Well, I guess I did mention something about fall break, didn't I? Let me just say, it was CRAZY.





I think it was CRAZY good. But there are always some CRAZY BAD moments as well. I was saved in the middle of the 2 1/2 week "break" (it makes me snort a little inside every time I type that word-Break, what a joke) by Peter's parents coming to visit. I am sure they would have LOVED to see Peter for more than the 4 hours they spent with him... But never mind, they had a great time with US!





As a matter of fact, my head is just kinda spinning... spinning... spinning... and no point in getting it to stop now, because K-lo and G-pa are comin' this way today. . So, let's just keep partyin' people. . (But can the kids go back to school now? Please?)





Oh I am awful. Just awful. I am sure if I didn't have crazy K in the mix, I could be gettin' along just fine, but when your baby decides to have a "fussy week" i.e. waking up at 4:00 a.m. FOR THE DAY, while your in-laws, who are trying to rest after jam packed days with 4 kids under 8, are sleeping just down the hall. It just makes for a tired mommy. . . I mean, glazed... over... nobody is home . . kinda feelin' you know? We made the best of it and had a total blast. Even taking in my first visit to the Phoenix Zoo, and now I am a proud card carrying MEMBER! (They spoil us. . anyone else out there have one?-- Let's go together!)

Anywho... we did so much stuff, I can't even remember 1/2 of it. It is a good thing I had my camera with me to document a few good moments. Like Abby and Jaxon riding on the camel at the zoo!


And a few of our peeps at Schneff Farms.

Kinda looks like fall doesn't it? I mean, for a second, Schnepf farms kinda fool you. . . I mean, they have hay bales, and corn mazes, and pumpkins and for a second. . you feel like it is fall! Even in the desert. . . until you step out of the car and it is 100 degrees! It didn't feel too bad to us, but, it took a quick toll on the grandparents. I think we were lucky to get them out of there standing in an up right position! They spoiled us rotten, like they always do, and we had a great time. I hope they did too! Even with that noisy baby down the hall!

Now, it is back to business(?) and the kids have ONE MORE DAY to enjoy the freedoms of no school. I am on the cusp of a secret that I have been keeping for 6 months... I can't believe I have kept a secret for more than 23 hours. I am amazed at myself. Miracles DO happen. I will let you know how it goes over, but to be honest, I am a little nervous. We will see what happens I guess! Until then, treat yourself to some Butterscotch Sauce in my honor. . . this recipe has even started small obsessions in my old neck of the woods. Try it. You will like it.

Random Thoughts

• I am making Pumpkin Muffins right now. Like RIGHT NOW. Make some. Be sure to put the Cream Cheese Frosting on top. . . Don't even think about leaving it off. DON'T. If you do. . you don't love me.
• You will thank me later.
• Take the last swig of milk RIGHT out of the milk jug. It is liberating.
• I fought today, and won. Keep fightin'.
• Loved Nie on Oprah. Loved her synopsis even more.
• I wish they would have spent more time on her. Her story was more 'inspirational' and to me, the other story just seemed plumb tragic.
• Fall TV, do you have any new favorite shows? Let me know, because I could possibly provide my ever so charming critique.
• I need a nap.
• Speaking of which, K woke up upset at about 4:45 (she went back to sleep THANK GOODNESS!). As I walked to her bedroom, I saw the light glowing downstairs. Wade was up watching The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. . It was on to the second video on the DVD. I am not sure how long he was up, but, he has been asking to go back to bed since 10:00 this morning. So, I guess. . . he was probably up since 3:00 a.m.?
• Yes, Wade can turn on the TV, DVD, and even knows how to work the DVR. It is sad/scary, but true.
• My house smells like pumpkin muffins.
• I don't like the smell of this rental. Except for now.
• Applesauce is on sale for $1.75/6 pack at Target. If you buy 5 (=$8.75) they will give you a $5 gift card. . . It is like paying .75 a 6 pack.
• I LOVE COUPONING
• and canning raw meat.