Valentine Fun

Angela was playing creatively this week with some candy hearts I gave her.

They are skating on a little skateboard. (o:
While shopping for Sarah's plants for her science experiment at a local nursery (more on that later), I found this beautiful flower, Cyclamen. I thought it was a perfect Valentine accent for the kitchen. Isn't it pretty?

And the leaves are even heart-shaped!

On Friday the 13th, Angela and I went in to help with Sarah and Natalie's classroom parties. Who says Friday the 13th is bad? We had a great day! (o:

Above - Natalie's teacher always plans the cutest activities for the kids on holidays. I love how Natalie made her "lovebug" look a little like Gary on SpongeBob with the poky up eyes.

Angela loves playing in the play "house" when we go to Natalie's class. She was being a cute little mama to this doll and made a lovely dinner AND got to chat with a girlfriend on the phone.

Sarah also had a fun party with rootbeer floats, cookies, candy - yeah, it was a sugar fest! Her teacher commented that it was only once a year, but then I got to thinking how many "just once a year" things we celebrate. (o: Oh well, it makes life fun! Yeah for sugar!

Speaking of sugar - for Valentine's I am always looking for more creative "treats" for the girls to share at school. I get so tired of all the candy and figure doing something different would be appreciated by other moms.

So we found these on the Family Fun website. (I love Family Fun!) These are little play dough hearts. Each baggie got two and the dough turned out really good. (I've made it before and had problems.) Plus the girls liked cutting out the hearts and playing with the leftover dough.

We made 50 of these little baggies - boy was I glad when we were done!

Entertaining and Eye Opening Reads

I have to thank my friend Emily, for mentioning this book in her Christmas letter. I have always been intrigued with North Korea and was curious when I heard about this book. The title especially pulled me in, knowing the things I have learned from documentaries about this country. I have to say that this book has changed me in more ways than I expected. It is not a happy story and many, many parts make your stomach turn, but it's one of those books that really changes your whole perspective on life when you read it. This book is a fascinating, personal history of the author's childhood in North Korea. Obviously, he is no longer living there or this book would not exist.

This book made me more grateful, more thoughtful of "everyday" things we take for granted. But it also was a intriguing look at human nature - what people turn into when they have no agency, yet have to survive; what incredible effect/damage one evil person in power can do; how even in horrible conditions and hopeless circumstances a few break through, a few families stay in tact. (On the flip side, these same circumstances bring out the absolute worst in people and turn them even on their own family.) I was blown away by the absolute and blatant lies and brainwashing that takes place in order to maintain control of the North Korean people.
This book was a jaw dropper. Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Song (who died several years ago, but continues to be worshipped by his unknowing and naive countrymen) are probably two of the most evil men in contemporary times. Even Hitler didn't have his countrymen worship him like he was God. The only difference is that there is no way to get exact numbers of how many North Koreans they have killed, directly or indirectly, because the country is so closed off from the world. And despite all the evil Kim Jong Il does, he twists and lies on such a great scale that, to the North Korean people, he can do no wrong - he is divine, he is beloved, their "great leader". It is terrifying.

This quote refers to some of the ghastly things (including cannibalism) Hyok saw and heard of people doing to survive during the years of famine (which started in the 90's and continue today)
"The misfortune of others, even your own family, leaves you completely indifferent when you have nothing in your belly. Your stomach becomes a thousand more times important than your conscience."
This was later in the book, when Hyok had escaped to China.
"I began to realize that what I had learned in North Korea wouldn't be of much use to me on this other, weird planet. I felt like a frog that had just come out of its pit, from which it had contemplated the circle of sky outlined by the rim, and taken it for the whole of the world. I had passed through the other side of the mirror."

The final thing I came away from this book with was something that completely surprised me. As I read of Hyok's experience of being a North Korean immigrant to South Korea, I was surprised to learn how much prejudice and hate is directed from South Koreans toward North Koreans. I thought that they would be happy for them escaping such a horrible country and surviving to make it into their country of freedom. It made me so sad to read about the kids at school poking fun at the North Koreans because they are so short. (Due to their extreme malnutrition.) There is so much hate that Hyok describes many North Koreans and filled with optimism for their new life only to get shoved back down with all the negative and hateful feelings from South Koreans. I wondered how people could be so cruel, when the North Koreans had survived and been through hell. Many North Koreans lose hope, turn to drinking and crime (thus fulfilling the expectations of the South Koreans) and some commit suicide.
As I contemplated all this, I thought of the Mexican immigrants to this country. There is so much negative propaganda and statistics about illegal Mexican immigrants not paying taxes, yet using up so much of our country's money for food stamps, health insurance, crime, school programs, etc. This creates a lot of suspicion and mistrust of Hispanics. While it's true that there are many people taking advantage of our country and those issues need to be dealt with, it is better to withhold judgement of groups and individuals without knowing their personal circumstances. Hyok spoke of the North Koreans being looked at as second class citizens and not being allowed to go to school, eventually, with South Koreans. I thought this was so sad and worry if the negative feelings in our country continue we could head down that path also.
Enough said, this is an amazing book - a real eye opener.

Yes, this is the same author that wrote the Twilight series. This book is more complex than the Twilight books. I found it fascinating - although the main character, Melanie Stryder, sometimes reminded me of Bella in one annoying way (a little too self-sacrificing, in my opinion). Anyway, this is an interesting and entertaining read. Those who don't want anything to do with the "teeny bop" sensation that Twilight became or who think themselves too sophisticated to read those novels should give "The Host" a try. And if you liked the Twilight books, don't expect this to be anything like those, but I don't think you will be disappointed either. I thought the concept of the book was fascinating - especially the group of people that find creative ways to survive in secret among parasitic aliens. Very cool.

Sorry for the teeny tiny picture. I am currently reading this book, "Isaiah for Airheads" by John Bytheway as I study 2 Nephi and the chapters that cover Isaiah from the Old Testament. I am about half way through and have learned a lot. A great resource to understand Isaiah better. Warning: John Bytheway can be entertaining and funny, but watch out for cheesy puns. (o:

I love this book - a story about what Mary and Joseph's lives may have been like. I read this over Christmas and into January. It is a very sweet portrayal of these two key people in the bible and history. The years that the author must have taken to study the customs, politics and culture at that time, make this a very worthwhile read. It gave me so many new insights as to what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph to bring the Savior into the world. For some reason, this time reading it, I was especially touched by Mary's relationship with her much older cousin Elisabeth and how their close bond must have been such a comfort to her.

Thinking of the Tooth Fairy

We haven't seen the tooth fairy, or rather, had any exchanges with her for a while. Sarah has lost all but her big molars and Natalie hasn't started losing her teeth yet. I guess Sarah was missing her and thinking of her this week. She put this letter under her pillow - the two pictures on the side were two tiny pieces of paper with pictures of teeth. I scanned them all together, but they were actually separate itty bitty papers - thus, Sarah figured they would be a good size for a fairy poster. (o: On the back she drew some itty bitty dresses that I forgot to scan. I told her we will have to e-mail the tooth fairy to let her know we have a surprise for her. Sarah really hoped the tooth fairy would magically know something was under her pillow, but she needs a little prodding sometimes! I hope the tooth fairy can think of something clever to reciprocate this cute gift. (o: What do you think she should leave under the pillow?

Could you please move the cat...

I just rememeberd a funny thing Natalie said last week that I have to blog before it goes where many of my thoughts seem to go these days - into a black hole - never to be recovered again.

She wasn't feeling well one morning a week or two ago. I feel kind of bad now, because I didn't believe her all morning. She has had a hard time, like Sarah did, with homesickness. She doesn't want to go to school quite often, she just wants to stay home with me. I just thought the sore tummy was another ploy to stay home. I tried to be patient, but went on as if we would have a regular day because I was so confident that Natalie was fine. Eventually I gave up on my plans I had made during Angela's preschool. I was going to meet Tina and try out a class at the gym, but it looked like Natalie would be with me. I figured maybe she just really needed some mommy time and that was why she was playing up the sick tummy. I really didn't mean to doubt her - she had no fever and for a good hour in the morning she was running around and playing like usual.

But when we were driving home after dropping Angela off - Natalie's face looked pale. We got in the house and I did some reading on the couch with her. Then Natalie got a really sad look on her face and asked very sweetly as she sat straight up, "Mommy, could you please move the cat so I don't throw up on her?" (o:

I suggested we run to the bathroom instead and sure enough, she was sick. As soon as she could catch her breath, the first words that came out of her mouth were, "See mom, I told you I was sick." Ouch. boy did she get the royal treatment after that. A mother with a lot of guilt doesn't hold back anything. Natalie was pampered like a true princess - she got the special snugly blue blanket that is extra, extra soft and doubles as a layer of protection for the couch, just in case. She got the "hug" heating pad, the special juice she loves in a water bottle, her favorite movie - "Enchanted" and when her appetite came back she got to eat lunch on the couch.

Natalie had a great day. She ate it all up and actually felt just fine after the incident. I think she must have eaten something funky.

I was happy that the cat didn't end up being puked on, and the floor, and the couch. Natalie thought it was really cool to make it to the toilet when she feels sick (her first time) and could see lots of benefits, "Hey, I don't have to take a bath and you don't have to get the big vacuum for the couch, mom!" Yes, a funny milestone to be excited about, but hooray! Great job Nat!

A Lesson in Modesty

Natalie wrote/drew this in sacrament meeting yesterday. Jayson totally lost it and I laughed until I cried.

Natalie is writing lots and lots lately, but it is tricky to decipher her Kindergartenese. The above says, "This is not modest."

Get ready for a good laugh...

Mardi Gras Dinner Dance

Our pizza dinner at the school dinner/dance.

I LOVE this one - Natalie's expression and lack of eyeballs is priceless!

The girls' school has a fun tradition we were new to this year called the annual dinner/dance. It was held last Friday and since I am on the Booster club, I helped out with some of the preparations. Mainly, helping decorate for the par-tay all afternoon. It was a little stressful decorating and keeping an eye on the girls - who understandably, kept complaining about wanting to go home. It was all pretty tiring and by the time we were done, I had time to go home, change and turn right around for my first shift helping serve pizza. Luckily, Bo* arrived shortly after to help with the girls. (o: Even though it was a bit crazy leading up to the evening, we had a really fun time! I haven't been to a "dance" in a long time. After our lovely pizza dinner, we put some raffle tickets in the awesome theme baskets that each class donated. (Which, unfortunately, none of them we won.)

Then we danced the night away. (o: The girls all participated in a hoola hoop challenge.(Something I've never been able to do - but somehow Sarah and Natalie got better coordination in their cute little genes.) The girls were so cute dancing - Angela especially kept right on dancing until the very end! We did the Macarana - or tried to do the Macarana and had a blast. Good times. (o:

Here's a cute video of Natalie and friends boogy-ing. I finally got one on! (o:

Let the Good Times Roll

We love to go bowling and it is always entertaining to watch the girls and their technique. We always play with the bumpers. I can't even remember the last time I bowled without them. It will be interesting to see how we do when the girls get big enough that we can't justify using them.

I got a strike! Wahoo!

Below are some videos of the girls - just ignore my dorky voice, laugh and comments. They were still entertaining enough that I thought it was worth sacraficing my pride. Angela's is my favorite. When she bowled it always took FOREVER for the ball to get down the lane. Sarah's throwing technique is cute and Natalie is cute because she gets excited about everything. (o: Fun times!

Blast to the Past!

I discovered a way to travel back in time...

Go to a roller skating rink.

Be sure the lights are down low and the disco ball is on making little lights swirl around on the rink in psychedelic patterns. (I think this is the part that causes the time travel.)

Skate around the rink in circles, going faster and faster.

Turn on any song from Michael Jackson's Thriller album.

BAM! You will be back in the 1980's in a matter of seconds. It really works!

Natalie and Sarah's school had a family roller skate night a couple weeks ago. Having recently attempted ice skating, we were ready for the challenge. The girls actually thought it was harder than ice skating, but we had fun. As mentioned above, when I had a chance to skate around for a little bit by myself, I had a total flashback to 1987 - 12 years old, skating around the rink to Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Pat Benatar (sp?) - it was LIKE TOTALLY AWESOME DUDE. (o:

We had so much fun, we ended up going roller skating again the following weekend. This time Hal* and I took a turn going around just the two of us and it was just like we were dating again! One of our first dates was roller skating at the 49th Street Galleria and it was the first time we held hands. We had fun and even attempted one of us skating backwards (very clumsily). The girls did much better the second time around. Natalie and Angela liked to hang out in the kiddie rink where they weren't so nervous about all the big people going around. Sarah got pretty good and I'm sure we will be going back again soon.

There's No Place Like Camp 18

We love Camp 18. It is one of our most favorite places to go out here in the northwest. About 80% of our travels to/from the coast include a stop at this incredible restaurant. We have so many wonderful memories there as we always try to take family and friends who visit for a meal.

One of the most memorable was when we stopped there after our awesome family reunion at Tolovana on the way back to Portland. We filled up the whole table made to seat somewhere around 30-40 people. (The top of the table is made of a huge and I mean HUGE slab from a ginormous tree trunk.) Then there are other fun memories with our parents, the time we went with Andy and we laughed our heads off at his gigantic hamburger - the bun was the size of a loaf of round bread. (Everything there is big) I remember going there when I was pregnant with either Natalie or Angela, feeling sick, but the French toast there hit the spot and made me feel better. (They have the best French toast ever.) Camp 18 is a happy place for us filled with years of good family memories. My family is hooked and always asks to go there when they come out.
This particular night was January 10th. We stopped on the way home from an afternoon at Cannon Beach. I took some engagement pictures while my nice family tagged along and tried to keep warm as they played on the beach. We were all pretty cold and nothing sounded better than a cup of hot chocolate at Camp 18.

We hadn't been there for a while, but the lady that hosts there remembered us. We have kind of a funny history with her. I think her name is Laura. She managed a bakery in Cannon Beach a couple years ago. One afternoon, we walked into her bakery and bought a peanut butter cookie. We split the cookie amongst ourselves and continued walking along the main street. But the cookie was so good, we turned back around to get another one to share. This time we sat outside the bakery and enjoyed the cookie together. We just needed one more. So I went back in again. Laura thought we were funny and I'm pretty sure was flattered that we enjoyed her cookies so much. She loved the girls and talked to us for a while.

We brought Kip's* parents the following week to have one of her yummy cookies. The next time we went there, a few months later, it was a deli and not a bakery anymore. Laura was gone. Maybe a year later, we walked into Camp 18 with my family and I couldn't figure out how I knew the hostess. She remembered first - the peanut butter cookie addicts. Now every time we go there she asks when we're moving to the coast. She is always so sweet to the girls and this time she took them over to the fireplace and let them each pick one of the giant pine cones they were playing with to take home.

Camp 18 is a HUGE restaurant/museum dedicated to the history of the logging industry here in the northwest. The building is built of huge logs (imagine a gigantic log cabin). The log that spans the ceiling must be 70 feet or more across and at least a dozen feet in diameter. There is a huge fireplace that is lit in the winter and all kinds of old time pictures, logging tools, animal horns, stuffed mountain lion, etc. The outside of the restaurant has several bigger than life size carvings out of logs of animals, people, bigfoot, etc. And all around the building and in the parking lot are old gigantic logging equipment/tools, train cars and signs. It is a very cool place. We also enjoy perusing the little gift shop and finding fun little trinkets and souvenirs.

Deep Thoughts By Jack Handy

"Here's a suggestion for a new animal, if some new ones get created or evolve: something that stings you, then laughs at you."

Deep Thoughts By Jack Handy

"I think there probably should be a rule that if you're talking about how many loaves of bread a bullet will go through it's understood that you mean lengthwise loaves. Otherwise, it makes no sense."

Love Hate Relationship

This picture is hilarious of Twilight. I guess even cats have dorky faces and blink for pictures. It goes along with my topic well though because she looks so sinister.

So as many of you know, we were very spontaneous one night in October and came home from a school festival with a kitty; wild and crazy people that we are. (o: Now that we've had Twilight for a few months, we are into a nice little routine and I have learned many things I never knew about cats. I wouldn't call myself a cat person, so some of the things that cat people love has taken some getting used to. (I don't know if I'm necessarily a dog person either - I don't get why you have to be one or the other.)

So here's the nitty gritty - the whole truth - no fluff. If you want to know what it's really like to own a kitten, here you go - the good, the bad and the ugly...

Kitten's meows don't actually sound cute. They sound like a whiny baby. It is annoying.

Kitten's scratch and bite. We clip Twilight's nails, but unfortunately, can't clip her teeth. Kitties use these weapons for self-defense (which heaven knows Twilight needs when she is being malled or treated like a toy), but these weapons are also used when they are feeling "playful", which for a kitty is about 70% of the time. We have had to invest a lot more money in Bandaids and Neosporin. I am embarrassed sometimes how many Bandaids Natalie goes to school with.

I read in one of our cat manuals that owning a kitten is like having a toddler that can jump up to 4 vertical feet high - therefore giving them access to all kinds of additional trouble that you can keep away from a toddler. Everything on the tables, counters, bookshelves and even walls are easily accessible to a menacing cat. Cat-proofing is almost impossible. See below what she likes to play with behind my kitchen sink. I noticed one day when I came home that the little, red cacti had some little prickly parts missing. (insert evil laugh) Served her right.

Cat's poop. While I am very happy that cat's have that instinct to bury their you-know-what so that they go in a litter box. You still have to deal with the litter box. And you have to realize that even though cat's are inherently very clean animals, they can still have microscopic things you don't want to think about on their paws, etc. I've never seen anything gross on Twilight, but I am a little bit of a germaphobe so I can imagine.

Kitty Litter is messy. We have itty bitty pieces of kitty litter that get out of the box and on the floor daily. Little pieces all over in our laundry room and upstairs bathroom. I am constantly having to vacuum them up.

Cats like to be RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of everything you are doing. If I am reading, Twilight wants to either play with my bookmark dangling from my book or sit right between me and my book so I can't see the words. If I am working on my laptop, she sits right on the keyboard. If I am putting clothes in the dryer, Twilight wants to climb right inside and be a part of the excitement. If I am folding clothes, she jumps up at every piece of clothing I pick up. If someone comes over, she wants to be right on their lap. If I am cooking, she tries to get on the counter. And that leads to my next gripe...

Because of the aforementioned microscopic yuckies that I imagine all over Twilight's paws, I have been insistent that she not be on the table or counters. And guess where her favorite place to be is? So we have used the squirt bottle method. I think we have squirted upwards of 10 gallons of water on that cat and she STILL gets up on the counters and table. Sometimes immediately after experiencing the wrath of the squirt bottle. I think she actually enjoys the punishment. And that leads to my next item, that I think is one thing that makes Twilight unique...

We think that she loves water. Not just to drink, but to get into and play with. Whenever a sink is turned on, she comes running. Whenever the shower or bath get turned on, she is right there. She gets as close as she can to the water, without actually getting/falling in (except for two times). Until recently. She will actually get in the tub when it is just a few inches high now and get her paws and legs wet. She loves to curl up in the master bathroom sinks. Luckily, the toilet has not seemed to intrigue her, but I still insist the lids always remain down, just in case!

So with all these gripes, why do we still have her?

She is fun.

She is always making us laugh.

The girls LOVE her and Twilight makes them happy.

I love when she follows me around the house to do chores - she keeps me company. Especially those rare times when I am alone

She is fun to cuddle with (when she is not 'crazy cat').

She is teaching me to chill out.

She loves us and she needs us.

That's why.

Even More Reveling...

I know, some of you might be tired of hearing about Utah football and may have hoped I would be quiet about it now that college football is over, but I just had to add one more post (however, I won't make any promises).

Inspired by the incredible season that my dear U of U football team had, I knew that something red would be truly meaningful to my family for birthday gifts this year. My aunt Amy, (Hi Amy (o:) one of my most favorite people ever and very talented, might I add - helped design the boards above for my red-blooded brothers who both have birthdays this month. (In fact it is Andy's birthday today! Happy birthday Rooney!) Hopefully, they don't look at my blog until after Wednesday which is when their presents will arrive. These turned out so cute, however, that I had to make one for Chris (see below) and my parents and myself. Mac* was even gracious enough to help me cut the wood and said I can hang my board up as long as it is on my side of the bedroom or office. What a good sport. Anyway, I just HAD to share how cute they turned out and do a shout out to my dear Amy of "Language Art". (That's the name of her company and if I drum up enough business/interest out here she can make a trip and do a "show" to show off all her awesome ideas. And then I can play with her! (o: So call me if you want some gorgeous ideas for vinyl wall art. Now back to our regularly scheduled program...)
Okay, these are only two of MANY pictures my sister e-mailed me yesterday and I just HAD to put them on my blog (don't say I didn't warn you Chris!) This is exhibit "A" and "B" to share just how big of Utah fans my family members are. I laughed my head off when I saw them. The cute boy on the left in the above picture is my cousin Will. He looks truly scary, but he is the sweetest guy you could ever meet, got the President's scholarship (if I remember correctly) and will soon be leaving for a mission in Japan. (Will, Angela pointed to you and said, "That guy looks weewd! (weird)) If I ran into him looking like that I would definitely keep my distance! Next in line is my dearest sister. My uncle told her she looked like death. Many people think we look a lot alike - what do you think? (o: I think she still looks way cuter than me even with all that white paint on. (Crazy tangent story - my friend out here, Tina, happened to be at Lagoon (an amusement park) in Utah on the same day as my dad and sister. She saw Christine and knew she was my sister because of the resemblance. She was confident enough in her assessment that she walked up to Chris and asked if she was my sister. Crazy eh? Or maybe Tina just remembered what Christine looked like. I like to think that it was because we look so much alike.)

Anywho, that guy standing next to Christine is the totally awesome Brian Johnson, then some other girl I don't know, but looks nice and then my cousin Hailey. Now Hailey, it might be hard to tell in the pictures, is a GORGEOUS girl! (o: She looks a little like a devil with all that RED makeup! (Sorry Hailey - I love you lots and lots!!), but trust me, she is the sweetest girl you'd ever meet and an absolute doll. I laughed so hard when I heard the red makeup did not wash off completely either. Silly kids! But what do you do when you are a die hard Utah fan? Physical beauty, the outer appearance and all that fluff don't matter - looking like a kook for your team is what it's all about. That is true fansmanship.

Another fan picture with Robert Johnson - there were about 10 more such pictures with every other football player. By the way, this was after the big win over BYU. Sorry for the reminder of that disappointing game, Coug fans. I know I'll be getting a comment from Dave. (o: Don't let me down Dave! (O;

Super Cutie

It's Angela's turn for a little update. Angela does adorable and funny things daily, but I'll give you just a sample. (o:

Angela got to move up to Sunbeams in primary this year. She was sad to leave nursery. Angela was the only one of our kids that liked nursery (the class for the 18 month to 3 year olds at church). She was a little hesitant to go to her new "big" Sunbeam class especially when she saw that all the other kids had their mom or dad with them and a few were crying. I was very proud of her for sitting by her teacher and being brave . I was helping watch Natalie's class for a bit, so I got to sit right behind and watch her first time in primary. She loved it! When the kids did the primary motto that they repeat every week, she spoke right along with them. She'd never heard it before and didn't really know the words, but she watched the lady up at the front very closely and mimicked her words. During singing time, she just stared hardly blinking the whole time. She was so into it she forgot to sing (usually singing is one of her most favorite things to do.) She's only been a little Sunbeam for about 4 weeks now, but she already LOVES Sister Goodpaster, her teacher. She gets so excited whenever she sees her teacher (who leads the music in sacrament meeting too). You'd think that she was a celebrity. And all week long she is remembering little things from her lessons and telling me about them. "Mommy, Jesus in my heart, he love me." and "I don't see Jesus, but He in my heart. He take care of me". Yesterday, Angela informed me, "Gampa (grandpa) in Utah and Jesus is in Gampa's heart".

It is so sweet how much she is learning and remembering. She also loves the primary songs and gets excited when "I Lived in Heaven" comes on her primary songs CD. They are learning that one this month and she says to Natalie, "Hey, we sing dat one!" She also tells me of fun things that she gets to do like color and sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" I love that at 3 years old, she already knows so much. The other night, she reminded me to say prayers and knows it is important. I believe little children are so innocent and so close to heaven still, they understand so much more than we give them credit for. Angela is always amazing me with the things she says.

I love this picture, even though there is a random arm at the bottom. (o: It was from when Sarah took Angela up for show and tell at school out of the blue. (Angela and I happened to be there to help with a little New Year party.) Sarah was so excited and proud of her little sis and Angela felt so loved and a little embarrassed (she sticks her tongue in her cheek, like she's doing in the picture, when she is feeling a little shy). Cute sisters.

We took the girls to Build a Bear this weekend. Sarah got a gift certificate for her birthday that we've been meaning to redeem for a long time. We made a family date of it and let Natalie and Angela choose an animal too. They loved the whole process of getting a heart for their stuffed animal, kissing it and making a wish and then helping put the stuffing inside. Angela called that part, "blowing it up". (o: Natalie and Angela spent a long time at the grooming area brushing and "showering" their adopted friends. I tried to keep them occupied while Sarah picked an outfit for her doll with Matthias*. She had money left on her gift certificate to get a little outfit. I was so grateful when Angela saw all the clothes and simply said, "I just want my doggie naked." (o: Luckily, Natalie was a good sport and decided that was just fine too. Phew!

As we left the Build a Bear store, we walked right by a formal dress store. It was full of "princess-y" looking prom gowns. Angela was in total awe. As I walked by the store, I noticed Angela had taken a turn right into the store and was looking all around with wide, starry eyes and mouth open. A magnetic force was pulling her into that store, she didn't even realize that she wasn't following us anymore. (o: I think it would be fun to bring her back, just for a fun "date" and let her look through all of them and pick her favorites. Not that she'd fit in any.

We have a princess book that she looks through at least 2-3 times a week and goes right to the pages where there are different princess dresses and accessories. Her favorite thing to do is choose her favorites and have me pick my favorites. Angela is a princess at heart. She has been playing dress ups since she could walk and she's known all the Disney characters since she could talk. Older sisters helped indoctrinate her early on!

Angela has the most infectious laugh ever. Once you get her laughing, you can't stop doing whatever made her laugh because you want her to keep laughing because it just sounds so happy. It is a vicious cycle. Luckily, Angela is also very patient with those who can't stop tickling her or doing silly things to keep the laughter going. She never gets mad, she just keeps laughing and laughing and laughing. We went to the Halls on Friday night since the dads had gone for a guys night out. The boys could not stop doing crazy and silly things to keep Angela's belly laughs going. One of our babysitters said she could not stop tickling Angela because her laugh was so cute. I state these cases as evidence (because moms are ALWAYS bias!) Angela's laugh is irresistible! My goodnight kisses to Angela always end up in big ticklefests, I just can't help myself! What an adorable, silly girl.

Recipe for a Teddy Bear

Ingredients:

Soft, soft skin in the shape of a bear, bunny, dog, etc.

One heart...
10 Cups of stuffing...

And just a "pinch" of loud noise (little ones may want to cover their ears.)

Give the heart a kiss and make a wish. Put stuffing and heart inside the "skin". Close the back with some string and tie shut. Then groom.

Give your new friend a name and if your parents are really nice pick an outfit to wear. But they will be really happy if you decide like Angela that you just want your stuffed animal "naked".

Give your new friend lots and lots of snuggles. (o:

Angela's new friend: "Twila" the dog.

Natalie's new friend: a bear with multiple personalities; "Hug" then "Grace" then "Anna" (subject to change)

Sarah's new friend: "Sofie" the bunny.

Girlfriends

As I type this, Angela is telling me. "Hey I never went to that party! Where Sarah and Natalie and me?" Angela is seriously sad that she missed out on "the party" in this picture. (o: Laying on the guilt about me having a party without her. Awww. But she doesn't know how therapeutic girls' nights are for mommies, yet.

So every summer around June and every Christmas Nancy, Rose and Joanne and I try to have a girls' night. The summer one is to celebrate our birthdays which all are within two weeks of each other. And the Christmas-time outing is halfway through the year and seems like a good time to get together - except it often gets to busy and then we just do it in January, which happened this year. This time we met at Macaroni Grill and had a lovely time. We talk NON-STOP the entire time. We laugh, we cry we catch up on everything and often we reminisce the days when we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off in primary together. (FYI - we served as a primary presidency together 4 years ago and we really bonded through that experience.)

I love these ladies and I'm so grateful to be blessed with such wonderful girlfriends in my life. I admire these ladies for their talents and the way they handle trials and for their great sense of humor and faith. I always feel so happy when I leave one of our girls' nights and hope we can continue for years to come. After our dinner, as we left the restaurant, Rose and I ended up chatting in my car for another hour! If we didn't have to get back to real life, I wonder how long we would all talk before we ran out of things to say? (o: Hmmmmm...

Miss Natalie

Natalie told me recently, "Mommy, you know why I want to be a dolly?" Hmmm, I wasn't sure, "Because then I won't have to lose any teeth or have a baby." (o: Natalie worries about unpleasant things a LOT. She asks almost weekly when she has to get shots again. (It's 11 years old, by the way - 6 years away, not including flu shots.) And apparently she is also concerned about losing her teeth. Sarah and Natalie are both fascinated and terrified of how babies get out of a mommy's tummy. I try to be honest with them without giving too much infromation. The bottom line is that they know it hurts and they don't want anything to do with pain. No matter how much I tell them the pain is definitely worth it - they don't believe me. (o: And that's okay - I don't want them to change their minds for at least 16 or 17 more years!
I think I've mentioned this before, but Natalie's latest fashion statement is rolling her pants up to her knees. She insists on this even though it secretly drives me crazy. I try to give her some fashion freedom and let her express herself. She says it looks cool. My only stipulation is that she rolls them down when she is outside so her legs don't freeze.

Natalie is learning to write and read. She is learning so much this year in Kindergarten. Her favorite thing to do is to write letters and cards to people. She is such a sweetheart and hardly a day goes by that she doesn't draw a picture or make a card for one of us. Here is a cute sample of her sentiments in their original spelling...
"dad u (with a line over the u indicating it is a long vowel) or ufishule the best"
translation: dad, you are officially the best. (o:
"mom I lik slepeen"
translation: mom, I like sleeping. (o:
"mom, I luv u. u or the best."
"Anjgula I luv u Bcuz u or the best"
"Gramo I (heart) u bcuz u mac the best cuc"
translation: Grandma, I love you because you make the best cook
"Sarah u or the best"

My sweet Natalie woke up not feeling well today. She has had a few days here and there this year where she's wanted to stay home with me rather than go to Kindergarten. Sarah went through the same thing (and frankly, I don't like the separation either - I love having my girls close). I have to do the tough love thing and tell her she's fine and she'll have a great day. Some days I am almost pushing her on the bus. It makes me so sad, but I know that if I drag out the goodbyes, Natalie will get more clingy. She always does just fine - the first few times she did this, I e-mailed her teacher and discovered that Natalie was always her usual, happy self by the time she got to school. Anyway, I thought this morning was just one of those days. She told me her tummy hurt, but she was giggling and laughing with Angela just minutes before she shared this. She had no temperature. I told her she was just hungry and her tummy needed food, but she did not want to eat her breakfast. We had a rough morning because this put a kink in our plans for her playdate, getting Angela to preschool on time and made me miss the class I wanted to attend at the gym. I figured Natalie just needed some mommy time, so I went along with it.

We snuggled on the couch and read a book together. About halfway through Hop on Pop, Natalie told me her stomach was gurgling funny. Then she asked so sweetly for me to please move the cat so she wouldn't get throw up on her. Isn't that the cutest thing ever? I suggested rather than moving the cat that we head right to the bathroom. (o: And we got there just in time. Poor little thing. When she was done throwing up, Natalie looked up at me and said, "See mom, I told you I was sick." Ugh - I felt soooo bad! Needless to say, Natalie got the royal treatment and I took very good care of her to make up for not really buying the sick thing. She was so cute and loved all the coddling - the big blue, soft "sick" blanket, the microwaveable heating pad, the special juice in a bottle, jammies, a movie, the whole nine yards. I know it might sound weird and don't get me wrong, I hate when the kids get sick. But I love to mother them and spoil them when they are feeling crummy. Luckily, Natalie's "yuck" only lasted a couple hours. We are pretty sure Natalie had some funky food or a really fast virus. We threw the PB crackers out that were recently recalled, so it wasn't that. Who knows???

Natalie LOVES her new robe from Santa. She wears it all the time. Sometimes she'll wear just the robe instead of pajamas to bed. And she looks so darn cute in it.

I got to help in Natalie's class last week. She was sooo excited. It made me feel so good that she was so excited to see me. We kept waving to each other while her teacher read a story. (o: Kindergarteners are such a cute age. It was fun to be sort of a fly on the wall and see how Natalie is at school. She is so cute. I noticed a lot of times she is kind of in her own little world, I can tell she's thinking about things and using her imagination - like I see her do at home. She is a wiggly little thing and was very distracted by her bandaid at one point (something she wears a lot of lately thanks to Twilight and Natalie's insistance on holding her constantly). But Natalie does a good job on her work (especially her coloring and artwork), is a good little friend and interacts so cute with the teacher and helpers. She is just a fun personality and I love to see her enjoying school and her friends. She loves everyone. I never really see her consistently with any one or two classmates even though her two best buddies from the neighborhood and church are in her class.

A Historical Day

Despite my last comment on the previous post, today was an exciting day. I still think there has been a lot of hype and people trying to make lots of money off of the excitement of Obama being our next president. That has been kind of annoying and over the top. On the other hand, I think our country really needs something to hope for and something to be excited about. Obama has a gift of 'rallying the troops' and pulling people together. I love the fact that he is the first African American /Caucasian president. (Although the Caucasian part of him is apparently so boring it's not mentioned very often. (o:) I'm proud that our country has come so far in just a few decades in overcoming racial prejudice. I think it must be so inspiring for those who lived during the years when blacks suffered so much persecution to witness the inauguation of a black president.

I love that Obama has been doing things his own way and starting new traditions (honoring McCain last night was very classy). I also really appreciate the balance of optimism and seriousness he has exhibited so far. He seems to understand the heavy weight that he now carries, especially considering the state of our country right now.

So although I did not vote for him, I respect Barack Obama, I respect the office of president and I will support him as our new president. I look forward to seeing the good things he will do for our country and will pray for him as he works to lead our country. We are so blessed to live in such an amazing country.

When the girls came home from school today, they were excited about and got to watch some of the inauguration. Sarah asked a very poignant question as we talked about our new president. She said, "What if someday a person pretended to be good and got everyone to vote for him. Then when he got to be president he wasn't good anymore and did really bad things." Wow. It was neat to talk about the way our country is set up with checks and balances. She was excited that if a bad guy ever became president that he could be "fired" or impeached. (o: It made me appreciate how lucky we are. Our constitution was truly inspired.