The Best and the Worst...

Every so often, I love to prank my husband. It has to be a rarity, and it HAS to be good.  So the other day after having a dream about getting with twins I decided to get him. I often times have dreams that 'tell the future' (don't knock it, ask my Mommy in law and her new baby boy!) and whenever I tell Bryce about one involving babies he gets scared to say the least. I let it rest for a couple days and then I spent a couple extra minutes in the bathroom... I had found a positive pregnancy test from Charlotte in a neglected cupboard in the bathroom and you know when you have that 'Aha' moment, where the light comes on? Had one.

So I try to look shocked and run out into the front room, tossing the test on my hubby's lap as I passed by. I then ran to the kitchen and waited to see his reaction. A moment passes and he's staring at it...

I'm starting to wonder if he's still breathing...

He looks up... Out the window for a second, then bounces off the couch.

'This is a joke, you're kidding me...' (he's not at all amused...)
I'm full of the giggles at this point but I shake my head...
'You've GOT to be kidding me.' (still not amused...)
I shake my head again...
'This had better be a freaking joke.'
'What's the issue?!'
'Nothing... but babies are freaking expensive.'
(All color has drained from his face at this point. Probably thinking about the $5000 deductible on our new insurance.)
'Well then...' I say, attempting to be serious.
'It's a good thing that i'm only kidding!!!!!!!'
*Pause*


'I'm gonna skin you, Em..'

See you soon...

I have been absent for quite some time, there has been alot of life thrown our way and some of it has been pretty difficult to deal with.

First,  I ended up with the respiratory flu... something that it took me over a month to get over. It's been a hard road to recovery, but i'm out running and lifting again and it feels so great! The girls are growing like weeds, leading me to believe that I need to freeze time at some point. Sarah has been chatting constantly about these huge amazing stories, and Char now knows every word involving food.


In the time we go through highschool, i've found that we make friends that make an impact on our lives no matter how small. And those who make a big impact, are the ones that leave us too soon. This girl was lovingly awarded the ability to find and devour new music and the appreciation of new sounds and singers, and many other amazing pieces of life's puzzle by a friend that I have lost touch with in the last couple years. He served our country overseas in the Army for a year, was an amazing cook, and left us too soon. We are left with the happy memories of a goofy guy that made everyone laugh and touched the lives of so many people. We were on the Lacrosse team together and I can't imagine how uneventful it would have been without his jokes and hard work. Late night phone calls giving me a hard time for the music he'd found on my mp3 player, and asking me if I ever did anything besides my homework. There are so many other things that I would love to say about this gifted man, but I can't put into words how Cliff was in person... He was unique and original...
He will always be loved, and missed by so many... This world lost a loving son, brother, uncle, and friend... See you on the other side, C.J.

 

In loving Memory Of Clifford Auvil V

May 16th 1989-March 23rd 2013

My Monkey...

I'm sorry I have been so negligent in my blogging, but I promise that I have been a superb housewife in the meantime! I'm kidding.... Hahaha. I've actually been very very sick with some chest congestion thing that resulted in insane sinus headaches and too many glasses of tea on the couch! Very happy that I am better and my first day totally back 100% at the Mommy, Wifey thing has been exceptionally wonderful. My house is all sparkly and my laundry is (mostly) caught up, I made brownies and dinner is only 1/2 an hour late.

My darling daughters have been more of a help today than they have since I got sick (who knew?), and today really has been a great day with my Monkey.

Her vocabulary has exploded and it's so much fun to hear her running through the house telling a story at the pace of a F-16 at the decibil of a jet engine. I completed Char's drawer today and while I was in there halfway depressed at the amount of clothes i'm packing away Sarah started to sing. As she finished Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I was left wondering when did she learn every single word in that song... About a half an hour later I was running through the house dodging various sharp and pointy toys when I realized that Sarah had been in the bathroom a little too long. I took a deep breath and walked in... Her hands were wet. My mummzy was on the phone with me and asked me if she'd gotten into something in the shower, I was pretty sure I knew exactly where her hands had been but I asked anyway..
'Sarah, did you get into the shower?'
'No'
'Sarah, were your hands in the potty?!'
No, Mama...'
(My mother is laughing hysterically at this point...)
I glanced at the sink and noticed that.... there wasn't any water in the sink.
'Sarah, were your hands in the potty?!'
'NO, Mama...'
(My mother is still laughing...)
'Where were your hands?'
'In the TOILET, Mama.'
Yep... I knew it. I decided that I need more yoga in my life.

We washed hands and arms, then we moved on with my day... My mom proceeded to tell me that I made hers. I find it almost mean that she laughs at my crazy parenting moments... But after the terrors i'm sure I gave her when I was three i'm sure I had it coming.

Then a little later (right around the time I realized that I was a half hour late in putting the roast in the oven), I was getting a little uptight. I get insanely 'passionate' about my cooking and was frustrated that I had been playing Free Cell instead of fixing dinner. Right around the time I was cleaning the only 9x13 I own, the chips of dried brownie were flying around the kitchen and I hear giggles. I turn around to see Sarah's cheery face laughing...
'Mama, that's so FUNNY!!'
(Me, beet red, puffy faced, tight lipped...) 'No, Sarah, it's really not...'
'But Mama... It IS Funny! See?'
I stopped to look around and see that she had been standing in a brownie shower and that me chopping at this pyrex pan and flinging crumbs everywhere was in fact, very funny. Those reality checks are what makes my life go round....

No matter how grown up you get... You can't ever take life too seriously...

You miss the fun stuff!

Antartic Explorers, Pecan Butter, and Food Network...

Happy Thursday! After a long week of Projects I am back, finally sitting with coffee.

We have had another Winter storm here in Montana, leaving us with frigid temperatures and a new blanket of snow. These snowy days don't leave much outside to do, so we have antartic adventures in the house...



In cooking adventures:

I pinned a pin on Pinterest that gave you a birds eye view on how to make peanut butter... Having been given THREE POUNDS of yummy pecans over Christmas, I decided to give it a whirl...

I gaurantee that it's alot yummier than it looks! I added some honey and a pinch of brown sugar and I can't keep my husband out of it! I urge you to try it!!

Alrighty... I'm going to go on a small rant... I used to LOVE watching cooking shows. You got a birds eye view of a professional chef's techniques and unique style. As we speak, I have Food Network on and am watching a show where it seems like the host is a cross between Bill Nye the Science guy and The Kratt Brothers. Needless to say, i'm learning nothing and I miss the days of Emeril, or PLEASE SOMEONE bring back Julia Child! After having finished Bringing up Bebe, I truly feel like there is no dish off limits for me or my children. When bringing children into the culinary experience, there is no limit to creativity or experimentation. Just involving Sarah in the cooking of a dish, has brought a new sense of awareness to what she eats. We had a mustard and and herb crusted lamb leg (courtesy of The Art of French Cooking)with lemon dill rice the other night and to my amazement, my girls polished off their plates and asked for more. A month ago, Sarah would have pushed away her plate declaring her need for chicken nuggets or french fries. Now she is begging me to help cook, asking and giving her ideas on what to cook for dinner, and giving me a very colorful description of how each dish tastes. I still can not believe the changes in these girls.

Well I have finished my coffee, I will now go opt for some chamomile tea and hit the laundry.
Ugh...

Binkies Aren't Flushable....

Well maybe they are...

I can't remember if I blogged about the worst shower imaginable so here's a quick refresher!

Me: In the shower trying to take 10 minutes to at least wipe off the sweat, puppy fur, slobber, milk, and breakfast off of me when my girls came in to say hi.
Hi.
I all of a sudden hear Sarah scream, I peek out, Char dropped her binky in the toilet (that Sarah had just used) tried to fish it out and Sarah flushed the toilet.

I cried.

Now today, with that disaster safely two months behind me, I have to admit I was really starting to think today was an easy day. It's Thursday, we're on the downhill slope of the week, I got a shower (without flushing binkies) and I actually got make up on. Yippeeeeee, my definition of a great day.

Then it happened again.
Sarah went to go to the potty, shut the door behind her. Opened the door, came out. Was told for the HUNDRETH time to please pull her pants up. Walks down the hall. Never shut the door.
My bug has always been an inquisitive little creature so when I saw her little pink and purple penguined self (She's wearing the most adorable outfit today) making a break for the bathroom I could only think the worst. I jumped up from the couch and raced for the bathroom. On my way... anyone ever seen those plastic animals in the feed stores? The real life likes ones... like the Texas Longhorns that have REALLY LONG horns? Yep. Foot and longhorn made contact -enter under breath explicitive here- but I kept going. Just in time to see Char.... drop her binky in the toilet. That Sarah never flushed. AGAIN.  The worst part is my sweet darling is still rosy cheeked from her nap and smiling with her beautiful little nose all scrunched up into an almost sinister grin. Deep breath, remove baby from bathroom, grab kitchen tongs, fish binky out, deposit tongs and binky into a large pot of boiling water.

Remember that you never shut the bathroom door............................................

Transitions...

I have to say, I am not very fond of the transition of being sick to being healthy. It always seems like it's harder than being sick. Monkey woke up at 4am. Yes, A.M. After not going to sleep until 9pm. So on top of the already difficult 'transition' there also has been absolutely no sleep in this house again. A conversation with Sarah this morning

Good Morning Sarah!
No.
What?
No.
What's wrong? Do you need something?
No.
Are you hungry?
No.
Would you like a side of 'Happy' with that?!
Noooooo Mama... I don't want any happy.

** crickets **

Mama....
Yes....
I'm hungry.


At this point i'm really trying to keep it cool.  Lack of sleep usually makes me a less than desirable person to be around. On the bright side, being overly irritable makes me overly sensitive to the state of my house so when Bryce comes home it's usually spotless.  I've already started two loads of laundry scrubbed my kitchen, and handwashed both the mud room and kitchen floors. I'm starting to think that he's not believing me when I say i'm exhausted, it's usually when i'm at my most productive. Who knew.

Motherhood= Exhaustion= Super clean house.

The things they don't tell you in the nine months before you have your wonderful, non-sleeping, bundle of joy.
Trying to stay uber positive today!

Did anyone watch 'The Taste' last night? I thought it was really good and i'm super excited to see how the show progresses. Some of the things they made though................... Chicken fried watermelon... I know 'don't knock it until you try it' but I just have a hard time wrapping my head around hot watermelon. Hot Watermelon... yep, still can't figure it out. On the fun side the lady with the simplest spoonfull seemed to get the highest marks! Just simple with some mashed potatoes. Goes to show that a down home cook has the makings of a chef. Definately going to try to make something fun for dinner tonight!  Happy Wednesday everybody!

It's In The Air...

I think we might be in the clear. My darling Monkey went down for a nap early this afternoon, woke up cranky, took a shower and screamed, asked for some buttered noodles, and is now munching on them while humming 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. The Healthy vibe is very gently being tossed around the house. Thank goodness, because this mama has a headache that could potentially cause brain impairment in an elephant.

Time for some Zumba, lemon water, and two gel capsuled advil.

Reserve...

I am kind of an outspoken person... Especially when it comes to friend/family welfare, children, and politics. But there is one thing that has followed me through my life:

'Don't ever say anything behind someone's back that you wouldn't say to their face.'
    ((Thank you Dad!))

When followed by the Golden Rule I can't help but think that those are approriate words to live by. I really wonder where society has gone when people can't be nice to others. I was just visiting a friend's blog where 'Anonymous' had quite a few mean comments on the blog concerning a falling out of a mutual friend. Why? What is the point and what good comes of making someone feel horrible? Especially when hiding behind 'Anonymous'. There was once a time when we gave people the benefit of the doubt, and spoke kindly (due to the last few posts, it may seem that I want to live in the mid 1800's, I assure you I love my hot baths and electric stove too much for that!!). I know I can come off critically when it comes to politics, but honestly who doesn't? Our roots are embeded deep within us, and I have no problem with others opinions on politics but that's where it stops for me.

So here's to you Anonymous!!

'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all...'

Weights, Wind, and Books...

I have to apologize for my lengthy absence! Life seems to have taken over every aspect in my life and some things just got tossed aside in it's wake!

But the important part....

I'm back!

A little stronger, a little sorer, and little more reading done.  First off, finally got my first run of the year in! 2 miles down in 30 degrees and it has never felt better. Wait... i'm exagerating... I have felt better, three days ago I was able to lock my knee and not wince in pain. There really is nothing like a run to remind you that there are still muscles in the oddest places!  Hubby has started helping me lift after the girls go to bed and I have to say i'm very excited about how immediate the results seem to be.

Moving on to the best parts of life, my girls! My monkey is in bed sleeping some more. She woke up sick this morning... again. From her first week of life we knew that life was taking a drastic change. The nurses told me that they had never seen a newborn that was awake SO much. And by so much I mean probably about 8-9 hours a day, so for those of you who have had a newborn, you know just exactly how much that is! Not exactly the 2-3 hours predicted in the baby books. My darling girl has seemed to have had a pattern since then, up up up up up, going going going going going. The girl has no 'off' switch. So every 4-6 months we go through the same thing, Sarah goes to bed at 7, she gets up at 4-5 and stays up all day long. She keeps this up for a week or so then is sick. On a day like this she sleeps all day after throwing up all night (to answer the question you've all been wanting to ask, i'm on my third pot of coffee!). Tomorrow, my little girl will be right as rain and sleeping good for a few months before we do this all over again. I can't wait until she's a teenager and sleeps all the time!

Charlie has been on a roll too, she is not accepting the changes in this household very well. I have been re-reading Bringing Up Bebe and it has been a huge eye opener to the way we have been parenting over the last three years.  Changing such simple things have changed attitudes, eating habits, completely negated the lack of listening, and has improved the relationship I have with these two little girls. A total must-have for Mommies to be and Mothers in general. My friend I spoke of in a different post uses it as a base plan for her parenting and here's hoping I can get my girls to be as well mannered as her boys are already! We are pretty new to this though, where as she's been putting the philosphies to use for pretty much her parenting career.

On the food front, I have been trying to be an insanely good housewife at saving money. Something I havebeen pretty successful at but I always have this nagging feeling I could be doing better. Anyone planned out a month of meals by price?! To feed a family of four grilled cheese sandwiches is $10 bucks. That may not seem like alot but how many times a month do we fix grilled cheese? Fingers crossed that all goes well, we should keep breakfasts, lunches, and dinners under $200 this month. Yippee!

More to come, my Bug is bringing me some pretend tea! Jealous?! ;)

Hats Off...

To Montana weather! From 50 degrees and beautiful yesterday to 28 and dumping snow today. Well played, Montana, well played. Since I went off on Parenting slightly yesterday, I would have to say it's only fair to delve into food today... Maybe cows and other four legged critters tomorrow.

I bought 9 pounds of Oranges at the store last night, followed closely by 5 pounds of apples and 3 of grapes. I just about croaked buying the grapes. $3.99 a pound? Summer... Please get here faster! I have to admit that our eating habits have definately changed for the better since switching stores.

Let's hear a big hand for Wal-Mart shopping!!!

Said NO ONE... EVER..

Seriously...

EVER.

I discovered Albertsons about 4 months ago and ever since it's been fresh fruits and veggies, bread from Wheat Montana, and just simply alot better experience. I tend to shop like a man when it comes to grocery shopping (get in, get what you need, get out), but ever since I started working out i've really been trying to change how and what we eat. I already made most of my food from scratch, but there are a ton of recipes that used to be just overflowing with grease and fat. What I have learned is that less is more, and everything in moderation! If we are having a greasy meal, i'll drink a glass of water first, get a bigger helping of salad, less of the main course, then eat the salad first. Char is a big believer in the 'stuff your face method' which seems to be working, she's got a beautiful figure ;) Sarah, on the other hand is a 'mangle your food before deciding to eat it'... don't ask.  I can not emphasize enough how much better we are feeling in this house though! From simple alterations like the taco meat (review past blog posts!) to major ones that include making all of my own spaghetti sauce and buying un-bleached flour. Have you ever thought about that.. bleaching flour? Can't be healthy. We went out to dinner last night (aka, swinging through the local, well 60 miles away, Mcdonalds), and I got a kids meal. Please don't laugh, I had been pretty grumpy all day and Bryce decided to tease me about it being a happy meal. I was suprised that it was actually pretty satisfying, who knew? Here I have been eating two cheeseburgers with a medium fry and soda when I could have had a kids meal with a water and apples and been just as happy. Can't say that the toy was in the least bit interesting, but you can't win them all!

Ending note- Let's make this the year we eat better!!!

The Art of Parenting...

I don't how many of you read the magazine 'Parents' but sometimes I do sometimes I don't. I find alot of their information very vague, and very one sided. They write articles about how to push your children, then ten pages later how to shelter them. Every once in a while though, I find that I am pulled to a certain article or two. In January 2013 there was a article entitled 'The Secrets of an Organized Family'. Not being quite as organized as I would like to be, I decided to go ahead and read it. I was greatly disappointed that not alot of it was geared towards me. I'm a stay at home mom in the middle of no-where, my husband works 60 hours a week and -news flash- I don't co-ordinate social events (besides birthday parties twice a year). It was very much geared toward a working parent. A segment of the article was on how the kids can help, my oldest fit into the 3-5 category and I was both pleased and slightly intimidated. Not only does my daughter do the 3-5 year list, she also does the majority of the 6-8, aaannnddd the 9-12. She has been helping me unload the dishwasher (9-12), helps me with dinner (9-12), helps me fold laundry (9-12), etc. etc. In parenting today i'm finding a deep flaw in philosophy. There seems to be an influx of parents that don't push their children, that go by statistics and don't drive their children for more.  I am by no means an insane pusher of my children, but I do like to think I drive them into being better little people. My daughters are drilled in manners, Sarah knows how to count to 12, knows most of her abc's, can say hello in three different languages, and has developed a sense of imagination that i'm envious of.  I re-read Little House on the Prairie to Sarah and in so doing I realized that there seems to be a lack of drive in children today. We all have the same brain, so what in society has gone adrift? By 5 years old, Laura and Mary Ingalls were expected to sit quietly all day on Sunday, behave around company, help Ma in the kitchen, do a multitude of chores, and retain knowledge that we teach second graders today! I have a friend of mine whose posts on Facebook and her blog constantly amaze me. Her son is bright, and so smart, philosophical, and just plain adorable. I know that this goes almost soley to her amazing ability to be an attentive parent. She encouraged me to read a book that I enjoyed and took so much from on French parenting. Why can European parents let their children loose at a park and read a book? Why do they behave in restaurants? Why do they remember their manners without fail? Have we made tv a babysitter? Have we unknowingly dumbed down our children? 150 years ago we were authorizing 16 year olds to teach the next generation, they were striking out on their own, making a mark. The most pivotal point in a child's life at 16 today, it seems, is whether or not they can drive a car or have a boyfriend or girlfriend. Food for thought. There is no right or wrong way, but without parents that push, will our children lose the value of dedication, work, or appreciation of both?

Blast Off...

The best part of having children is all the wonderful silliness that comes from being around them while they grow, change, and become unbelievably hilarious.

Little Einsteins has become a staple around this house and Sarah has started associating it with every day life. Upon finding a spider running across the floor, Sarah comes running up to me screaming that there was a spider racing across the floor. Mama went and squished him and then I hear a little voice behind me...

"Mama, why didn't it make Mozart music?"

For those of you who have watched Little Einsteins, you would know that the animals etc. all have different songs that they sing in replace of making sounds or speaking. For those of you who don't watch it... Well, now you know. I got a pretty good giggle out of that one, then the next day we went to town. At a stop light I hear Sarah patting on something. Knowing better than to ever trust a two year old I turned back and saw the biggest smile on her face and patting her lap with her hands. Instant recognition on my part (which is sad), caused me to turn the radio down, watch the traffic lights and Sarah and I would tell pat our laps until the light changed and Sarah would 'Raise her arms as high as you can, and say..... Blast off'. Ultimate precision on Mommy's part executed the 'lift off' with ease.

In a world with so many tv shows that really are useless I have deemed Little Einsteins as a keeper. Sarah told me she was going to go down the hallway 'Presto' today, then proceeded to tell me that I needed some help 'conducting' the cleaning. This of course didn't mean that she was going to help, it simply meant that she was going to wave her arms and tell me that the kitchen isn't clean enough.

Love this girl!

Here we go...

Welcome 2013! A whole new year in which to cook, clean, parent, run, write, read, and all out have a blast!!!

My baby is now one year older, I keep asking her to stop but she just won't listen to me! Sarah turned 3 on the 31st, and while we didn't do alot, we definately tried to make the day special. We started off at Applebees, where we got them to sing while she burried her head in Bryce's chest. All embaressment got brushed outside, however, when she saw that they had brought her ice cream. Digging in face first, icecream ended up halfway across the table, but we left with a very very happy girl. Her party is this weekend and i'm finding myself horribly unprepared.  While i'm writing this I should probably cleaning something, I just sat down and all motivation somehow disappeared. I need to scrub the spare bathroom, make sure there isn't anything is Sarah's room that has grown legs and morphed into some creature that used to be a snack. Charlotte is famous with disappearing with apple slices. Yuck. Another day another another round of scrubbing. Going back to the original topic, the party... I was intending on being super duper domestic with this party. My mom and I did a ton of dips and food for Char's party, but seeing as they won't be here until the day before the party I changed the menu. We are doing a couple of different salads, then pizza, then an ice cream cake. I'm fighting the urge to pull my hair out, I feel like a mother failure, making more of an effort for one child's birthday then the other.  I'm really trying to look like it as Char (turning one) hardly ate anyway, where we are inviting a rush of 3+ year olds that would probably enjoy pizza and icecream alot more than an assortment of salads and dips that are appealing to those that don't get spaghetti sauce all over our faces. I shouldn't say that... I still do.

Probably shouldn't have said that either.

Oh well... moving on...
Papa Murphy's here we come! Hopefully we have a good turn-out and this girl gets to have a ball with some friends and her uncles.  I seriously can't wait to see my parents, my mom and I are kidnapping the boys and my youngest to go to town and get Sarah's birthday present while Sarah stays with Daddy and Papa feeding the Mmmmooooo Cow cows! 

On the cooking front I have a couple of interesting recipes for you lovelies today!

First off is a fish taco sauce that I created. It probably isn't totally original (if I thought it up, someone else i'm sure has too!) but it's super yummy. Reminiscent of a chipotle sauce, here goes!

1 Jar garlic Alfredo Sauce
1 packet low sodium Taco seasoning

Combine both in shallow sauce pan and heat until hot and bubbly.

Second recipe:
Super Smoothie

2 Kiwis, peeled and sliced
1 Banana
7-10 Strawberries
1/2 C Apple Juice

Blend until smooth, enjoy!

Well, back to cleaning! Happy New Year, readers!!

And a Happy New Year...

Well, we survived, one with an insane 'sthounds all forts of clugged up' cold and three other relatively healthy people! This was the first Christmas that our oldes really got to enjoy and it was so much fun to see her running across the room with her new things 'Mama, mama, see?!' And then there was poor Char who couldn't talk really well and couldn't breathe all that well, but she made the best of it and groggily smiled away!

The Favorites--
Sarah's favorite would have to be her American Girl doll, Marie Grace. For a girl that can not STAND anything else in her bed besides her and her blanky, this doll as made a definate difference as she hasn't left her side or her bed since Christmas.

My dad made Charlotte a latch board (you know, the ones that you see going for $70 bucks!). It's amazing what a couple of Uncles and a Papa can do for a little girl! She sits there and stares, then reaches... no, she didn't want the padlock... Another reach, nope, not for the sliding latch... Then.... TWANG. She found the door stopper. They were nice enough to install a rather noisy, yet delightful to a child, door stopper. At least I know exactly where she is at in the house! TWANG..... twang.... twang.... TW TW TW TWWWWAAAANNNNGGGGG...

Update on Life...

In my post yesterday I forgot to tell all you wonderful peoples about the newest member of our tribe (no i'm NOT pregnant, my parents seem to think this is funny to ask everytime I tell them I have big news...).

This is Annie-

She's adorable and she's the perfect addition. I decided whenever I want a baby i'm going to get a puppy, it fufills the need to have something little itty bitty around and still SO much easier than a newborn!!

Well after the saga from yesterday afternoon the day just didn't seem to get any better! We decided to head outside in hopes of fresh air and some peace and though we got the fresh air, we lacked in the peace department. Sarah accidentally pushed her sister down the concrete steps of the pront porch so a goose egg, a scraped nose, and a bloody nose later, Charlotte wasn't in on having a good time. Can't say that I blame her. She stayed glued to my hip for the rest of the outing. I tried to take some pictures since we were out there and my two little funny people weren't going for it.

                                                        See how adorable my bug is?!

                                                    A little better, but you can see her poor nose :(

                                                             And my little explorer!

Today started out a little bit better and Sarah and I have big plans... We are going to make cookies for Santa! I'm a HUGE sucker for sugar cookies (my hips are too... but we won't go there), and if you put frosting on them... yes, it spells trouble for my jeans' zippers. Regardless, Santa loves Sugar cookies so he needs at least three to get him through his long night in two days! ;)

Mothering...

There are days that being a mother is unbelievably rewarding, amazing, creating an insane love for life... Then there are days that go to the butter... Yes, that's right. To the butter.

Enter:
My Bug...

Note: This is the second drawer up... I have no clue how she got up there.  This was yesterday, we have since had a few hiccups since then. Today, Mommy decided to TRY (note the EMPHASIS on TRY) to clean the back room floor. The insanity of my household over the last few days has forced me to lack in the housecleaning department, thus creating a mudball of my back room. So off I go with a broom, a dustpan, a box of swiffer sweeper wipes, and a swiffer mop. In the middle of moving things around my back room I must have missed the sounds of moving dining room chairs in the kitchen. I come out with a half clean back room to find my beautiful baby on the kitchen table with an entire stick of butter smeared on her, her clothes, my table, the chairs, and last but not least... My freshly mopped kitchen floor.  Off goes Charlotte to the bathtub, smearing butter all over her Mama's freshly washed clothes. Why I even try to look nice during the day, I have yet to grasp. To add insult to injury, I put Charlotte in her crib to give Mommy a break while I tried to clean the kitchen and slipped and fell on butter I missed on the floor.

BAM

Sarah comes running out screaming 'Are you ok, Mama Mama Mama!!!' In awe of the fact that my little girl was coming to make sure I was ok, I held it together and tried to get up. I should have known it was too good to be true. Sarah stood there as if she was waiting for something, so suspiciously, I asked her what was going on...

'Mama, There's a big mess in the bathroom...'

Really?! Really??!! I decided to finish cleaning up the butter so there weren't any more mishaps (in other words, I wouldn't fall through the floor....) then move on to the bathroom. I figured as long as I didn't open that door it couldn't really be that bad. When I finally mustered up the courage to open that door, what before my eyes did appear, three rolls of t.p. strewn across the floor.  I have to admit, I had a 'snap' moment... I'm sure anyone who is a mom knows the feeling of taking a huge leap forward just in time to realize that you just got shoved five steps back. There is nothing more frustrating than being pushed backward by two little people a third your size. These girls want to play hardball, I swear!!! Sarah was very put out having to help me put the bathroom back together, I came out, sat down in my comfy chair and realized....

The back room STILL wasn't done.

*sigh*

Holiday Baking...

Well My holiday baking push is done.. Thank goodness. I plowed out fudge, cookies, cake, and homemade stroganhoff for dinner yesterday. My kitchen is still partially a disaster but i'm making Turkey enchiladas for dinner tonight so is there a real point in cleaning up? I rationalized this way when I was about 7 and was told to make my bed. I'm going to be getting back in it in eight hours, why make it?! Unfortunately I have grown since then and the itch to go scrub the kitchen is starting so i'm probably going to go clean clean clean as soon as i'm done. Does anyone else do any holiday baking? What are your favorites? I am a total baker, I love the smell of goodies, and with the amount of sugar and butter typically used, even if they aren't great, things rarely turn out bad! Today, everything will be divied up into adorable gingerbread men tins and distributed to the families on the ranch. I can't have it all in the house otherwise I would eat most if not all of it. The only disappointing thing about yesterday's baking day is that I didn't get to cook madeleines. I have been dying to try out the recipe but my lack of a list this last weekend proved that I can't remember everything and forgot to get a madeleine tin... Oh well, hoping for better memory this week! I am planning an assortment of cakes and pies for Christmas day, so my baking isn't quite done yet. On the menu is a Candy Bar pie (think cheese cake with snickers), a cherry pie (self explanatory), and a boston cream pie (never tried making one before, totally excited!!!). All Preceded by Ham, and fresh green beans with bacon, mashed potatoes, and candied yams!

It gives a new meaning to 'dreams of sugar plums dance in their heads', i've been dreaming desserts for days!

New things i'm in love with:
My mom's peach butter she made this summer, oh so very very yummy!
An old 'Christmas Traditions' scented candle I found.
And....
Last but not least...
Colbie Caillat's Christmas album...
I sincerely encourage you to listen to it on Spotify or buy it on Itunes. It's wonderful!!

Novel vs. Classic....

I'm going to say something and ask for no judgement.... I like Twilight.  I'm sorry I do... I'm a sucker for romances and though some would say that it's no better than tacky velevet painting I thought they were good. The writing was marginal, but the story was really a good one (please don't judge by the movies!). What it seems pitted against is the Harry Potter series (yes I am a huge fan!). Harry Potter wins in pretty much every category, story line, character portrayal, movies, etc. So I hardly think we should compare. Both writers created a phenomenon for today's youth and both have good values. What I think we should take away from both series is what WE got out of the books (Harry Potter movies in my case, I have yet to get my hands on the books!) and characters. Harry Potter instilled loyalty, bravery, hope, and fortitude in it's readers and watchers. Twilight instilled a sense of historical fantasy (think Dracula), loyalty, and chastity... How many movies today really push teenagers to be faithful till their wedding day? Not many, i'm afraid. I'm not going to lie that the glittery skin was a tad over the top (not thinking Dracula), but werewolves and vampires have been part of history, legend, and tradition in some cultures for centuries. It was truly a new spin on a new age tale.

So what separates a novel from a classic? If Harry Potter could (in a sense) be compared to The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, will it take it's place among the ranks of classics by phenomenal authors? All of them had a story unwind around a world of witchcraft, wizardry, and creatures from myth and legend. Will Twilight be next in line to be inducted into the classics for it's similarity to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, and Frankenstein? All were fanciful books about blood sucking men and humans with an alter ego or personality and the living dead... I think only time will tell, As I am not the person who could tell you whether or not a book could be a classic.

What do you base your opinion of a book on? There are multiple authors I adore that I set any book I read against, I love Jane Austen, Willa Cather, C.S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkein, L. M. Montgomery, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, and countless others that have taken place in the classic writers hall of fame... What I'm looking for is your specs on what you read? What makes it a masterpiece in your eyes? Is it the storyline, the characters, the writing style, the setting, or the cumulation of all?

Thoughts for the day....

Adventures in Puppy Sitting...

Today I got the privelege of watching a 12 week old Mini-Aussie today, and it has been a blast. The girls have been running non-stop, playing with Rio has been their job today. And just when I got into the groove of hey, it's not that bad, it became more of a challenge!

Sarah and I took Rio outside to go potty, he was much to interested in playing with Sarah to even think about doing his business so we went back inside. Five minutes later I catch Rio pacing, nose to the ground in my living room. Anyone who has dogs knows that's never a good sign. So wet soapy hands and all I take Rio outside in a rush. He goes potty... whew... relief!! Bring little Mr. back inside and resume doing dishes... Less than five minutes later I hear Sarah shriek. Figuring Rio got a little too playful I walk over and Sarah is shreiking over the dog doo doo on my living room floor. Think fast think fast! Pick up puppy, take him outside.. first logical course of action. But what about the girls? Sarah won't touch it, but Charlotte has always been a hands on learner. Pick up Charlotte and puppy, take both outside. Yeah right, Sarah would be shrieking in about two seconds. Hurry hurry hurry!!! I finally settled on 'Sarah, pick up your sister, take her to your room. Keep her there until Mommy says it's ok' Take puppy outside, leave door open, come back pick up doggy doo doo, yell at Sarah it's ok, run back outside and grab Rio. Rio goes in kennel, girls go to Little Einsteins, Mommy goes to floor with bucket of soapy water. Whew.... That scenario was a total of about one minute. Can't say Mama's don't think on their feet!

Finally feeling better, thank goodness! So back to working out I went this morning. Christmas party and Little Black dress T-minus 8 days and counting! One thing I have learned through this journey of getting fit and healthy, is that a support group is key in any success. I have been so lucky to have my hubby be my rock... He's told me to push harder, when i'm paying too much attention to the tv instead of the insane elliptical workout i'm doing he oh so gently reminds me that i'm not going to get the body I want by not sweating. He's supportive, he's gentle, he's amazing! There are also two women that have helped me in my Journey as well. Nicole has been great.. She messaged me on facebook offering tips and advice, we became fast friends and she's been amazing to turn to when I have questions or need to vent about lack of progress. She has both a page and blog that anyone who wants to look and feel better should check out immediately!!!
Nicole's Page
https://www.facebook.com/#!/coachnicolemurray
Nicole's Blog
http://nik4213.blogspot.com/

My other friend that has been unbelievably helpful and supportive is Melissa. She just had a baby three and a half months ago and looks so amazingly good. Dedication could be her word!  She believes in clean eating and major fitness and if you want to look like that, you're gonna have to work, and you're gonna have to work hard. And work hard she does. Defiantely another page to check out!
Melissa's Page
https://www.facebook.com/#!/strongisthenewskinny0816

Thank you girls for all your love, support, and help! I wouldn't be where I am today without you! Goal for 2013 you ask?

Run a half marathon.
And i'll reach it :)

Could someone hand me.....

A tissue? And another one? Maybe one more... never mind, I need the whole box.

Bryce was nice enough to hand me his nasty cold right after I got done with the first one. He also then graciously bestowed the bug on two little girls that are rather grumpy. They are currently being soothed by a tub full of warm steamy water, to be followed by warm towels and apple juice. While in the bath it's so much fun to see how even though they're sick, they play their own games. It amazes me how smart they are with each passing day. Sarah got into the tub and pronounced that she was making tea, but will conquer the land of the mermaids... Then Char started scooping handfulls of water on the top of her head saying 'wash wash wash wash...' the whole time. I'm still sitting here watching them, even though dinner should be started, because though a clean house is important missing out on these little pleas of joyful laughter is much much more. They don't have nearly as many toys in here as they used to (Sarah went riding in the tractor with Daddy yesterday morning and Mama 'cleaned' the toy rooms), but they seem to be having twice the fun. Runny noses aside, today actually hasn't been too bad. I got 3 pounds of fudge made, did some laundry, killed a gazillion gnats that have been plague-ing my kitchen lately... I can't figure out how to get rid of the stupid little things. They never die!!!! Oh well, come summertime when the windows are open all the time i'm sure they will find greener pastures. Until then, apple cider vinegar resides on my counter adjacent to the fly swatter.

So does anyone out there in cyber land have any Christmas traditions they would like to share? Thought it's only been three years, Bryce and I have made a couple, one more starting this Christmas eve. We always eat sea food for Christmas eve dinner... Just to mix it up :) This year it's Tilapia tacos with a new sauce that will have a review come Christmas! We also decided that following an early dinner, the girls will get to stay up later (a probable failing attempt at getting them to sleep in) and we bought a new Disney movie to watch. Popcorn and apples with Caramel dip will be on the menu. And just in case you were wondering, I WILL be working out like a crazy fiend after the holidays! We bought Lady and the Tramp, something neither Bryce or I have seen in probably longer than a decade, and the girls have never seen it. Can't wait! Nothing can beat the old Disney movies!

On another Christmas note, I have recently found that I have a little elf in the house. Sarah has become my Christmas helper galore... She has given me helpful hints on the tree, told me she wants the super yummy cake from my Taste of Home for Christmas, and helped me pick out Char's Christmas presents. I finally had to banish her to her room so I could finish up my online shopping with a present for her, but I was instantly reminded.... I haven't even started Birthday shopping yet. It's so hard having a little girl with a Birthday so close to a major Holiday, I almost feel like she's cheated out of her special day. This year we are going to make a BIG deal out of it though.... Yee-Haw!!!! :) :) This sicky is signing off, Have a wonderful monday, dear readers!!!!!