Happy Holidays!

Book Group. We have our December meeting at Ann's and we do an ornament exchange. Thanks ladies for giving me some place to go once a month that is girls only! Tucson. Dan didn't come down with us this time because of work. We had a great time going to the ward Christmas party, picking Lindsey up from ballet, celebrating Em's bday, watching Alyssa in 'A Christmas Carol', baking Cmas cookies, celebrating Ryan's bday and having Christmas with the gang
Amie had us over on a half day to make 'gingerbread' houses. Here is Ryan chowing down on his. Thanks Amie for the fun activity!

Alex's G Man

Go to Safeway.com and build your own gingerbread man!

Eurpoe: 2

Getting to church was an adventure. I had to take 2 buses to get there. I called the mission home to get directions. I couldn't understand the American telling me where to go. Termini Station? What the heck is that? He kept saying, 'It will be fine. Just come.' He had more faith than I did! I studied this huge street and bus directory for a good 2 hours on Saturday night.
The first Sunday I made it! I had to walk up a long empty street to get to the square it was located in. It was a sunny and beautiful day. I had been in Italy 2 days maybe and I was excited to meet some new people. I walk in to a building that looked like a storage unit. Once my eyes adjusted to the dark room I thought, 'Jackpot!' Standing everywhere were these beautiful men in suits! OK, so you already know what is going to happen and who these men were. Why was I so dumb?
'Hi, I'm Crystal.' 'Hi, I'm Elder so and so' Hmmm, he has no badge. Ok, I'll try again.
'Hi, I'm Crystal.' 'Hi, I'm Elder so and so' Hmmm, he has no badge. Ok, I'll try again.
'Hi, I'm Crystal.' 'Hi, I'm Elder so and so' Hmmm, he has no badge. 'Where are your badges?'
'Oh, there was a bomb threat on the American Embassy so we were asked to not wear our badges today.'
HUGE let down... I walked in to the International Branch where the mission home attended. At the end of the services the two available men sought me out and so I did hang out with one Italian named Tiziano (who once said to me, 'You have Scooby doo in America?!) and a BYU student who had served his mission in Italy named Paul Formisano (he had Italian roots).
Church was good. I traveled a lot on Sundays, so the Relief Society never really knew me. The headsets would break, so I listened to quite a few sermons in Italian. Sunday School was in English so that was nice.
When you travel, go to church. It was good to be on the other side of the language barrier. It was good to see the saints using the same material we use. The gospel IS true everywhere!

Jumble

This is from Black Friday. I got up and went to our new SuperTarget. It wasn't too bad. I walked in and got what I wanted in about 5 minutes. I went ahead and picked up the Polar Express. When the boys got up I put it in and they really enjoyed it. Alex loves to act out what he has watched on TV (which is one reason I have to be careful of what he watches). So, here they are playing 'Polar Express'.

I took this picure on Dec 1st. I can not believe Alex can wear shorts to school in December. He has only worn pants 2 days this year. I had to take this picture because he was so cute in his jacket. And Dan had to put his hand in the picture. Figures.

Ryan and I made treats this week. The little boys and I are going to Tucson this weekend 1) to watch Alyssa in 'A Christmas Carol' 2) to celebrate Em's bday 3) to do our Christmas with them. I always organize something for June for her gift. Last year it was the garage. This year I'm going through the VHS closet. Honestly, who needs a closet full of tapes?! My father in law believes they do. Hopefully I can be tactful and respectful when I'm dumping all the tapes of stuff recorded off the TV. (Dan does have a tape of some basketball tournament that I'm not allowed to throw away even though we don't own a VCR anymore. So I'm sure I won't be ditching all of the old stuff.)

Ryan only ate 2 candies while we were cooking. Ryan is like his Uncle Jason. He loves to cook. He loves to work on mechanical things. He loves to play with kids. I like to duel Jason when we get together. It is my way of making him hang out with me! Anyway, I have beat him at battleship, chinese checkers, and quoridor. He has beat me at Risk. This weekend I'll have another chance to use my mental prowess. He says we have to play a game that is logically based (and I can't play chess very well so that is out). Any suggestions?

Genius

I think the boys learned the definition of 'genius' from spongebob squarepants. Alex said, 'Dad you're a genius." And Dan asked why. "Because you can juggle."
Ryan giggles and says "Dad you a genius." So we ask Ryan what he thinks is a genius. "Genius is a clown." Both boys are laughing and having a good time.
So, good news if you can juggle like Dan, YOU ARE A GENIUS! As for me and the rest of us who can't, I guess we are just normal.

Simple Pleasures

I love walking with Alex from the bus stop. We take it nice and easy, maybe a ten minute walk. He immediatly asks what I did that day. Most days, I'll admit, I'm annoyed mostly because the lists consists of Ryan watching TV and me reading. What's to brag about that! But my reward is hearing about kindergarten and his joys. I am glad I can remember being 5 and how important my world was to me. I'm glad that I take the time to empathize and listen and even play with him. My own mother was so busy taking care of our lives when I was that age that she had so little time for one on one with me. I am blessed to have a husband who can support us and gives me the freedom to stroll as long as I want with my little boy and listen about Aiden the caterpillar or how funny the number seventeen with the fuzzy hair was in the smart board video that day. I love my Alexander. He is the best!

At 6:27 in the early morning darkness I could hear the pitter patter of tiny feet coming down the hall. When the steps reached my room I could hear the little hiccups that were coming from my visitor. He must have just been checking to see if we were up yet. He left the room hiccuping down the hallway back to his room. So cute!

Mitford. I 'went' to Mitford yesterday for Christmas. I love Father Tim and I like to check on him from time to time. Also, what solace to the soul Jan Karon's characters are. They are fresh and real to me. Also, there was new love in 'Abiding Shepherds' (the 8th in the Mitford series) which made me realize that that is what I have. I pure Christ centered love affair (unlike that 'other' series of books I also enjoy but must keep at bay). I am so glad that I have this kind of pure love instead of the wild hormone driven other kind. (I'm not against hormones but I think the Lord would want us to be virtuous rather than ravenous if you know what I mean. Also, it is so draining to let your hormones to be in control all of the time!)

Ryan playing with matches. I caught him trying to strike the matches on a piece of paper. Luckily he had never seen us actually light one or we would have been in trouble.
This may be normal for your kids, but mine are very clean eaters usually and it was a joy to see him be such a mess and EATING!

Twilight the Movie

Because my opinion matters...

Do not spend $10 to watch this movie. Do spend $12 and go buy the soundtrack. Do spend a $1 at the red box just so you know what you missed.
Rob Pattinson was gorgeous in a few scenes. However, the makeup and contacts weren't all that great for him. I do hope that Mr. Pattinson gets a chance to fill another role as a Brit. He is talented and I think part of his poor acting came from having to practice every line to get his accent out. He wasn't 'free' to fill in the role I don't think.
I went in hoping for Harry Potter quality but instead witnessed an after school special.
It did not help that girls would SCREAM every time 'Edward' came on scene.
Bella was not dazzled, befuddled or stunned by Edward. Obviously it is hard to make a person blush, but this Bella was a little too tough for me.
The good news: the books will not be tainted by watching the movie. None of the actors (except for Chief Swan) will even stay in my mind while reading through them again.
Mostly I feel cheated. I was hoping for a quick movie to get a fix for my addiction, but alas, I'll just have to delve into the Saga every few months instead.

Old Lady

I'm in denial. Our toaster oven is at least 5 years if not 7 years old. I have been anxious to get a bigger and better one. So when ours finally started to show its age I was excited! Then Tuesday morning I went to toast and only one heating element worked. Half a toasted piece of bread is not yummy. Hooray! We have to have a toaster so today is the day.
I looked at the LnT closeout sale. I went to Target. I gave up and went to Wal-Mart. I had decided I didn't want a monster oven that wouldn't toast well. I really just wanted one like mine. But they don't make them the same these days. The features I want: exterior cool touch (I have kids that I don't want to get burned) and toasting button (I don't want to have to guess how long to set the timer every time I want toast). I just bought the cheapest one and brought it home. I took it out; set in on the counter; read the instructions; used it for breakfast the next day.
An hour after breakfast I unplugged it and put the old one back. I'd prefer my 'antique' than that new safety hazard (I think the exterior must have been 200 deg!). Dan came home and asked what had happened. I gave him the run down. He said 'You are being just like Grandma. You are an old lady. You are afraid of change.' We have other things that have passed their prime and I wonder if I'll be able to cope when the time comes to replace it. I survived the new vacuum (barely) so maybe if I just hunt long enough I'll be able to find an oven I love. Any suggestions?

Woooooo- Pig Sooie!

We are going home. We are heading in a car for a 1243.31 mile trip (18 hours according to mapquest) back to northwest Arkansas for Christmas. It has been over a year since I've been home and I'm ready to be back. It stinks that we'll be back for winter instead of fall or spring. It isn't too cold there usually, but it can get cold and icy. My desert rats will be freezing!
I want to take Alex up to the UoA. The University of Arkansas has an old tradition of engraving all the graudates names on the sidewalk. I want to show him my name. He asks a lot about what I did when I was young. I didn't live in AR until I was 11, so I won't be taking him back to my early childhood, but I can show him the places that made me, me!
It will be good for the boys to meet my family (since I'm sure they don't remember them too much) and to see how many people love them.
Of course the highlight will be sharing Christmas morning with my grandmother. She was like another mother to Alex from birth until we moved away. I also want her to experience life with Ryan. He is such a character! Grandma hasn't been feeling well and I'm glad to get to be with her for a long vacation to perk her up.
Flashback: In college I would sometimes go and stay with Grandma for the holidays. My sophomore year we were sitting in her living room a day or two after Christmas. Grandma says, 'The ocean is calling me.' So we packed our bags and went across the BIG state of Texas and went to Corpus Christi (Padre Island) for New Years. We stopped at the Alamo and the Austin capitol building. On New Years Day Arkansas was playing in a bowl game in Florida. We 'called the hogs' from across the gulf of Mexico. I'm glad to have such great memories with my Grandmother. She has been good to me and the boys (Dan included).
For my friends in NWA, I won't make any promises since I usually don't keep them, but I hope to be able to see you and see how life has treated you since I was away. Oh, and if any of you have extra UofA basketball tickets for the Oklahoma game, we'd be glad to use them!

Field Trip

I went on the kindergarten field trip today.

I was responsible for Alex and Alex. There were a lot of parents there, so it wasn't too hectic.

We got to pick vegetables. I think Alex will only eat the carrots. But maybe he'll try his first radish tonight.

The Alex-es. I wasn't planning on having an Alex Bee when he was my baby, but that is who he is now. He doesn't mind, so I guess I shouldn't.

They rode on this little 'train', pet a few ponies, tried a rope climb, went through a corn maze and played at the park. I great day to be 5!

Epicenter

We have had bads news coming in on many fronts this last week. It is hard to brag about the boys or complain about them either when I am just so THANKFUL we are all safe. To our friends and family struggling right now, we are praying for you and thinking of ways we can lighten your loads.

Dan and Ryan both had bronchitis last week, but are both doing better. Ryan has coughing fits when he runs too hard. He has returned to sleeping through the night instead of waking up coughing (and if you know Ryan that means vomiting). Alex may have had a cold also, but I think his coughing was mostly for sympathy.

Alex asked to call a friend this morning to make sure they wore the same color shirt to school. Who said uniforms are cut and dry? There are still decisions that have to be made every morning.

Tomorrow I get to go on a field trip to a farm with the kindergarteners. That will be lively!

Going Cold Turkey

I do this every time. I read the Twilight Saga and then it takes me a few days to get over it. It is very hard to read anything serious. It is very hard to forget about the story line. I mope. I don't get much accomplished because I'm trying to convince myself that I don't need to read anymore. Is this rational? Probably not. But it is a sign of addiction. I love the high of being recklessly in love. I do much better if I go 'Cold Turkey' and just jump into a new project and then get too busy to think about it. All I can say, is that I'm glad I don't live on the high of new love every day of the year. It is tiring! I am glad to have a happy and satisfying love, not one that puts my life in danger with every kiss. I am glad to be in control of my thoughts when my hubby breathes on me. (That will sound very weird to those of you who haven't read the books, but this girl falls in love with a vampire and his presence is all consuming to the girl, especially his sweet breath. These vampires are beautiful and alluring so that it is easier to get their prey.) Anyway, I am a recovering addict these days. I have 4 books sitting on my shelf waiting for me so I better snap out of this. I think I'll go get the movie 'Becoming Jane' and then work my way up to some more serious thought processes.
That is until the movie comes out. Come watch it with us at the AMC Westgate, Fri Nov 21st at 6pm. You can buy tickets now online.
As a side note. Dan did not know what 'going cold turkey' meant when we met at the age of 24. My grandmother had to teach Dan a lot of things that first year we were married. Like, what 'living in the sticks' meant. Or, 'go till the blacktop ends'. And my favorite, 'Do what?' which does not mean 'what should I do?'. Rather it means, 'Will you repeat that?' In fact, I use it quite often and I hope that I'm not confusing anybody by it.

Good Times

Thanks to all who helped make our Halloween fun. Especially to Dan for putting up with my craziness, to the kids for wearing our costumes, and to our friends for indulging me.We had a great time at the Ward Trunk-or-Treat.

And we had an even greater time at our party.

I think next year we'll just choose from our closet full of costumes instead of coming up with something new. Although I just saw a house in Utah that did their own Hogwarts. Man, that would be cool...

Orange

Orange Basketball: Here is a picture of Alex going for the basket last Saturday.

Orange rolls: It is that time of year for orange rolls. Bro Bayer always gets a batch as well as our HT/VT families. I'll have some on hand on the 31st if you stop by for 'T or T'. Actually, I make them to give away and always make mine last as an after thought. They just smell so wonderful!

Orange Jack-O-Lantern: I made the boys dig in the goop this year. I told Alex if he wanted to carve it with Dad he had to help. This year's logistics included a day time cleaning with mom and a night time carving with dad. It may be a new tradition because the boys stayed involved through both processes. This year's design was of my own making. I have always been lame in ideas, but this one just came out. It isn't brillant, but it is scary, which is what Alex was going for.

(I think Ryan has made a new friend. Look how he has his arm around Spooky Sam.)

5 days...

Five more days to Halloween! I am so excited. Saturday Dan and I went with some of his co-workers to a Halloween shin-dig in Scotsdale. 'Scotsdale' should indicate that it was big doings and that we didn't fit in with the Merecedes or Range Rovers valet parked out front. But it was fun to attend. My Chewbacca outfit was mistaken for an ewok and Dan tried yellow paint for his face, but it just made him look sick! No, we didn't take any pictures, but we have 2 more events this week, so we'll have pictures soon.
Alex's basketball team is really improving. It is fun to watch them gain confidence and become friends. I'll put some pictures on later.
Dan over seeded the lawn Saturday. That was a lot of work. We have had to replace sprinklers that were mowed over. We have the sprinklers set for 3 x's a day. Is that enough? It is cool in the mornings now and I should get out there and plant some winter flowers and some trees.

Halloween Pictures

Here is the fruit of my labor. My sweet Jedi Knights! Regretfully, there are no shots with Ryan's Jedi robe. He didn't want to wear it because it was hot. The photographer said that there were many Star Wars costumes this year. We saw a clone trooper while we were waiting. Ah, but none are as unique as ours (only because they were my own creation, not necessarily out of originality!) We've had better photographers at JCP but these turned out OK. I won't be getting any 10 x 13 of costumes anyhow! However, I am hoping to get some nice home shots of mine and Dan's costumes. I couldn't get Dan to go out in public (in broad daylight!) in his C3PO for a family picture. I'm glad he puts up with my Halloween fascination, my attempts to sew, and my desires to have the most fun on our block on the 31st!

Finishing the fall break

Some have said that they can't wait for school to start again after 2 weeks. Not me. I'm glad to have Alex at home. He is so sweet and good these days. He really has played nicely with Ryan. I know I should really get down and play with him, but I'm just a board game and book kind of mom. I'm also an outing kind of mom. I'm always glad to take them somewhere. Here are pictures of Saturday bowling with Dad and a trip to the Children's Museum with the Wrights.
Alex will head back to school on Monday with his homework done (Did you remember Amie?) and lunchbox full. Ryan and I will put all our effort into the Halloween festivities coming up and then gear up for Thanksgiving. I hope Kirsten is hosting this year...

Cali

For Fall Break we left the desert for paradise. We went to Grandma Black's in San Diego. Alex thought we were staying the whole 2 weeks there. I'm sure Grandma is glad we didn't! We had a wonderful time, but keeping up with 2 boys is a lot of work when you are away from home.
Day 1:
We got up nice and early out of habit. The boys stayed in their p.j.'s most of the day. Grandma has a great stash of toys and games that keep the boys busy. We watched General Conference and went to the park in between sessions. It was Saturday so we had pizza night per tradition.

Day 2:
We all stayed in our p.j.'s most of the day since it was Sunday. We just did more of the same as Saturday, but got to have Grandma's roast for dinner instead!
Day 3:
Sea World is the biggest rip off of all time. We had to pay $12 to park for Pete's Sake! We cruised through the park skipping the big shows we saw last time. We did hit the new play area and watched the Halloween show of Seymore and Clyde. We really wanted to go on the Atlantis coaster but it was closed. Drats! We have season passes so could have gone back the next day just for the ride, but really, we weren't about to shell out another parking fee. I hope they are saving a lot of Manatees with the parking lot profits!

Day 4:
This started out as a work day we trimmed, cut and manicured Grandma's backyard. The boys played in the canyon mostly cooking, but Ryan did do some lasso-ing of pink flamingos. After lunch we headed to Pacific Beach. It was warm (well, Grandma thought it oppressively hot! but I know better now) in San Diego so a trip to the beach was OK. The boys packed up the sand toys and off we went. I did not put my suit on. 62deg water is too cold for me! We had a nice time playing and splashing. One wonderful side affect of kindergarten is that Alex will play outside. Before he always wanted to be inside, but this trip he was way into playing everywhere we went. Hooray! We went to Boomerang for dinner. It was a yummy hamburger joint. It was a lot to ask Ryan to sit still, but luckily it wasn't too crowded when we got there so we didn't bother to many other diners.

Day 5:

Alas, we had to come home. Thank you Grandma for hosting us once again. Alex was bored the minute we got home, so I can tell the next week is going to be LONG! Maybe all we need is a one week break, not two!

Six Random Things

Kristina tagged me with this and after reading her clever and unique random things I feel like I did in the seventh grade: LAME! But here goes...
1. I was co-captain of the flag corp in marching band my senior year.
2. I can't make gravy. I have tried for years, but to no avail. So if you have gravy at my house it is from a package or can.
3. I have a piercing in my upper left ear (it hurt like the dickens for a long time and I was very sad when I had to stop wearing an earing there.)
4. I have given birth to two kids without pain killers. (Not by choice!)
5. Meredith Hendricks and I won first place in the ACME Brick design competition in our 3rd year of college.
6. My favorite cookies are Nutter Butters.

Happy October!

Ok, you know I love Halloween. But here is why I love October.
1)There is no holiday rush. There is anticipation for December, but no mad dashing!
2) Although not applicable here, cold air
3)ditto, autumn
4) ditto, Mountie (I miss marching band!) and Razorback football
5) Fall decor
6) Apple cider and orange rolls
7) Costume making
8) Fall break (our family's first and we are going to San Diego)
9) Crips walks through bright leaves. (Downtown Rogers has the biggest, most beautiful Maple trees anywhere I've lived. Man, to take a break from PBA Architects and go for our 15 min walks was heaven!)
10) Pumpkin patches

Now, 3 reasons why you should go to the Sarival Ward Halloween party. Frist, Amie Wright is our committee chair and she is awesome! Second, contests. Pumpkin carving, costumes, chili and may I suggest Cornbread eating? Third, would you really want to miss seeing Dan and I as C3PO and Chewbacca? I mean really, The Force is going to be strong this year! So, pass out some candy at home, come to the party, and then hit the houses on your street on the way home. Perfect!

Apples to Apples

Amie and I canned apples yesterday. It wasn't difficult, but it was time consuming. Baby Aaron wasn't exactly cooperative, but we still managed to get our box of apples preserved.

The house was deconstructed by these two hooligans. But like all messes, it was cleaned up quickly and it was worth the mess for us to get the work done!

Here is Amie. To picture me, just think of a green shirt! Thank you Liz for the canner and encouragement. I would do it again (but perhaps on a Saturday when the dads can babysit!)

Favorite Things

Here are a few of my favorite cleaning things! OK, if you haven't tried a Magic Eraser, all I can ask is, 'why not?' It is sitting there at the checkout. It is right by all the other cleaning supplies. There is even a generic, it is that wonderful. I love, love, love it! If you have black kitchen appliances that are hard to keep clean, you need this. Also, do you have years of soap scum on the bottom of your tub. This does it. Actually, I try it on anything I need clean just to see if it will work. It hardly ever fails. It is a must have for the cleaning bucket.

Lemi shine. This is also a miracle cleaning supply. If you have hard water, you need LemiShine. Your dishes can look brand new (especially your glasses) if you follow the instructions on the bottle. You must use the powder dish detergent and keep your JetDry rinse aid compartment full, but it is worth not being embarrased when you have company over!

Greased Lightning is fabulous. It is a perfect team mate to the magic eraser. If it can't be erased then try to spray it off with this stuff. It is strong so wear your gloves. I just learned that it is also a great carpet spot cleaner. Versatile and amazing again.

And lastly, although not a cleaning product, I have been surprised at the numbers of ladies I know who still bake on plain cookie sheets. I give you a round of applause if you can do it with out burning cookies. Air Bake cookie sheets are a gift from the cooking gods. It takes a lot to burn a batch of cookies, bisquits or rolls. In fact I left some cookies in last week a good 25 minutes before I remembered them. Yes, they were beyond edible, but they hadn't turn to charcoal yet. If you don't have a sheet, buy one and then you'll get another and

also the pizza pan. Just wonderful!

Another week

Another week has passed us by. Alex continues to enjoy school. Ryan and I are still looking for ways to keep us occupied. Here is Ryan playing with some bread dough. He had a wonderful time. He found many around the house items to use as tools including legos and his own toes.This week is going to be a big week for Alex. He starts basketball practice Wed. and has his 1st bball game Saturday. Dan was called to coach but he is just too busy with work right now to help out. Alex's coach is Coach Talmadge. He is an elementary school principal, so I'm sure he'll be great.
Alex has school pictures on Friday. I don't remember getting pictures in kindergarten, but I do remember what the picture looked like. Ah, the innocence! I start getting embarrased by my pictures starting in the 5th grade. Thankfully I operate this blog so, no way will you ever see any of those.
I can't think of anything else fun or exciting to share. I hope you are having a great week!

To the Mountains

For Labor Day weekend we went down to Tucson. It was rainy and cooler there. We played games, the boys went swimming, and on Monday we headed to the mountains. What a wonderful relief to get cooled off! We hiked down to a stream, gathered fungus for a scientific discovery, and watched Grandpa play some mean frisbee. Thanks to the family for going with us to the hills. Thanks Alyssa for the pics. Thanks to Zach for keeping the boys awake in the car even though you felt like spewing in the back seat.

Serenity

Thanks to Amie, I was able to go to the temple yesterday and have peace and serenity. It was so refreshing and relaxing. Our Visting Teaching message this month mentioned something about having faith and serenity is knowing that we are daughters of God. I personally had never given it any thought. In my day to day goings I don't feel, 'I am serene and at peace because I am a daughter of God.' But being in the Lord's house did make me feel closer to him.
Also, the mountains behind our house are so beautiful and awesome during the monsoon sunsets. All the majestic cloud colors reflect off the rocks and cactus in a beautiful pink and purple display. For me, those mountains are ugly as the dickens when you get up close, but from here they can be gorgeous. I think I just love the play of shadows across the surface. It makes me want to whip out my water colors and get to work! That gives me serenity too...

playing

Here is the fruit of my labor. One Jedi robe. (I'm a 'phase' kind of girl and this would be phase one of the Jedi costumes.) Friday night I dyed the fabric and Saturday morning I made up the pattern, cut and sewed this masterpiece. I should have had a double batch of dye to make it darker, but it will be OK at night. No, it doesn't fit Alex, but that doesn't stop him! I thought I would only make one, but I don't think the boys will even consider letting me get off so easy.

Have you been to McD's lately? They have Star Wars toys. I can't beleive I spent $8.50 last night on two Happy meals just to get two more toys. Ugh! Alex wants the whole collection, but he'll have to use his allowance if he wants anymore. I can't afford that on the food budget! Here are the boys playing with the packaging remains from my new vacuum.

Yes, I needed a new vacuum. I have had the same GE model for 6 years without a hitch. I've learned (from online reviews) that that is a long lifetime for a cheap vacuum. So, I do all this research head off to my local Big Box stores and find they do not carry the ones I want. I have 2 boys in tow, so I just pick one off the shelf. I get home check the reviews (Amazon reviews are the best) and I managed to get a 2 star jewel. Perfect. I quickly check the reviews again, check the availability and head back to the store to exchange my 45 minute old purchase. Yes, I felt like an idiot, but the cashier was very kind. I haven't got to use it yet, but I'm excited. Key features of the Hoover Elite: cord rewind button (yes!), never needs replacement filters (some cleaning required), bagless, attachment with roller brush, and finally, the canister empties from the bottom (not the top like my old GE).
And the highlight of my day! While sitting at the computer (researching for the vacuum) digesting that I'm a moron, Dan comes trooping in from working at the church (printing those blasted bulletins!) with a dozen roses. Who is this? My husband bought me flowers! I guess I should be grateful for the once a year occasion because what if he brought me flowers every week? I would not surprised or nearly as excited. Dan has been sick this week, and he has been very busy with work (and he took the whole morning to do fantasy football), and I have to tote these two munchkins to church by myself for the 2nd week in a row, so yeah, I deserved flowers!

Boo!

I love Halloween! I lived one Halloween in a place called Independence, KS. There they had a Neewollah festival. It was so awesome! I have always loved dressing up and now I love to make the boys' costumes.
This is the year of Star Wars. I was planning to make an R2D2 costume for Ryan. He said, 'No robot. Me Jedi!' May the force be with me as I make two Jedi costumes. Alex asked if I was going to make the lightsabers. Did you see the post where they both got lightsabers? Why on earth would I have to make a lightsaber. Because, 'Mom, Anakin has a blue lightsaber. I need a blue one.' I told him he would have to wrap the one he has because I am not buying nor making ANOTHER (stinkin') lightsaber.

Update

Ryan and I are starting to get into a groove. We are staying busy longer and watching less and less TV. Actually, we have reduced Alex's 'want to watch' to almost nothing. They are playing better after school. Alex is on his first week of homework and I forgot for the last two days! (He gets the assignment on Friday and is due the next Friday.)
Dan said something the other day that made me think, 'Oh, I won't be sitting at home for the next 20 years!'; when we have all our little ones off to school (supposing we have more) I'll be expected to go back to work. I was a little offended (only because stay-at-home moms are a little touchy about their usefulness) but then realized, duh, I went to school for 5 VERY long, hard years, and don't I want to get out there and conquer the world?! Which got me thinking about what sort of work I'll try for when the time comes.
Mostly, it made me realize, YIKES! I better get it together. I have a limited amount of time to spend my way. (Maybe I should read double the books.... OK, probably not!) So, I am at a goal setting time. Hmm, what do I really want to accomplish while I'm still master of my universe. OK, I'm being dramatic, but honestly, I look at life with teenagers, home management, and a part/full time as a very demanding life. Carpe diem! I should relish this time now! So, I have urgency to get stuff done. I wonder how long this will keep up.

Europe

I have so much I could say about my experience in Europe that I'll just give the skeleton of my trip and give installments on my adventures periodically. I studied architecture in college. Part of my education was a semester abroad. I lived in Rome for 4 months. On the way there I spent a week in London (New Year's 2001). On the way home I spent 10 days in Greece.

Cities I visited: Berlin, Geneva (just for shopping), Paris (alas, only the subway and train depot!), Venice, Milan, Florence, Naples, Pompeii!, Bologna, Sienna, Athens, Sparta, and Olympia. I stayed on an island named Naxos for 5 days. It is one of my favorite memories. This was the ultimate girl trip. The 4 of us had a wonderful time!

No, I didn't go to Pisa. No, I never went in the colliseum. No, I didn't think the food great (especially the pizza!). Yes, I gained 15 pounds from walking 4 miles a day (at least), pasta, bread, and gelato. Yes, gelato is amazing! I would eat it every day, sometimes twice (it was only 1500 lira which was about $0.75.) I did attend LDS services. It was an adventure just getting to church. Yes, I could speak some Italian (I was the only one in my class that even bothered. It helped mostly when we were in other countries like Greece.) And yes, I saw the Pope (Papa Giovanni)

Mostly I ate gelato, traveled, dated (not Italians, a boy from Penn State and a boy from BYU), shopped and sketched. My apartment was around the corner from Trevi Fountain (pictured above.)

Olympics

Hooray! I have loved the Olympics since the first one I watched as a school kid. I wanted to be a track star! I barely exercise now, let alone run at top speed. My favorite events are the Men's platform dive, rings, 100m sprint, and freestyle swim. I hope my boys have a love for them too. We get a chance every few years to be proud to be American!

Now, I also love the Olympics because I have been to Olympia, Greece. It is a beautiful place. I spent 2 days there. I wish it could have been longer. It was a VERY long bus ride to get there. The first morning I woke up and went to find breakfast. When I stepped outside it smelled so fresh and clean (it reminded me of camping). Pam and I lined up on the original track and field starting line. And the museum had a beautiful statue of Nike. The picture in my sidebar is the torch being lit. I didn't realize until I was there that the torch is lit from the original spot and then carried around the world. Greece was a crazy place. Everyone should go to Greece! But... be prepared. You have to have a spirit of adventure to go there.

Frist day of school

Yesterday was Alex's first day of kindergarten. He is in Mrs. O'Brien's class. He has one friend in class from church. His name is also Alex. Our boys are so used to calling each other by their first and last names that I think everyone else will pick up on it. At the end of the day Ryan and I went for a cookie social and I heard the teach call Alex W. up. I guess she was planning to use initials. What is funny, is that I for the most part call my Alex 'Alex Black.'As you can see here, he went in and sat down and got to work. You can't see his tongue, but it is sticking out. That is the best colored picture we have from him. He was very serious! This morning he was up at 6:05 ready to go to school! So, I guess the first day went very well from his point of view. On the way home he said that school was cooler than watching TV or playing or playing video games. Now THAT is saying something!

Ryan had the hardest day yesterday. I was ready for Alex to go; he was ready and he is in safe hands. However, Ryan was very sad. He wanted us to go get Alex. He worked himself up so much that once we finally got Alex, he napped for a couple of hours. Now we have to figure out what we are going to do during the days!

Breaking Dawn

If you have read this, go to my goodreads link on the side and comment about it. There is so much to say and I don't want to spoil it here. I would like to say, it was really only a 3 star book for me, but I give 4 stars to books I'll read again. And I'll read it again. (Just because I love Edward and once I start the series over again I know I won't be able to leave him yet!)

Good point

Karen made a good point in her comment for Home. So, here is a picture of my watch.And here is how it looks on my wrist.

Home

After a few flight changes I finally made it home. I arrived at the Tucson airport. Luckily my boys were down there, so June picked me up and home we went. I had a great time in Utah. The weather was hot, but not too hot. My favorite part of my trip was the shopping excursion. Kristina and I went to the Park City outlets. It was so nice to have time to just browse and chat with only one child between us (she left two with grandma and we brought along the 4 month old). Thank you, Kristina, for letting me crash at your place! (Dan laughed at my watch when I showed it to him, but he did like it when I put it on.) The boys had a fun time with the Tucson crew. Zach, Alex was very disappointed that you forgot your swimsuit! And, I am not putting that crazy cut out thing together! Here are my Jedis. We are counting down to the Star Wars Clone Wars movie. We'll have to go after school. Hooray! school starts next week. We went yesterday to kindergarten testing; just for the teachers to get a feel for their students. The teacher who did Alex was impressed by his smarts. He is always asking me what he is going to learn in kindergarten, so I tell him what is on the quarterly goals. He just laughs (because he thinks I'm being silly) and says, 'I already know that.' Well, he'll have a good time, right?

The last time we went to Peter Piper (a Chucky Cheese wannabe) Alex was disappointed because they were out of the army men. So for his surprise I got him a bag of soldiers. We had them in my house when I was little and did not anticipate how I would feel about playing with them. Alex had them all set up and he wanted me to shoot at his army men and take them out. He and Dad had played the night before. I couldn't do. I surrendered. I have read quite a few war novels, and especially 'All's Quiet on the Western Front' that have given me an insight to soldiering. I don't think I'm too far fetched in thinking it possible that my sweet boys could be drafted into some horrendous War and have other sweet boys shooting at him. Dan asked if I wanted to just chuck the figures; I said no, it is natural for boys to play army, I just can't do it with him.

On the road (air) again

We are up to our last summer trip. We still haven't had a family trip, but maybe for fall break we'll get out and about together. Today I'm off to Utah, the home of the Bennetts. Kristina and I have been buddies since her Arkansas days. She is an awesome example to me. I'm thankful that she has kept me on as a friend since she has so many already! Kristina story: The day I went to the Dr. for an ultrasound with Alex, the doctor ordered me to the hospital. In the few minutes that I was home packing to head to there I get a call, 'What is going on?'. She sat with me through my labor with him and brought me a burger and fries when it was all over. I love you, friend. You make me want to be better (maybe in a Utah Mormon kind of way!)
The boys are in Tucson for the weekend. Good luck. PLEASE DON'T LET RYAN DROWN, GET POISONED, OR CUT! I've got to go finish packing. Toodles! (Oh, and Dan is home alone if anyone feels the urge to bond with him. :)

Swim again

We started another session of swimming. This time both boys. This time through the city. Alex has been learning different kicking styles and today he took the plunge off the board. Yesterday I took the boys swimming and they wanted to go off the diving board. Alex looks like a cat jumping (all legs going down at once!) I was so surprised when Alex asked to go off the board that I just marched him over and he got on and went. He is getting so much braver these days. That is good with school coming. Ryan can't swim, so of course I'm not going to let him off of a board! Maybe at grandma June's. I hope Jason can teach these boys how to safely go off the board.Ryan is on the Potty Training Express. It is actually more like a leisurely stroll through the park, but he is getting somewhere. He filled up his first chart. His reward is a lightsaber. Alex is buying one tomorrow with his allowance, so I'll post pics of my jedi's then. Alex said he wished his friend KC could be here so they all could play with the lightsabers together. We'll have to find another Jedi to come play.

My job

My job has been very trying this week. How could it be? I get up when I want, get dressed when I want, eat what I want. So what makes a day full of story books and kids TV difficult? Ryan's inquisitiveness. Should I really push the blame on a small child? You're thinking, 'Well, maybe you should check out that beam in your eye first.' True, very true. I think that everyday. And then I walk in the kitchen and see Ryan sitting on the counter eating Flinstones like candy. How did he get it open? (Ok, why could he reach it?) I then go in the boys room and find their books all over the floor instead of in their handy little baskets.
Ryan has been having success with potty training. However, his leap from the baby (yes, I still call him 'baby', but he responds, 'I'm not a baby, I Ryan') to big boy has drained him mentally. He has forgotten how to get his clothes on and how to buckle his car seat straps. He is always saying 'I can't' when I know he can. He is looking for new ways for me to be involved in his life. If I don't want to change his diapers, then I have to put the couch cushions on 10x's a day, or chase him out of my make up, or clean up the water he has emptied from out of the cooler onto the kitchen floor.
Right now, I love him best at 9:30pm, when he is fast asleep. He is dead tired, and sprawled out and peaceful. Last night I dreamed that we went to some fun house and he got lost. I looked and looked and kept crying, 'I've lost my baby. Someone stole my baby. I let someone steal my baby.' I woke up and went and checked on both of my boys, sleeping peacefully.
Diligence! I must keep constant diligence! Pray more, calm down more, give more, live more!

It's July!

The little boys and I went to Flagstaff for a few days this week. We stayed with some friends there to cool off. Thanks to Sara and Jess for hosting us! We went to Sedona to play in a creek, to the Lowell Observatory, to their community pool, on bike rides, and stopped by the police station to check out a police car.
We came home on the best holiday of the year; my birthday! I came home to a pile of cards (Thanks!) and presents from the boys. I got 'Dan in Real Life' and a gift certificate for a massage. Yes! Dan and I are going parasailing next Saturday for the rest of my birthday gift. I am so excited! We are going to ride tandem.
For the fourth we went to the ward breakfast, then swimming at a friends, and then we headed up to Mark and Kirsten's in Peoria. We went to the Peoria 4th party. I suppose Ryan didn't want to leave out his tradition of throwing up. (Last year he threw up at the Inman's party, sorry!, and he and I went home while D and A went to watch the show) Just as the lights were about to go out for the show Ryan spewed all over himself. No worries, it was windy so it didn't stink. Actually in one part of the sky there was lightening and the other fireworks. It never rained, but the wind did keep the water slides clothes.

1/2 Birthday

With Ryan being a Christmas time baby, I feel like he misses out on Birthday fun. A) He doesn't have a reason to get new stuff any other time of the year B) How many friends can come to a friend party 2 days after Christmas? So, last year I initiated the 1/2 birthday. Today is Ryan's half birthday. We had some friends over for a super play date. That is, a regular play date with balloons and cupcakes.