Work + Fun

Last week I had a little work trip to SF so I decided to build in a quick visit to Bek's. She was super-nice to have me, and I just love hanging with her family and getting to spend time with her kids. It is especially fun to hang out with them in their "natural habitat" without the distracting influence of Grandma/Grandpa/My Kids.

I think I'm going to hire this one to be my personal assistant- what do you think?

I love that N's hair is "crazier" than Birdy's! Birdy think's it is pretty awesome, too.

Bek took me for delicious Vietnamese food. *sigh* I wish we had decent Vietnamese in Utah County!

I also got to have the greatest invention ever- Garlic Fries! Can you imagine? My two loves, fries and garlic, married together with grated parmesan! It was worth the trip just for these bad boys!

Mermaid Mansion

I came home from work and EJ was so excited to tell me her idea. "Mommy- I think Disneyland should get rid of the Haunted Mansion and have Mermaid Mansion instead!". Above is her picture of what that magical place would look like. Take special note of how the big mermaids have little mermaids for feet (and hands, it appears). Also, not the hair- her artwork is heavily influnced by Dr. Seuss these days!

It's Science!!

While looking on Amazon.com for a birthday present for Abby, we came accross a butterfly kit- you know, order caterpillars, watch them make cocoons and then turn into butterflies. We decided to order one. We even got a butterfly lifecycle book on PBswap so we could teach the girls about the magic of metamorphosis.

It finally got consistently warm enough that we felt it was OK to order or caterpillers (it has to be around 50 degrees most days or you'll kill your butterflies when you release them into the wild). This week they finally came!

Here they are on day 1 above- just tiny little things. I believe EJ named them Monkey, Bubble Gum, Ariel, Belle and Jasmine. In about 24 hours, they doubled in size (the brownish stuff at the bottom is their food) and they are really, really gross. We are about 4 days in and they are huge and there are "little green balls" all over their cup (caterpillar poo, EJ informed me). I was going to take a picture but I can't really stand to look at them that long. Fortunately, I'm the only one in the family that is grossed out by them- the girls still think they are awesome.

We'll keep you posted on the exciting lives of our little science experiments!

The Girls Love Nutella

We recently introduced the girls to the gloriousness that is Nutella. It makes for really great mustaches (and hillbilly teeth).

Birdy's is the best. Please also note the "beautiful, beautiful, twirly" dress (circa 1989 that Grandma picked up at a yard sale) it is a new favorite.

BTW- does anyone else's kids stubbornly eat through the middle of a half a sandwich or bread or is it just mine?

9 Years!

May 19th marked our 9 year anniversary! I have a hard time believing it has been 9 years. It seems like forever and not very long at the same time. The pic above are my "anniversary flowers". The stupid voles chewed through our only surviving rosebush on our back patio, so we got replacements. Grandma and Grandpa K were super-great and had the girls over for a sleepover so DMP and I got a nice long date and even better, the chance to sleep in!

I thought I could write some great anniversary post about how far we've come and etc. but I'm not that great of a writer to begin with, and the baby has eaten my brain. Plus I feel like this anniversary is all about waiting- waiting for the baby, waiting for the big 1-0 and the big trip we are planning. All I can say is that I'm so grateful and I feel so blessed that we are where we are today. I'm lucky to have such a great partner and friend!

30 Weeks

Ta Da! The "official" 30 week pic (good thing we got one before it became 31!). I'm feeling pretty good, and things seem to be going well. Brother kicks (a lot!) but, unlike the girls, he doesn't seem to be as into schooching up as high into my lungs/chest as possible, so that is nice. Not so nice is the constant heartburn. I only get it when I'm preggo- the first time I had it with EJ, I thought I was having a heart attack until DMP pointed out it was probably heartburn!

Sleep is getting harder because if the kicking, readjusting the belly pillow every time I roll over, and having to pee a lot, but nothing more than expected. I find out the results of my Glucose test tomorrow. Cross your fingers that it is OK and I don't have to prick my finger every day for the next 10 weeks (ish)!

We are slowly getting things ready for this little guy. We have plenty of clothes (thanks Cynj!) and the baby's room is slooooowwwlly transforming from the craft/storage/misc. junk room into a 1/2 storage & 1/2 baby room. Hopefully we'll get everything done before he comes. Oh, yeah, when I say "we" I really mean DMP is moving and cleaning while I direct. He's such a great guy!

EJ is still excited and will frequently greet "Baby Brother" before me when I come home from work. She is still acting like a "little mother" and is eager to help me with anything I need (which is awesome because picking stuff up off the floor is hard!) Birdy is OK with the baby being a brother as long has he has pink hair, she can put him in dresses, and his name is Sparkle Shiver-Shiver. Hey, it's a bit of progress, right?

UPDATE: I went to my Dr appt today and my glucose test was all normal! Hip! Hip! Hurray!

Huh?!?!

Tonight after dinner, DMP told EJ that he was signing her up for a karate class this summer. She said she can't take that class because has been doing so much karate lately that her friends are upset. DMP asked why and she said, "Because they don't get to see the 'old me' anymore!".

Riff on Cyndi's "Rant"

Cyndi just wrote an interesting post on our cultural concept of "soul mates" or "meant to be" and how movies and, I would add, book plots, often excuse and OK extra-marital/extra-relationship affairs with that misguided concept. Read her excellent and insightful post here.

It made me think of an article I just read recently calld "Can this marriage be fun?". It is worth a quick read, but the subtitle is "the depressing glut of marriage-improvement ideas". A quick summary of the article is that the culturally acceptable goal for marriage is constant perfection and we expect mutual emotional, financial and sexual gratification at all times. Anything less than that is a "problem". I think this cultural issue is closely tied to the cultural concept of "soul mates". In short, it is what we expect when we find our "soul mate" whom we are "meant to be" with forever- we expect perfection.

With this expectation of perfection, I think a lot of people fall victim to a hamster wheel of "marriage improvement projects". Or, worse, when things aren't perfect all the time they start looking for their "real" soul mate or think they've made big mistake.

It reminds me of when I first got married. People said marriage is the best and hardest thing they had ever done. Bishops, Stake presidents, friends and sisters alike all warned me that it would be hard. I didn't believe them. I thought we were different, special and that my relationship with DMP would be as happy and easy as it was then.

I think that attitude really came back to bite me when things did get really, really hard. I suffered for a long time from the "not fair" syndrome when I should have been working on moving forward and recognizing it was a challenge, a trial, a "rough road" - whatever - and worked to move beyond it in a patient and more restrained way. (BTW- I'm not being vague on purpose- I think both of my readers are familiar with DMP's challenges with social anxiety disorder and how it has affected our family- if you aren't and are curious, email me and we'll talk :>)

I'm so grateful that I have an awesome husband and when it was my turn to "go crazy" (generalized anxiety disorder, this time) he was able to be patient, supportive and loving even though I was crabby, scared and crazy.

My point is that I think our culture could benefit more from a shift in the expectation that marriage will be a perfect union of soulmates who are perfect and happy forever to a more realistic view that marriage has ups, downs, and is often boringly normal.

For this reason I love that the Church teaches that happy marriages take hard work and patience (remember? I said my Bishop and Stake Prez tried to tell me :>). One of my recent "daily gems" (seriously, thanks Jen for the heads-up!) was this from a 2007 Ensign article from Bruce C. Hafen:

"...Equal partnerships are not made in heaven- they are made on earth, one choice at a time, one conversations at a time, one threshold crossing at a time. And getting there is hard work."

Today's gem was from a 1992 Ensign article by President Benson:

"Restraint and self-control must be the ruling principles in the marriage relationship."

I love that last one- because he says the ruling principles should be something as unromantic as restraint and self-control. Not romance, not dating, not even communication- it is all about being respectful to your spouse.

Spot the Chihuahua

EJ's New Trick- "The Doughnut"

Maybe she can join the circus and earn her keep. (and yes, her toes are touching her head- ick)

A testimony

Thanks to Jenn's heads up, I signed up for "Daily Gems" to be delivered to my email every day. It makes for an awesome way to start my work day. You can sign up here.

A couple of days ago, this quote was the "Family Gem" quote of the day:

"Men and women joined together in marriage need to work together as a full partnership. However, a full and equal partnership between men and women does not imply the roles played by the two sexes are the same in God's grand design for His children. As the proclamation clearly states, men and women though spiritually equal, are entrusted with different but equally significant roles."
~M. Russell Ballard, "The Sacred Responsibilities of Parenthood," Ensign, Mar. 2006, 29

I have a testimony of this divine view of equality between men and women. Women and men have unique roles that each play in our families and lives. I believe that we have been blessed with gifts and talents that help us fulfill these roles. When I stop and think about it, I'm amazed at how perfect and inspired it is.

I think you can see evidence of it not only in our families, but in the organization of the church. Many non-LDS women see that organization as patriarchal and oppressive to women but I think anyone who has been in a RS or Primary Presidency would agree that women have as much leadership ability and contribute equally at all levels of organiztion of the church.

However, just as Elder Ballard says- there needs to be a full and equal partnership between men and women. I think this applies in more than just the family relationship. I think that this idea of "equality" can apply to our greater society. Women should have equal opportunities and treatment as men when it comes to education and careers. Just as it is inappropriate for men to excersize "unrighteous dominion" in their marriage, they shouldn't do the same outside of it either.

As I was trying (unsuccessfully) to find a quote about this topic that our Bishop used in his Mother's day talk I came accross this 1991 Confrence talk given by President Hinkley on this topic in general. If you are interested at all I would encourage you to read it- it is pretty short and there was too much good stuff to pull out as a quote. It is called "Daughters of God".

Apparently, I stink

We were at stake confrence a week or so ago. EJ leaned over and whispered a question and I replied briefly. She then whispered "Mommy, do you ever brush your teeth?"
I held back my giggles and said "yes".
"Oh, because sometimes when you talk, your breath stinks."
What else could I reply other than "You too, honey."

As a related side note, both girls have been very into smelling each other's breath or asking DMP and I to smell theirs. Hey- at least they are aware of the need for good oral hygene!

On Saturday, I overheard this conversation between EJ and her best friend Emmie:
EJ: "My mommy has smelly stuff she puts on her neck" (I'm assuming she means my perfume)
Emmie: "Oh, does it smell like strawberries?"
EJ (in all seriousness): "No, my little sister says it smells like chicken."

The next day we were getting ready for church and the girls wanted to put on some of the new "beautiful, beautiful flower perfume" I got the day before. As we were walking up the stairs, Birdy said "Yay! I'm going to smell like fresh, fresh chicken!"

Happy (The Day After) Mother's Day

Hello. Guest author, DMP here with...

Some thoughts about mothers:

Mothers are great; everyone I know has one.

You don't have to have one entirely to yourself to enjoy the benefits of having a mother; you can share one with siblings. (I have heard that some siblings share a mother much more peacefully than they share anything else.)

Without your mother, you wouldn't be who you are.

Your mother always loves you, but doesn't always want you around. (When you've been naughty, or "failure to launch"...)

To all the mothers I know and the ones I don't. Thank you. We love you. We couldn't get along without you.

Pretty Girls!

We got ready a bit early for church and, for once, the girls cooperated and let me take some pics of them all dressed up. These are the best pics we've gotten of EJ in a long time- she typically makes "evil elf" faces and won't point her eyes at the camera!
Isn't she so pretty? The pic of Birdy below is one of the best- no real smiles from this one, but she still looks cute- kinda like Shirley Temple!

Rock a Bye Baby Indeed

The girls have been driving us nuts at bedtime lately. I don't know if it is because it is lighter outside at bedtime or if the novelty of the bunk beds has worn off. Pretty much every night for a week we have had issues.

Last night EJ came out first to tell us Birdy had climbed to the top bunk and bitten her. Then Birdy came out and said EJ was "mean". It goes on like that for about an hour after they are supposed to go to sleep which means tired and cranky girls (and parents) the next day.

Tonight we decided to turn on some soft music that they could listen to in hopes of distracting them in the time between going to bed and falling asleep. They loved listening to music at bedtime at Aunt Jenn's when they stayed there recently, so we thought we could use it as a reward for good behavior, too.

Tonight I started looking for appropriate music. For some reason, people who make lullaby CD's think the harpsichord or xylophone is soothing. I'm not kidding- go to Amazon.com and listen to samples of the Baby Einstein Lullabies- just awful. However, in my search I stumbled across this:

Seriously not even kidding. It is actually lullaby versions of Metallica songs. I had great fun playing them for DMP and having him guess which song it was (he did surprisingly well). If you know/like Metallica at all, you have to click on the image above and listen to the song samples. It will make your day!

"Rockabye Baby!" is a apparently a whole series of lullaby renditions of popular rock (and other music. Check out the list of artists. They've got Tool, Nine Inch Nails, AC/DC and less "hard" stuff like Bob Marley, U2 and two volumes of the Beatles. Aside from Metallica, my other favorite was Guns 'n Roses. You seriously haven't lived until you've heard a soothing rendition of "Welcome to the Jungle". Do yourself a favor and click the image below and check it out- it will seriously make you laugh until you almost pee yourself (or that could just be me- at 28 weeks it doesn't take much!)

Cooking Dinner- Tuna Fish in a Fish!

We recently got a "kids" cookbook so we can involve the girls in picking and making one dinner/meal each week. They look through the book and pick the recipe they want to try. Our first was a cutesy dish that was basically a tuna melt in fish-shaped pie crust.
The girls helped with everything (except chopping, of course). It is hard not to jump in and "fix" or do things for them. It got kind of messy and some things took forever, but I think they learned a lot about basic cooking.
We talked about being clean while cooking. It was hard for them to remember and we went through a couple of spoons and forks that they licked before they were done!
I love this pic of EJ- can you tell she's my kid? She has to stick her tounge out when thinking hard about a task. She is sealing the fish pockets with the "magic trick" Daddy taught them. Both girls had fun brushing the egg wash on their finished fishies.
Unfortunately, we forgot to spray the pan, so the fish were kind of hard to get off. The taste was suprisingly good. The crispy pie crust was an interesting departure from bread with the tuna melt. In all it was a successful experience. Both girls had no problem eating their dinner!