Halloween and Alex's new bed

I realized I never posted a picture of Alex in his new big boy bed!! The headboard is from his crib and I made the duvet cover. He LOVES orange so I knew I had to put some orange in it. Not my first choice but he seems to like it. I think it turned out good. It still reminds me of the Denver Broncos with the navy blue and orange! Glad it has the gray too! I still need to make some pillows to go on top but have put away my sewing stuff for a while.
Samantha decided she didn't want to be a witch after she wore her witch costume to the zoo. I asked her what she wanted to dress up as instead and she said, "It's a surprise, but I need to buy a fairy wand!". My first guess was that she wanted to be a cowgirl.....but it turns out she wanted to be a fairy. I was okay with that since the only thing we had to buy was a wand and she had everything else. This is her posing for me before she left for preschool. She looked so beautiful!! I hate to admit that I am insanely jealous of my daughters good looks!! Aren't you??
After Samantha got home from preschool we dressed up Alex and went to daddy's work to say hello and show off and go to lunch. Turns out my friend Ashly was in the area with her cute kids and they were able to come to lunch with us. It was a lot of fun. After dinner we went to the church for their Trunk or Treat. It was the first time we'd gone to a Trunk or Treat and it was great for the little kids. My sister-in-law and my niece came with us and we had a great time letting the kids get their candy. I'm a terrible mother and forgot my camera so I have no pictures of the event. Use your imagination!

Things you don't want to hear when waking up....

I was trying to catch a quick nap on the couch while Alex was napping and Samantha was watching something on TV. I was just falling asleep when Samantha taps me and says, "Mom, I have gum in my hair.". NOT something you want to hear while you're trying to catch some Zzzzz's.

This story reminded me of another funny/awful sleepy story......

I went upstairs to nap when I wasn't feeling well one day. Andy was home and downstairs with the kids so I figured all was well. Little did I know that Andy fell asleep on the couch while the two little rascals had some fun a mere 4 feet from sleeping daddy. Samantha some how got a hold of the Vaseline and proceeded to smear it ALL OVER her brother's head. All over her stuffed animal too. Andy woke up and, being the good father he is, took some pictures before bringing them upstairs to wake me up. Nothing like waking up to a HUGE mess. Alex was greasy for days and my carpet still attracts dirt on the "Vaseline spot" as it is now known. This was a couple of years ago but I still cringe when I see Vaseline.

Oh crap! Maybe he'll end up being a salesman!!

The other day I took the kids to Great Clips to get their hair cut. Usually I cut their hair and I think I do a pretty good job but we were right next to Great Clips and I was feeling frisky! I was just planning to cut Alex's but it looked like so much fun to Samantha that she requested her hair be cut as well. It was funny to see the difference in the two kids in the way they interacted with the lady cutting their hair. Samantha just shyly answered her questions and didn't offer any other information. Alex, on the other hand, was asking HER questions and very much interacting with her. He offered information like, "I'm 3!", and "I like orange!", and when she noticed his Diego shoes he asked her, "Do you like Diego?". I thought it was adorable that he was trying to have a conversation with her and wasn't just answering her questions. They both sat very still and were very cute during their haircut. I guess I know where to go next time I'm feeling too lazy to do it myself!

All your fault Andy!

I'm quite certain that my husband wants me to gain some weight. Why else would he buy the best Halloween candy way too early and leave it within my reach?? He knows I can't leave candy alone! He knows I'd eat the whole bag if no one was around to notice! This is why I'm convinced he wants me to get tubby. So fine, your wish is my command baby!!! I'm going to lock myself in the pantry and snarf down Twix, Kit-Kats and Milky Ways.
Sigh.....we shoulda bought Smarties to give out!

My Vignette

www.shabbyapple.com is having a contest to win a dress, shoes, bag and accessories! How could I NOT enter!!!! Thanks to my friend Jenny for finding this.

AROUND THE WORLD IN AN OUTFIT!!!!

Every morning I wake up and check my Blackberry to see my appointments for the day. My energy breakfast shake is ready for me when I get out of the shower. My make-up artist and hair stylist are in the bathroom ready to make me beautiful for my busy day. I have many important clients to see today before I jet off to Milan in First Class for my upcoming fashion show. I have to choose an outfit that will cross international boundries. An outfit that will look good in any setting and say to everyone, "I am in charge." The outfit I choose for this important day is......


This little black dress is anything but ordinary. The lace can easily go from daytime meetings to nights on the red carpet at my fashion show. The shoes are incredible and prove that I belong in this fast paced life. My hair is curly with one side pulled up and secured with this lovely flower. Finally, I put my Blackberry, lip gloss and credit cards into my perfectly matched clutch. It's going to be a hectic day but at least I know I will look lovely!
.............................................................
"Mommy, mommy!!!!!"
I roll over in bed and see the clock read 7:00 am. I grab my teal polka-dot pajamas, pull my hair in a pony-tail and get my kids out of bed. We go downstairs in the dark. I make them chocolate milk to drink while they watch TV and fight over toys. I start a load of laundry. In a little while we will have breakfast. Then bath time. Then more fighting. Then it will be lunch time and nap time. I pray for them to sleep but as I hear them making noise upstairs I know that I will be lucky if I get them to rest for 30 minutes. Then it's time for the park....snack....play-time.....dinner....bath....bed.
It's almost bed time before I even realize that I am still in my teal polka-dot pajamas. And my hair is still in a pony-tail. I haven't even put on a pair of shoes today. Or touched my purse. There is no need for those things taking care of 2 kids and a house full-time.

It's no big secret which life is really mine. And I'm okay with that. I adore my life as it is. However, if I could add a little something (the ensemble) from my story life to my real life it just might be perfect! Just a little outfit to escape from my ordinary life. An outfit my husband can take me out to dinner in and we can pretend there are First Class tickets to Milan in his pocket.

Fall fun

Here are the kids in daddy's old shirts painting their pumpkins. They looked like little ghosts!


On Saturday we went with my family to the Boo at the Zoo and I have never seen so many people in my life!! It was packed! Samantha was a witch and Alex was Batman! Samantha didn't wear her hat much though so I enjoyed being part witch for the day. Probably not much of a difference from my day-to-day self to be honest! Samantha woke up with a bit of a cold and runny nose so she was a little off for the day. They were troopers though and enjoyed seeing the animals and collecting candy! It was a beautiful day....though a little too hot for all the walking around we did.

Book Confusion

I just recently read The Lucky One (said with a sing-song voice) by Nicholas Sparks. Which is about love and romance and lots of squishy stuff like that.

And now I am reading Lords of the Bow (said with a BOOMING voice) by Conn Iggulden which is a book about Genghis Kahn.

I cannot think of two books that contrast each other more. I think Genghis Kahn would be seriously offended that I even included a book about him in the same post as a book about finding true love thousands of miles away!! In any case though I enjoyed the girlie book and am enjoying the manly book as well. I swing both ways!

Still has a lot to learn!

Even at this young age Alex is learning how to deflect women's questions regarding their appearance. He still has a long way to go, but not bad for a 3 year old. Here's how it went down......

Me: "Alex, do you think mommy is pretty?"

Alex: With that confused and sly little grin "No."

Me: Pouty face and sad lip hanging out

Alex: "Um, what's that noise?"

Yeah, there was no noise in the house. It was silent. Good try little buddy! But the correct response would have been an immediate "YES, you are SO pretty mama!". Andy, get to work on teaching this little boy!

Actually enjoying the scriptures

I've never really enjoyed reading the scriptures too much. I do it, but haven't gotten much enjoyment out of it until now. We decided that we wanted to start reading the scriptures with the kids every night before bed. Not the kid version, the REAL version! Daring, I know! We are starting with 1 chapter each night from the Book of Mormon. The rule is that the kids have to sit on their bottoms with their arms folded and surprisingly, they do a great job! After the chapter has been read we explain to them about the chapter using kid friendly terms and try and pull a lesson out of it for them. This is the reason I have been enjoying the scriptures so much........I have to dissect the meaning of the chapter and it has really helped me appreciate and understand the scriptures more. I think sometimes as adults we over analyze everything and if we would just try to think more like kids do we would enjoy not only the scriptures more, but life in general.
That's just my two cents!

Poor Pip

Saturday morning when we left for Park City Pip was just dandy, as usual. When we got home Sunday around 1:00 she didn't look so good. She was all puffed up and quiet all day and got worse and worse throughout the day. I kept her in our bedroom last night to keep an eye on her and around midnight she passed away. Poor little birdie! I saw her eating before bed and thought that was a good sign and I kept hearing her walk around her cage so I figured she might be feeling a bit better. I was wrong. I made Andy check for sure if she was dead and then take the cage to the garage so I didn't have to look at it. Then I laid in bed and cried for 2 hours and when I finally fell back to sleep I had all sorts of odd dreams and Andy said I tossed and turned all night. It was not too fun explaining to the kids why they couldn't see Pip and what happened. Thankfully we've talked about death before and how your spirit leaves your body so that helped the kids understand a little. Samantha cried a lot (I think mostly because I was crying and she really wanted to see Pip) but pretty soon after decided it was time to get another pet!! Kids sure do know how to rebound! I wish I did a better job of that. When Andy gets home from work today we're going to have a little funeral and bury her in our yard. I know we didn't have her for too long, but I sure did love her.

6 years a Higham!

Today is Andy's and my 6 year wedding anniversary! We had a fun weekend away while my dear sweet mom watched the kids for us. The kids had a great time with Grammy and Grampy playing and doing crafts and having a sleepover while Andy and I went to Salt Lake and Park City and Midway.
Saturday morning we dropped the kids off at my parents house and then drove up to Salt Lake. We went to the Farmer's Market first since it was the last weekend it was going on for the year. We only bought a couple headbands for Samantha but we always enjoy walking around and seeing all the people and smelling the yummy food. We've taken the kids there a couple of times and it was so nice not to have to worry about the little ones getting trampled with the mass of people. The weather was pure heaven all weekend which just made everything better! After the market we walked over to The Gateway and did a little browsing and weather enjoying. Our tummies got a little grumbly so we headed downtown for some lunch. Once again, the weather was so great so we walked the 5 or so blocks to this fabulous German deli near the Capitol Theater. I ordered the Weinerschnitzel and Spaetzle and Andy had the Goulash and Spaetzle. It was amazing and filled our bellies just right! They also had a bunch of German candy and especially these Vanilla Milk Wafers that I am addicted to. I was able to find them in New York once and when I saw them yesterday about had a heart attack. My kids were lucky enough to try one.....but I'm sure that's all they'll get!! I'm sure my friend Ashly will remember these wafers and our love for them! After lunch we walked back to the car and drove to find this patisserie that Andy had heard about with this amazing pastry. This place is only 1 of 6 in the US that makes this particular pastry from France. It's called the Kouing Aman and is from the Brittany region of France. It's a little bit of heaven. It's hard to describe but it's flaky like a croissant but has a bunch of sugar in it that carmalizes and makes it chewy and sweet and delicious! I highly recommend it.
After our sweet treats we drove up to Park City and hit the outlets for some shopping. It's sad, but we pretty much bought the kids stuff and only I got 1 pair of boots. Even when you're away from your kids they are never far from your mind, right? We checked into our hotel after shopping and then went to dinner at a place that wasn't even good enough to mention. At least we had a yummy lunch to make up for it.
In the morning we drove to Midway to The Blue Boar Inn for brunch. It's an adorable B&B that we ate dinner at the night we got engaged. We've always wanted to stay there overnight but have never done it. Now that we've had brunch there though.....we're for sure going back! Tasty! After brunch our fun was over and we headed down to Springville to pick up the kids. They were not particularly excited to see us but napped for us when we got home and we had a fun afternoon in the backyard playing football with them. Good times.

Do you know how you can REALLY tell I'm a Higham now????? Most of my post was about food. And I described it in way more detail than you needed. If Andy had written this post, it would be about a page longer with even more description about the food. If the Highams know how to do anything, it's eat and shop!!! Oh, and travel. Which is why I'm proud to be a Higham!!!
I love you Andy! Happy Anniversary and thanks for the fun weekend!!!

Thanks All!

Thank you to everyone who left a comment of encouragement for me going back to school! I really appreciate it and to tell you the truth, it helps ease the pain of going back to school! Thanks again friends! Andy appreciates it too. Love you!

Back to School Blues

I'm going back to school! I never finished my Bachelor's degree because I got stuck deciding what road I wanted to take and then I decided to go on a mission and work full time until I left. Then I got married, moved to New York and had 2 kids!! Life happens fast!!! A few weeks ago I saw an obituary of a man we knew in New Jersey. He died of cancer after 7 months and left behind a wife and 5 kids. This sort of freaked me out. What if Andy died? I could work as a Pharmacy Technician but that really doesn't pay great. I could work in Accounting, but without a degree I think it would be difficult for me to find a good paying job. Of course, my solution was to just get a couple million dollar life insurance policy on Andy!! The kids and I would do well with that! AND, I bet it would be cheaper than me finishing my degree. Andy, however, is into education and wasn't too hip on my idea. Bummer! SOOOOOO, I signed up for an independent study course through BYU that will eventually transfer to UVU. My plan is to take as many independent study classes through BYU as I can (they are cheaper) and then when the kids are both in school full time (assuming we are living in Utah) I will go back to day school at UVU and finish with a Business Management degree. That's the plan but it remains to be seen what exactly will happen!!
I received my first class packet in the mail yesterday and it was enormous and very daunting. I guess Andy and I will be studying together at night!! And at the end, we's gunna be the most edumacated couple who's ever been! Word!!

Silly Samantha

When Samantha is well rested she is fun and hilarious! She napped yesterday (hallelujah) and because of that nap she was fiercely funny. Here are a few of the things she said yesterday (I was actually smart enough to write them down if you can believe it!).

- I can't remember the exact situation but we praised Samantha for something and her response was "That's cuz I'm fabulous!".

- Samantha was asking her daddy how he was going to make the mattress fit upstairs and Andy said "I've got mad skillz". So Samantha asked "Where'd you get those?"

- I had told Samantha I was going to take her to the store with me because she napped and when it came time to leave she asked if I was going with her. Me, being the ever sassy mother responded "No, you're going to drive yourself to the store.". With tears welling up in her eyes she said "I can't, I'm too young to drive!".

Pickin' Pumpkins

Because the only one that can be trusted in our family is Chad, I have no pictures for this post. I'm sure Chad will get them to me when he can, but for now, you'll just have to hear about our evening and not see it for yourself! Sad, I know!

Last night we went to a pumpkin patch for dinner and some good ol' fashioned pumpkin pickin'. The pumpkins belong to my brother-in-law Greg's dad. Every year they have a weenie roast dinner before they head out to pick some pumpkins and they were kind enough to invite us this year. It was quite cold but the kids were bundled pretty well and seemed to be fine. We ate our dinner then headed to the patch. We found some perfect pumpkins and the kids enjoyed finding small ones to carry. We got a ton to decorate and cook and we were so appreciative that they were free!!! The kids had a great time and I think the adults did as well. Thanks to all the Cook's for inviting us!

Big Day!!

Today has been a big day so far!!! Alex and I went to RC Willey and bought him a big boy mattress set for his new big boy bed!! Then we picked up Samantha from preschool and when we got home I discovered that I sold a duvet!!! My favorite one (Plum and Sun) sold. It was also the first one I made and it is so cute. I hope the lady who bought it enjoys it! I have 2 other duvets in mind that I am going to make twin size for kids beds but I was hoping to make a sell before I made them. Now I have! Yippee!!

Seriously????

Really?? Seriously??? It's snowing!!! Just the other day it was warm and beautiful and we noticed a tree flowering and budding like it was Spring! And now.....SNOW! Utah weather is weird. Much like it's people! ;-) Ha ha

New Routine

Samantha has this new routine in the mornings that she is quite fond of. As soon as I open her bedroom door she scrambles out of bed and RUNS into my bedroom and LEAPS on my bed. She proceeds to crawl to my side of the bed and snuggle down in the covers. I then turn on the TV and she watches Sid the Scientist and Super Why. I close the door so she's all by herself (ie. no Alex) and the little munchkin is in heaven!! It's brutal to try and get her out to come downstairs for breakfast. On Tuesdays and Thursdays when she doesn't have school I let her stay in there longer but the other days when she has school it is not easy to get her to come out! Sometimes I think these kids with siblings just need a little time alone. It sure is nice on me as well to only have Alex downstairs to deal with first thing in the morning. It sure is a cute little routine and seeing her all snuggly in my bed makes me want to join her!!

The San Francisco Treat

The weather the past couple of days has been glorious! 70's, sunny, crisp and beautiful. I told Andy that I wished we had a lot more days just like this. He was quick to remind me that about 70% of the time that is the weather in San Francisco. If you can't tell, he's gunning for us to end up living in the Bay Area. He better get working on a higher paying job cuz, damn, it's expensive to live there!!!

Free Advice (unless you feel like paying me!)

If you weigh yourself....which, honestly, I don't recommend.....but if you must, weigh yourself first thing in the morning. NOT late at night after eating a huge dinner.

In case you're interested Ladies!

Here is a link to win a new handbag. Thank you to Corinne for pointing this out to me. There are a few cute bags there to win! Good luck!

www.handbagplanet.com

I'm in love.......

If anyone would like to purchase these for me I wear a 7.5 and would like the red. These would make a fabulous Christmas present for your favorite Kristi!!! Which would be me. I've included the link for ease of shopping. You're welcome.

http://www.shopbop.com/hint-strap-wedge-kors-michael/vp/v=1/845524441822347.htm?folderID=2534374302023800&extid=affprg-2465214-KORSS2007110192

I just have 4 words for you....

CINNAMON BUTTER POUND COFFEECAKE!!!

Costco. Check it out. Be like me. Eat the whole thing by yourself. You will NOT be disappointed!

Pippen (aka, Pip)

Well, yesterday we drove up to West Point, Utah and picked up little Pippen!! She is a fantastic little birdie so far and everyone is enjoying her. Especially me and Samantha. Samantha has already turned into a little bird lady, carrying Pip around on her finger, petting her, kissing her and just chatting with her. Alex is a bit more hesitant and frightened around her. He has pet her and just recently kissed her back, so we're making progress.
My nephew Cameron joined us on our trip to get her because he wants a birdie himself. But his mom is just WAY too mean to let that happen ;-). I thought the kids would enjoy seeing all the birds the breeder had but as soon as I walked in the house I knew I didn't want any kids to step foot in there! Let's just say it wasn't the best environment for my kids and my nephew!! Pip is adjusting very well though and seems very happy. I can tell Samantha is very happy because she just said to me, "Mama, having a bird is so much fun!". Andy has been sweet with her but says he is mostly happy that I am happy. He's a good hubby!
Here are some pictures of the new Higham!

A new addition to the Higham family!

Tomorrow afternoon we are driving up to Ogden to pick up a new little parakeet to add to our family!! Well, to add to me anyways. No one else besides my nephew is very excited for her. As Andy said she is "just another mouth to feed". Good attitude, I know!! ;-) It's not like he's even going to have to do a thing to help with her. Much like when we had our kids.....just kidding babe. I REALLY do not want any more babies but I do feel like I want another little thing to love. So, little Pip is going to be just the thing!!

I'll take pictures when we get her home and settled.

Twins???

Alex had his 3 year doctors appointment yesterday and the kid is HUGE! He weighs 34.4 pounds just barely trailing his sister (she weighs 34.8 pounds!). That weight is in the 75th percentile. He is 40 inches tall which is exactly how tall Samantha was just 2 months ago at her 4 year check-up! Explains why people always think they are twins! That height is in the 90th percentile! We just might have a tall boy on our hands which makes me so happy!! The doctor said he is perfect and the nurse was amazed at how far ahead he is for a 3 year old. For example, they asked if he can ride a tricycle. I told them he already rides a bike with training wheels (apparently they usually don't expect that until age 5). She asked if he could say a 3-4 word sentence at which time he spit out a 9-10 word sentence. Question answered!! She asked if he could count to 3 and I think the highest I've heard him count is 18. Also, he is toilet trained. They were very pleased with his health and progress and he was pleased to get a treat at the end of the appointment! I was lucky enough to be in there the day before they started doing flu shots so I also got flu shots for both kids taken care of! Neither one cried at the shots and were very pleased with the cute band-aids given by the nurse.
I TOTALLY deserve this kind of good behavior considering how AWFUL they were at the doctor's when they were little! They used to start screaming the minute we got in the elevator and wouldn't stop till we got in the car. The doctor always said it was good that they were fearful of strangers and were smart to remember at such a young age (probably before 3 months) what happens at the doctor's. It made me feel a little bit better but the ringing in my ears still continues to this day!
Let me just say though, I am extremely grateful for healthy children!!!!! It is not lost on me how huge of a blessing that is.

Regret

I know I'm going to regret saying this in a few months, but I am SO sick of this heat and ready for a nice cool down! Not that cool....not winter....not snow, but a nice LONG fall would be perfect. Knowing my luck, we'll get snow next week and it'll last until April!!!

FINALLY!!!

I don't know how many of you have noticed but on the left side of my blog you can link to my Etsy shop. If you have done this you may have noticed that I haven't sold a thing! Not one thing! I'm okay with it though because I know some of the colors in my duvets may not be many people's cup of tea. If they don't sell I'll just use them myself and I like all of them, so it's all good!
Finally today though I got a custom order for a duvet! I've had a couple people email me inquiring about custom orders but no one has followed through until today. I have ordered the fabric requested and it should be an easy project! I won't make a ton of money off of it, but it will keep me busy and I'm just happy to chalk up 1 sale on my shop!! I have another customer interested in a custom order as well and if she gives me some more information and likes my pricing then I might be able to log 2 sales!! Yeah for me!!

True Love

I could not be more in love with my son than I am tonight!! Samantha had to go to bed earlier because she hasn't napped for days and days and Alex took a monster nap so he got to stay up later. I love it when we get time just with him alone. This is a video of him reading his favorite book. Okay, not really reading, but repeating from memory which, I think, is just as impressive. He got almost every word right (I know most of you won't be able to understand him, so you'll have to trust me) except the last 2 words are supposed to be Beep, Beep, which he changes to Honk, Honk because he likes it better. Isn't he the cutest little boy ever??!! I sure think so. AND he smelled AMAZING tonight so I sat on the couch while he was watching a little show and I just kissed and smelled his head forever. You non-parents out there think I'm crazy, but you parents know just what I'm saying!!

My favorite thing about Fall.

I like television. That's all there is to it! Some people don't, and that's okay, but I really like watching television. And Fall brings new shows for me to enjoy. In particular, Sunday begins a new season of The Amazing Race!! It's an amazing show that takes place in amazing places around the world and is flat out amazing to watch!!! Do you get the feeling it's amazing?? So, if you catch yourself bored on a Sunday night, tune in! It might be the only reason I wake up Sunday mornings!!!
Andy and I would really love to apply to the show and we are quite sure we would CRUSH the competition, but then we remember I'm a cripple with screws in my back and messed up knees. Andy is fantastic with maps and directions and I'll eat just about anything (which sometimes they are forced to do - YUCK) so we make a great team! We travel really well together but the physical aspect of it is what we lack. Plus, I don't know that I could leave my kids for a few weeks. No one is brave enough to take them for that long either!!

Our Summer!

My fantastic brother-in-law Chad took a lot of pictures on all of our adventures this summer and put them together for us. Here is a sampling of the fun we had this summer.

Richele and I with adorable Nicole on the boat.
All the grandkids at the State Fair with the chickens! Doesn't get much better than chicken pictures!
All of us wanted to take home this adorable baby bunny from the Fair.
Andy and I taking the kids down the potato sack slide at the Fair. They really didn't love it.
Samantha and I trying to keep warm together on the beach at Bear Lake. It was chilly!
Greg was throwing Cameron up in the pool and having him smack the ball. It was awesome! Cameron got high!
The original Loveridge family of 5 hanging out in Bear Lake. Aren't we cute??

Bad Dream

Samantha said this just now....
"Mom, I had a bad dream last night. It was about golf. And sports."

I really had no idea sports were so traumatic!!

Times are changing!

What did you get for your 3rd birthday?? Anyone remember?? I imagine it was along the lines of a bike, toys, books possibly. Well, you know that times are changing because for my son's 3rd birthday he got an Ipod!! And a game for the Nintendo Wii!! He also got a Spiderman bike, Star Wars toy, Diego toy and other great gifts, but I couldn't help laugh at the electronics. I was the one who mentioned the Ipod idea to Andy's parents so it's not like I'm against it or anything. Samantha inherited my very old Ipod and we filled it with kids music and church songs and Alex has been a little jealous of it. So we thought it would be fun if he could have an Ipod of his own. He got one of the little Shuffles in the color green and it is just perfect for him. I'm not too good with I-tunes so he only has a few songs on there now, but he is in heaven!! He was so excited for it and loves the fact that it clips onto his shirt. He is outside right now picking grape tomatoes off the vine, eating them and listening to his music. What a kid!! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for the great birthday gift. And thank you to everyone else who gave gifts as well. He is loving them all!

Happy Birthday Buddy!!

Dear Alex,
Today you turn 3 years old! I can't believe my baby is 3! When I look at pictures of you when you were a baby I get very sad. You were such a pleasant, fun-loving baby and I don't think I took enough time to enjoy you. Almost every picture I have of you is with a smile. Even still, when you are doing something you like you are smiling! All summer in the pool; smiles. At gymnastics; smiles. Your smile is possibly my most favorite thing in the whole world!! You have this tiny dimple in the corner of your mouth that melts me! Not to mention your big blue eyes! Basically you are the cutest kid ever!

I think you might end up being a comedian someday. You are hilarious! The silly voices that you do are great as well. You have more personality in your tiny finger than most adults that I know!!! Another word that would perfectly describe you is STUBBORN!! Which is so wonderful when you are trying to learn new things, but SO difficult when I am trying to teach you NOT to do things. You never give up. You were a little afraid of heights in gymnastics but you never gave up and kept trying and now you have no trouble at all. I really admire you for that.

I think you are just very fun to be around! I really enjoy your company. When you are playing alone you have this very concentrated look on your face and it makes me want to stare at you for hours! You LOVE to be tickled and tortured which is super fun for the rest of us! You pretend you want us to stop but as soon as we do, you ask us to "do it again"! I think your most ticklish spot is your shoulders. But I'll get you wherever I can that will make you laugh.

You have a very sweet spirit. You are very concerned for others and you always want to include everyone in the fun. You are a big mama's boy but I love that recently you have been loving daddy too and wanting to be around him. We bought you a Nerf football for your birthday so you and daddy can play catch. Never forget that daddy loves you (and that football is the greatest sport). I think remembering that your parents love you will get you through a lot in life.

I love you so much Alex!! You are a true joy to me and I honestly hope that we will be best friends our whole lives! Thank you for being my baby boy!

Love,
Mama

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.