Booty, Pickle, Bumstink and Bean

i suck at blogging yadda, yadda, yadda

2012-01-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

Get ready for a big friggin' update.

It's true that I am currently a terrible blogger. It is also true that the only reason I'm attempting to blog again is because one of my dear friends gave me a bit of a guilt trip. Oh you know who you are! I'm guessing since it worked you don't feel too guilty. :b

Lately I have been pregnant. My back really hurts and I've started going to the Chiropractor for the first time in my life. Not sure if I'm completely sold but it's covered by my insurance and Tylenol sure as heck ain't fixing anything. So....I keep going.

I am bummed that this pregnancy is harder than I was expecting it to be. I figured being in really great shape before getting pregnant would help me breeze through this. I was wrong. My "junk" hurts. By "junk" I DO mean my vagina. Sorry to get graphic on you but it plagues me almost daily. I feel like there's a bowling ball on my cervix and my business is getting hammered from the inside out. Totally awesome. And by that, you know I mean totally not awesome.

I am a bit more negative than I normally am (can you tell?) and that also bothers me. I've always kinda prided myself on being an optimist. Luckily, I live in what you could basically call heaven. It keeps me from delving into a full on Debbie Downer lifestyle.

Speaking of lifestyle, I win. I know people get all annoyed with me when I talk about Hawaii and they think I'm rubbing it in. If I didn't mention how awesome it is to be here or how much I loved it wouldn't people think I was ungrateful? You can't win. So I'll go ahead and talk about the awesomeness some more. Every day is pretty stinkin' magical. Michael and I were talking about the luxury of the beach. Other people on the mainland have outdoor activities or pastimes but they are never as consistent as the beach. The park gets rained out, the mountains take a day trip, bikes get flat tires and the mall leaves you broke. The beach is always playable (even when it rains in one spot, there's sun shining on another part of the island) the sand is always washable and it's absolutely free. Heaven.

I will go ahead and complain now about one thing. There is NO shopping here. Literally. Unless I want to spend an arm and a leg at a boutique store on a cheap maxi dress or fly somewhere to shop my only options are a very poorly stocked Macy's and online. Online shopping is fun for a while but eventually you crave the physical experience of trying stuff on and spending a day browsing sale racks. The other drawbacks of subsisting mainly on online shopping are shipping charges and the fact that I don't have that instantaneous getaway. One of my go-to getaways on the mainland was spending a couple hours at HomeGoods. You know, on those days you're gonna go stir crazy if you don't just get out of the house, away from the kids for a chunk of time on your own? Yes, those days don't exist. Instead of HomeGoods, I have beach walks. Still good but just, well, different.

The kids are thriving. Jack and Violet swim and play outside all the time. They watch Curious George a couple episodes at a time and have a massive play room full of toys, tv and games. Jack is surfing and boogie boarding on his own. He can do dives and flips in the pool and just got a bike for Christmas which he loves. He is still so tender with me and Violet and tells me multiple times a day that he loves me the most of anyone in the whole wide world.

Violet is a princess. She gets whatever she wants and sometimes I'm afraid of her power and dominance in our home. No one can resist her charms, not even Jack. She is swimming without floaties under serious supervision and always has a baby and a blankie with her wherever she goes. She sleeps in a big girl bed but sneaks out of her room multiple times a night and often doesn't go to bed till around 10. Sigh. She is smart. Not as smart as Jack but smart. She is way more artistic than he ever was and can color as well as he can. She is beautiful.

Michael is super social. On Sunday after church I have to drag HIM out of the building because he is Chatty Kathy! Who woulda thunk? He is surfing a ton, has a dream work schedule that is literally too good to advertise and takes care of me like a princess. On Saturday I invited over a dozen girls last minute for a girls night. He helped me clean up the house, went to buy all the food supplies and kept the kids upstairs and happy all night long. He never complained and told me he was glad I had fun and that I should do that more often. This was just the most recent chivalrous act of love. There have been plenty more like allowing me to sleep in EVERY day he doesn't work, sending me to Oahu to shop regularly, paying for parties, taking me to fancy restaurants almost weekly and even flying family members out for visits. He is seriously too good to be true. And the fact that he's hotter than ever with his surfer body and tan doesn't hurt either. ;)

I've had alot of people ask me what it's like to have money. Lemme lay it out for you up to this point. It's great. It's actually strange though. Since having money I feel less like spending it than ever before. I'm not sure if it's because of the limited shopping on the island thing or just because once you have it, you don't want to let it go? I don't feel much different in terms of being a changed person. I do feel more comfortable helping people out and picking up the tab. I also feel like buying something at JCrew isn't insane. But still, besides that, I'm just me. Maybe I'll become a total snob after a few years. Who knows? I'll let you know. Or maybe you can let me know. Money definitely makes things easier. It's nice to not have to argue over bills or debit card charges all the time. It's nice to have extra. It's nice to finally, after 8 years of medical school and residency and strife feel like we're gonna be okay. It was a long time coming. Don't get me wrong, we still have bills out the wazoo including giant medical school loan repayment! It's just easier to pay it now.

Maybe I've divulged too much or been too honest? But hey, that's just me. And I stopped trying to be someone else a long time ago. Hopefully you only rolled your eyes a few times and are still interested in reading what I have to say somewhere down the line. If not, :b on you.

If you have any other questions post them in the comments section and I'll answer them. If they are questions about visiting, don't be shy. We still haven't had our fill of visitors. :)

i know you want pictures, i know...

2011-09-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

but I just can't seem to bring myself to take pictures of this whole, big, silly, awesome house. So instead, I took a few of the things I love the most and the teeny tiny things that I do NOT like. There's always gotta be something and I'm sure you'll see why in a second when you start to scroll through.

Things I love:

In both our family room (seen here) and our kitchen leading out to the pool

we have these awesome glass doors that accordion open and create

the perfect indoor/outdoor living space.

(The kids are performing their daily build of a fort around the coffee table.)

This shower is just behind the kitchen and is possibly my most favorite thing.

It's an indoor/outdoor shower that leads to the pool and is

right across from the garage. If it ever fills up with sand I just

open the door and sweep it right out. Genius!

This is the view when you walk into our master bedroom.

Clean, I know. :) That big wood "fence" is actually the head board of our bed.

At first I thought it looked kind of oddly placed and intrusive but now

I find it a lot more private and I like being surrounded by all the windows when I'm in bed.

This is what it looks like beyond the head board.

I love the private lanai off the master.

There are actually 4 other rooms with

private lanais not as big as this one. It's neat.

This is the master shower. It's a double headed shower

that once again is very indoor/outdoor.

Sorry for the glare but I'm no photographer,

especially when pregnant and lazy.

Beyond those bamboo reeds is a permanent screen.

The wind is always coming through and

there's always a sense of being outside.

LOVE.

Things I do NOT love:

The two pedestal sinks in the master and the tacky bidet right in the middle.

The ceiling of the "Sunday room" as named by Jack.

Seriously, the faux sky makes me cringe.

The decor of the "Sunday room."

Maroon and gold and flourishy all over.

The furniture...bless it's tacky little heart.

No that is not a sheet over a table in the corner,

it's a table cloth over one of those

cheap tripod tables from like Anna's Linens.

Cause, you know? It's "fancy."

So sad.

So there you have it. A few pics of the house. There are many, many more things that I just love about this place. The double dishwasher, fridge, W/D is amazing! I also love the giant wooden dining table and all of the extra bedrooms. Plenty of toilets too and storage space which is schwing for when people come...if they ever do. :(

As for other things that I'm kinda like, meh, it's mostly just furnishings. I think overall the furniture is pretty unfortunate. But seriously, who cares? It's awesome to have places to sit and eat and sleep and not worry about having to have purchased all of it. Someday I'll finally get to furnish/design my own home. Who knows when? But someday.

Hope you liked the virtual tour. Now who's going to come and take an actual tour?! Seriously people, we are kind of shocked that no one has made any definite plans yet. Come visit wiki wiki!

a gift

2011-08-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

We've come to a very clear realization in the last 3 or so weeks since we've been here, living here is a gift. We knew we had something special the very second Michael landed the position and we were thrilled when we arrived but a few days ago a friend opened our eyes to how very priceless Michael's job and life here really is.

The friend is one of Michael's anesthesiologist co-workers. Him and his wife are amazing people and they've really reached out to us and made us feel so welcome. It's been great to have them here and get advice and support from people who know what's up.

Anyway, we went to dinner with them and were discussing the decision process that the group faced back in January when choosing which candidate to offer the job to. It had come down to Michael and another very experienced female anesthesiologist. We felt like extreme under dogs but crossed our fingers, toes, eyes and everything so tight after the interview just hoping on hope that we had something more to offer. It turned out we did and I'll tell you what Joe said.

He told us that him and his colleagues truly consider this job a gift. We are here on the most beautiful island, with a competitive salary and an unreal work schedule. (I think I've mentioned the actual work schedule break down in the past but Michael doesn't like me to publish it plainly too often in case it gets jinxed somehow. You laugh but I'm serious, that's how righteous it is!) All of them agreed that this job needed to be given not only to a qualified person but to the person most likely to cherish it from every aspect.

Since being here we have been blessed from every angle. The lifestyle, strength of the church and school system are all wonderful. Our kids are in their element and are wet all. day. long. They actually have sand permanently in their scalp that I can't get out! Okay not permanent but pretty well embedded. We kneel down every night and gush with gratitude for what we have. The Lord has blessed us beyond comprehension and although there are moments where I want to scream (ie: the roosters and bugs) I can never shake the feeling of ultimate satisfaction in being here.

I really hope that this post doesn't come across as proud or preachy or arrogant because my true intention was to publicly give thanks and express my joy right now. Life has it's ups and downs but while we're living here I can't see a down that could actually get me down. The second the plane landed I thought, "I'm home," and nothing has changed that thought since.

my name is Kat....

2011-08-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

and I've been a homeless drifter for a month.

My name is Kat and I'll be the first to tell you

that having mono is kinda like being pregnant,

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzz

My name is Kat and

my gas is suddenly LETHAL

and if you want to make me cry throw a cotton ball at my boobs.

My name is Kat and my body hair is growing like kudzu.

(Pit hair and leg hair and toe hair, OH MY!)

My name is Kat and.......WAH!!! :'( I don't wanna get fat!

My name is Kat and I'm pregnant, yippee!

(for reals, I'm truly happy about it.)

four sure!

2011-06-04T23:44:00.001-07:00

This is Jack's 4th Birthday bash at Chuck E Cheese. The pictures are in reverse party order but still cute.

A kid can never have too many cars. Seriously, his car stash is to be envied.

I love Jack's face in this pic. The obligatory "cheese" when all he's thinking about is opening gifts.

The rainbow cake was so good and SO fun. Every child let out an "ooOOooO" or an "aAHhh" immediately upon slicing.

Worth every layer.*

You know he was all over that air hockey table.

Did you know that Chuck E Cheese will allow you to bring in all of your own party stuff? It's SO much better than forking over 10 bucks a kid for rubbery pizza, spongy cake and lame decor.

It was fun for all but especially for these two.

*For the cake I used 2 boxes of white cake mix and assorted gel food coloring. I "Sandra Lee'd" the sucker as follows. Instead of water in the cake mix I used buttermilk and I also added some vanilla extract. For the frosting I made a double batch of my own basic butter cream frosting and mixed it with a can of fluffy white. I know, I know, store bought canned frosting is the devil but I do have a soft spot for it. It turned out extremely delish if I do say so myself. Try it, you'll like it. And here is the blog with more exact directions.

a kid and a camera

2011-06-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

This is Jack.

This is his first experience with a camera. Enjoy.

no comment insurance

2011-05-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

I know when I post anything related to house and home (unless it is crafty) no one is going to comment. That's okay. It's what's on my mind lately so I'm going to post about it.

I am debating couches lately. I am finally ready to get rid of my, according to everyone else, purple couch which I always mistakenly considered brown. It's a piecer and covered in who knows what. My issue is whether or not I want to get a big sectional or just the matching sofa to my current love seat? If I do a large sectional I am crushing on both of these:

Z Gallerie

Phoenix 3 piece $1899

Ikea

Karlstad $999+$299 slipcover

The good thing about the Ikea sectional is the slip cover. I would probably get the couch in the tan/grey neutral shown above with a white slip cover. I've actually been pleasantly surprised by the resilience of both of my white Ikea slip covers. Machine washable, easy on and off and just so darn convenient. The thing I love about the more expensive, Z Gallerie sectional is the wide aray of colors available and the bottom of the couch hitting the floor. Don't those little wooden Ikea legs look like they could just snap?

If I go for the option of adding the matching sofa to my current love seat in the front room, it's a lot cheaper. I have just always wanted a large sectional to fill a room and cozy up on, you know? Here she is:

Ikea

Kivik sofa $599+$129 slipcover

The one good thing in this very petty (petty not pretty) dilemma is that either way I go, the coffee table I want will work. Check this sucker out.

Z Gallerie

Concentric Coffee Table $299

Isn't she lovely?

And lastly I'm in to horse prints lately. Weird? Kinda. But I've seen some beauties, not to be mistaken with Black Beauty he he he, and I can just see them working anywhere. Even, dare I say it without actually seeing it, in a baby girls room above her crib.

Z Gallerie

22 Hands $699.95 (ouch!)

54"x66" (huge!)

Mary Leslie Studio

Lock and Load $120

21.5"x22.5"

My original fav that I hunted for after seeing it on The Vampire Diaries. Yes, I watch that show. Yes, you're allowed to laugh.

Z Gallerie

Winter Stallion $399

47"x47"

While some of you may roll your eyes at any and all of this post you have to keep something in mind. If you were about to move to Hawaii, and have that move TOTALLY paid for, to the island where there is basically NO WHERE (confirmed to me by the wife of the other doc in the practice who worked at WS. She used her discount at PB before their move and never regretted it.) to shop for furniture, wouldn't you buy the large ticket items you really wanted rather than pay ridiculous shipping costs? Phew, that was a mouth full. But I make a good point don't I? Now, any opinions or just crickets?

while we're on the subject of WM

2011-05-24T16:49:00.001-07:00

Since I'm thinking about it, I have a lot of items on my furniture wish list from World Market. Have you noticed that they make similar furniture from places like Anthropologie and Pottery Barn for significantly cheaper? Do you even care? Haha. Just let me finish then you can go on and not bother leaving a comment. ;)

Case in point:

This chair from Pottery barn for 245$
versus this one from WM for 109$. Personally I like this one much better anyway.

Or how about this table at Anthropologie? Verses this one at World Market? Hmmm, I'll take el cheapo thank you very much. What was that? 279$ vs. 398$. Silliness.

This little list of mine could go on and on. I know I mentioned a coupon below for WM but there is another one I'll share. It's 50$ off 200$ and while that is honestly only 25% off, it will make my two metal chairs 85$ each. I like the sound of that.

If I haven't sold you on WM yet, skip on over to this blog. They have way more style than I do and maybe they can make you see the beauty of this store better than I can. www.boxwoodclippings.com

tiny savings

2011-05-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you've seen this and I'm sure most of you have a kids table but this one, is a steal right now. It's on sale for 59$ but if you are a member of World Market there is a 10$ off 30$ coupon out right now. The best part of the table for me was the fact that it was easy to assemble and it's solid wood. That means you can paint it any color you want. If I weren't home alone with the kids all week and super lazy, I would probably have repainted all the tops one color. Since I am lazy, I'm leavin' it and sewing a quicky tablecloth. My kids have been sitting at this table for the last 2 days coloring, painting, stickering, you name it. I am happy, they are happy and my wallet is happy.

walk it off buddy, just walk it off

2011-04-28T23:07:00.000-07:00

I'm good. Just thought I'd update you. No, I didn't successfully melt into the carpet. Or the couch, or the bed, or the kitchen floor. Okay that last one was a total exaggeration. My kitchen floor is waaaaay too nasty to even have a nervous breakdown on. So yeah, I'm okay now and I must say, all of your peppy pep talks were just the trick to pep me back up. Thanks for the love, prayers (oh I felt

'em!) and advice. You guys are just tops.

a royal fit

2011-04-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hi. I'm just gonna complain for a while. Okay, here goes.

Ever get that feeling where there is a giant bowling ball on your chest? You know, where the pressure is just so great that you can barely breath and you feel helpless because try as you might you can't lift the ball yourself? That's me. What's sad is that it's my husband too. He is putting on a major regional anesthesia conference for his residency program and no one wants to help. It happens once every 20 years here in Tucson, he is in charge and everyone is trying to get out of doing ANYTHING. It's awesome.

I am feeling lost, scared, worried, stressed but most of all TIRED. Even thinking about my to-do list makes me want to crawl under my covers and take a nap. The fatigue settles in and I settle down, unable to do anything. People keep telling me it's okay to rest and relax and take it easy because I'm sick and I need to get well. They say not to worry about the laundry or the toilets or cooking dinner. I don't like doing nothing, I don't. I feel lazy and guilty but I still give in and take their advice hoping that they are right. That I really don't need to take care of any of my responsibilities because I am sick. It works for an hour or two while I'm napping but then I wake up and I feel even worse than I did before. I look at my bomb of a house, stuff my kids with more mac n cheese and realize, I am even deeper in than I was before. It doesn't get better when I sit down and stop and rest, it gets worse.

Now I haven't even come to talk about the move. The unknown plans where everything, EVERYTHING down to the flights, the packing, the selling/renting, even the day we are going to leave is unknown. It feels sickening to me. I am good at "rolling with it." I really am. Not as good as Michael but better than the average woman. But this is WAY too much rolling. I can't handle all of the uncertainty anymore. Someone mail me a calender and a price breakdown and an itinerary. I can't do it.

Yesterday in Relief Society our president taught a lesson and quoted a talk about a kindergartner. The little girl arrived on her first day and was asked to choose her favorite color crayon from a box and right her name. This task would be used as a competency exam. The little girls mother watched her daughter, who could easily write her name and even the names of all her family members, stand there frozen in front of the crayon box. She didn't speak or move or make any effort and was then led to a classroom where the teacher assured her she would learn to write her name. Frustrated by her daughters inability to perform a task that should have been easy, the mother brought up the incident on the car ride home to investigate. The little girl explained to her mother that she couldn't write her name with her favorite color crayon because there was no pink in the box. Our RS president then posed the question, have we ever just stood there when life's box of crayons didn't have any pink? When we are faced with challenges and trials, how do we react? I knew at that moment, and therefore wept until I got up and left early, that I have been standing there staring at a box full of crayons not doing anything because the pink was missing. Rather than choose a different color, I just stare and stare. It's tragic isn't it? My inability to adapt and take care of myself? Why haven't I dropped some of my classes? Why haven't I asked a friend for help watching my kids or cleaning up or packing? Why haven't I stayed home and cleaned as much as I can rather than running away to Target or the mall to escape the mess? Why? Why can't I just deal with it?

Mess. That is the key word in this whole moment of self pity. I am a mess, my house is a mess, my brain is a mess, my kids are a mess. Mess. It's painfully true. Yesterday after the egg incident (if you don't know what I'm talking about check my FB page) I just walked back outside and cried. I sat down and thought. I can't do this. I don't know where to start, I don't want to start and I feel so guilty for doing something so incredibly asinine that all I want to do is disappear. Luckily, when Michael got home he was the exact opposite. He laughed and immediately got the broom. He scraped and scrubbed and swept with me till all of the egg was gone. What a blessing. A tender mercy. A wonderful man. But still, here I am on my couch, snotting it out on my blog because I just can't get it together. No, I'm not pregnant, no, I'm not on my period, that was last week. I am just incapable of dealing. Incapable of asking for help. Mess.

If you can, pray for me. Pray that I can re find the strength that comes to all mothers in that miraculous moment their babies are born. Pray that I can choose a different color crayon. Pray that I can make me some friggin' lemonade cause right now, I'm seriously suckin' on some sour lemons. Pray that I can clean up this damned mess.

and the beat goes on

2011-04-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a while now since I got the mono diagnosis and I have to say that I am feeling a bit buggy it hasn't completely left me alone. It is true though, that I haven't really left my body alone so maybe it's more my fault than I want to take credit for. In fact, I'm positive that is true I just don't like to admit it. The cycle goes like this:

Kat feels good-Kat teaches her own classes-Kat still feels good-Kat takes extra classes-Kat still feels okay and finds new music-Kat spends nap time simultaneously making bread and choreographing new songs-Kat feels not so good-Kat keeps going and even subs classes for other sick friends-Kat feels like total shiz and crashes-Kat cries and complains and asks, "why do I feel like total crap?!" all the while knowing the answer. Rinse annnnnnd REPEAT!

Self denial must be a talent and I must be the queen of this trade. I hate not feeling good, I hate knowing why I don't feel good and I hate that it's my own fault. I think I need to take a tip from Violet who takes a tip from me while yelling at her baby dolls to, "SIT DOWN!" But alas, I never was good at taking orders.

On that happy note, things are moving along swimmingly and by that I mean nothing new has happened. We haven't put our house on the market (to sell and lose $20,000 or not to sell and lose $20,000+ in the future?) found a moving company, found a new home in Hawaii or even chosen an exact date to leave. Um yeah, can you say totally on the ball? Ugh.

We did however rock the Pima County Fair two nights in a row and let me tell you, the 60 bucks we spent was worth every penny. Roller coaster rides, bumper car craziness, evening ferris wheel city scapes and one schwing basketball shot made that adventure one of the best Tucson has ever offered. If I had pictures, I'd upload them. Please still love me even though I don't.

Peace out.

in case you didn't already know....

2011-04-04T14:51:00.001-07:00

I love Zumba. It's a latin inspired fitness class where all you do is shake your booty, dance, feel the music and sweat, sweat, sweat. If you haven't tried it you should. BUT! Only after checking any and all inhibitions at the door to the studio and truly grasping the fact that no one, NO ONE is watching you or caring at all what YOU look like. If you can do that, you will have the same experience that I have every time I Zumba, which is absolutely AMAZING!!! K, now, here.

singsongvoice....FABRIC!!!!

2011-03-31T22:11:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else love fabric? Like, LOVE IT!!!???

I am a fabric slut and lately my whoredom has come to most definitely include upholstery fabrics.

Maybe it's because I have big, BIG plans for my future home someday.

Maybe it's because I get House Beautiful, Country Living and Real Simple in the mail often.

Or maybe it's because I successfully (depending on your definition of success) re-upholstered two arm chairs all by myself.

Whatever the reason may be, I am even more of a sucker for cheap upholstery fabrics, baby.

Jell yeah!!!

So here it is. My fav new website.

And if you're too lazy to click on my very convenient link here are a few that have caught my eye.

Speaking of fabric/re-upholstering/neat-o-ness, check this out.

Thanks to design sponge, I now have a new blog to add to my daily check.

lately

2011-03-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

Things aren't super exciting lately but I feel the need to divulge my thoughts. Right now Jack is sitting at the kitchen table sassing me about how many bites of his peanut butter sandwich he needs to eat. He is so smart and so good at copying my forceful tone. He sure does sound like a brat. :/ Yes I'm aware of what that says about me. He is trying to forcefully bargain and it's pissing me off. Just eat the freaking sandwich dude! Sheesh. It's made on homemade wheat bread, crusts cut off and Jiffy natural creamy peanut butter. I don't think he knows how good he has it.

Life is a little crazy lately but I have so many things I'm looking forward to. And really, even though it's crazy, it's still fun.

This weekend I am participating in a Party Hearty Zumbathon here in Tucson with about 50 other instructors. I am seriously SO excited to dance and perform and just feel the energy that this will bring. I am crazy addicted to Zumba.

***I interrupt that last paragraph with some breaking news. Jack just returned from the bathroom and immediately after sitting down he said, "I didn't put anything in the toilet." Really? Am I that big of an idiot? After some serious flared nostrils and angry bulging eyes he admitted to dipping a miniature Eiffel tower in the toilet and stashing it in the shoe bin. Ayayay people! I thought I was the lucky mom who escaped the toilet fishing days. Apparently not and if this continues, so help me.....***

Back to whatever it was I was talking about. Who knows? Now I don't really care. All I can think about is things being dipped in the toilet and how to prevent this. Sigh....

it's sunny and warm here :b

2011-03-14T15:53:00.000-07:00

Don't you feel like I am totally rubbing our amazing weather in your face? I am.

I know, so rude!

Cheese!

Jack watering the plants. Notice how he has the hose in the leaves? He insists that the tree's leaves are the parts that need to be watered. Ah well, maybe Kindergarten will help teach him?

This was Violet's first moped ride. Don't you love her safe outfit? And Michael's too? Just a little bit redneck. :D

It looks like Michael is posing but he's really just itching his head. Promise. Jack however IS posing in his ULTRA redneck outfit. Wait, can undies and socks be considered an outfit?

jack and the beanstalk

2011-03-09T13:53:00.000-08:00

After my raging rant yesterday I figured I'd mellow out a little bit and give you something nice to read.

Yesterday Jack's Sunbeam teacher called to ask if she could bring me dinner. I know, right?! Total SAINT! Sunbeam teacher and bringer of delicious meals? Double points in heaven for sure. Anyway, she told me about Jack's story telling moment last Sunday.

After discussing plants during part of the lesson Jack eagerly put his hand in the air. Once called on he began to tell a story. Not just any story, one we all know, Jack and the Beanstalk. However, it was told in the first person. Ie: and then I climbed up the big stalk and I stole a chicken while the giant was snoring.

At first his angelic teacher felt the need to try to stop him because of the obvious tangent this was. After being unable to interject due to his rapid story telling pace she noticed the other children. They were all sitting there completely mesmerized by Jack's story! So what did she do? She let him finish. Righteous!

Wouldn't you let one Sunbeam wholesomely entertain the rest of the other Sunbeams for a solid 5 minutes? Cha, me too!

So how did Jack even get to know the story of Jack and the Beanstalk? Well Michael and I tell him stories every night. Mine are always made up about a fictional character I created named Hannah the Puppy but Michael's are usually traditional fairy tales.

The best part about it is that Michael doesn't tell Jack the story like he is the lead character. He tells it like it's another Jack, the original Jack, just like you would tell it to your kids. That means that the personal interpretation happened all on it's own in my boy's sweet brain. I love it.

He has the best little imagination lately and talks and talks and talks. Did I mention he talks?

Last night we went to Chuck E Cheese as a reward for Jack learning to write his name. He discovered the air hockey table and boy....that kid is a natural!

After nearly beating both Michael and I legitimately, he lost by only 1 point to a kid who must've been at least 6 or 7. It was an intense match and he didn't stop talking about air hockey for a long, long, long time.

what's up doc?

2011-03-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

I just want to explain a few things about becoming a doctor. I have had a lot of people make comments lately that make me realize the general public has no idea what it takes to become a doctor. That's okay really because I don't have the full idea on what it takes to become a Green Beret. Not that doctors can be evenly compared to Green Beret's, I was just using a profession that I really don't know much about.

First things first.

Starting in your undergraduate you have to take certain pre-requisites (basically alot of science classes) and you also have to take the MCAT. It is the exam that allows you to apply for medical school. Your undergraduate GPA+your MCAT scores+your interview skills+your schools credibility all factor in to you getting into medical school.

After you get into medical school.

Once you've been accepted you go through 4 years of medical school. Generally the first 2 are book work with lots and lots of exams and the 3rd and 4th years you do rotations. These rotations help you choose which field of medicine you want to go into. Typical rotations are OBGYN, Family Practice, Pediatrics, Surgery, Internal Medicine and Psychiatry. You have some room to also add in more specialized rotations like Oncology or Radiology. In the fourth year you begin applying to residency programs. Your admittance into programs hinges on your Steps 1 and 2 scores (extremely difficult exams), your ability to interview and your medical school GPA. You apply, interview and then, hopefully match at a residency somewhere in the U.S. The match process could be an entire post on it's own. Just know it is a big deal when someone gets one of their top match choices.

Residency begins.

Residency lasts 3+ years depending on what field of medicine you have chosen. An Emergency Medicine doctor, someone who works at the ER, goes through 3 years. An Anesthesiologist goes through 3 years of anesthesia residency but also has a 1 year internship they must complete before even entering the anesthesia field. A general surgeon has a 5 year residency and are referred to as interns during their first year of general surgery. If a surgeon wants to become a plastic surgeon, orthopedic surgeon or any other specialty surgeon just start tacking on years. During the residency process, there are exams to be taken just like there were during medical school that show your competency. At the end of residency you take the boards. If you pass your boards, you will become a board certified physician. There are physicians who are not board certified. That is scary. Either they didn't complete a residency or they didn't pass their boards. Either way a certain level of incompetence is to be expected from a physician who is not board certified.

A "real" doctor.

Once again you interview but this time for a real job and your competency during your residency is considered. You apply to jobs alllllll over (or maybe just in specific places that you really want to live) and hope that there are openings. You get hired, THEN take the boards, then hopefully pass them and then you are a real bonafide doctor! No biggie.

SO, when someone tells you, "yes we're moving to Hawaii in June because my husband just got an anesthesia job there." Don't say, "Your husband's an anesthesiologist? Wow! That's almost like a real doctor!"

Or when your anesthesiologist walks in to prep you before surgery don't ask, "so when is the doctor coming in?" When the anesthesiologist replies, "I am the doctor." Don't say, "no, I mean I know you put me to sleep but when is the real doctor coming in?"

Mk? Mk. Cause it is really, really, REALLY annoying. Oh and p.s. are you sure you want physicians to get paid less due to nationalizing health care? Cause after that roughly 200 hundred thousand dollar debt they rack up over the 11+ year process of schooling I'm sure that all they really want is more patients for less pay. Yeah, I'm sure the really, really, REALLY smart people will want to become doctors after that. Cause it makes financial sense. Oh wait, sorry, did I offend you by saying that doctors deserve to make money? Oh yeah, just kidding, doctors should want to do their work for little to no pay. Phew, close one.

That was one heck of a venting session and BOY it felt good!

cute

2011-03-04T12:35:00.000-08:00

Violet is cute. So cute. If you're not sure, let me just show you these pictures of her in a super cute outfit.

And if that's not enough cuteness, here are some bubble bath pictures for you.

p.s. It's J&J tear free bubble bath and baby wash. Genius. ;)

i'm so popular

2011-03-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

No, not really, but ikat sure is. And isn't it lovely?

Target has the greatest plastic ikat dinnerware collection right now.

A slipper chair I would consider practical just because the pattern is so adorable over at UO.

(I hate that slipper chairs don't have arms! Who wants to sit in a chair without arms for more than a meal?)

I scoff at the price of this lamp (especially since the base is fug) but the shade is lust worthy.

And there is my latest ikat obsession laid out for you. Be honest, do you think I'm digging it just because my name is included? Nah. Me neither.

lets give 'em somethin' to blog about

2011-02-23T16:41:00.001-08:00

I don't really have any great pictures or exciting things to blog about, but I figured it's time I share a little somethin'. So I am going to grace you with the marvelous Addie's Holy Shiz Carrot Cake recipe. You can thank me tomorrow after you've gathered ingredients and made it. Then a few days after that, you can curse me because you won't be able to stop eating it.

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
3/4 c. oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
2 c. grated carrots
1 c. coconut
1 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Buttermilk glaze:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
1/4 t. baking soda
1 T. corn syrup
1/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 t. vanilla (dont add til you take it off the heat)

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 stick butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 t. vanilla
3-4 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9X13 pan. Sift flour, soda, cinnamon and salt together - set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, buttermilk, sugar and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture (stir) and pineapple, carrots, coconut and nuts. Stir well. Bake for 45 minutes. While cake is baking, prepare glaze. Remove cake from oven, cool 5 minutes and spoon glaze over the top. Cool completely. Frost and refrigerate until frosting is set. May be refrigerated several days.

Buttermilk glaze:
In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except for vanilla. Bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Cream cheese frosting:
Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth.

Here is a picture of my sweet princess in her Valentine's Day skirt. I am seriously obsessed with the pattern, which I found here. If I had more energy (we'll talk about that another time maybe, NOT PREGNANT) I'd just keep making them over and over.

You would think I would share a picture of my carrot cake but it really just looks like a normal carrot cake so there's nothing great to see. Okay, okay, you caught me, I have totally eaten over half of it by myself and I don't want you to see the proof of how piggish I've been! ;)

my name is kat

2011-02-10T13:10:00.000-08:00

~My name is Kat~ is going to be a periodic blog post where I talk about myself. Cause we alllll know I like to do that. :) So here we go.

My name is Kat.....

and I like to exercise,

pick my nose when I drive,

and put tons of things in my shopping cart at Target only to buy a couple in the end.

My name is Kat....

and I weigh as much as I did in high school thanks to group fitness classes.

My name is Kat.....

and I am angry,

I yell too much at my kids

and expect more out of my 3 year old son than is fair because he can talk like a 5-6 year old.

My name is Kat....

I am married to a man who will always be better than me in my eyes

and I like that.

My name is Kat.....

I can't wait to have my 3rd baby but I know it's still not time.

My name is Kat....

and I'm jealous of lots of people lots of the time.

I feel guilty for that jealousy and try to replace it with marvel and love.

Sometimes it works and sometimes I'm still green with envy.

My name is Kat....

and I'm moving to Kauai.

Please come visit me.

2011-02-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

ALOHA

Well now that I got that off my chest I guess we can move into the details of our soon to be life.

We will be living on the Garden Isle of Kauai. Exactly where we aren't sure yet but we have to be within 30 minutes of the hospital for when Michael is on call so we have a good idea of the area we'd like to live.

Michael graduates Anesthesia residency at the end of June and we will move sometime around then. The logistics of the whole thing will probably be messy but hey, it's a small sacrifice.

We welcome any and all visitors or "visitors." You know the kind that need a free place to stay but don't really want to spend a ton of time with you catching up in semi-awkwardness. It's all good people. We're happy to have pretty much anyone. That being said, please don't call me from the Lihue Airport asking for a ride or directions. Let's plan it before you arrive. :)

We had the lucky chance to meet a white college student (I mentioned this earlier) who settled our nerves about being a forever haole and inadequate schooling for the kids. We are confident that our babes will be able to get a solid education there.

We spent time with a Realtor and discovered the wonderful housing difference between homes on Oahu and homes on Kauai. It was amazing what you can get for your money there and in great areas too.

Yes it is a small island. Roughly 60,000 people populate the entire island. I am aware of this and not scared of this so don't probe me with questions like, "aren't you going to get island fever? Where will you shop? What will you do for fun?" or any other sort of nice/not very nice questions. Thanks. I'm not being defensive I just know that island life, very small island life, is not for everyone. Thank goodness it's for me.

I could go on and on about more tiny details but I think that's enough for now. If anything really exciting happens I'll post about it. I just want to thank everyone for the congratulations, the well wishes and the joy. We feel overwhelmingly blessed like our dreams have come true. The grinning going on in the Clark house is a little bit nutty but then again so is all the happy running man dancing so I guess they compliment each other.

mister

2011-01-31T13:32:00.001-08:00

A baby shower is a joyous occasion but can sometimes be tainted by lame games and tacky decor. Luckily there are inspirations out there that are full of swank and class that I can rip off. ;)

A couple of weekends ago me and the marvelous Addie threw our bestie Lili a baby shower for her soon to come Little Man. It was totally a blast and the mustache bonanza was...well...just that, a bonanza. Fun for all for sure. Here are some super terrible pics of a fabulous time. (Darn you point and shoot, darn you to heck.)

Welcome to mustach-ville. Where the popcorn's always popped....

The mustaches are available for all ages and genders...

Men are honored both big and small...

And balloons float high like Thanksgiving colored balls. What? Balls is not a swear word.

If these pictures weren't so bad you'd see all of the sweet mustache men in the frames. So totally motivational/inspirational for Lili's little Simon.

Can you see the carrot cakes with the mustache suckers? Um yeah. That carrot cake was, holy-freakin'-shiz-carrot-cake courtesy of culinary master Addie. I promise to post the recipe later. Trust me, you want me to keep that promise.

See what I mean? Inspirational.

Who needs tupperware when you've got a stache to keep it for later?

The crew looking quite dapper.

Preparing for the best game ever. What game you ask? Um hello, Pin the Mustache on the Mommy!

The wiener! (Although at this moment it doesn't look like it.)

After some super schwing games we all crammed in the little front room to watch Lil's open her loot.

It was fate.

I feel so happy when I see this picture and see my lovely friend happy. I'm glad we were able to throw this shower and honor the Little Mister.

Inpspirations: 1, 2, 3.

flyin' high

2011-01-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

Most days I feel like this.

In fact yesterday was one of those days, as this photo
was taken yesterday. But some days I feel more like this.

I'm not pregnant, I just look awful and pained and uncomfortable in this photo and lately, I have been feeling like this more than I'd like. I'm not depressed and I'm not particularly stressed. As you can see from my last past below I have a lot to look forward to. But somehow, I keep getting just....well...ugh all the time.

I like to call it a funk. Sometimes that can be a good word. No wait, funk, nope, not good, not even if you're getting funky. Ew. Never say that unless you want to be 77 years old and still wearing a halter top. You know, cause that's the kinda person that hollers, "I'm gettin' funky!"

Anyway, my funk is most def a bad funk. Like when you switch face lotions and you go through a month of high school breakoutage and you never feel pretty that entire 28-31 days respectively. Funk. Ew. Boo.

alright, alright already...i'll blog

2011-01-27T14:30:00.000-08:00

**STILL NO NEWS ON THE JOB. WE'RE HOPING MONDAY BRINGS GOOD NEWS. :/ **

Right now Michael and I are sitting on a very uncomfortable set of pins and needles. We are anxiously awaiting a reply from a job on the island of Kauai. If you're not sure where that is I feel sad for you a little bit so here you go.

Not only is the job on an island paradise, it is a paradisaical job. It includes simple things like tons of vacation, a hefty beautiful salary and wait....did I mention it was in Hawaii? Okay, yeah, good.

After a one day whirl wind interview trip Michael and I came home with anxious, hopeful hearts. Before we left for the interview we both had some reservations about raising a family on the island. But after meeting with a Realtor, the other anesthesiologists and their wives and a chance/fated meeting with a white college student who was born and raised on the island, we knew we were doing the right thing. That last part sounds funny but we really took into consideration the fact that we (especially our kids) may be treated like haoles for the rest of our lives and we wanted to be sure we could deal with that.

This is a panoramic view from our hotel. All of the travel expenses were paid for with the interview and we ended up staying at the Grand Hyatt. Pretty freakin' unreal dude.

If we don't get this job, I will mourn. However, we also have a job offer for a great practice up in Washington state. I am excited about this opportunity as well and have had lots of great feelings about Bellingham, WA. No matter what happens, our future is bright and happy. But! If any of you want to root for us to get the job on Kauai that would be awesome. I'll be sure to announce what happens tomorrow.

okay listen

2011-01-25T18:00:00.000-08:00

I rarely (if ever) blog about home furnishings and decor because a) I have no money to even take decorating as seriously as I'd like and b) I question my style sense constantly. Well I just came across a tile manufacturer that brought tears to my eyes. Literally. I may sound absolutely bananas by saying I got misty from tile but it is that incredibly beautiful. Please look at it. Please. Since you probably have nothing better to do anyway. http://www.madeamano.com/template/t01.php?menuId=59

Open the catalog.

Oh dear.

My heart sings.

The chevron tiles will haunt my dreams like sugar plum fairies.

well i thought it was funny....

2011-01-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

I came up with a new idea for a blog title and shared it with Michael. Even though he didn't seem amused I still thought it was funny.

I PEE A LITTLE WHEN I SNEEZE
a blog about being a mother and other stuff

Ah well, like I always say, there are very few girls out there who are as hysterically funny as boys. Hopefully, if you're a mom, it will at least make you smile. If you're not a mom yet, don't be scared, semi wetting your pants on occasion is worth it most the time.

resolve

2011-01-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

It's a new year and everyone's got a resolution. Everyone is vowing and promising and crossing their heart but is anyone really going to succeed? One time on our way home from a Christmas vacation Michael and I sat behind a woman on a plane who was listing her New Year's Resolutions. It read something like this:

Read a book a month
Run a marathon
Lose 10 pounds
Learn Spanish
Learn French
Learn Italian
Travel more
No more sugar

We both sat behind her anxiously watching as another completely unrealistic goal was scribbled down. We couldn't help but snicker and roll our eyes. Honestly, three languages?! Psh. Yeah. Right.

Anyway, my point is, there are over achievers who, sadly, force themselves into the corner of becoming the under achiever. Those people who take on the world on January 1st are inevitably setting themselves up for failure. Not that there's anything wrong with that as long as you're cool planning on becoming an astronaut every year and never getting to the moon. The more I think about it the more this person sounds like Michael Scott from The Office. Ie: The Michael Scott Paper Company. I digress. Let's just call the shoot-for-the-mooners Michael Scotts.

Then there are the Scrooge McDucks. People like me who don't like making resolutions because the whole idea seems contrived and under appreciated. I like to say things like, "I should be working on myself year round" and "why is this day any different than any other day for making special goals?" and "bah humbug!" Okay, okay that last one was a joke. In fact I find I'm way more of an optimist than most but my point is this, isn't my mentality just as lame and cliche as the Michael Scotts?

How can I feel good about saying, "screw it," when I have the perfect opportunity to improve myself? It's true that goal making should happen year round just like we should try to keep the spirit of Christmas all year long. It's also true that cliche doings will always be cliche and sometimes that feels uncomfortable. BUT! Just like I follow the spirit of Halloween by costuming my family and passing out candy. Just like I stuff a flimsy colorful basket full of horrid plastic grass and candy filled eggs at Easter and just like when I confess my gratitude at the Thanksgiving dinner table, I should embrace the New Year's Resolution. It's the only part of the holiday that a married, Mormon, mother can truly celebrate.

So what are my resolutions this year? Who the spank knows? That's the horrible trick of it all isn't it? We struggle to find something worth publishing and also something attainable. There's this fine line between flossing everyday (no offense Liz, seriously, no offense) and learning every Latin based language. The Michael Scott's and the Scrooge McDucks leave little room for the Mary Poppins.

I do have a few ideas. Things like:
run a half marathon
read the whole Book Of Mormon
teach Jack to read a little
stay in my budget
be a better, more reliable friend

These are all good and fine but none of them hits the tally of "practically perfect in every way" like I want them to. The list is a mish mash. I think New Year's Resolutions must be an art. Are any of you artists in this way? What's on your list? Shake me from my bah humbugs and give me some ideas. One of you mentioned via Facebook, having regular family home evenings. I like that one, on the surface it seems too simple but when you get down to the brass tacks of a real weekly schedule it becomes quite a challenge. Personally, I go in and out with FHE and I think that's a happy medium goal. Not too hard and not too soft. Like a good poo. ;) Haha! Sorry, just had to throw that in there.

So yeah, let me know what you're doing. I'd really like to know.

keeping the rules

2010-12-09T22:58:00.000-08:00

A few nights ago I was drawing a bath for the kids. While Jack was pulling his shirt and underwear off I asked him if he needed to go pee. He said yes so I told him to go before getting in the tub. While standing outside the tub, he proceeded to lean over the edge of the tub and pee directly into the water as it filled. At first I wanted to stop him and scold him, then I just busted up laughing and watched him finish his business. After all, I'm the one who told him that peeing in the tub wasn't a big deal, only pooping in the tub was. So technically, he wasn't breaking any rules.

Then last night, while I was again running the bath I set Violet in the water and told Jack to get in. Before I could learn from my mistake he was standing up on the corner of the tub and peeing a long yellow stream down into the bath. What do you think happened next? You guessed it. Little Miss Violet saw a beautiful golden stream cascading down from above and decided to run her little hand through it. She stuck her fingers right into his pee stream and rolled her hand over in it. Before I could even lunge forward to stop what was going on what do you think I did? That's right, I lost control and almost fell over from laughter. After all, pee is sterile isn't it? And they hadn't even been soaped up yet so there was still time to sanitize. Kids are hilarious. If only I had a video camera constantly running I'd be rich from winning every single episode of AFV.

a christmas train of thought

2010-12-01T14:48:00.001-08:00

The other day I flipped to PBS and was surprised to find a Hanukkah themed set of programming. Sesame Street was full of large nosed, accented puppets spinning dreidels. It was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed it but I did start to wonder if there was a sister episode detailing Christmas traditions? Luckily there is, it's a bit more secular than I may want it to be but at least it's there.

Speaking of secular. A few months ago I was listening to NPR and one of the Sesame Street producers was celebrating several years of success. The announcer took a call from another man who started to praise Sesame Street for its constant and unfailing secular nature. He said that him and his husband were agnostics and were raising their son to be the same. They felt so safe knowing that Sesame Street would never force any type of religion on their child. How sad.

We've been hearing the song I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas alot in the car thanks to Delilah and other soft rock station DJs. I have to admit that I often feel sad while I look across the tragically barren and ugly desert and realize that I will most definitely NOT have a white Christmas. But the other day I got to thinking, a white Christmas is possible. It may not be the snowy one that we all imagine but the blood of Christ has made it possible for us to become white in a sense. And what is Christmas all about if it isn't about Christ? The world says it's about Santa Claus and presents and the mall and light displays synchronized with synthesized Christmas carols. Luckily, as Christians we know that we celebrate this holiday in honor of the Son of God and his miraculous birth. We then give thanks for his life giving death and miraculous resurrection. He is spotless and white and through him, we can become the same. So this Christmas I am going to dedicate myself to becoming as clean and white as I can. I am going to live and love and work to be like Christ, the very reason for this season. Then maybe the song won't haunt me with longing for hot cocoa and a fire but fill me with a better kind of joy and warmth.

I was at a Home Goods store last week and was toying with the idea of sending out a family Christmas card. I flipped through box after box of seasonal greeting cards and wouldn't you guess, not a single one said Merry Christmas. "Happy Holidays" was all I could find. I do want to wish those of other faiths happy holidays but my faith is Christian and I want to represent that. To me saying Merry Christmas is like an extra nice way of telling someone to have a good day. There's nothing offensive at all and those who get offended by a cheery, "Merry Christmas!" choose to get offended and need to re-think their attitudes.

My mom sent Jack and Violet a stuffed version of the nativity scene. When I first looked at it I will admit that I thought it was kind of tragic looking but I have been AMAZED at how much my children love it. In fact, I keep it in the car now and they love me to tell them the story of Jesus' birth. It's been so sweet to hear Jack start to repeat the story and ask me more and more detailed questions. The other day someone on t.v. had the name Mary and Jack yelled out, "Hey! That's just like Jesus' mommy!" I am so grateful for my own mother who took the time to send my children their very own nativity scene and for the insight she has into teaching children the stories of the gospel.

I am so very grateful for this Christmas season. I felt so full of joy on Sunday after a wonderful Fast and Testimony meeting during both Sacrament and Relief Society. Then that night I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to hear from the First Presidency of the church during a beautiful Christmas devotional. I am am so glad I have the true gospel here in my life and more especially in my heart and that I can continue to grow as I remember the miracle of the birth of the Son of God. I hope that all of you get a chance to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and that the spirit fills your heart with warmth and love.

Merry Christmas!

xoxo

Michael, Kat, Jack and Violet

blog therapy

2010-11-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

Once again I'm laying it all out here. If you want photos scroll down to the next post and you will see a plethora from our trip to Hawaii.

First, I just want to thank my sister Josie. Today we arrived to church at 9:05 a.m. to a mostly empty parking lot. "Hmmm," I thought, "Thanksgiving is another week and half away? Has everyone gone out of town already?" Of course not! It was stake conference! Duh! I guess I must have missed the announcements over the last two Sundays since I was out of town. Anyway, it didn't start until 10 a.m. So there we were, almost an hour early and very poorly equipped to handle the 3 hours we faced. I had one toy car, one puppet, one doll and one small ziploc full of a few candies and a granola bar. I'm not gonna lie, I almost got up and left and drove to the Gap outlet up in Casa Grande (about an hour away) and said, screw the whole thing, I'll go shop myself to hell. Luckily my little missionary sister gave me a rather disapproving look and I was silently guilted into staying. Not only did she save my salvation, she saved my brain from exploding. She is so quick to know what to do these days that I am starting to think I should be taking mothering tips from her. I have never, EVER seen an aunt who even came close to rivaling Josie. I owe her so much for all she's done while living here. I almost can't stand to think about her leaving to BYU in January. :(

You know I rarely get embarrassed. I mean very rarely. When people ask me what my most embarrassing moment is I have a tough time coming up with one. Luckily, today, Jack changed that. I don't think I'll ever hesitate again! Stake conference was great, truly it was. The Prophet spoke and it was amazing and I really did receive some much needed personal revelation amidst the "mothering madness". But the best part was when Jack got a little uncomfortable and made it known to all in front or behind us for about 5 rows. After agreeing to take him to the bathroom again he yelled out, "so we can fix my wiener?" For those of you who don't have little boys, don't ask. For those of you who do, you probably understand. Poor little guy doesn't know what to do when he gets so uncomfortable! I just sure wish he didn't have to yell the word wiener during a live from SLC broadcast stake conference. Ah well, what can you do?

I have been telling and telling people that we are planning to start trying for baby number 3 in January. Today, I untell that tell. I can't do it. And you know what? I don't have to. I have been wrestling with this decision for weeks and weeks and especially the last few days. I am down to 8 pills in my last pack of birth control and was left thinking, why not just skip getting one more refill and go for it? This thought seemed reasonable and rational, after all, we were going to start trying in January, what's a month early gonna matter? Turns out it matters alot. It matters so much that I realized January is even too soon. I finally said it out loud today. I said, "I'm not ready for number 3. I want number 3 and probably number 4 but not yet. I can't do it." Instantly relieving people! Instantly! I have been so stressed that my desires to not go for the third at this time are "wordly" or "selfish". I have been worried that putting too large a gap between Violet and the next baby will be awkward for our family as we grow up. I have basically had every worry and fear imaginable and was tricking myself into thinking I was a bad person for not feeling overly joyed at the thought of another child. Turns out, it's all good and I'm not a horrible selfish woman/mother. I can't wait to have the third baby but I can wait until I'm ready and now is not the time. Phew. What a relief!

Jack is so difficult sometimes. Is it just me or is age 3 horrendous for every one of you too? I seriously slapped him today. Across the face. I was buttoning up his church shirt today which is apparently, like ALL of his other clothes, "too tight!" when he suddenly spit on my face. I mean a giant gob of dirty saliva smacked me square in the face and it was intentional, SO INTENTIONAL. I didn't hesitate, I smacked my hand right across his face. I don't think I've ever been so sure of such a severe punishment (obviously! I mean, I'm posting it right here on my public blog for heavens sakes!). It was bananas! The whole situation. The whole thing. I still can't believe it. He is so difficult for me these days. It's funny how a week away can make you miss your kids like CRAZY and then just a few days after being home you find yourself thinking, "I need to get away." I know I sound like a terrible mom right now to some of you angelic women out there but I can't help but keep it real. I get frustrated, angry, upset, annoyed and frazzled all the time. Sure I'm better when I read my scriptures, pray, attend church and live righteously in general. I'm also better as I strive to make a conscious effort to be better but that still doesn't make me perfect. Nope, I'm very imperfect. And lately, Jack has been bringing out the most imperfect sides of me. It hurts me to know that I am lacking and slacking and failing. It also hurts me to see his behavior become so negative and bad. I am also very aware of the fact that my behavior DIRECTLY effects his. I'd say 99% of the time he is mirroring back to me my own badness. Sucks dude. Definitely something to work on. I mean, something to really, really focus on. And before all of you parenting experts out there start to comment and give me advice, save it. I'm not in a place to take it happily right now and it will just make me think that you think you're better than me. Harsh and true.

So now that Negative Nancy is totally out of the bag, I don't know what else to say. There are so many good things in my life right now I just sometimes choose to blog the hard parts. That's all this is and if these are the worst parts of my life that I have to blog, well then, the glass truly is half full, maybe even more full than that.

the good thing about hawaii...

2010-11-09T19:21:00.001-08:00

Jason jumping off the southern most point of the U.S.

Muscle man...ahem...I mean Michael checking out the cliff.

Burger stop.

So cute with the sun in their eyes.

Two kids a piece and still rockin' a two piece. Hot mamas! Haha!

South Point jitters. I lasted maaaaybe 2 minutes in the water.

Bestie.

Hike to the wild waterfall ride.

Aww. So pretty.

River swim to waterfall rope swing. We'll leave that to the boys.

Stopping on the way back to smartly re-apply sunscreen. Okay, let's be honest, he's just hot and I wanted to post this picture. :)

Our babe-alicious friends Jason and Jeanette.

The Captain Cook monument.

Two hot mamas with sweet snorkel mask lines. :)

The crew.

Just another sunset in paradise.

Goobers.

I feel pretty, oh so pretty...

The pool behind us was full of small sharks. Neato.

We had an amazing trip.

opinions?

2010-10-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hey friends. I need your opinions. I bought these jeans yesterday and they look smashing. I love them and their fancy "leatherette" black wash. I was certain that even though they are a bit snaz I could still wear them casually with v neck t-shirts and such but someone (cough* cough* Josie) said otherwise. It was my understanding that they would go both ways, you know AC/DC style? Like wear them with a t-shirt and flats to make the everyday casual into a bit more or wear them with some ankle boots and a sassy top and watch them semi sparkle. What do you think? Kosher with a totally casual t or no? If they are only good for the dress up side of this argument I will return them seeing as how I never, like NEVER, get dressed up for anything but church. And since you probably shouldn't wear black leathery pants to church...well you get the idea. So, what say ye? Return and exchange for plain old black skinnies or keep?

i'm Mormon and i'm misunderstood

2010-10-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

Soap box people.

I am so sick of hearing words from non-members or former members like "brain washed" "cult" "close minded" and so on. I would like to clarify what I think to be a misinterpretation of Mormon people in general.

If you obey a regimen of rigorous exercise and a healthy diet, your body will become fit and strong. You may not end up looking like Brad Pitt, Heidi Klum or Bo Derek but you will look like yourself. A healthy, fit version of yourself.

If you obey a regimen of obedience to the principles of the gospel and faith your spirit will become fit. You may not end up acting like President Monson, your local Bishop or the Stake Relief Society President but you will act like your true self. A happy, righteous version of yourself.

Mormon's are happy because when we live the Gospel it makes us happy. We are alike because we are happy. We are alike because we are bound together in the truth.

Are there black sheep? Yes.

Are there Mormons who are poor or racist or unemployed or democratic or in jail or depressed or selfish or homosexual? Yes.

Just because you are Mormon doesn't mean you aren't something else, whether that something else be good or bad. And just because we are HAPPY and MORMON doesn't mean we are brain washed or ignorant. Tolerance is a two way street. Just because some of our values, which we hold dear and true and right and just, don't appeal to all doesn't mean they are worth forgetting or that they are specifically, negatively discriminatory. There is room in the Gospel for ALL. Everyone. Anyone. That is because it is the TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. The Creator, The Savior, the one who atoned for us ALL.

I have a mind. I have a choice. I've made up my mind and I've made my choice. I believe what I know. I know it is true and I will not dismiss my values for anyone. Being convicted of a truth is an honorable quality in all areas of life. Especially religion. I am a good person. I am an even better person when I obey the principles of the gospel. There are good people who are not members of the LDS church. If they were members, they could be even better.

This may seem scrambled but I feel like I've made my point.

surviving

2010-10-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today is the second day of the second week where Michael is in Phoenix Monday through Friday. While I could easily complain about this terrible injustice I am going to try not to. Well not exactly.

This experience has left me to realize some things. Often I find myself surviving through the days. I have an attitude of "just make it through" instead of "stop and smell the roses" and that is sad. I do have plenty of moments everyday where I inhale deeply and smile at the beautiful simple life that I have. I just find it sad that my natural instinct when things get a little uncomfortable, messy or tired is to default to just surviving. Shouldn't I default to "how to remedy the situation and make it better for everyone?" Shouldn't I focus more on how to bail us out of the crap storm and onto higher ground? I think it seems ridiculous to just weather the storm. I really do. Because if I just weather the storm, most of my days will seem mostly stormy.

I am now, here and now, vowing to learn to change my situation for the better. Instead of tuning out via Facebook while the kids go crazy, instead of turning on a movie to quiet them, instead of gritting my teeth and holding my breath till Michael gets home, I'm going to find real solutions to the daily problems. I'm going to enjoy the days by finding answers to the fussiness and the boredom. I can't blame everything on everyone else ie: Michael being gone, the kids being tired, the weather being bad or a lack of money. So I'm going to stop doing that and start doing this. I'm gonna fix and adapt and entertain and play and laugh and smile and smell the roses.

mrs. hyde

2010-09-30T14:20:00.001-07:00

Last night at a special Zumba event I wore some super snazzy pants. They always elicit a heck of a response and yesterday was no exception. People would say, "Ooo I love your pants!" or "Woah! Those are some crazy pants!" I would laugh and respond by saying, "aren't they rad? I love them because at home I'm just a mom but at Zumba, well, you see." At which point I would extend one leg and trace my leg with my hands. :)

Something about Zumba and dancing in general is so liberating. I get to shed my Mommy of Two image and become a Zumba Mami instead! I wear loud clothes and shake my booty, boobies and anything else that will wiggle. I get DOWN ya'll! I cherish the time Zumba gives me to escape the reality of my, lets face it, pretty average home life. NOW, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my home life like nobodys business but I just cherish the chance to play my Mrs. Hyde side on occasion.

So let me ask you this, where in this world do you turn on your alter ego? It can be during game night, while running, with the music blaring in the car or, dare I say (of course I dare! You know me!) in the bedroom?! I'd like to know because I don't think I'm the least bit crazy when I slap on some skin tight tie dye and get up in front a group of strangers and sweat like a man. It's my release, my moment, "my dove" if you will. :)

the tiniest turd of all

2010-09-28T19:17:00.000-07:00

My little Violet is about the cutest thing on the planet right now. I call her the tiniest turd because lately that is my most favorite word ever and I consider all of us Clarks to be a bit of a turd now and then.

Call me a bad mom if you want but I have waaaaay too many pictures of Violet lately and not even half as many of Jack. He is cute too but the age she is at just kills me. It's like a giant deadly dose of cuteness where every moment and every face and every attempted word is so adorable that your heart almost stops. I love it.

If you ever read the sidebar to the left you know that I have recently come to rely very heavily on ketchup. It's like Mary Poppins magic medicine that tastes delicious and makes all other foods delicious as well. I can't even begin to tell you how much better I feel about replacing the almost daily diet of mac n' cheese with a new one; chicken, green beans and ketchup. Hurrah! Hooray! Hi ho! I win! Just send me my 'semi-healthy eater mommy merit badge' thank you very much!

Did you know that it costs .99 for one latex balloon at every grocery store in town? Isn't that a little steep? I think it's totally bananas but I still give in a lot and buy her balloons anyhow. On this particular day she woke up about an hour before Jack from her nap and spent that hour running around the house, tangled in balloons and giggling as they bobbed behind her. It was a magical day. If only I had the camera skills to translate the wonderfulness. Meh. Maybe next time. :)

montana

2010-09-23T23:04:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago the kids and I took a trip up to Montana. There is something so wonderful about that place. We did lots of fun things like:

Bake and eat chocolate cupcakes in honor of Gramma's birthday.

You try and feed a baby a cupcake without opening your own mouth the size of Texas!

Violet and Grampa have a special bond. It is so sweet.

Wake up from a nap, put on a goofy grin, sit on Grampa's lap and enjoy his cookies. Now that's what I call a Sunday afternoon!

Can't you just see the love in his eyes?

Probably my favorite ever.

The weather was pretty cold the whole time we were there but we did have a couple nice evenings.

We made sure to spend them like this.

Kristi this picture is for you, note the crows feet. ;)

See what I mean? Magical.

Jack became very interested in picking flowers. He made sure to pick some for everyone.

The first time my baby boy ever gave me flowers. I was REALLY excited. For real.

When it was cold we snuggled and watched alot of movies.

We had so much fun up there this year that I even day dreamed myself living there permanently. If you know me you know how much I hate the cold and how huge even a day dream like that is for me. It is that magical. For real.

and giraffes say...

2010-09-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we took a trip to the zoo with our beloved Auntie Josie. Luckily she had the sense to bring her fancy pants camera.

Josie caught me chowing down on goldfish.

I was really happy about that. Can't you tell by my totally non-sassy pose and full cheeks? She's just getting me back for the "prom" photos a few posts back.

Jack wanted a green elephant. I think he meant he wanted to be painted to look like an elephant but that's okay. This Dr Seuss inspired creature was good enough for him.

Here we have the giant prehistoric, beet eating turtle.

And this look tells you how Jack felt about the turtle. :[

For those of you who can't tell us apart, this is Josie. I love this picture because it shows how much she loves my kids.

Josie again.

The elephants and giraffes were the best for Violet. She talked the most excited jibberish the whole time.

After staring at the giraffes for what seemed like forever, we decided to move on. Violet stayed behind mesmerized until she saw we had left. Boy was she mad!

This picture is for my mom. The giraffes are her favorite. What do giraffes say anyway?

The otter pool smells but they sure are entertaining swimming around.

Look at that smile! All it takes is a Momma lion roar. :)

The fishy face, the rhino horn, and the tiger scowl, he's an animal!

Our zoo is fun because it's small and quick. I love having an annual pass because we can go 45 minutes before it closes and not worry about seeing everything.

Hey guys, I love my kids. Just in case you were wondering.

two because I said so

2010-08-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Yes I am double posting on a Tuesday night but who cares? I feel the post below was tragic enough and this one will be wordy enough that they are both warranted.

So lately I have been Miss Teary Eyes. I'm not pregnant. Okay, that's out of the way. I have a theory as to why I tear up during such mundane events as:

a sentimental commercial for something special like toilet paper

the end of the movie Cars, which I have personally seen over 1,988 times

or when a gym member tells me they liked my class and can't wait to come back.

Yes, apparently these are legitimate reasons for my face to turn hot and my eyes to fill and my throat to tighten. It's silliness at its finest but I have an idea.

This is going to sound crazy but I think it's because I'm cutting out some crap. Lately I have been working really hard to cut out the "worldly" stuff the best I can. Or at least just be sensitive to when something isn't really uplifting.

I have watched better/less t.v. and avoided smutty music. I have tried to cut back on the "es-ach-ay-tees" and the "d-bags" and replace them with "poopsickles" or "fiddlesticks." I have been praying more consistently over meals thanks to Sister Bailey and I have been reading more than a column in my scriptures. I have also really made it a point to get as much out of church as possible since my darling 16 month old monster has the exact opposite goal in mind for me.

I really believe that by cutting out the crap I have welcomed the flood. Yes I am more sensitive to the good things too ie: the Holy Ghost. But I wish the tiniest, most contrived, simple and almost mundanely nice things didn't make me need a moment. It's silly! Riddle me this? What the SPANK am I gonna do when the Primary program comes?!?!?! I guess this is one thing that I am going to have to accept because spiritually it feels better to be walking toward the sun than the shade. Now excuse me while I wipe my eyes. Sheesh.

It's the day after I originally penned this post and I just need to say something more on the subject. First I want to thank everyone who commented because you helped something become very clear to me. This really is a blessing. Maybe a silly sounding one, "I am blessed to cry at the drop of a hat," but still a blessing. What I mean is, I don't cry at everything. Just alot of good things. If I were crying at everything then imagine all of the horrible sad things that would bring me to tears daily. Thins like my bank account, or the horrible Arizona drivers or a conflict on t.v. Hallelujah that I only shed tears for the "awws" and "how cutes" and "I love you toos." Thanks everyone. I'm gonna embrace it from here on out.

tragic

2010-08-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

I find it incredibly depressing that the only two photos we have of our entire family are these. Sad. Even the Sears Portrait Studio would be less pathetic than this. Sears! Sears I tell you! Bah.

Oh and don't forget to notice how they are BOTH completely out of focus.

*To the "photographers" who took these, please don't take it personally, I still love you, I'm just sayin'....totally out of focus is all. At least we have these right?!

love in my belly...

2010-08-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

and joy in my heart. Do you ever have those days where not much happens but by the time bed time rolls around you're full of happiness? Today is one of those types of days. I wish this upon all of you my friends. I wish it right now. Smigh*...

*that's a smiling sigh for all of you who don't know :)

two momentous occasions

2010-08-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

It's up to you which occasion will seem more notable. For me, it's a tie. A dead ringer. Too close to call.

1) Jack's first official face painting.

2) Jack's first official day of pre-school.

I love them both. I love him tons. Life is good.

p.s.
After watching this video, the face painting may have won out. I'm pretty sure pre-school will rally back over the next few weeks with some serious cuteness but man, this video got me.

well said

2010-08-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/08/07/jackson.same.sex.marriage/index.html

If you didn't know how I felt about gay marriage before, you do now. Read this article and if you agree I would encourage you to pass it along via blog, FB or email. It's important to stand firm in your beliefs and views with your head held high. We owe it to ourselves and our children.

tucson weekly

2010-07-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

This week we....

Finally finished re-upholstering the two tub chairs that I started a year ago. As well as finishing the magazine rack.

Both chairs in all their glory. Don't look too close unless you want to see all the mistakes I'm too lazy to fix. :)

Also finished re-upholstering the vintage dining room chairs I scored for 10 bucks a piece.

The plates on the wall and the tablecloth both belonged to my Gramma. My mom actually remembers eating off of that tablecloth as a child. Neat hugh?

Violet stuffed her face with banana after banana.

Josie and I did a prom dress photo shoot. Note her enthusiasm. I think it's cause she had to go stagg.

Her imaginary date.

My very real, half naked date.

Recreating a pose from the original prom night.

Violet looking rad in Jack's helmet.

And enjoying her first plate of spaghetti. Possibly her last. So messy. Not fun. But obviously she loved it.

Forcing a kiss on a three year old. Isn't that frowned on? At least he thought it was funny.

Just plain cute.

It was a good week in the desert folks.

chocolate and vanilla and 35% off

2010-07-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I strolled into Gap during my Mommy Moment (you know, when the hubby sees the crazy in your eyes and lets you go out into the world on your own for a bit) and there were signs posted everywhere that the ENTIRE store was 30 percent off. What did I do? Headed straight for the sale racks of course! I got Violet about 6 new outfits, Jack a righteous pair of shorts I've been eying for months, Michael new swim trunks and myself a new pair of bronze leather flip flops for the charming price of 68 bucks. What a steal dude! I also found out upon check out two VITAL bits of information. 1) By using my Gap card yesterday I ended up getting an extra five percent off. Nice little boost there. 2) If you have a Gap card, every Tuesday from now through August Banana Republic will give you a 20 dollar rewards card upon purchase. You could walk in to BR buy the cheapest thing in there, ie. a pair of socks, and they will instantly hand you a 20 dollar G.C. redeemable at any of the Gap chain stores. SO worth it dude!

Yesterday I made both chocolate and vanilla cupcakes each with their respective frosting flavors. I didn't take pictures of the actual cupcakes but I did take pictures of some frosting licking fun. I am a frosting girl. Michael is a cake boy. Together, we are perfect. :)

These "everybody squeeze in tight" pictures aren't getting any better. But they aren't any less cute either. I love my boogers. Even at the butt crack of dawn! :)

anecdotes during the drought

2010-07-22T13:47:00.001-07:00

Maybe it's the summer heat or all of the summer activities keeping us busy, but lately the blogging drought has begun to worsen.

Aren't they just hilarious?!

I feel like sprinkling a few anecdotes right here on my own little bloggity to help with the lack. And just for the record, I'm not sure if anecdotes is the right word for what I'm about to do but it's a fun word so I'll stick with it.

Thank you to everyone for taking my poll. I was surprised at how many people participated! I was also quite surprised at the results. Seems pretty even across the board and that makes me feel better. For me there are bikini appropriate functions and one piece appropriate functions. I can't quite bite the bullet and give up the bikini since I just look so darn good right now. Yes, you read that right. I look awesome. For me. Awesome. And I worked hard to get there so anyone rolling your eyes with disgust at my assumed conceit can kiss my freakin' you know what! I also look good in a one piece too. It's all good. Let's just leave it there.

Jack is my favorite boy in the world. He has been OBSESSED with baby boys lately. One day on the drive to church he told me I needed to start growing his baby brother in my belly. The other morning he had his blankie balled up and told me it was a baby boy that he was taking care of. I am refusing to take his sudden interest as a sign that it's "time". You can call me selfish but I know what I can and can't handle and right now, Numero 3 would break me. Jack has also been sharing with Violet like a champ and in turn she is getting less rascally about stealing his toys. The big news is that he can stand up OR sit down to pee (so talented right?!) and he loves to "push the turd right out." His words not mine.

I love the lean to the side. Gotta get the angle just right.

Violet is much better. Turns out her fever was followed by a rash and it truly was Roseola. I wish I would have remembered Sarah's post a few weeks back because then I wouldn't have worried so much. Dugh! I'm just glad she's back to her sneaky, squeaky self. Oh, get this! She learned the sign for please in t-minus 2 minutes the other day. Now she is rubbing her chest like crazy and "pleasing" for everything. Smarty pants!

This is how we do in our house. Mom reaches out and tries to squeeze everyone in the shot.

My little sister Josie is going to be staying with us through the fall. I am thrilled beyond words to have her and not just because she can babysit often. She is my best friend and I am one of those people who rarely needs large amounts of alone time. When I asked Michael if she could stay with us for such an extended period of time he didn't hesitate to say yes. He told me, "she makes you happy, of course she can stay. " What a man. What a man.

Right now our car is in the shop. I was in the gym parking lot the other day and an old man circa 1923 backed into my car. He was so kind about the whole thing. He pulled out his insurance information without hesitation, apologized and shook my hand. By the time I got home from the gym, his insurance agent had contacted me. It has been the smoothest process ever. I was so grateful to this man that I wrote him a letter. Cheesy I know. I just could not let someone with such integrity go un-thanked. Today the letter came back. I feel sad that he didn't receive my tiny bit of gratitude. I'm gonna try again because kindness like his is few and far between these days.

I am tired. So tired. Not pregnant but so tired. Life is so good and so full and it is exhausting. I am grateful for these days that pass where every moment seems simple and mundane. I am also grateful for the summer. Yes, it's hot. Yes, it's really hot because I live in the desert. But I love the long sunshine that lasts through the evening. The loud thunder from the monsoon storms. The frequent trips to the pool that are turning Jack's blonde locks green and the lull in the air that the heat can bring. Yeah. I like.

Here are a few pics from our trip to Tennessee in June was it? First week of June? Oh yeah. That's right. FOREVER AGO!

If any of the Clark's read my blog they will appreciate the "rooster tail" in this photo. I love his concentrating face. :)

Well hot dang Dr. Clark!

I was actually the first person to take Jack wake boarding but we didn't have the camera on the boat at the time. Just wanted to put that out there. Haha! Look at the micro air they got!

It really was a happy time even though their faces may say otherwise.

things I feel like saying

2010-07-11T14:35:00.001-07:00

In high school I had a lot of friends. I don't mean I was super popular or that I had more friends then the next person. I mean I had lots of friends in lots of different places. I had a handful of really good friends. Some I still keep in touch with but others no. I don't know why I was thinking about this but I think the reason I never had a set clique or a set group of friends allll the time is because I can't commit. Just like I can't commit to keeping my life neatly scheduled or my diet on track. The way I can't commit to one design style for my house or one genre of clothing or music. I like so many different things and so many different types of people that I have a hard time saying, "yes. This is it." Just another reason why I should never, EVER get a tattoo and why my husband should feel really lucky. But we'll get to more of that part later. :)

Next. I read a book once called, What the Day You Were Born Says About You, or something to that effect, and in it I made some startling discoveries. I know that horoscopes can't truly be trusted and how in the heck could a nationally published book identify me dead on by my birth date? But somehow, it really nailed me. Mostly normal things that I already know like my need for attention and my jabber mouth. The fact that I like to perform or be in front of an audience and that I am a generally happy person. But then there was this one segment where it talked about me having several admirers. The reason it said several was because of the turn over rate. Apparently I am fun for a little while and then I am annoying or my charisma becomes see through and I'm boring. Whatever it means exactly, it scares me. Like, it scares the crap out of me. Isn't that ridiculous?! I worry about this almost weekly. Every time I teach a class and my attendance is lower than normal I start to panic and think, "what did I do to turn them away? What about myself can I change to bring them back?" It sounds so silly, so self absorbed, so narcissistic and I am aware. But I can't deny the fact that I worry about the people that I love (yes I am implying that I love the people I teach classes to at the gym. It's true. I do love them in a certain way. I digress.) just up and deciding one day that I am not worth it. Bleh. Have I talked about this before? If I have it just goes to show how much it tugs on my heart and brain. Sorry.

Moving on. My husband. He is hot. Did you know that? Yeah he isn't the tallest guy in the world but do you know what? His handsomeness is undeniable! He is built and tan and has a full head of lively hair. By lively I mean not boring or blah or lame. He has a huge grin and straight white teeth without ever having braces, the Cuss. He is intelligent and charismatic and never swears. Seriously. I've never heard him swear. He even calls the Hoover Dam the Hoover Dang. He is the best father and a worthy priesthood holder. He is wise and thankfully not quite sick of me yet. He treats me with respect and equality and has even admitted that he was surprised after marrying me at how smart I actually am. Haha! I just love to remind him of that. Anyway, I am lucky. He isn't perfect but he's pretty freakin' close. I love him. He loves me. It's a match made in heaven.

On a slightly more somber note, my daughter is sick. She is fevered and lethargic and not herself. She is sleeping all day and won't let go of her blankie. She is hardly eating and has no other symptoms besides the fever. There is no cough, no runny nose, no ear infection or sore throat. There is no diarrhea, no rash and no vomiting. She just has this really high fever that is knocking her out. I am so worried. I hold her and rock her and sing to her and cry. She has been falling asleep on my chest, which is normally unheard of. I would do anything right now to take it all away. I would cut off a finger or something just to see her dance and run and giggle again. It has only been three days. The doctor was kind but inconclusive. We just have to wait and monitor and hope she recovers. Michael has been on call for the last two days and hasn't been able to give her a blessing. I just want her healthy. I wish we knew what was wrong. I am sad. I am stressed. I am prayerful.

Josie is here. She has been visiting for 3 weeks and leaves this Thursday. We have had some hard days as sisters often do. Seriously hard days. Like the one where she slugged me in the right shoulder out of rage. Looking back I don't blame her but you get the picture. On the other hand, I can't even begin to describe how lucky I am to have had her here. Since Josie was on her mission while Violet was born, this visit was their first meeting. It was precious. Josie arrived late at night and Violet was already asleep. As Josie and I were preparing for bed we heard her crying. I went in to comfort Violet and Josie trailed behind me. Almost instantly Violet reached out and leaned for Josie. Josie was surprised and happy. She took her out of my arms and Violet immediately laid right on her shoulder. Their relationship has only strengthened since. I don't know how many of you have siblings that are like your best friends. Luckily, I do. And luckily, my kids have an Aunt who is like their best friend too. Except when they have a poopy diaper but hey, that's normal. :) I feel lucky.

All of these things are simple, mundane and a little boring. But they are my life. They are the feelings I have today. The things churning in my brain. It feels good to let it out here. It feels good to know that I have camaraderie with many of you when I open up and pour it out like this. Thanks for being friends. Lots of them. From all different areas of life. It's nice to be partially committed to you through blogging. :)

do me a favor...

2010-07-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

and vote on the poll to your left. Shanks.

wong time

2010-06-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

It's been for freaking ever since I posted but life has been crazy. Even crazier then normal if that is possible. We took our week trip to Tennessee and it was fun in the sun. Then we came home and all of the people who subbed classes for me at the gym the week I was gone wanted the favor returned. Like immediately. That left me with my own 6 classes and 5 extras on top. It was insane. Then to make matters worse, I came down with a bit of a bug. No biggie or anything, just walking pnuemonia. Right?! Sheesh! I can't even imagine a worse time for me to have a lung infection! Luckily I ended up only having to teach 10 classes instead of all 11 and I actually made it through. Then a couple of days of recovery and bam! a wedding in San Diego. I drove myself, the two kids and Josie there and back arriving home Friday night at 1:30 a.m. and woke up Saturday morning to teach a class. It was....hard. Let's just leave it at hard. So when I say busy, I mean busy.

I don't have any photos of Tennessee really. I do have a video of Jack jumping off a 20 foot dock for the fourth time but it's in HD and I can't get it to upload. Sorry. This post is lame. I have nothing to say. Just the obligation of posting. I feel like deleting it.

funny business

2010-06-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to my brother in law's blog. It is full of funny Mormon cartoons that he writes and illustrates. You should check it out when your bored if you want a good, clean giggle.

I have some good stuff to post about from our trip to Tennessee. That will come later in the week if I am still alive.

p.s. My bowls came. Not even Michael can deny their cuteness or get angry. They're that adorable! I guess it helps that they are the perfect size for his nightly bowl of cereal. Hooray!

good things come to those who wait

2010-06-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

I have been scouting these bowls on Anthropologie for weeks. Guess what? Sale. Today. Got em. Saweet! Can you hear Michael? Wait for it... Wait for it....

"Kat?!?!"

There it is. Let the guilt trip begin baby. Cause I'm ready to stand my ground this time. :)

my boy on his third birthday

2010-05-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

Since we aren't having an official birthday party until we get to Tennessee this weekend we didn't do much on the actual day. I did take him to Target for some new cars. He chose three for his third. I felt sad that all I could do was sing Happy Birthday over and over so I made him some cupcakes. He chose green and pink frosting and I don't blame him. They sure were pretty.

It's funny that I even went to the trouble to make the actual cupcakes because all he ever did was eat the frosting. I guess that is a genetic thing because I could care less about the cake too. :)

Wouldn't you be excited if this is what you woke up to? I know right?
He was stoked.
Here is the deliriously happy face.
And here is about cupcake number three before moving on to cupcake number four. Once the cake started to show through the frosting he was done.

"Smile for the camera," and I get this.
Oh I could eat him right up even if he weren't covered in frosting.
Here is Miss. She likes cupcakes too.

Cupcakes immediately after nap time should be a requirement. She still has sleepy eyes and everything.

Gasp. Seriously. Gasp.
The best part of the whole day was how Jack would sing himself Happy Birthday periodically. I know he was a little let down with the mellowness of the day. Especially with how big of a deal we made on Violet's birthday and having Michael on call all day. Hopefully his party on Sunday will be rockin' and he'll feel as special as he deserves to. I love him so. He loves me too. It's a good relationship.

oh the joys...

2010-05-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon roll boob: A condition that occurs post nursing where a woman is forced to roll her deflated breasts up off her stomach like a cinnamon roll and gently place them in her bra.

Raise your hand if you suffer from this condition. Aye!

p.s. do you like my mad photo editing skills? ;)

george costanza

2010-05-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

*Lotsa words. My blog. Read if you wish.

If you are a Seinfeld watcher then surely you remember the episode where George does the exact opposite of everything he thinks he should. He ends up with a hot girlfriend and a new job with the Yankees among countless other things. It is like his natural instinct is constantly wrong and the perfect remedy is the last thing he would do. Genius.

Lately, I am George. I keep running with my natural instincts only to find out it is the exact opposite of what I should have done. I feel frustrated that I am messing up but even more frustrated that if I would ignore myself, I would be successful in whatever it is I am trying to do. Is this even making sense?

On Monday morning I took the kids to the doctor thinking they were severely sick with ear infections, strep throat, or the plague. Whichever. All terrible and all were sure to be afflicting my children. I needed them healed. I needed them well. I paid the thirty dollar copay and guess what? They have colds. Like, "oh I can't go out tonight Bobby, I have a cold." That's it. Lame. Guess I should have considered them a little more before rushing to the doctor.

We are heading out of town to Tennessee soon and I need a Zumba sub at one of my gyms. I sent out a nice email about 3 weeks ago requesting a substitute and nothing came of it. I sent another email out about 1 week ago and I was mean. I said something like, "surely someone can help me out seeing as how I have helped several of you out many, many times." Let's just say, no one jumped at the chance to sub my class. Hmm. Wonder why? What was I thinking? Yes Kat, be mean and someone will want to help you. That works everytime!

Anyway, my point is this, the last couple of weeks have been rough. The kids have been sick and sleeping poorly. Michael took a weekend surf trip (which he totally deserved and needed btw!) which left me struggling with the kids. Plus he has been on call sooooo much lately that there was about a week and a half period where we counted about 3 total hours that he had seen the kids. I was left emotionally drained, physically drained and due to alllllll of my yelling, also spiritually drained. Instead of dropping to my knees, repenting, picking myself back up, finding strength and all the right things to do, I sulked. I boo hood for myself for hours on end. I made several pitiful phone calls to my mom and a few to friends. I convinced myself that I needed help, something, someone. It was pathetic. Real. But also a little over the top. Over the top? No! Not Kat!

I made lots of small stupid decisions that left me looking and sounding like an idiot. I feel dumb but I also feel smarter. If you can't learn from your own idiocy then you really are an idiot. In the last couple of days I have done what the last weeks me wouldn't have. I have done the opposite of what Pathetic Kat would want me to do and it has paid off. I am happy again. Hallelujah! My kids seem happier too even though they are STILL sick. My phone conversations are pleasant rather than tragic and my spiritual well is filling up by the minute. Life is good now that I have it figured out.

Let me ask you guys, do you ever do this? Do you ever put the heel of your hand to your forehead and scream, "why did I do it?!" Do you ever wake up from a bad week like it was a nightmare and say, "who was that girl in that awful dream?" Now you know the reason for all my overly emotional posts. Now you know why I have been absent. Because I have been consumed by myself. Sure am glad that's over.

wanted, scratch that, NEEDED!!!

2010-05-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Anyone want to watch my kids alllllll day on Tuesday so I can go to the temple? I'm NOT joking. I have NO shame right now. I am DESPERATE. I can watch your kids someday in return but this is still gonna be a HUGE favor and I'm aware of that.

I think by this point all of you should expect a major melt down from me at least every six months or so. Yes? I agree.

aww shucks

2010-05-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much. It meant alot to me for so many of you to reach out. I know I seriously fished for it but I really needed it. If you haven't noticed by now, I am kinda high maintenance when it comes to needing love and attention. For some reason, there has been a drought of that in the past couple weeks from some key players in my life. I knew that if I asked in a serious heart felt way, you would all come through for me. I do feel better today. Not completely but still, much better. Thanks for being my friends even though I am needy. :) Thanks for all the nice words and thanks for responding so quickly. It was a wonderful thing to wake up to.

I also want to mention here that a tiny smidgen of my gluttonous self regretted asking for love. It doesn't seem like quite the right thing to do to ask for love. Especially when there are so many more people out there who are way more needy in a real poor, homeless, ill needy kind of way. I'm sorry if I seemed ungrateful, it's not that at all. It was just a hard day. Thanks again.

help

2010-05-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

Friends, I need some love. This is a serious plea for some tenderness. I am really feeling it today and odd as it may be for me to be reaching out for it on my blog, it is what it is. Please no advice on how to get better or chin up. Please no I've been there's. Please just some love. I am so sad in so many different ways and for that I apologize.

mother's day, just like every other day

2010-05-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

Once you have children, isn't everyday Mother's day? Maybe not the same receive cards, flowers and gifts type of day but still a day of Mother. Or Mom or Mama or Mommy or lately, for me, Kat. Which I really don't like! Someone wise once said, (I think it was Melissa?) "once you are a mother, you're a mother for eternity." So simple yet so eye opening. The point is, amidst all the wonderfulness of motherhood there is also smotherhood. That second one is the poop covered, sleep deprived, I'm hungry, NO!, teething, potty training, nap refusal, blowout diaper, when will Michael be home, don't hit your sister etc. etc. etc. part. Isn't it true what it says in the BOM about good and bad balancing one another. We've had some sweet moments around here. Check out just a couple.

These sweeties were after the gym last night. I am always amazed at the moments my boy decides to snuggle up to me. Good thing Daddy thought to grab the camera.

This was the morning of Mother's day before church. The Bean had a fever and a boo boo. She wasn't so happy about it all and so she stayed home with Daddy who was also "sick".

Here is Jack in his "Joseph" shirt. He makes me tell him that story every night before bed.

And here is the little princess. She does this herself. The necklaces, the crown, it's all self induced. Nature verses nurture? Psh!

I'm so glad I'm a mom. Above everything else, it's the best. I know that all of you agree. That's why we're friends!! ;)

a little late on the bandwagon

2010-05-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

So we all know that I am a bit fashion challenged. On occasion I can put together a decent outfit but my norm is barely above acceptable. Maybe if I had enough money to shop....just kidding, that's a whole different subject. One I'm sure my favorite frugalista Sarah would gladly debate with me. :)

The point is, I want these shoes. They are adorable and none of the local Targets have them. They aren't sold online and after reading the comments about them at the Target website, they went like hot cakes in mere minutes all across the country. So once again I am too late. I just miss that D! band wagon every stinkin' time. Fashion is exhausting and frustrating! Please tell me that one of you out there found these shoes, recognized their insane beauty/value (29.99? and the "leather" doesn't even look fake?!) and snagged them. Please?

**Update on this shoe craziness. I just finished checking the website for a Target that has these shoes. I checked Utah, Tennessee, Texas and Hawaii since I have friends or family in all of those places who could ship them to me. Do you want to know what? No one. Not one. So I did the next logical thing, I checked eBay. One size 8 with the current bid at 52.00. The auction doesn't close until tomorrow and shipping is extra. I am too cheap. Dangit!

mickey's house twenty ten

2010-05-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took a quick trip to Disneyland. It just so happened that Michael had an anesthesia conference to attend that was being held right in the Disneyland resort. On top of that convenience, his residency program paid for lodging, travel and food. Um, can you say hooked up?! The only money out of our pockets was for park tickets for Michael and I. Jack isn't quite 3 yet so he was still free. Cha ching!

The whole way to California Jack kept talking about Mickey's House. He really had no preconceived ideas as to what it would be like and once we finally got to the park he was actually very nervous. I think it was just a sensory overload and so he developed a little nervous habit of shoving most of his hand in his mouth. Haha. Funny kid.

We went to the twilight session on Saturday night and were out until about 11 pm. Then we woke up on Sunday morning round about 6 am and hauled butt to be some of the first crazies in the park. We even left the kids in their pajamas! The Saturday evening session was fun and we got to see the fireworks and everything but Sunday morning was awesome. We walked onto every ride, rode many of them over and over and were out of there by 10 am. The icing on the cake was when our last stop, Toon Town, turned out to be a gold mine. Jack got hugs from Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and, the ultimate, Mickey Mouse.

Everything we did was part of Mickey. The big castle in the middle was Mickey's castle. The fireworks were put on by Mickey himself just for Jack. The cars in Autopia were Mickey's cars and of course the pool belonged to the Mouse Man too. So when at last, Jack met Mickey, he hugged, high fived and fist bumped him. Then he thanked Mickey for allowing him to play at his house, ride his cars and for shooting off fireworks for him two nights in a row. It was precious and tender. (Anybody know Brooke Jacobsen or Bonnie Kratchen? Little shout out to them wherever they are :) )

The trip was a total blast and I'm glad that Michael finally got to go too. Can you believe he is 31 and it was his first time to ever visit Disneyland? Bananas. The best part was after we rode It's a Small World and Michael's eyes were BUGGING out of his head. He told me he had imagined a ride where you went in and everything looked really small and you felt really big. He was a little freaked out. Hahaha! Last little thing here, if you are noticing in these pictures that my hair looks really greasy, I mean healthy, that's because I showered Thursday night and didn't get a shower again until we checked out on Sunday morning. Can I get a collective, ewwwwww? Nast.

american idol

2010-05-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

Anyone else perpetually underwhelmed? I don't get what all the fuss is about with Lee? All he does is yell. Not scream like freaky Adam Lambert did, yell. Loud. And obnoxiously. I guess I am just ready for it to be over. The only reason I am still watching is because I've already invested so much stinkin' time. If Crystal doesn't win....don't even get me started. How do you feel? Or have you all given up already?

giveaway, giveaway, read all about it

2010-04-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

www.just-cook-already.blogspot.com is having a giveaway for a fancy pants cook book. Not only should you head on over to enter the giveaway, you should head on over cause it's a fabulous little cooking blog.

you complete me

2010-04-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

Last night I was thinking about the whole wheat bread that I make. I was thinking how delicious and wonderfully healthy and guilt free and easy it is. I felt so happy just thinking about it. I want to spread that happiness onto you so I'm going to share the recipe. But before I do, I also want to briefly talk about where my mind wandered to after I pondered the bread.

Without my dear friend Lindsay, I would not have this recipe. She came to my house, taught me every step and typed up very detailed directions that would never steer me wrong. Even though it was originally Lindsay's recipe, now I feel like it has become mine too. Not just mine in the sense that I can make it and pass it on to others but mine in a sort of identifiable way. Like a signature. In the same way that freckles, an engagement ring or Kate Gosselin's (old, sad) hair are a signature. It is part of me.

There are times in life where we find things that add to our own personal puzzle. We never know what vessel will deliver each piece but when we receive it, we should hold onto it. I know for me definition has come from books, movies, dreams, smells, music, people and in this case a recipe. So a big hug and a big thanks to Lindsay for sharing a part of herself and allowing me to make it part of myself. Pretty deep for whole wheat bread eh? :) I wonder what some of your signatures are? I'd like to know.

Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients:
5 cups very warm water (a little warmer than baby bottle warm)
3 Tbsp. yeast at room temperature
3/4 c. honey (can use molasses or real maple syrup)
1/4 c. applesauce
1/4 c. melted unsalted butter
1 heaped Tbsp. vital wheat gluten flour
1 heaped Tbsp. salt (you will be sad if you forget to put this in)
1 heaped Tbsp. dough enhancer (from Shar's)
a couple splashes of orange juice or lemon juice (pretty important in my book)
1 c. milled golden flax
10 cups whole wheat flour freshly ground + ~3 more cups flour (can be bread flour or whole wheat)

I half this recipe and make it in my Kitchen Aid. If you have a Bosch, it will fit the whole recipe easy.

Directions:
Bloom the yeast by placing the warm water, yeast, and honey into your mixing bowl. Cover and let stand for 5 min. If the mixture is bubbly and smells like bread you're good to go. Next, dump in the rest of the ingredients except for the final 3 cups of flour all at once and start up your mixer fitted with a bread hook. Cover (or it will explode) and mix for roughly 1 minute and then check the consistency. It should look like gooey tan mud. Add about a cup of flour and mix for another minute. Check again--this time, the dough should be starting to pull away from the sides. Add more flour (roughly 1-3 cups depending on the humidity etc...) until the dough pulls completely away from the sides of the bowl and starts to form a dough ball (roughly--this dough is really sticky so it will never look like one of those pretty dough balls you see on cooking shows). If you think you've added too much flour you can always add a little bit more warm water to soften it up again.

Let the mixing bowl go to work for about 5 minutes. If you forget and it goes for longer it won't really matter, but don't skimp on your 5 minutes!

While mixing, prepare your raising bowls. For a full recipe, I use my two largest bowls in the house. Spray them with Pam and prepare two sheets of plastic wrap by spraying them with Pam also. This may seem unnecessary but the dough gets so big you'll be glad later when you took the extra time to spray first.

When it's done kneading, oil your hands (VERY IMPORTANT!) and divide your dough in half to put into your two prepared bowls. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a part of your house that is not cool or drafty. Let the dough raise until doubled--roughly 1 hour. Punch down the dough and let raise again until doubled--about another hour. Then after the second punch, prepare 4 bread pans by spraying with Pam w/flour (I don't use regular Pam because I think it makes the crust taste weird) or by buttering them. Using oiled hands (never flour!) divide your dough into four pieces and create smooth tops by stretching the dough on the top and tucking it underneath. Pat your dough balls into your pans and press to make sure they touch all sides of the pans. Cover with a light, clean dish rag and let raise until doubled once again (about 30 minutes) while preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes or until banging on the bottom of the bread pans sounds hollow. Don't overlap the pans in the oven or the crusts will brown unevenly (i.e. don't put 2 pans on top and 2 directly underneath them or the ones on the bottom won't get brown. Alternatively, you could switch the pans halfway through the baking.) After the bread comes out of the oven, let rest in pans until cool enough to handle (about 10 minutes). Take bread out of pans and butter the tops with salted butter (that gives them the nice deep brown crust). Don't let them sit in the pans too long or the bread will sweat and get a little soggy. It needs to breathe.

When cool, bag the loaves and freeze any you don't want to eat right away. Will keep ~2-3 months in the freezer. When ready to eat, take bread out of bag to defrost, otherwise it will get soggy. If you can't wait and want to eat frozen bread right away you can stick in the oven for 15 minutes to defrost.

Tada! Details galore but now you won't have any questions. This recipe is straight from the master herself who, I forgot to mention, created this recipe and perfected on her own. Cha. I know! Try it once and you will be shocked at how truly easy and delicious it is. Do you realize there is only 1 TBS of butter per loaf?!?!? That's it. One measly TBS! No other fats, only natural sugars and unless you want, no white flour at all. And there's no need to knead!!! He...he...he... Perfect? Mana? I think so.

the bun is one

2010-04-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

The shirt I'm wearing is from Ann Taylor Loft. They are having a huge sale right now where you get 40% off of sale items and that shirt just happens to be on sale. I didn't see it on line but maybe if you have a store near you they will have one there. I totally love the shirt but it does let my G's hang out the back of the sleeve a tiny bit, just FYI. And for those of you who are on the hunt for long shorts I just bought a super cute pair from Gap over the weekend. They are having a 30 percent off of shorts deal too which makes them super affordable.

On Saturday we celebrated Violet's first birthday by throwing her a party. Of course it was mostly just an excuse to get together with my own good friends and stuff my face but she was truly the bell of the ball. We all had so much fun and I couldn't ask for better friends here in Tucson. Beware: an insane amount of pictures are to follow. It's about to get crazy.

Here she is on Wednesday, her actual birthday with a special balloon from Daddy. I think she liked it. :)

Lois, Violet, Avery, cuteness.

My BFF Lili with Princess Baby.

She raked in some serious booty with her gifts and all she wanted to do was climb those stairs!

Reading her new ballerina book. Who do you think likes it more? Me or her? :)

Our only family photo. Blurry but you get the picture.

King Jack consumed his weight in goodies. This was his third cake and I know I gave him at least 2 cake pops. Who knows how many else he sneaked behind my back. SUGAR!!!

Love. Sweet, sticky love.

Here are a few of the kids checking out a new stroller. I think they like it, what do you think? Haha!
The cupcake sequence is backwards but that's ok. I'm not about to mess with all the photos to switch it around.

I had to physically restrain her from grabbing that little crown candle. Stinker girl.

These bubble pipes were fun until several of the kids sucked in instead of blowing out. Ew.

A little early cake pop snack. Look at her diving to get to that thing!

The spread. I also made Ham n Cheese sliders courtesy of http://just-cook-already.blogspot.com/. RAVE REVIEWS!

This was the scene less than five minutes before the guests arrived. Good thing we convinced him that naked boys aren't fun at a birthday party. I won't be surprised when he joins a nudist colony someday.

target deal

2010-04-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

Hey friends. I was just checking the Target daily deals and I saw this crib bedding. I think it is absolutely adorable! Not sure if anyone is soon to have a baby girl but wanted to share just in case. Who knows, you may wrinkle your nose at it? Check it out if you want.

challenge

2010-04-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hey gals, I am doing a little dieting challenge over on my fitness blog. If you want in hop on over and start by Monday. www.mommygoodbody.blogspot.com

lotsa dookie

2010-04-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

You know how I've been spelling out es-ach-ay-tee lately instead of just letting loose and swearing? Ya well today I didn't continue down the PG path of spelling it. And I didn't just say it either, I SCREAMED it. I wish the next sentence would explain how relieving it felt to curse my favorite curse word but alas, I can not. Maybe it's because my whole house has smelled like es-ach-ay-tee all day, who knows?

I was on the phone with my mom this afternoon and nature called. I subtly kept the conversation going and began my business. In walks Jack who wants to talk to my mom. The conversation went like this:

"Hi Gramma"
"I miss you too."
At this point my mom must have asked the two year old what he was doing because his response was this, "watching Mommy poop."

Ya, it's true. Ya, it was one of those rare moments where you feel mortified even in front of your own mom. Ya, she quickly got off the phone stating something to the effect of, "I'll let you finish your business." Ugh. Awful. That's why I'm sharing it with you of course.

On to the next dose of poop gone wild. Violet is turning one on Wednesday. About a week ago I ran out of formula and shoved a bottle of whole milk in her mouth. She drank it like it was no big deal. I breathed a huge sigh of relief and patted myself on the back for being so awesome and having such awesome kids that awesomely switched to whole milk with no complications. Awesome. Well fast forward a week or so later and Baby Dul has dia-freakin'-rrhea like nobodies business. Today we have washed sheets, washed the tub, washed the baby 4 TIMES and washed the kitchen floor. Have you ever cleaned diarrhea off the kitchen floor? It stinks. Yes both literally and figuratively. I am so done with poop and so done with dookie and so done with es-ach-ay-tee. I am crossing my fingers that if I don't keep prematurely patting myself on the back for my awesomeness and I don't swear the words I spell then maybe, just maybe the poop will end and my house won't reek like an Almost Home porta potty anymore.

And that's what I have to say about that.

2010-04-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

For my birthday this year we did the same old candles, cake and presents. It was nice and simple and relaxing. The one thing that was different this time around was having my mom here. It was like heaven on earth for 9 days. Michael was such a stud and did everything he could to afford my mom and I precious alone time. We actually shopped for over 5 hours straight on two separate occasions. Boy was it exhausting, wonderfully exhausting.

I missed one this year. Must be why I haven't gotten that Mercedes yet.

Don't let the pathetic appearance of this cake fool you. It is delicious. It is technically Red Velvet even though it looks kinda brown. I think when the recipe calls for 2 oz of food coloring, it's a good idea to add that much instead of worrying about the potential health risks of using two ounces of food coloring. Check out the recipe here, you won't be disappointed.

These next few photos are the progression of Jack trying his best not to spoil the surprise of my birthday gifts, which all turned out to be cookies, which he was more excited about than me, which in turn made me tickled pink.

The one gift I did ask for were some cake plates from Costco. They are so adorable and come in either white or a teal blue. I exchanged the white ones for the blue ones and I am in love. The best part was when Jack got excited because he thought there was cake in the box along with the cake stands. If he isn't a bonafide sugar-holic than I don't know who is.

Here is baby girl pretending to be Egor or Quasimodo or any other semi-challenged character you can think of.

And here she is stealing the show by playing peekaboo with a paper sack. Cuteness at it's finest.

I really did have a great time bringing in my 26th year but next time around, I'm gonna make a big stink. I'm going to wear a crown or a sign and tell everyone, even random strangers it's my birthday. I'm going to have a party with cake and balloons and lots and lots of friends. I haven't had that since I was 15 so I'd say it's probably time. It's the one day of year you can be totally into yourself without people telling you that you're conceited. I'm gonna do it and you're invited. Mark your 2011 calender for April 5th. Kat's huge birthday bash.

easter candy

2010-04-08T12:30:00.001-07:00

The Easter bunny was good to all this year. Well, all but Michael. Poor guy didn't get a basket since I, I mean, the Easter Bunny was so focused on the kids. I felt bad but he seemed content on mooching off the kids so it worked out ok.

I was doing the dishes and noticed the strange quiet. I found Violet with a chocolate bunny partially opened. This is how she looked after finishing the job. Nasty.

Even she got sick of the nastiness. Check out the Einstein hair. Punks everywhere are going to start ditching the Elmer's glue and switching to Hershey's bars.

Jack got so good at recognizing the different candy sounds when he shook the eggs. It was so funny to watch him find one, rattle it and then declare its contents before opening it. Smarty cake! Or candy-holic, whichever.

day to day

2010-04-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

Some sweet random shots of our day to day lives.

The infamous geek glasses.

A sloppy lunch time kiss.

Funny fan.

best line from a magazine ever

2010-03-29T23:38:00.000-07:00

"In fact, I am - we all are - both horribly and wonderfully anonymous in this world."

Doesn't that just apply to all of us bloggers out there perfectly? I love it. Thanks Lili for the magazine subscription. It's the perfect definition of the gift that keeps on giving.

lame-o revision

2010-03-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

For those of you who read my post entitled lame-o and are wondering where it went, it went back to the drafts. I just felt guilty for saying a bunch of negative things about people who have left the church. I do hate the attitudes of some of them but I also hate how they attack me for still being a member. I figured, if I can't stand them ripping on me, why is it ok for me to rip on them? I don't know. I guess I got all heated up because of the whole health care issue and seeing a bunch of used-to-be-Mormons mindlessly taking a liberal standpoint. Bottom line, I was being mean. That's not nice and not fair. What was it I said a few posts ago? Live and let live? I'm awesome? Yeah, not doing a very good job of either of those today. Sorry.

shower me with your love

2010-03-18T12:31:00.001-07:00

You know how ancient civilizations used to worship the sun as one of their Gods? Well, after the weather we've been having lately, I can't say I blame them. There are days, perfect shiny days, where I start to worship the sun too. It's on those days that you do the natural thing. You drop your drawers and bust out the sprinkler.

i yam what i yam

2010-03-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm on one. You know how I get. Some days something sparks the Kat Rant and lucky you, I share it here.

Today I went visiting teaching. For all you non-Mormons out there that just means I went to visit a couple of women I go to church with and share a little spiritual thought. So anyway, it was my partners turn to teach the lesson and if you have done your v.t.ing this month you know it was about scripture study. SO important right? I totally agree. And of course it is also very important to search and ponder the scriptures. However, if there are days when all you can do is speed read a chapter without fully grasping every ounce of what you just read, then so be it. I strongly believe that going through the motions can temporarily be beneficial. Maybe not as beneficial as thorough, heart felt studying can. But still, isn't something always better than nothing? Shouldn't we keep doing the motions until life slows down, we can breathe and finally read in a heart felt manner?

This leads me to my next point. Everyday we, as mothers and women in general, have a tendency to overwhelm ourselves with "responsibilities." I put that in quotations because sometimes we confuse stuff with responsibilities. I am so busy right now. So busy I barely have time to think sometimes but how lucky am I that I am busy doing things I love? I am teaching classes at the gym and raising two beautiful children. And believe me, those two things add up and there isn't much time left for folding the 3 baskets of clean laundry waiting patiently in the living room. Or for cleaning the tooth paste splatters off of my bathroom mirror. Or for cooking gourmet, balanced meals. That is just the way it is right now and it is OK! Heck, it's more than ok! It's awesome! I am awesome! (If you have read that phrase on my blog before it's probably because that is one of my personal mantras. You should try saying it.)

I don't know who wrote the rule book that says you have to do it all, everyday, all the time, to be successful. Whoever it was, and I have a sneaking suspicion it wasn't truly anyone but ourselves, should choke and die. I am busy, happy, healthy, active (physically and spiritually), and doing my best. That is enough for today, enough for tomorrow and enough for forever. So instead of trying to do it all, I'll just keep doing my best and I'll never feel guilty. Tomorrow my best might include finally cleaning the bathroom, but today that doesn't fit.

The next time someone (cough, cough...yourself) tries to make you think that something has to be done perfectly and that everything all has to get done in order for you to be a successful woman, kick that person, look them in the eyes, and tell them to kiss your butt. Annnnnd done.

you know the problem with being easy to please?

2010-03-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

It's hard to figure out what you really like, what you really, REALLY like and what you like that day because you are in a mood. Does that make sense? I feel like maybe if I didn't like as many things I would be able to put items together better. Now, does that make sense? I guess I just wish that I had a distinct "design style" and could dress, decorate or create in a way that people would say, "that is totally Kat." My latest theory is that I can make things work by simply liking them. Maybe if I just buy everything I like and bring it home I will discover that it can work together? Do you think that's possible? It is definitely risky though because I like alot of stuff. You could even say, a little bit of everything. Maybe I should always be shopping for specific items while keeping what I already have at home in mind? What do you do to make it work?

gender roles

2010-03-12T09:09:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends has two little girls. The other day we went to her house to have a play date and while there Jack and the oldest girl decided to play dress up. Naturally, Jack chose the purple and green mermaid costume. Wait, did I just say naturally? Yes, I did. Let me tell you what I think about that. My boy isn't even three, he has loved the colors pink and purple since he could speak and he loves his friends. How could he choose a pirate costume over a sparkly mermaid gown when his friend was twirling around in her own princess costume? It just wouldn't be natural for him at his age. So this morning when he jumped in a pile of tulle I wasn't surprised at how much he enjoyed it. I was surprised however, at how much Violet hated it. I'm glad I have a boy who likes to destroy towers of blocks, use his head to ram his little sister and jump knee first on his Daddy's belly. I'm also glad he is sweet and sincere and doesn't give a crap about being macho just yet. Those days will come. Live and let live.

Isn't that face priceless? Like, "what are you looking at? I'm mad at you Mom."

She's cute when she's mad but she's even cuter when she is grinning.

my boy

2010-03-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

I have to take a moment to blog about Jack today. So if you don't like "I'm a mom and it's the best thing ever" posts, go ahead and leave now.

It is true that both Jack and Violet HATE the child care at LA Fitness. It's a bummer and I am crossing my fingers it will get better. (If you want the full lowdown on that situation, call me.) Today when I picked them up Jack was extremely excited to see me. To show his gratitude, he sprung this little number on me.

"I'm so happy, I've got my Mommy, I'm so happy, I've got my Mommy!"
Then a few minutes later he reworked it.
"I'm so happy, I love my Mommy, I'm so happy, I love my Mommy!"
Both were to a tune from Yo Gabba Gabba by the Salteens called I'm so Happy I Can Dance.

Wuv, twu wuv. It feels soooo nice.

all aboard

2010-03-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

This month we will officially ride the potty train all the way to Big Boy county. Not excited. Not excited at all. Chugga chugga poo poo!

bubble yum

2010-03-07T18:34:00.000-08:00

Ain't nothin' like a chubby bubbly baby. Except when there's two of em.

self occupying

2010-03-07T18:09:00.001-08:00

Since my second job is requiring quite a bit of extra time lately, Jack has been left to self entertain a bit more than normal.

Sad that he gets so bored he crawls in the toy box and pretends he's in the tub.

He has also taken a liking to doing "chores" for me for payment. The vacuuming has been surprisingly helpful. Never underestimate a 2 1/2 year olds cleaning capabilities. Wait, maybe I shouldn't be posting this, could this be considered child labor?

Sometimes, I get so physically and mentally drained that I even give in and let him eat cookies for dinner. Pretty pathetic on my part but you have to admit, he does look cute scarfing it down.

baby dul

2010-03-07T18:09:00.000-08:00

Isn't she lovely? I just can't get enough. Everlasting love. I think that about sums it up.

my grampa the cowboy

2010-03-07T17:59:00.000-08:00

My 83 year old Grampa came to visit us for a little over two weeks. He is a real Montana cowboy turned super softy Grandfather. We love him. We cherish him. And Jack even tries to channel him on occasion.

Pretty sure a visor with built in binoculars and an inflatable blue donkey don't perfectly substitute for the ten gallon hat and rugged stallion of a real cowboy. At least he's on the same page.

category: action/adventure

2010-03-07T17:55:00.000-08:00

One of our nightly habits has become the baby throw and toss on the bed. It's a fun game for the kids and a good workout for the parents.

Jack likes to jump on the bed. Naked.

Jack likes to jump on the bed. Naked.

daily deals

2010-03-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

I check 4 websites everyday. I don't buy things from them very often but I am hooked on checking them out to see the goods.

The first two are sister sites, babysteals.com and kidsteals.com. They have great stuff for kids and moms. I have even heard of them posting Britax carseats at steep discounts. Awesome.

The next is Target. Sometimes their deals are lame but sometimes they have sweet stuff on there for super cheap. Just click on the Daily Deals section.

Last is woot.com. The main woot page is almost always electronics and sometimes the electronics are refurbished (which personally turns me off for some reason) but they also have kidswoot and tshirtwoot and winewoot (if you're into that sort of thing). I think the only thing we have ever purchased from woot is a pair of remote control helicopters but we still love the website.

Check em out and see what you think. Are there any other daily deal websites out there that I should be checking? Let me know!

2010 oscar nominees from the motherhood standpoint

2010-02-20T20:43:00.000-08:00

Best Picture Nominees:

Avatar DD (Digitally enhanced by the nursing mother.)

The Hind Side (A story of poop, diaper rash and destiny. Wait, I meant Desitin.)

The-strict 9 (An intense drama depicting the 9 sins that result in time out. 1- No saying "no". 2- No hitting your sister. 3- No dumping cups of water out of the tub. 4- No putting things in the toilet. 5- No flailing like a worm on the floor. 6- No spitting. 7- No sucking on batteries. 8- No unlocking the door and going out the front door to play in the street. And finally 9- no touching your poop.)

An Early Education (Starring: the ABC's, Shapes, Colors, Numbers and Animal Sounds)

The Hurt Rocker (Tag line: A mother holds her weeping child after an intense fall and gently chants, "It's okay, it's okay.)

Inglorious Breasts (Starring Brad Tit.) Okay that one is a little racy but still funny. Admit it.

Precious: Based on the novel Quiet Time by Mother of Two

A Delirious Man (A gripping tale about the time Daddy tried to do Mommy's job for more than an hour.)

Pick Up (A film on a constant, repeating loop.)

Gum in your Hair (Starring: Peanut Butter, Crisco and Scissors)

Check out the real nominees here. It's true that 99.99 percent of my life is consumed by that divine virus known as baby-itus and that I could really care less who wins or loses on March 7th. But it's also true that the tenth of a percent relishes, momentarily, in the red carpet fashion every year.

I've got nothing to say

2010-02-18T19:24:00.001-08:00

Sometimes it's better when you don't have anything to say, to just say nothing. True there are daily happenings that make me laugh or want to spit but I can't justify a great big post. My heart just ain't in it right now so sit tight until I find the fire. Sorry peeps. Thanks for wanting something from me though, it always does feel good to be wanted.

2010-02-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

You know that time I lost my digital waterproof camera on the last day of my AMAZING, no kids allowed Hawaiian vacation? The camera that was CHUCK FULL of sweet action shots and super hot bikini shots? The one that we were considering returning because it really wasn't as good as we had hoped and only cost like TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY bucks? Yeah, that's the one, the one that I left in Makaha were the peeps hate haoles super duper bad and live in tents on the beach? Yeah, that was the time. Bummer.

physical therapy

2010-01-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

You know how on t.v. people talk about therapy sessions being so hard but so wonderful? Well I have my own kind of therapy and I would describe it alot the same way. I seriously think that without exercise I would require medication to be happy. Did you know that there are chemical processes that happen in your body after exercise that basically make you happy? It's true!

I am so sore and so tired and still looking forward to the next three days of teaching classes. Isn't that crazy? I know that some of you are emphatically shaking your heads chin to sky and saying, "Yes! You are so crazy!" but I also know that you, at the very least, have a glimmer of what I am talking about. You can say you hate working out. You can say you hate lifting weights. You can say you hate running but you CAN'T say you hate exercise. That would mean you hated walking, hiking, riding a bike, dancing, swimming, surfing, playing any organized sports, throwing a Frisbee, chasing your toddler, roller blading, and playing DDR. I told you that you don't hate exercise! Only the part where society has made you believe that exercising requires a gym pass or some hard core workout videos.

One time I challenged a friend to floss for a week and then stop flossing for a week and then start again. I told her that after the three week experiment she would floss faithfully for the rest of her life. The same goes for exercise. Once you feel the benefits you can stop but your body will remind you that it likes it so much better when you get physical.

Last night at the gym I was in the bathroom washing my hands after class. There was a woman who had just endured the hour long beating that I had. I asked her if she liked the class and she said, "I loved it. I just love exercise. I can't wait to go back in there and take Pump right now." She was maybe in her late 50's early 60's and she was about to go back in the studio for another hour and lift weights. My jaw hit the floor. I thought, "Dude. That is totally going to be me someday."

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning I take BodyPump from my friend Linda. She is 61 years old and lifts twice as much weight as I do. She looks MAYBE 45 at the oldest and yet she really was born in 1948. She loves to exercise and she has been teaching classes for over 20 years. I am so inspired by her! Don't you want to look mid-forties when you are 61? Cha. Me too.

These are people at the gym. They may not inspire you because I know just the word, gym, turns some of you off but there has to be an outlet for you to move your body. I beg of you! Move your body! Every day or at the very least 4 times a week! Try it for a week, then stop for a week, then try and tell me you are glad you gave it up. :) Exercise in all it's many forms is therapeutic and wonderful. It will revive you, as long as you choose the right kind.

*Now for the clarification. I usually don't worry about my previous posts needing to be clarified but for some reason I want to defend myself. You know how Weight Watchers is a points system? How good foods have low points and bad well...you get the idea. That is more what I am doing then constantly starving myself. The difference between a good Weight Watchers client and I is that I have more "bad" days then good. But it's ok! I am allowed to eat whatever I want as long as I'm eating and feeling good. Have you ever eaten your last meal at 3 and then not eaten for the rest of the evening? It's really not that bad.Besides that, I don't do it everyday. I am not sitting on my couch at night with my hands underneath me to prevent me from eating. I swear! So stop thinking that I am so unhealthy and starving myself and hurting my body. I am not retarded. I just exaggerate. Come on peeps! You know me. I am likely to describe my toilet overflowing as the flood from Noah. I'm like George Castanza. Everything is a big, dramatic deal. :)

a poor philosophy with some good results

2010-01-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

Remember how I lost some weight recently? Remember how I abandoned my "health and fitness" blog? Remember how I love to bake and do it on a regular basis? Yeah well, all of those things combine to make this new philosophy I have. It's called, "eat whatever you want for lunch and then starve for dinner because you already consumed your allotted calories for the day."

I'm sure it's not the healthiest diet plan in the world but lets be honest, I have never been good at sticking to something that's as restrictive as well, a diet. So I choose to bake loaves of fluffy white bread and slather them with honey butter for breakfast. Or devour half an apple tart for lunch and drink hot water with lemon for dinner. I have even been known to make a BLT without the lettuce and tomato, scarf it down and then eat another. Yep, that's right. A bacon sandwich, or two, for lunch. Boy are they delicious.

I would say that I am better than this, that my New Year's resolution is to silence the junk food cravings and start eating green and raw and light and all that crap. But as good ole Abe Lincoln once said, I cannot tell a lie. And so, I have no New Year's resolution regarding healthy eating, only eating in general, and boy do I love to do that. Except at dinner time when I've already pigged out for the first half of the day. :)

I think I have finally found a way to eat terribly and still lose weight, and I only starve half the day to accomplish it! Haha! Awesome. I am awesome. Or lame. Whatev. Same difference right?

fresh faced and ready to face the day

2010-01-11T18:37:00.000-08:00

If we are asking those two famous questions, "Maybe she's born with it? Maybe it's Maybelline?" we already know the answer.

Gavin Norton

2010-01-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

So I'm sure all of you have heard about the Norton family and their little baby Gavin. I just cannot stop crying for this family and this little baby boy. My heart is so sad and yet so touched. I am overwhelmed by not only the testimony of Natalie but all of the testimonies of the people supporting her. The outpouring of prayers for this little boy have been so immense that they are almost tangible in a way. I can't explain it, I only feel it. If you haven't heard/read the story then head over to www.natalienortonphoto.com to get the details. I know that your heart will feel what I have felt and you too will receive a confirmation that families can be eternal and Natalie will one day hold her sweet son again. I am so grateful to this woman for touching my heart by sharing her testimony and her strength. My prayers will continue to be with them.

holiday pics in no particular order

2010-01-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

Did Santa just drop a bomb or what?

Jack and his girlfriend Kalia sharing Violet's old bassinet. Of course Jack is styling the famous visor/binocular combo and the dollar store recorder. What a stud!

The ball pit from Aunt Stacy. One of them loved it and the other...not so much. :)

The humanity!

Michael testing out the jumprope Santa brought me. Total pro fo sho!

Painting ornaments. I seriously found paint behind his ear like 3 days later.

So much love. Sigh.

walmart sweater

2010-01-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

This is like my sixth attempt at a post. I literally have 5 others half way done just waiting to be finished and published. In honor of the whole new year goal thingy, I am going to finish this post and publish it. For reals.

So my title is Walmart Sweater. I have this new analogy that I've been throwing around and it goes a little something like this...

It is true that I have met my goal weight and indeed have now (as of yesterday) surpassed that goal. Which is great right?! I know, thanks, I'm pretty stoked too. However! I still don't slip right into my old clothes. I am like a cheap Walmart turtle neck sweater that you wear a couple times, stretch out and never get back to normal. You can wash and dry or dry clean and hang. You can lay it flat or crunch it up but nothing, NOTHING, will return it to it's former glory. It's so sad because if I were a finer product maybe I would be able to snap back. You know, if I were from JCrew or were made of cashmere. But no, my flaccid, acrylic body will never be the same. There you have it. The Walmart Sweater.

Lately we have been busy. We've been celebrating a little holiday called Christmas, pretty sure no one else does that, and we've been gyming it up like mad. (Yes, I did just make gym into a verb.) I have loved/hated it. It is so nice to have things to do but simultaneously harder to relax. There is no balance and never will be and I'm just glad I can except that now in my ripe old age.

The best part of the holidays for me has been Michael. He has been so helpful, so loving and so around! As in, around all the time thanks to this awesome rotation. I am lucky.

The best gift of the holidays was the Hawaii trip. Michael wrapped a bottle of tanning oil, put it under the tree and wrote, "To: Mommy. From: Hawaii." Perfect. I seriously can't wait to get there, get mostly bare and soak it all in. (Yes I will be wearing a bikini and no I still don't feel morally wrong for doing so. :))

We took a trip up to Mt. Lemmon last weekend to see the snow and introduce baby girl to the frigid stuff. Turns out she's not a fan and neither is Jack. Although, if you remember last year's Mt. Lemmon photos, not much has changed with him. It was fun and uneventful and I only had to stop to pee once this year! Hallelujah! I hate those windy, poo filled tunnel toilets!

I figured something out the other day that I just have to share. Don't laugh because I am serious. Do any of you have a Swiffer wet jet? Do you get frustrated sometimes because although it is convenient, it isn't the most efficient tool in your cleaning closet? Well, that's how I feel. I hate that I still have to get on my hands and knees and scrub my floors with a rag every couple of weeks. Not any more! Or at the very least...Not as often! Yippee! Why? Oh because I happened to accidentally discover that if you dampen a regular old cleaning rag and stick it to the Velcro bottom of the swiffer, it cleans like 99 percent better than those cheap pad thingies they sell. Try it. You will never buy those disposable pads again. Promise.

There you have it. A complete and total mish mash of blog post. Did you like it? If you are a "don't let my potatoes touch my peas" kind of girl than I'm pretty sure you hated it. But! If you are a "curl my hair while applying makeup and nursing my baby" kind of girl than maybe you appreciated it. Either way, she is what she is. Peace out.

sometimes...

2009-12-07T19:08:00.000-08:00

the best days. Start and end in the same pajamas. I needed a day like this.

good morning

2009-12-03T09:43:00.001-08:00

Today wasn't the best morning seeing as how Jack ended up banished and screaming in his room no more than an hour after waking up. However, I still love the moments. The little ones where they are so cute and so sweet and so...quiet. Nothing like it sometimes. I think these moments are the reason it takes me until noon to get out of the house some days.

two new

2009-12-01T22:23:00.000-08:00

Below there are two new posts. One with gads of photos and another with a Kat sized rant. Enjoy.

refusal

2009-12-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

I have been refusing alot of things lately and let me just tell you, it feels phenomenal. Shall I explain?

Two weeks ago I took advantage of my husband. It felt so good. Know why? Because I rarely do. I don't mean I left him huddled-in-a-corner-needing-therapy-abuse, I mean, I-left-him-with-the-kids-as-much-as-possible-abuse. The part that I refused? The part where I feel guilty for leaving my perfectly capable, doctor husband with the kids for longer than 1 consecutive hour. Call me crazy but I have this serious guilt complex that keeps me dwelling on how unfair it is for me to do this to him. But two weeks ago, I refused to feel the guilt. I pushed it out of my body and it felt so good. I love time away, by myself, GUILT FREE.

Know what else have I been refusing? To feel embarrassed about my unruly kids in public. I am so sick of apologizing to random strangers at the store, restaurants, and the doctors office for my kids acting like, well, KIDS! I hate that I feel this need to explain my two year olds behavior. Or even worse, my seven month olds behavior! Are you seriously going to give me that disapproving look when my kid is throwing a flailing fit over not getting chocolate milk? Shouldn't you be applauding me for being a responsible mother who doesn't give in to her child's every want? Let me just answer that question for you Mrs. Random Disapproving Stranger. YES! You should be applauding! Because I am a good mom with great kids who just so happen to throw a fit on occasion. I will NOT apologize! I refuse.

I eat too much. Did you know that? Hmm. You didn't? I could have sworn you knew that. Anyway, I am refusing dinner. Not when I am hungry for it but when I am not hungry for it. Who says that you have to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner? I don't. In fact. Screw eating any designated meal when I'm not hungry. It just gives me gas and a fat ____.

I refuse to be pin pointed as a person with ill intentions. I swear I am like a target for this. I don't know what it is about me that makes people think I am an evil girl inside but for some reason I always get accused of this. You know what?! I hate it! Absolutely hate it. I'm not sitting here saying that I am a saint. I am just saying that my natural intentions towards people I love or even just like are always good. Good I tell ya. So stop trying to make me seem like a mega B-word. I refuse to let the world believe that about me. You better believe that the next person who tries to point their gnarly finger at me like this again is gonna get their head ripped off. I guess that will be the point when my intentions actually do go bad. Watch out.

Sometimes it feels good to refuse.

hittin' the pipe

2009-12-01T21:27:00.001-08:00

How cool is it that Michael's brother put a half pipe in his back yard? This cool.

Uncle Tony

The one and only Jon McDonald.

My redneck husband.

Why is he the only one who wouldn't get dressed? Really Babe? Not even a shirt? I guess he figures his mustache will keep him warm enough.

Uncle Allen in plaid. He likes to take the latest trend to the extreme.

Little leggy Leah.

The always poised ML.

Please be careful Dad.

Chad. Saweeeet.

The Peanut Gallery.

Yikes.

I took these. Isn't he the coolest?

Forty one and still grindin'. Nice Jeff.

And how could we leave out Ezra? Yeah. He just turned three. This kid can rip!