Caught Red-Handed!

Christian and Peanut are best buds....and I think I know why. This shot was taken just after Christian dropped his graham cracker on the floor for Peanut. He did the same this morning with his Cheerios. Some say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach....it appears that the same holds true with a dog.

Endorsement day

I was reading my friend Camie's blog and she was raving about a great body wash. It reminded me that I have been meaning to spread the good word about a foot scrub that I've been using. It's called "Rescue Me" and it's by Get Fresh--the Lemongrass line. When I tell you that it works miracles, please believe me. Before I began using this product, my heels were extremely dry and cracked. I had tried EVERYTHING--vaseline, lotions, sleeping with socks on, wearing socks all the time, etc... Whether wintertime or summer, my heels were dry and cracked.

I went and got a pedicure months ago and the lady who gave it to me suggested this product. She said that people with poor blood circulation are prone to dry and cracked feet and that her clients with diabetes (and they have horrible circulation) that use this come half as much as they used to because it has helped them so much. Apparently, Oprah has even endorsed it.

I put a small amount on my feet every morning after showering and my heels and feet are now super soft and there are no more cracks! Try it and finally get soft feet!

Cubby's Birthday Bash!

Cubby celebrated his 29th birthday on Friday! We had a fun day filled with his favorite things (and food, of course!)

Cubby worked a shorter day (10-2) and so he was able to sleep in a bit and play with the kids before heading out; I made his favorite breakfast of french toast and bacon and Emily was the first to wish Daddy a happy birthday by singing him a birthday song. Christian clapped along and was happy to have Daddy home so much in the morning! After Daddy left for work and while Christian napped, Emily and I decorated our dining area in birthday attire.

After Cubby came home, we played downstairs (it was very chilly outside!) and then Grandma Karen, Grandpa Harvey, Uncle Kyle and his girlfriend, Teela, came over for some serious partying...well, a BBQ, cake and presents kind of party :-). We BBQ'd hamburgers and hot dogs and we even had french fries in honor of the birthday boy. Emily made everyone wear birthday hats and she even tried (and liked) hamburgers! Christian, we discovered, loves french fries (no surprise there!!). After dinner, we opened presents, Cubby blew out his candles, and we ate some delicious cake that my mom had made.

It was a fun day all around and I'm so grateful to have such a terrific husband. He is a loving father who puts his family first and always tries to make us happy. I'm so lucky to have known Cubby these last 7 years! (We'll have been married six of them next weekend!) Happy Birthday, Honey!

Nerd Alert!

Last night was "Bookclub" night. It was great to get together and talk about what we've been reading and gab with the girls a bit too! The book we read this past month was Eragon; a book I really did enjoy, despite my frustrations with how slow it moved a points. Now, for those of you who have not read Eragon, this post won't make much sense. However, for anyone who has, I had an "ah-ha" moment last night after I got home.

We had been discussing that Eragon is a bit like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter combined. (Fantasy, magic, etc...) However, I realized that Eragon is even MORE like another popular trilogy--STAR WARS! Yes, an evil Empire, a new hope (Eragon) who has a dead mother and lived with his uncle (who gets killed) and goes on a quest for who he is and where he comes from with an old friend who is more than he appears to be and gives him valuable training (Brom being the Obi-wan character)....who both get killed by the way too. He has an unknown father and a secret sibling out there too...just like Luke Skywalker. So, I've been reading Star Wars with a dragon. The second book, Eldest, seems to be an Empire Strikes Back-kind-of book too so far.

Anyhow, I know I'm a HUGE nerd for blogging about this (and for even knowing enough about each of these stories to make this comparison in the first place), but I just couldn't let it go with out being said.

My newly green thumb

Yesterday and today have been gorgeous and glorious! We've spent as much time as possible outside, making the most of it. Yesterday, while the kids were napping, I neglected the house for 20 min and went outside on our deck with a book and soaked up some sun. It made me remember those summer days when I was a teenager and would go to the pool, lay out and read all afternoon....ah, the good-ol' days.

Today however, I decided to do alittle "yard work." Now, for those of you who have grown up doing actual yard work, you'll probably just chuckle at my feeble attempts. But, I have to start somewhere, right? In the past, my yard work consisted of mowing the lawn and sweeping up afterward. Last spring and summer I was either too pregnant to bend over or Christian was too busy nursing for me to get out.

So, I got out my handy little clippers and proceeded to trim the edges where the mower misses (around the flowerbeds, gutters, house, etc...). Then, I noticed that my rose bushes (that my mother planted last summer) needed to be pruned. Keep in mind I've never pruned anything before. But, I figured as long as I stuck to cutting whatever was brown and dead-looking, and leaving the green stuff, I'd be okay. (For those of you who do garden, did I do it right???) I hope so. In any case, I was pretty proud of myself and I think I'll go buy some flowers to plant next! By the way, is there anything I should do first before starting to plant them???

Weekend In Review...and can anyone say, Craigslist?

The weather was wonderful this weekend. And that, of course, is cause for some busy times outside! On Saturday, we decided, along with the rest of Omaha, to go to the Zoo! When we first arrived, it was too busy and so Cubby drove over to Kennefick Park and we looked at the trains. The kids liked the big wheels and just being outdoors.

After the trains, we ventured over to the zoo. We stuck to the outdoor sights (since the indoor ones were way too crowded and it was gorgeous--so who wants to be inside anyway???). Christian loved the elephants and Emily said that seals were "baptizing" (they were swimming around). The kids got pretty worn out, but we had a great time together.

Sunday brought on Stake Conference (for Emily and Cubby....after Saturday's activities, Christian needed to rest so he and I stayed home). After afternoon naps, we headed outdoors again and played in the backyard for the rest of the day! It was a little windy, but the kids couldn't have been happier. We got the yard toys out of the shed and they both had fun sliding, mowing and running around.

The day was topped off with something that, if I had had my video camera running, could've bagged us $10,000 with AFV! Cubby was boucing on the trampoline as hard as he could...trying to touch the ground. Yeah, can everyone see where this is going? One minute he went up, the next, he went THROUGH! Our trampoline is no more. So, we're checking out Craigslist for a replacement! Enjoy the pics!

A Creative Morning!

Emily and I had a fun morning together. Now that Christian naps on schedule, we don't get to playgroup on Fridays as much as I'd like, but having to stay at home does give Emily and I a chance to have some much-needed "Mommy and me" time.

First, this morning we got out the marshmallows and toothpicks. We made some of her favorite aquatic creatures--a shark, two rays, a hermit crab, a jelly fish (and the "Weird Spider" from Toy Story). The rays, crab, and such turned out decent, but the shark looks like something George Lucas may have created...but then scrapped. Emily thought it was great though so I guess that's all that counts. She also loves the camera and hence, the picture of me with our creations...she's actually a decent photographer for being three!

After that, Emily wanted to pretend she was "Handy Manny" (from the Disney channel). She got her tools out and then asked me what I needed "fixed." I looked around the kitchen and saw thatthe color sorter I'd made needed to get glued. (Christian had discovered how I'd previously attached the felt with velcro and had started tearing them off and eating them.) I got out the glue and showed her what to do and voila!

Super-Mom's Sidekick

This is Emily's new schedule. Really, her routine is the same and so it's not that different from her "old" schedule, it's just now on display. However, I wanted to blog about it just in case there is anyone else out there who thinks it's a cool idea and wants to try it with their child. Each morning at breakfast, we put together her schedule--it's a lot of fun for her to see what day of the week it is and where her day is going. She likes to be the one who attaches everything to the sheet :-).

I must confess though; this was not my creative genius at work. Rather, it was the lack of it! My friend, Liz, had put this together for her daughter and she was kind enough to email it to me and I only adapted it for Emily. Liz is Super-Mom. Can I be her trusty sidekick? What would my sidekick name be?

Christian's First (Video'd) Steps!

Here is a sneak peak of what Christian will soon be doing all of the time....WALKING! He's been doing the "drunken sailor" walk for a couple of weeks now, but this is the first time we've been able to catch it on video. He actually walks even better than what we got, but he was tired (you'll see eye rubbing) and ready to move on to the next activity (which happened to be bathtime!). He had been walking to either Cubby or I, but when we started the video, his attention shifted to a ball and thus, he turns a corner and makes his way over to the ball. (What a boy!) In any case, we're very excited about his new skill and hope everyone will enjoy our little "baby" walking!

Wanted: Extra Dough

So, I really, really, really, really need some highlights. 'Trouble is, it's so darn expensive to color my hair every three months! (And to wait and do it every 6 months is just not pretty...trust me.) I have figured out how much I need to save each week to be able to afford to do this, and it's not a large amount. However, how to go about earning this extra cash, is what I'm blogging about. I'm considering the following options: (keeping in mind that I can't go out and get a job at Target or Pottery Barn b/c I'm still nursing and can't stay away too long.)

1. Sell vital organs (I don't need that much money, so this option is a "no")
2. Get a paper route (A couple of afternoons a week and a small route-this could work, but I need to call the newspaper about this.)
3. Babysit someone's child for a couple of hours once a week--honestly, I don't need much money and this may be my best option. Does anyone want a break for 2-3 hours/week in the mornings???

If I knew how to "make" anything or be crafty, I would consider that as a option. But, I don't and I'm not. I also do not own musical instruments so giving lessons is out. It's very frustrating b/c I have a Bachelor's and could be making some serious money if I were to work outside of the home. Don't get me wrong, I DON'T want to work outside of the home b/c I LOVE being at home and watching my children grow. I just wish I could put my skills that I have with my degree to work for me from home so I wouldn't have to be considering a paper route just so that I could afford to highlight my hair!

If anyone has any suggestions on what has worked for them to earn a little extra cash, I'd love your input. I'm just having one bad hair day after another and it's making me grumpy :-).

She knows how to make Mommy smile

"Look, Mommy! I've cleaned up the living room!" Ah, what more could a mother ask for???

The Queen (Grand) Mother

I'm terrible about keeping a real joural (I'm working on starting up again). One of the reasons I started blogging was to record thoughts and events and such that otherwise, would go unwritten and thus, forgotten. This post is dedicated to my mom--one of the sweetest and most generous and loving people ever to have walked the face of this earth.

My mom is always willing to help. Whether she hears the panic or exhaustion in my voice and leaves early from work to relieve me during a tough day, or if I just need her organizational expertise in tackling Emily's closet and dressers full of clothes, she's there to help. (And organizing is her true medium as an artist!)

My mom also shares in my joys. Yesterday, Christian took a 2 hr and 10 min nap. Those of you who have children that do this on a regular basis may be thinking, big deal, right? Well, for Christian that is double the time of his normal naps. I told my mom this and she yelled with delight and jumped up and down with me. She understood how great that was for me and really helped me to enjoy it even more!

Finally, my mom LOVES her grandkids. (To be fair, this is a very common thing for almost any grandparent though, right?) However, unlike other grandparents who are happy to sit and just watch the kids play, my mom plays.....and plays and plays. She is Emily's favorite person (Cubby and myself come in second and third) and Christian just lights up when he hears her voice. She finds true joy in being around her grandchildren and teaches me how to "play better" whenever she's around.

There are so many more things that I could write about this incredible woman that I've somehow lucked out enough to be able to call her "Mom". I'm just so grateful for all that she is and all that she does. I hope I can someday become the mother that she always has been, and continues to be, to me. I love you, Mom!

My Little Picaso

While Christian was napping this morning, Emily and I got out her easel and she busied herself painting while I caught up on some dusting...it's amazing what can get done while the little one sleeps! LOVE IT!

Well, Emily pulled me into the kitchen when she was done with each painting and with the last one she did, she painted her name! (She wrote it on the chalkboard yesterday for the first time, but erased it before I could snap a picture!) But, I was ready this time! True, the letters are a little tough to make out (and "Emily" takes up two lines) but it was just so exciting that she's started to write her name (and other letters more consistently)!

(The lighting makes it hard to see too, but hey, I know what it says!)

Ten Reasons that Today was Great!

1. Emily had "so much fun!" at her friend, Xavier's house this morning.
2. While Christian was napping this morning, I tried my hand at making homemade crescent rolls...it did NOT work. However, I learned a valuable lesson: check the expiration date on yeast BEFORE you make the dough.
3. While Emily was at Xavier's, Christian and I were able to take Peanut out for a walk. Alittle cold this morning, but Christian just LOVES being outside and, of course, Peanut loved it too.
4. Both children took great afternoon naps!!!!! And, despite having a dirty diaper, as I found when he woke up later, Christian was able to put himself back to sleep after waking up during his nap! FINALLY!
5. I was able to reconnect with an old friend whom I hadn't spoken to in about 8 years. It was sooo great to catch up with her!
6. While I was on the phone, the kids were REALLY well-behaved. I was also finishing up baking cookies (Peanut-butter blossoms...yum...) and starting dinner while talking so it was so great that they kept themselves busy for a bit!
7. It got much warmer and sunnier outside this afternoon and I was able to take the kids outside for some playtime before dinner. I LOVE SPRING!
8. My wonderful husband kept the kids busy and happy while I met my friend, Ilise, at the gym for a good, hard run.
9. We had Family Home Evening tonight (Monday and Tuesday nights got away from us) and Emily taught the lesson. So cute!
10. Both children went to bed extremely well and so I'm able to make this fun little list and relax a bit before I collapse :-).

The Missing Link

Here's a picture of the family at the zoo. Oh, and there's Kathleen, Chrisitan, and Emily in the foreground. - Cubby (Kathleen wanted me to post something).