what is the deal?

Of course all of you know that I am the queen of long-windedness but I am starting to have beef with other long-windeders like myself. I just finished a book called The Girl Who Could Fly and it was a cute, easy read that I enjoyed. One thing I did NOT enjoy however was the inevitability of a sequel. I am just so sick of every author and their dog thinking that they have to write a book that will have a sequel! Why?! Why can't anyone tell a story that only lasts for one book and then end it? It wasn't always this way. Think of the classics. They are one book for the most part and then...done.

Although this really bothers me there are a few exceptions. I do believe the Harry Potter series should have been a series. It worked well with Harry getting older and moving year after year through Hogwarts and more adventures. I would, however, like to point out something annoying about Harry Potter. Did any of you wonder why each book got thicker and thicker? Maybe you thought, "it's because there is so much story to tell now that there is so much going on," or something like that. I personally believe it's because once the series is successful the author gains "free reign" from editors and publishers. No one is cutting and slicing and picking through the book because they know all of the fans are lining up to buy the next book in the series anyway. The editors get lazy and we end up reading a book that requires vice grips to keep open it's so thick. I find this annoying!

Even though I think Harry Potter worked as a series, I don't believe that Twilight really needed to be a series. GASP! I know, I know. Don't get me wrong I am a huge, HUGE fan but it would have been just as satisfying to me if she could have tied it all up in the first book and then been done. Think of how long the fourth book dragged out. Remember Jacob telling the story for half the book and how completely un-necessary that seemed? Or how about how long the final "battle" went on with the Volturi? Seriously? Wasn't that just a little bit boring to you? The same stands for me and The Host, The Hunger Games, Confessions of a Shopaholic and others. There do not need to be sequels for every stinkin' novel. It's greedy and obnoxious!

I don't know if it's mostly annoying because I have to buy/borrow more books or because I just want to have a story told and have that be the end of it. Either way, the bottom line is that it's annoying.

Am I the only one this bothers? How do you feel about it?

domesticity

Here are a few pictures of what I have been up to lately. Highly domestic wouldn't you say?

Look at those lips! Don't you just want to give him a "tiss"? I do, even with the chocolate smeared on his face.


Hose+sprayer=endless fun.


He said he wanted to fly up in the sky. This was the best we could do.


Thanks to my beautiful friend Lili, I have the easiest recipe for the yummiest bread.


Here is the apple pie I made after giving in to a week long craving. It was terrible. I didn't even finish my piece.


This is the oak table I bought for 40 dollars and painted white. I really like it and I can't wait to sew some cute cushions for the benches and get two armed chairs for each end.


They love each other. Too bad Violet isn't in focus. I just can't get enough light and so I have to open the shutter all the way and screw the depth of field. Any secrets I should know as to how to get better depth of field indoors?


Here is Michael helping me strip one of the tub chairs we found at an estate sale. I really can't wait to get them re-upholstered and inside!


Thanks to Lindy for the fluffiest, frilliest tutu ever! Love!


My pears in all their glory.


I love how they are all squished in this Daddy dogpile. Look at Jack's nose! So funny!





This was a last minute idea. Wrap her head in a receiving blanket like I wrap mine in a towel after a shower. I think she liked it.

july 4th

I finally uploaded the pictures from our little point and shoot. The poor camera takes a beating by constantly being carried in my diaper bag. It's a strugglesome little thing but it works when we need to act fast. I sure am glad I had it during this moment!

its time

Hello friends. It's that time again. Time to can some pears. I did this last year and it turned out really great. I can only hope that I pull it off again somehow. I loved having those sweet delicious pears after my pregnancy with Violet. They seriously were like candy and so convenient to crack open. I know some of you think, why don't you just go and buy a can of pears from the store? To you I say, try it, you'll like it. It's strangely rewarding.




On a side note I decided against cutting my hair. Everyone had great advice and was very sweet and convincing but in the end, the Don't-do-its won. Especially when Lindy said that short hair should be reserved for the older years. I think that is a good plan. I did however go to the Instyle website and "try on" some celebrity hairstyles. It was really fun and I highly recommend it to anyone. Maybe one day, when I am bored and feeling bold (or more bold than usual) I will post those.

I know that this is going to sound crazy but lately I can't stop thinking about cutting my hair. Short. Like really short. It is crazy coming from me because I am always so against anyone else doing it. My advice to anyone who wants to cut their hair is DON'T! DON'T! DON'T! Especially after having a baby! I don't know why I feel the need so bad?

It's true, I still have weight to lose but that is not what is driving this desire for such a change. And not to toot my own horn or anything but I get alot of compliments on my hair. Michael loves it and I feel prettier when I do it but I just have this stomach full of butterflies when I think about chopping it off. I just want to do it soooo bad! Have you seen that Diet Coke commercial? The one where the pretty brunette goes into the barber shop and points to the man's haircut? I love it! What about Ellen DeGeneres' new hair? Or Mia Michael's? I know these two women are lesbians and I am clearly not and don't really want to look like one but man! What I wouldn't give!

I also worry about not being girly enough. Like would I need to constantly be wearing feminine clothes and lots of makeup? I used to wear red lipstick in high school quite a bit, would I have to do something like that again? And then they always say, "it's hair! It will grow back!" but my hair grows soooooo slow. I don't know how many of you remember but the last time I cut my hair short was sophomore year of high school. I cut it into a "duck butt" and I have never had short hair since then and it is only this long. I mean, it took foreverrrrr to grow out and it was so awkward for a long time. Did any of you know me when I constantly wore "Kat balls"? That was not the best summer of my life.

See, I just don't know what to do! I want to soooo bad but I am sooooo scared. I also think that in order to pull this haircut off I would definitely have to get skinny. Like even skinnier than I was before I had the baby. Maybe I should do that first and as a reward I can chop it all off. I bet I would lose at least another pound! Ha!

I tried to create a link to that Diet Coke commercial so hopefully it works for you.

Do any of you remember when I was obsessing over getting bangs? This was the haircut that started that obsession. Since cutting bangs about a year ago I am in the process of growing them out and regretting having done it in the first place. And that was just bangs!


These are just examples of what I am thinking. Honestly, the best example is Lindsey William's from high school. You Timpview gals know who I'm talking about and if you're her friend on FB then you are fully aware of how awesome she looks with her fabulous haircut. Check it out to get the full idea of what I am dreaming of. If you don't know her hopefully these will suffice.





Here is a picture of Ciara before and after. Isn't she so stunning either way? What do you think? Does she look better short or long?



Ok so obviously I am not a super model turned singer or a lesbian or married to a sexy soccer star. I am just a mom and a wife. Is this so silly? Am I crazy for looking at famous people with distinct style and thinking I could do the same? I have a hard enough time trying to dress myself in something cute/age appropriate so maybe I should master that before I take such drastic measures. And what about the winter months when I am all pasty?! Am I going to look like a pale, drab, sad Mom who should just give up already and buy the Lee brand jeans with the elastic waist band? Ah! This is so hard! Then there is the issue of divorce. I seriously think that Michael might consider divorcing me! It sounds like a joke but it is almost that serious. He loves my hair. What do you think about this whole thing? Give me your opinion. I want it.

red box

I love Red Box. Don't you? It's so convenient that you can return it to any Red Box and it only costs a dollar a day. The one negative side, my taste in movies has definitely taken a blow. Since it only costs a dollar, nothing is too lame. Ok, maybe some things are too lame. Like that straight to video pregnancy movie with Lindsay Lohan. Yeah right! But movies like, Fired Up and Push, not too lame for my dollar. It's sad and yet it's so true. Ok. Bye. I have to go and watch Fired Up now. Don't want to be wasteful. :)

score!

Yesterday I bought a solid oak, round, pedestal table with two benches and a leaf insert for 40 dollars. I can't even begin to describe how stoked I am! I would post before and after photos but I don't want to waste nap time posting the before or there will never be an after! I'm off to sand and prime and paint!

*Sidenote before I go. Is Tucson the only place where Craigslist is 99% a joke? I swear if I read one more, "I bought this couch only two years ago for 400 and am selling it now, in excellent condition, for 300," I am going to go crazy! Seriously people?! I don't care where or when you bought that couch! The second you put it in your living room and rested your soggy behind on it the value went straight to no more than 50 bucks! And that's pushing it! Ugh! When did Craigslist go from an online garage sale to a place for the white trash to try and make money?! Just asking.

i'm so happy

Today life was good. Somehow, I have totally recovered from the nightmare called last Saturday and I just feel right. There were a few things that made it that way and I feel the need to share.

First my Grandpa called me out of nowhere this afternoon. He is recovering from being really sick and he called me to tell me he loved me. I felt so special and all warm and fuzzy. Then he told me he is going to come and visit me in November and I about killed over with excitement! I love being a favorite.

Later Jack, Violet and I went to the store and, as I had been promising all day, I bought Jack a new train. On the drive home he was holding his new Percy the train and he said, "Thank you so much Mommy. I am so happy." I about died. I literally melted into my chair with joy and I am not going to lie, I cried a little bit.

The last thing that just made my day was when we were in the store. Violet was crying as I was trying to put our items on the conveyor belt so I could pay. She stopped suddenly and I turned to look and see what had calmed her down. Jack had reached back and put her hand in his. He was looking at her with the sweetest face like he loved her so much and didn't want her to be sad. My heart grew at that exact moment.

I remember being so worried that I wouldn't love Violet as much as I loved Jack. I honestly couldn't imagine being able to love another the way I loved him. Now that I have them both and I love them the same I feel silly for not realizing how much room there was and is left in my heart. But what has surprised me the most about having them both is how much their love for each other touches me. Sibling love is honestly the most priceless kind of love. I am so lucky.

Sorry to get all sappy, Mormon mom on you but I just felt like sharing. That was my little "love is spoken here" or "home is where your heart is" moment for the month. I promise. ;)

yesterday

Oh yesterday. What a suck of a day. Here's what happened.

Around noon we decided to head up to Ikea because, let's face it, Mama wants some freaking stuff to put in this ginormous house. So yes I take full responsibility for the trip. Back to the story. Since we planned on purchasing some rather large items we decided to cram the four of us, quite illegally, into Michael's tiny pick up truck. This was of course so we could save the gas money it would have taken to drive the car and the truck up there. Oh funny how we try to save money and then something like yesterday happens. It went down like this. Michael was the driver, Kat was in the passenger seat, Jack was directly behind me in his car seat that was poorly strapped into a fold out bucket seat and Violet was in her car seat also poorly connected to the other bucket seat. They faced each other the whole trip and every time the baby would fall asleep Jack was kind enough to kick her until she woke up. What a good big brother.

So there we were, driving the hour and a half (give or take a stop at both Circle K and Wendy's) and thinking that we might be crazy. Oh yes, I also forgot to mention the towel that Michael taped across the back window so the sun wouldn't blare down on either child's face and melt them. That just added the cherry to the white trash cake don't you think? Like I was saying, we were headed Northwest and at approximately t-minus 20 miles from Ikea the battery light came on. We navigated ourselves to a Walmart and just before we got there we happened to hit a red light. That's when our speedometer, air conditioning, everything stopped working. The car was chugguluging like a freshman frat boy and we were really freaking out. We coasted into the Walmart parking lot and the four of us poured out and into the air conditioning. I'm not sure exactly how hot it was yesterday in Phoenix but I would estimate somewhere between hell and the center of the earth.

After three trips in and out of good ole' Wallyworld we finally had the right tools and the right battery to get our little white trash mobile back in business. By this point sweat was rolling down every one's face and Michael and I were muttering prayers under our breath that the new battery would fix the problem. With one turn of the key we were back in business. Or so we thought.

The cute little battery light came back on and then we knew that it wasn't just the battery, it was the alternator. Apparently this meant that we were only running on battery power. (The alternator continuously charges your car battery, without it you have about 50 miles, which we conveniently learned later.) After all of this hassle we decided to make our Ikea trip anyway. Besides, we had come all of the way up there and had risked every one's life for some furniture, we might as well finish what we started.

After shopping for two hours that felt like 10 minutes due to the screaming, diarrhea-ing babies we loaded our loot and jumped into our oven. We knew that the a/c would most likely drain the battery twice as fast and so we braved the desert heat like any white trash family would. Window's down going 70 on the interstate. Niiiiiice. It's funny how even at 9 p.m. Arizona still feels like Satan's playground.

On our way home Michael and I began an interesting conversation. I told him how angry I was about what had happened and he told me how grateful he was that everything was more or less ok. We recalled how just the night before I had been talking about how blessed we had been and how it was kind of scary/nice that we hadn't had any real trials in a while. Ha! Irony!

Just after I finished my little angry fit we started to lose power. Double irony!!The line on the battery gage began to dive and we knew we had to pull over pronto. Luckily there was an exit near by and luckily there was a greasy haired woman in a convenience store who let us buy water and Red Vines before she closed down for the night. Because we all know that when you are stranded in the desert with two kids and a truck full of Swedish furniture Red Vines are essential.

It was about this time (round about 10 p.m.) that we realized we needed help, seriously. According to our greasy haired friend the tow truck in the parking lot was available and it would only cost us 250 dollars to go the 17 miles to the nearest Walmart. Hmmm. Not the best deal but thanks anyway. Luckily we have this friend in Tucson, you know, one of those guys who enjoys helping you out because he is just that nice. Yeah. We called him, he went to the store, bought a battery, drove the forty miles to meet us, helped us install it and followed us home. What a stud. Quick side note, which says thank you the most (in Mormon baking language of course) fresh baked bread with a container of home made honey butter, a large pan of frosted cinnamon rolls or the perfect chocolate chip cookies?

After a twelve hour trip we will never forget we rolled into the driveway with our two exhausted kids. Both were drenched with sweat and zonked out. We stripped them and put them right to bed the dirtiest they have ever been. The last thing we decided to do was pull the truck into the garage so we could unload the furniture the next day and go straight to bed ourselves. As I guided Michael in, the garage door caught the top of the desk we had bought fully assembled from the "as-is" section and cracked it apart in several places. I laughed. Michael did not.

Looking back I would say yesterday was hot, miserable, frustrating and funny but most of all, just hot. That was yesterday.