Brooks:Outnumbered

This just in:

2012-01-26T07:46:00.000-08:00

We're moving to Maryland!!

It wasn't the top of our list, but at least it was on it! I'm excited to try out the East Coast! Josh graduates his residency July 13th and we'll have one month for the move before he reports to his new post on August 13th.

How is it possible to be so scared and excited all at the same time?!

Best Birthday Ever!

2012-01-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

And it came with an origami cootie catcher, too!

Who could ask for anything more?! 29 is going to be great!

Day 12

2011-12-25T07:01:00.000-08:00

So, I've been trying to figure out how to post Day 12 and don't have a good solution, yet.

Today started with me (pulled out of bed before the boys) in the shower, to get ready for our 1/2 hour drive to church and leaving early enough to pass out the programs (Yup. I'm the Ward Bulletin lady. That, and three other callings... gotta love a small branch!). When the boys woke up at 7:30, we went straight for the stockings! The boys loved the gifts Santa brought in them! I'll have to post pictures later. Maybe when I figure out how to post my gift...

We finished up the stockings and got the boys in the bath and off to church in a timely manner. We knew that we wouldn't be able to open all the presents casually, like we wanted, so we made the boys wait until we got home around 12:00.

The boys had a great Christmas, Josh included. Josh waited until after all the gifts had been opened and dinner was started before he called me into the kitchen and set me at the computer for my gift: a 15-minute video montage of pictures of our life together (dating through now) set to a mash up of songs from our past. (Hence the trouble sharing it with you, it's just too much data... ) It was so sweet! I wanted Josh to go away so that I could cry in peace, but he enjoyed himself too much. The more I cried, the bigger he smiled.

I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas.

Day 11

2011-12-24T08:18:00.000-08:00

Josh had to go and drop the Doctor on Duty pager of to his commander today. I was still in bed when he came back with a big bag of goodies for me. Goodies, indeed!

I've been running short on lotion, and the other day, Mason lost my second tube of lipgloss since we moved here. And, believe it or not, I requested the warm grippy socks. I can't tell you how many times I've nearly killed myself running through my house in socks. It's a matter of safety. So, really, I prefer to think of Day 11 as the day of yummy-smelling necessities.

Day 10

2011-12-23T21:49:00.000-08:00

Every night, when I go to bed, I like to lull myself to sleep with a good book. Since I have found myself out of decent reading material of late, I have taken to playing a few rounds of solitaire each night on Josh's iPod Touch. I hate to brag but, I'm pretty good... but it gets old. So when I read a recent review in People magazine for "Out of Oz", the final volume to the "Wicked" series, the glowing words they had to say for the entire series intrigued me and I decided that I would read it next. I mentioned it to Josh in passing once or twice, since we generally share books, (he'll read it first, and I follow closely behind.) and waited for his work schedule to slow down.

So, tonight, as I lay down with the iPod to get my game on, I am surprised instead to find on the screen the Kindle App open with the title page for "Wicked". I'd write more, but I am too excited to get reading!!

Day 9

2011-12-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to say or show exactly what I got for Day 9 to spare any unwanted mental images. Let's just say that I found it in a basket of clean laundry I was folding and it was definitely more for him than me. I still will say that it was really cute, though!

Day 8

2011-12-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

Everyone has traditions for the holidays. Most of mine center around food. For example, food like this:

Which is exactly what I woke up to on Wednesday! I was happy because just the night before, we were at the mall, and walked past a Hickory Farms pop-up stand and I suggested that we get some Summer Sausage for Christmas Eve to which Josh made a face and shrugged his shoulders and said, "Nah.". I was a little hurt, thinking that he had never told me that he didn't like one of my traditions and inwardly sulked a little. Little did I know, he does like my tradition, and had just so happened to receive this gift box in the White Elephant exchange at his work Christmas party.

Of course, that surprised me, because I had asked him what he had gotten in the exchange the Friday before and he LIED! He came in with a Tuna MRE and said that "... it was between that or a bottle of booze. At least food storage might be useful.". Turns out, the Tuna MRE was left over from his C4 course the beginning of December and he had pulled it out of the trunk, knowing that he'd have to come home with something. I think that my husband is a lot more crafty than I give him credit for.

Day 7

2011-12-20T10:28:00.000-08:00

It took me all day to find it. My kids had a play date at a local bounce-house place called Jumpin' Jax, so Josh put it in the diaper bag, thinking that I'd find it. Fortunately, Mason is halfway potty trained (He only pees in the potty...) and I had no reason to get into the bag. When he called on his way home from work, he asked if I had found it yet, which sent me excitedly ransacking it's contents. After a few more hints from Josh, I found it!

A Buckle Gift Card!! I recently discovered the joy that is shopping (as a big-bootied woman) for jeans at The Buckle. A far better experience! Thanks for the tip, Morgan! Anyway, Josh realized that I only have two pair of jeans and thought that I could use more, but knew better than to buy them for me. Smart boy! I can't wait to go shopping! Now all I need is a good shopping buddy...

Day 6

2011-12-19T15:26:00.000-08:00

He's getting more clever with each passing day! Today he made the kids breakfast while I got in the shower. As usual, I gathered my clothes from the closet and brought them into the bathroom with me, set them on the counter and got in the shower. When I got out of the shower, I found a new outfit waiting for me where the one I had picked used to be! Tricky, tricky!

Not too bad at picking up my hints, that man... Oklahoma is COLD! Cold without snow. Bah.

**For the record, I am not posting these things to brag about my husband. Since it seems that I am basically the only one who reads my blog, I am mostly doing it for journalling purposes. So I am sorry if you think that this is a "brag blog". I hate those, too...**

Day 5

2011-12-18T15:44:00.001-08:00

I think Josh must be trying to get me caught up on sleep! Today after church, I was cold and went to my bed to relax under my blankets. Of course, I fell asleep and had a three-hour nap! That hasn't happened, I think, since before Ethan was born! When I woke up, Josh was making dinner (watch out, Josh! A girl could get used to this...!) and told me to look in the "... foremost quadrant of the house." for my gift. In the laundry room, I found the jeans I washed yesterday, hanging to dry, with a new accessory attached!

I love it! I've been saying forever that I need a new belt, and when I figured out the other day that I could take off a pair of my jeans without unbuttoning them, I guess that threw him into action. Before anyone asks, it's not that I've lost any weight. On the contrary, my butt is as big (or bigger) than ever and with a relatively small waist, meaning that my pants gap in all the wrong places. But not anymore!!

And I'm happy to say that he's got pretty good taste, too!

Now on a different note, we had our Branch Christmas Party last night. It was so fun and the Young Women put it together. (We all know the youth of the church are amazing!) And they also put together a video for us, featuring our children. It was pretty good, so I have to share:

Enjoy!

Day 4

2011-12-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

Today Josh let me sleep in until 10:00! It was blissful! I only felt a little guilty that I was sleeping while he was playing with the children...

When he came in to cuddle with me and I discovered the time, I figured that was my "Day 4", but not so! I walked out for breakfast to find one of these, burning in my kitchen.

The other day we went shopping for gifts for his Dental Assistant and the boys' teachers and found ourselves at Bath and Body Works where I inadvertently gave him oodles of hints while testing all the yummy scents. Evidently, he took notes because he went back to the Mall (quite the feat, 9 days before Christmas!) and got me some of the yummiest ones!

Day 3

2011-12-16T12:54:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up with a cold. My third or fourth one this year. Actually, my third or fourth one since I moved to Oklahoma. Needless to say, I was not in a happy mood. Until... I got a text and opened my phone to read it and found a note inside my phone. The note was a clue and it began a scavenger hunt through the house. The last note I found was inside of this:

And read:

"Happy day 3!

I tried to pick something

out of here myself, but

then my brain exploded.

So hopefully you can think

of something you need in

here..."

Are you kidding me?! If you know me, you know I L-O-V-E Stampin' Up! products, so of course I have no problem thinking of something I absolutely NEED in here!! It's just a question of how much needing I am to do... hmm?

Second Day

2011-12-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

Flowers! Josh never gets me flowers, but I only have myself to blame for that one. I LOVE getting flowers but Josh forgets to get them for me because, you see, I am weird about them. I don't want flowers on my birthday or anniversary and I'd probably kill him if he spent double to get me some on Valentine's Day. I prefer to get flowers at random on some Tuesday in March. A Tuesday in March that he was thinking about me and how much he loves me.

So, since it's Thursday the 15th of December, the Second Day of Christmas rocks! He also said that he picked these particular flowers because they "... reminded me of our wedding.". Bonus points, for sure!

Really excited for tomorrow... but now I'm going to go and smell the roses.

12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

Josh took me on a date the other day. As we trolled the isles at the Lawton Wal-Mart, Christmas shopping without kids, he told me that he was tired of being a "lame" husband. Apparently, he found some of our old dating paraphernalia the other day (you know, back when you used to have time to woo each other?) and decided that he wasn't taking out enough time to woo me anymore. I'm pretty sure that I have the sweetest husband ever, and I told him that he was over thinking it and that wooing me was folding the laundry or taking out the trash without being asked or some other mundane gross task that I don't want to do. Evidently, this did not satisfy him because this is what I woke up to this morning:

In case you can't read it, it says, "Happy First Day of Christmas. -Santa" and yes, that is a note on toilet paper. But, more importantly, it's what the note is hanging on. When we moved into this house, the toilet paper holder was hanging halfway out of the wall. Each time I got some toilet paper, I was certain it would fall off the wall, and I would do my best to push it back. It got worse and worse until I didn't feel it could support the weight of the roll. Josh kept telling me that it was an easy fix and one day he'd get around to it. In hind sight, he must have been saving it for a special occasion...

And, yes, it made me cry.

Happy First Day of Christmas! I can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store!!

Every. Day.

2011-12-03T14:19:00.001-08:00

Every day I sweep at least this much stuff off my floor:

I don't understand, either. Can someone explain?

My Life in Cartoons

2011-12-01T10:12:00.001-08:00

Most days, I feel like I am stuck in a Tom and Jerry cartoon.

I have taken on my role as referee and am already tired of it, even though I know this is just the beginning; having children ranging in age of only 2 1/2 - 7 1/2. Can't wait for the teenagers... Oh, and Ethan has chosen wrestling as his extracurricular activity, meaning he spends his Monday evenings learning how to more effectively pin his brothers to the ground. For the record, my vote was for piano...

But lately, I have found myself in another cartoon entirely.

Sleeping Beauty.

Mason has always had a difficult personality, that is to say, he's been more stubborn than either of my other boys and as a result, he and I "fight". A lot. He's also a very smart little weasel and at 2 1/2 speaks much better than his brother's did at his age. Meaning, I find myself actually arguing with a toddler. Daily.

Our latest battle began when we put up the Christmas tree. We got a new pre-lit tree from Costco that I have been wanting for a while now. This year's model however, had an unexpected feature:

The lights have a foot switch that enable them to toggle between white and colored lights. As a general rule, I prefer "pretty" trees. I don't like colored lights on a tree except in certain circumstances. Circumstances that do not currently exist in my home. The first night that we put it up, we let the boys see both the colored and the white lights and do all the proper ooh-ing and ah-ing. When it was over, I turned the lights back to white and admired a job well done. That is the last time I looked upon my beautiful tree, thanks to Mr. Merryweather himself.

Merry multi-colored Christmas!

**The picture does not accurately display just how badly the lights clash with the decor. Promise.

Card Kit Orders

2011-10-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

So, if you want to order a card "kit" for your Christmas cards just leave a comment below stating how many kits you want (each one makes 24 cards) and if you want just the materials or if you need me to do the cutting/scoring/embossing etc....

I don't sell Stampin' Up!, I'm just hosting a Christmas card making night at my house next month, and offered to order the materials/make the kits for anyone who wants them. Prices are below each picture.

"Peace on Earth" 24 Cards for $18.45

"Merry and Bright" 24 Cards for $24.91

*Card design will change, but the elements will be basically the same.*

"Holly Jolly Christmas" 24 Cards for $14.45

*Color Shown will be different from color received.*

"Let it Snow" 24 Cards for $15.48

"Merry Little Christmas" 24 Cards for $23.15

If you wish to participate but want to purchase your own materials, leave me a comment and I will send you a list of supplies for your desired card kit. Thanks!

*Prices indicated may be subject to small tax and/or shipping fees.*

Feelin' the burn!

2011-09-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I forgot to post this! Ethan had a hard time falling asleep in the light this summer (since it wouldn't get dark until around 10:00 pm, staying awake was NOT an option...) and Mommy had to get creative to get him to bed on time. I settled on doing what my mother did to me in such circumstances when I was little and a new workout craze was born!

And now here to demonstrate are Ethan and Mason, getting their bedtime wiggles out!

Home Sweet Home

2011-08-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

We are finally settled in our new home in Oklahoma! So far, we love it here! The people are so nice. Too bad the bugs are just as friendly...

I just wanted to post some pictures of our place, mostly for family, to be able to see where we are. So without further ado:

Master Bedroom. We L-O-V-E the tray ceiling!!

Kitchen. The vaulted ceilings are nice, even if it echoes like a cave in here!

Thank goodness we found a place with a bar... I don't know where we would have put our stools otherwise!

Dining area. The setup in this house was different than what we're used to, so we had to re-arrange a few things, but we think it works... like the armoire? Josh had a few "honey do" projects and this was one of the first! I love the color!

Oh, and we got a fish. Ethan campaigned pretty hard for a dog, so this is his consolation prize. We started with three and within 24 hours were down by two. Ah well. Nemo, Cleo, or Goldie is doing great!

Entry Way. Come on in a stay a while, y'all!

Living area. We love the built-ins!

Don't mind the mantle... decorating it is a work in progress.

Boys' Bedroom. Yep. I've got all three of them in one, big, room! They love it and I love having a craft room across the hall with a lock on it and a window that helps me keep an eye on them in the backyard.

Plus, they LOVE the new bunk beds!

Boys' Bedroom Other Side. "Honey do" project #2. Looks like a completely different dresser!

*Not pictured:

Front. You've seen it already.

Back: The grass is dead. I'll post pictures when I've resurrected it, despite the drought.

Bathrooms 1 & 2: They're bathrooms. I love the master bath, but you can pretty much fill in the blanks with your imagination.

Craft Room: It's card season. I'll post that one when I'm tidy...

Garage: Work in progress. Anyone know where to recycle boxes...?

A New Me!

2011-08-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

What do you think?

All Aboard!

2011-08-24T07:00:00.001-07:00

On our last weekend in Seattle, we still had a day left on our City Pass and plenty to do, so the fun must continue! We went down to the waterfront and hit Pikes Market again for flowers then boarded a harbor cruise on Argosy Cruise Line. It was so pretty!! Sadly, I only got a few pictures before my camera battery died...

Not sure what he's pointing at, but I love him.

The Seattle Skyline. Ooh! Ahh!

If you look at the center of this picture back behind the loaders, you can kind of see Mount Rainier. It was a lot prettier and clearer than this picture portrays... but, you can see the back of my tour guide's head! You. Are. Welcome.

After the cruise, we ate a Red Robin, right on the pier! Good food, and an amazing view!! Thanks Mom!

My Wild Things

2011-08-22T02:00:00.000-07:00

So after our adventures on the peninsula, and all around Seattle, we still had tickets left in our City Pass that were good for a few more days. One of these was to the Woodland Park Zoo, which we could just not pass up... even though I had to take all three boys there alone. As apprehensive as I was, it was so much fun!! We spent most of the day there. We took it kind of leisurely as we made sure to see all of the exhibits and took time out for lunch in the food court.

Our day in pictures:

Finally seeing the penguins! They talked about them for days leading up to this.

They were, by far, the smelliest exhibit.

It was raining on the drive over there and for the beginning of the park. (Hence, the gross hair and hoods.) But right after this awesome dinosaur exhibit, it cleared up and didn't rain again until we were about to head home.

What a perfect day!

My boys in the gift shop, riding the dinosaur. Mason still talks about this...

After lunch, we spied a face-painting tent and I decided to have my wild things made over for the occasion!

My finished Wild Things!!

Ethan: Leopard, Sloan: Lion,

Mason: Supposed to be a puppy but since he wouldn't let the lady finish, he looks more like a baby seal...

Look! A baby seal riding a pony!

This wasn't Zoo Day, but I decided to throw it in just the same. Mom took us all to see Cars 2.

Pretty cute movie. Thanks Grandma!

As you can tell, we had oodles of fun in Seattle this summer. Thank you again, Grandma for the tickets and making our summer so memorable! The boys can't wait to come see you again!

Beautiful Day in the Morning!

2011-08-20T07:00:00.001-07:00

After the rainforest, we stayed at an adorable little resort in La Push, and got up early the next day to make it for a little beach hike to the tide pools. It was SO cold, but oh, SO pretty!

Need I say more?

Mom thought of everything!! She brought kites for each of the kids and we flew them on the beach after climbing the rocks of the tide pools. You can just make out the kites...

Starfish in a natural occurring tide pool! So cool, even though I didn't want to touch them!

I must say that Andi and Ethan had the most fun with the waves! They played a little "Catch me if you can" game with the waves until Ethan got caught, big time! He spent the rest of the morning in VERY wet clothes...

Beautiful view with random family...

Even though I didn't post this while Josh was away from us at BOLC like I planned, it's still true!

We LOVE Daddy!!

The wheels on the bus.

2011-08-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

Another school year has begun!! And none too soon! Ethan was bored out of his mind, and so I was completely out of things to entertain the boys with. This year, I have two boys in school!! Ethan is my super proud 2nd grader and Sloan is old enough for the Pre-K program in our school district. It's a half day everyday, but the half day is longer than Las Vegas Kindergarten!! Woot woot! For three full hours this afternoon I was down to one, napping, kid. I got SO much done! A girl could get used to this!! Of course, in a few weeks, I'll probably be thinking that this makes my day lonely. Go figure.

They were both so excited to go. Even Mason got in on the action and wore "his" backpack ALL DAY LONG. He was pretty torn up each time we dropped a brother off. He really thought that he ought to be going to school, too. Poor kid. He's still stuck with Mom. But, hey, I gotta keep one playmate!

All my boys, ready for school!

Since Sloan has PM Preschool, we dropped Ethan off at school and went back home for a few hours.

He watched cartoons in his backpack and shoes. He wouldn't take them off, he was so excited!

We live really close to the elementary school, so they don't get a bus from our house, but Sloan's preschool is a several miles away from us, so he gets to catch a bus from the elementary. Sloan refused to let me drive him down to his preschool like all the other moms were doing because he was "just too excited!" to ride a real bus!

This photo is proof of said excitement. He didn't want to pose. He just wanted to hop on!

My baby is somewhere in that huge bus.

The excitement didn't last too long. I got a call from the preschool a couple hours later from the secretary telling me that his teacher had told him that he would be getting back onto "that bus" when the day was done and he had a meltdown. I had to drive down to the preschool and rescue him. After talking about it, he told me that there are lots of hills and bumps and being without a seatbelt is "just unsafe!". He then declared that he was "never getting on that thing again". I guess we'll try again in a few weeks...

Quote of the day:

Me: "Sloan, how was your day?"

Sloan: "Well... I sit by a girl. Which is... wild."

I love my boys, but after a long day at school, I love them more.

The most beautiful place on earth!

2011-08-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

While Sami was there with us, Mom wanted to head over to the peninsula to show us Forks, WA (home of Twilight...). Me, hating Twilight the way that I do, was skeptical, but now I see why this place was so inspirational for Stephanie Meyer. We left early in the morning and took the ferry over and then drove to our first stop: The Most Beautiful Place on Earth: The Rainforest. Seriously, If I could, I would live right in the middle of it!! But don't take my word for it:

Our Ferry: The Walla Walla

First shot of the rainforest. It's just so green! I don't know why, but I LOVE moss!

If you look closely below the hanging moss on the trees, you can see a beautiful, clear mountain stream.

Our happy hikers!

Moss! Lots and lots of MOSS!!

See the knarly roots on these trees? Turns out that seeds fall from the trees and deposit into fallen trees and find nourishment in them, then as the tree decays, the roots find their way through it to the ground, and these funky, above the ground roots result. Really, in person, it's impressive!

The kids loved looking for things we couldn't see! Sloan and Andi found this little treasure. Before I could get a good picture of it, he crawled under the brush, but you can still kind of see it...

Just pretty.

More pretty.

Trying to get a picture of all the kids by this "tree cave". I actually like this one!

Andi, sitting all prim and proper, Ethan doing a "manly pose", Mason copying Ethan, and Sloan...

turning around to look in the cave for bears. Oh my.

City Pass: Day 2

2011-08-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Day 2 on our City Passes took us first to the Science Museum. The kids loved playing at all of the exhibits, and the butterfly habitat was a favorite of mine (sadly I didn't get any pictures...). Here's what we did get:

Honey, I shrunk the kids! Mason loved this oversized table. Notice how Andi was the only one who followed my creative instruction to, "Act like you're eating something!". We got to watch the movie from the poster in the background, and it was really cute! I think that if I didn't have three little monkeys of my own, I'd get an orangutan!

Seriously, I think that all of my toys at home must be too normal-sized for my kids to play with...

After the museum, we headed over to the famous, Pike's Market for fresh fish and flowers. A great place to buy both!!

Home of the flying fish!

City Pass: Day 1

2011-08-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

My sister, Sami and her oldest daughter, Andi came up to Seattle from Texas to spend some time with Mom and us Gailey's! We did so many things with the City Pass tickets that Mom got us, I can't even remember all of it! Here's what I do remember, thanks to photographic evidence:

Our first morning was spent at the Seattle Aquarium. They got to touch things in the touch tanks, learn about tides, and were mesmerized by the sea otters and seals. It was so fun, even if Mason is scared of bath toys now...

After the aquarium, mom got us tickets to "Ride the Ducks"! It was actually our second time on the ducks, but it's always a treat! These are World War II vehicles that ride on both land and water. They start by giving you a tour os Seattle and end the tour in Union Lake, home of the "Sleepless in Seattle" house!

Next was a quick stop at the Space Needle!

(Mason's not asleep, just too grouchy to look at Grandma while she takes his picture...)

Nothing sweeter than a mother and daughter on vacation!

Our Duck tour guide told us that from the top of the Space Needle, the Music and Science Fiction Museum was designed to look like a broken guitar. Must be really abstract, 'cause I don't see it... do you?

What a fabulous way to and a day!

We feel good!

2011-08-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, we feel so good!

Catherine, Sarah, Rachelle, and Brooks. The gang's back together!! (Minus Andrea and Rayma...)

The weekend of June 25th was my 10-year High School reunion in Vernal, Utah. Go, Utes!! I decided to go to be able to spend the weekend with my high-school bestie, Rachelle! We had a blast! I cannot believe that it's been 10 years!!

It was a whirlwind trip, but a great escape for the weekend! Thanks again, Mom, for taking time out of your busy schedule to watch my little critters!! They still talk about it!

I flew in on Friday around noon, and then we went straight to the mall!! I forgot how much fun it is to shop when you don't have boys trying to escape from the dressing room or a husband telling you to "Just pick something!". I really do love to shop, and she's a great shopping buddy!!

After walking around all day, a pedicure was in order! Sadly, I didn't get any pictures like these stunning ones...

We made it to Vernal late Friday night, but still enjoyed lots of time together before I left on Sunday afternoon. We, of course, re-lived the staples of our youth, and got all gussied up on Saturday night for the reunion. Everybody looked just the same, just grown up! Sadly, not many people recognized me, but that wasn't a huge shock. I guess the highlight of my night was the appearance of my little brothers in my reunion video! I didn't even make it into the video! Ah well, it was fun, even if I only walked away with handfuls of messages for my brothers!

Thanks again for a lovely weekend, Rachelle!

Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch.

2011-08-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

In a previous post, I included a video of my middle son, Sloan, speaking a few German phrases for my mom. I grew up speaking these phrases with my mom, and in High School when German was offered, I jumped at the chance to learn more of my German heritage. Not that I remember much... mostly just the same phrases my mother said to me and I repeat to my sons each night before bed. All the same, my mom and I bond over a love for German heritage and my boys can't sleep at night before they hear me say, "Ich liebe dich!".

So, while I visited my mom in Seattle for the summer, we took advantage of our proximity to Leavenworth (a little town about two hours away that due to it's surroundings uncanny resemblance, reinvented itself into a mock Bavarian town.) and took the kids to see little Germany!

It was a great day! We bought pastries in the little bakery. We ate ice cream on the sidewalk from the little sweet shoppe. We browsed in all the cute little shops, and since it was...

ACCORDION FESTIVAL!!

We got to do a few little extras!

They had bouncy houses and climbing walls for the kids while enjoying the mountain air and the sweet serenade!

Ethan made it all the way to the top! It was really high! I was so proud, even if he was too scared of letting go of the rope to ring the bell at the top...

We ate lunch at this cute little cafe, and when I mean little, I mean little! It only had, like, 18 seats!

Yum!

Isn't it just darling?!

The scenery is not too bad, either!

Seriously, the view on the drive alone was worth it! Two whole hours of this. I wanted to stop and finish the trip via raft!

As you can gather, we had a great time! Thanks again, Mom, for making our stay with you a fun and memorable one!!

Alive!

2011-08-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

It's been forever since I blogged. In fact, so long since I really blogged that I've been putting it off longer than I had to because the task of catching up became too daunting.

But today is the day! Or rather, today is the beginning. My posts are going to be overloaded with pictures since it's been so long, I need to break the posts up.

Today we are going to start with a summary of what our summer has been like:

In May Josh graduated Dental School (See multiple posts below...) and we decided to just get our move on sooner than later and ordered a POD for the week after graduation. It was a crazy week, but we were happy to be on our way to see some family.

We started our trip in Fallon, NV to see Josh's parents. After a few fun days there, we headed further north to Boise and stayed just overnight with Josh's sister, Angela. After that, we drove the rest of the way to my home away from home this summer, Seattle, WA! I gotta say, I did enjoy being able to go outside this summer! The last three have been spent hibernating away from the Vegas sun... We did so many fun things, this is the main reason I can't do all my catch up right here! (Stay tuned!!) Mom took such good care of us, maybe too good! My boys keep asking me what else we're going to do! Thank you for a super fun summer, Grandma!

Josh left for BOLC June 8th, and the boys, Grandma, and I were on our own! We had a great visit with Aunt Sami and Andi who came to see us (Stay tuned!!). After one exciting event after another the end of our stay came. The boys and I left Seattle on July 19th, beginning our 33-hour trip to Oklahoma. Of course, this was exciting, too. We started by going down to Boise for more time with Bingham cousins and after a few days took off for Heber, UT for time with all the Gailey and Munson cousins. My boys were ANGELS in the car! I really kid you not. They took a vote at one point and decided that they didn't want to stop for lunch if it meant getting to Heber faster! Too bad mommy's bladder needed a break around Tremonton!

The boys played their little hearts out in Utah for a few days and by Sunday night we were packed and ready to hit the road on Monday morning. Unfortunately, my boys also picked up a little bug that began late Sunday night! Sloan puked all over the guest room around midnight (Sorry again, Janalee!!) and I quickly followed suit. Ethan made it until we were pulling out of the driveway Monday morning (the show must go on!!) when he puked in the Tupperware I had the foresight to provide!! We were quite the traveling circus that day!

Monday night we made it to Colorado Springs, CO to see our good friends, the Liljenquists, (after a 10 hour drive!!) and had a blast at their beautiful new house! Tuesday morning we were on our way to Garden City, KS where we spent the night in a hotel and went swimming and dined on pizza in the hotel room; a much needed relaxed day for Mom!! The drive was only 4 hours!

Wednesday we made the rest of the 6 hours in a straight shot (Thank you, Red Box!!) and pulled into our new driveway around 4:00 pm. Josh had unloaded our POD completely by himself and I was able to unpack the kitchen and make beds before nightfall. The last few days have been a blur of boxes, but I am happy to say that we only have a few things left! I'll post pictures when Josh has time to finish his "Honey Do" list.

The point is this: We have made it safely to Oklahoma! We are loving being home together and now are just trying to prep Ethan and Sloan for the first day of school on August 17th! I've learned that we are where we're supposed to be. (On Thursday my neighbor came to introduce herself and it turns out that she's the YW President here and behind me is the Primary President! The sweetest couple from our Branch brought us cookies last night, and we thoroughly enjoyed church in the Anadarko Branch yesterday!) The Lord works in mysterious ways, and I guess that includes a move to Oklahoma!!

Thank you to all of you who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you to all of you who made our trip/summer the best it could be. We miss you all and hope to see you again soon. Remember, we do have a spare room and an air mattress!! Enticing, I know!

Like what you see?

2011-06-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Then head over to Very Jane and take a look at today's really awesome deal! Only $4.95! My sister, Sami, is being featured today on this super-cute site , so if you have been wanting some Welcome Vinyl for your home, hurry on over!!

Jack Handey and the power to woo.

2011-05-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

More than eight years ago, my affections were won by a sweet, humble, good, caring, kind, *handsome*, wonderful, funny, too-good-to-possibly-be-true, man. Exactly eight years ago, I married him.

I have nothing but dumb luck to thank for the decision I made that day. Well, that, and Jack Handey, who played a significant role in our courtship.

" To me, it's a good idea to always carry around two sacks of something when you walk around. That way, if anybody says, "Hey, can you give me a hand?" you can say,

"Sorry, got these sacks.""

-Jack Handey

"Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself. Mankind. Basically, it's made up of two separate words-- "mank" and "ind." What do these words mean?

It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind."

-Jack Handey

"If you ever catch on fire, try to avoid seeing yourself in the mirror,

because I bet that's what really throws you into a panic."

-Jack Handey

"Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine,

which I guess was why several of us died of tuberculosis."

-Jack Handey

"I can't stand cheap people. It makes me real mad when someone says something like, "Hey, when are you going to pay me that hundred dollars you owe me?" or "Do you have that fifty dollars you borrowed?"

Man, quit being so cheap!"

-Jack Handey

"Love is not something that you can put chains on and throw into a lake. That's called Houdini. Love is liking someone a lot."

-Jack Handey

Happy 8th Anniversary, Baby.

Every day I am grateful for the mystery that is a boy like you and a girl like me.

What a Week!

2011-05-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wednesday:

The Senior Gala. Josh wasn't going to go, but was told by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs that he had to go. Glad we did. Not only was it fun, but he and three of his classmates were chosen by Delta Dental for an award for student leadership. The award came with a significant monetary prize, which made the night even more fun!

Oh, and Josh danced with me. First time since our wedding! I know you wish you could have seen that...

Oh, and notice the stylish accessory on my wrist? That means that Josh forgot to buy us booze passes. Shoot...

Thursday:

Many of you received an invitation to our Open House for Josh. It was a specially-themed dessert bar. You can't read the sign well in this picture, but it says, "Dr. Gailey's Sweet-Tooth Cafe". It wasn't terrifically attended so there were a LOT of leftovers, but we had a good time! Thank you to all who made it out.

We loved sharing Josh's big week with you!

Friday:

Josh's Dental School Commencement where he received his doctoral hood.

In the above picture is Dean Karen West giving him his commemorative medallion.

Family picture after the graduation. The kids were ready to be done, and I'm pretty sure that the picture is smeary because I was using the camera to placate a restless two-year-old.

After the commencement, Josh and I treated all those who came to dinner at BJ's Brewery.

Best pizza in the world!!

(Seriously, if you ever manage to make it there, try "The Great White". You will not be disappointed.)

Needless to say, it was a long week for our boys, and as you can tell, it tuckered out a few of them...

Thank you to all of you that made it, even if only for 24 hours. It was great to see you!

Saturday:

Saturday morning was Josh's military advancement ceremony.

He is now officially a "Captain" in the US Army!

I have no idea what the beaver face is about...

The University of Nevada Las Vegas Graduation.

Baby, you make robes look good!

We were there for four hours, and the crowd was HUGE!

Thank you to Maggie and Jeff for watching the kids for us!

Overall, it was a good week, but much too busy for home-bodies like us. Now we're just looking forward to kicking back and, um, packing?

Please Allow Me To Introduce You...

2011-05-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

... to my husband:

Dr. Joshua David Gailey, DMD

*Congratulations, Baby! I am SO proud of you!

Today, my baby is two.

2011-05-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, my biggest. You are for me.

Alone?

2011-05-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

And here, I thought that I was the only one...

Apparently not! That's nice to know. It's also nice to know that I'm genetically predisposed to identify inedible plant life. So, when the world ends, and you're all snacking on poisonous berries in the forest, I'll be relying on my genetic lottery to keep me alive!

Who's the Girl Scout, now?

Ah, I see you are back...

2011-04-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

So, I couldn't help but notice that you're checking out my new blog header. . . I know it's nice, but try to control your excitement. The neighbors may begin to talk.

But, hey, as long as you're here, why don't you take a look at few of my favorite shots from our graduation (what!?) announcement photo shoot. Obviously, I can't show you all the shots, because I want you waiting with bated breath until our announcements come out, but here's just a little taste:

The Fam.

My boys. L-O-V-E this picture; it's totally each of their personalities caught on film.

Me and my man. I can't believe that he's graduating!

Even more still, I can't believe that he's survived being married to a neurotic nut like me for nearly 8 years!

Sloan. Love this picture; again personality caught on film.

Doing a little celebrating... we still got it!

A very talented lady we know (and love!) here took them, and she did a great job! My boys are always hard to get good shots of, but she was amazing!

Check out Chelsea at Hazlebury Photography! She really is the best! Thanks again, Chelsea!

Domestic Diva though I am...

2011-04-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today I am wishing that I had more refined sewing skills. Don't get me wrong, I know how to sew, I'm just not proficient at it.

I bought the supplies to make floor cushions for my boys, oh, 8 (?) months ago, and have not started on them for nothing short of fear. I'm afraid that I'm going to cut all of the fabric up, and ruin them, therefore ruining the fabric as well. And so, in my closet sits a bag full of by-the-yard canvas and heavy-duty zippers, as a monument to what could have been.

I ripped the zipper out of my favorite dress the other day before church out of frustration. Why do they make zippers that cannot be pulled past a seam, anyway? For the record, it's always been that way; it's not a recent development. I went down to Jo-Ann's and got a replacement zipper that was sure to be more durable, and thought it to be an easy fix to resurrect my dress. That is, until yesterday when I opened the zipper and looked at the instructions. Do they purposely make sewing instructions hard to understand? I was top of my class in 7th and 8th grade Home Economics, and yet, translating these ancient runes seems to be something way beyond me. What is an invisible zipper presser foot, anyway?

But none of this prepared me for my depression this morning. As I was perusing a super-cute fabric shop on Etsy, looking for fabric for a very simple, non-sewing project, I came across this:

Never ever have I wanted to make something more than this. An argyle pieced quilt. Genius! Too bad that should I endeavor to undertake this project, the supplies would sit in the same closet-rotting bag with the rest of my projects.

My craft shortcomings have never hurt me more.

Now, who wants to make me three of these?

May be small...

2011-03-16T20:51:00.001-07:00

... but at least it's something.

Obviously, it's been a while since I posted anything. I have no good excuse, other than that I have been busy. Lame. I know...

Here's what the Gaileys have been up to:

Contained our excitement over Mom's lunchtime selections.

Wore brother's soccer socks to church because we all know that the devil makes off with your black socks on Saturday night...

Lost a tooth or two...

Had strep throat... twice.

Discovered Ethan's allergy to Amoxicillin...

As well as the other boys' vulnerabilities towards it.

Signed a lease on this little beauty!

Oklahoma, we hope you're ready... 'cause the Gaileys sure are!

Welcome Home

2011-02-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yep. Don't know much about it, but I reckon' I will soon enough...

"We know we belong to the land

And the land we belong to is grand!

And when we say

Yeeow! Ayipioeeay!

We're only sayin'

You're doin' fine, Oklahoma!

Oklahoma O.K."

Oklahoma, O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A!

Shock.

2011-02-07T09:13:00.001-08:00

I've been crying all morning. I found out this morning where Josh will be stationed for his 1-year AEGD (Army "Advanced Education in General Dentistry" Residency). I'm not telling, as I am in complete shock and need time to let it sink in. Suffice it to say that I never thought that I would ever live in that state.

It's not that I have a problem with the state, exactly. Actually, on the contrary, I know nothing about it. I hear that it's even a really great place to live, though people may only be trying to console me. It just wasn't supposed to happen this way. How it was supposed to happen, I don't really know, either. Just not this way.

Maybe I'll be excited in a few days and I'll let you know then.

When I'm done crying.

Man Cave

2011-01-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

"A man cave (also sometimes mantuary^[1]) is a male sanctuary,^[2] such as a specially equipped garage,^[3] spare bedroom,^[2] media room,^[4] den,^[5] or basement.^[5]^[6]"

^{I can see the beauty of a man cave. My oldest child, however, seems to have taken the term quite literally. I frequently avoid the closet under the stairs since it's their toy storage/man cave and I allow them a certain amount of leeway in the cleanliness of it. Roughly once every 3-4 months my OCD gets the better of me and I purge the closet of any and all destroyed items and force organization to return. Though it had not been long since my last purging, it was necessary for me the other day to dive head-first into the closet to find the baby's hat on a particularly chilly morning for our walk to the school. This is what I found:}

Apparently, my 6-year-old wishes to return to his neanderthal roots and show his talent in cave painting. Too bad his mother has failed to grasp the beauty of paleolithic art.

Christmas with the Gaileys

2010-12-12T14:42:00.001-08:00

Last year, we started a new tradition with our children: The Gingerbread House. For a family night, we brought out a kit I had purchased at Michael's Craft Store and had a good time putting it together. At Sloan's request, we even made characters to live in the house, based on his new favorite movie, "Frosty the Snowman". Apparently, this movie affected him more than we even knew and as luck would have it, the house proved completely inedible.

A fact the children refused to accept.

So, sit back, and enjoy as we introduce you to "Sister Frinkle" and the rest of the Frosty Gang courtesy of our very Gailey Christmas; sans pants.

On Cleaning the Bathroom.

2010-11-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

It's only funny because it's true.

Cougar Town

2010-11-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

We already know that Ethan has some high expectations for his future Mrs. If you can't recall, see here. Last night just before bed (as this seems to be the time when my children open up to me most...) he enlightened me as to further qualifications for his future spouse.

Upon picking up my People magazine, he saw this add on the inside cover and took notice:

"Well, now! That's a pretty girl."

"Oh yeah? She's a little old for you, buddy." said I, remembering that, according to the People Birthday Calendar, she is 40 years his senior. "Maybe you'll have to set your sights closer to home."

"I don't know. Lots of girls are pretty but plain."

"Yeah? What other girls do you think are pretty?" I said, fishing for names of girls in his class to scout out when I am volunteering next...

"Well. . . I like this one. . ." he said, poking his finger at Kim Kardashian's face on the magazine's cover.

Ah, well. Not that I wouldn't mind being Julia Robert's mother-in-law...

Overboard.

2010-10-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, folks. It's that time again to link up with Sami over at Symmetry in Motion for this month's Symfully Sweet Saturday! Rest assured, I did not take this month's competition laying down. Allow me to fill you in:

To help keep the competition interesting, I had a strong desire to try my hand in the culinary section of my store of creativity. It began with these little beauties and evolved (I'm sorry... snowballed) from there. As you continue to read, you'll see I got way out of hand.

Yes, cupcakes. But not just any cupcake. Vanilla cupcakes with a Buttercream Candy Corn frosting. Wait. Did she just say "Buttercream Candy Corn"? Why yes, she did.

Who knew that they made such a thing? Turns out this cute little site makes just about everything. I even picked up some "Candy Apple" flavoring to spice up the Apple Spiced Cuppies I made last year.

That's all well and good, but how did they taste?

One reviewer had this to say, "Mom, you should make these again!" Need I say more?

Lest you think I forgot the inside. It didn't go as planned, I'll admit. It was supposed to be layers, like, well, Candy Corn. Ah well, I accept.

They're cute anyway, right?

Even with these cute little cuppies in the holster, I could not be done. It might have been all the candy corn coursing through my veins over the last week, but I could not stop. Hmm... cupcakes mean birthdays. Birthdays mean parties. At least, in my world, it does. What next?

Aw. Now that's a cute little handmade box of Candy Corn. Oh, wait...

Keep turning...

Ah, gee! Now that's just darling! It's a treat and an invitation?! You say I get an invitation to the party of the year as well as an ounce of Candy Corn?! Where do I sign?

I'm sorry. Your mouth is so full of delicious treats that I cannot understand you. Come again? Oh! You say that the positively sinful sweetness of my cupcakes has made you thirsty? May I offer you refreshment...?

And since no party would be complete without an edible parting gift, I present:

Party Favors a la Brooks: The Candy Corn Cake Pop. Original recipe, courtesy of the baking diva herself: Bakerella. Design and yummy execution: yours truly.

Does life get any sweeter than this? I submit not.

Just the Two of Us

2010-10-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

So, I've gotten to do a lot of fun things lately. I blame my awesome husband for enabling me to do things that very well may turn into addictions. Let's be honest, though. They already were addictions. Card-Making and now (thanks to Maggie and Monica...) Spa Weekends. My sister, Sami, saw my post about my spa weekend in April and was green with envy. She decided that we ought to have one in the fall. Through much twisting of my arm, she was able to get me to agree and when she flew in on Thursday, we were ready to get our relaxation on!

Since I was a good blogger and took an insane amount of pictures, I will share my weekend with you in pictures.

We began our weekend on Friday morning at the Outlets. We got some really cute clothes, but this photo showcases one of my favorite moments in the day: shopping for sunglasses. I am borderline retarded when it comes to choosing eyewear so Sami was able to help my decision along. Isn't she fashionable?? I really like the shop-lifting safety advocate in the background.

We then headed to the hotel to check in and get gussied up for dinner/Girls Night Out. Too bad no one but us showed up. Ah, well. At least I had a hot date! Sami was a good sport and let me do her makeup... ain't she pritty??

Not sure why my teeth look orange in this picture. Please ignore that...

All dressed up and ready to go in our new outfits from White House Black Market. You don't have to say it, we know we're dead-sexy.

And no better place to eat than Lucille's Bar-B-Que! Yummy!

I can still smell the warm biscuits and apple butter.

My new hat from Charlotte Russe. It was too cute to pass up. Now if only I could figure out when and where it is appropriate to wear ridiculously adorable hats...?

Our hotel was pretty nice. Forget for a moment that it's basically like the Labyrinth on the inside, and it was awesome. We did meet a lot of nice guys willing to help us find our way. Either we looked pretty cute, or they were really drunk. At least we found our way. And the guy that touched Sami's neck was at least a 6. Not too shabby... Oh, yeah, the picture. Our room actually had a doorbell! Talk about fancy! Here is Sami, demonstrating exactly how cool we thought that it was.

I'm a sucker for a nice bathroom. This one ranks in the top 5 I've ever been in 'cause it had a chandelier. I know... I'm tough to impress.

Our room also had a balcony! It might not be much to you, but I've never stayed in a room that had one, so it must be elite. It didn't matter that recent precipitation left a good 2 inches of water on it and since we don't smoke, it was practically useless. It was still there.

The view from the balcony. It might mostly just be tree-top view, but it was MY tree-top view! Oh, and you see the little sliver of pool?? Pool-side, baby! Like I said, elite.

And on to the main event! We got to the spa around noon and enjoyed a 50-minute couples massage. Obviously, I don't have any pictures of that, but here's the before shot of our feet. Pretty snazzy footwear, eh? Spa regulation sandals. Beats the disposable flip-flops we were wearing after our pedicures. I nearly killed myself on them. Turns out, they're really slick!

Us in our paraffin-boot glory. Flattering, I know. Each thing that they put on our feet smelled better than the last. By the time they were brushing the bottom of my feet with a pumpkin pie scented mask, I wanted to eat my own feet.

During our pedicures, there was a wedding being set up. It began while we were waiting for our polish to dry and since the procession was being serenaded by a famous singer from a Christian rock band called Stryper, the ladies at the spa couldn't resist flinging open the doors and inviting us to watch the strangers wed from the main entrance in our bathrobes. This is the only picture I got (which isn't great) before security shut me down. Strange considering that the attending security guard and I go way back...

While we were getting ready to exit the spa, we noticed several people using a strange machine on which they would stand while the machine would shake them. Since I've decided to try to be more flexible and try things I otherwise wouldn't, I decided "What the hay?". It's called TurboSonic and apparently it detoxifies one's body by taking it through various degrees of shaking. According to the digital reader on the machine, in the ten minutes I was on it, I burned 150 calories. I'm pretty sure that would have to be from the laughing and not from the shaking though I'll reserve judgement until I see some scientific data from an independent researcher. Mostly, all it did for me is shake me to the point of nearly peeing.

Sami, trying to figure out the miracle machine.

The result. I miss you already , Green Valley Ranch Resort. Miss you already.

Oh, and you too, Sami.

Stamp-A-Thon, October Edition.

2010-10-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

Since my dear friend, Kris, invited me to my first card/stamping workshop in February 2008, I have fallen in love. In love with stamping. In love with card-making. In love with really cool tools for stamping and card making. And most of all, in love with the idea of being gone from real life for a whole day, doing something that I love with a bunch of people that I love.

Twice a year, there is such an event in Saint George, put on by one Jill Olsen. It. Is. Fantastic. I have only ever let myself go to one a year in February, but after much longing and deliberation, I decided and organized a group with our course set to Utah in October.

Saturday was the big day. We left early in the morning and returned late-ish in the evening. We had the best time with good friends, good food, good shopping, and of course enough craft ideas to make our collective head explode with joy.

Table #1

Table #2

Table #3 (Somehow entirely unpictured: Staci)

These are some of the favorites that we were able to make:

Dinner at Mongolian Barbecue. This is the before shot.

You pick out your uncooked food and sauce and after cooking it in front of you on a giant wok:

Voila! Dinner. The food was pretty good and I gotta admit it was pretty cool, but I can't lie, the atmosphere was a little iffy. Notice the cardboard boxes they are standing on? Definitely a new experience... maybe I need more of those.

Just had to add this in. Mason, enjoying his spoils from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory located in the same shopping center as the Mongolian Barbecue. I couldn't forget my babies entirely...

Wish you were here?

The new Mr. Owl

2010-10-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

As I was finishing an all-too-quiet shower this morning, I turned off the water and was immediately greeted by:

"Riiip! (*giggle, giggle, giggle*)."

Knowing this was not a good sound, I quickly dried off just enough water to not slide across the linoleum, and ran to see what my youngest child was up to. I could do nothing but shake my head and laugh at what I found:

At least someone liked it.

Now tell me, Mason. How many licks does it take?

And the winner is:

2010-09-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

... well, you'll help determine that.

So now it's time for the big vote over at Symmetry in Motion. I'm not too proud to beg, just please don't make me. Go vote!

As a reminder this is my adorable craft:

See more shots here.

Whatsie-linksie??

2010-09-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

So, I'm actually subjecting myself to what they call a "linky-party". Whatever that is... It started as me, trying to make my sister (over at Symmetry in Motion) feel like she's not a loser, and then it turned into fun. You see, she's hosting this contest called "Symfully Sweet Saturdays" and was afraid that no one would participate. As a general rule, I don't participate in contests because I don't ever win, but being the devoted sister that I am, I couldn't let her down. That's just how I roll...

Take a moment and check the links I supplied. I'll wait...

So, now if you've done the required reading associated with the links above, you should know what this contest is all about. Now, I will give you the assignment: Tootsie Rolls!

I had no idea what to do until I got my latest order from Stampin' Up!. Gosh, I love that company. In that order happened to be THE MOST DARLING Owl Punch. I was inspired.

So, without further ado: My project. I hope that you think that it is as cute as I do...

The Tootsie Pop goodie bag!

Look Familiar??

And of course, what is a Tootsie Roll challenge without actual Tootsie Rolls??

Happy Voting!

*For the record, I am aware that the text for the Tootsie Roll Pillow Box should have been white and not black. Unfortunately, the size constraints of the pillow box determined the impossible nature of hand-cutting letters in the correct font. I'm only 27. I don't need arthritis... yet.

Meet Sister!

2010-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sloan is probably my most interesting boy. He gets along very well with girls, loves to play house, and his favorite color, despite the merciless teasing of his older brother, is pink. I would worry about him and being able to fit in when he starts school, but he also loves to do "boy" things, too.

One of his most interesting attributes is his imagination. I am certain that (along with his good looks...) he got my creative genius. Lucky boy, indeed.

This evening, while putting him to bed, he announces:

"I've lost my sister."

"That's because you don't have a sister."

"Oh, I've got a sister. I just can't find her."

Now, I am a person who believes that children can somehow know things that we don't, so in my excitement I probed further:

"What do you mean?"

"I have a sister, but I can't find her, so I've lost her." Rolling his eyes and holding his hands out in explanation, like this makes it quite plain.

"Sloan, you don't have a sister. Who is Sister?"

Sloan tired of our conversation and was in no mood to give further explanation to his slow mother. Luckily, Josh was enlightened and had just come into the room.

"Sister?" he says, "I know who she is."

"Who is Sister, and how do you know?"

"Deggy told me." (Deggy is Sloan's favorite stuffed bear.) "After he finished his prayer, of course."

Please, allow me to introduce, Sister:

Apparently, my dreams of having a daughter were satisfied with a toy from the dollar section of Michaels. Go me.

Auto Response

2010-09-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Something that you may not know about me: People tell me things. I don't know why, perhaps I am just a good listener, but people confide in me. Generally, it's strangers who have no business assuming that I am a trustworthy person worthy of confiding in.

Yesterday, while sitting down to a nice lunch at CostCo, my listening ear failed me. It could be that I am still getting over an ear infection that I contracted two weeks ago. In fact, we'll place the blame for my predicament there. Aside from that, I must confess that when a stranger is pouring out their secrets to me, I don't always give them my best attention. Especially when I am wrangling three boys and my husband is in the three-hour food court line. In these instances, my mind goes into what I like to call "Auto Response", and I use one of four blanket answers for each thing that they say. We all do it, right? Right?

The situation happened like this: As I was pulling the third of my boys from the cart I heard a woman behind me say, "Wow. Three boys, huh?" (I get this a lot. At least once every time I go to the grocery store. Apparently, we are quite the circus sideshow...)

Me: "Yup. Three boys."

Stranger: "Ever gonna try for a girl?"

(This question is the one that bothers me. Oh, blast. I can try for a girl? Shoot. If I had known, maybe I would have applied myself more...)

Me: "Ah, well, the "trying" hasn't worked so well thus far, so I think I'm just happy with my boys."

Stranger: "Wow. I'm glad that since I could only have one, it's a girl." (Points across the table to her daughter.)

Me: "Well, I'm happy for you."

Stranger: "You see, I am a school teacher and I always thought that I wanted both a boy and a girl, but after teaching boys, I am so glad that I got a girl."

Me: "Yeah, boys are certainly a different breed."

Stranger: "Yeah. I have problems with infertility so I could only do one round of IVF."

(I have nothing else to blame for what next popped out of my mouth but that my irritation with the conversation had activated "Auto Response".)

Me: "Oh, fun!"

The instant it came out, I realized what I had just said and I wanted to reach out into the thin air and grab it back. It was like watching a terrible cartoon. I quickly rambled something about how beautiful her daughter was and hoped that she hadn't noticed the insensitive, yet unintentional, comment. Our conversation didn't last long beyond that point. I tried to snuff it out and turn away with the pretense of digging through my purse and focusing all my attention on putting lipgloss on Mason, lest my mouth get me further into trouble.

Ironically, the subject of a daughter came up later during lunch with Ethan. While eating his pizza, he declared that, "Mom, if you ever do get your own girl, you're gonna have to give it it's own room, 'cause we don't want it to bother us."

Maybe I'm better off...

Camping

2010-09-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

Very few actually know what a rockin' mom I really am and since I don't ordinarily like to toot my own "Rockin' Mom" horn, not many ever will. But occasions of extra rockin'-ness such as this warrant vigorous horn-tooting. And so I commence...

Josh recently finished his LAST SUMMER SEMESTER as a Dental Student! Meaning, that we have a whopping 8 months left until I get to see my stud muffin in a cap and gown. We decided to make our last break between summer and fall semesters one that the boys (at least the two older ones...) would remember. (When I say "We" you know I mean "I" as I am the rockin' one here...). The boys had been begging to go camping, probably because Caillou loves to camp. He is the coolest bald kid on PBS, after all.

Being something of an allergy-stricken indoor girl, Josh assumed that I would want no part of that. Or rather, perhaps he hoped... hmm... but rather than let the boys have all the fun, I opted to introduce my boys to the "Sloan" way of camping.

The plan: To drive to Mt. Charleston and find a camp ground for over night. We found one wonderful campsite at "Hill Top" campground (The view was A-mazing!) and set up our tent, "kitchen area" and "explored" in the woods. We took hikes, ate ridiculously unhealthy foods in large amounts, and played Uno until one sore loser put an end to that. By the time the sun was setting, our boys were obviously tired and it was quite plain that they would sleep like champions, even in a tent. Explore the rest of the night with me:

8:31: All three boys, sound asleep in their respective beds. Parents quietly chatting under a beautiful full moon.

8:45: Dad concedes that buying the lantern that Mom suggested would have been nice to play games by. (We didn't build a fire on purpose. I didn't think that it was the safest thing to have a blazing fire and a curious 15-month-old.)

9:00: Equally tired parents decide the wise thing to do would be to brush teeth and turn in.

9:15: Mom discovers that toilets have a curfew as the door to the closest "Vault" toilet is locked.

9:21: Mom explores options of open-range peeing.

9:36: Parents in bed and children still asleep.

9:42: Frantic giggling under the covers as parents learn that at least one of their boys is a "sleep tooter".

10:02: The first squeaks erupt from Child 1's air mattress as he rolls over.

10:03: Child 3, screaming.

10:45: Child 3, asleep, being put back in crib.

10:46: Child 3, screaming.

11:27: Child 3, asleep, being put back in crib.

11:28: Child 3, screaming.

11:45: Child 3, asleep, yet thrashing in Parent's bed.

11:47: Child 3, evicted from parent's bed.

12:01: Soft rustling sounds as Dad takes Child 3 to the van for a drive.

3:00: Dad awakened by Child 3, screaming in car seat.

3:01: Dad learns that he should have moved the lumbar support while sleeping in the car.

3:10: Dad refills Child 3's milk and rocks him to sleep.

3:17: Child 1, jealous and awake in Parent's bed, asking why Dad got to take a hike in the dark.

4:23: Child 3 in parent's bed, cuddling with Mom; Dad sleeping sideways on bottom of air mattress, cuddling Mom's feet.

5:15: Child 1, awake, announcing that "The sun is up! It's day!"

5:16: Child 1, 2, & 3, awake for the day.

5:30: Family walk around the campground.

5:45: Mom discovers that toilets don't so much have curfews as broken doorknobs and with a little ingenuity uses the most disgusting "Flush Toilet" in history.

6:00: Breakfast of Pop Tarts and Apple Juice in the tent. Note to self: Bad idea.

8:00: Family hike up Robber's Roost which would be slept through by Child 3.

11:00: Breaking down camp and heading home for grilled cheese and showers.

Perhaps Mason's just not ready for camping... but I am still pretty rockin'. Basically, the "Sloan" way of anything, rocks. Even when it turns out that bad. You wouldn't believe it, but the boys had a blast and can't wait to do it all over again. Even I'd do it over again... but only with a healthy dose of Dimetapp around 8:29.

Mason after some "exploring". Boys may as well be made of dirt...

*Sadly, this is really the only picture we took. We realized halfway to Mt. Charleston that we forgot the camera to document our rockin'-ness but the boys were too excited to turn around. We decided to rely on our camera phones (picture taken above), not realizing that searching for signal because you're on top of a mountain would result in two dead phones after 1 hour. Live n' learn, I guess...

Bawl, Baby.

2010-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

I guess, as of late, I'm into video posts. So, here is another one. I really like this video that Josh made for me, and I used it for a lesson that I gave at church. The topic was "The Importance of Life and the Sacred Power of Procreation". It was quite a heavy topic for 14 year old girls, though, and so I wanted to do it right. I decided to set the tone with this video to help me teach (and show by personal example) the precious nature of human life and the astounding ability and responsibility for us to be co-creators with God in bringing children into the world.

I wanted to say all of this, and planned on doing so. I had watched the video all week as it took shape but as I was sitting there, watching it in it's entirety with "my girls", I couldn't help myself. I started to bawl like a baby and since I cannot talk at all when I cry, I was basically paralyzed by the emotions that I felt and my lesson suffered for it. I'm sure the girls (and the other leaders in the room...) were thinking something like, "Uh, okay. Why did she show us this video?". I blame Brother Ross who showed us this one in Sunday School the hour before. Though I barely made it through that video without crying (using Wheat Thins from my diaper bag as a distraction...) the pump was already primed, and I knew it was over.

Long story, short: Enjoy the video. I'm going to get myself a tissue.

Shall We Dance?

2010-08-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

"There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them."

~Vicki Baum

"Dance first. Think later. It's the natural order."

~Samuel Beckett

"There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good."

~Edwin Denby

You gotta admit, the boy has got some wicked moves. Any time he hears a beat, he is dancing.

I love this boy.

Mall Rats

2010-08-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last year I was able to make it to northern Idaho to see my mom. I love to see my mom but since she frequently has to work, I was lucky to also see my mom's roommate: Jana.

Jana was once, coincidently enough, my roommate. Jana is one of the best friends a girl could ask for. We met our freshman year of college and she has since become just like a sister/daughter in my family. She's attended weddings and baby blessings. Basically, she rocks.

So, while I was able to see her in Idaho, we had a few "Girls Day Out"s. We went with my mom to dinner and a movie and were able to spend the greater part of a day getting pedicures and shopping at the mall. Our adventures at the mall still make me giggle. It's probably all very much "you had to be there", and yet, I share.

First, we had set up appointments with a reputable nail salon for manicures and pedicures but were running late (as Jana and Brooks do...) that morning and in our haste to make it to our appointment, we rushed to the first nail salon within sight and walking distance. We noticed that the name was not the same as the one we had called, but in our defense, there was a temporary plastic banner over a real store sign and so we figured, in our laziness, that they must be in the middle of a remodel. It sure did look like it... The shady nature of the interior should have told us something, or perhaps the confused nod from the pedicurist when we asked if this was, "Q-Nails". I guess my pessimism was on a rare vacation that day... I should have figured that something called "Hi-Tek" would definitely be up to no good. I have subsequently developed a fungus under my left thumbnail. I'm sure it's unrelated...

Later that afternoon, we had lunch, shopped, and were able to find matching toe rings (yea, you wish you were cool like us...). The toe rings, both of us would later admit, were less than adequate. We vowed before ever putting them on, that we would wear them forever while we were apart. Mine lasted until I got on the plane to come home. I don't know if hers lasted that long. Now, this is not because I lack love for my Jana... it is simply because they were the most uncomfortable toe rings ever devised. I am pretty sure that had I not taken it off when I did, it would have grown into my toe and given me tetanus. I am quite attached to my toes, and wanted to keep them. All of them. It was a simple matter of survival. Nothing personal.

While shopping, we saw one of those photo booths that costs a fortune and draws your picture before your very eyes. What a great idea to preserve this wonderful memory! It took several pictures before we found one that flattered us both and then "Rembrandt" began to draw. It was beautiful and began to take shape, much to our excitement. Our excitement soon turned to confusion, however, when Rembrandt held our completed drawing up on the screen, sans noses. Hmm... I'd like to say that I didn't laugh until I nearly peed. For your peace of mind, I didn't. But it was close. A real touch-n-go.

Us in all of our "Lord Voldemort" glory:

The rest of the afternoon included:

- A good hour in the Sprint store in which "Sexy Salesclerk Dude" did everything he could, short of proposing to Jana, to get her to buy a phone.

- One or two Italian Cream Sodas each... I simply can't recall.

- A business card from the glass-blower man.

- A really awkward silence between us and the lady from Q-Nails as we confessed the truth about our missed appointment.

- One more photo booth; After what Rembrandt did, we had to renew our faith in over-priced superfluous Mall economy:

It was a fabulous day and one I am still giggling about as I sit here typing. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

*I told you I'd get around to posting about it... I hope it was worth the wait. Notice that is 1 year to the day?! Yeah, I'm just that thoughtful...

Coping with loss.

2010-08-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

It's always sad when you see one that you love so much nearing the end. We have been experiencing such a thing, and will probably be for quite some time as Ethan has trouble letting go. And I must say that I feel his pain.

When I was a young child, before the mere age of four, I had one such beloved friend: Blue Blankie. Blue was, as her name would suggest, blue. But not just any blue. Blue was a soft blue material with a darker blue flower print and had a blue satin binding. Blue was the most perfect of all companions. Blue was warm when I was cold, cold when I was warm. Blue dried my tears and comforted my fears. As you may be able to tell, Blue is no more.

As I mentioned before, Blue met her demise when I was four. I caught the stomach flu (probably from one of my jealous siblings, out to sabotage our relationship, no doubt) and naturally, regurgitated on her at some point in the night. My mother tells me that Blue was already in tatters. This is where we disagree. I do not remember any such distress. In my mind, Blue was perfect. My mother even argues that had she tried to put her into the washer one more time, Blue would have come out in threads. So, in order to save the dignity of Blue, she simply placed her into the garbage can the night before trash pick-up day.

I recall clearly, sitting next to the garbage can in the garage, crying for what seemed like hours. I couldn't believe that I would no longer have Blue and was so mad at my mother's refusal to attempt Blue's resuscitation. Frequently, I tell this story at family gatherings to a rapt audience as my mother rolls her eyes.

What's that they say about what goes around...?

Ethan has had his blanket (aptly named "Blanket") since before he was born. Grandma Gailey pieced it together herself. He took it everywhere from the time he was one year old.

The binding began to wear. The piece with the chicken went first. Piece by piece, Blanket began to die.

Blanket in his glory days:

And now:

My dilemma is this: Do I take his blanket from him now, before it becomes as tattered and unstable as Blue and store it away in a box so that he can look at it when he is old or do I let him have as much time with him as the fabric will allow before I am forced to accept such an undignified exit as my Blue?

I decided to let Ethan choose, which he refuses to do. Denial. Instead, he told me his blanket was fine as he put his head through the hole in the middle.

For the time being, it is in his possession, but the clock is ticking and time is short.

What would you do?

The Bachelorette Party

2010-08-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

So, I know that you are all missing me horribly. I apologize for my extended hiatus from the blogosphere. I promise that I have posts planned, but I am too busy indoors, trying to stay cool, and keep my children alive and myself sane. I hope to return soon.

In the meantime, I have been up to a few things; this in particular. And since I was too busy/lazy to take pictures and blog about it myself, I'm going to let my good friend, Maggie, take it from here. Enjoy. The only thing that is missing is the invitation. It was darling, though.

I know you miss me. I promise to rectify that as soon as possible.

Ethan's Big Day!

2010-07-10T10:51:00.001-07:00

Ethan had a really big week. Or rather, I think , I did. My baby is growing up and there's nothing that I can do to stop it. Again, how long until I'm allowed to have a mid-life crisis?

We began the week with a Kindergartner and a full-set of primary teeth. I'm sure that you can see where I am going with this...

We ended the week with a 1st Grader and a less-than-full set of primary teeth.

Pictures. I'm good with pictures.

Singing "Macarena Math".

Class of 2022!

Shaking hands with the principal, Ms. Newton.

Please excuse the blurry nature of the photos...

someone may or may not have licked my camera lens with frosting saliva.

My hole-y not-so-baby.

In Memoriam:

Baby Tooth P

January 23rd, 2005 - June 6th, 2010

Sympathy Vote

2010-07-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

It seems this week was a bad one for true love. First, Jake and Vienna (more on that, later...) and the much anticipated "reunion"that aired after the Bachelorette on Monday and now this. All I've got to say is this: If Jillian and Ed can't make it work, then what hope have any of the rest of us got? Thiers was a love of dreams. Theirs was a love that could only be matched by Anthony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet, and Trista and Ryan. My faith in relationships has been shaken, likely beyond repair. If only there was something that could be done.

I feel powerless. Defeated. Heartbroken.

So... a moment of silence for the fallen, if you will.

Welp... moving on.

This episode was wearing for oh, so many reasons. First, it was wrong of her to choose her first one-on-one to be with Roberto. She was mopey and morose for the bulk of the remaining dates, and she "ddin't know what was wrong". I do: She's contractually obligated to go on dates with several men for several more weeks including three overnight "fantasy suite" dates, and she already knows what the end result will be. Oh, to be in love and obligated. Maybe if she and Roberto were to just quick and elope, ABC wouldn't take legal action. This, of course, assuming that they quickly reproduce and let ABC film it all in "The Bachelorette: A documentary".

*Side note: Roberto lost any and all love I had for him when he threw out a top contender for the worst line delivered in the Bachlelorette series, ever. The doosy? It is, of course, the quote of the night. I want to throw up just thinking about it.

Next, we learn that not only is Frank an unemployed "screenwriter", but he also lives with his parents. Wow. I don't know why that doesn't seem to bother Ali. Maybe she forgot his age... or maybe she knows that he's really her "settling soulmate". If, in the end, she runs off into the sunset with Frank, I hope that she enjoys the wonders of a dank basement. Be sure to bring your own toothpaste; your future mother-in-law might not be a bottom-squeezer.

Just when you think that Chris is finally going home, he pulls out a gift. A nice one at that. Chris's family friend, Dennis, owes him a big thank you for promoting his jewelry line. Sales are going to soar! Too bad he won't have an opportunity to design an engagement ring as Chris will leave soon after the elation at the bracelet wears off. Nicely played, Chris.

Ah, Ali. I scream at my television in frustration at you because I, as the post-filming viewer, know that Ty should have gotten another week over Frank. Let's forget for a moment that he should have gone home back in week... uhm... I don't remember. Suffice it to say that as time marches on, I want to stab my thumbs into his beady little eyes.

I never liked Ty, but I didn't dislike him either. Ah, well. Trees must be chopped if you're gonna kindle a fire.

Quote of the Night: "Are we the only ones dancing in the street? I don't care." -Roberto

Now, back to the beginning:

We end the episode with a Reunion of Jake and Vienna. Not that we cared in the first place, but I guess it's time for us all to choose sides. I did not take this responsibility lightly. I have, in my possession, both a "Star" and a "People" magazine. Oh, yeah. I did my homework. After reading both articles and staying up late to watch the lover's quarrel, I am prepared to choose a side. The verdict? My own. I think that they're both nuts and that they need to get as far from Hollywood as fast as their tanned legs can take them. I believe that they had this planned out from the beginning as a way to keep in the spotlight. When Jake proposed, he mentioned that he was choosing her because he felt that they had "... the same priorities...". Though I've suspected it all along, now I know for sure. If Vienna's dramatic crocodile tears were not enough to convice you, then you did not see the same episode that I did. So, a plea to both Jake and Vienna: Go home. We don't want to see you anymore. You expired long before Dancing with the Stars. Soon exasperation will turn into anger. Personally, I am prepared to kick you in the shins should this continue. Please don't make me.

Second verse, same as the first.

2010-07-01T11:53:00.001-07:00

A little bit louder, and a little bit worse.

Hopalong is gone. About time, too. He never was a very good actor. Even for a semi-pro wrestler, he was mediocre, at best. Perhaps he and Wes should have a heart-to-heart about ethics and it's role in reality television. Imagine the possibilities! Together, they may be unstoppable.

Moving on.

After the first five minutes...

Ali never seems to tire of men competing for her affection and/or time alone with her. I agree that she needs to make them work for it, but surely there are better things to do in Istanbul than olive-oiling men up and watching them wrestle. Yikes. Bet they smelled pretty tasty, though.

Craig finally won some one-on-one time with Ali, but nothing could save him. I've been predicting it for some time, but I was a little sad to see him go. Physically, certainly not top-shelf but personality score was reasonably high on my charts. What's a girl to do? With a guy as pretty as Roberto looking on? Adios, word wrestler! I pick the latin heartthrob. It just wasn't fair...

What did we re-realize this week?? Ali is only keeping the ones that she's physically attracted to. Shallow, maybe. But who can blame her, really? Did you see the mutants that she started out with? I'm not sure why Frank makes the physical cut, but then again, I still don't see the appeal of Ed.

I can't wait to see what all the hub-bub is about in the teasers. I hope Frank goes home, but I've been fooled before. Maybe he'll annouce that he has to choose between his job and continuing on the journey. Irony. Oh, the irony.

Breaking News?

2010-06-24T10:12:00.001-07:00

So, it's not like I totally didn't see this coming 7 months ago, but I find myself surprised/disgusted at what I found in my e-mail inbox this morning.

*Click here to read the story.

The title read something like, "Jake Pavelka, Vienna Girardi to Reunite on The Bachelorette."

What the crap? Reunite? Apparently, I've been living in a cave for about two weeks. Indeed, I announced their inevitable split the moment that she touched his abs, but I find myself shocked for many reasons:

1) She cheated. Not surprising. What is surprising is that HE is surprised that she did. I think that I speak for all of America when I say that he had fair warning.

2) She lasted 7 months before she cheated. Maybe...

3) Jake is ridiculously good and milking fame. From Dancing with the Stars (which apparently started the distance to grow between them as Girardi believed that DWTS should have been her endeavor. Denial is apparently a fantastic motivator. Does she realize that half of America hates her??), to an apparent stint on the Lifetime series, "Drop Dead Diva", and his now imminent appearance in "The Bachelor Pad". I'm actually really hoping that he goes back to piloting, and soon. He's starting to really get on my nerves.

There's more, but I digress. I can't waste more time on them. I have a sour taste in my mouth.

More pleasant news: Ali finally sent... wait... what's his name? Home. Oh, and Kasey and his juvenile tattoo are stuck in Iceland someplace. Kudos to Craig for capitalizing on the hilarious, if not disturbing, nature of it. Two cool points to you.

Prediction: Justin has a girlfriend. Seriously now, who didn't see that coming? He is definitely this season's Wes equivalent. I just want to know how he made it in his walking cast down the stairs featured in the promo.

Rooting for: Roberto, and Kirk.

Not-so-much-rooting-for: Frank (getting really creepy), Craig (Funny... for a lawyer.), and Ty (this season's Ed).

One. Perfect. Day.

2010-06-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

No breakfast in bed.

No silly songs.

No over-the-top dinner.

No gifts.

Just cake.

A White-Chocolate Raspberry Torte.

Made from scratch.

Fool Me Once...

2010-06-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

... shame on you. Fool me twice, I'll still watch your show.

You've done it again, ABC. I thought for sure that the teasers on television about Kasey meant something a whole lot more sinister than a really dumb, permanent display of obsession. I should know better.

Speaking of...

Ah, Kasey. Watching your date with Ali was nothing short of painful. From the weird-voiced, cheesy-lyric serenades to the vomit-inducing one liners. If you stop trying to sound like Romeo, you just might actually have a shot at being Romeo. Plus, if one questions your sincerity, there's nothing like a bright, shiny new tat to really put things over the top. You owe Frank a big "thank you" for interjecting and stealing Ali before you could parade your body art in front of her. Had you been able to, it may have cost you a rose, and you may have had a restraining order to add to your list of firsts.

A mad shout goes out to both Kirk and Chris L. for taking Ali's best interests to heart. Flowers, soup, and a bed time story are really the best medicine.

Of course, Chris N. stayed. Oh, wait. What's that, you say? You don't know who that is? That's okay. I don't think that Ali does, either...

Thank goodness that Jonathan finally went home. He was a lot more high maintenance than one should expect a man to be, even for a Weatherman.

Jesse's gone. Surprising? Yes. Though not really...

Officially, I want Kirk to win. Really, really. Roberto's gonna take it, thus, cementing my knack for rooting on the wrong one. Oh well. Me likes who me likes. Doesn't Kirk get more pretty as time goes on?

Quote of the Night: "I'm going to protect and guard your heart. He tattooed it on his wrist. Getting a tattoo, that doesn't prove anything except the fact that you're nuts." -Frank

Very Close 2nd Place Quote of the Night: "Kasey didn't, in fact, burn himself. He got a tattoo. He's gotta live with the for the rest of his life. That's not coming off. So you're gonna be the tattooed Bachelorette guy for the rest of your life. That's gonna be probably your nickname." -Chris L.

Ah, hah, hah... just found this whilst downloading pictures from the internet and had to share. It's my privilege, nay, my duty as a loyal Bachelor/Bachelorette fan to make fun of those I deem ridiculous. Without further ado, Kasey's ideal date according to ABC.com:

"Horseback riding on the ocean, followed by lunch on a sailboat, then coming home to a prepared dinner with candlelight."

Wow. That's one talented horse. As long as you're not expecting too much, there, Kasey...

The Dark Horse

2010-06-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

Upon further reflection:

Kirk is kind of a stud. I think that Ali thinks so, too. I don't know why I didn't see his boyish good looks and unassuming charm before. And so, he officially replaces Frank in my favorite choosings. Why?

Well...

Frank's desperation is wearing on me. Apparently, he has never seen an episode of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. He misses the very premise of the show. Someone had to have explained to him that he would be one of 25 men dating her... hmm... maybe not.

I think that it's awfully funny that Ali was so up in arms about Jake keeping Vienna around despite the advice of the bachelorettes living with her, and yet, Ali continues to keep Justin around. Good luck. Hmm... what's that they say about karma?

How's about giving Steve a shot? He may have Brillo Pad hair and inept fine motor skills, but the man set up a champagne picnic in the driveway. Now, that's romance.

Well, I think that about sums it up.

Recap:

Favorites: Roberto (Winner), Kirk (Runner Up and by default, The Bachelor: Season 15.), and Jesse ("At least I got a night in the fantasy suite...").

Please go home: Jonathan (weeps like a woman), Kasey ("Help! There's something stuck in my throat!"), and Justin (convenient "manly" weeping).

Waiting for Tonight.

2010-06-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

I know that you all have been waiting on pins and needles for my assessment of The Bachelorette: Season 6. I fear that I must disappoint you. I decided that I was going to take a hiatus for this one and just enjoy the train-wreck of it all, but knowing myself, I knew that if I were to decide to post nothing at all, something would happen that would absolutely warrant a post. So, for those of you wondering where my Bachelorette insights have been, your answer is this:

I am only going to write when it moves me. There aren’t that many of you that really care what I write anyway, I imagine… Rest assured that when Kasey begins to cut himself, I shall likely join the rest of the Bachelorette blogosphere in my rants.

Until then, this will have to suffice:

Hunter: Funny, and it’s no mystery why. Funny-looking people often learn how to use humor in order to make it through High School. Case in point: Me. Actually, I am wondering if she requested trolls. Three-quarters of the bachelors are, well, less than average…

Craig: Glad he went home. I think that he has X-Ray vision. Yikes. Maybe it’s because I think that he looks like Wolverine? Super powers must be had.

Justin: Lost me during his bio in episode 1. Plus, really not diggin' the soul patch.

Jonathan: Ah, an original favorite. Who doesn’t love a Weatherman? He’s getting on my nerves, now, though. I think that when he actually does get hit, he’s gonna cry like a girl. Maybe they’ll arrange a cage fight between him, Craig and David.

Kasey: Besides the obvious mental issue foreshadowing, is anyone else waiting for him to announce that he’s deaf? It’s either that or his voice is just weirding me out.

My favorites are as follows:

Jesse: Grace under pressure.

Frank: Another funny-lookin’ dude, but something about him me likes.

And… (drum roll…)

Roberto. Bet you didn’t see that coming. He’s gonna win the whole thing. Yep. I’m callin’ it. I knew it from the moment that he and Ali met and she uttered, “Sexy…”. Then again, look at her other options…

Now I must go. I am certain that my husband is laughing somewhere saying, “I told you so!” I digress.

Also, while looking up information randomly on the internet, I looked at a bio for the host, Chris Harrison, and found this: “This year he will also host ABC's new reality show, Bachelor Pad, the first all-star reunion from previous seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, which premieres August 9.” My dream has come true.

P.S. Those who comment on my posts and make me happy will win a exclusive invitation to my Bachelorette: Season 6 Finale Party. It’s gonna be pretty rockin’. So rockin’, in fact, that I won’t reveal any details of it until after it happens. Suffice it to say that formal invitations will be involved.

The Seven-Year Itch

2010-05-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

I like you

And I know why

I like you because

You are a good person

To like

I like you because

When I tell you something special

You know it's special

And you remember it

A long long time

You say

Remember when you told me

Something special

And both of us remember

When I think something is important

You think it's important too

We have good ideas

When I say something funny

You laugh

I think I'm funny and

You think I'm funny too

Hah-hah

That's because

You really like me

Don't you

And I really like you back

And you like me back

And I like you back

And that's the way we keep on going

Every day

I like you because if I am mad at you

Then you are mad at me too

It's awful when the other person isn't

Phooey

They are so nice and hoo-hoo you could just about

punch them in the nose

If you find two four-leaf clovers

You give me one

If I find four

I give you two

If we only find three

We keep on looking

Sometimes we have good luck

And sometimes we don't

I like you because

I don't know why but

Everything that happens

Is nicer with you

I can't remember when I didn't like you

It must have been lonesome then

I like you because because because

I forget why I like you

But I do

So many reasons

I guess I don't know why I like you really

Why do I like you

I guess I just like you

I guess I just like you.

Happy Anniversary, Baby. I like you.

(Words from: "I Like You" by Sandol Stoddard Warburg)

The Most Wild Thing of All

2010-05-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

I have nothing funny to say. Sorry about that. I do, however, have some pictures to share with you of Mason's official 1st Birthday Party.

This is one of many things that I have cooking this month. It's been, and will continue to be, a busy month for us. This week we will celebrate both Ethan and Josh's birthdays so there will be plenty yet to post. In the meantime, enjoy a look into our crazy Saturday:

The sign greeting guests as they walked in.

Just some of the decorations. Yes, those vines are hand-cut. And yes, I am amazing.

(Notice the fort in the back? Did that too...

That's where we had a "... dramatic reading of Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak.)

This picture turned on me. I hate technology.

At any rate, these are the party favors.

Again, this one turned on me. Joys of computers.

These were the party favors, close-up. Every child got one. That's right.

Mason's party attire. In case you can't read it, it says, "King of all wild things".

The cupcakes served to all the guests.

Mason's birthday cake. Go ahead. Stare.

(Notice the beautiful baby in my arms? Say hello to my newest niece, Eliza. Isn't she pink?)

And of course, a birthday wouldn't be a birthday without pictures of the destruction of a handcrafted original.

We didn't capture it properly, but this kid was all about the cake.

Notice the wad in his right hand? Yeah, cake.

Finally bored with eating, ready to do some real damage...

I got ideas for his party from here. It was fun to do, if not a little too ambitious. I don't have a picture of the invitation. Maybe I'll post it at a later date... it was cute. We also had food, and a wild game of "Pin the Tail on Max". Max is still on our living room wall, waiting to freak Josh out in the middle of the night. What do you do with a giant Max?

Three turns One.

2010-05-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

Mason turned the big, 0-1 on Friday. I am late in posting. I debated not posting and waiting until his real party this upcoming Saturday, but these photos are just too good to keep to myself:

"Say... what's that?"

"Well, now, that's a fine specimen you have there."

"Mmm..."

(Commence maniacal laughter.)

(More laughter.)

(Gasping for breath.) "Too... much... laughter..."

"Oh, wait. There's some left over here on my left hand."

And there you have it. My baby. One. Ah, sweet sadness.

Retreat

2010-05-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

I recently enjoyed a wonderful weekend with some of my girlfriends at Red Rock Spa. It was fabulous! I indulged in a Swedish massage, pampered my piggies with a pedicure, and discovered the fabulousness that is a hand massage during a manicure. We enjoyed dinner at the buffet, entertainment at the Cinema, and a night away from crying babies in the hotel. It was amazing, relaxing, and so good to catch up with friends I don't get to see often enough. (Sadly, I'm a terrible oaf and didn't remember my camera to get any pictures of this amazing weekend... Oh, wait... what's this that I stole from Maggie's blog?)

The four Musketeers who braved the hotel, spa, and luncheon. Yeah. We're real troopers.

And what did My Boys find to do while I was away? I guess Josh figured that I would wonder just that and so he made me this wonderful video while I was away:

What a sweet bunch of men I have!

Thank you, Josh, for taking such good care of my babies while I was away pampering myself and thank you to all the lovely ladies who put up with me on a (nearly) daily basis. I had a blast. You really are the best! Here's to our Caribbean vacation, 2025!

Sanity: It's overrated.

2010-04-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

This week, I believe that I officially lost my sanity. But I gained these little beauties in return:

It's a trade-off, but I can't decide whether or not I'm sad about it.

My tummy says no.

Family Photo

2010-04-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried to take your own family photograph since everyone's already dressed up?

We should know better.

The Black Thumb

2010-04-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

Seriously. Ever heard of a guy called King Midas? I am his gardening equivalent. Except instead of gold, everything that I touch turns to dead.

Let me explain:

When I was a young bride, my husband informed me that he wanted a garden. He had grown up with one and spent time each summer canning the fruits of the collective family labor. I, on the other hand, took on the task of killing Mom's Mother's Day plant each year. In short, I have a bad track-record with plants.

I wasn't thrilled with the idea, as gardening with my mom during my teenage years only proved to me that I was allergic to any and all things organic and that I have the Super-Human ability to kill anything that manages to grow under my care. But, young and dumb, though I was and agreed to give a a go. Or two. Or three.

We started with a houseplant that we got on sale at Target with a leftover wedding gift card. His name was Walter. Long story, but every plant deserves a name. Walter was foolproof. I could not kill him. Or so I thought. After some over watering and under watering, I turned the botanical reins over to my sister-in-law, and when we moved, we left him on the doorstep of some green-thumbed friends.

Zoom ahead about 2 years.

While living in Pocatello, Idaho, we lived in an apartment with a window box. We were told that we would be allowed to grow anything that we wanted, short of illegal substances, in our boxes. Being a young Mom, I decided that it was time to teach my two-year-old the value of work. Flowers would be a welcome addition to my drab kitchen and so, in the spring, I did it all right. I bought the little planter things that you get them to seed in, indoors. I watered only according to package directions. I began to see something grow. They were beautiful and more knowledgeable than I. I opened the blinds one morning to give my little sprouts some sun, and a little water. As I turned my back on the plants, they committed suicide. I kid you not. Though they were stable, perched on my extra-wide window sill, they plunged to their deaths on my tiled kitchen floor. Though they did not leave a note, I heard them loud and clear; You should not be doing this.

Come with me again, ahead nearly four years. My yard is equipped with Astro Turf. Long, luxurious Astro Turf, mind you, but still, unkillable Astro Turf. Last summer I managed to kill one of the three "tolerant" bushes planted in our patio planters, and I am scared to death to prune my dwarf lemon tree. Really, just waiting for it to die.

Why, then, did I think that planting more flowers would be a good idea? My logic eludes even me.

Something was growing here...

Then this happened...

Something appears to be growing here:

Oh wait, too many somethings.

Mold. Despite the greenhouse-esque effect of my bathroom with it's large garden tub and brilliant late afternoon sun through the 4 x 4 glass-block window. Apparently it's the wrong kind of "Perfect Storm".

Really, how many plants must die before I am put to a stop?

I hereby throw in my gardening tools, will, and delusions. I guess this is why they invented silks. Someday I intend to have wonderful, beautiful grounds and a landscaper to match. Someone must save them from a fate worse than death.

In the meantime, anyone need some slightly-used planters?

Salvaged

2010-04-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

So with a little planning, a really yummy recipe, and a forced smile, Easter was saved.

Chasing Easter

2010-04-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Today I feel like writing. I'm sorry, I just do. I have a stream-of-conscience or rather, ADD, issue going on inside my head. I feel that this may be therapeutic in some way. Bear with me.

Is anyone else having the hardest time getting "into" Easter? Me too. It's not that I don't like Easter, in fact, I really do. But for some reason it hasn't taken its hold on me this year.

You see, last year, I had all of my Easter supplies ready and on-hand no less than two weeks in advance. Not only that, but I had planned everything in mid-February. I am such a planner. Generally planning gives me a high. I feel prepared, on task, and mind-haze free.

Not this year.

It could be that I was sick with the flu all last week or the fact that as an addition to being sick, I lost my voice on Monday night and have been mute since. I just got around to Easter baskets yesterday, but have no idea where the actual baskets are or when I will buy Mason's. I am finally starting to understand those plastic, all-inclusive, shrink-wrapped Easter baskets that you find at the supermarket. The kind I always wanted as a kid but the kind I, and my children, will only ever dream of.

My kids have yet to see the Easter Bunny. In fact, they have no idea that he's been frequenting the Mall where we should be going to get the new matching Easter ties that I've been meaning to look into.

Easter dinner. Oh dear. Will my family forgive me if I don't make homemade scalloped potatoes and a honey ham? I just don't have the energy. Not to plan, shop, or especially execute.

I read about things while I am blog-stalking, about all the cute things that people have been doing with their kids. It makes me feel even more behind. And lazy.

Thank goodness Grandpa already dyed eggs with the kids. Yep. Not me. Grandpa.

But really, didn't I just finish making all my kids' Valentines? I'm sure that was only last week. Christmas is enough planning that it should last all year through, right? Let's just focus on the meaning of Easter this year and not the traditions. If only that didn't just make me feel lazy.

No worries; As the sun sets on April 3rd, I'm sure that I'll have picked my attitude up off the floor, dusted it off, and started peeling potatoes. Until then, maybe a to-do list will help...

Welcome, welcome.

2010-03-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the list (thankfully nontoxic) markers.

We will miss you.