The Snowbirds. . .

We have snowbirds that come to live at our house. They flit about the country anyway, but sometimes they land in our neck of the woods. My kids have named them, Nanna, and Poppa.


They come from time to time when it is too COLD in their neck of the woods.. which would pretty much be now until June, which is, coincidentally, when we like to go THERE.



We love having them. The kids love them here, and they love to spoil us. I would say it is a Win/Win. For those of you that know them, this isn't hard to imagine. They are spoilers by nature. When the spoilers are here I like to show them around. I am still pretty new around here... so, it is kinda fun for me too!


This time, Nanna showed up sick. :( But we still had LOTS of fun with Poppa. We went on bike rides, and checked out the new park and showed them around a bit (see above link) and then, he took us to a show. . .

Disney On Ice to be exact. . Poppa asked us if we brought our binoculars. . We OBVIOUSLY didn't need them. . .Jokester.

We had three thrilled kids. Wade had NO idea what was coming, but let me tell you, when he saw this.....


He was MORE than a little excited. I don't think he moved through the whole "Cars" part of the show.

Of course we had to get him a "My Queen" hat. . . which daddy seemed to want to wear more.

And, the great thing about Jaxon is... if you don't get him a hat, you can always convince him the cotton candy bag is ACTUALLY a hat. He is easy like that.

Poppa made up for it later by getting the Ta-mater hat too... notice how the BIG boys ended up with the hats and the little boys ended up with nada.

THANK YOU POPPA!

We had an awesome time!

Two-fer

Ok, because I love you I will give you yet ANOTHER post today because:


1- I didn't blog about The Bachelor this week. . . wanna know why? Because I read THIS post, and it was so stinkin' picture perfect in every way that I couldn't even give it any competition... (not that I want to compete). . Check it out.

and


2- Because it is national De-lurking day!!! Did you know that?? I didn't either!!! But because I am a HUGE fan of de-lurking.. come on. Today is YOUR day. Say hello!

Are you a regular reader?
Who sent you here?
How long have you been reading?
Do I know you?

SAY HI! (It means a lot)

Family Newsletter

My Dad's family has a family newsletter. It is big... Like seriously big. Like, I can't even tell you how many people have to contribute to this newsletter, but I know that every year I get a copy of the "newsletter" and it has more than 100 double-sided pages..



I am amazed that someone has the time or energy to put it together, and I seriously want to take a poll on who reads it, because I only read my own families' letters... sad huh? I need to get the family newsletter to see what they are up to? Just kidding. I mean, I know what they are up to, but I like to read what they wrote. . . Ok, on occasion I will read my cousins' newsletters, but that is about it. Maybe this year I will scan for members of my extended family that live in AZ. I know there are some here, but I have no idea who they are!



I was dutifully writing my letter to contribute when I realized that I hadn't really given a family update here for a while. I have been meaning to contribute an "update" on each child individually, but maybe, for history, I should include the family newsletter. I am sure there are those of you who were thoroughly disappointed when your Christmas card came without one. Sorry! That is what my BLOG is for! You want to know what I am up to? READ MY BLOG.



But, for a little update on the kiddies.. here is one for you.

Finally! A new year! This year seemed to drag on a bit for the W family since we have had many challenges since our move to AZ in 2008 (understatement of the decade). We were hoping for a better year in 2009, and it is slowly, but surely getting better (It is, for the most part). The good news is, Peter found work (YAY!)with the University of Phoenix here in AZ! Currently, he is working as an enrollment counselor, but is getting his MBA-IT at the same time and hopes to put his Project Management and PMP designation to work soon (that would be lovely since he is QUALIFIED for a better job)! We are looking for greater opportunities within the company. Hopefully, that will happen this year! (We are Really, REALLY, hoping for this one!!!)

I (Lindsey) have been trying to hold down the fort by accomplishing yet ANOTHER move in June (Seriously, it is sick how many times we have moved). Really, someday we will settle down and not move so much! I swear! Someday it will happen! (I really truly honestly believe this.. I don't know where we will be, but it will happen) We hope sooner than later. I almost protested unpacking the house this time because what is the point?!? I still did, and we are feeling more settled. Kaylin was born early in 2009 (Feb 4th to be exact) and having a new baby in the house always comes with it's own set of challenges. We are pretty certain she was ABSOLUTELY meant to be in our family (there was literally only ONE time it was HUMANLY POSSIBLE, and we got pregnant-- is that TMI?), but, she has definitely come into our family with her own set of DEMANDS! My life is kept very busy keeping her out of trouble and making sure the rest of the family gets fed and gets clean clothes.. I am hoping that someday this "phase" comes to a wonderful . . . CONCLUSION! (please let it end) In my spare time (What is that anyway), I like to blog (did you know that all of those OTHER colors are links to my actual blog posts!! COOL HUH! )(just kidding) to keep my family and friends updated with what I am doing and I just recently started selling Pampered Chef. I LOVE THAT STUFF! I am hoping to build my business, so, if you have any friends in AZ that need some Pampered Chef stuff, let me know! Now, on to the rest of the family! (Yeah, let me know!!! I need to book some parties!)

Abby (8) was baptized in August of 2008. I really can't believe I have a child who has been baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! What a wonderful experience for everyone! She is a great helper with her little sister and loves to play the piano, (we just found one on Craig's list for $100) (She just started lessons this week and dutifully plays her songs every day without me even having to tell her.. I love it! I love that SHE loves it! Best $100 I ever spent!) and she loves to do Theater and is in her theater group at school. When Kaylin gets a little older, I hope to get Abby into a Theater Club but there aren't very many close by and I am not ready to drive a screaming one year old all around town(never in a million years would I do that right now... never).. Maybe in 2011! She does great in school and LOVES it! She started Tennis lessons last year and loves trying any thing new.

Jaxon (6) is doing very well! In 2006, Jaxon was diagnosed with PDD-NOS and is on the Autism spectrum. The services here in Arizona are amazing for him and we have concluded that even though life have been rough for mom and dad since the move to AZ, it has been great for JAXON! He gets amazing therapy and services that we would never have been able to get him before. It is great. He has learned to read (Major accomplishment) and is in a mainstream Kindergarten class at school! We are so proud! (Except for when he comes home without a Happy Gram, which means he punched a kid... which happened at least 3 times last week. :(

Wade (2) is pretty much the light of our lives and I let him get away with just about anything (I really do, and it infuriates my husband). I never thought it would happen, but, it is true (I am a type A -never bend parent.. unless I am dealing with Wade and then I am just a big pile of goo). I don't know if my defenses have just finally been worn down, but I will let him have/or do just about anything (within reason of course) because he flashes me a smile and tells me he loves me... without prompting! (I heart him) It is awesome. He is a great buddy and is a pretty go with the flow sort of kid. A GREAT addition to our VERY crazy family (I thank my lucky stars for him every day). He helps me throughout the day and loves to play with "babygirl" his sister Kaylin. He is potty trained and turning 3 soon! We are going to try to get him into pre-school in 2010!

Kaylin (almost 1) notice how she kinda infiltrated everyone else's update? That is just how she rolls. She is into EVERYONE'S business! But we still love her. SHE however, mostly loves her daddy, and when we met him for lunch just yesterday, she saw him walking through the parking lot from 200 yards away and started screaming and kicking her feet with joy at the sight of him.. Yes, it is love, true love, and I am soooooo grateful for that break at the end of the day! (the love she has for him is completely un-real and I am so not jealous because I can't WAIT to hand her over at the end of the day!)

We feel blessed and know we are not alone in our trials. (If you ever need a shoulder, I have two.. I know there are a LOT of you out there who are looking for work right now, and I am thinking of you!) That we are watched over and that many others are suffering through trials as well. We feel for you, know your pain and hope and pray that things will get better for ALL of us! Best wishes on a truly great new year! (It can only go up from here!)

Lindsey and Family.

You gotta go HERE

*Image totally poached from their website.

I like to check AZ central for all things : Best of. I call upon my self to entertain my in-laws while they are here, and for the most part, I think I do a pretty good job.. One time, we took them (I mean, they took us) to dinner HERE. It was seriously the best Mexican food I have had. . . LIKE. . EVER!

If you LOVE you a good Mexican place with a fine dining flare.. you have got to try this place. It is not el-cheapo, but if you are looking for some good food and maybe a special occasion, try it.

Yum o! My gosh.. it was good. . anywho.. I always try to find some sort of fun little place. They are adventurers.. they like to tread off the beaten path and if I can help them, I WILL!

We also visited this little place called HIGLEY HOT DOG HUT it is supposed to be the best Chicago Style Hot Dog in town.. I have no idea what to expect for a Chicago Style Hot Dog, but, I thought they were awesome... They are cash only.. and you know, if you are going to take the time to try out a HOT DOG HUT because you are a fan of hot dogs, or because you tread off the beaten path too, well, ORDER THE SPECIAL which happens to be "The Works" if you have EVER been to a so called "greasy spoon" before you recognize quickly that they have a specialty, and it is usually what they are famous for.. so, for the good love of a hot dog. ORDER THE SPECIAL! (or you might be disappointed) mkay? If you do go to a greasy spoon and Don't order the special.. you get what you deserve! PUNK!

Moving back to Organ Stop Pizza. It was voted on AZ Central by the critics (Please don't listen to the public consensus! The only taste they have is in their mouth!) as best Family Restaurant. I had no idea what to expect, but was ready to put it to the test. Plus, it boast a gigantic organ in the walls of the restaurant which sounded interesting/fun/and loud which are all pluses when your last child get scream louder, longer and higher than Mariah Carey.

Peter met us there after work (it is right by his office) and when we got there, I asked him if he had been inside yet. He said, "Yeah, it looks like Senior night.... like EVERY night is Senior NIGHT!" Don't let that deter you though.. Since we had a senior with us (SORRY GRANDPA! --He can't figure out how to read this blog, so, it is ok) it was ok. . . It was WAAAAAAAAAAAY more entertaining than I thought it would be because at 5:30 on the money a 30 minute show started that was. . . to say in the least. . spectacular. If you don't want to hear The Phantom of the Oprah screaming from the walls of a pizza joint, don't go. But Abby and I didn't want to leave!!!! The pizza isn't cheap, but if you get full on entertainment, I say it is worth it... or take your sweet senior, who will STINKIN' LOVE THIS PLACE and enjoy (and have them pay).

Plus, the amazing, awesome organ player takes requests... and she is good. How about a little Mama Mia on the organ or the Star Wars theme??? AWESOME. Go.

This is ME: right now.

Stie, Ilene and Jessica think they are so, so, so, brave... Girls... say hello to how I look EVERY DAY!

yes, I purse my lips like that all the time.. don't you? They are all part of a blogger movement called, "Keepin' it real".. However, the thing is.. I really don't know how to not. I do not always post roses and sunshine. As a matter of fact, I actually have labels on my sidebar named "UGH" and "RANTS", why I need two separate labels for complaining, I will never know. [Oh wait, ask my husband] and from the looks of it, I would say between the total of those two "categories" it adds up to 34 if you are playing along.. the only other labels that add up more than that are "confessions" and . . . you guessed it. . . FOOD. (Oh, and funnies, because my life is so stinkin' hilarious)

That is what I am all about people. Really. If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you already know that.. and although I like to spread joy and sunshine as much as the next person, I know that is not what my blog is all about, and actually, I hope that is why you read it... because it IS REAL. (oh, and because I write notes to celebrities and talk about reality tv)

But, I want my bloggy sisters above to know that they are not... ahem... alone. As a matter of fact, I am RARELY caught with both MAKE UP AND HAIR DONE at the same time. (ONLY AT CHURCH) and I am just lucky if I can get one or the other done... and you might ask, "Why, if you took that picture just now, Lindsey, does it look like you just took a shower?" And I would say, "Because I did. It is 9:45p.m. on a Friday night, and I DID, IN FACT, JUST, Take a shower" And believe it or not, I was among the general public today with NO shower and NO make-up. I went to In and Out with my husband (poor guy) and Walmart (where I was generally accepted as looking GREAT) and Toys R Us. . . Oh, and the Costco gas station and then I cleaned my house like a CRAZY WOMAN because my in-laws are coming into town tomorrow and it seriously looked like an A-bomb had gone off in my house... because. . .

Since coming home from the holiday Abby has had Strep, Peter, myself and Abby had the Stomache Flu, Wade had impentiago and Abby also had an allergic reaction to her antibiotic. Not to mention "CHRISTMAS" arrived in boxes this last week and I had LOTS of help getting it unpacked, but not so much help getting it put away. Not to mention 2 weeks of held mail... and we ALL know how much I L.O.V.E. mail.

Anyway, I needed a reason to get it all put away, and now that it is, I can breathe a sigh of relief and look around at my clean house and wonder why it took me so long to get it that way. . . Girls, I am just saying, THAT is keepin' it real.

Wings of Love

* pic courtesy of abc.com

Anyone have that song stuck in their head today??? No? Just me?

Alright... wouldn't be the first time.

To those of you who watched the Bachelor last night the only word I can think of to sum it up was...


AWKWARD.

Wasn't it?

Was it Jake? (I know there are a lot of Jake haters out there... don't hate him because he is awkward--think of a better reason)

Was it the HORRIBLE, GOOFY, STUPID (I hate that word-- and for the record, I hate the word hate) ONE liners the girls were coming up with. I mean, I have never heard worse in the HISTORY of bad opening one liners!!!

Moving on...

Ed and Jill: We get it, you are still together... but I have to admit, I was watching Ed like a HAWK for any slip ups... looking too long.. looking down... looking at all... it was distracting.

Ali- She is my fav right now... She was fun, not too attached, cute, and really tried to make the best of it, even though she was sick and didn't play the "I'm sick" card as hard as she could have.

Elizabeth from NEBRASKA??? Puhlease! How 'bout Elizabeth from LA who is trying to jump start her career. I am not going to say I didn't like her, but, I think her intentions were CLEAR.

Christina- Jelly Beans? A little too much on the I'm gonna show you side. Don't you think? Too much.

Michelle- Too weepy.. Especially for the first night,

and Rosyln-- Too model-y.

In the end, I think Jake might surprise us all and pick... NO ONE? Maybe... if Bachelor would, it would be him.. Not because no one is perfect enough (HI BRAD WOMACK) But because he really is just a good guy, lookin' for a good girl and there wasn't one who answered the casting call.

We will see!

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.