Am I growed up yet?

My little McKinley just turned four, and as 4-year-olds do, she says some pretty funny things. The other day she came to me and said "Mommy, since I'm four now, am I all growed up yet?" :) I explained to her that she was growing bigger every day, but she still has a lot more growing to do before she is a 'grown-up.' Again today, when I was trying to get her to take a nap, she asked "After my nap will I be growed up then?" We had just discussed that taking naps helps us to grow stronger - I guess she thought that meant faster. :) I tell you that little story to tell you another. This one's about me, so if you aren't interested in my 'deep thoughts,' feel free to stop reading, I really won't be offended :). I went to lunch today with my friend Meghan from high school. I haven't seen her really since we graduated (x years ago :), so I was excited to catch up with her. We both showed up 10 minutes late (traffic, kids, got lost, the usual 'mom' excuses) with our diaper bags, two kids (each) in tow, 'family' cars, carseats, and Shades shirts. Standard 'mom' gear, right? We caught up on old friends, talked about the boys we had crushes on in middle school and high school (I won't mention any of mine, since some of their wives read my blog ;), moved on to husbands and kids, and then life in general. During the course of our conversation, of course, there were faces to wipe, constant scanning the room (forget eye contact when you are constantly doing a head-count of your children), the occasional 'don't eat that off of the floor!', and so on. At one point in our conversation we agreed that we still both felt about 14-years-old, despite the 'obvious' signs that we were 'growing up'. That brings me to my point, when are you considered an official 'grown-up?' Maybe not 4-years-old, but is it when you can ride the 'big' rides at Disneyland? 18th Birthday? After high school? 21st Birthday? After college? Marriage? First baby? Fifth baby???? Maybe a career makes it more tangible, when you actually BECOME what you wanted to be when you grow up? Maybe not even then (especially if you aspired to be superman, only to find upon submitting resumes that the position has been filled). Is it when you watch your kids have kids? Where is that line? When do you know that the day that you became a 'grown-up' has come and gone? Did I miss it? I mean, I still listen to the same music that I did in high school, shop at the same stores, talk about some of the same things, I think I look pretty much the same (aside from the 20 extra pounds of 'life-weight' - FYI it can't be called baby weight now that my baby is 2 1/2, so I now attribute it to life in general :) Am I that lady walking through the grocery store in stilettos wearing too-tight not-age-appropriate clothes and enough makeup to make a rodeo clown jealous; you know the one ;) (If this is you, PLEASE don't take offense, this is just food for thought. If this IS me, please let me know ASAP! I DO wear high-heels to the grocery store, but that's only because I am short and my jeans are too long, really! ;) Anyway, she probably doesn't know that it doesn't fit her age, maybe I don't. Is it time for me to give up Charlotte Russe and Brass Plum for J.Jill and Coldwater Creek? Am I growed up yet? I guess I don't have an answer, just one of my many musings. Either way, I hope that I always feel 14-years-old on the inside (and hopefully manage a little 'class' on the outside :). Thanks for a fun lunch Meghan, and for the record, you don't look a day older than when I first met you in about the 7th grade! Here's to the perpetually young at heart!

Creative Coupon Clipping

I have always had intentions of clipping coupons from the Sunday paper (and putting them into my nicely organized photo-album-coupon-book, thanks to Nicole at Being Frugal is Fabulous!), but time seems to escape me! I usually have laundry or work (or blogging :) or something pressing to do during precious nap-times, so it just doesn't happen. When the kids are awake, they want to 'help', and as much as I love them, sometimes it just doesn't help. I decided today to finally tackle my pile of Sunday ads WITH the kids awake, and here is how it worked: I cut coupons from a page, then put the 'scrap' in a pile for the kids. They each had their safety scissors and I instructed them to cut out the faces in the 'scrap' pictures. That kept them busy while I sorted and cut ads, and they didn't mess with the ones that I was using (scissor-time at our house is a novelty - after the many self haircuts, scissors are locked up tight :). When I was done clipping, I helped them cut some more faces, then we sorted them (today McKinley chose to sort by gender), and they each got a piece of paper and a glue-stick and glued their cut-out faces to make a collage (Mason used the boys' faces, McKinley used the girls' faces :) while I put my coupons in my handy coupon book. Sounds silly, but it was actually fun! I think we'll make this a weekly activity, there are so many things that they could cut out to change it up and teach my kids; animals, clothes, hands, cleaning products, hygiene products, I could go on (but I'll spare you :). Anyhow, I just thought I'd share in case anyone else has coupon clipping challenges. :) Have a wonderful weekend!They were so proud of their collages, they insisted on hanging them on the fridge right away! Hmmm... I wonder which one belongs to which child? :)

aLL tUcKeReD oUt!

Mason must be going through a growth spurt, he has been SOO tired lately! He missed his nap today, and I guess he decided he couldn't handle it anymore. He was in the basement watching football with Daddy, then Matt noticed that he was gone, and this is where he found him.

I'm guessing from the little blue stool that he brought that over to climb on :). He had climbed up on the pool table, curled up, and fell fast asleep (all without Matt noticing, of course :). Poor little guy! Of course, before I carried him up to his room I had to get pictures, it was TOTALLY blog-worthy :)I just love that sweet little sleeping face!

Date night... STRIKE!

We have a fun little date-night co-op (which if you haven't tried and you have kids, it's a MUST!). We rotate tending so that one couple tends all of the kids on a weekend night while all of the parents go out. We end up tending about once a month, but have all of the other weekends for a going-out night. We have LOVED it! Well, we decided to change up the usual dinner and a movie and go for something different. We do this now and then, and in the past is has been laser-tag (I know, we are boring parents trying to be 12-years-old!). This time we decided to go with bowling. Now, you must know that I haven't even attempted to bowl since college, and even then I was pretty pathetic at it. This night was no different, I didn't break 100 on either game, but it was a fun night! Hey, any night that ends in Cold Stone ice cream is okay with me! :) Thanks to the Bowen's and the Wright's for humoring us and joining in the fun! Yeah, that's my MAN!
YES! I finally hit one pin! (okay, just kidding, that was me, Janette did pretty well!)
Do you think I should have them lifted? :)

Somebody's 4!

Happy 4th Birthday McKinley! Also, a very Happy Birthday to cousin Stephen (currently serving in Taiwan) and Grandpa (my dad)! McKinley is so lucky to share her birthday with such wonderful people! She had such a fun day! She really wanted to have a Barbie party this year, but I had sworn to take a break from big birthday parties (only every other year!). Last minute, I decided to throw a little party with some of her girl friends. They dressed up like Barbie pincesses, enjoyed pizza and giant cupcakes, decorated wooden dolls, and played together all afternoon. Unfortunately, I was so busy with the party that I forgot to take ANY pictures! UGH! After dinner and pj's, Kinley opened her presents - lots of Barbie stuff (go figure :), and headed off to bed with her cute little brother. It was the perfect birthday for a sweet little 4-year-old. We LOVE you McKinley!

It all began with a mouse...

It's Disney on Ice! A group of friends and I decided to take our kiddos to Disney on Ice while it was in SLC. We went in the spring with just our older girls, and they LOVED it! The younger ones are a little older now, so we decided to venture out with all of the kids to see the show (thanks to Kristin for getting tickets!). The girls were thrilled to dress up in their princess best and have a night out with their favorite Disney characters. Mason was the only boy, but I didn't want him to miss out, so he came too. I think he would have preferred to stay home with his Daddy :). As soon as the lights went out and the first characters appeared on the ice, he started screaming "I want to go home!" He's not a huge fan of costumed characters :). He buried his head in my shoulder and clung to me for dear life for the first half of the show, but then he relaxed a little and sort-of enjoyed it. I asked him later what he thought, and he said it was scary. He may be slightly traumatized by the experience, but the girls had a ball! We'll have to do it again next time Disney on Ice is in town - maybe girls only next time! Mason in his Mickey ears - before the trauma began :)The kiddos after the show - Mason's still not sure what to think!

Family Photos 2008

I just got our family photos from our AWESOME photographer (thanks JENI!) I am so excited, she did an awesome job, and we got some really fun shots. Here is a little taste - sorry, this post is mostly photos, not much to say (that's a shocker!) :)
... and as if Jeni's photography skills weren't enough, she delivers her photo CD's in this cute little box! As Jeni says 'it's all about the presentation'. That's why we love her!

Playing the Field

Haha, not really :) Jeni took us out to a field a few weeks ago to do a photo shoot with my random mismatched 'vintage' kitchen chairs, just thought I'd share my fave's! (Yes, those chairs all go together around my kitchen table, I know it looks random but it works for me, I call it 'eclectic' :)

Okay, I don't really like this one of me, but I had to prove that I was there :) Thanks Jeni, these are some of my favorite pictures of the kids!

gIrLs JuSt WaNnA hAvE fUn!

And when you put 5 women on a roadtrip in an minivan, FUN doesn't even describe it! Jami, Jeni, Janette, Bobbi, and I headed off to St. George on Friday afternoon to run races and enjoy a 'Girls Weekend' in warmer weather. Thanks to Jami for the music (she burned some awesome 80's music mixes :), Jeni for volunteering her awesome minivan and chauffering, and everyone for the fun discussion topics :), we had a blast from the minute we got into the car!

~Here we are pre-race - Janette and Bobbi ran a 5k while Jeni, Jami, and I ran a half marathon~

~13.1 miles later, yea! Glad that's over with, let the REAL fun begin!~

~In-N-Out, the perfect post-race meal!~

~Post-race pedicures - our feet definitely needed some work!~

~I thought I'd try something fun :) - I was so happy to have pretty toes that I left my shoes at the nail salon, we had to have the owner leave them by a dumpster so that I could get them after they salon was closed :) We got a kick out of searching for dumpsters behind a strip mall looking for my shoes. FIGURES!~

~The Texas Roadhouse - my favorite! We had worked up QUITE an appetite, we definitely needed a steak dinner!~

~Bobbi got to ride the saddle at the Texas Roadhouse since her birthday is coming up. I think this photo pretty much sums up our weekend ;)~

~All-in-all, it was an awesome trip! We will have to do this more often, we all came back talked-out :), shopped-out, and totally refreshed. Sometimes, girls just need to be girls! Thanks ladies, can't wait for the next road-trip! I got to know each of these wonderful women so much better through this trip! I love you all!~

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

It's a sad day for our country as it appears that the election is going in a scary direction, that's about all I can say :). I do try to remain pretty neutral and keep politics out of my blog, but it had to be said. Luckily for them (and us), little kids have no idea what is going on in the boring tense grown-up world. A few weeks ago for enrichment I taught a little class on how to make cute fluffy tutu's for kids (or grown-ups :). The sample tutu's have been sitting on the couch in the living room forever and Mason has had no interest in them whatsoever. Tonight he decided to put one on and he and McKinley gave us a little show. This is just a short clip, it went on for a LONG time (lots of pirouettes and 'tippy-toe' dancing :). Thanks for the comic relief! Matt wasn't too entertained by it (as you can probably tell from the video clip), but it WAS pretty funny, you just have to know Mason and his funny little personality! Enjoy! Hopefully this brightens your day, too!

My Cup Runneth Over

I was just reading Paula's blog about her idea to journal (or blog) a 'Daily Thanksgiving' and LOVED the idea - thanks Paula! I thought I'd follow her example and keep a daily list of the things that I am thankful for. I too am so grateful for this upcoming holiday season. Aside from all of the hustle and bustle of the season, I love the spirit of it, the time with family, and most importantly the time to reflect on the blessings in our lives. Feel free to follow suit, here are Paula's instructions:
"Create a Daily Thanksgivng List. I am going to try to post something everyday that I am thankful for. I am going to have a prayer in my heart so that I can trully examined the Lord's hand in my life DAILY! I challenge everyone to do this during the month. Whether you post it on your blog or record it down on a piece of paper, I challenge all of you to do the same. It is my prayer that we can lose ourselves in thought of the things that matter most. According to Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Living in thanksgiving daily is a habit that will enrich our lives and the lives of those we love." Happy Daily Thanksgiving!"

My Daily Thanksgiving
Nov. 01 - the power of prayer
Nov. 02 - innocence of children
Nov. 03 - my family
Nov. 04 - DEMOCRACY - even when I don't agree with the popular choice, I am thankful for the freedom to choose!
Nov. 05 - a WARM house, fireplace, and working heater, it's COLD!
Nov. 06 - a computer that does half of my job for me
Nov. 07 - my hard-working husband
Nov. 08 - WATER! I seriously needed water after our half marathon today!
Nov. 09 - wonderful girl friends - sometimes girls just need some girl time!
Nov. 10 - nurturing family and friends to take care of my children while I am away - THANK YOU!
Nov. 11 - rain
Nov. 12 - a good sense of humor (raising 2 kids and a husband requires it :)
Nov. 13 - cheap gas! I have an SUV people!
Nov. 14 - my sweet baby girl - Happy 4th Birthday McKinley!
Nov. 15 - hard-working firefighters, thanks for all you do! Many more homes would have been lost today without your dedication
Nov. 16 - today, every day! I don't want to look back and wonder where it all went, I am so very grateful for each and every day with my sweet children and wonderful husband
Nov. 17 - WARM days in NOVEMBER! It was 50 degrees and sunny today, now THAT is something to be thankful for! We went on a walk to the park!
Nov. 18 - friends that make me laugh - thanks Janette :)
Nov. 19 - stay-at-home relaxing days with the kiddos
Nov. 20 - 600 thread-count egyptian cotton sheets (my guilty pleasure, I love my bed :)
Nov. 21 - FABULOUS FRIDAYS!
Nov. 22 - a friend to chat with during the BYU game so I didn't have to DIE of football boredom :) (again, thanks Janette!)
Nov. 23 - inspired RS teachers who encourage peace, hope, and love
Nov. 24 - both of my kiddos took naps at the same time so that I could finish my Heritage Makers calendars for Christmas!!!
Nov. 25 - the funny things my little ones say
Nov. 26 - beautiful, warm late-fall days!
Nov. 27 - a day to give thanks, love, and share with the ones I love!
Nov. 28 - nieces and nephews who are such great examples to my children - especially Stephen and Jacob as they serve their missions!
Nov. 29 - WORK! In this economy, the fact that Matt HAS a job is something that I do not take for granted!
Nov. 30 - the beginning of the Christmas season, at time for love, giving, and remembering the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

To be a kid again...

Our kids LOVED Halloween this year! And what's not to love? Well, when you're a kid, nothing! Fun costumes (that your parents actually ENCOURAGE you to wear around the neighborhood!), free candy, and partying past bedtime! It's a kid's dream. It's different for parents. :) We lack the carefree bliss of childhood. We count calories (do you KNOW how many calories are in each of those Reese's that just keep calling my name?), we want to dress up but lack the motivation, and we know our kids have had too much sugar to have any chance of going to bed early. Oh to be a kid again! That being said, we actually did have a fun Halloween. We had a very last minute little Halloween Party lunch at our house on Friday afternoon, decorated sugar cookies and made crafts with friends, then after naps the kids got back into their costumes and trick-or-treated in the rain until their bags were good and heavy. Afterward we hung around the Bowen's house letting our kids run around the unfinished basement hoping that sugar high would wear off - good theory, but no such luck. All-in-all, it was a fun Halloween Night! Happy Halloween to all!Cute Baby Max really enjoyed the party! (Thanks Janette for letting me sneak a picture ;)
The cute little trick-or-treaters ready to go! Aren't we mean parents, we make them wear warm costumes so they don't have to wear winter coats over the top - this year it backfired, though, because the costumes just soaked up the rain and got pretty wet and heavy! Ooops!