Scrappin'

I haven't scrapped much at all this year. I'm not sure what's gotten into me. Either I'm having a really looooong slump, or I'm losing the love of scrapping altogether. I'm just not feeling it lately. But Shabby Princess released some new products over the weekend, which means that I got to play with them so I actually scrapped a few pages over the last couple of weeks. I'm really out of the habit and feeling pretty rusty all around.

I did a couple of pages from the "Twirl" Piece-a-cake album. These pages were pre-made...just add photos, a title, and some journaling. It really can't get any easier.

Here are a couple pages I did with her new Summer Cottage kit at Digi Shop Talk:

And another one I did with one of her new coaster sets.

Tagged

So was tagged by Chad a while ago. I was being a poorsport and refusing to play his little game, but I'm finally caving. I haven't felt like blogging at all lately, so I figured this game of tag would get me to post something.

Oh and just for fun I let Dallin answer a few of these for me. (Can you guess which ones?)


4 Jobs I have held:
- dance teacher
- legal secretary
- phone surveyor
- computer programmer (old school - on a mainframe)

4 Movies I could watch again and again:
- Harry Potter movies
- Little Women
- The Work and the Glory
- The Pursuit of Happyness

4 TV Shows I Like:
- Alias (on dvd)
- Seinfeld re-runs
- Law & Order
- American Idol (best to watch it with the kids)

4 Items I could not Live without daily:
- water
- toothpaste
- toilet paper
- air conditioning or heater (depending on the season)

4 Places I'd Rather Be:
- Disneyland
- Hawaii
- Lake Powell
- Bear Lake

4 Things I Do Everyday without Fail:
- read with the kids
- nag them to get their chores done
- wish for a few more hours in the day
- struggle to fall asleep while I listen to Adam snore

4 of my Favorite Foods:
- Cafe Rio salad
- El Toro Viejo cheese enchiladas (flour tortillas, no cole slaw)
- strawberries
- chocolate

4 Items I wish I had right now:
- a landscaper
- ear plugs (see above)
- Calgon
- Super Nanny (minus the tv cameras in my house)

4 Things on my "To Do" List:
You've got to be kidding - only 4?
- Get my hair done (this one has been on my list for WAY too long)
- Weed the garden
- Work on the "office" (get paint for the walls, and a glass top and hardware for the desk)
- Prepare a Relief Society lesson for Sunday (I need a topic first) - any suggestions?

4 People I am Tagging :
- nobody...I wouldn't do that to my "friends" (just kidding Chad!)

So seriously if you're reading this and you want to play along, please do. (And if you're like me, just ignore it. OK?)

Happy Father's Day

The music on this was driving me crazy, so I turned it off.

Catching Up - May

Here are some of the highlights from our past month:


A DAY AT THE ZOO

I told the kids there was NO way the white alligator was still going to be there. I guess I lied.


Excuse me, but you're in my personal space.


Hanging out with the cousins.




The cutest little critter we saw all day.




DALLIN'S FIELD TRIP - RIDING THE TRAIN

I volunteer at the school, so I thought I knew who the "rowdy" kids were. It turns out that even the calmest children get a little wild when they go on a field trip.

Mrs. Bell's class.


Dallin with the conductor.


"Hey look, we're wearing the same shirt!"




GRACIE'S DANCE RECITAL

Gracie was so excited to be "Tiger Lily" in the Peter Pan show. She had a really bad sunburn, but she still danced like a star. She really knew her dance this year. She let me know that she was NOT happy that I didn't bring her any flowers this year. (Do you think she's a little spoiled?) Grandma and Grandpa 'Drickson came to watch her perform. After the show, we all went out for ice cream on Main Street in Park City.

Here's Gracie and Sophie at the dress rehearsal.




PRESCHOOL GRADUATION

I can't believe it...my baby's going to Kindergarten.


"When I grow up, I want to be an artist."





PAINTING DAY WITH LUKE & LIZ

We went to visit Luke and Liz to help them paint their kitchen/great room area. (Adam will work for meat.) I have a feeling Luke will never live down the green wall of shame. LOL! I thought it looked good after the 2nd coat - and Liz didn't even cry.

The kids had fun spending time with Halle & Caden.





MEMORIAL DAY BBQ

We went to a BBQ at Foed and Kelly's. I'm pretty sure I heard the meat mooing at the dinner table. Dallin finished every last bite. Gracie may have converted to vegetarianism. Fortunately no one got mad cow disease...at least not that we know of. LOL!

After dinner we walked over to a little farm to see the kangaroo, emus, turkeys, goats, etc. Gracie fell in love with Lilly. I'm not sure the feelings were mutual.



Can you spot the a** in the picture? He He! This just might be my all-time favorite picture. OK, not really, but it does make me laugh every time I see it.




WHEW! That's it for now....

Catching Up - Mother's Day

I know, I know, it's June. Father's Day is in less than 2 weeks. But I'm just getting around to posting about Mother's Day. Better late than never...right?

1st Grade Mother's Day Program

Dallin's class had a Mother's Day program. The kids made invitations for the big day. Dallin wrote the standard who, what, when, and where. Then for the "why" he wrote in his very best writing, "because you missed the last one!" (OUCH!) That would be the Christmas sing-in that I didn't go to. I didn't miss it intentionally...in fact I never knew about it. There was no note, no invitation, no mention of it from Dallin. But apparently I should have used my super-mom ESP (aka mother's intuition) and been there anyway. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those things he never lets me live down. LOL!

Anyway, back to the program...the whole grade sang some songs to the moms. They were all so cute! I know it won't be long until all these kids will be too embarrassed to sing "love songs" to their moms for Mother's Day. I'm enjoying it while it lasts. Next we went back to his class where the kids gave their moms a letter and a poem with their hand prints on it.



You probably can't read the letter, but I wanted to point out that he said I am "the best mom in North Amarica." That is clearly an important distinction since North America is waaaaaaay bigger than just plain old America - but still not as big as the whole world. (I'm sure I would have been "the best mom in the world" if only I wouldn't have missed that Christmas sing-in.) LOL! Man I love this kid! He cracks me up!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is always such a perfect day. For that one magical day of the year my children cheerfully obey my every command, and of course they would never dream of arguing that day. My husband showers me with love and affection and thanks me profusely for being the mother of his adorable, well-behaved children.

OK, so NOT REALLY! But that's what Mother's Day is like in my mind. Of course in reality, things never go the way they do in my imagination. I know I have unrealistic expectations, really I do. So why do I set myself up for disappointment year after year? Because I'm crazy I tell ya! Certifiably crazy!

The highlight of Mother's Day this year was Gracie trying to "help" me by doing her hair all by herself. She emerged from the bathroom a few minutes before church with the "do" of the century. About a gallon or so of aloe vera gel was holding every root of every strand of hair firmly to her scalp while the dry ends flowed about freely. It's hard to describe, but trust me, it was a sight to behold!

Dallin gave me another card and letter that he made in school. Gracie gave me a potpourri bag and a card dipped in cinnamon with a little poem about sugar and spice. The best gifts though were the "coupons" they made in Primary.

Gracie's coupons were for:

• an "I heart U"
• "help dishes"
• hugs
• 1 kiss
• vacuum

Dallin's coupons were good for:

• eating at "Dallin's Cafe"
• "remotling" the office
• sleeping in the whole day
• creative artwork
• not working for a whole day

I'm thinking I should redeem that sleeping in one sometime soon. I'm sure Adam would really appreciate it! LOL!

I guess Mother's Day isn't as bad as I always make it out to be.

Last Day

Life has been crazy around here the past few weeks. We've had all the typical end-of-the-year programs, graduations, recitals, field trips, etc. And on top of all that Relief Society has been completely insane the last couple of weeks. We've had one BIG funeral, 3 babies born, 2 other deaths, and a bunch of other stuff I won't bore you with. I don't have a compassionate service leader right now, so I've been running around like a crazy woman. In all the chaos, blogging and e-mails have kinda been put on the back burner. I guess I'll just jump in where we are now and maybe do a catch up post or two later next week.


Today was the last day of school. Yes, "summer" vacation is officially upon us. Somehow it doesn't feel like summer though. It was a chilly 41 degrees when I dropped Dallin off at school for his last day. Yesterday was his field day. I sent him to school in his winter coat...not exactly my idea of summer.


Yesterday was Gracie's last day of preschool. We've been sending our kids there for 3 years now. I was pretty excited when I wrote out the last big check earlier this month. It had me dreaming of all the ways I could spend that extra money every month. But then I started feeling a little sentimental when I picked her up for the last time yesterday. It's hard to believe that we are "done" with this stage of life. Next year both kids will be in elementary school. When they were babies, it seemed like this day would never come. It felt like I would spend eternity feeding, wiping, bouncing, rocking, and changing diapers of fussy (but adorable) babies - and all of this on little to no sleep.

OK, I think that's enough sentimental talk for one day.

So anyway, I wanted to have a fun afternoon with the kids today to celebrate the last day of school. We planned to go swimming and out for pizza with some friends. The kids started fighting, whining, and complaining the moment I picked Dallin up for school. We had total and complete meltdown when both pairs of swimming goggles turned up missing. One kid was in time out for the better part of the afternoon, and the other one was hysterical because they were missing out on the swimming.

When emotions had calmed and tempers were finally under control we set out to get some new goggles. Two stores later we bought 2 pairs and raced back to the car thinking that we could still make it to the pool. One pair of goggles didn't fit which led to more tears and tantrums. We traded the goggles for a new pair, but I was DONE! Instead of going to the pool, I drove straight home. (Call me crazy, but I really didn't think I should reward this kind of behavior.)

I have a feeling I'm in big trouble if the first couple of hours of summer vacation are any indication of what's in store the next couple of months.

Bye Bye Training Wheels!

Dallin has never had an interest in riding his bike before. He always said he'd rather ride his scooter....or "maybe next year." We took his training wheels off a couple weekends ago, but we didn't have much luck getting him to ride. Today after school he asked me to help him practice. I think he was inspired by Hunter. (Either that or the circus rig really had an effect on him. LOL!) I helped him for a minute or two, then he hopped on his bike and basically took off riding on his own.

I knew Adam would be more excited that Dallin was. He lives to bike and I think it was killing him that his kid had no interest in it whatsoever. He left work a little early and told Dallin we were going out to dinner to celebrate. Next stop was the bike shop to get Dallin a new helmet just like dad's.

We went on a family bike ride after dinner and he was riding like an old pro. Now if we could just get Gracie riding...I have a feeling it's going to be a while.

The Circus is in Town!

This is what our family bike ride looked like on Saturday.

Adam thought it was a good-looking rig. I told him it reminded me of a circus act.

When we started out on the bike ride, I was a good 100 yards behind the "rig" - partly because I was laughing so hard that I could barely pedal, and partly because I didn't want to be seen with the "rig." LOL! I know Adam doesn't mind, but personally I really don't enjoy calling attention to myself. And let's be honest, a "rig" like this isn't exactly subtle. I mean how could you NOT notice something like this cruising down the street?

I'm afraid our poor neighbors had no idea that they were moving in next to the 3-ring circus. I'm sure all the responsible adults just cringed when they saw us ride by. Some of them probably even started making plans to put their homes up for sale. Ha Ha!

But by Monday evening every kid in the neighborhood was waiting in line and begging for a turn on the circus bike. Another dad on the street even helped Adam attach a 2nd trailer to the rig so that it could accomodate a couple more passengers.

They went round and round, over jumps, through fields, and even through the sprinklers. The kids were raising their hands and screaming like they were riding a roller coaster.

Who needs Disneyland when Adam's around?

And the Winner Is....

Picture #1!

Thanks everyone for e-mailing and posting feedback here on the pictures! I tallied up all the votes and #1 was the hands-down favorite. #4 and #5 tied for 2nd.

I guess I misunderstood the rules though. I thought the employee told me you could either submit photos electronically OR with an 8x10 print. I assumed that I could just send a pic in via e-mail. As I was filling out the entry form this morning, I noticed it said an 8x10 print AND an electronic copy. Yes, it was an AND, not an OR. I was also surprised to find out that submitting "electronically" didn't include e-mail. No, they wanted the photo burned to a CD. Nothing's ever as quick and simple as I think it's going to be.

I didn't have time to go to Costco today, which is where I usually print my pics, so I thought I would try out the one hour photo at the new Walgreens in town. Let's just say that wasn't the best move I've ever made! Either the colors and lighting on my laptop are WAAAAAAY off, or the photo processing was. The whole photo was really dark and Gracie's skin was bright orange. Dallin looked at the print after school and said with a bit of disgust, "Well, it looks like we're not winning this contest, are we mom?" I pretended to be hurt by that comment, but I was secretly laughing on the inside. I'm sure he's right!

Dark, orangey print or not, I still submitted the picture. I decided it would be good for Dallin to see me lose. LOL! He had a hard time when he wasn't a top winner in the Reflections Contest at school. He got an Honorable Mention, but he was still devastated that he didn't "win." I tried telling him that it didn't matter to me whether he won or not, I thought he was a winner just for trying. So this this photo contest seemed like the perfect opportunity to put my money where my mouth is and show him that I'm OK with not winning too.

The pictures are supposed to be judged by the visitors at the Thanksgiving Point Gardens for the next month or so. The winners will be notified by mail on July 1st. I'm not holding my breath. LOL!


But still...

Ticket to tulip festival - $10.00

CD - $1.00

8x10 photo - $2.50

Priority Mail Delivery - $4.60

Teaching your kid that winning isn't everything - "PRICELESS!"

May Flowers

So if April showers bring May flowers, what does a May snowstorm bring?

Yes, we woke up to more snow on the ground this morning. I've about given up on my daffodils and tulips this Spring. They just don't stand a chance with the weather we've been having.

Last week, Adam and Dallin went on a little guys only trip to Moab. We took Sophie home on Thursday night, so Friday I wanted to take Gracie out for a little one-on-one time. She's a big flower fan, so we decided to hit the tulip festival. We also did a little window shopping, and had dinner at Cafe Rio. (I'm so glad she loves the salad there as much as I do!)

Warning: LOTS OF PHOTOS AHEAD!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.



Thanksgiving Point is having a photography contest from the tulip festival. The winner of each division gets an annual pass to Thanksgiving Point, so I was thinking that I might submit a photo in the amateur adult division. I know it's a long shot, but I figure it can't hurt to try - right?

So I need your help deciding - which picture (if any) should I submit? (You can click on the pictures to see them a little bit larger.) I'm leaning towards #s 2-5, but I really just can't make up my mind. I'd love to have some feedback! (Tomorrow, May 2, is the deadline to submit photos.)

Food Critic

The kids love to play restaurant. I think the object of the game is to get the other person laughing as hard as possible. This is how it usually goes:

The "customer" sits at the kitchen table and places an order for some outrageous food.

The "servant" (aka waiter or waitress) rounds up some random household item and delivers it on a plate to the customer.

The customer pretends to eat the food.

They both giggle...and laugh...and laugh...and laugh...

Then the game starts over and the silliness escalates.


But last night the restaurant game took a new turn. Gracie, the "servant" decided to make and serve real chocolate milk. Dallin took a big gulp and called out, "I'll rate this a 9.6!" Next he wanted me to cut up some strawberries for a snack, which also earned a 9.6 rating. He announced that Gracie and I will be having a "cook-off" tomorrow to break the tie.

He had me laughing pretty hard, but I'm thinking it won't be so funny at the dinner table. I can just imagine him saying, "I'll rate this meal a 2.3!"

Did You Know?

We've had Gracie's friend Sophie staying with us while her parents are on a cruise. She's been enlightening us with all kinds of useful information while she's been here. Most of her little nuggets of wisdom begin with, "Did you know..." Here are a few of the little gems we've learned from her the past couple of days:

1. Did you know that my dad makes the BEST breadsticks? (Spoken after her first and only bite of the breadsticks I made for dinner.)

2. Did you know that your mom eats garbage Gracie? (Said after she watched me put black beans on a whole wheat tortilla. LOL!)

3. Did you know my Grandpa with 8 toes only has 8 toes because bugs got into his feet?....(long pause)....but I don't know what kind of bugs.

There have been others, but that's probably good for now.

I've actually learned a thing or two myself while Sophie has been staying with us. For example:

1. Did you know that two little girls can change clothes more than half a dozen times before lunchtime? Together they can also make a mess - not just twice as big, but about 9 times larger - than either one of them is capable of making on their own.

2. Did you know some kids are afraid to sleep in the basement? (Mine aren't, so this is new to me.)

3. Did you know that there might be spiders in the basement? And did you know that there are spiders outside? (Since there are most certainly spiders outside, you should never ever go outside to play!)

4. Did you know that little girls are drama queens?

5. Did you know that it is exhausting to tuck two preschoolers into bed approximately 47 times in one night?

6. Did you know that when exhaustion sets in, all your best parenting techniques go out the window? (I learned this one while spending a couple nights on the upstairs couch, while Adam slept in the basement. The two girls were sound asleep on our bed when I came to this realization.)

7. Did you know that finding such a good friend for your kid is pretty rare? These girls just adore each other! They're going on day 6 of being together around the clock and not only are they still friends, they're still acting like they can't get enough of each other.


We're all learning a lot this week!

She Cracks Me Up!

This is Rose.

This was Rose a couple of weeks ago.


Gracie had her in a wooden box. She frequently puts toys in purses, buckets, bowls, baskets, etc. so I really wasn't alarmed...until this conversation...


Gracie: "Mom, look at Rose."

Me: "Oh that's cute honey." (I was a little distracted at the moment.)

Gracie: "You better get cooking - LOTS of food!"

Me: "Why's that?"

Gracie: "Because Rose died, and we're having a funeral!"


Um. OK! (I seriously laughed so hard.) There's probably another child out there somewhere who loves playing "funeral" with his or her stuffed animals. That child's parent is probably a mortician or something. Ha Ha Ha!

Can you tell that she has been a front row spectator at Relief Society events for most of her life?

Goodbye Spring Break - Hello Spring

It's back to school today after a week of Spring Break. It was cold and snowy all week last week, so it didn't really feel like much of a Spring Break. But wouldn't you know it - it's nice and sunny today, now that the kids are back in school. Go figure! Ha Ha!

We had a sleepover at Grandma's house last week. The kids got to visit Grandma and Grandpa and play with cousin Kylee. I got to escape the ringing phone and housework, which was nice. And I even read a novel while I was there. Ahhhh!

We had talked about going to the zoo over Spring Break, but the weather wasn't really cooperating. So, I took the kids to do a couple of indoor activities instead. We went to Kangaroo Zoo - a place with inflatable slides, trampolines, and bounce houses. The kids had a blast slipping, sliding, jumping, and acting like wild animals.







At one point I was worried when I couldn't see Gracie anywhere. Dallin finally found her inside the inflatable castle. She was lying on the middle divider between two slides "taking a rest." Crazy girl!



We spent about 5 hours there, but the kids still weren't ready to leave. I bought a 10-punch card, so we'll probably go again soon.

We also managed a trip to the indoor pool. Adam joined us for that one and took us to dinner afterwards.



Snow and sickness aside, it was still nice to take a break from our normal routine for a few days.