Because

These kids are great and I love them so much.

I wish I had more to say, but my brain has been temporarily shut down due to the fact that my sinuses have been taken hostage by the blooming olive trees. Darn these stinking allergies!

Chocolate Currency

I made chocolate chip cookies about 2 weeks ago. Daddy found this the other night when he was helping Thomas put his toys away (thank heavens it has been too cold for ants!). When Thomas was questioned as to why he had chocolate chips hiding in his cash register, he quickly responded that he kept them there so he can have them anytime he wanted. When I was making cookies I did notice that a little hand kept reaching up to the counter and taking chips, but I figured he was eating them, not saving them for a rainy day.

Easter Sunday

We had a great Easter. We have 9 am church, so the morning started out in a mad rush to get ready. When we went downstairs for breakfast, Thomas opened the shutters and said, "oh, I guess the Easter Bunny didn't come to our house." He didn't even sound sad when he said it, just kind of matter-a-fact. I quickly explained that the Easter Bunny isn't like Santa Claus, he (or is it a she?) comes sometime during the day on Easter. I told him to ask his cousins, who also live in the same neighborhood, if the bunny made it to their house yet. I was banking on the fact that my brother and sis-in-law would delay the Easter activities until after church also.

When we got home from church, Thomas quickly ran to the shutters again and was beside himself. Once again, Mom was right. The Easter bunny was able to come while we were at church (during Sunday School to be exact)! Thomas had a great time hunting for eggs, while Clara scavenged the broken eggs on the patio.

I decided after reading a cyber-friends blog that the Easter Bunny would bring the kids Easter Baskets with candy, and have books inside instead of toys (that's what you get when your mom is a former teacher). I went to the store and picked out a couple of cute books for the kids and placed them in their baskets. He was thrilled, as was Clara, until a few hours later when he asked why the Easter Bunny didn't bring him any toys. I told him that Santa brought toys and the Bunny brings books and candy...I'm not sure how happy he was about that.

Don't you hate it when your dress gets caught up in your diaper! So embarrassing!!!

I made Clara's Easter dress this year and was thrilled with the way it turned out. I felt kind of bad making her a new dress and not making anything for Thomas, so on Saturday I went and bought him a new "summer" suit. I thought he looked adorable. He reminded me a of a little republican.

One last thing...those green Peeps are evil, but soooo good. I am going to delay my diet until they are gone.

Easter Egg Hunt

They're off!

This is the kind of kid you want hunting eggs with you. He bypasses all the eggs - except for the green ones. I was watching him and yelling at him to pick up the ones that were right in front of him, but he would run right past them and grab only the green ones. (I should say I wasn't yelling, only encouraging.)

Clara on the other hand was perfectly happy to stroll around and look at the eggs. Every once and a while she would pick one up, only to eventually toss it back down for the others to find. She collected 2 - one for each hand and she was perfectly satisfied.

Would you ever guess green was his favorite color?

What Easter means to me...

A Bedtime Story

Once upon a time a little boy waited

while he sat in his little red chair.

While he waited

he called for him,

and tried to understand what Mom meant by "just a little bit longer."

Then it was time to take a little rest,

and wait some more.

Until...

It finally happened.

Granddad had come.

And the little boy was happy.

And the world was perfect.

Fine, and you?

Life has been busy here in our home. For two weeks, our whole family took turns being sick. I started out as allergies, but for all of us it turned into either a sinus infection, bronchial cough, or both.

There were a couple of discoveries I had while being sick. 1) Gone are the days when I could crawl in bed, turn on QVC and just be sick. Both kids were sick while I was. I took them into the Doctor and wanted to beg her to give me the same stuff she was giving the kids. I refrained. 2) I discovered the Netti Pot.

Isn't this the most disturbing picture? I still plug my nose when I jump in the swimming pool, so the thought of pouring water into my nose on purpose wasn't too appealing. After having the cold / allergies for about 5 days, I got desperate and went on a mission to Walgreens. I purchased one, (I must have been really desperate because I paid $15.00 for a plastic tea pot) I used it, and could breathe again. I highly recommend getting one of these for yourself if you have any sinus issues this allergy season.

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In other news...

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About a week and a half ago I was recruited to start teaching coupon classes for Grocery Smarts. I was calling the director to reschedule a class for some friends and ended up talking to her about teaching. I am really excited. I have been addicted to couponing for a few months now and am excited to be able to teach the system to people around the valley. I spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in "training." It was a lot of fun learing how to be cheap, I'm sorry, frugal.

This was my purchase on Friday from Target.

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I bought...

2 large bottles of Soft Scrub

1 bottle of Pledge furniture polish

2 6 packs of applesauce

6 bars of soap

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All this for $5.49! I not only bought this on Friday night, I went back on Saturday morning and made the same purchase because I had more of the same coupons. Couponing is so addictive, but I figure saving my family money is a good hobby to have. I save an average of 65-70% each week on my groceries and household items, and it is all stuff that we would normally use.

On Thursday I got to go over to my friend Cathy's house and pretend like I was a photographer - something I always enjoy doing. She let me play around with her and the baby. All of my favorite shots are of her and her precious little girl. She was worried about not having done her hair or her make-up, but I thought she looked beautiful. This one was one of my favorites.

I usually don't post video, and here I am posting a second one of Clara in a matter of weeks. I had to share this with the out-of-town family (and you can watch it, too). Here she is getting a little distracted.

That about wraps up what we have been doing. Life if good.

When dad takes pictures.

I was searching for a recent picture on my little camera and found this picture that Steve had taken. I realized some things after studying it...

1. As you can see, the haircut hasn't done much to keep her hair out of her eyes.

2. Yes, my daughter was playing outside in her onesie in the middle of March. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm enough to be dressed like the middle of July. Come to think of it, this was a couple days before both kids came down with a cold. I wonder...

3. At least she did have shoes on...for about 30 seconds.

4. Would you believe she only weighs 20 pounds? She is very fluffy and does not hold her weight very well. We are still waiting for her to hit 23 pounds so I can turn her car seat around.

5. When she is a teenager, she is going to hate this picture. I, on the other hand, am going to love it even more than I do now.

Too young?

Clara has been attempting to use a spoon by herself. She was doing pretty well and actually getting pudding in her mouth! Then I walked away. Maybe she isn't too young to use a spoon on her own, but too young to be left unsupervised with a pudding cup.

Anyone know why I buy stock in paper towels?

Just pretend like it's still St. Patricks day.

We hope you all had a fun St. Patricks day. We did. Thomas was beyond thrilled because green is his favorite color. However, he did want to wear a yellow shirt yesterday. Who knows why. Here he is modeling our preschool project we did. I thought the kids would have fun making these beards. The hats were courtesy of The Dollar Tree, a store that will forever serve it's purpose. The beards were a little too hard for 3-4 year olds, but each one of the kids held their pipe cleaners while I tied all the knots. Thanks for the idea, Pamela!

Clara wore the beard about as long as she wears her shoes. If I would have been thinking, I would have had my camera ready to go, but I missed it and she would not put it back on.

It's good to be Irish.

Chocolate Fix

Clara recently started saying "I love you." I was trying to get it on video and got something completely different. We may need to find a new spot for our candy stash.

The one where I explain this...

Friday afternoon I was planning on driving out to Henderson to visit my favorite quilt shop. They were having a 30% off sale, and for everyone out there who is a fabric hoarder like myself, 30% off Amy Bulter and Heather Bailey fabric is not something to be taken lightly.

The original plan was to drive across town around lunch time. The kids and I were going to meet Steve at the Hospital Cafeteria for lunch and then I was going to head over to my happy place. Instead I spent the morning with my BFF and her son playing at the park with the kids and having a great time. When I got home from the park, I realized we were going to have to push the outing until later due to naps. That was my first mistake.

The wind always comes up in the afternoon. The wind has always been my nemesis.

Around 3:00 I loaded the kids into the van and turned the ignition. DRATS! The gas light was on and there was no way I was going to make it across town on fumes. I pulled into the station up the street got out. We were in the middle of a tornado (not really, but it was blustery). I opened my gas flap and started to walk towards the pump. Just then a huge gust of wind came up and blew my hair into my eyes. I took a step back and heard and felt a snap.

NO!!! My heart stopped as I looked down. There, hanging by the plastic cord attached to the gas lid was my flap. I fell to my knees and tried to figure out how I was going to re attach it. Why does this stuff always happen to me? I stood up after saying a few choice words that I would never say in public and wiped away the tears (the car windows were up, so the kids‘ ears didn‘t start to bleed). I walked back to the pump and swiped my card and filled my tank as quickly as I could so I could get on my way. I figured if I drove home I could duck tape the arm back together at the break. I screwed on the lid , jumped in the car and started for home with a glimmer of hope. The whole way home my gas flap was flapping in the wind hitting the side of my car. I felt like such a dork.

When I got home, I tore the garage apart looking for duct tape. How could MY HUSBAND be out of duct tape! He’s MacGyver! He usually has everything in our garage. I went back to the van to inspect the damage again. I decided the break was too short on one side to be fixed with tape. Reluctantly, popped the cord off, threw the flap in the car, and started across town. I was sure that everyone I passed was laughing and pointing. I could just hear all the conversations around the dinner tables…. “You wouldn’t believe what I saw today, this lady, obviously a Mormon mom in a mini van, was driving around with her gas flap missing!” Oh, the humiliation.

Fast forward a week.


It’s taken a few days, but I am starting to cope with the big hole in the side of my car. Although the flashing neon arrow pointing to the hole is still getting to me. I’m not proud. I just keep telling myself that it gives the van more personality.

This morning I was in the shower. I do some of my best thinking in the shower. I was in the middle of washing the conditioner out of my hair when an enormous light bulb went off over my head….

Who would have ever thought Billy Mays would save the day.

The one about Clara's haircut.

I don't even know what to write. Yesterday was the final straw. Clara walked into a wall...twice. The poor girl needed to have her haircut and I needed to stop being a crybaby about it.

I taught her this look. I am very proud of it. When she gets a little older, she will be blessed with a little line right in between the eyebrows when she makes this face.

She is a true girl. She sat and watched herself in the mirror the whole time.


I could tell she was having a moment. Kind of like that moment when you put on glasses for the first time and realize how much you have been missing.

I don't understand why first haircuts are so difficult. She woke up yesterday morning as a baby and went down for her nap as a little girl.

I love it, even though it is a little crooked.

The one about Bonnie Springs

Way back, many days ago... like Monday, March 2nd we took a little field trip out to Bonnie Springs. We thought it would be fun for the kids to visit a petting zoo, plus the weather was great. When I was growing up, Bonnie Springs was a fun, nice place. ( Or maybe I was just too young to pick up on how gross it was back when I was a wee one. ) Guess what? It's not anymore.

This picture pretty much sums up the outing in a nutshell. It stunk. Not only was it really smelly, it was dirty and the animals all looked like they needed to be put out of their misery. We had fun being together, but we were anxious to get into our car and treat ourselves to a round of hand sanitizer.

Thomas and Clara were both fascinated with the jail. Hopefully they got it all out of their system.

I loved this lion. It reminded me of the one that was at the old Wonder World right outside the liquor store.

Thomas also like the Marlboro Camel Ride.

Then I got pooped on.

Clara has a new found love of dirt and rocks. At least she didn't eat this dirt, she has been known to snack on playground dirt.

Love it.

This is the only way I am able to get my kids to take a picture with me. I have to hold them down.

Clara couldn't understand why we let her have her hand stamped.

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