Normal Life Award

Normal day to day life can be really hard. And we don't get a lot of recognition for the small things we do. Like not hit the snooze, remember to floss, not pretend that we didn't notice the garbage needs to be taken out.

Parenthood has its own challenges. But unlike most other full time jobs, there is no chance for a pay raise or promotion. You don't accumulate vacation or sick time. No one congratulates you for the times you count to ten instead of just start yelling.

I think that should stop. Right here. So, I'm going to be handing out awards for the daily things we should get recognized for.

Starting with me.

I've been married for almost 8 years. I have two very rambunctious little boys. And still, we have nearly my complete set of dishes that we got for our wedding. Just simple white dishes; yet I love them. And over the years, only ONE bowl has been broken. By my husband. Before we had kids.

I think that deserves an award. A gold star.


Yes, I know that this is "tooting my own horn." But there are times if we don't, who will?

If you feel you have done something that deserves a normal life award, leave a comment, and I'll give you one.

Tea Party

Friday was another combined birthday party. This time, for Grace and Spring.

Grace, who is now 6

Spring, now 4 years old

Grace and Spring, ages 6 and 4, are my youngest siblings. They are the babies of the family. And the princesses. So what better than a fairy princess tea party?

Two cute little girls with their two cute little cakes

Along with some very rowdy little kid party games.

Happy Birthday, little girls!

Spring, Mom, and Grace

Well, Almost

I'm glad that the boys and I took advantage of the beautiful day we had earlier this week.

Overnight, the beautiful spring rain turned to snow.


Well, I guess a Utah March wouldn't be complete without it. I just hope I'm not saying the same thing in April.

Wednesday Weigh-in

In the spirit of keeping with my New Year's Resolutions, I'm going to start a daily feature. Each Wednesday, I'm going to weigh in. Not with my opinions. But with my actual weight.

It's hard to be honest about my weight. I was a thin girl through out high school and part of college. But the stress of medical school and two pregnancies have not been kind. I've gained a LOT of weight in the last 6 1/2 years.

And I've had a hard time adjusting my diet to being slightly overweight instead of being the skinny girl who could eat a bag of marshmallows and Skittles.

I've also had a hard time just getting used to me in this size and shape.

Like I mentioned in my New Years resolutions, my goal is to lose 15 pounds this year.

So far, I've lost 5. Yeah! This is the first time I have ever been successful losing weight. (When I lose more weight, I may, may post my actually weight and not just absolute values of how much I've lost. Maybe.)

My new goal is 5 more pounds by April 1st.

It's going to be hard.

I've been really good at exercising: 30 minutes 6 days a week. I've only missed 2 days in the last 2 months.

I've been better at healthier food choices.

The hard part is not eating at night. Like the big bowl of popcorn watching Lost and Survivor.

Giving that up is the next goal.

Let's Go Fly a Kite

And that's exactly what we did.

The air is warmer, moister. The boys only need sweaters in the morning instead of coats. The birds are singing as we leave for school.

You can feel spring everywhere.

And the perfect way to celebrate March, blustery days, and the coming of spring...

Kite flying.


Roman mastered flying the kite on his own quickly. He even had the string pulling down to keep the kite aloft. When I was flying it, he would run down to where ever the kite touched down at and would gleefully and confidently toss it back in the air.

Roman, experiencing the thrill of letting all the string out...
just to see how high it can really go

Blaise really wanted to do just what his big brother was. He wanted to fly the kite alone. He would holler at me every time I would help hold on. And when I complied, he instantly let go and sent us running across the park, through lacrosse practice to retrieve the kite.

I know, it's another one of the pictures my mom says I shouldn't post.
And I wouldn't have taken one, except after I took a picture of Roman,
Blaise said, "Take of picture of me, Mommy!!" So I did.
He's just having a little bit of a hard time sharing at this particular moment.

Today felt like spring. Kites, no coats, and the promise of more sunny days.

Yes, it's a Transformer kite.
What else did you expect from a family of boys?

Spill your guts

I've already confessed about liking memes.

Here's another one... (that I stole from this blog, without being tagged. Just because I thought it was cute.)

We've all heard that you can tell a lot about a women by the contents of her purse. So, let's find out about each other.

Here are the rules:

1. Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. You CANNOT sneak into your closet and pull out some cute little things - we want to know the purse you last carried. No cheating!

2. List how much it cost - this is not to judge but for entertainment only. If there is a fabulous story to go along with your fabulous purse, let us hear it!
3. Spill your guts. Or your purse's. What are you carrying around in there?

4. Tag some lucky ladies to participate and then link back to this post.

I actually don't have a lot of purses. And it's not because I don't like them, but because the major force in my life right now is frugality (that and an insane about of stress and Kid's Meal's toys, but that a completely different topic).

I love all my purses, and since I'm home a great deal more and don't have to carry around as much stuff, this is my arm's current companion:


I got this darling red A-shaped purse at a factory outlet for about $15. 3 years ago. The outlet store is no longer there, but the purse is going strong.

Here's what's inside:


Top row: Wallet, Palm (the source of all my knowledge), cell phone, hair elastic, jump drive

Bottom row: Check book (for weekly daycare payments), movie ticket (Australia), way too many keys, lip glass, lotion, hand sanitizer, Burt Bee's chap stick, and a large collection of pens.

There is also a camera and an iPod in there, but the iPod was charging, and I'm using the camera.

(Okay, there was also a bunch of trash, like two weeks worth of shopping lists, an ATM receipt, Coke bottle lids, and a bunch of glitter from carrying around my son's Valentine to me.)

Every time I go through my purse, I feel like Mary Poppins. People watching me rummage around trying to find my phone or lotion just keep waiting for me to pull out a floor lamp and a potted plant.

Okay, now it's your turn. I should just tag some people, but I'm going to let this be voluntary. For now. Come on and play. It's fun.

(Oh, and if you decide to do this: leave a comment, telling me where I can find out about your purse.)

Museums

Saturday was spent at museums. Yes, with an "s."

First thing in the morning, my mom, her four girls still at home, my sister and her two children, and my boys and myself started out for a full day of looking, whispering, and "not touching."

First stop: Springville Art Museum. I have always wanted to go to this one, but haven't ever made it down there, until now. Currently, they are exhibiting high school art. A lot of it is what you expect from high schoolers. Some amateur technique and themes of discontent and self-identity. But some of it was really quite spectacular. I'm impressed that there are so many young people out there thinking about art in such mature and new ways.

And I loved seeing my boys stand in front of paintings and stare up at them in amazement. Roman picked an abstract sculpture with made of wood, wire, and broken glass as his favorite. He said it made him "feel special."

The art museum also has a good permanent collection. Definitely recommend this one.

Next stop: the Bean Museum at BYU. And no, no beans. Just lots, and lots, and lots of stuffed animals. There are African animals, insects, a huge seashell collection, ducks, and lots of deer and antelope. I think it is a great way for the boys to get an idea of the vast diversity of animals. But at the same time, I feel sad seeing the heads of magnificent giraffes and rhinos mounted to the wall. It feels just a little too much like some one's trophy lodge, and just a little less like a museum.

Roman and Galilee at the Bean Museum
(They are in front of a bongo. Roman wants me to be sure
to say that it's a bongo. In case some one doesn't know.)

Last stop (see, I told you it was a full day of museums): the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point, where we rendezvoused with my dad and Keith.

Left to right: Spring, Galilee, Laurelei, Roman, Blaise, Grace

This place is definitely my favorite museum in all of Utah. The exhibits are fantastic and great for both kids and adults. There is lots to learn and plenty of hands-on opportunities to make it more pleasant for the boys.

Roman, Blaise, and Keith
in a cave

Swim away!!!

Roman by a dinosaur
with a very happy look on his face

We spent hours there.

I love seeing my boys faces light up as they learn. Roman, especially (probably because he's older) spent the whole day with a grin on his face and a light in his eyes.

And I have to say that, as a biology major, museums like this are right up my ally. Every time I see the Carboniferous forest exhibit, I have a small wish that I had gone to grad school and continued my comparative morphology studies.

You know, because I haven't been in school long enough.

As evening approached, we all went our separate ways. We headed home, with sore feet and content children.