Brrrr It's Cold Outside!

The bitter wind hasn't stopped blowing in two days. Yesterday I decided to go out and try to shovel a path to the front door. I stopped after about 5 minutes when I realized there was a layer of ice underneath the snow. There was no way I was shoveling unless I had an ice pick. So I took a picture instead.



An on a similar vein. Back in October on a whim I planted these 3 pots with pansies and decorative kale, thinking they would last a month or two and then die. They survived a few major windstorms and some pretty cold weather. I was impressed.

About a month ago I decided for some reason that I would try to keep them alive as long as I could. I moved them to the balmy, wind-protected south side of our house and have brought them into our well lit insulated garage when it gets below 15 outside. As soon as it warms up a bit, out they go again. I am crazy I know. They don't look that great. But seriously. I have flowers in January!

Chase

A.K.A. Chasey, Chasey love, love, little love, cub

~Loves trains and will ask to watch the train show (Thomas the train.)
~Loves scoopers and diggers. Points them out when we are driving in the car.
~Happy-go-lucky.
~Sleeps 11 hours at night. Likes to have his bug blanket between him and the mattress and then his construction vehicle blanket on top.
~Needs at least one "clean" sock to suck on every time he goes to bed or takes a nap.
~Yes, he still sucks on socks. This habit doesn't appear to be going away on its own. Luckily, he does all of his sucking in the house.
~Also likes to take 1 or 2 toys to bed with him as well. I guess to keep him company.
~Leaves wet, sucked on socks on the floor everywhere.
~In the morning he goes around and collects all the previously sucked on socks from the previous day and carries them around.
~Takes a 1-2 hour nap every afternoon.
~When he is finished with his nap I hear him yelling from his crib "Mom! Get out!"
~Loves nursery.
~Likes when babysitters come over and has no problem with me and Scott leaving.
~Does not like to wear soft pants and will throw a fit if you try and put them on.
~Loves to wear his trackhoe shirt.
~Has no interest in potty training yet.
~Will eat most anything that is put in front of him.
~Likes to tell Bennett what to bring him when he is in his crib.
~Has a definite preference for Scott right now.
~When offered a sucker he will always say "No! A blue one!" even though he has no idea what color blue actually is. All you have to do is tell him that it is blue and then he will accept it, no matter what color it is.
~Likes to read train, construction and dinosaur books with Scott.
~Has gotten into the habit of spitting on the floor. Hmmm I wonder where he learned that from?
~His vocabulary is quickly expanding. Just about speaking in full sentences.
~Makes us laugh every day with his cute phrases and behaviors.
~Likes to play with scoopers in the sand.
~Does not like to ride in the grocery cart.
~Has stick straight hair that never quite lays down.

Owen

A.K.A. Owen, fatso katso, Owen bowen pudding n pie

~My most energetic child.
~He has 2 modes. Full power and off. No in between.
~The family comedian.
~Gives very good hugs.
~Is very particular about his clothes. This winter he has insisted on wearing 2 shirts at once. He also likes his pants touching the floor. He tries to get away with wearing his older brother's clothes. And the cuffs on his shirts can't be too tight. It is a miracle he gets dressed in the morning.
~Has no inside voice...ever. All yell, all the time.
~Likes to play Legos with Bennett
~Likes to play with his friends...a lot.
~Has been giving gifts to people lately. He wraps them up in paper and tapes them together. Pine cones, feathers, suckers etc.
~Has a love/hate relationship with Bennett
~Is so full of energy some days I think he is going to explode.
~Likes to repeat questions over and over without giving me a second to respond.
~He likes full and complete answers to his questions. If he is not happy with the answer he will say "Mom tell me more about it."
~Has a chipped front tooth.
~Our little hoarder.
~Headstrong.
~Knows the entire alphabet and is doing well at learning to read.
~Likes watching the Berenstein Bears and Dragon Tales.
~Doesn't like wearing a coat when it is cold outside. He tells me it is warm.
~Likes to color and paint.
~Has a hard time listening and sitting still.
~Likes helping me bake cookies.
~Is popular with the ladies. He likes to flirt.
~Holds nothing back. Is very good at pointing out people's body parts.
~Is a very good helper when he puts his mind to it. He can stick with a task for quite awhile.
~Decides what is acceptable to eat by watching his brothers. If they hate it, he hates it too.
~Likes to sleep with a light on in his room.
~Comes into our bedroom at night to tell us he needs to use the bathroom.
~Likes his special blanket covering his pillow before he goes to bed.
~Makes a clicking noise with his mouth just for fun that Mom hopes will stop soon.
~Hair is curly when he lets me grow it out.
~Love this kid!

Bennett

A.K.A. Benihana, Benster, Ben Ben, Ben-a-rama-ding-dong

~Loves playing with Legos. Has his creations stashed all over the house. He specializes in airplanes.
~Also does well playing by himself.
~Has 4 favorite stuffed animals that sleep with him every night - sharky, rudy, tiny and puff. There is hardly any room for him. He is hoping to get a Gorilla for Christmas. I don't know where he will fit.
~Moody.
~Has an old blue blanket that he likes in his bed as well.
~Is quite popular in the neighborhood. Gets calls to play every day. His favorite friends are Max, Ryan and Koji.
~Takes piano lessons, but does not enjoy practicing at all.
~Most recent sport played - flag football.
~Talks in his sleep.
~Not particular about what he wears. He just grabs whatever is in his drawer. The only thing he doesn't like is when his pants are too loose and I really can't fault him for that!
~The most loving and caring of my boys. He is the first to give me hugs and kisses.
~Has cute chubby cheeks just like his mom use to have.
~Sneaky.
~Is very protective of his brothers if he thinks others are being mean to them.
~Has a love/hate relationship with Owen. Sometimes they play very well and other times it is war.
~Has a slight lisp.
~Is an excellent roommate for Chase. He is always willing to give him a clean sock to suck on or to get Mom or Dad when he needs something.
~Is currently reading "The Magic School Bus" with Mom.
~Needs to be reminded to complete homework and piano.
~Struggles falling asleep at night. He is the last boy to fall asleep and the last one to wake up.
~Loves playing in the shower.
~When Bennett sets his mind to something, he is very determined to accomplish it.
~Working on being honest all the time.
~Is very polite and considerate in other people's homes.
~Does well in math at school.
~Enjoys throwing a tantrum every once in awhile.
~Likes to draw rainbow pictures.
~A risk taker. Has little fear of scary rides or unknown situations.
~Likes desserts.
~Has a great smile!

Taylor

A.K.A. Taylor

~My easy-going child.
~He tends to neither get really upset or really excited.
~He is a risk assessor. Cautious about new things and likes to be filled in on the details before they happen.
~Smart as a whip.
~Sensitive.
~Very self-motivated. I rarely have to ask him to do his homework or practice piano.
~Currently plays the piano and is on fire!
~Most recent sports played are lacrosse, soccer and flag football.
~And speaking of sports, he is obsessed. What emotions he lacks in his easy-going nature, he more than makes up for it in his personal interests.
His particular sport obsession changes depending on what sport is currently being played. Right now it is soccer because of the recent World Cup.
~Wants to be a soccer referee.
~Loves to talk about sports to anyone who will listen.
~Reads the sports section and the comics in the paper everyday.
~Also loves to find the "Sports Authority" and "Big 5" ads in the paper to drool over the sports equipment.
~All he wants to watch on T.V. are soccer and football game re-runs.
~Loves to read and re-read books. He currently loves fantasy. It is rare to find him without a book in hand.
~Mumbles
~Like to play Fifa World Cup on my iphone.
~Falls asleep within seconds of his head hitting the pillow and is usually the first one up in the morning. Still needs 11 hours of sleep at night.
~Wrestles with his sheets and blankets while in bed.
~Has numerous friends in school and in the neighborhood. His favorites are Toshi, J.T. and David.
~Quite particular about food.
~Quite particular about the clothes he wears. No collars. Nothing too big or too small.
~Thin as a rail.
~Not a big eater, but tends to attack his food when he eats. Working on manners.
~Huge BYU fan. Wears the hat above daily. He generally avoids wearing red lest someone confuse him with a Ute fan.
~Working on self-motivated personal hygiene.
~Is very helpful around the house.
~Does not like being late for school and will pressure Bennett to hurry up.
~Likes to make muffins on Sunday morning.
~Likes his hair very, very short.
~Has recently started asking me if he can go "hang out" with his friends instead of "play."

"Jingle Bells" Chasey Style

Things learned during pregnancy are not forgotten

As I was puking my guts out this weekend with some sort of stomach flu, there were a few minutes that I felt like I could eat something. Scott had just brought home a bag of Cuties. We look forward to these delicious clementines all year.

I looked at the Cuties and my stomach said "Sure, go ahead. I can handle that." I walked over to them, and as I was confirming my decision to eat one, I suddenly had a flashback 10 and a half years ago during a 4 month long episode of puking when I was pregnant with Taylor.

I remember it clearly. It was the 24th of July. We were headed outside to watch the Stadium of Fire from our backyard. I hadn't eaten anything in days it seemed like. But I had a momentary settling of the stomach. I looked at the orange on the counter and my stomach said "Sure, go ahead. I can handle that." as it was simultaneously cackling behind my back. So I ate it and it tasted like heaven going down. It was so good. I also remember a few hours later very, very vividly that citrus is absolutely brutal in reverse.

I walked away from the Cuties.

Winter is Here

How can I tell?

1. I'm cold all the time. However I just purchased my first ever heated mattress pad and I don't know how I ever lived without it. Getting into a toasty warm bed every evening is heavenly!


2. Wet soggy snow gear piled up in my mud hall. Boys put it on. Boys take it off. In the dryer it goes. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.




3. Me experimenting with more winter recipes. This chicken noodle soup recipe was wonderful. Add to it some homemade noodles and it is the perfect thing to eat when the wind won't stop blowing and the temperature refuses to climb past 25. I will post the recipe on my recipe blog shortly.

Why I Run

About 18 months ago, after the stress of building a house and moving I looked in the mirror one day and didn't like what I saw. I had lost most of my pregnancy weight from Chase, but I still didn't fit into my clothes the way I liked. For the previous 8 months all the exercise I had been doing was adjusting to a newborn, chasing after kiddos and running around town picking stuff out for our new house.

Mentally I needed a boost as well. I needed to do something just for me. It was time to re-commit to the treadmill downstairs and the sidewalks outside and get back on track. And so I did. Every week I was jogging. And I continued to do it week in and week out for the next 14 months.

Several months ago, my friend introduced me to this fabulous book. I read it in two days and was inspired to increase my speed and my endurance. And that is what I have been working on. I am neither fast nor do I have major endurance, but the point is I am working on it some weeks and just trying to maintain other weeks.

See the thing is, running is hard. Very hard. Most of the time when I run I am not having a good time. More like I am willing myself to finish so I can pat myself on the back, feel that fabulous endorphin rush and move on with my day. It is equal parts a physical and mental battle I play with myself. But here is the kicker. Every once in awhile during my run something will click, the heavens come together in just the right way and I feel fabulous. I feel empowered. Instead of gasping and panting, I feel alive. It feels easy and I don't want to stop.

I have been trying to figure out why this happens sometimes and not all the time. Is it what I ate the night before? Do I need to eat something before I go? Is it the music? What about sleep? I can't quite figure out how and why and when it happens. But it does. And it is this magic feeling that helps me get out the door.

This morning before the bad weather descended I hit the pavement. Anything over about 35 degrees and I am good to go. 1 mile...2 miles...3 miles I felt good. It wasn't a struggle and I was elated. "It must be the cheesecake and avocado egg rolls I ate last night at eleven o'clock" I thought. I knew I could go on.

At 4 miles I started to slow down, but still felt good and was wondering when the battle of wills was going to begin. That cheesecake didn't have a chance at setting up camp on my thighs.

And then it happened.

Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal clicked on. I hit the turn around point of my run and started the mile and a half home. My pace quickened instead of slowed down. I felt great, not just good.

Many Moore came on with Top of the World and at that moment I felt on top of the world. I almost started crying. I don't know if my feet were hitting the pavement I felt so good. It was effortless.

Lastly Lady Gaga replaced Ms. Moore with Poker Face, one of my latest favorite and highly motivating songs that I run to. I don't know how fast I was actually running and frankly it didn't matter and I didn't care. I just knew that the last mile and a half I felt fantastic. It is a feeling like no other. It is addictive.

And that my friends is why I run.

And now if you will excuse me, I have a hip that needs to be iced.

Hoarders: Junior Edition

If TLC's Hoaders show ever decides to do a junior edition I believe I have the season premiere. Our Owen is getting excessive in his hidy holes.

Looking back, we should have seen this coming. It started at an early age... age 2 if I remember correctly. Before he discovered drawers he was using his pajamas to store all of his treasures. Pretty impressive what this kid managed to fit inside all at once.



Fast forward a few years and this is how it has progressed. His drawer in the kitchen remains full of junk. It is not uncommon to see him chewing old gum that he has stashed here.



He has also discovered this one too and is working hard to fill it.

So that is where my calculator went...



His very first junk drawer is still in use.



He also will fill this little clock drawer with odd pieces. He told me today he is going to now use it for his collection of Bakugans. His collection consists of one.



When he gets desperate he will also use fake plants as a place to store items that he doesn't want found by his brothers. Legos pieces, broken bracelets..... you name it.



And in his spare time when he is not collecting he enjoys building large hidy holes that can fit himself and his food storage.



I think it is time for an intervention. :)

The Last Hurrah

While Scott was at the BYU game with his dad I decided to get in one last outside adventure before the snow sets in for good. We have been enjoying beautiful weather this past week and the weather forecast looks cold and crappy for the next 4 months. We got some lunch and headed out to the park for a few hours.



Whoops! Other than this little fall at the end of the slide and later his head getting stuck under the seat in the van, everyone was happy.



You may have noticed I am missing a boy. He opted for staying home *alone* and watching the football game. Sigh... my boy is growing up.

Happy Halloween!

Recipes

About a week ago I was thumbing through all of my go-to recipes deciding what to cook for the week and most of them were just telling me to go-away. I have cooked them so many times that they don't sound good anymore. So I decided that once a week I will try a new recipe and hopefully I will find some really good ones to replace my tired ones.

I have tried a few and so far I have found 1 winner and one that has the potential to be a winner with a few changes. When I do find the good ones I will post them on my neglected recipe blog.

For tonight I am trying a new beef stew recipe. So far it looks and smells delicious!

Are we there yet?

That very quickly became the tagline for our recent trip to the Grand Canyon and to Zion National Park. That was uttered every 5 minutes from boy #3. Answering it was extremely difficult due to the fact that he has no concept of time. So we could answer 5 minutes or 5 hours and all he knew was that he wasn't happy with where we were at.

Despite this repeated sentence and a case of diarrhea our UEA weekend turned out great. The weather was gorgeous and the crowds skimpy. We were lucky to book a cabin at the north rim a few weeks ago so we started our trip there.

Did I not mention the diarrhea? Here it is. Every time I pack for a trip I usually come home with loads of diapers left. So this time I decided to pack less of them. Of course Chase decided that this trip would be the one where he had diarrhea and by the second day we were blowing through them. We were about ready to break down and buy a 10 pack at the gas station for $18.99. Luckily it passed and we came home with 3 to spare. Back to north rim.



This was probably my favorite hike - Point Imperial Trail. Fabulous views at the end. Owen liked this hike the best because we got to eat chips at the end.



The downside was that we over estimated how far Owen would be willing to walk by about a mile. We wised up after this one. Taylor, Bennett and Chase were troopers and hiked happily along.



Our next hike, Widforss Trail, was turning about to be just as gorgeous but we decided to turn around early. The area has had some fires lately so there was a lot of dead logs laying around that the boys loved digging at. Scott and I both agreed this was a trail we would like to finish one of these days without the little ones.



The best part of Widforss Trail was the actual trail. We were literally walking on a bed of pine needles the entire time and the smell was heavenly. If I could have bottled up that scent, I would have.




After our hike up to the upper emerald pool in Zion, the boys attempted to make their own sedimentary rock, following Bennett's instructions. He must have had a lesson about rocks lately in school because he understood that the sand needed pressure and time. When we told him it would need about a million years, he was a little disappointed that it wasn't going to change while he was watching.



If you look closely at the water coming off of the rock right in the middle of the pix you can see there is a rainbow. Taylor spotted that.



"Thanks Dad for hauling me around for 3 days!"

Hold On Taylor!

This past weekend I took Taylor and Bennett down to Lake Powell while Scott stayed at home with the non-swimming, less obedient ones. The weather was beautiful and the houseboat a whole heck of a lot better than camping. We had a great time!


Here is Taylor attempting to get up on a wake board. Look at that determination.



So close!

Let's hope the pictures of me trying to get up never surface. Let's just say that I sufficiently plowed the lake, cleared my sinuses and came home with every muscle from the knees up screaming for mercy.

The boys loved tubing and jet skiing with Tyler and Emily


Bennett spent hours entertaining himself in the mud!


What else did we do in 3 days?

ate junk food
caught carp
ate junk food
read
ate junk food
threw pancakes at ducks
ate junk food
learned that ducks won't eat oreos
ate junk food
learned that carp will eat anything, including your spit
ate junk food
read
ate junk food
learned that a worn rope will definitely break and leave your towed boat behind
ate junk food

The Necessities

For several weeks now, Owen has been building an elaborate fort in our basement. A few days ago it was destroyed by one or more of his brothers and this is what I found when we were cleaning it up. Really, what more do you need in your fort than a few rubbery carrots, stale bread, silverware and some applesauce?

Chapstick

"Chasey sweetie. I understand that you think this is really big chap stick for really big lips, but I promise it's not."

Happy Birthday Owen!

This kid is 5 already!



Owen tell me what you like about yourself?

"I like giving um people kisses and I like when we play transformers together with Bennett and I like eating pizza and I like going on hikes and I like going to Disneyland and I like going to JCWS and I like my birthdays."

What is your favorite part of the day?

"Going camping and I like when I go to friend's house and I like riding on two wheels and I like birthday presents and I like Easter day."

What don't you like?

"I don't like Bennett beating me up and I don't like tomatoes and I don't like getting my toys broken. That what I don't like."

Anything else you want to say?

"And I like my presents from my birthday."

What I learned today

1)The cardboard on which a Costco cake is placed is not very strong.

I decided to freeze the remainder of Owen's birthday cake instead of leaving it on the counter for me to wolfe down one fork-ful at a time for the next three days. I wanted to wrap saran wrap around the entire cake so I hung it about halfway off of the counter so I could wrap one side first. Before I could get the saran wrap going the cardboard buckled and dumped half the cake on the floor.


2)The term "leading the witness" will never be used against Owen.

On each of the boy's birthday we always take them out to dinner at a restaurant of their choice. Knowing full well that Owen will choose McNastys oh I mean McDonalds, Scott cleverly tries to lead him in another direction. Instead of asking him where he wants to go he says "Hey Owen, how about we go to JCW'S for your birthday lunch?" To which he immediately replies "No I want to go to McDonalds."

What I learned today

1) Forgetting to put Chase's blankets in the dryer way before nap time comes around is not a good idea. No matter how much I tried to convince him that this blanket was soft, this one was warm and cozy and this one had cool dinosaurs on it, he would not allow any of them to defile his crib. He screamed it out until he went to sleep.

2) Owen is a quick learner when it comes to bike riding. He has been asking me for a couple weeks now to take off his training wheels so he can learn to ride without. I have put it off thinking that he was too young and it would prove more frustrating than anything. I was wrong. Within a few turns around the yard he had it figured out. Even when I tried to help him he said "No Mom I can do it myself." If Owen is one thing it is determined.


3) Even the simplest things will entertain my boys. We have a hawk that lives in a pine tree next to our house. We sat for a good 30 minutes just watching the hawk soar on the wind wondering where he would turn next.

What I learned today

Chasey has been peeing in the boy's closet.

Is he working his magic with the diaper on? Or is he stripping down? I don't recall him running around naked....today. Who knows. This is all according to my ever-so-truthful would never tell a lie Owen who has reportedly witnessed these episodes and did not bother to tell me. "He has peed here and here and here and here."

The only thing I know is that the closet reeks and the carpet is wet.

Dang.

A Simple Story About Caramel Apples

About 13 years ago, Scott and I and a few other couples from our newly married Ward decided to go up to Park City for the evening. We started out at the outlet mall and did a little shopping. Correction: All the other couples were doing some shopping, but Scott and I were only looking. You see I was not working, but doing my internship to finish school and Scott was working at Jiffy Lube. The money wasn't exactly rolling in so to speak. So I drooled over some black pants at the Gap that I'm sure were tapered and pleated. I wanted them, but didn't get them. In hindsight it was probably good I didn't buy them. They undoubtedly would have made me look like an ice cream cone from the waist down. Highly unflattering.

After watching them shop we went out to dinner on Main Street. That was the one thing we decided we could afford. After dinner we strolled on down the street and ended up at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory where we all oohed and awed at the yummy caramel apples they had displayed. Something like this.



They all decided to buy one for dessert. Scott and I opted out, since we were watching our money very, very closely. I'm not sure what happened, but Scott and I left the store while they all bought their apples. Probably so they wouldn't feel bad that they were all getting one and we weren't. And sure enough on our way home our good friend's Ben and Stacey presented us with an apple they had bought for us. Very nice of them to do this. We were slightly embarrassed.

Fast forward 13 years and Scott and I found ourselves in Park City for some alone time. We went out to dinner on Main street and then happened upon the same store with all the same caramel apples flaunting their goodness at us. Well not the exact same caramel apples, those would be gross. You understand what I am saying. And you know what we did? We bought one.




The End

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

We recently had a fire-pit put in in our backyard. After it was finished Scott dumped some sand in the bottom of the pit. As soon as Chasey spotted the sand he got his scoop, jumped in and immediately got to work removing it. He doesn't need a lot of room to be happy. Perhaps the next project should be the sandbox.

I'm an idiot

It was in my computer the whole time. I must have taken out my card while leaving the reader behind. Without the card sticking out you can't even tell it is in. Oh brother.

this past week

+ catching up on my boy's photo albums and my scrapbook. Almost there.

+ babysitting a few neighbor kids for 3 days while their parents are in Hawaii.

+ cleaning out and organizing my closet.

+ planting more plants and trees in my yard.

+ telling Owen that lipstick, mascara and red peep toe heels on a boy is a no in our house.

+ trying to keep all keys away from Chase as he has realized that any skinny metal object shoved into the keyhole and twisted will open Scott's office door.

+ finished reading The Help. Very much enjoyed it. Have started re-reading The Book Thief for my book club. Love this book!

+ sat through a few soccer games for Taylor and Owen.

+ had a discussion with one of the boys on the merits of showering regularly oh and another discussion with another boy about washing hands after using the bathroom oh and another discussion about changing your underwear daily. All very good ideas.

+ deciding that one of Owen's friends is only bringing out the naughty in him. May not encourage playdates with this one in the future.

+ repeatedly saying to a couple of the boys that a healthy breakfast does not include a cookie.

+ Still looking for that card reader. I'm thinking it is a goner.

Bits & Pieces

From April to July I just looked longingly at my book supplies wishing that I had time to make a few. But I forced myself to stitch and stitch only. After I finished that project I wandered around the house for a week wondering what to do with myself and then I got crafty.

I have been wanting to try a buttonhole stitch book for awhile. So instead of making one I made three. I also decided that I would make these books into gratitude journals with quotes and scriptures like this scattered throughout the book.



And I really wish I could show you the books, I really do. They turned out so nice. But, these books will be gifts and I would hate to have the recipient see the entire book before the gift is even given. So I will just show you bits.

This is my girly book. I love it. The beading on the spine was fun to do.



I like that I can walk down practically any aisle in a craft store and find something to use on a book. These beads came from the jewelry section. Don't they match perfectly?



And when you really want to go out on a limb you make your own bead. Sure it won't hold up to everyday wear and tear on clothes, but with some PVA and varnish, it works beautifully for a book.



I really can't decide which one I like the best.

ps Has anyone seen my card reader? It has somehow disappeared and I have to use my camera on my phone until I find it. I've got my suspicions on Chasey, but he isn't letting on that he knows anything.

Braces

Yes, it is hard to believe he is old enough to already have these on. Back in my day, you didn't see the orthodontist until all of your permanent teeth were in and were a mangled mess. Then you would get your braces on and wait for years until your teeth became untangled. That is old school. Now they prefer to do it in phases.

In Taylor's case, where his teeth are going to be mangled to the max, he will wear braces for about a year to make room for the rest of his permanent teeth to come in. Then the braces come off for a year or two and are replaced by a retainer. When everything is in he will get braces again to finish the straightening. This will reduce the amount of time he will need them, especially when he gets older and wants them off.

He was so excited to get them and he loves showing them off! Well what ten year old wouldn't right?

Finished!

And a month early at that!






And now I will officially announce that I am retiring from cross-stitching for the rest of my life. I'm done.

How good can syrup be?

While I was up at girl's camp I overheard one of the leaders excitedly saying that one of the other leaders brought up her syrup. Syrup? Syrup is good but how good can it be to drag it up to camp? I found out. We had it on french toast and on crepes. I was practically licking it off my plate. I have since made it at home just to see if it really was that good or if it was the sleep deprivation that was messing with my taste buds. It really was as good as I remember. You know how eating muffins is just a sneaky way to eat cake for breakfast? This so-called syrup is really like caramel sauce. But you can't have caramel sauce for breakfast without feeling guilty, so we call it syrup.

So if you are looking at making something special on a Sunday morning, give this a try. I promise you won't regret it.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cube butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. Buttermilk
dash of salt

Combine and boil for 1 minute. Watch carefully so it doesn't boil over. Remove from heat.

Whisk in
1 t. vanilla flavoring
1 t. maple flavoring
1 t. baking soda

When you add the baking soda, the amount of syrup triples so watch it carefully.

Great Quiet Activity

Now that Scott has to sit on the stand during sacrament, it is up to me to try and keep 4 boys relatively quiet and still for 65 minutes. That is impossible. I find myself hauling out Owen and Chase between 35-40 minutes after the meeting starts. That is my limit.

The other day I was thinking that maybe I need to update my diaper bag with new toys that will hopefully keep them occupied and quiet a little bit longer. I then remembered years ago seeing a kid using flannel board Gospel figures on the back of the pew that was right in front of him. They stick to the fabric that covers the pew and there is a fair amount of surface area for a lot of figures. Genius I tell ya.

So I start looking around on the internet for these figures. I found some for $15 a story. No way am I paying that amount. I will figure out how to do them myself. After a few more minutes looking I found 2 blogs that tell you how to make them and they have the figures that you can download too. Isn't the internet wonderful?

So I went to Walmart, spent about $10 and now I have enough stuff to make 6 stories. Genius I tell ya. I took some to church today and Chase was quite entertained hanging them up. I got a whole 8 more minutes out of him! Plus as an extra bonus I can use them for FHE.

Here are the 3 that I have done so far.





And here are the links to make them. Have fun!

http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/2007/11/flannel-board-stories.html

http://alittleofthis---alittleofthat.blogspot.com/2010/01/felt-figure-fun.html