Highs:
1. I finally embraced my bump(s) and pulled out the maternity clothes (I'm about 16 weeks along now). It is so much better wearing clothes that actually fit than struggling every day to squeeze into regular clothes and constantly being reminded that I'm no longer my regular size. Plus, thanks to my stylish sister and SILs and our maternity-clothes-sharing program, my maternity wardrobe is actually way better than my regular wardrobe.
2. Scott and I went to the Deseret Book Artist Appreciation dinner on Wednesday and got to hobnob with the LDS elite at the top of the COB. Elder Bednar's talk was amazing, the entertainment actually rather entertaining, the food not bad, the chocolates great, but mostly I was so proud to see Scott honored and appreciated for some of the great work he's done this year. I love being his wife.
3. Great weather all week with lots of playing outside time. I even turned the heater off one day (although Scott made me turn it back on when he got home - it's a constant battle between us these days)
4. The next-door neighbors set up their new trampoline. One more reason why we don't have to get one!
5. June has great trampoline-static-hair.
6. I managed to get all 3 kids bathed 3 times this week, plus got all their toe nails & finger nails cut in one night. This is one of my least favorite parental tasks, so quite a feat to get it all done at once.
7.
Great Thai takeout on Saturday night --> great Thai leftovers this week :)
8. I took the kids to the BYU MOA to see a new exhibit of Walter Wick's art (author of I Spy). They were so excited and enthusiastic as they looked around and tried to solve the riddles and wondered at how someone could do all that.
9. June has kept us very entertained with her Yo Gabba Gabba-style "cool tricks cool tricks". She does it just like in the show: announces her trick, does the trick, then stands up at the end to say "my name is June and that was my cool trick" which comes out sounding a little like "blah blah blah Ju blah blah blah cooo tiii".
10. Brenden had 2 great snowboarding days this week -- Friday with his school ski club and Saturday he and Scott went back together. He is getting quite good and fast and really loves it. We are so lucky to live so close to Sundance which actually keeps skiing/snowboarding easy and affordable. I need to get myself out there at least once before the end of the season!
11. I went to Soel to use my bday money (thanks mom!) on a pair of shoes I've been eyeing for a while, but hadn't been able to bring myself to spend that much money on, only to discover that they were, that day, 40% off! Don't you love it when that happens?!
12. I made a double batch of
the best chocolate chip cookies on earth, with plans to share most of them with my poor neglected visiting teaching sisters, but never quite made the drop off. We have much enjoyed them ourselves.
13. Scott did the Sunday dinner dishes :)
Lows:1. Our dishwasher is still broken, with at least another week to go until the backordered parts are in stock. Yep - that's going on about a month now. Yep - we do wish we'd just gotten a new one from the beginning of the problems. No - we still don't have the money to get a new one now so we'll have to just stick it out. I've gotten pretty good at avoiding using dishes. Big-size paper cups and plastic forks make good mixing tools, a plastic butter knife can cut pizza just fine, Rachel's favorite veggie steamer bags work really well. But I still hate washing dishes by hand.
2. I don't think I can handle any more news about another bailout package, spending bill, obscenely huge federal budget proposal, or initiative aimed at eliminating or impeding free markets, personal responsibility, or rewards for success and hard work. This gives me ulcers every day, and inspires me even more to continue building our food supply.
3. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist -- bad movie, don't see it.
4. June and Oliver both decided they didn't really feel like going to their classes this week at church. June required Scott or I to stay with her in Nursery for almost the whole time, and Oliver literally sat in the hallway outside his class for 2 hours. Finally his patient and persistent teacher convinced him to come in for the last 10 mintues, but he had long since proven his point that he didn't have to if he didn't want to. What's the best way to handle this? Logic and bribery didn't seem to work.
5. We have to dial all 10 digits even when calling locally now. Booo
6. We still need to do our taxes
7. Scott's been working a lot lately, which in several important ways can go on the Highs list (he is healthy, the economy hasn't effected his job too much just yet, plus working is good for our bank account) but we miss him being around more at home.
8. Our bulbs are coming up like crazy. Usually this would be exciting, but I'm totally convinced winter is not over, so I'm worried they won't survive.
9. The snow has melted to reveal an overwhelming growth of weeds in the flowerbeds, yet it is too cold to want to go out to do much gardening yet.
10. The warmer weather also takes away our last excuse for still having Christmas lights up on the house and in the trees (hear that Zack?!)
11. June has squarely entered the "terrible twos" complete with throwing tantrums and exherting independence. She can detect the slightest suggestion of baking happening in the kitchen and immediately pushes her chair over to "hep". Today she threw a fit because she wanted me to film her jumping on the trampoline more. Yesterday she threw a fit because we wouldn't let her watch Yo Gabba Gabba on our iphones at church. Oliver teases her mercilessly. She is very strong and hits and kicks her brothers a lot. She blames everything on Oliver:
scene: June falls down
me: "oh no June did you fall down? are you ok?"
june: (in a very whiny voice) "wah-wah" (her word for Oliver - even though he was no where near her when she fell)
scene: we're walking out the door and need to get shoes on
me: "June - where are your shoes?"
june: (in a very whiny voice) "wah-wah" (even though he didn't have anything to do with her shoes)
scene: june wants to play with her baby stroller
me: "June why are you sad? Where is your stroller"
june: (in a very whiny voice) "wah-wah" (well that time he really did take it from her and won't give it back)
Here's to the start of a new week.
Tonight June insisted I remove my ponytail and put it in her hair. Then she insisted I remove my earrings so she could wear them. I don't remember the boys ever doing that.
1. I finally embraced my bump(s) and pulled out the maternity clothes (I'm about 16 weeks along now). It is so much better wearing clothes that actually fit than struggling every day to squeeze into regular clothes and constantly being reminded that I'm no longer my regular size. Plus, thanks to my stylish sister and SILs and our maternity-clothes-sharing program, my maternity wardrobe is actually way better than my regular wardrobe.
4. The next-door neighbors set up their new trampoline. One more reason why we don't have to get one!
9. The snow has melted to reveal an overwhelming growth of weeds in the flowerbeds, yet it is too cold to want to go out to do much gardening yet.
11. June has squarely entered the "terrible twos" complete with throwing tantrums and exherting independence. She can detect the slightest suggestion of baking happening in the kitchen and immediately pushes her chair over to "hep". Today she threw a fit because she wanted me to film her jumping on the trampoline more. Yesterday she threw a fit because we wouldn't let her watch Yo Gabba Gabba on our iphones at church. Oliver teases her mercilessly. She is very strong and hits and kicks her brothers a lot. She blames everything on Oliver:
I know these cute little crocuses don't stand a chance of survival, given that we still have at least a month of winter left, but it's still a welcome sight and an exciting indication of what's ahead.
Later in the evening, Scott came home and we opened some presents from him and from M&D, Laurel & Webb, and Annee,
including this lovely handmade bag (it really pays to be Annee's sister these days). Then Scott and I headed up to Sundance for dinner at the Treeroom. I can't even describe how amazing their peppersteak is. I know it's the most boring and tame thing on their menu, but seriously, it's unlike any steak you've ever had and I'm telling you the exhorbetant pricetag is definitely worth it (once a year).
We came home and enjoyed a scrumptious chicken pot pie casserole topped with mashed potatoes (Rachel - you should post a link to the recipe - it was fabulous), plus corn bread, broccoli, and lemonade.
Scott made an amazing yellow cake w/chocolate frosting for dessert (following Zack's 2can recipe) - my favorite!
Dinner was followed by a rousing game of Monopoly. Those who haven't played Monopoly with the Zackrisons before might not completely understand what that means. But Ken & Nate got the hang of the free parking $$, IOUs, bartering, and immunity pretty quick and after eliminating all opponents R&K duked it out to the bitter end, Ken ultimately claiming victory.
Oliver invited 6 Kindergarten-aged boys to our home to play games and eat cake. He designed every aspect of the party including what type of wrapping paper to use, exactly how the invitations and cake should look, what games to play, what goes into the goodie bags, and who gets which hotwheels car to play with. For some reason he was obsessed with the candles that would go on his cake. We bought 3 different kinds to choose from and down to the last second he switched them out and tried different ones before he could settle on a final configuration.
We played Red Rover, did Time Trials, picked racing names & numbers and made stickers, played with hotwheels cars on the floor, ordered pizza, ate cake, and opened presents. The party was a success and although 6 kindergarten boys can be quite roudy and noisy, they all thankfully got along well.
Friends party done, Brenden home from school, some lego building, now on to the family party. As a member of the Brickoven Pizza kids birthday club, we invited Rachel & Christine & special guests to joins us there for dinner. Brickoven is a favorite joint since they have wandering balloon artists who will come to your table and blow and twist and create anything you can imagine. Oliver was quite excited about his eagle.
Then after dinner a portion of the group (everyone minus R&K) headed over to Color Me Mine for a little ceramics painting. Who would have known on a Friday night the place would be packed with date couples and we really should have made a reservation! But we waited and got in and had a successful time painting penguins, dogs, fish, flowers, and pirates (pictures to follow -- we go pick up the finished products tonight).
Heaven forbid getting through a whole post without a single picture of June! Her two favorite things right now: her umbrella and her pink plastic chair.
Brenden started working on this 500-piece puzzle a couple weeks ago, and has left it in this state on the dining room table for days now. Why won't he finish it? He goes off to school every day and leaves me at home, already admittedly bored, to face the temptation all on my own. I'm dying to work on it, but have tried to hold myself back, but it's getting to be more than I can bear. Especially when my other choices for activities are washing dishes or folding laundry (or that pesky job I do gratefully still have).
