Pimpin' my other sister

Here are some more photos that my sister took of the kids and me. She would be happy to speak to anyone interested in using her as a photographer. You can see more of her stuff at thecrazycookies.blogspot.com or email her at gregandshell@gmail.com.

Estrogen was in the air!

Last night we had a girls night at my house with my sisters and my mom. It was a great time. We ordered some dinner and sat around and talked then started in on our projects. Kami (ever the crafty girl) brought some supplies to make necklaces and earrings and glitter for glitter toes. We all picked out our favorite paper and made Scrabble pendants and then made some bell flower earrings and pendants. Of course there was a lot of girly talk about kids and neighbors and family and husbands and of course, sex. No girls night would be complete without that topic, right? Don't worry husbands, we were very complimentary!

Pimpin' my sister

This lady has put Kami on her website and is doing a giveaway for one of Kami's jewelry pieces. So enter if you like!
http://www.lifeislikechampagneblog.com/
Congrats Kami!!

Wrong?? Or oh so right??

Is it terribly wrong of me to be in love with a fictional character?? I just LOVE Jim from The Office!! I was watching it last night and was just reminded of how cute and sweet and funny he is. I do want to do something about his hair, however. NASTY! But all men need a little makeover once they get saddled with a female companion. Andy required a few adjustments from the first time I met him, but look at him now!! He dresses great, his hair is shorter and his glasses are MUCH more stylish. Don't even get me started on his jeans!! I knew he had major babe potential. He was just a fixer-upper. (I love you Andy!!)

But let's get back to Jim. Maybe I was just especially noticing him because Andy is out of town and I get a little lonely/randy when I don't have someone to hug and kiss. But I love his sense of humor and how sweet he is. I guess I should probably be after the writer and not the actor, but I doubt the writer is as good looking. But hopefully he has better hair.

Worst. Product Photo. Ever.

If you hurry now, you might be able to pick up a pair of shorts at Banana Republic for 40% off!!! Click HERE to check them out.

A $10 gift card to the location of your choice (that I can have shipped to you online, because I'm lazy like that)will be sent to the person with the best comment/caption. Except for Banana Republic - I am now boycotting them after this hideous ad. Feel free to enter more than once.

Meant for each other

If ever there is a question that Andy and I belong together let this story prove that we are meant for each other.
We were watching a movie last night when the credits started rolling and a very random song came on that neither of us knew. We decided to call it a night and went upstairs. I got in the shower and realized I was singing a very strange song. It was the George Michael song "Last Christmas". I thought it was weird that I had that song stuck in my head and was wondering where it came from. I knew I wouldn't be able to fall asleep with that song stuck in my head so I asked Andy to go downstairs and get my Ipod so I could listen to a few songs before bed. Here is how the conversation went:

"Andy, could you please go get my Ipod from the kitchen? I have a horrible Christmas song stuck in my head."

"That's weird, so do I. But there's no way you have this same song stuck in your head."

"What song is it?"

"It's a George Michael song."

MY EYES ABOUT POPPED OUT OF MY HEAD and we both started singing, "Last Christmas I gave you my heart but the very next day, you gave it away.". We decided that the random song at the end of the movie sounded a lot like this Christmas song and that is how we both got stuck singing it. If that ain't a sign from heaven that we should be together, I don't know what is!!!
For your enjoyment......click here.

Question

Here is a question I posed to Andy today:
Since when did I become that mother that drives a minivan, picks up carpool and shops at Walmart during the day when her child is in school?? I don't feel like I'm old enough to be "that mom"!! I'm freakin' out!

Eyeglasses

A couple of years ago I ran across a blog called Glassy Eyes. The original post that started it all is well worth a read if you wear glasses or contacts. Basically it describes how you can get prescription glasses online for cheap. And when I mean cheap, I'm talking 25 bucks for a pair of prescription sunglasses with all of the antic-scratch, anti-glare stuff, etc. To give you an idea of what a deal that really is, with my eye insurance, the anti-glare coating is usually $45. I've bought 2 pair online, and I'm planning to pick up another one by the end of the year, probably for about 50 bucks. The frames that I'm looking at are usually $350, plus the lenses.

Anyways, I thought I'd share in case anyone else wants/needs another pair of glasses. The prices on these sites are ridiculously low, compared to what you usually pay for glasses, even from Costco. To be fair, the $25 pair feel cheap, but it's nice to be able to keep a pair of sunglasses in Kristi's car instead of hauling mind back and forth.

9/11

The first time I ever heard about Andy was on September 11th. I had just started at Neovest and they called to tell me that I didn't need to come into work. A couple of days later I heard that one of our employees was in New York on 9/11 and was still stuck there. I commented on how his wife must be worried sick. Turns out he was single.
Andy was supposed to be taking the train to the World Trade Center around 8 am to see a client but last minute decided to stay in Jersey City with a co-worker and visit a different client. From across the Hudson River Andy saw smoke and heard rumors and was soon evacuated from the building. He went back to the corporate apartment and spent a few days there waiting for a flight home. He could even hear the buildings fall. A lot of our friends in New York have far worse experiences and stories but I am grateful that Andy decided to stay in Jersey City that day. And I'm grateful I didn't know him at that point so I didn't have to worry!!! I left that up to his wife .

I fall for Fall

This could be a very expensive time of year for me. I adore sweaters and tweed pants and most especially, jackets! I went to the mall tonight and wandered into Banana Republic which combined with this time of year is very dangerous. I found many, many, many things that I wanted but unfortunately (or fortunately for Andy's wallet) they were too pricey for me. I went to the sale rack and found a very cute sweater dress which, of course they didn't have in my size. I think I have a lot of cute things from last year still stacked in my closet so that's a good thing. Let's just hope I'm the same size I was last year.

PS: Andy wants me to say that everyone should watch Wipeout. We are laughing. A lot. And aggravating Andy's cough. He should be studying. But instead he's watching people fall in mud. Totally worth it. Good night, and big balls.

Gymnastics

Samantha and Alex are taking a gymnastics class together and although they've only been 1 time so far I think they really enjoyed it. Alex proves far better than Samantha when it comes to tumbling but she was more willing to do the scary, tricky stuff than he was. He is a little afraid of heights. They were both adorable and I am looking forward to seeing how they progress.

I see you like to chew

Maybe you should chew ... ON MY FIST!!



This movie has earned a spot on my top 10 favorite list. Obviously, that's not a very exclusive list.

Attack of the Killer Tomato!!

I got skillz! Tomato growing skillz! I was in my garden yesterday picking my days harvest of tomatoes when I spied one WAY in the back I hadn't noticed before. It looked rather large so I assumed it was 2, maybe 3 tomatoes crowded around each other. As I held it in my hand I realized that it was in fact 1 GIANT TOMATO!!! I screamed for Andy to come outside and check out my massive fruit (something usually reserved for the bedroom! haha). He was quite impressed and we immediately started taking pictures to document the largeness. Andy also weighed it and it came out to a whopping 1 pound, 10 ounces. Here she is in all her glory!

Here it is in the middle next to a regular sized tomato you would buy at the store and a glass. Oh, and Alex peeking in the back.
Next to a quarter.
We cut it up to grill for our hamburgers tonight but they are WAY too big to fit on the bun so they will be eaten on the side instead. Oh, that is a large plate by the way, not a salad plate. We realized too late we should have taken a picture of it in my hand for size comparison. I don't think these pictures quite do it justice. Trust me, it was awe inspiring!

A few pictures

Our friends from New Jersey were in town and came to visit. The kids got along great and enjoyed playing together. Kaia was Samantha's very first friend and she will always be special in our home!
This was taken the first morning Andy was home from Switzerland and the kids were showing off the t-shirts and toys Andy brought them home. I was totally struck in this picture by how old Alex looks!! It broke my heart just a bit. Don't I have the cutest family in the world??
Samantha took this picture of Andy and I. We're hot.

Samantha's First Day of Preschool

Today was a glorious day! One that not only Samantha has been looking forward to, but that I have as well. Samantha started preschool today and the whole family enjoyed the new routine. Samantha loved going to school, Alex loved being alone with mommy, and I loved only having 1 child in the house and being able to get things done. Oh, and did I mention.....2 full hours of no kids fighting??? Yeah, that was the best! Andy came home from work to send her off and watch Alex while I dropped her off at school. Here are a few photos from this morning.
Doing a sad, silly face for daddy.
Sitting at the computer in preschool. She went straight to the computer first thing.

A VERY Samantha face. Isn't she adorable?Alex being, well, Alex.

The Negotiator

I think I have some sort of future working for the government as a negotiator. You wouldn't believe the negotiating that just took place in my house before naps!!! Most of it having to do with Christmas socks and books and the color of a blanket. You know, the usual stuff that makes nations crumble. I'm certain I'll be offered the job at any moment! Good luck to the poor soul that takes my current position!

Contentment

Did anyone else enjoy the rain last night? Andy got home and we slept with the window open and listened to the rain and felt the cool breeze. All was right with the world.

DUH

Some announcer on the US Open just referred to Michael Phelps as "that swimmer guy that did so well in Beijing". What an asinine thing to say! She (I think it was a she though she sounds VERY mannish) was sounding ticked that Phelps might be the sportsman of the year instead of Nadal even if Nadal wins what would be his 3 straight Grand Slam. I say, let's not compare 8 gold medals in the Olympics to 3 Grand Slam titles. They are both great achievements and don't diss Phelps just because you are a tennis commentator. A very mannish, scary commentator.

Does not play music

Alex has been loving Fruit Loops lately. Only he says it Flute Loops. It's very cute. That's all.

Sistas

I'm realizing more and more how talented my sisters are! Kami makes beautiful jewelry that I am constantly wanting.....and sometimes just taking when I am at her house! (Her fault for leaving it laying around!!!) I love that I don't have to buy jewelry anymore because she can just make anything for me in any color I need! Here is her shop if you're interested. versajewel.etsy.com.

Richele took the kids birthday pictures on Tuesday and I am so happy with how they turned out!! And I've only seen 4 of them! She has a lot more to fix before I get to see them. Here are the ones I have so far. These are for Samantha's 4-year-old shots and Alex's 3-year-old shots. Much cheaper than Kiddie Kandids!

Ramblings

To go from something so entertaining like the Olympics to something SO NOT entertaining like the Democratic National Convention is just tough. For me anyways. I don't do politics.

Peanut Butter and Apple juice DO NOT taste good together.

Cheetos and Apple Juice DO NOT taste good together.

I need to eat healthier food. But I probably won't. I don't do healthy. Or exercise.

My kids made a GIANT mess outside with the sand and I am so reluctant to clean it up. Maybe that will be Andy's welcome home present. "We're glad you're home baby! Clean up the sand."

I am getting an hour massage when Andy gets home. Maybe a manicure too. And possibly a pedicure. Not a facial. Had it one time....hated it.

My neighbors were gone all summer and it was great. Now they're back and noisy. But the big black truck is back and that is slightly comforting.....in a very weird way.

I have more tomatoes than I know what to do with!

Woo hoo!

Let's hear it for technology where I can use a web-cam to chat with my husband in Switzerland and show him my ta-tas at the same time!! Oh come on! Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same! Okay, maybe only half of you would. The other half of you are OLD!

My sweet Alex

Oh Alex, the headaches you cause me!! I don't know what to do with you! I am at a total loss besides just faking my way through every day. You are SO hard-headed and stubborn and it seems the more times I ask you not to do something, the less you listen to me. Your stubborness can be a good thing. I watch you try to figure things out and you don't get frustrated you just try and try again until you get it. I admire that you don't give up. But really, you can give up on trying to kill me. Really, I'd rather you be good and us be friends. Please, ease up a bit buddy.

Macarons - from Switzerland...posted by Andy

We're still here!

Well, we've survived so far without Andy but we still have 1 week to go. We've been busy and the kids haven't napped much but I won't complain much about that because then I get to put them to bed early!! Last night they were in bed at 6 and it was AWESOME! Alex REALLY needs one today though so we'll see how he does.
We got to talk to Andy today through Skype which allows you to talk and see each other through the computer. It was good to see that he's alive and doing well and he was happy to see me and the semi-naked children. There was a bit of a delay with the video and talking because, well, he's far away, and the bandwidth in his hotel isn't great. Today they went to France and did some hiking up a mountain and I hope he enjoyed it since it was the only free day of the trip. His schooling starts tomorrow at 8 am. Good luck baby! We love you!

PS: Andy, the house smells like pot roast!! I could smell it when we pulled into the garage! That'll teach ya for rubbing your macaroons in my face!!

1 or fewer? Does that mean I don't exist or just too skinny to count as 1 person???

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 1 or fewer people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Sniff, sniff

Well, Andy is boarding a plane to Switzerland and I am a single mother for the next 10 days. He's going to Geneva for a week long school event and he'd be more excited for his trip if he weren't going to be stuck in class all day. I am going to try and keep busy with my family and friends and the kids and just pray that the time goes quickly and Andy comes home safely!

I love being married

I love being married because you get to have conversations like this:

Andy: "Should I be concerned if my pee is nuclear orange?"

Me: "What did you eat today?"

Andy: "Greek food. Yellow rice and chicken with a yellow sauce."

Me: "I'm not sure that would do it and do it that quickly. But if you keep peeing that color for a while you should probably be concerned."

Andy: "Ok. I didn't flush it so you could take a look at it."

Me: "Wow, how thoughtful. Thank you."

Successful Daddy

I think Andy would consider himself a successful parent given that the children are right now playing with cut outs of the Super Friends and they can identify each hero. Batman and Spiderman are easy, but even Samantha can name Green Lantern and Aquaman. Way to go Andy!!

He's Alive!

We went to Bear Lake for the weekend with my family and I didn't realize until the last minute that we now have a fishy that needs to be fed every day! I was terrified that we'd come home to a dead fish but the little guy survived the weekend like a champ. Then Andy decided to "play" with him and held up a mirror for him to fight with. I've never seen these guys look at a mirror before but they puff up their gills and get all defensive. I told Andy to stop since Merrie is a lover, not a fighter.

I'll be posting about the weekend and hopefully include some photos when I feel like it. So you never know when that will be.

The Kristi Diet

Follow these easy steps to achieve your desired weight on "The Kristi Diet".

1. Get stressed about your upcoming trip with the kids.
2. Get even more stressed at the thought of your husband being gone for 10 days.
3. Develop 4 giant canker sores in your mouth from the stress that cause too much pain to eat.
4. Starve

Bada Bing! A quick and easy 4 step process to loosing all the weight you want!! It works for me!

Sneaky

Our bedroom window looks out over Mt. Timpanogos and the parking lot of the complex next to ours. Usually I try to overlook the parking lot and focus on the mountain but this morning there was some action in the parking lot I couldn't ignore. I saw 3 cops surrounding a man who was just sitting on the ground near a car. The car and the man looked equally trashy. I saw on top of the car a large, empty bottle of whiskey and a large can of beer. The man was very animated in obviously trying to tell his side of the story and one of the cops was just as animated in yelling at him. I've been known to be a little nosey from time to time and I just wanted to know what was going on. So I proceeded to lay on the floor and crack open my window to try and hear the argument. Our window is fairly close to the parking lot and is very noisey when it is opened....hence the secrecy and laying on the floor. Unfortunately they weren't talking loud enough for me to catch what they were saying but I did see them cuff the guy and take him away. Later, when we went out to ride bikes I noticed another bottle of the same whiskey on the grass in front of my house. Trying to get rid of some evidence I suspect. (Yeah, I watch CSI) The kids enjoyed watching me being sneaky and then got a lesson on what happens when you're bad.....you go to JAIL!!! I think I'll use it next time they don't nap.

By the way, I think I get my noseiness from my mother who has been known to lay on her bedroom floor, peer out the window and listen to her crazy neighbors scream at each other and call the cops. But then again, what else is she supposed to do at 2 am??

What's up people???

Am I just not writing anything interesting enough to comment on? Or have you stopped reading? Or are you intentionally trying to make me cry? I'm trying to think of reasons why you all aren't commenting on my witty and wonderful posts? Hook me up people! I'm feeling very unloved! ;-) (I'm only partially kidding!)

A couple of funnies from today

I got the hiccups at dinner which still hurts my back so I had a painful look on my face and complained a bit to which Samantha responded, "Tough it up mom!". I couldn't help but laugh.

Alex and Samantha were playing outside after dinner and she came inside to complain that her head got hurt. Alex was running behind her saying, "You won't die, it's okay, you won't die.". Can you tell what we say often to our children???

Enjoyable

I enjoyed listening to Andy scream for the USA basketball team this morning against China and Samantha repeating the cheers. Then she would run upstairs and tell me about the cool "goal" that a guy made by spinning around and dunking. I also enjoyed watching Archery and the kids getting into it by asking what score each person got and keeping track of how many 9's and how many 10's there were. As you can tell, we are enjoying the Olympics!!

Oh, and did you SEE those Opening Ceremonies??? I usually skip those but I was entranced by the sheer quantity of people involved and the fabulous costumes. Best Opening ceremonies ever. I was taking notes on what to have Andy buy me when he's there in April.

Side note: I'm watching water polo right now and the men wear very tiny Speedos. Not that I'm complaining.

Most expensive Build A Bear EVER!

My mom took all of the grandkids to Build A Bear and let them choose an animal and an outfit. The kids had a great time but, of course, Alex and Samantha enjoyed playing with the box more than anything. Here's the proof....

Long Lost Friends

Jenny, my best friend from high school, and her family came over for dinner last night and it was so good to see her and her husband again and meet her two beautiful daughters (they live in Ohio). Her oldest, Ali, is 3 and got along famously with my 2 kids and her 4 month old Sophie had me wrapped around her little finger! We have not seen each other since my wedding day and there was a lot of catching up to do. Andy felt bad that his hamburgers did not come out as he liked but I still thought they tasted good. The fact that I didn't have to stand over the hot flames and cook them made them taste that much better. Not that I ever have (or ever will) cook on the grill, but you know what I mean! The sky was overcast and we were able to eat outside which is a first for the summer. It's been so hot and we have a very sunny backyard so only on the overcast days can we spend much time back there. Thanks for coming over guys and spending some of your vacation time with us! See you again in another 5 years!

FHE

This is how our family home evening just went......the picture for the evening : Peter's Denial.

Andy: "Do you guys know who this is?" (Pointing at Peter)

Samantha: "Jesus!"

Andy: "No, this is Jesus in the dark back here. This man in front is Peter."

Samantha: "Yeah, like Peter Pan!!"

Andy: "No, not Peter Pan, just Peter."

Alex: "Peter Parker!!!!!!"

I didn't catch the rest of the lesson because I was silently laughing to myself in the corner. If they weren't so much darn work I'd have a hundred kids just for the things they say.

Samantha's Birthday

The slideshow below shows a few pictures from Samantha's birthday, her party and just a random cute picture from her soccer game on Saturday. Her birthday on Tuesday started out great when she came down the stairs and saw her bike (Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!) and her most favorite present of all.....her huge singing mylar balloon! Of course the theme of her birthday was Disney princesses and the color pink. Princess bike, princess balloon, princess cups and plates and everything in the color pink. We are going to have to do a totally manly birthday for Alex because the girly hormones flowing through this house after this week are making me nauseous! The day of her birthday we played with some cousins, went to lunch and had a shopping spree at Toys R Us. Although, I don't know that you could call it a shopping spree!! I figured she'd be able to pick out 3 or 4 toys in our budget and in reality she only got 2! Toys are too expensive! But she seemed happy with her purchases and that's all that matters. Plus, we don't want to spoil her too much, right??

Saturday was her birthday party at Kangaroo Zoo and the kids had a blast! We stayed for about 2 hours and the kids were tired and hungry and sweaty by the time we left. In fact, so were the adults from just chasing the kids! We came back to our house and had pizza, cake and ice cream and of course presents! Samantha smiled a lot the whole day and I smiled a lot when her uncle Greg taught her how to ride her bike. She has been frustrated with it all week and hasn't wanted to ride it until magical uncle Greg figured out a way to teach her that she understood and this morning it was the first thing she wanted to do! Thank you Greg. I think it was a successful birthday for her and she seems happy to be 4! The doctor said she is doing well; 50th percentile in height and weight and seems healthy and right on target for her age. The nurse was nice enough to measure and weigh Alex as well and he is only a few ounces less than her and 1 inch shorter. No wonder everyone thinks they are twins!

Thanks to all our family for making Samantha's birthday very fun and special!

Samantha's Birthday Party

I love the History Channel!

The kids are in bed (not sure if they're sleeping) but I'm watching the history of Rome on the History Channel and it is fascinating! I've never been a huge history fan and always got poor grades in the subject in school but I love the way The History Channel brings things to life and makes things so clear. Nero sure was a bad-ass! I want to go back to Rome now and take Andy. Because he's never been. And I have. And I like to rub that in his face. And Florence. And Venice. ALL those places Andy's NEVER been. HA HA HA HA.

Olympics

Who else is SO excited for the Olympics??? I am a huge Olympics fan and plan on ignoring my house, my kids and my husband for 2 weeks while I plant my butt on the couch and eat Cheetos while cheering for the good ol' USA! I think swimming is my favorite. But diving is great too. And of course track and field. And then there is gymnastics. Wow, I think I have a serious Olympic addiction!

Happy Birthday Samantha!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!!

Today you turn 4 years old and you are officially making me feel old! Daddy and I were talking tonight and realized that you are out of the “toddler” classification and into the “preschool” group! Wow! Which, by the way, you are SO excited for preschool. If I would have known how much you wanted to go to school I would have put you in preschool last year as well. My bad. You talk non-stop about school, you make up games and pack your backpack to go to school almost every day. I really hope that you keep this enthusiasm for school your whole life. You are so smart and I know that you can learn anything you want to and you will excel at anything you put your mind to. You are so driven and passionate and I think that if we put you on the right track now you will never go astray. At least that’s what I pray for every night!

You have not been an easy child but boy are you fun!! You are very witty and say such insightful, smart, funny things that I know you will always keep us laughing. I think my favorite thing about you, Samantha, is your ability to show compassion to everyone around you. You are always concerned for others and when you see someone upset or crying you immediately want to help. What a great quality! I can’t count the number of times I have struggled during the day and you have brought me a stuffed animal and your blankie to comfort me. You are especially concerned for Alex which I LOVE to see! When you get a treat in primary or dance class or soccer, you always save a bite for Alex. That makes me feel like I might be doing something right. You two are such good friends and I hope that you always will be.

I really wish I could come up with all the right words to describe you and your personality but you are just too big for any words I know. You are larger than life. Sometimes Grammy and I call you and Alex “forces of nature”. Please take this as a compliment! You have been such a difficult child to parent but I also think, because of that, the rewards for raising you right are going to be that much greater!! It would be so much easier to be the parent of a child who loved the entertain themself (which you don’t) or a child who was easy-going (which you’re not) but you make me grow and stretch myself and you are helping me learn patience and unconditional love and because of that, I wouldn’t change one little thing about you!!!!

I want you to know how special and beautiful you are and how much I love and adore you! I always call you my baby girl to which you reply “I’m not a baby, I’m a big girl!”. FYI, no matter how old you are you will always be my baby girl. I used to think that if you just got a little older you’d be easier…..it turns out I was wrong and I just wished away you being a baby, for which I am forever saddened by. Now I am just trying to savor each phase with you because I know it won’t be too long before you won’t want to rock with me anymore and you will discover many other people more fascinating than me that you will want to spend your time with. Until that day though, I will rock with you whenever you want and spend as much time with you as possible! You are my whole world!! I love you so much baby girl! Happy 4^th Birthday!

Momma

Because we rock!

Just now Andy had the kids in the tub while I dropped something off at the post office. I got home and wasn't trying to be quiet or sneaky but apparently the kids didn't hear me come upstairs until I'd gotten some clothes out and walked around for a while. They suddenly heard me close a drawer and I heard Samantha ask Andy what the noise was and ask if it was a monster. Andy yelled "Hey big scary monster are you there??", at which point I jumped into the bathroom and screamed. Let me just say, the reaction was AWESOME!! Both kids started screaming which lead to crying. They really didn't know it was me. You may think Andy and I are mean for laughing, but come on, it really is funny!! Once they finished crying they found it funny and we continued scaring them for a while, so don't feel too bad for the kids. They recovered quickly.

Samantha's first soccer game

Samantha had her first soccer game this morning and she did so amazingly well and it was the most entertaining soccer game I've been to! And I've been to a soccer game in Rio!! I think we all know how 4 year-olds play soccer.....in one big bunch! Samantha kept up with everyone and tried her hardest to kick the ball. She even ran in the right direction most of the time. The best part was that she had a smile on her face almost the whole time. She was hot and sweaty but didn't complain at all. What a trooper! She also wanted to play this afternoon and practice outside so I think that's a good sign.

Very concentrated.
In the middle of the game she was showing her new friend her pink shoes! Girls have priorities.
She was so cute and excited to be goalie.

As you can see, she was a very effective goalie.

The rest of our day was very fun since the kids both took naps and we were able to go to dinner, get a little shopping done and watch the storm come in before bed. Usually they go to bed so early we don't get to have much fun with them but when they are rested they are hilarious and fun and I so much enjoy being around them.

The ol' swimming hole

Friday morning my family came over for a nice morning swim which turned out to be hot and very fun. My dad had the day off of work so he even got to join us. It brought back a ton of memories of vacations with my family and swimming in the hotel pools. My dad would always let us stand on his shoulders and he would flip us in the air and we would do a back flip into the water. Of course, we'd always try to dunk my dad in the water which we could never do and, come to find out, we still can't!
The kids were great and had such a fun time, which, as we all know, is why we do this stuff anyways.

My mom, dad, Cameron, Spencer and me.

Cameron enjoyed Grampy and I throwing him around.

Samantha swimming on her back kicking her legs.

Alex finally learned how to hold his breath under water. He opened his eyes as well and enjoyed looking under the water.

Happy Birthday Mom!

My mom's birthday was 2 days ago and last night my sisters and I went to dinner and a movie with her to celebrate. It's always a lot of fun to hang out with just the girls and we were very girly and saw Mama Mia. I had no desire to see the movie - no real good reason why, I just didn't care about it. But I must say, it was great! It was sweet, the music was fantastically ABBA and Pierce Brosnon provided the comic relief with his singing. I was so happy to be able to celebrate my mom with 3 of my best friends!

On a side note the kids asked this morning what movie I saw and since then they have been calling me Mama Mia. I kind of like it! I decree I should be called Mama Mia henceforth!!!

Zoo

I took the kids to the zoo this morning (man was it hot!) and it made me realize how big they are getting! We didn't use a stroller because they've outgrown it and just fight sitting next to each other. Oh, and between the 2 kids and the stroller it's about 100 pounds to push!! They just walked next to me, didn't complain about being tired and didn't even drag their feet too much. Besides it being so hot it really was a fun time. I've been waiting for the day that i could take them places like that by myself and it looks like we're there!

I desperately want to work in this office

http://view.break.com/521743 - Watch more free videos

Boys rock!

I love having a boy because the kids are playing outside and are naked and dirty and I REALLY didn't want Alex running through my house all dirty like to go to the potty. So he just peed in the corner of the lawn. Although, I do remember doing that as a kid at my aunt's house when we would swim in her backyard. Going in the house and taking off my swimming suit was too much work. Might as well just pee on the grass!

My jungle

These are my herbs. My parsley is even taller and more gigantic than when this was taken about a week ago. My basil was struggling for a while but now it's taking over as well.
I have 6 tomato plants here and they are all producing very well and getting huge. None have turned ripe yet.
In my opinion, there is nothing better in the summer than fresh tomatoes picked off the vine. My kids will just grab ones off and eat them while they play outside. We have 2 plants growing right now from seeds leftover from last year. They are growing in odd spots though which is going to make them difficult, but worth it. Almost every night when our tomatoes are ripe we have a tomato, mozz and basil salad. YUM!!! We just miss our fresh mozz from NYC. Andy used to pick some up at Grand Central on his way home and it was to die for! That was one of our favorite things about living there. Pathetic, I know.

She's going to make a great mom!

Samantha wanted to color in the family room to which I responded, "No, because your brother has a tendency to color on things he shouldn't. We will color in the kitchen.". Samantha turned to Alex, held his chin in her hand and said, "Alex, you need to be responsible!". Sing it sista!!

Andy's recruits

Andy recruited the kids to help him wash his car the other weekend. As you can imagine though, it didn't take much persuading. My kids will take any excuse to get wet. They sure look cute in their swimming suits if you ask me! Samantha is going to be a knock-out. We are in so much trouble come dating time!

Merrie

This here is our new pet. Yeah, a fish. A boring ol' beta fish. But we were at the pet store and this is the easiest pet to bring home!! The name comes from one of the hobbits from Lord of the Rings. Andy and I decided a while ago that every pet we have is going to be named from LOTR. How cute is a dog going to be named Frodo??? I know!! I'm on a waiting list for a parakeet and it's name is going to be Pippen (Pip for short).

When we brought the fish home we made sure to tell the kids that fish don't last forever and can die pretty quickly....you know, just to prepare them. (Andy and I don't have the best track record for keeping fish alive). So almost every morning Samantha comes down stairs asking "Is the fish dead yet?". Yup, we love this fish!

Mom Ears

I think they should do scientific studies on the ears of mothers. We seem to have this amazing ability to pick out our child's cry over 20 other kids and yet block out their screaming and talking when necessary. In the car, for example, I can pretty much block out anything the kids are saying and fighting about whereas Andy goes NUTS. He can't handle the singing and talking and I'm all like "What singing and talking?". I guess it's a matter of survival. I'm also very bugged by the "phantom" cries that you hear in the middle of the night. You hear the wind blow or a car and automatically think it's your kid making noise. Oh wait....it usually is Samantha calling out!! Nevermind.

Save Me!

It's only 7.25 am and the children are sitting at the kitchen table eating and coloring and fighting and screaming about Peter Parker (Spiderman). Samantha is singing a "Peter Parker is a girl" song which is driving Alex crazy because he knows deep down that Peter Parker is a boy. Yeah, it's going to be one of THOSE days!

recipes

I still have a ton of bananas, so to all of you who offered a yummy recipe please email them to me!! krandy at gmail dot com.
Thank you, thank you!

Bum galls

Both kids napped yesterday (praises) so we took them out for ice cream for their reward. Samantha chose neon blue cotton candy flavored ice cream with bubblegum balls mixed in. Tempting, I know. We were sitting down enjoying the ice cream when Samantha asked Alex if he'd like one of her bum galls. I was offended at first and I didn't even know what bum galls were! I finally clued in that she was trying to say gum balls but got a couple of letters mixed up. Needless to say, we had a good laugh.

A night out

Last night Andy's dad so graciously offered to stay with the kids so Andy and I could go on a date. I am so bored with movies and dinner so we decided to do something a little more interactive and fun (NO, not THAT all you dirty minds!). We went to The Boondocks Fun Center in Draper and went miniature golfing. It was a ton of fun. The weather was fabulous and not near as hot as it has been which meant less sweating, which meant less ewwww. The group in front of us was slower than tar so we had to wait around a lot but we've always been good at talking and entertaining ourselves, so it was all good. And the best part.......I totally WORKED Andy!! If you count beating him by 6 strokes a "working". Which I do! We had fun people watching and watching pigeons almost get burned by fire and just enjoying each other. Afterward we went to the Cheesecake Factory and picked up some chocolately desserts. Samantha didn't even call out while we were gone, so it was a very successful night! Thanks to dad for staying with the kids!

Non-Newtonian liquids

I'm not nearly smart enough to understand how these liquids work - for a quick primer you can check them out on Wikipedia. Kristi told me about these the other day, and I just ran across a couple of them on Gizmodo. The first involves a sub-woofer, a metal tray, and some cornstarch in water. Very cool to watch. The next is long-ish (about 4 minutes) and from a Spanish TV show. It's very cool to watch them "walk on water" though.

Speaker


Walk on Water

I like to eat, eat, eat, Apples and Bananas!!!

Anyone know what I can do with squishy bananas??? I usually do banana bread but am kind of sick of that. I was thinking of a banana fight with Andy but then thought of all the hungry people around the world and decided I should do something edible. I am SO green!!

It was a dark and quiet night.....

Our power went out last night for about 2 hours. Thankfully it went out just after the last dance on SYTYCD! Phew! It got me thinking about how much I used to love the power going out and how much I really don't like it going out anymore. What is the change you ask? Well thank you for asking. I'd be happy to tell you!!! The change is the big R word. RESPONSIBILITY!!! Ugh, I hate that word. Back in the day when the power would go out my family had the best time! We would either go sit outside and talk, play cards, or my favorite, the laughing game. It was always a lot of fun no matter what we did but the 5 of us would make the best of it and it was always entertaining. I even prayed all the time for the power to go out at school or, even better, while I was working at the pharmacy. It rarely happened but I was always pleased when it did.

NOW when the power goes out it's just a pain!! Andy has our computer hooked into a backup power thingee that beeps incessently when the power goes out. It's annoying. Then, one of our smoke detectors decided to beep as well begging for a new battery. This beep happened to wake up Samantha which we ALL know is the worst thing to have happen. Let us not awake the princess of the world for her wrath is great and terrible. Then I started to worry about the food in the fridge and freezer and all the dead quiet of the house was just freakin' me out!! It's not meant to be that quiet! That's why we invented such loud objects....so we don't have to deal with our own thoughts and problems. We can shove them into the back of our mind and enjoy the mechanical hum of all the blinking and flashing electric boxes. Being inside my mind right now is not where I want to be. But that's another post for another day.

Feeling torn

I am feeling a little torn these days. Andy and I decided a while back that we would like to move internationally for a few years (hopefully with his current company). We've been back in Utah almost 2 years and I still don't feel settled which I am taking as a sign that we aren't done with our adventures yet. However, we've got it good here!!!! Andy goes to work early so he gets home almost everyday before 4 pm! I love that. His commute is only 15 minutes each way. I love that. I get to hang out with my mom and sisters and my adorable nephews and niece. I LOVE that. I get to hang out with my best pal Ashly and her cute kids. I love that. I have a nice house that fits all of us (although a 4th bedroom would be heaven) and a yard with a garden. I love that.
Oh, by the way, I have a TON of beautiful tomatoes growing and I can't WAIT to eat them. But I digress.
We've just got it so good here and the thoughts of going back to apartment living, even if it is in a wonderful city like London, makes me kind of sad. I do hope that we get the opportunity to go somewhere for 2-3 years but it will make me sad to leave our comfortable life in Utah. Mostly we just think the kids with an English accent will be too damn cute!! Am I right?? I would love a foreign speaking country though and have the kids learn another language. What a great opportunity to learn while they're young and their minds are still sponges. My mind on the other hand is all dried up and my kids will have to translate for me!
I suppose we'll put it all to prayer and go from there. HEY, that rhymed!!!

Happy July 7th!

Too bad I found this just a couple of days too late.

Daredevil

The kids are getting very good at swimming and Alex in particular is getting very brave! Andy and I took the kids to the pool on Saturday morning and got this video of Alex jumping off a chair into the water. Samantha wouldn't touch it!

Some help

I'll provide some technical support for those who want to disable your nasty word verification in your comments section.

Log In to Blogger
Go to the Settings Tab
Find the Comments tab
Scroll down until you find Word Verification where you can say YES or NO to having it on. Choose NO

Easy peasy!
Hope that helps!

A comment on commenting.

Let me just say....all of you who have turned on the "word verification" on your commenting section drive me nuts!!! I hate trying to decipher what the bloody letters are and then typing them in when I am just trying to leave a quick comment. Why is it turned on? Why? I don't understand the point of it. At all. If someone wants to explain it to me I'd be happy to listen. But really, it's just annoying. That's all. I just needed to get that off my chest. And for those of you who don't have it turned on.....bless you!

???????

I was driving on the freeway yesterday and saw a guy driving a Kia, wearing a cowboy hat, and brushing his teeth.

I just thought it was odd.

Top 7 favorite days! (or I could label this "the evolution of Kristi's hair styles")

I was looking through some old photos with my mom last night and thought it would be fun to share my most important and memorable days with everyone. These are in chronological order so as not to reveal my true feelings! ;-)

1. Wedding Day
2. Birth of Samantha
3. Adoption finalization of Samantha
4.Temple sealing with Samantha
5. Birth of Alex
6. Adoption finalization of Alex
7. Temple sealing with Alex

I would love to see pictures from all of your favorite days so please post them! If I had a picture of me laying in bed for 2 weeks after my back surgery, that would have been number 1 on this list!! You all think I'm kidding, don't you??