Top 5 Things That Make Me Want To Puke

1. Poopy diapers
2. Anyone's morning breath, including my own
3. Old milky sippy cups
4. Clorox wipes commercial (with the spilled chicken juice)
5. Any unexpected smells

Ok, 6. Making this list.

Thank You!

I am just so grateful to my generous friends and neighbors who have taken my kids recently and even come over to help clean my overwhelmed house. My kids behave much better for me when they haven't been in front of the television all day long! They have been sooooo happy when they have been invited to leave our boring domain of neglect. And I now feel brave enough to go back into my kitchen. Thanks, DeAnna, for sparing me the chore of smell-testing the fridge contents!!

If you'll notice on the left, Little Critter looks like it's starting to resemble a baby. Maybe I'll start to resemble a human being soon? Pregnancy is stinky, but I'm very excited for the sweet-smelling, nuzzling, fussy little prize at the end of this trial.

Conversations Between Kids

Tanner: Kinley! I'm tooted!

Kinley: Ok.

Tanner: KINLEY!! I'm TOOOOOTed!

Kinley: Ok, you tooted.

Tanner: Kinley! I'm tooted! Say "ewwwww".

Kinley: Ok. Ewwwwww! You tooted!

Improvement

Well, I am pleased to report that there has been some improvement around these parts. My sister-in-law gave me some advice about how I was taking my Unisom and B6. My doctor said I could take it 3 times a day. So...I was stretching it out, taking as little as possible, sometimes taking only one or the other, usually once or twice a day. Why bother taking more since it wasn't working anyway? Well, now I have been taking them both together for a few days, regularly 3 times a day no matter what and it has definitely made an improvement. I don't feel great (ok, fine, I don't even feel good), but I do feel a little better. I was even out of bed long enough yesterday to wash my sheets! WOW! And I haven't thrown up in two days. Hopefully it will continue to improve. Keeping fingers crossed!

Still Here

Still here, still alive. Not much has changed in a week, wah, wah, wah. I could update you on all the "Clean House" episodes and "How Do I Look?" makeover marathons I've been watching on the Style network. And a lot of wedding shows on the same channel. Lots of very expensive weddings. Better choice than Law and Order, I think. Less grisly. My potted flowers are hanging on for dear life, though I think it was a wise decision to not even plant the aforementioned tomatoes. Tanner has started saying randomly "Mommy, I feel yucky, you feel yucky?" I finally caved and started taking the Unisom. A half pill does nothing, so I take a full pill 3 times a day. So I get the choice to be sick or stoned. This week I choose stoned. I don't like it, but it's preferable to the alternative. And I'm dehydrated. Drinking makes me sick, and not drinking makes me sicker. Nice choice. My mom is coming into town next week for what was slated to be a fun visit, so I'd like to feel a lot better by then, especially before we fly together to the reunion in Spokane. I'm desperate to feel human before that. This was not the condition I had hoped to party in. I had plans!! Happy, adventuresome plans! I do believe this is the sickest I have been with any pregnancy. It was nice to have Justin home for the weekend. After he lost count of the times I raced to the bathroom, I think his compassion kicked in. The kids are hanging in there, though I do feel badly for them most days. Sigh... pregnancy is no fun, particularly this stage. But I sure do love the end result!! These little imps are so darling once they get here!!!

Costa Vida Pork Salad

I could eat one for every meal of every day and be happy. Really happy. YUM!! I love these!!

Like You've Ever Cared Before, Poopy Pants

In a quiet, gentle, but insistent little whine, while poking my chest:

Tanner: Mooooooommy! I poopy! You change-a diapa!

I'm definitely pregnant. I took Tanner to Wal-mart this morning (for our grand and exciting adventure of the day). He followed me around the store and stayed close, carrying a matchbox truck from the toy aisle. He was perfectly silent except to kiss my knee once in a while and say "I bein' good and sssweet." By the time we got to the produce section at the end of our trip, I was openly weeping because he was just so good and so precious. Get control of yourself, woman!

Wah, Wah, Wah.

I have some fun pictures to post of activities earlier in the week, but now I'm taking a break for a few days. I'm officially scaling back for at least a little while. I promised myself that I wouldn't totally hate being pregnant this time around, but I'm remembering now that that is a very tall order. Blech. Wah, wah, wah. Boo-hoo-freaking-hoo. Whatever.

Esperanza Rising

A few months ago we got some free tickets from the library to go see Esperanza Rising (the play) on campus. We also signed up for the free pre-show "lunch and learn". The day for our grand adventure finally arrived this weekend. Kinley took two of her friends for a wonderful afternoon of theater. All three were ridiculously well-behaved, far beyond my wildest hopes, and I feel brave enough to try it again sometime! For the pre-show lunch and learn, they had three mini-classes for the children to attend. My girls were on the very young end of the attendees, but the presenters appeared delighted to have them participate. The first class discussed family histories and how we should learn stories about our families, just like Pamela Ryan Munoz, the author of Esperanza Rising, who based her story loosely after the experiences of her grandmother.
The second mini-class had the kids happily coloring a mural for the wall, much like the Mexican Murals that became popular about 100 years ago. The colored things that they believe in, or that are important to them. Kinley colored the sun and an ocean with sea animals. Bella colored a tiger!

The lunch was scrumptious! And I'm definitely craving another spinach parmesan bagel sandwich! YUM!! I made Kinley share hers with me since it was HUGE!

Getting ready for the show to start. Such a lot of fun!
While I have been spending plenty of time loafing about the house and napping, I'm trying to keep up with some adventures to offset all the cartoon watching! If you see me out and about with Kinley at unexpected activities (like Enrichment or YW or baby showers), just understand that I'm guilt-parenting at the moment, trying to compensate and keep all our spirits up!

Kinley Quotes

You need to know that I never doctor conversations. I try very hard to remember them word for word. If they sound a little precocious, it's not my fault or enhancement; she's just a funny kid. I type them as I hear them.

Mommy: Why do you think we wanted to have another baby?

Kinley: Because you wanted me to have someone to babysit, and Tanner will be too big by the time I'm old enough and he'll be able to watch his-self

Mommy: Hmmm... ok, that can be one reason :)


Tonight on her way to bed:
Kinley: Mommy, as a special present for you because you don't feel well, you can join me for my personal prayers. Come on up.

And it was a beautiful prayer, I can assure you. My favorite new addition to her prayers is the line that goes "and please help us to be happy no matter what, if the baby is a girl or a boy.

Life Lessons

Skipping afternoon naps to put the kids down early for bed is NOT WORTH IT. Ever. EVER. Why do I have to keep relearning that reality???!!!! How dense am I??? Tanner has been asleep in his bed for an hour and a half now and I'm still twitching! Talk about an afternoon and evening of drama!

Kid Conversations

Last night while chasing Tanner up the stairs to bed:

Mommy: Come on, Tanner! Run! Run as fast as you can!
Tanner: Moooooommy! I not a jinja-bread!



This morning while walking out the door to church together:

Kinley: Mommy, I don't know. Three hours is a really long time for you to have to sit still, and I think you're going to get sick at church for sure. I think you should stay home today and we'll go without you.

Art Museum Excursion

On Wednesday for our Nature Club excursion, the campus Art Museum was having a free Children's Art Fair. It was really great! It had a Renaissance theme; the kids thought it was just marvelous.

We started off with face painting. Kinley requested a unicorn on one cheek and a mounted knight on the other!!

Imagine my utter shock when Tanner asked to have a dragon painted on his cheek. He would only allow Kinley's artist to do the job, but he held perfectly still while she worked on his sweet little face.

They had tables with blocks set up for children to build castles or anything else they fancied.
Tanner spent a lot of time at this station!
In the "town square", several dancers gathered to teach the children special dance moves!
Kinley could have spent the whole day with the dancers.

Free juice and cookies. (Really good cookies, too! And I'm not confessing how many I ate!)
There was a watercoloring room, where the kids could color pictures with water color paints.
Everyone was impressed with how focused and determined arteest Tanner was with his picture.
And there were rubbings to make as well. Kinley didn't think that was quite as fun.
Free balloons too. I'm telling you, it was awesome.
It was a great morning! Most of the group got together for a picnic lunch afterwards (where the kids generally ran around until their legs weakened, LOL!), and then our family crashed for afternoon naps!

Kinley's "Funniest Thing EVER"

Mommy (in my purposely nonchalant voice): Um... Kinley? Remember that story you made up last night?

Kinley: Yes.

Mommy: So.... why did you have the prince marrying the prince and the princess marrying the princess? You know that boys marry girls, right?

Kinley: Yes, of course I do!

Mommy: So, why did your story have the boys together and the girls together?

Kinley (laughing raucously, wheezing): Because Miss Laney said she wanted us to make up the funniest story and that is the funniest thing ever!!

The innocence of youth still raises a few eyebrows once in a while :)

Whatever, Mommy

Conversation at bedtime last night:

Kinley: Mommy, I am so tired of all my friends moving away all the time.

Mommy: I know, it makes me sad too. But not all of your friends are moving, and even if they did, you will always have Tanner.

Kinley (scoffing): No I won't! I won't always have Tanner. I am going to grow up and move away some day. We won't live together then.

Mommy: Well, you're right about that, but maybe you could live close to Tanner and he could come over for dinner sometimes with his wife and kids.

Kinley (while throwing her face into my shoulder, totally defeated): Whatever, Mommy. He'll probly stay in Provo forever, and I'll probly live in Africa!!!"

The Best Medicine

My children are a godsend and I just get weepy thinking about them even now. For the last few days, I've been getting up to feed them breakfast and then returning to bed for an early morning nap. This morning followed that same pattern. After a while, two little sweet faces appeared at the side of my bed (I'm getting weepy again!)

Kinley came into possession of 4 adorable little foam wands last night at a baby shower. After breakfast, she used the arts and craft supplies from the closet to turn the wands into puppets. She let Tanner design two of his own, supplying the glueing technique and dexterity needed for the job, when needed. Then she decorated two for herself.

"Mommy, we came to make you feel better. Would you like a puppet show?" Oh, I felt better almost immediately! Hearing Tanner say, "Hello, evy-body!" was almost more than I could take! They chased the nausea (almost) completely away and we were even able to make it to the park! I can only hope this little one we are incubating is half as sweet as the two I've already got! Thank you, little angels, for making mommy feel better this morning! You're better than Tums and ginger ale any day!

I Can't Believe It

There was actually a Law and Order episode on this afternoon that I haven't seen. Unbelievable...

To That Place

I'm to that tired and sickly place where every day I ask myself, "are you going to get up today or stay in bed and eat crackers and nap?" So far I've made the same decision every day (though a few days in the last week it has been a very close call). I've always been very glad that I have gotten up and moving. Showering and getting ready is more of a hassle than I prefer and it takes a lot of internal rallying, but it's been the right choice every day. I even felt almost perfectly human yesterday, sitting in the car on the way to our Nature Club Adventure, after convincing myself the entire morning that blowdrying my hair and putting on some make-up would be worth it.

Being out and about with friends and neighbors is really helpful and distracting to all of us, until I hit the overly tired wall. Then I throw my kids in bed for naps and say "if you wake Mommy up, Mommy will cry, so be quiet and go to sleep if you know what's good for you." Yes, that's a direct quote. They seem to know that Mommy means business. Am I going to continue to make the same decision every day? Hmmm... the spirit is willing, but the flesh is so very weak... and tired... and queasy, LOL! :)

Sweet Sister Kinley

Isn't this a great application? You can use newspaper clippings for blogging or scrapping. So fun!
Click here to make your own!

Mindy, Do You Remember the Cleaning Solution Girls??

Opening the door...

Girl: HIiiiii!!

Megan (realizing that the amazingly pushy cleaning supply ladies from back east have returned to the neighborhood; I'm attempting to close the door, remembering how horrendously rude they were and then how they left gum embedded in my stone wall as a going away present): No, I am not interested.

Girl: Why not???!

Megan: I'm just not. You guys have been here before and I am SO not interested, thank you.

Girl: But she (pointing elsewhere) said you would be!

Megan: Well, then she was WRONG.

Girl: You don't have to give me attitude! I'm bi-polar! (Seriously, was that a threat? What the h%$#?)

Megan: I'm still not interested. Good-bye.

Grrrrrrr!!!!! GRRRRrrrr!!! Time to replace the "Absolutely NO Soliciting" sign again. They are the ones that drove me to it before!!!

A Job For Kinley

Background #1: Kinley and Tanner have been playing musical beds for a week. Kinley has been loving her stint in the crib and Tanner is greatly enjoying the freedom of the toddler bed that usually belongs to sister. We're on the hunt for bunk beds right now.

Background #2: While I attended Youth Conference, Justin took Friday off and stayed with the kids. He took them to "Old McDonald's" and bought them both Kung-Fu Panda Happy Meals. (A happy meal? Justin! I'm impressed!)


Last night, when Tanner dropped his panda behind the bed...

Tanner: Mommy! I droppin uh poo-fa panda a-na-na bed!

Mommy: Hmmm... I don't think I can reach it.

Kinley (while climbing out of the crib): Don't worry, guys! I've got the arm for that job! I've got just the right arm, long and skinny!

Mommy: I don't even see it, I'm not sure where it dropped.

Kinley: That's because I have blue eyes and you have dark eyes. With your dark eyes, you can't see in the dark, but I can.

Summer Kabobs

It is officially summertime! I found (and slightly modified) this recipe that I found online. It was awesome and we're doing it again super soon! If you smell somone grillin' it's probably us!!

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-2 red, orange, or yellow peppers, cut into 1-2 inch pieces.
1 fresh pineapple cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 onion, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

DIRECTIONS
Mix first five ingredients. Pour half of mixture over onions, peppers, and pineapple. Stir very well. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, stir well again. Drain/strain marinade back into original container. Pour almost all of remaining marinade (remember to keep some out for basting later!!!) into a bowl with the chicken. (If you don't do this, the pineapple will soak up too much of the marinade). Stir well, refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Start soaking skewers in water.

When ready to grill, thread veggies and pineapple on separate skewers from meat. Cook chicken kabobs 10 minutes on one side; turn, baste with additional sauce and cook for additional 10-15 minutes, turning and basting occasionally until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Grill vegetables 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally until peppers look soft. Onions may get crispy edges, but they don't seem to soften on the grill much, so they aren't a great indicator.

Youth Conference Mission: Possible

The worldwide Mutual Theme for 2008 is Mosiah 5:15 "Be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works." Our very talented Youth Conference Planning Committee (the Fitches and the Costas) planned a fabulous and memorable Ward Youth Conference this year with this theme in mind. It was Mission: Possible, participating in rewarding activities that helped us all better understand the Three-Fold Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We started off bright and early Friday morning with a 6:00 am appointment at the temple to particpate in baptisms. Our youth were their usual gracious selves, despite the early hour. After the temple excursion, we met at the church so that everyone could receive their remaining "Special Agent of the Lord" assignments. We piled into our vehicles and made our way to Salt Lake City for a day of service, learning, and fun.

Our first stop was the Church Humanitarian Center. We were immediately put to work. Most of the youth and leaders spent our designated two hours of labor assembling newborn kits. These kits included cloth diapers, a nightgown, a blanket, two bars of soap, little socks, diaper pins, and a hat. These kits go to mothers in various parts of the world who may have nothing to provide their newborns when they leave their medical facilities after birth. Many women have only newspapers or banana leaves to wrap their children in. This knowledge helped us all to work very hard and very fast to assemble as many as possible in our short project. We assembled approximately 2000 newborn kits! There was definitely a great spirit of joy and service as we worked together.








Two of our young men were assigned to sort surgical pads for the emergency medical modules.

The rest of our team spent their time downstairs sorting through bins of neck ties and swimsuits. They decided that their assignment wasn't the most glamourous, but they were very happy to help the little ladies whose job it is to sort through these bins on a daily basis.


We were taken on a tour of the Humanitarian Center after our service experience. It was enlightening for all of us, to see what an amazing organization we are all a part of. The Humanitarian Center does so many things that we weren't even aware of! There are so many opportunities to give and to serve through that arm of the Church. We're anxious to return for more service hours and to contribute in other ways.

These are the Thornleys, serving a mission at the Humanitarian Center. They were our tour guides for the facilities. If you ever get the chance to take a tour of the Humanitarian Center or to serve there in any one of their hundreds of projects, I think I speak for our entire group when I say, do it! It's a truly remarkable experience, just to walk through it and to see all that happens there.
After our wonderful (and tiring) experience at the Humanitarian Center, we drove over to Welfare Square. We were all so humbled to learn what happens to our fast offerings. Again, it was so enlightening for us to all understand a little better what wonderful things the Church does for people around the world, regardless of race or religion. We also got to sample the cheese and chocolate milk from the dairy!

After going through Welfare Square, we went to Temple Square to continue on with our theme. We started by watching the Joseph Smith movie at the Joseph Smith Building. It's always a wonderful presentation, but it was particularly moving and inspiring after the day we had already had. Our testimonies were strengthened that he was a true prophet of God and that he sacrificed much for the Lord and for the gospel.

Here are the YW leaders in our glory! Say "cheese!"
Tired a little???
After the movie, we took a tour of Temple Square, led by two very sweet sister missionaries. I think most of us might say that our favorite part was when they shared with us why they chose to serve missions.

The YW had the singular experience of running into an old friend. Several months ago our YW volunteered at the MTC. There we met Sister Yamada, fresh from Japan. We happened to run into that very same sister at Temple Square and it was great for the YW to see her again and to see how much her language had improved and to see how happy she is to be serving at Temple Square. That was a great moment.


It was a long and rewarding day. We left Temple Square and picked up pizza. We spent some time eating and playing capture the flag and throwing a football around at Liberty Park. We drove home and many of the youth stayed out until midnight or later playing "night games" in the neighborhood.

Saturday morning we continued our adventures. We started off with a presentation by our Youth Conference leaders and the bishop, followed by a perfectly inspirational testimony meeting. Then everyone piled back into vehicles to go bowling, followed by an afternoon of fun in the sun, swimming and BBQ.

It was a fabulous experience, one we'll treasure. Many MANY thanks to Brother and Sister Fitch and Brother and Sister Costa! It was outstanding!