I don't usually bother with videos, mostly because I'm usually too lazy to watch them, so I figure no one else does, either. But I happen to really like this one. Kendra first started this game, and then Bentley joined in, and then we finally videotaped it. I think we have a potentially great new Olympic sport!
Also, watch for Ryder's walking-on-uneven-ground toddle and his mischievous smile in the last second! And ignore the fact that I'm in my pajamas and apron-- geez, I'm classy!
Cheerio!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The First Time I've Ever Wished We Had an HOA
I'm not sure which offends me more: the fact that they painted their vinyl, which will peel away as soon as it warms up this summer. Or the fact that they also painted their bricks, which is just about impossible to undo. Or the fact that they used the exact same color as painter's tape.
In any case, I guess I should be thankful that you can't see the blue from my house. If they paint the back or the side towards us, I might just cry.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Blog Secrets
My father-in-law commented that recently I hadn't been blogging nearly as much as I used to. At the time, I just answered that I'd been too busy, but later I realized that this wasn't entirely true. Sure, I'm busy, but who isn't? Show me one person who has ever not felt that their life was busy! Like most people, I always think I'm busy! And I used to find time to blog, so that isn't what had changed.
And it's not because I've run out of things to say. I can't really picture that ever happening, to tell you the truth.
No, my blogging slow-down is really because there are a lot of things happening in my life that have been off-limits for the ol' blog. For example, Craig and my callings (Elder's Quorum president and YW 2nd counselor, respectively) have us running around in circles these days we're so crazy busy, but it's not anything that I think you would find terribly interesting, so I don't blog about it. Who wants to read about all the meetings we go to and our Tuesday night activities? Yeah, I didn't think so. And I didn't blog about Carla very much during her fight with cancer because I knew she read my blog, and I didn't want to write anything discouraging that she would see. How awful would it be to check your best friend's blog and read about how she's afraid of you dying? So other than telling you about my trip to see her and casually mentioning that she was fighting cancer, I mostly kept mum about her until she had passed away.
So, I'm sorry to be so secretive and not be blogging much. But it's just the way things have to be these days.
But now, I am pleased to announce that there is something I have not been blogging about that I can mention to you:
Astute readers will remember that Craig already has a master's degree from George Mason. It's true, he does. That degree was mostly just to get the pay raise his school gives to teachers with a master's. It's good he got that, because I doubt we could survive without that extra income these days. This new degree will-- hopefully-- put him on track to become a principal some day, which would be fabulous both because it would pay better and ALSO because he would have an even greater chance to make a difference in these kids' lives. So this will be greatly increasing our level of busy-ness this coming year. But it's a good and happy thing.
I'm very proud of Craig, both for being accepted and for moving ahead in his career!
Congratulations, Craig! I love you!
And it's not because I've run out of things to say. I can't really picture that ever happening, to tell you the truth.
No, my blogging slow-down is really because there are a lot of things happening in my life that have been off-limits for the ol' blog. For example, Craig and my callings (Elder's Quorum president and YW 2nd counselor, respectively) have us running around in circles these days we're so crazy busy, but it's not anything that I think you would find terribly interesting, so I don't blog about it. Who wants to read about all the meetings we go to and our Tuesday night activities? Yeah, I didn't think so. And I didn't blog about Carla very much during her fight with cancer because I knew she read my blog, and I didn't want to write anything discouraging that she would see. How awful would it be to check your best friend's blog and read about how she's afraid of you dying? So other than telling you about my trip to see her and casually mentioning that she was fighting cancer, I mostly kept mum about her until she had passed away.
So, I'm sorry to be so secretive and not be blogging much. But it's just the way things have to be these days.
But now, I am pleased to announce that there is something I have not been blogging about that I can mention to you:
Craig just got accepted to
George Mason University's
Master of Education program!
Astute readers will remember that Craig already has a master's degree from George Mason. It's true, he does. That degree was mostly just to get the pay raise his school gives to teachers with a master's. It's good he got that, because I doubt we could survive without that extra income these days. This new degree will-- hopefully-- put him on track to become a principal some day, which would be fabulous both because it would pay better and ALSO because he would have an even greater chance to make a difference in these kids' lives. So this will be greatly increasing our level of busy-ness this coming year. But it's a good and happy thing.
I'm very proud of Craig, both for being accepted and for moving ahead in his career!
Congratulations, Craig! I love you!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Did You See It?
One of the space shuttles was brought to the DC area today, and will be on display at the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum from here on out. Rather than quietly transport it, the Boeing airplane that carries it spent a good hour buzzing around so as many people as possible could see them in flight together. I LOVE that they did this. Apparently traffic on I-66 was a nightmare, but it usually is, so at least this time there was a good reason for it!
Craig had emailed me telling me to watch for it, but I had grocery shopping to be done, so I figured there wasn't any chance I'd see it. No joke, I was just pulling out of my street when it flew right over me! I was so excited I called all my family to tell them about it. Then, when I came out of Target, it buzzed right over the parking lot! That time I took a picture with my phone, but I'm pretty sure it's not a very good picture. I had to try, though. After that, I kept catching glimpses of it here and there as I drove to the library. And it never failed to amaze me. It was one of those moments when you stand in awe and are so proud of your country and its accomplishments.
Here are some pictures Craig managed to take of it (apparently it went right over his classroom twice!):
And if, like me, you just can't get enough, here is a link my sister sent me! (In those pictures, you can see the jet that was accompanying it, so that's also pretty cool.)
God bless America!
Craig had emailed me telling me to watch for it, but I had grocery shopping to be done, so I figured there wasn't any chance I'd see it. No joke, I was just pulling out of my street when it flew right over me! I was so excited I called all my family to tell them about it. Then, when I came out of Target, it buzzed right over the parking lot! That time I took a picture with my phone, but I'm pretty sure it's not a very good picture. I had to try, though. After that, I kept catching glimpses of it here and there as I drove to the library. And it never failed to amaze me. It was one of those moments when you stand in awe and are so proud of your country and its accomplishments.
Here are some pictures Craig managed to take of it (apparently it went right over his classroom twice!):
And if, like me, you just can't get enough, here is a link my sister sent me! (In those pictures, you can see the jet that was accompanying it, so that's also pretty cool.)
God bless America!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Camping
Some of our spring break plans ended up not working out, so we decided to go camping instead! The lovely thing about this trip was that-- unlike most of the times when we go camping-- I wasn't pregnant! (And, um, I'm still not, in case that sounded like it was trying to hint at something.) This made things infinitely more pleasant for me and, consequently, for everyone else as well. We were also lucky enough to have awesome friends, the Scoresbys, who let us borrow pretty much everything you might need for a campout : a sleeping bag for Kendra, an air mattress for me to sleep on (bliss!), a pump and a battery so I could inflate the air mattress, a cook stove, and finally their tent, too, since we weren't sure the air mattress would fit in ours. We were borrowing so much stuff, Craig finally suggested that perhaps we should borrow their linens, dog, and minivan, too. And I suspect if we would have asked, they would have said yes!
Anyway, the best things about this camping trip was the air mattress and the complete and utter lack of any bugs. I'm a big fan of not having to deal with insects.
The bad thing about this campout was that Ryder was fascinated with our campfire and with the dogs both of our neighboring campers had brought. So Ryder-duty was a little bit intense and exhausting. But I managed to keep him from being burned OR bitten the entire time, so I count that as a huge success. (I'll have to try and remind myself of this fact the next time I'm feeling like a rotten mother...!)
The other bad thing was that the low that night was 35 degrees (which I suppose explains why there weren't any bugs)! As I've stated over and over again on this blog, I am a complete wimp when it comes to cold weather. We'd brought every blanket we owned, and I slept with my hood and gloves on, but it was still pretty cold in that tent. And Ryder kept managing to wiggle his hands out of his blankets and then he would begin whimpering in his sleep which both broke my heart and terrified me that perhaps I was freezing my baby. So I didn't really sleep at all. But I don't think I ever have on a campout, so this wasn't much of a shock. And at least this time, while I was busy not sleeping, my hip bone wasn't digging into the hard ground! So the air mattress kept that night from being truly miserable. I really need to buy one for myself...
As soon as the sun came up everything warmed up and all was well. Craig managed to get a fire going AND heat up a bottle for Ryder while I snuggled with the kids inside the tent. Then he made french toast and sausage and hot cocoa for us, which was lovely.
Which brings me to the thing I LOVE about camping: it's the time when I get to be on vacation from any and all cooking duties. I get to sit back and let Craig do it all and I don't even feel guilty about that. He even makes my s'mores for me. Everyone should enjoy such a break!
Anyway, here are a couple pictures we snapped of the occasion:
Ryder digging into his hotdog bun here cracks me up. Normally he won't eat bread, so this was a huge step for him!
Good old fashioned father-son bonding time
Happy Ryder!
You know how some people look good even when they're camping?
Yeah, I'm not one of those people.
And I don't care a bit!
Back home and enjoying the warm weather
Anyway, the best things about this camping trip was the air mattress and the complete and utter lack of any bugs. I'm a big fan of not having to deal with insects.
The bad thing about this campout was that Ryder was fascinated with our campfire and with the dogs both of our neighboring campers had brought. So Ryder-duty was a little bit intense and exhausting. But I managed to keep him from being burned OR bitten the entire time, so I count that as a huge success. (I'll have to try and remind myself of this fact the next time I'm feeling like a rotten mother...!)
The other bad thing was that the low that night was 35 degrees (which I suppose explains why there weren't any bugs)! As I've stated over and over again on this blog, I am a complete wimp when it comes to cold weather. We'd brought every blanket we owned, and I slept with my hood and gloves on, but it was still pretty cold in that tent. And Ryder kept managing to wiggle his hands out of his blankets and then he would begin whimpering in his sleep which both broke my heart and terrified me that perhaps I was freezing my baby. So I didn't really sleep at all. But I don't think I ever have on a campout, so this wasn't much of a shock. And at least this time, while I was busy not sleeping, my hip bone wasn't digging into the hard ground! So the air mattress kept that night from being truly miserable. I really need to buy one for myself...
As soon as the sun came up everything warmed up and all was well. Craig managed to get a fire going AND heat up a bottle for Ryder while I snuggled with the kids inside the tent. Then he made french toast and sausage and hot cocoa for us, which was lovely.
Which brings me to the thing I LOVE about camping: it's the time when I get to be on vacation from any and all cooking duties. I get to sit back and let Craig do it all and I don't even feel guilty about that. He even makes my s'mores for me. Everyone should enjoy such a break!
Anyway, here are a couple pictures we snapped of the occasion:
Ryder digging into his hotdog bun here cracks me up. Normally he won't eat bread, so this was a huge step for him!
Good old fashioned father-son bonding time
Happy Ryder!
You know how some people look good even when they're camping? Yeah, I'm not one of those people.
And I don't care a bit!
Back home and enjoying the warm weather
Friday, April 13, 2012
My Overly Friendly Neighbor
This post is going to come across as really whiny. I'm not actually apologizing for that-- I just want you to know that yes, I realize I'm being whiny. But I feel justified enough to not care.
Bentley's school is considered a "walking school," which means that there are only a couple buses provided for the kids who live the farthest away, and everyone else is expected to walk their kid to school. I actually really like this, especially when the weather is agreeable. We load Ryder into the stroller and enjoy a nice little walk to and from the school twice a day. It took Kendra a while to be able to handle that much walking with the minimum of whining, but she does fairly well these days and-- especially with the spring weather we've been having-- I really like this excuse to get outside with my kids.
But in the last few months, Kendra has become best friends with a woman, Wanda, who lives exactly halfway between us and the school. Wanda is pleasant. She takes her granddaughter and two neighbor girls to school and usually picks them up. But let's face it-- all I know about Wanda is that she walks with these girls and lives near me. Other than that, she is a complete stranger. And somehow this stranger has caught on to Kendra's insatiable need for love.
Kendra really is a love sponge. She will soak up any hugs, any kisses, any attention you're willing to give her. It's one of those traits that is both sweet and worrisome to a parent: I'm glad she's so friendly, and I love that she's always happy to snuggle with me and Daddy. But I also worry that she's a little too friendly too quickly to too many people. And because Wanda is willing to give Kendra that affection, Kendra now LOVES Wanda. The minute she sees Wanda, she runs up to her, throws her arms around her neck and lets Wanda give her kisses until they are ready to resume their walk, now holding hands.
And here's the thing: I really hate this. I hate the whole situation. And the longer it goes on, the more it makes me grate my teeth in annoyance. I want Wanda to go away. I want to tell her that she is NOT Kendra's grandmother (Kendra already has two wonderful grandmothers who adore her, thank you very much). That, despite all evidence to the contrary, Kendra gets plenty of love and affection at home. And that I don't like that she is essentially teaching my child that it's a good idea to hug strangers. And I don't like a stranger hugging and kissing my girl! A few months ago when Kendra and Ryder both had pneumonia, Ryder got sick just a few days after Wanda had been kissing Kendra and then explaining to me that she had bronchitis! She assured me that she wasn't contagious, but it still seemed really obnoxious. The whole thing left me seething.
Just this Tuesday, Craig came home early from work, so we all went to pick up Bentley together. This is exactly the kind of family together time that I love. But then on the walk home, we were flooded with Wanda and her brood, meaning that I was busy pushing my stroller through four circling kids-- only one of whom was mine-- and trying desperately to not run any of them over, a process which actually made me feel slightly claustrophobic and panicky. Meanwhile, Craig was way behind me, trying to hold one of Kendra's hands while Wanda held the other. This is not the family time I was looking forward to.
Yes, I sound like a grouchy old coot. But it's gotten to the point where I look ahead and dread seeing this woman leaving her house, watching for us, and then waiting to accompany us to school. Yes, I know some of you are probably thinking that I should be thankful to have such nice neighbors. I don't want to hear it. This is what I want: tell me how I can get this woman out of my life.
Please?
Bentley's school is considered a "walking school," which means that there are only a couple buses provided for the kids who live the farthest away, and everyone else is expected to walk their kid to school. I actually really like this, especially when the weather is agreeable. We load Ryder into the stroller and enjoy a nice little walk to and from the school twice a day. It took Kendra a while to be able to handle that much walking with the minimum of whining, but she does fairly well these days and-- especially with the spring weather we've been having-- I really like this excuse to get outside with my kids.
But in the last few months, Kendra has become best friends with a woman, Wanda, who lives exactly halfway between us and the school. Wanda is pleasant. She takes her granddaughter and two neighbor girls to school and usually picks them up. But let's face it-- all I know about Wanda is that she walks with these girls and lives near me. Other than that, she is a complete stranger. And somehow this stranger has caught on to Kendra's insatiable need for love.
Kendra really is a love sponge. She will soak up any hugs, any kisses, any attention you're willing to give her. It's one of those traits that is both sweet and worrisome to a parent: I'm glad she's so friendly, and I love that she's always happy to snuggle with me and Daddy. But I also worry that she's a little too friendly too quickly to too many people. And because Wanda is willing to give Kendra that affection, Kendra now LOVES Wanda. The minute she sees Wanda, she runs up to her, throws her arms around her neck and lets Wanda give her kisses until they are ready to resume their walk, now holding hands.
And here's the thing: I really hate this. I hate the whole situation. And the longer it goes on, the more it makes me grate my teeth in annoyance. I want Wanda to go away. I want to tell her that she is NOT Kendra's grandmother (Kendra already has two wonderful grandmothers who adore her, thank you very much). That, despite all evidence to the contrary, Kendra gets plenty of love and affection at home. And that I don't like that she is essentially teaching my child that it's a good idea to hug strangers. And I don't like a stranger hugging and kissing my girl! A few months ago when Kendra and Ryder both had pneumonia, Ryder got sick just a few days after Wanda had been kissing Kendra and then explaining to me that she had bronchitis! She assured me that she wasn't contagious, but it still seemed really obnoxious. The whole thing left me seething.
Just this Tuesday, Craig came home early from work, so we all went to pick up Bentley together. This is exactly the kind of family together time that I love. But then on the walk home, we were flooded with Wanda and her brood, meaning that I was busy pushing my stroller through four circling kids-- only one of whom was mine-- and trying desperately to not run any of them over, a process which actually made me feel slightly claustrophobic and panicky. Meanwhile, Craig was way behind me, trying to hold one of Kendra's hands while Wanda held the other. This is not the family time I was looking forward to.
Yes, I sound like a grouchy old coot. But it's gotten to the point where I look ahead and dread seeing this woman leaving her house, watching for us, and then waiting to accompany us to school. Yes, I know some of you are probably thinking that I should be thankful to have such nice neighbors. I don't want to hear it. This is what I want: tell me how I can get this woman out of my life.
Please?
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Addict
It's no secret that I love peanut butter and chocolate together. When I was in high school, I would frequently have to purchase Reese's peanut butter cups from the vending machines during our morning break time. (How was I so skinny in high school? I swear, I ate nothing but crap!) I still love those, but rarely bother to buy them, usually because I'm just too cheap and don't peruse the candy aisle at the store. When I was pregnant with Ryder and worried about gestational diabetes, I began eating a lot more peanut butter, and during our crazy diet, I discovered the joys of natural peanut butter (which, although no longer healthy, is really good in ice cream!). And of course, most of the desserts I've pinned on Pinterest are some combination of these two.
But this Easter. This Easter, I discovered these:
Which somehow manage to be even better than plain old Reese's PB cups. I think it's because there's even more peanut butter.
Only a couple even found their way into the kids' Easter baskets, and I devoured the rest. And then they were 30% off at Target yesterday, so I bought even more. And Craig has suddenly become more allergic to peanut butter, so I don't even have to share.
They're mine! ALL MINE I SAY!!! BWA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!
Yeah, I've completely lost it.
But this Easter. This Easter, I discovered these:
Which somehow manage to be even better than plain old Reese's PB cups. I think it's because there's even more peanut butter.Only a couple even found their way into the kids' Easter baskets, and I devoured the rest. And then they were 30% off at Target yesterday, so I bought even more. And Craig has suddenly become more allergic to peanut butter, so I don't even have to share.
They're mine! ALL MINE I SAY!!! BWA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!
Yeah, I've completely lost it.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Some Spring Break Juggling
A couple years ago, Jen* shared this video on her blog, and now I'm sharing it again. It doesn't embed, so I'm just going to give you the link and assume that you are awesome enough to actually click on it. The video sounds simple enough-- just a guy juggling three balls. If you're really into juggling**, that's probably not even very impressive.
But it is!
First of all, he's juggling them to some of my favorite music, the last three tracks on the Beatles' Abbey Road album (well, not including "Her Majesty," which I don't)-- "Golden Slumbers," "Carry That Weight," and "The End." These songs are some of my absolute favorite songs by the Beatles (and I like a heck of a lot of their stuff, so that actually means something!), and they're kind of lesser known, which probably makes me like them even more. I mean, any idiot can appreciate "Good Day Sunshine." But you have to be a real fan to know these songs.
But back to the video-- this guy manages to juggle the balls to the music in a way that really can't be described. You just have to see it, and watch how he makes it work, and also watch for the look on his face because half the time he looks like he's about to drop those balls, even though he's clearly got mad talent.
And then realize that you are grinning from ear to ear at the sheer awesomeness of it all.
Okay, go ahead and click on it now. You'll thank me.
See?
*Years?!?!?! Really??? I've been reading your blog for years now???
**Which I'm not, in all honesty. I mean, I'm super impressed with anyone who can juggle even a little bit. But I've never bothered to even try to juggle, and have no real desire to start. So I certainly can't claim to be a juggling connoisseur.
But it is!
First of all, he's juggling them to some of my favorite music, the last three tracks on the Beatles' Abbey Road album (well, not including "Her Majesty," which I don't)-- "Golden Slumbers," "Carry That Weight," and "The End." These songs are some of my absolute favorite songs by the Beatles (and I like a heck of a lot of their stuff, so that actually means something!), and they're kind of lesser known, which probably makes me like them even more. I mean, any idiot can appreciate "Good Day Sunshine." But you have to be a real fan to know these songs.
But back to the video-- this guy manages to juggle the balls to the music in a way that really can't be described. You just have to see it, and watch how he makes it work, and also watch for the look on his face because half the time he looks like he's about to drop those balls, even though he's clearly got mad talent.
And then realize that you are grinning from ear to ear at the sheer awesomeness of it all.
Okay, go ahead and click on it now. You'll thank me.
See?
*Years?!?!?! Really??? I've been reading your blog for years now???
**Which I'm not, in all honesty. I mean, I'm super impressed with anyone who can juggle even a little bit. But I've never bothered to even try to juggle, and have no real desire to start. So I certainly can't claim to be a juggling connoisseur.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Spring Time Pictures
I honestly don't have a lot to say right now. (I know, weird, huh?) So I'm going to post some pictures and let them do the talking.
Cheers!
Craig was trying to capture just how blue Ryder's eyes are. I think he got it.
My second attempt at braiding Kendra's hair. I'm so bad at it! And her hair is so fine it's hardly even there...
Dyeing Easter eggs-- one of my favorite things to do
Ryder playing Peek...
...a BOO!
Ryder started to get very upset while we were dyeing eggs. I finally realized he just wanted to get to dye an egg, too! He was very pleased with his egg!
A quick family temple trip. Gotta love those spring colors!
The sun was in Bentley's eyes...
I really like this family shot
And I like this one so well, it's the new picture on my blog's banner!
It's about time-- Ryder was just a tiny baby in the old picture, and you couldn't really see him at all. It's about time we got a picture up here where you can see his face!
Cheers!
Craig was trying to capture just how blue Ryder's eyes are. I think he got it.
My second attempt at braiding Kendra's hair. I'm so bad at it! And her hair is so fine it's hardly even there...
Dyeing Easter eggs-- one of my favorite things to do
Ryder playing Peek...
...a BOO!
Ryder started to get very upset while we were dyeing eggs. I finally realized he just wanted to get to dye an egg, too! He was very pleased with his egg!
A quick family temple trip. Gotta love those spring colors!
The sun was in Bentley's eyes...
I really like this family shot
And I like this one so well, it's the new picture on my blog's banner! It's about time-- Ryder was just a tiny baby in the old picture, and you couldn't really see him at all. It's about time we got a picture up here where you can see his face!
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