Dear man begging for money on the side of the road,
You may want to wait until you are no longer begging for money on the side of the road to pull out your wad of cash and count it. It kinda takes away from the "Need Help" sign.
Dear Pinterest,
I know you are only trying to help, but I really haven't liked any of the "Related Pins" you have shown me. I think I know what I like and who I want to follow. I guess all good things end up going bad at some time or another.
Dear house,
If you can find a way to clean yourself, I'd appreciate it. If you can't, can you please at least stop getting yourself dirty?
Ok...that is all.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
7 is heaven
A couple of weeks ago, Drew and Harper turned 7 months old. Part of me wonders where the time went and the other part wonders how I existed before they got here. (Then I remember that I had a lot more sleep and free time back in the olden days...but I wouldn't trade the sweet kids for the time and sleep. Or at least, not too often)
Our babysitter takes vacation a couple of weeks a year, and one of those weeks was the week they had their "7 month birthday." I stayed home with the kids Monday, Thursday, and Friday and Darrell took a turn on Tuesday and Wednesday. I really enjoyed spending time with Drew and Harper and they really are such good kids, that it was pretty easy.
But it also is a lot of work...I almost forgot how "on" I have to be all day.
And especially now that they both roll over. Harper is really good at back to tummy; she can occasionally surprise herself by getting from her tummy to her back. She has started enjoying tummy time, but once she is done, she wants to be on her back yesterday. Drew, however, is a professional roller. He rolls all over the place. Unless he decides that rolling is overrated. Then he scootches around. Gone are the days when I could just put them both on their playmats on the floor and know they were safe. Drew somehow ends up underneath the playmat, pretzeled in the playmat, or just plain feet away from the playmat. He loves to find new and dangerous things to put in his mouth. Like the ottoman or the laptop cord.
They are chatty, both with each other and with the adults in the room. It is so cute to see them roll onto their sides, facing each other, just chatting away. They do this most often if they are left alone. They talk so quietly to each other and just smile away. They really love each other. Then there are the times when they just want to be heard. Drew loves to squeal. Harper recently discovered da da da da da. She says it when she's happy, when she's sad, when she's tired....pretty much all the time. The only time they don't talk is when I am trying to record them. They sense the video and stop everything.
Drew is super ticklish and loves it. He gets the biggest grin on his face when I gently tickle him. He giggles with joy when the tickle bug attacks his tummy. He kicks, kicks, kicks when I scrub his feet and toes in the bath. And, when I forget that his back is super ticklish and tickle his back like I love mine to be tickled, he squirms and giggles. Harper could take or leave being tickled. But, if Drew is getting tickled and having a good time, she suddenly loves it, too.
They still are getting used to the whole idea of eating food. We feed them oatmeal and fruit puree for breakfast and dinner. Harper still can't get enough. Most days, I feel like if I had another hand and spoon, we still couldn't keep up with her. If she thinks she isn't being fed quickly enough, she plunges her fingers into her mouth, so it really is a mad dash to keep her as clean as possible. Drew is starting to like food more. He still routinely shudders at the first taste of each meal, but then anxiously awaits the next bite. He likes to squirm a little more than Harper and will almost lay down in his high chair as he eats. They both are quite taken with the tree outside the kitchen window and it is sometimes a competition between the tree and the food, to see which gets the most attention.
Drew loves to be a helper. He has almost always waited patiently while Harper gets fed or changed first since she is the more vocal one. He still is very good at this. A few times when Darrell has worked late, I have had to feed them both solid food. Harper will have no part in sharing me, so Drew sits in his high chair playing with toys. He recently started to try to pull up his pants while we get him dressed or after a diaper change. The other night, he even started rubbing his head while I was shampooing his hair. If Harper is sad, he rolls over to be close to her, and not-so-gently tries to soothe her. He holds her hand or "pats" her cheek. I'm not sure Harper appreciates it now, but know that she will love having an empathetic brother as they get older.
Harper loves to smile, smile, smile. Her big, toothless grin makes everyone around her smile. She also loves to laugh. But many times, she does an airy laugh, which almost sounds sarcastic. I don't have any idea how she learned to be sarcastic! She also is learning early to be a cook. During our little staycation, I made brownies and cleaned the kitchen and put the kids in their high chairs. I gave each of them a silicon spatula and Harper just loved it. Drew liked his, but wanted Harper's since she was having so much fun with it. I think she will be a natural at cooking, with her love of food!
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I sure love these kids...they truly have enriched my life!
Our babysitter takes vacation a couple of weeks a year, and one of those weeks was the week they had their "7 month birthday." I stayed home with the kids Monday, Thursday, and Friday and Darrell took a turn on Tuesday and Wednesday. I really enjoyed spending time with Drew and Harper and they really are such good kids, that it was pretty easy.
But it also is a lot of work...I almost forgot how "on" I have to be all day.
And especially now that they both roll over. Harper is really good at back to tummy; she can occasionally surprise herself by getting from her tummy to her back. She has started enjoying tummy time, but once she is done, she wants to be on her back yesterday. Drew, however, is a professional roller. He rolls all over the place. Unless he decides that rolling is overrated. Then he scootches around. Gone are the days when I could just put them both on their playmats on the floor and know they were safe. Drew somehow ends up underneath the playmat, pretzeled in the playmat, or just plain feet away from the playmat. He loves to find new and dangerous things to put in his mouth. Like the ottoman or the laptop cord.
They still are getting used to the whole idea of eating food. We feed them oatmeal and fruit puree for breakfast and dinner. Harper still can't get enough. Most days, I feel like if I had another hand and spoon, we still couldn't keep up with her. If she thinks she isn't being fed quickly enough, she plunges her fingers into her mouth, so it really is a mad dash to keep her as clean as possible. Drew is starting to like food more. He still routinely shudders at the first taste of each meal, but then anxiously awaits the next bite. He likes to squirm a little more than Harper and will almost lay down in his high chair as he eats. They both are quite taken with the tree outside the kitchen window and it is sometimes a competition between the tree and the food, to see which gets the most attention.
Drew loves to be a helper. He has almost always waited patiently while Harper gets fed or changed first since she is the more vocal one. He still is very good at this. A few times when Darrell has worked late, I have had to feed them both solid food. Harper will have no part in sharing me, so Drew sits in his high chair playing with toys. He recently started to try to pull up his pants while we get him dressed or after a diaper change. The other night, he even started rubbing his head while I was shampooing his hair. If Harper is sad, he rolls over to be close to her, and not-so-gently tries to soothe her. He holds her hand or "pats" her cheek. I'm not sure Harper appreciates it now, but know that she will love having an empathetic brother as they get older.
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I sure love these kids...they truly have enriched my life!
Dear old lady at the Chick-fil-a,
Thank you so much for the crusty eye you gave me the other day. I didn't realize that my crying baby could possibly distract someone from reading the nutritional information. Thank you for overlooking the fact that I was actively trying everything I could think of to calm him down. When you continually scowled at me it made me feel so much better about finally going out to eat with friends I haven't seen for years (literally). Had I known that one of my two babies (who, by the way, had been super calm and happy for the first 75 minutes we were there) would distract you in the family seating area...you know...the one RIGHT next to the children's play area...I would have sat in the "Adult Dining Room." Or better yet, I would have gone to a restaurant that doesn't cater to children. I'm sorry that for the less than 5 minutes that he was grumpy all you could do was look at me with disgust instead of realizing that a seven month old can't say, "Mom, I'm having a hard time." I guess next time we go out (which may not be for awhile since this is only the 4th time we have eaten at a restaurant as a family since the birth of our twins) we will be sure to provide all the other restaurant patrons with earplugs. Or maybe I'll just remind the annoyed that they were babies once upon a time and they should give me a break. Because at least I'm not THAT mom who just allows her kids to kick and scream and rant and rave endlessly while sipping another glass of Chardonnay.
With much appreciation,
Stephanie
With much appreciation,
Stephanie
Last week, in history
So, from an historical perspective, last week was pretty major in my family's life. Like, the family I grew up in.
First of all, it was the thirty-thirteenth anniversary of my birth. Hello...perhaps the single most important event in my family history. Or at least on that particular day. I don't really have any memories of that first day, but I do have many fond memories of the celebrations that followed year after year. I always got to choose what the rest of my family would eat on that day...I guess I ate the same thing, too. I had fun birthday parties on my 3rd birthday and the even numbered birthdays after that. My mom would decorate the dining room with colorful streamers as I got older.
Thirty years ago the last week, when I was only thirteen, my family moved from El Paso, Texas, to Germany. My dad was in the Air Force and had moved over in April, leaving my mom with 5 kids, a cat, and a dog, and a house to sell. We sold the house and traveled to Utah and Idaho to visit with grandparents who we likely wouldn't see for about 3 years. We began our trek on July 2nd, flying from Salt Lake to Washington, DC. Yeah...flying with 5 kids (aged 13, 11, 8, 5, and 2), a cat, a dog, and about 538 suitcases. My poor mom must have felt like putting us all on the plane and then sneaking off. We had an overnight stay in DC at my mom's cousin's house. She drove us past some of the sights, but I don't remember much. The next morning, we caught a flight to JFK and then had to switch planes (and maybe terminals...I only remember going up a long escalator). We arrived in Frankfurt on July 4th and drove the 90 minutes or so to our new penthouse apartment where we could sleep off the jet lag. Or not. It was stinking hot...there was an unusually hot summer and no air conditioning. My parents bought the last couple of box fans that existed at the BX (probably not, but I remember there weren't many). We met some of the families that lived nearby and had a cook out. The night seemed to last all day, with the sun going down closer to 10.
Also thirty years ago, the BX was the site of another historical moment. My parents bought a microwave. Now, it wasn't the first microwave my family got. But it was the last. And it wasn't the last because my mom hated it. Au contraire, mon frere! It is because my mom LOVES it. Yes, they still have a 1983 microwave. And just like so many other of the technological advances of the past century, it is HUGE compared to microwaves of today. I think I have an end table in my guest room that is smaller than my parents' microwave. And that is not hyperbole. Using that microwave not only threatens your life, it takes longer to cook than if you had started a fire with green wood and sans matches. But, it is a well loved piece of Ingermanson history. I tried to find a picture of a similar model on the internets, but I think photography was discovered after the microwave was manufactured.
And so, there you have it...a brief look at my family history. My parents should be so proud, since they are currently missionaries focusing on Family History!
First of all, it was the thirty-thirteenth anniversary of my birth. Hello...perhaps the single most important event in my family history. Or at least on that particular day. I don't really have any memories of that first day, but I do have many fond memories of the celebrations that followed year after year. I always got to choose what the rest of my family would eat on that day...I guess I ate the same thing, too. I had fun birthday parties on my 3rd birthday and the even numbered birthdays after that. My mom would decorate the dining room with colorful streamers as I got older.
Thirty years ago the last week, when I was only thirteen, my family moved from El Paso, Texas, to Germany. My dad was in the Air Force and had moved over in April, leaving my mom with 5 kids, a cat, and a dog, and a house to sell. We sold the house and traveled to Utah and Idaho to visit with grandparents who we likely wouldn't see for about 3 years. We began our trek on July 2nd, flying from Salt Lake to Washington, DC. Yeah...flying with 5 kids (aged 13, 11, 8, 5, and 2), a cat, a dog, and about 538 suitcases. My poor mom must have felt like putting us all on the plane and then sneaking off. We had an overnight stay in DC at my mom's cousin's house. She drove us past some of the sights, but I don't remember much. The next morning, we caught a flight to JFK and then had to switch planes (and maybe terminals...I only remember going up a long escalator). We arrived in Frankfurt on July 4th and drove the 90 minutes or so to our new penthouse apartment where we could sleep off the jet lag. Or not. It was stinking hot...there was an unusually hot summer and no air conditioning. My parents bought the last couple of box fans that existed at the BX (probably not, but I remember there weren't many). We met some of the families that lived nearby and had a cook out. The night seemed to last all day, with the sun going down closer to 10.
Also thirty years ago, the BX was the site of another historical moment. My parents bought a microwave. Now, it wasn't the first microwave my family got. But it was the last. And it wasn't the last because my mom hated it. Au contraire, mon frere! It is because my mom LOVES it. Yes, they still have a 1983 microwave. And just like so many other of the technological advances of the past century, it is HUGE compared to microwaves of today. I think I have an end table in my guest room that is smaller than my parents' microwave. And that is not hyperbole. Using that microwave not only threatens your life, it takes longer to cook than if you had started a fire with green wood and sans matches. But, it is a well loved piece of Ingermanson history. I tried to find a picture of a similar model on the internets, but I think photography was discovered after the microwave was manufactured.
And so, there you have it...a brief look at my family history. My parents should be so proud, since they are currently missionaries focusing on Family History!
Monday, May 20, 2013
May 2013, a retrospective
So it seems a little funny to call this post a retrospective since it is still May, and will be for 11 days. But who knows when I will have a few minutes to post again. And I kinda liked the way the title sounded. Plus, it's my blog and I'll retrospect if I want to....
May has been a little less eventful, as far as adventures go. But we have passed a few milestones.
Drew and Harper began eating "solid" foods. They started with rice cereal, moved on to applesauce, and finished (so far) with peas. Contrary to what we thought, Harper is the one with the crazy appetite and love for food and Drew only mildly tolerates us giving him a few bites a night. Harper cries if we don't shovel the food in fast enough. Drew truly shudders when we manage to get food in his mouth. Harper has a technique all her own for eating...it reminds me of a dog lapping up water from a bowl. Drew has mad skills...he eats like a professional. Harper is upset when we run out of food for the night. Drew has the uncanny ability to dodge our attempts to get food to him (he looks down, turns his head, sticks out his tongue, and purses his lips tightly). I'm sure we will eventually find a food that Drew loves and then, watch out world!
Harper caught up to Drew and they both roll over from their backs to their tummies. Drew has developed a greater appreciation for tummy time, but poor Harper really hates it. As she is rolling over, she starts crying to get on her back. Darrell and I can't wait for them to figure out the tummy to back action!
They gave me the best Mother's Day present ever! They went to bed easily and early on the Saturday evening of Mother's Day weekend and slept in long enough that Darrell wasn't up at the crack of dawn. They even staggered their wake up times so Darrell could feed them both and let me sleep in until 8:30. I KNOW...that's sleeping in, now!
The week before Mother's Day, we each got sick, in varying degrees. I even got to take 2 days off from work because I was sick. Thank goodness neither Drew nor Harper got sick while I was ill, so we dropped them off with Janis (their baby sitter) and I slept most of both days. It was the first time (and probably last for a long time) that I slept without listening for babies.
Today, they turn 6 months old. It really is so hard to believe they have only been with us for 6 months. In so many ways it seems like far longer. And not in bad ways. It also has been just a blink of an eye. I can't believe how big they've gotten, and don't realize it unless I look at their baby-baby pictures.
I don't really remember what it was like to just leave the house with Darrell whenever we wanted. Or sleeping until 11 every morning. Or having a messy house because I wasn't in the mood to clean. So even though so much has changed, I am so glad it has.
May has been a little less eventful, as far as adventures go. But we have passed a few milestones.
Drew and Harper began eating "solid" foods. They started with rice cereal, moved on to applesauce, and finished (so far) with peas. Contrary to what we thought, Harper is the one with the crazy appetite and love for food and Drew only mildly tolerates us giving him a few bites a night. Harper cries if we don't shovel the food in fast enough. Drew truly shudders when we manage to get food in his mouth. Harper has a technique all her own for eating...it reminds me of a dog lapping up water from a bowl. Drew has mad skills...he eats like a professional. Harper is upset when we run out of food for the night. Drew has the uncanny ability to dodge our attempts to get food to him (he looks down, turns his head, sticks out his tongue, and purses his lips tightly). I'm sure we will eventually find a food that Drew loves and then, watch out world!
Harper caught up to Drew and they both roll over from their backs to their tummies. Drew has developed a greater appreciation for tummy time, but poor Harper really hates it. As she is rolling over, she starts crying to get on her back. Darrell and I can't wait for them to figure out the tummy to back action!
They gave me the best Mother's Day present ever! They went to bed easily and early on the Saturday evening of Mother's Day weekend and slept in long enough that Darrell wasn't up at the crack of dawn. They even staggered their wake up times so Darrell could feed them both and let me sleep in until 8:30. I KNOW...that's sleeping in, now!
The week before Mother's Day, we each got sick, in varying degrees. I even got to take 2 days off from work because I was sick. Thank goodness neither Drew nor Harper got sick while I was ill, so we dropped them off with Janis (their baby sitter) and I slept most of both days. It was the first time (and probably last for a long time) that I slept without listening for babies.
Today, they turn 6 months old. It really is so hard to believe they have only been with us for 6 months. In so many ways it seems like far longer. And not in bad ways. It also has been just a blink of an eye. I can't believe how big they've gotten, and don't realize it unless I look at their baby-baby pictures.
 |
| Harper on the left and Drew on the right (both photos) |
I don't really remember what it was like to just leave the house with Darrell whenever we wanted. Or sleeping until 11 every morning. Or having a messy house because I wasn't in the mood to clean. So even though so much has changed, I am so glad it has.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
April 2013, Recapped
The last five months have flown by in a way I never imagined time could do. Especially when I was so tired during most of it. Instead of trying to catch up all at once, I will just highlight some of April's fun.
We started the month off going to Flagstaff to visit Darrell's family there. We left around noon on Saturday the 6th. Drew and Harper at that point were not too fond of the stop and go action so they cried at each light we had to stop at for the 6 miles to the freeway. And, of course, we hit EVERY.SINGLE.LIGHT. Just a little more than halfway there, we ended up stopping since the kids needed to pop their ears with the change in elevation and didn't know how to do that. We stopped at a truck stop and went inside to feed them and let them stretch a little. We got to Darrell's dad's house around 3-ish and ended up going to dinner at Bun Huggers...a local hamburger place. It was Drew and Harper's first restaurant experience. And since it is way more casual than casual dining, no one cared when they cried a little and they didn't mind the little bit of noise the other diners made. Darrell's brother's family joined us for dinner and met the kids. We went back to Dennis' house and then checked into a hotel. We decided it would be much easier on everyone to not have to worry about waking up Papa or upsetting the dogs. We will need to make sure to take our Pack and Plays next time so we don't have to fret about anyone trying to roll off the bed. We went to Papa's house on Sunday and spent the day with him and Steven's family came over for awhile. It was good to see Darrell's family. On the way home, Harper got a little fussy since her ears needed to pop coming down the mountain. I ended up sitting in the back seat between the kids and blew her mind. She was so excited to have her mama with her. We had a good trip and learned a lot of good things. But mostly, we learned that we just need to go out and do things with the kids, even though it isn't easy all the time.
Drew, sleeping with his little sock monkey, Argyle:
Harper, happy to have her Mama in the back seat:
It's a good thing we learned that lesson since the next weekend we ended up going to Costco on Friday (and even took the time to eat hot dogs in the food court) and Sears on Saturday. We needed to buy a new dishwasher since we have been using it so much more the last few months. It died and washing all the dishes by hand is not going to happen.
On the 19th, Darrell was the best dad in the world and stayed home with both kids while I had a girls' night out. I helped him feed them and get them in their PJs and he put them both to bed after I left. He did a great job and didn't even have to call or text. Both kids even went to sleep a little before their usual time!
Drew and Harper turned 5 months old on the 20th and we celebrated by waiting around the house for the dishwasher to be delivered. We took some fun photos. Unfortunately, Drew spit up right before the photos (after being good all day). It's hard to believe how much they have grown.
Harper and Drew loving each other:
The next Saturday, Harper and I had a girls' day out. We went to a closet swap party Darrell's sister (Marilyn) hosted. Harper had loads of fun spending time with some of the Frosts...Ryan, Ale, and Amy (Darrell's cousin, cousin-in-law, and cousin). Ale was the hero of the day by changing a not-so-nice diaper of Harper's. I left the party with fewer clothing than I brought, so I consider it a success. That evening, Drew and Harper got their first taste of real food...rice cereal. It was really runny and only slightly thicker than regular formula, but it is considered solid food. Harper loved it...especially sitting in her throne. The food was pretty good, too. Drew, on the other hand, hated the food and would have preferred to lay on his back or tummy. I think between the two of them, they ate about a tablespoon of food.
Eating food!
Sunday the 28th, Darrell had to work, so I ventured to church alone (except for the two 5 month old babies with me). I temporarily parked in front of the doors and shuttled the kids to the shade. A nice man in my ward (whose name I can't remember) helped us into the chapel and watched both kids while I parked the car in a more suitable location. Then a friend whose husband was ill sat with us and cuddled both kids. We only stayed for Sacrament Meeting since juggling kids was going to be a losing battle, but I think we ended up ok. We Skyped with Grandma and Pop and then fed the kids again. Harper loved every minute of it and Darrell could not get it in her mouth fast enough. She kept smacking her lips. I guess I can claim to be a great chef when it comes to rice cereal. Unless you ask Drew. He still did not want anything to do with that food and was happy to be done with it when I finally let him quit eating it.
Monday evening after bathing kids we went to Costco. We decided to take the stroller instead of each having a full cart before we even got in the store. It worked so much better. I find it completely amazing how many people talk with us because of the kids. And how many other twins there are. It seems like everywhere we go, someone tells us about their twins.
Tuesday, the kids got another dose of cereal. Harper still thinks it is the best tasting food ever and eats and eats and eats. Drew still think it is going to kill him and shudders when I force it into his mouth. He is really good and will eat about 5 bites and then won't open his mouth for me. I figure that is as good as it will get and thank him for trying. I don't dare tell him that I won't try food that looks yucky and rice cereal is on the yucky-looking-food list.
Funny things the kids do:
Harper:
Flaps her arms when she is happy
Flaps her arms when she is unhappy
Flaps her arms when she is in the bath tub and creates quite the splashes
Tries to sit up any time she can...especially in the car seat
Loves looking at the textures of things (couch cushions are especially fascinating)
Can't get enough of her super fancy right hand...it truly is amazing
Sucks her fingers a lot
If she isn't trying to sit, she has her legs up in the air
Chatters when she is sleepy
Loves her Snowball stuffed animal
Lights up when she hears her Daddy on the phone and searches the room for him
Cries the biggest crocodile tears when she wants her Daddy to help her
Prefers the evening to the morning...just like her Mama
Drew:
Kicks, kicks, kicks...especially in the bath tub
Rolls over from his back to his tummy but not from his tummy to his back
Only tolerates being on his tummy for a few minutes and then wants helps to get to his back
Promptly rolls from his back to his tummy after being helped to his back
Talks all day long...especially in screechy tones
Giggles when tickled
Sticks his bottom lip out farther than humanly possible right before crying
Loves to scoot close to Harper and wake her up in the morning
Loves to scoot close to Harper and hold her hand
Loves to scoot close to Harper and suck on her fingers
Lights up when his stuffed sock monkey (Argyle) appears
Is a great snuggler and loves to give kisses
Enjoys it when Mama reads books to him and wants to turn the pages
They both love to have our morning dance party when we change diapers and clothes. They are proficient at blowing spit bubbles and spitting in general. They are happy, loving babies who rarely cry and just love their family.
We are so blessed to have Drew and Harper!
PS...I didn't mean for this to be such the sappy mommy blog post, but this is a good forum for keeping my family and friends up to date.
We started the month off going to Flagstaff to visit Darrell's family there. We left around noon on Saturday the 6th. Drew and Harper at that point were not too fond of the stop and go action so they cried at each light we had to stop at for the 6 miles to the freeway. And, of course, we hit EVERY.SINGLE.LIGHT. Just a little more than halfway there, we ended up stopping since the kids needed to pop their ears with the change in elevation and didn't know how to do that. We stopped at a truck stop and went inside to feed them and let them stretch a little. We got to Darrell's dad's house around 3-ish and ended up going to dinner at Bun Huggers...a local hamburger place. It was Drew and Harper's first restaurant experience. And since it is way more casual than casual dining, no one cared when they cried a little and they didn't mind the little bit of noise the other diners made. Darrell's brother's family joined us for dinner and met the kids. We went back to Dennis' house and then checked into a hotel. We decided it would be much easier on everyone to not have to worry about waking up Papa or upsetting the dogs. We will need to make sure to take our Pack and Plays next time so we don't have to fret about anyone trying to roll off the bed. We went to Papa's house on Sunday and spent the day with him and Steven's family came over for awhile. It was good to see Darrell's family. On the way home, Harper got a little fussy since her ears needed to pop coming down the mountain. I ended up sitting in the back seat between the kids and blew her mind. She was so excited to have her mama with her. We had a good trip and learned a lot of good things. But mostly, we learned that we just need to go out and do things with the kids, even though it isn't easy all the time.
Drew, sleeping with his little sock monkey, Argyle:
Harper, happy to have her Mama in the back seat:
On the 19th, Darrell was the best dad in the world and stayed home with both kids while I had a girls' night out. I helped him feed them and get them in their PJs and he put them both to bed after I left. He did a great job and didn't even have to call or text. Both kids even went to sleep a little before their usual time!
Drew and Harper turned 5 months old on the 20th and we celebrated by waiting around the house for the dishwasher to be delivered. We took some fun photos. Unfortunately, Drew spit up right before the photos (after being good all day). It's hard to believe how much they have grown.
Harper and Drew loving each other:
Eating food!
Sunday the 28th, Darrell had to work, so I ventured to church alone (except for the two 5 month old babies with me). I temporarily parked in front of the doors and shuttled the kids to the shade. A nice man in my ward (whose name I can't remember) helped us into the chapel and watched both kids while I parked the car in a more suitable location. Then a friend whose husband was ill sat with us and cuddled both kids. We only stayed for Sacrament Meeting since juggling kids was going to be a losing battle, but I think we ended up ok. We Skyped with Grandma and Pop and then fed the kids again. Harper loved every minute of it and Darrell could not get it in her mouth fast enough. She kept smacking her lips. I guess I can claim to be a great chef when it comes to rice cereal. Unless you ask Drew. He still did not want anything to do with that food and was happy to be done with it when I finally let him quit eating it.
Monday evening after bathing kids we went to Costco. We decided to take the stroller instead of each having a full cart before we even got in the store. It worked so much better. I find it completely amazing how many people talk with us because of the kids. And how many other twins there are. It seems like everywhere we go, someone tells us about their twins.
Tuesday, the kids got another dose of cereal. Harper still thinks it is the best tasting food ever and eats and eats and eats. Drew still think it is going to kill him and shudders when I force it into his mouth. He is really good and will eat about 5 bites and then won't open his mouth for me. I figure that is as good as it will get and thank him for trying. I don't dare tell him that I won't try food that looks yucky and rice cereal is on the yucky-looking-food list.
Funny things the kids do:
Harper:
Flaps her arms when she is happy
Flaps her arms when she is unhappy
Flaps her arms when she is in the bath tub and creates quite the splashes
Tries to sit up any time she can...especially in the car seat
Loves looking at the textures of things (couch cushions are especially fascinating)
Can't get enough of her super fancy right hand...it truly is amazing
Sucks her fingers a lot
If she isn't trying to sit, she has her legs up in the air
Chatters when she is sleepy
Loves her Snowball stuffed animal
Lights up when she hears her Daddy on the phone and searches the room for him
Cries the biggest crocodile tears when she wants her Daddy to help her
Prefers the evening to the morning...just like her Mama
Drew:
Kicks, kicks, kicks...especially in the bath tub
Rolls over from his back to his tummy but not from his tummy to his back
Only tolerates being on his tummy for a few minutes and then wants helps to get to his back
Promptly rolls from his back to his tummy after being helped to his back
Talks all day long...especially in screechy tones
Giggles when tickled
Sticks his bottom lip out farther than humanly possible right before crying
Loves to scoot close to Harper and wake her up in the morning
Loves to scoot close to Harper and hold her hand
Loves to scoot close to Harper and suck on her fingers
Lights up when his stuffed sock monkey (Argyle) appears
Is a great snuggler and loves to give kisses
Enjoys it when Mama reads books to him and wants to turn the pages
They both love to have our morning dance party when we change diapers and clothes. They are proficient at blowing spit bubbles and spitting in general. They are happy, loving babies who rarely cry and just love their family.
We are so blessed to have Drew and Harper!
PS...I didn't mean for this to be such the sappy mommy blog post, but this is a good forum for keeping my family and friends up to date.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
3 Months
I'm trying rather unsuccessfully to catch up on this here blog. I'm pretty sure that will never happen, so I am just going to try to stay up-to-date and maybe someday I will be able to back track and fill in some blanks. But really...who am I kidding?
Yesterday, Harper and Drew were 3 months old. It's really hard to believe so much time has passed since they joined our family. However, it's harder to believe that they haven't been with us forever.
I'm trying to document their growth and changes by taking photos each month. I'm not much of a photographer (one day, my sister Emily will have to teach me how she does it).
For their 3 month old photo shoot, I had them sit up in the recliner we bought so we could rock, and rock, and rock them to sleep. This was the first time I had sat them up (other than just sitting them on my lap). Unfortunately for the photos, they were way too impressed with themselves and the fact they each have a right arm to get photos that are any kind of good.
Here is the best I could do with them not obsessing over their arms:
Then, I had them pose with the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls my Grandmama (their Nana) gave them for Christmas. I started this last month and will continue to do it to show how big they get each month. I had them lay down so they could stretch out and show off their lengths. Of course, that is one of the least flattering ways to take a photo of a person. I mean, think about it. Who wants gravity to work its "magic" on their body for photos?
Some fun things they have started doing in the last month or so:
Harper is trying super hard to blow raspberries. I've been blowing them for her for a couple of months and she has figured out that she needs to stick out her tongue and blow. She's pretty close to successful. I can't wait for her to finally get it since I'm sure she will freak herself out.
Drew loves to chatter and loves it even more when I chatter back. I "Oooh" and "Aaaa" at him and he will do it back.
They both giggle. But not that SUPER cute baby giggle. It's the heh-heh giggle. But I love it anyway.
They pretty much sleep through the night most nights. On the nights they don't, they wake up around 5 am, eat, and then go back to sleep pretty easily.
They sleep in the same crib still and I use their crib to change their clothes and prepare for diaper changes. When they are laying in the crib, Drew just stares at Harper as if she is the greatest thing in the world. He really thinks her ear is amazing. They tend to end up holding hands a lot. This is how I found them in their crib yesterday morning (keep in mind I am an awful artist. Drew is the baby swaddled in blue and Harper is in pink; however, the scale is completely wrong since Drew is truly the larger of the two and his head was really WAY closer to her head than the drawing portrays):
When they are being fed, they are so different from each other. Drew just stares up into the eyes of his feeder with a look that says, "I love you so much." Harper has to check out everything in the entire room. Keeping the bottle in her mouth is nearly impossible.
They really despise tummy time and either cry or whimper the entire time I force them to do it.
Darrell and I are both so loving these little babies and are so blessed to have them in our lives. Sometimes it still seems their real parents will come by and take them home. Hopefully that won't happen. Or at least not til they are 13!
Yesterday, Harper and Drew were 3 months old. It's really hard to believe so much time has passed since they joined our family. However, it's harder to believe that they haven't been with us forever.
I'm trying to document their growth and changes by taking photos each month. I'm not much of a photographer (one day, my sister Emily will have to teach me how she does it).
For their 3 month old photo shoot, I had them sit up in the recliner we bought so we could rock, and rock, and rock them to sleep. This was the first time I had sat them up (other than just sitting them on my lap). Unfortunately for the photos, they were way too impressed with themselves and the fact they each have a right arm to get photos that are any kind of good.
Here is the best I could do with them not obsessing over their arms:
Then, I had them pose with the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls my Grandmama (their Nana) gave them for Christmas. I started this last month and will continue to do it to show how big they get each month. I had them lay down so they could stretch out and show off their lengths. Of course, that is one of the least flattering ways to take a photo of a person. I mean, think about it. Who wants gravity to work its "magic" on their body for photos?
Some fun things they have started doing in the last month or so:
Harper is trying super hard to blow raspberries. I've been blowing them for her for a couple of months and she has figured out that she needs to stick out her tongue and blow. She's pretty close to successful. I can't wait for her to finally get it since I'm sure she will freak herself out.
Drew loves to chatter and loves it even more when I chatter back. I "Oooh" and "Aaaa" at him and he will do it back.
They both giggle. But not that SUPER cute baby giggle. It's the heh-heh giggle. But I love it anyway.
They pretty much sleep through the night most nights. On the nights they don't, they wake up around 5 am, eat, and then go back to sleep pretty easily.
They sleep in the same crib still and I use their crib to change their clothes and prepare for diaper changes. When they are laying in the crib, Drew just stares at Harper as if she is the greatest thing in the world. He really thinks her ear is amazing. They tend to end up holding hands a lot. This is how I found them in their crib yesterday morning (keep in mind I am an awful artist. Drew is the baby swaddled in blue and Harper is in pink; however, the scale is completely wrong since Drew is truly the larger of the two and his head was really WAY closer to her head than the drawing portrays):
When they are being fed, they are so different from each other. Drew just stares up into the eyes of his feeder with a look that says, "I love you so much." Harper has to check out everything in the entire room. Keeping the bottle in her mouth is nearly impossible.
They really despise tummy time and either cry or whimper the entire time I force them to do it.
Darrell and I are both so loving these little babies and are so blessed to have them in our lives. Sometimes it still seems their real parents will come by and take them home. Hopefully that won't happen. Or at least not til they are 13!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Thursday, September 6, 2012
You better Redneckognize!
So, the other night I went out on the town with three girl friends.
Just so you know, I will protect the identities of each of these women so no one is overly embarrassed. And since much of the evening's conversation revolved around the TV phenomenon known as "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," I will refer to each of us as one of the family members from that train wreck. I will be known as Pumpkin since I am the only one who is pregnant; but that is where the similarities of the real people to the people on the show ends. The remainder of the gals will be assigned their names in alphabetical order.
We were getting ready to drive home and Chubbs called shot gun. I was perfectly fine with her in that position since I had assumed we would keep the same seats we had on the way to the evening's events; Chubbs in shot gun, Chickadee as driver, Honey Boo Boo in the back passenger seat, and me behind Chickadee.
We were settling in as Chickadee started the car. Chubbs was still chatting to other gals as she was getting in the car. I was in the back, trying desperately to buckle my seat belt (and not because Chickadee's driving scares me), while Honey Boo Boo was texting one of the Kardashians.
Suddenly, Chubbs started gasping, "Help! Help!"
I looked up to see the front seat's automatic adjuster moving the seat forward and the back of the seat to a much less reclined position. Sort of like a clam, closing up for the evening. Chubbs was in real danger of going through the windshield in slow motion.
Clearly, the seat had a mind all its own.
Chickadee jumped out of the driver's seat and ran around to Chubbs' rescue. Apparently, while Chubbs was getting into the car, she had leaned up against the automatic seat mover-upper without realizing it.
Fortunately Chickadee was able to put the seat in its correct upright position and Chubbs could re-attempt to get into the car.
But she did it again.
However, this time she was able to find the button to stop the forward action and right herself.
Somehow Honey Boo Boo was mostly oblivious to what was going on, although Chubbs was blaming Honey Boo Boo for pushing her seat forward to give herself more leg room.
Which is completely ridiculous since Honey Boo Boo has the shortest legs of all of us.
Somehow we made it home without further incident.
Or at least I did, since I was the first dropped off.
But beware that when you are with Chickadee, Chubbs, Honey Boo Boo, or Pumpkin, you may get way more than you bargained for.
Just so you know, I will protect the identities of each of these women so no one is overly embarrassed. And since much of the evening's conversation revolved around the TV phenomenon known as "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," I will refer to each of us as one of the family members from that train wreck. I will be known as Pumpkin since I am the only one who is pregnant; but that is where the similarities of the real people to the people on the show ends. The remainder of the gals will be assigned their names in alphabetical order.
We were getting ready to drive home and Chubbs called shot gun. I was perfectly fine with her in that position since I had assumed we would keep the same seats we had on the way to the evening's events; Chubbs in shot gun, Chickadee as driver, Honey Boo Boo in the back passenger seat, and me behind Chickadee.
We were settling in as Chickadee started the car. Chubbs was still chatting to other gals as she was getting in the car. I was in the back, trying desperately to buckle my seat belt (and not because Chickadee's driving scares me), while Honey Boo Boo was texting one of the Kardashians.
Suddenly, Chubbs started gasping, "Help! Help!"
I looked up to see the front seat's automatic adjuster moving the seat forward and the back of the seat to a much less reclined position. Sort of like a clam, closing up for the evening. Chubbs was in real danger of going through the windshield in slow motion.
Clearly, the seat had a mind all its own.
Chickadee jumped out of the driver's seat and ran around to Chubbs' rescue. Apparently, while Chubbs was getting into the car, she had leaned up against the automatic seat mover-upper without realizing it.
Fortunately Chickadee was able to put the seat in its correct upright position and Chubbs could re-attempt to get into the car.
But she did it again.
However, this time she was able to find the button to stop the forward action and right herself.
Somehow Honey Boo Boo was mostly oblivious to what was going on, although Chubbs was blaming Honey Boo Boo for pushing her seat forward to give herself more leg room.
Which is completely ridiculous since Honey Boo Boo has the shortest legs of all of us.
Somehow we made it home without further incident.
Or at least I did, since I was the first dropped off.
But beware that when you are with Chickadee, Chubbs, Honey Boo Boo, or Pumpkin, you may get way more than you bargained for.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Don't mess with me!
I consider myself a mostly patient person.
Sometimes even too patient.
I have been known to wait and wait and wait for customer service representatives because I can sympathize with them. They are doing a mainly thankless job and take a lot of crap for it.
I also do not like confrontation one bit.
I will allow others to walk all over me instead of telling them to be nice.
But not the other day. No sirree!
Darrell and I went to Staples to get a few supplies for his business. There were quite a few other people with only one cash register open. So we got to stand in line. For a long time.
Usually not a big deal.
After several minutes, the cashier was helping the people in front of us. All looked as if we would be out of there in two shakes of a lamb's ear. (Whatever that means)
Oh. But they were returning a big ol' bag full of stuff.
The cashier did a great job of scanning the thousand items, finding each on the receipt, and made quick business of this transaction.
But then, the bump in the road happened.
They had apparently paid for the items with a pre-paid VISA card but wanted cash back. The computer did not like that. Not.One.Bit.
The cashier explained they needed to provide her with the pre-paid card and I think they said they didn't have it any more.
She explained they could then receive a store credit and began to finish the transaction.
But now, all of a sudden, they were easily able to produce the card and did not want a store credit.
Too late. The computer did not want to allow the cashier to switch methods of refund.
But, they HAD to have the money back on their pre-paid card.
The cashier had to get a manager override.
By this time, the line had grown enormously and the poor cashier was seriously freaking out.
She told the crazy customers to wait for the manager while she helped the other customers.
She moved from one register to the next, announcing, "I'll help the next person in line over here."
A man, who was either 1 or 2 people behind Darrell and I, bolted for the new open register.
Normally, I would just steam on the inside.
But not that day.
I don't know if it was that we had waited for so long or if it was that I was hot and 25 weeks pregnant with twins (yes...you heard correctly), but a said very loudly, "Excuuuuse ME!"
To which Mr. Buttinski replied, "I wasn't trying to cut!"
SURE!
I don't know who was more shocked by my outspokenness...me or Darrell.
But I will tell you what...."That was easy!"
Sometimes even too patient.
I have been known to wait and wait and wait for customer service representatives because I can sympathize with them. They are doing a mainly thankless job and take a lot of crap for it.
I also do not like confrontation one bit.
I will allow others to walk all over me instead of telling them to be nice.
But not the other day. No sirree!
Darrell and I went to Staples to get a few supplies for his business. There were quite a few other people with only one cash register open. So we got to stand in line. For a long time.
Usually not a big deal.
After several minutes, the cashier was helping the people in front of us. All looked as if we would be out of there in two shakes of a lamb's ear. (Whatever that means)
Oh. But they were returning a big ol' bag full of stuff.
The cashier did a great job of scanning the thousand items, finding each on the receipt, and made quick business of this transaction.
But then, the bump in the road happened.
They had apparently paid for the items with a pre-paid VISA card but wanted cash back. The computer did not like that. Not.One.Bit.
The cashier explained they needed to provide her with the pre-paid card and I think they said they didn't have it any more.
She explained they could then receive a store credit and began to finish the transaction.
But now, all of a sudden, they were easily able to produce the card and did not want a store credit.
Too late. The computer did not want to allow the cashier to switch methods of refund.
But, they HAD to have the money back on their pre-paid card.
The cashier had to get a manager override.
By this time, the line had grown enormously and the poor cashier was seriously freaking out.
She told the crazy customers to wait for the manager while she helped the other customers.
She moved from one register to the next, announcing, "I'll help the next person in line over here."
A man, who was either 1 or 2 people behind Darrell and I, bolted for the new open register.
Normally, I would just steam on the inside.
But not that day.
I don't know if it was that we had waited for so long or if it was that I was hot and 25 weeks pregnant with twins (yes...you heard correctly), but a said very loudly, "Excuuuuse ME!"
To which Mr. Buttinski replied, "I wasn't trying to cut!"
SURE!
I don't know who was more shocked by my outspokenness...me or Darrell.
But I will tell you what...."That was easy!"
Saturday, January 28, 2012
House of Card Sharks
When we were little girls, my sister, Jennilyn, and I played together for hours on end. All day. Every day.
We played house, school, Primary, Barbies. We really liked to pretend.
We also loved games. We played Sorry, Hi-Ho Cherry-O, Old Maid (that's a story for another day), and Candyland, among numerous others.
But we also wanted to play the Big Kid Games. You, know, the games that parents played. Our Mom and Dad had Backgammon, Thinking Man's Football (yes...that's a real game), chess, and a bunch of others which I'm sure had names but I never really learned.
Like I said, we loved games.
So, when we were sick or home during summer vacation, we loved to watch game shows. And, I'll admit, I still like to watch some game shows that are on TV now.
It goes without saying that somehow we would be able to combine the best of both worlds...playing "Pretend," playing games, and game shows. I guess that's more than "both" and should be "all."
When I was about 8, we figured out the perfect way to play Wheel of Fortune. Keep in mind that this was the pre-Pat-Sajak-and-Vanna-White days. It was back when Chuck Woolery hosted and Susan Stafford was the letter-turner. (Thank you, Wikipedia!).
We went into the "kids'" bathroom that had a wall of cabinets with four or five doors. One of us played the contestant and the other played Susan Stafford. "Susan" stood at one side of the cabinets and thought of a four or five lettered word...we were, afterall pretty young and could only spell a few words longer than that anyway. The contestant called letters to guess the word and Susan would elegantly glide from one side of the cabinets to the other and "turn" the letter over. In reality, she opened the cabinet door as she walked by. Of course, since neither of us dreamed of writing on the cabinet doors (for real...we were really good kids and never even tried to damage the house or furniture) and we were only 6 and 8, the contestant could never really figure out the word Susan as thinking of. Plus, it got boring really fast.
We decided there had to be another game show that would better translate to the real world.
And then we figured out a way to even include one of our parents' "Adult" games in the mix...Card Sharks!
Now, don't be crazy and think my parents had real, live face cards. Nooooo. We only had Rook cards. And not just one set, but two. And I don't think anyone even knew how to play Rook. And I'm pretty sure no one in my family has learned.
But they were perfect for Card Sharks.
Again, one of us played the contestant and the other played the host (Wikipedia isn't as helpful with this one). The host asked the contestant a question like, "We asked 100 teachers, how many of you have caught a student cheating?" The host always made up the questions on the fly and since we were kids that lacked the reasoning skills that most adults possess, the answer would usually be something like 47.
I don't remember any of the questions or answers I came up with, but I certainly remember one that Jennilyn asked me:
We asked 100 married men, How many of you were bachelors before you got married?
I was oh-so-excited since I knew the answer to that one without even thinking...it was definitely 100!
Jennilyn, however, disagreed.
An argument ensued.
I insisted that all men were bachelors before they were married.
Jennilyn emphatically said no.
I told her that even Dad had been a bachelor before he married Mom.
She became rather disgusted and indignant.
We got Mom involved in the disagreement who sided with me.
I think Jennilyn started crying.
Come to find out, she thought a bachelor was a bad thing. I'm guessing sort of like a six-year old's version of a gigolo.
Who knew that 30-something years later a bachelor would, in fact, be a gigolo?
We played house, school, Primary, Barbies. We really liked to pretend.
We also loved games. We played Sorry, Hi-Ho Cherry-O, Old Maid (that's a story for another day), and Candyland, among numerous others.
But we also wanted to play the Big Kid Games. You, know, the games that parents played. Our Mom and Dad had Backgammon, Thinking Man's Football (yes...that's a real game), chess, and a bunch of others which I'm sure had names but I never really learned.
Like I said, we loved games.
So, when we were sick or home during summer vacation, we loved to watch game shows. And, I'll admit, I still like to watch some game shows that are on TV now.
It goes without saying that somehow we would be able to combine the best of both worlds...playing "Pretend," playing games, and game shows. I guess that's more than "both" and should be "all."
When I was about 8, we figured out the perfect way to play Wheel of Fortune. Keep in mind that this was the pre-Pat-Sajak-and-Vanna-White days. It was back when Chuck Woolery hosted and Susan Stafford was the letter-turner. (Thank you, Wikipedia!).
We went into the "kids'" bathroom that had a wall of cabinets with four or five doors. One of us played the contestant and the other played Susan Stafford. "Susan" stood at one side of the cabinets and thought of a four or five lettered word...we were, afterall pretty young and could only spell a few words longer than that anyway. The contestant called letters to guess the word and Susan would elegantly glide from one side of the cabinets to the other and "turn" the letter over. In reality, she opened the cabinet door as she walked by. Of course, since neither of us dreamed of writing on the cabinet doors (for real...we were really good kids and never even tried to damage the house or furniture) and we were only 6 and 8, the contestant could never really figure out the word Susan as thinking of. Plus, it got boring really fast.
We decided there had to be another game show that would better translate to the real world.
And then we figured out a way to even include one of our parents' "Adult" games in the mix...Card Sharks!
Now, don't be crazy and think my parents had real, live face cards. Nooooo. We only had Rook cards. And not just one set, but two. And I don't think anyone even knew how to play Rook. And I'm pretty sure no one in my family has learned.
But they were perfect for Card Sharks.
Again, one of us played the contestant and the other played the host (Wikipedia isn't as helpful with this one). The host asked the contestant a question like, "We asked 100 teachers, how many of you have caught a student cheating?" The host always made up the questions on the fly and since we were kids that lacked the reasoning skills that most adults possess, the answer would usually be something like 47.
I don't remember any of the questions or answers I came up with, but I certainly remember one that Jennilyn asked me:
We asked 100 married men, How many of you were bachelors before you got married?
I was oh-so-excited since I knew the answer to that one without even thinking...it was definitely 100!
Jennilyn, however, disagreed.
An argument ensued.
I insisted that all men were bachelors before they were married.
Jennilyn emphatically said no.
I told her that even Dad had been a bachelor before he married Mom.
She became rather disgusted and indignant.
We got Mom involved in the disagreement who sided with me.
I think Jennilyn started crying.
Come to find out, she thought a bachelor was a bad thing. I'm guessing sort of like a six-year old's version of a gigolo.
Who knew that 30-something years later a bachelor would, in fact, be a gigolo?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Call Me
In case you don't know too much about me, I'm what you could consider a night owl. I love nights and hate mornings. In fact, please don't tell me "Good Morning!" because I will probably tell you there isn't anything good about mornings. But given the fact that you will likely never have the opportunity to even greet me at all in the morning, rest assured, you should have no fears of the repercussions associated with such a folly.
So, it really doesn't bother me too much to have someone call me late-ish at night when I'm aware that they are going to call. You know, like we've made plans to talk later, or we've been texting or emailing and need to talk in person. But I'm not real good with unplanned late-night phone calls. Unless I'm not planning on it. Because, let's face it, no one calls after 10 pm with good news.
So, last night at 10:30 when my home phone rang (and yes, I still have a land line. I've been debating disconnecting the thing for years and can't let go of the kitschiness of it all), I was more than a little disturbed.
And then I saw that one of my parents was calling, and became even more concerned.
Darrell likes the idea of late-night phone calls even less than me and had followed me to the home office where one of the land line phones was.
I cautiously answered.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Steph!" said my mom, sounding very much like her normal self. "I was on Pinterest and checking out my boards. It will only show 9 pins per board and I am wondering how to see the other pins I have on those boards."
I gave Darrell a thumb's up to let him know all was well and asked my mom if she realized it was 10:30.
She started laughing and said, "I've been on the computer all evening and thought it was only 8:00! I'm so sorry! Is Darrell ok? Let him know that we are all okay. I'm so sorry! Oh, that's so funny!"
"Yeah, Mom, it's funny now, but 45 seconds ago, it was a little unsettling! So, here's how to see all the pins on each board...."
So, although it wasn't a matter of life or death, I'm glad I was able to help my mom with her Pinterest emergency. Because there's nothing worse than being unable to figure out one of the most addictive websites in the middle of the night!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
File this under "No Thank You"
Darrell and I were on our sorta-weekly Costco date night this evening. We tend to go just to "check things out" since we don't really have a need for 439 pounds of cheese or a 95-pack of socks.
We tend to go up and down most of the aisles to see what is available...just in case. One never knows when a need for 6 gallons of pickles will come in handy.
We were strolling the home-upgrade aisle...you know the one...it has the fancy-schmancy chandelier, the ceiling fan that looks like it was made for a Fijian mansion, and the faux fireplace so you can have a mantle. Well, this aisle also has the practical upgrades. Like the brushed nickel kitchen faucets, the bamboo flooring, and the rain simulating shower head.
And then I saw this. The item no home is complete without. The toilet seat that combines the convenience of a hands-free flush with an automatic open and close lid. Yes, you heard right. The toilet seat opens as you approach the toilet and closes as you leave. And flushes.On.Its.Own.
But wait! There's more!
Because if you buy the model available at Costco, you also get:
A heated seat. For those cold mornings when you just wish the toilet seat was warmer.
Gentle aerated warm water. For front and rear cleaning. Although I think it's pretty much all rear cleaning.
Massage feature. Just gross!
Warm drying feature. With three-temperature drying.
Automatic air purifier. Thank goodness. Because with all the other things going on, if you can't have purified air, it just isn't worth it.
A convenient remote control. With large LCD panel for easy use.
I thought about adding it to my Christmas wish list.
But decided I'd wait for the portable unit.
We tend to go up and down most of the aisles to see what is available...just in case. One never knows when a need for 6 gallons of pickles will come in handy.
We were strolling the home-upgrade aisle...you know the one...it has the fancy-schmancy chandelier, the ceiling fan that looks like it was made for a Fijian mansion, and the faux fireplace so you can have a mantle. Well, this aisle also has the practical upgrades. Like the brushed nickel kitchen faucets, the bamboo flooring, and the rain simulating shower head.
And then I saw this. The item no home is complete without. The toilet seat that combines the convenience of a hands-free flush with an automatic open and close lid. Yes, you heard right. The toilet seat opens as you approach the toilet and closes as you leave. And flushes.On.Its.Own.
But wait! There's more!
Because if you buy the model available at Costco, you also get:
A heated seat. For those cold mornings when you just wish the toilet seat was warmer.
Gentle aerated warm water. For front and rear cleaning. Although I think it's pretty much all rear cleaning.
Massage feature. Just gross!
Warm drying feature. With three-temperature drying.
Automatic air purifier. Thank goodness. Because with all the other things going on, if you can't have purified air, it just isn't worth it.
A convenient remote control. With large LCD panel for easy use.
I thought about adding it to my Christmas wish list.
But decided I'd wait for the portable unit.
Monday, October 31, 2011
My Halloween Costume
I normally don't dress up for Halloween, but this year I convinced a group of anti-dress-up co-workers to join me in being Angry Birds.
We each chose a color and wore a shirt that coordinated with the bird of our choice.
And then I printed these out and we pinned them on our shirts.
They were originally made to attach to balloons, but they worked as an easy costume, too.
If I get a photo, I'll post it....
And, that, my friends, is 31 posts in 31 days!
We each chose a color and wore a shirt that coordinated with the bird of our choice.
And then I printed these out and we pinned them on our shirts.
They were originally made to attach to balloons, but they worked as an easy costume, too.
If I get a photo, I'll post it....
And, that, my friends, is 31 posts in 31 days!
Random facts, October edition
Although I have never read the books or seen the movies, I can't do any of the Twilight saga. I'm not so into the fantasy genre and the actors really are unattractive to me. I know. You can hang me in effigy.
I have good intentions but really poor follow through. I bought my cute niece a Halloween card and stickers at the beginning of the month. I kept thinking that I needed to send them so she would get them, but also thought that if I sent them too soon it would be silly. And so, I will send them to her on Halloween day. Which means she will get them in November. Too late for this year and WAY too early for next year.
I tend to either buy nothing while on vacation or raid the souvenir shops and buy one of each of everything. There is no happy medium.
It took me about 30 seconds to remember the word "souvenir." I'm either tired or suffering from early-onset-dementia.
It took me a little while to remember the word "dementia." I'm really hoping for the tired option.
Last week, neighborhood vandals struck again. This time, we weren't singled out. The vandals (who I think are probably teenaged girls) wrote on all the windows of cars parked outside in the neighborhood Wednesday to Thursday night. No real damage was done, unlike the time our front door was egged, our rear car window was smashed with a rock, or the house was T.P'd (although I don't remember that incident but Darrell tells me it happened). I did end up waking up early and washed the windows of our cars. It was chilly, which I will tell you, I was not used to. I also wasn't used to the morning and may have been grumpy for the rest of the day.
It's altogether possible that I have gift cards older than my niece. She's 6. I somehow think that if I use a gift card that it is wasting the gift card. Because if I use it now, I won't be able to use it later. And what if what I want later is better than what I want now? So, please, don't give me a gift card. Unless you just want to throw your money away. And then if that's what you want to do, just take a picture of you throwing your money away and give that to me.
I have good intentions but really poor follow through. I bought my cute niece a Halloween card and stickers at the beginning of the month. I kept thinking that I needed to send them so she would get them, but also thought that if I sent them too soon it would be silly. And so, I will send them to her on Halloween day. Which means she will get them in November. Too late for this year and WAY too early for next year.
I tend to either buy nothing while on vacation or raid the souvenir shops and buy one of each of everything. There is no happy medium.
It took me about 30 seconds to remember the word "souvenir." I'm either tired or suffering from early-onset-dementia.
It took me a little while to remember the word "dementia." I'm really hoping for the tired option.
Last week, neighborhood vandals struck again. This time, we weren't singled out. The vandals (who I think are probably teenaged girls) wrote on all the windows of cars parked outside in the neighborhood Wednesday to Thursday night. No real damage was done, unlike the time our front door was egged, our rear car window was smashed with a rock, or the house was T.P'd (although I don't remember that incident but Darrell tells me it happened). I did end up waking up early and washed the windows of our cars. It was chilly, which I will tell you, I was not used to. I also wasn't used to the morning and may have been grumpy for the rest of the day.
It's altogether possible that I have gift cards older than my niece. She's 6. I somehow think that if I use a gift card that it is wasting the gift card. Because if I use it now, I won't be able to use it later. And what if what I want later is better than what I want now? So, please, don't give me a gift card. Unless you just want to throw your money away. And then if that's what you want to do, just take a picture of you throwing your money away and give that to me.
The really good thing about October...
is that there are only 31 days!
Can you imagine if there were more?
I am about to die from over-blogging.
I was asked today (hi, Jenni!) why I chose October to blog every day (or at least one posting per day of the month). She told me that if I had been smart, I would have chosen February. When it wasn't a leap year.
She's right. But I often do silly things like over-commit myself.
I think I function best with a small amount of chaos.
Which is why I had 6 posts to write, rice to cook, 2 cakes to bake and ice, 8 halloween costumes to prepare (for my co-workers and I who weren't going to dress up otherwise), a kitchen to prep for tile demolition and installation, dinner to make, and a nap to take, all before going to bed tonight.
I'll be sort of relieved for November. When I don't feel the pressure of anything but Thanksgiving. You know. The day that you eat the food in about 25 minutes that you've cooked for the previous 3 days.
Can you imagine if there were more?
I am about to die from over-blogging.
I was asked today (hi, Jenni!) why I chose October to blog every day (or at least one posting per day of the month). She told me that if I had been smart, I would have chosen February. When it wasn't a leap year.
She's right. But I often do silly things like over-commit myself.
I think I function best with a small amount of chaos.
Which is why I had 6 posts to write, rice to cook, 2 cakes to bake and ice, 8 halloween costumes to prepare (for my co-workers and I who weren't going to dress up otherwise), a kitchen to prep for tile demolition and installation, dinner to make, and a nap to take, all before going to bed tonight.
I'll be sort of relieved for November. When I don't feel the pressure of anything but Thanksgiving. You know. The day that you eat the food in about 25 minutes that you've cooked for the previous 3 days.
Shout outs
Hey! Ho! Hay! Hoe!
I feel like Ricki Lake.
Just thought I'd do a few shout outs to people who make my little blog here feel worth it.
Thanks to my mom who reads this thing every day and comments on most days. I know that you do because you like to, even though you also have to.
Thanks to Ginger, for being one of the first and frequent commenters of the month. I was beginning to think no one was reading until you commented.
Thanks to Linda, for also commenting. And for reminding me that literary license is an important part of blogging. I plan to keep it up.
Thanks to Emily, my sister, who also comments on this here blog. Even if she compares me to Mrs. Brady. But since she is a Brady-Bunch-ologist, I'm really not surprised.
A very special thanks goes out to Darrell. Who lets me blog about him without too much complaint. He really is a great guy and my life would be boring without him!
And thanks to all who read this little blog. I'd really like to hear from more of you. And just think...you may get a shout out, too!
I feel like Ricki Lake.
Just thought I'd do a few shout outs to people who make my little blog here feel worth it.
Thanks to my mom who reads this thing every day and comments on most days. I know that you do because you like to, even though you also have to.
Thanks to Ginger, for being one of the first and frequent commenters of the month. I was beginning to think no one was reading until you commented.
Thanks to Linda, for also commenting. And for reminding me that literary license is an important part of blogging. I plan to keep it up.
Thanks to Emily, my sister, who also comments on this here blog. Even if she compares me to Mrs. Brady. But since she is a Brady-Bunch-ologist, I'm really not surprised.
A very special thanks goes out to Darrell. Who lets me blog about him without too much complaint. He really is a great guy and my life would be boring without him!
And thanks to all who read this little blog. I'd really like to hear from more of you. And just think...you may get a shout out, too!
How to effectively "do" the state fair
Friday night, Darrell and I picked my sister, Julie, up from the airport at around 7:30. My friend Kira came with us, too.
We went immediately to the State Fair, since Julie wanted something exciting to do and we wanted to go to the fair.
Now, the State Fairgrounds are not in the best of neighborhoods. And parking is at a premium. But, if you promise not to let everyone else know, I'll let you in on a little secret. You can park at the State Capital building and ride a tour bus to the entrance. For free. Yep. Park for free. Ride for free.
Plus, since you are riding a tour bus, you can pretend you are a Country Music Hall of Fame Star that is arriving at the State Fair to perform. Or you don't have to. I'm just telling you how "I" do things fair-related.
Now, if you aren't the actual musical act performing at the fair, you may just want to wander over to the Coliseum to see who IS performing. Sometimes, it is a former-Disney star. Sometimes, it's the late-80s hip-hop ensemble (which this year included Young M.C.). Sometimes, it's Alice Cooper (which, by the way, is the band I've seen in concert more than any other. I.KNOW! Unbelievable, isn't it?).
And sometimes, it's Bret Michaels. We got there in time to hear the last 3 songs. Only 2 of which I had heard before to my knowledge. He put on a pretty good show for the last 3 songs.
We left the Coliseum and stood outside for a few minutes, soaking up the atmosphere. Including a 70-ish year old woman who thought she was 18. She had a great figure, but she was 70-something. She wore tight lowrider jeans with rhinestone accents on the pockets. She had a shirt that was a few inches too short and showed off her abs. About 4 inches of abs. That were tanned. About the color of a brown crayola. I couldn't take a picture (I need to practice my stealth-mode photo-taking skills--any teachers?), but suffice it to say that I think she thought she could get a date with Bret Michaels.
We next ventured to the food. Oh....the food! I had a corn dog and funnel cake. Julie had a Navajo taco. Kira had a corn dog and mini doughnuts. And Darrell had nothing. (Party pooper or smart man? You decide.)
We then went to judge the youth livestock. Not really. We just went to look at it. But, since it was 9 o'clock, "the man" told us to vacate the livestock area. We saw a few goats, a couple of pigs, and that was pretty much it. Really kind of sad. So, if you want to see animals, remember to go earlier in the day.
We then found our way to the textile arts. We decided that the judges must be super kind or really stupid. The handiworks that looked the worst were the ones that won blue ribbons. The ones that looked like real talent was involved received honorable mentions, at best.
Some of our favorites were the John Deere tractors Christmas ornaments:
This one makes the cut since Julie's former roommate, Trena, has a collection since she and her husband are farmers.
The plastic canvas Nativity scene:
This one is featured since my Mom collects Nativity sets and plastic canvas is tacky. (Although I don't want to have this particular scene and don't like plastic canvas, this was done really well and looked good for the medium chosen. Hence, the lack of a ribbon of any kind.)
We got kicked out of the textile display and saw something that was really exciting:
Yeah. That really is an artificially intelligent electronic computer module installed in a highly advanced, very mobile, robotic automobile: KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) aka a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am. If you'd like, you can have my autograph since I saw such a technological wonder with my own two eyes.
Since we weren't going to ride the rides (because, really, they are sort of have pop-up-book assembly), we decided it was time to head home. We boarded the bus, traveled to our car, and headed home.
I can't speak for any of the others, but I will say that a good time was had by all!
And that, my friends, is how to "do" the state fair.
We went immediately to the State Fair, since Julie wanted something exciting to do and we wanted to go to the fair.
Now, the State Fairgrounds are not in the best of neighborhoods. And parking is at a premium. But, if you promise not to let everyone else know, I'll let you in on a little secret. You can park at the State Capital building and ride a tour bus to the entrance. For free. Yep. Park for free. Ride for free.
Plus, since you are riding a tour bus, you can pretend you are a Country Music Hall of Fame Star that is arriving at the State Fair to perform. Or you don't have to. I'm just telling you how "I" do things fair-related.
Now, if you aren't the actual musical act performing at the fair, you may just want to wander over to the Coliseum to see who IS performing. Sometimes, it is a former-Disney star. Sometimes, it's the late-80s hip-hop ensemble (which this year included Young M.C.). Sometimes, it's Alice Cooper (which, by the way, is the band I've seen in concert more than any other. I.KNOW! Unbelievable, isn't it?).
And sometimes, it's Bret Michaels. We got there in time to hear the last 3 songs. Only 2 of which I had heard before to my knowledge. He put on a pretty good show for the last 3 songs.
We left the Coliseum and stood outside for a few minutes, soaking up the atmosphere. Including a 70-ish year old woman who thought she was 18. She had a great figure, but she was 70-something. She wore tight lowrider jeans with rhinestone accents on the pockets. She had a shirt that was a few inches too short and showed off her abs. About 4 inches of abs. That were tanned. About the color of a brown crayola. I couldn't take a picture (I need to practice my stealth-mode photo-taking skills--any teachers?), but suffice it to say that I think she thought she could get a date with Bret Michaels.
We next ventured to the food. Oh....the food! I had a corn dog and funnel cake. Julie had a Navajo taco. Kira had a corn dog and mini doughnuts. And Darrell had nothing. (Party pooper or smart man? You decide.)
We then went to judge the youth livestock. Not really. We just went to look at it. But, since it was 9 o'clock, "the man" told us to vacate the livestock area. We saw a few goats, a couple of pigs, and that was pretty much it. Really kind of sad. So, if you want to see animals, remember to go earlier in the day.
We then found our way to the textile arts. We decided that the judges must be super kind or really stupid. The handiworks that looked the worst were the ones that won blue ribbons. The ones that looked like real talent was involved received honorable mentions, at best.
Some of our favorites were the John Deere tractors Christmas ornaments:
The plastic canvas Nativity scene:
We got kicked out of the textile display and saw something that was really exciting:
Yeah. That really is an artificially intelligent electronic computer module installed in a highly advanced, very mobile, robotic automobile: KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) aka a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am. If you'd like, you can have my autograph since I saw such a technological wonder with my own two eyes.
Since we weren't going to ride the rides (because, really, they are sort of have pop-up-book assembly), we decided it was time to head home. We boarded the bus, traveled to our car, and headed home.
I can't speak for any of the others, but I will say that a good time was had by all!
And that, my friends, is how to "do" the state fair.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
I felt like a Food Network Star
One of the first people I met when I moved to the Phoenix area was my friend Flicka.
Not really. My friend Kira was, however, one of the first people I met in Phoenix.
Her birthday is fast approaching, which happens to be on November 11th.
Yeah. She gets to have a birthday on 11/11/11.
Pretty fabulous, I tell you. Especially since she is a numbers kinda gal.
So, she has planned a bash which sounds like great fun.
And because her birthday is on such a monumental day, she cannot have just any old cake.
Not even a Costco cake.
I.KNOW! If the day is too good for a Costco cake, you know this will be a serious cake!
And so, since the bakery she chose to get her birthday cake from is really just down the street from me, she invited me to go with her for a cake tasting.
Darrell, incidentally, asked me why she had to do a cake tasting, since those a reserved for events like a debutante ball. I didn't even make that up!
We got to the bakery...Lisa's Rum Cake...a little after 5 pm and they close at 5 pm.
Lisa greeted us at the door and she brought a couple of slices out that Kira wanted to try.
They talked about the size, the way to decorate it, pick-up time. You know. The kind of stuff you would talk about with the baker of your fancy cake.
We got everything settled and then Lisa asked us if we wanted to tour the factory.
DOI! Of course we wanted to tour the factory!
She showed us how they bake the cakes and she decorated one in about 3 minutes that looked better than anything I could have decorated in 3 months.
Lisa introduced us to most of the employees--which are her husband and three daughters (we met all but one of the daughters). They all have a real passion for their work. They said they work until quite late at night and then go back to the shop in the middle of the night to finish things up.
Then Lisa asked us if we knew what a blast chiller was. Kira and I looked at each other with this silly grin on each of our faces and shrieked "YES!" As if she had asked us if we each wanted $100 Million Dollars. A Day.
I asked if I could take photos. And Lisa said yes.
Here is the giant mixer:
Can you see the regular sized Kitchen Aid to the right of the giant mixer? I know it's hard to see, but it sorta gives you a sense of the scale of the giant mixer.
Here is the oven:
You can probably fit eighteen 9x13 pans in this oven. I bet it would come in super handy around the Christmas baking season.
Here is the blast chiller:
Kira is playing The Price is Right model with her hand. After the cakes are baked, they are cooled in the blast chiller before decorating. I want you to know that it was super cold when we opened that blast chiller.
While we were touring the factory, we noticed there were lots of cake scraps in the garbage can. All I can say is that it was a good thing we had samples because I was a little tempted to pull a George Costanza for a minute.
I think Lisa felt sorry for us since she could see that I almost did the unthinkable, so she gave us another sample.
So, the moral of the story is, if you are ever in the market for a cake fancier than Costco's, check out Lisa's Rum Cake. They are delicious cakes baked by a fabulous family!
Not really. My friend Kira was, however, one of the first people I met in Phoenix.
Her birthday is fast approaching, which happens to be on November 11th.
Yeah. She gets to have a birthday on 11/11/11.
Pretty fabulous, I tell you. Especially since she is a numbers kinda gal.
So, she has planned a bash which sounds like great fun.
And because her birthday is on such a monumental day, she cannot have just any old cake.
Not even a Costco cake.
I.KNOW! If the day is too good for a Costco cake, you know this will be a serious cake!
And so, since the bakery she chose to get her birthday cake from is really just down the street from me, she invited me to go with her for a cake tasting.
Darrell, incidentally, asked me why she had to do a cake tasting, since those a reserved for events like a debutante ball. I didn't even make that up!
We got to the bakery...Lisa's Rum Cake...a little after 5 pm and they close at 5 pm.
Lisa greeted us at the door and she brought a couple of slices out that Kira wanted to try.
They talked about the size, the way to decorate it, pick-up time. You know. The kind of stuff you would talk about with the baker of your fancy cake.
We got everything settled and then Lisa asked us if we wanted to tour the factory.
DOI! Of course we wanted to tour the factory!
She showed us how they bake the cakes and she decorated one in about 3 minutes that looked better than anything I could have decorated in 3 months.
Lisa introduced us to most of the employees--which are her husband and three daughters (we met all but one of the daughters). They all have a real passion for their work. They said they work until quite late at night and then go back to the shop in the middle of the night to finish things up.
Then Lisa asked us if we knew what a blast chiller was. Kira and I looked at each other with this silly grin on each of our faces and shrieked "YES!" As if she had asked us if we each wanted $100 Million Dollars. A Day.
I asked if I could take photos. And Lisa said yes.
Here is the giant mixer:
Here is the oven:
Here is the blast chiller:
While we were touring the factory, we noticed there were lots of cake scraps in the garbage can. All I can say is that it was a good thing we had samples because I was a little tempted to pull a George Costanza for a minute.
I think Lisa felt sorry for us since she could see that I almost did the unthinkable, so she gave us another sample.
So, the moral of the story is, if you are ever in the market for a cake fancier than Costco's, check out Lisa's Rum Cake. They are delicious cakes baked by a fabulous family!
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