Aquarium

Today Annabelle's preschool went to the Aquarium. I hadn't been in years (Annabelle was probably an infant) and we had a really fun time.

Annabelle loves bars. Whenever, and I mean whenever, she sees one she just has to swing on it. She got some of her friends to do it with her this time (Ryley, Beck, Hattie, Annie, and Savannah). We were missing a few friends, but this was a nice number, and I love that we thought to have them all wear red.

I loved this bubble display. There were jellyfish inside and it was kind of mind-boggling to look inside. We saw an octopus, all sorts of fishes, frogs, snakes, lizards and even sharks.

I was so proud of Annabelle's willingness to touch the sting rays. They were pretty deep so it took one coming up and out of the water for us to be able to touch it. It made her jump a little, but she did it.

My little girl loves to pose. She is always ready for a picture, though she doesn't always look and smile at the same time. I love my little outings with Annabelle. She has been lucky that we have had so much time together. On the way home I asked her if she was going to be happy to have the baby come with us everywhere in a few months. She said yes, but that she did like just being with me. It will definitely be an adjustment for her.

Blue and Gold Banquet

My third year participating with the Blue and Gold Cub Scout banquet. This year I was a little more invested having Nathan there as a scout. I don't think I had to do as much prep work, which was nice. Annabelle was more than willing to help and did a great job with the potatoes.

We are celebrating the 100th year of scouting and Nathan made a great cake but I forgot to take a picture. Dinner was hectic, but there were TONS of left overs so I think we did alright. The exciting thing is he earned his Bobcat. I got my first "Mother's pin" and will wear it with pride. Everyone seemed to have a great time. Until next year.

The Lego Party

I was almost ready to just not have a party this year...I am over 7 months pregnant and tired and the boys have been pretty crazy this winter...but being the super nice mom that I am, I backed down and we got it all planned in time. Thanks to my friend, Rae, and her great ideas I decided a Lego party was perfect for my 2 boys. The cakes above are supposed to be Lego bricks (I just couldn't bring myself to add any more food dye to make them bolder). The boys all knew what they were.

We gave each person a Lego guy and had them take their guy, along with a wikkistick, on an obstacle course. They had to do flips and spins, ride a skateboard and then save the princess. They all seemed to have fun and Nathan loved creating the course for everyone.

We played Lego bingo. The cards had a bunch of different Lego characters on them (wizards, batman, star wars, etc) and then we used Lego pieces to cover them up.

This was my favorite part. Each boy got a bag of Lego's and were told to make something and we would all guess it afterwards. It got so quiet! Each boys found a spot somewhere in the room or down the hall and worked quietly for 5-10 minutes. It was great. When it was time to guess I was surprised at some of the creations, a "raincor"? and a "tie-fighter"? Ryan made a cool airplane and Nathan made a giraffe. Oh, and Annabelle made a magic wand.
Next was presents and cake. According to my boys, the best part.
While it wasn't as elaborate as parties in the past have been, it was fun and it is over. From now on we are doing every other year, at least for the boys.

I Have a 6 Year Old!!

Don't tell Ryan that it took me until the day after to get to this. Actually, I can just change the date and when this entry goes into the final book I will erase this silly sentence.
My #2 is now 6 years old. Man, how time flies! Since Ryan is my child with spunk and attitude we had a fun and crazy day (and I didn't even have to go as many places as the day before).First we got the balloons. Ryan took a little explaining before he was okay that he only got 6 balloons versus Nate's 8.

The store bought cinnamon rolls served their purpose, although I could tell that they were not loved as no one had more than 1. Oh well, I guess I will have to make some soon. Ryan felt special knowing that he had chosen breakfast.

One of Ry's gifts was a punching bag. It probably won't last the weekend, but he loves it. Ryan always has a lot of pent up energy and emotion and my hope is he can take it out on the Bakugan guy and not the rest of our family. We shall see.

For Ryan's class he brought pencils to hand out (they can't bring treats). He was excited to have something to share with all of his friends, and especially his teachers. And he loved being sung to.

What would be a birthday without playing Wii with Dad?! Ryan couldn't wait until dad had a free moment and could play with him. When Grandpa came over Ry even convinced HIM to play a level. While Ryan and Nate kept telling him what to do, Grandpa remained calm and played until the end. Why can't we all be as calm as Grandpa?
It was a fun day and while Ryan did lost his dessert (I am horribly mean, aren't I?), we read a book and had happy hugs before bed. Happy Birthday Ryan, we love you!!

I Have an 8 Year Old!!

Can you believe it? I surely can't! We had a VERY crazy day, but I think Nate felt that he was the center of attention. At least I hope so. For breakfast he picked chocolate chip smiley face pancakes. I pulled myself out of bed and got going a lot easier than most mornings, hoping to keep the day a happy one. For his birthday we got Nathan a watch and then all of his Cub Scout Gear ($75+!!). He was excited to learn all about his watch with Dad's help.
After our morning ballet class (Annie danced while I went grocery shopping alone), Annabelle and I went to Nate's school for lunch and to pass out cupcakes. We went out to recess with him as well and it was cute to see how Nathan is so protective of his little sister. After recess the class sang to him and we passed out the cupcakes.

Once Ryan got home we ate and then I had his parent-teacher conference. He seems to be doing great. Luckily a friend had the 2 little ones so I was able to get gas and run a couple errands. I came home real fast in between everything and a flower guy was delivering flowers, for me, from Greg!! How nice was that?! I picked up the little ones and tried to get a little done before scouts. But, then it was off to scouts with my newest member:

and I personally think he is quite the stud in his uniform. He had a blast and it was a lot of fun for me to watch him being a part of something I have been doing for so long. We picked up the little ones, raced home, had a bathroom break, and then headed back to the school for Nate's parent-teacher conference. Greg got stuck in a meeting so it was just me and the munchkins. Luckily they were great. Nate is doing great in school and was SO excited to show his teacher his new uniform. We went by the book fair-it has become a tradition for the kids to pick out a book if their teacher says they are doing good.

I was EXHAUSTED when we got home, but I knew I had to keep going and get dinner ready. Luckily Nathan had chosen hot dogs for dinner, so it wasn't too much work. We ate and ate and then had banana splits. I love that I can get away with giving them small amounts, but they believe it is so much. Small bowls are the key! Greg and Nathan worked on his Bobcat for awhile tonight and I think he may have mastered it. It was definitely a bath/shower night so that just added to the craziness. My feet hurt. I have to give a talk on Sunday. My house is a mess. I have invited 12 or so boys to my house on Saturday for a party that I haven't planned much of. I am supposed to make cinnamon rolls for Ryan's birthday breakfast, but I just sent Greg to go buy some, I just knew it would ease my sanity. Anything to help. While today was crazy and fun and lots of work, I hope that tomorrow will be a little easier. Oh well, such is my life. Happy 8th Birthday Nathan!!!

Not a Fan

I have been so excited to try these oreo truffles, even though I don't really like oreos. I thought, hey, they are truffles-chocolate-and I love chocolate. But, alas, I really don't like them. Any takers??

Valentine's Weekend

Thanks to a wonderful Mother-in-law Greg and I were able to go away for two nights. We just went up north but not having kids or any real time constraints, it felt like we were further away. Thursday night we went to a little Greek restaurant called Aristos. It was very Greek and we both enjoyed our choices. Friday we got to sleep in (for me that is about 8am, but at least I got up when I-or my bladder-chooses). We had a hotel breakfast and then relaxed until check out time. Next we went to Settebello Pizzeria Napoletano. We each got out own pizza and ate it with our hands. While messy, it was delicious and a fun experience. We had to hike up 5 flights of stairs to where our car was parked and man am I out of shape. I was huffing and puffing practically the whole time. Next we sauntered over to a theater and saw "Blind Side.
We definitely agree that Greg's aunt Jackie looks just like a blond Sandra Bullock and enjoyed the movie. I had heard from Greg's sis that I needed to try Baskin Robbins special February ice cream, Love Potion #31. We found a few locations near us but only one of three were open. Luckily it was the one by our evening outing. I have to agree with Amy, it was yummy and may be a February tradition for me as well. That night we had our only time commitment. I found a Mystery Dinner Theater online and while it was something we had never done, it was a lot of fun. We sat at a table with a couple about our age and then a young (19-20) couple who dressed up like the theme of the play (Godfather of the Bride-20's). The food was definitely American compared to our other fare, but it was still good. During the dinner a cast member was "murdered" and we had to figure it out. We got home late and the house was eerily quiet. BUT, nice!! Saturday we slept in again (I think I made it until 9!) and at noon went to get the kids.

We took the kids to Pirate Island for lunch. It was a little crowded and crazy, but the food was edible and we survived the storms (from the scenery and the kids).
Later that night our ward had a Valentine's Dance with free baby-sitting. We were all over that and while many people chose to sit on the side and chat, Greg and I danced as much as my feet and my tummy permitted. When things were wrapping up we invited the kids to come dance with us for a bit and had a little fun with them as well. On the actual day of Valentine's Day Greg made breakfast and then headed to the church to practice once more for his quartet. To me, that was a great gift. I love hearing Greg sing. He and three others sang, "Because I have Been Given Much" and it just sounded wonderful. When Greg sat down afterwards he leaned over and said, "That was so fun!" We just relaxed the rest of the day. I think I needed this nice weekend to prepare me for this week-birthday week.

3 More Months

Yesterday I realized that it was February 10th, exactly 3 months until my due date. Crazy how time flies! I am feeling pretty good and finally bought my first baby purchase-matching sundresses for Annabelle and baby sister.
If you notice those cute jeans I am wearing they are a new addition to my maternity wardrobe. At scouts yesterday a fellow pregnant leader told me about Lilac jeans that sell maternity/tummy trimming jeans. She had got hers at a distant Costco, but they were done with the sale. With a little searching on the Internet and a phone call to our Costco I found out they were there, at $50 off the retail price on the Internet. I love them. They are SO comfortable and I don't have to keep pulling my pants up. They have a stretchy part attached to to the top of the jeans. Part of me wants to get another pair, but since this is our finale I don't think I should.
Greg and I get to go away this weekend for 2 nights with no kids. Just to the BIG city to the North, but away is away and I can't wait!

Fun in the Sun, in Febrauary?!

We have had some really sunny days lately. It is still cold, but if the sun is out and I can feel the warmth, it is worth being outside. We have gone on a couple walks and just played out front. I am sure it won't last, so we are soaking it all up as much as possible.

Recipes

I am always looking for new recipes, well at least I used to be. I do love trying new things, but lately I have been in that "clean it out" mode and that has changed my recipe finding. I cleaned out my pantry last week and found so many oils and powders that I had bought for one specific recipe and I don't really know what to do with them now. Many don't even have an expiration date so I suppose I will keep them-so if any one needs peanut or sesame oil, rice vinegar, cooking wine, mirin sauce, or other strange sauces, ask me before you go and buy it.
Along with my pantry, my cookbook cupboard has been cleaned out. I have tons of cookbooks, I even just bought a new one the other day. I have so many that some are even used as decoration in my kitchen. Right up there with all my cookbooks were many pieces of paper, from magazines or computer printouts, of recipes I wanted to try. It was a mess. I went through them all (well I still have 16+ pages on my computer not printed out) and decided which ones I would try in the next couple weeks and threw the rest away. This week we have tried pineapple-upside down cupcakes, stuffed french toast, shrimp won ton, and a new cookie recipe. This next week I have many desserts on the list, including Oreo truffles and raspberry oatmeal bars. While it is a lot of work sometimes, I love finding a great recipe that I can write on a card and put in my box, or if the recipe isn't a keeper it gets thrown into the trash. With all of these goodies it is lucky I am not a worrier when it comes to weight gain during pregnancy. I have always been blessed to lose it very quickly-hopefully this time if no different then before.

Finally

January was a long month. Greg and Nathan decided it was their turn to get ear infections so now we are on another 10 day run of antibiotics. Luckily they don't cough or run fevers or whine like the 2 little ones. Greg just doesn't feel the best and Nathan is just deaf. I am not joking. I was in his class the other day when an older student came to get all the February birthdays and Nathan did not hear them at all. His teacher and I even said his name and still nothing. Finally I had to literally pick him off the keva and send him out the door to get his birthday present from the school. Poor thing.

I started this project back during Christmas break. It is the same fabric that I used for all of our stockings. There was a lot left over after I made the baby's stocking so I decided to make a matching tree skirt. Why did it take me over a month? Not sure. It wasn't hard. It took me until today to finally track down the right size piping (and it wasn't even the right size but it worked). I am so glad it is finally done and I can move on to a more fun project-a baby quilt. I have a bunch of pink and brown fabric left over from my sister's quilt, but I have also seen some baby quilts done in bright colors and since I am so yearning for Spring I think I am leaning toward that direction. Or I will just make two. We shall see.