She rides

I sent Paige out to “get started”.  I came out a few minutes later and she said, “you won’t have to do anything, I got it.”  I still owe you a shot of her running.  Cycling is just as entertaining. 

She’s a determined gal who is ready for anything.  

Sleep or Slim

I’ve never been able to lose baby weight while nursing a baby due to a lack of motivation and an insatiable appetite.

I’ve never trained for a race while nursing either. 

In February I tried both at the same time.  James and I joined the West Jordan’s Biggest Loser contest and I started training for the Woman of Steele triathlon.  It went well for about 7 weeks and then baby went through a growth spurt.  He stopped sleeping long hours and sucked even when there wasn’t any milk left.

If I lived 100 years ago my profession would have been wet nurse so my conscience was troubled.  I’ve always produced.  I figured I had to either quit trying to be the biggest loser or quit training.  I started eating butter again happy was the babe.  I’m still training for the WOS and I’ll do an update on that soon.  It’s four weeks away.  

As far as the contest —we made all the required weigh ins hoping for one of the random drawings of $50.  James won that (the guy is so lucky) and I won a water bottle.     

In the end I lost 11 pounds before I gave up.  Is this a downer post?  I hope not.  11lbs!  WhaHoo!  I feel like I could have weaned Ike, supplemented, found a better balance of butter in my life, but I went with the workouts, which have been really fun and have done wonders for my mood.  I’ve got my whole life to lose weight right?  

Free Breakfast!

Addie hates oatmeal.  Everyone in the family eats oatmeal most mornings, except Addie.  She’s a great eater but not of oatmeal, so when I mentioned a free chicken biscuit breakfast sandwich from Chick-fil-a she was all in. 

Tomorrow they are offering a free cinnamon cluster and Friday is free chicken minis.  Thanks Chick-fil-a for the tax relief. 

 

More Sophie Love…

We’re almost two weeks into our off trackness.  We went to see Yogi Bear yesterday where I took the stroller right into the theatre and stealthy passed out the mircrowaved bags of popcorn.  My kids will mock me in their adulthood. 

Butter’s on sale ($2) again this week.  Hooray! I’m now hording butter and bacon if you need any. Yesterday Isaac Scott got shown up by baby cousin Anna Hawkins.  We thought we had an edge when, with his weighty middle, Isaac figured out how to lift is legs and use the girth to roll over.  Ann then stood holding onto the coffee table.  She stands!  Ben explained later, “Isaac couldn’t do that because he’s too fat.”     

Michelley

Michelle lived on Ticklegrass four doors down and had married my senior class president.   We’ve been friends ever since.   We went for an off track distraction and she:

1. Set up a bouncy house (for my kids)

2. Synced her Wii motes (for my kids)

3. Fed me Pastor Ryan’s Chicken Tikka Masala with whole wheat couscous--heaven.   I used her as an audience for cutting Benjamin’s hair.  He behaved remarkably well and she offered him a prize.  She then let me babble on and on while she held and adored my cranky baby.  What a friend.  

Michelle commented that she is loving my blog, and the more frequent posts.  I was snobby and told her it’s all for me and my “record”.  But that’s not true! Not True!  It is for you Michelle and everyone else who comes of your own volition, (or through Google reader).  Thanks for reading my “record” and at times mentioning what you like.  I only wish we could all live on Ticklegrass together, to swap kids and have sugar to lend.   (Although, not particularly Ticklegrass because that road was busy and on a big hill; we’d  have flattened kids who wouldn’t know how to ride a bike).      What we did in return:  Made them fruit pizza and balloon animals.Grandma Christy gave Addie a bunch of balloons, balloon books and a pump for her birthday.  It has resulted in hours of entertainment and she’s getting good at it. She’s especially good at giraffes and wiener dogs.  She’ll even make you a hat.One last thing.  Addie told me she wants to marry someone who looks like Ken, as in Ken and Barbie.  “Thank you, well groomed man…” (name that movie)  Speaking of a well groomed man…he’s sleeping on his own in the girls’ old pink room.  I should probably get around to painting it.  Or at least take down the flowered curtains. 

Sharon, he loves [all natural rubber, made in France, $20, upscale baby teether] Sophie the Giraffe.  Thanks for sending her.  You’re right, all the kids play with Sophie.   

p.s.  We went to a wedding reception this weekend and they had a rice crispy treat cake.  Also a buffet of every kind of rice crispy treat.   Top vote to Heath Bar and second place to mint.      

And groovy it was…

Addie made the stencil for the peace sign on the cake.  You could tell it was a peace sign right?  Are you checking out the cheese balls as well?  The favorite candy of the day was Swedish fish.  mmmm   

Playing the Wii Just Dance Kids and tie-dying bandanas.  

I wish the colors would have been darker but the design work was fun to see.  I used Rit powder with salt and detergent.  Lots of rubber bands, stuffed into a zipolc and set in the sun. 

 

Miranda opted to let her bandana dye in the ziploc a little longer.  When I said pose like it’s a cape, Miranda had Addie rolling. 

All in all a huge success!  We dropped a few of the party games when the rinsing part of tie dying went long.  Addie said it was the best party ever and with costumes like these and party snacks, including those cheese balls, well hands down, amen. 

In college my first roommate ever introduced me to Tommy Roe.  Heard of him?  From the early sixties.  He sings about girls, girls, and girls but it’s innocent and so danceable. His best are Dizzy, Sweet Pea (Paige’s Favorite), and Sheila. 

I let you all believe I was going to do the Lotoja by myself.  As if.  I didn’t even try to modify the post or jump into the comments.  Actually,we (Robyn, Vanessa, and Jen) applied for a 4 person relay ticket and we’ll know if we’re in by May.  Our team name:19kids@home.       

Updates

This boy is five months. He is still the prized possession of all the activity day girls and missionary moms at church. His latest nick-name is thumper. I’ve never had a baby who thumps but this kid cycles his legs all night. At times both legs thump simultaneously. While I’m trying to “sleep through the night” he’s doing Jillian Michaels shred.

Benjamin is fascinated with drawing his own mazes and then having me or James solve them. He always tells me right before I start, “This one is really hard.” He’s blowing through the ream of paper he got for his birthday. He’s been building walkie talkies and ipod touches with legos as well.

James has tomatoes & peppers started in our windowsill. I continue to be the spectator gardener, all the while thinking that I’m the one remembering to water them and transplant them to cups. Tonight he planted lettuce and peas. Can’t wait for the lettuce.

Sweet Paige and a sleepy Stu (during dinner he crawled under the table to tickle Ben’s feet and fell asleep).

Addie told me today, “Thank you so much for loving to throw birthday parties”. Oh I do…

Paige took this picture of me after I snapped a few of her. Wish I could use it on my driver’s license. Signed up for this race today and felt giddy.

Spring Conference 2011

A delightful weekend of the word wasn’t it?  I liked the talk by Elder Bednar how spiritual growth and inspiration were compared to a light switch and a sun rise.  I also enjoyed Elder Holland, the man can command a pulpit, yes.     Now here is Isaac taking command of the Mini Eggs bag. I see intensity and devotion to this treat of the season. My feelings as well.        There were hangars being covered with yarn and cousin Julie with a beading activity.   

And lookie here: Donna and PW’s Jalapeno Poppers.  Heaven on a toothpick--so delicious—but a gamble.  One popper could assault the throat and tonsils with burn that demands milk and some table slapping, but only slightly slows the popping. 

I’m hoarding bacon in my freezer just for these.  Would you like me to make you some?  

I got my driver’s license renewed today.  Did you know you can make an appointment and fill/print out all the forms on line?  I’ll thank my dear neighbor Kim for the heads up and the ride to the DMV.  No less than 6 chins documented in my wallet for the next 5 years.

Bonus:  I forgot to bring proof of my new address but shopping mailers stashed in my purse pulled me through.  In that box, the clerk wrote in:  Carters, Gap, Naartije… 

Freezer Paper & Activity Days

A month or so ago I was shopping Walmart late on a Saturday night and I found these,  Mylie Cyrus hoody jackets marked $1.  ONE DOLLAR?  I bought 15.  Wouldn’t you?  They were a dollar.   

The Activity Day girls traced stencil shapes onto freezer paper and with acrylic paint and foam brushes went at it.  It’s a tough balance, having an activity where there is control but also creativity.

If you need a tutorial on freezer paper stencils, they are all over the internet.  Char, from Crap I’ve Made has a good one.   We traced these shapes:  Sun, Flower, groovy flowers, and cupcakes.  Dang, I can’t find the groovy flower link.      

And this groovy gal has a birthday next week.  She wants a disco party.  Pin John Travolta on the dance floor anyone?  And she does wear her heart(s) on her sleeve…   

Lunch with me Thursday…

Do you remember your first friend?  Annice was mine.  We were in the same first grade class when she moved in 4 houses down the street.  She was in the green reading group and I was in the yellow.

She had a sleepover where we all slept out back in a tent.  Her dad would take us to the Murray swimming pool.  She taught me how to play Skip Bo, while sitting on the sidewalk in front of her house.  I remember her calling me on the phone when we were just newly teenagers and she asked me what my favorite soda pop was.  Hers was Dr. Pepper.   

Once, at girls camp, she fell while saying: “I don’t want to run down the trail, I might fall…”  She was all scratched up; we told everyone it was a raccoon that attacked her.  We even made up a song about it.

Annice had the best and biggest basement!  I can not even count how many Little Caesar pizzas and Western Family, family size bags of licorice I consumed down there, all while watching Stand By Me, Saturday Night Live and listening to Erasure. 

She, along with Sharon, threw a surprise 16th birthday party for me in the aforementioned basement.  It made my year!

 

She came to lunch yesterday and it was delightful!  She has two adorable kids, that played so well with mine.  Little Molly chased the chickens while Cole and Stuart dug in the sand.  For the rest of the day I was high on nostalgia of my childhood.  Make dinner?  What dinner?  My attention had been diverted to camping at Bear Lake, getting the worst sunburn on my back, playing Uno until late late late with Scotty and Justin, and memorizing every word to the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack.

I can’t wait to make you another sandwich Annice.