The Joys of Motherhood

Cute Shoes

2009-08-21T07:24:00.001-07:00

Today's Give Away is doing another great contest! They have some really cute shoes that they're giving away today. The website is www.todaysgiveaway.net. Just FYI!

Children's Place

2009-08-11T20:23:00.001-07:00

In case you haven't heard (thanks Kimber for the info) Children's Place is having their monster sale online right now. The code family79 will get you an extra 15% off. Happy Shopping!

Another fun giveaway

2009-07-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, the giveaway today is a super cute apron. Not that I cook much, but when I do, I can look fancy! www.todaysgiveaway.net

Good luck (but mostly to me because I want to win!)

Two-Buck Tuesdays

2009-07-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

Two-Buck Tuesdays
when:
Every Tuesday in August 10 am - 8 pm
where:
Museum of Ancient Life, Farm Country, and the Thanksgiving Point Gardens
admission:
$2/per person, per venue *Children 3 and under are free.

$2 Tuesdays are your chance to experience Thanksgiving Point for just $2 per guest, per venue.

So, for every Tuesday in August, you can visit the Museum of Ancient Life, Thanksgiving Point Gardens, or Farm Country. Or all three. Bring the family, bring the neighbors, but make sure you don’t miss the chance to experience Thanksgiving Point.

*Admission to Larry H. Miller Megaplex, Thanksgiving Point Golf, and the XANGO Mammoth Screen not included in promotion

What Else is $2?

• Cooking Classes. Bring a friend for $2. Register for any Emporium Kitchen cooking classes in August and pay just $2 to bring a friend. (Please call 801.768.2300 to register).

• Emporium Fudge. Yummy, rich, delicious original fudge from the Emporium. Get a half-pound for just $2.

Princess Party Giveaway

2009-07-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

I know that telling you all of this may decrease my chances of winning but I want another entry so I'm passing the word along. That awesome today's giveaway website is doing a princess party giveaway. You can see more about it here: http://www.todaysgiveaway.net/2009/07/princess-amerah-free-giveaway.html

My daughter is turing 4 next month and I was planning on doing a princess party anyway. It would be perfect if it was all taken care of for me. Here's hoping! Maybe I'll get good luck like Michelle who first posted about the site.

Yay!! I won!

2009-07-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

It was good luck for me to post about the website for Today's Give Away! I won!!! Make sure you all check it out (see below post).

Free stuff!

2009-07-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share with you a new site that does a giveaway every other day. It is just starting out, so there is a better chance of winning something since you aren't competing with thousands of entries yet. Check it out!
http://www.todaysgiveaway.net/

I just wanted to pass this along!!!

2009-05-11T22:52:00.000-07:00

Pleasant Grove Macey’s Midnight Madness Sale
(May 13, 2009 – 10:00p.m.-Midnight)

Kellogg’s Pop Tarts (14 oz.) $0.69 !

Shur Saving Milk $1.39/gallon!

Scoth House Hold Scissors $0.25 each!
(with In-Store coupon)

Kraft RANCH salad dressing $0.69 each!

Macey’s Cottage Bread 24 oz. $0.88 each loaf!

Keebler EL Fudge Cookies $0.99 each package!
(with In-Store coupon and purchase of 2)

55 Gallon Water Barrel $29.99!

Sunbelt Granola Bars $0.99 per box!

Dubuque Spiral Cut Ham $0.99/lb!

M&M’s 14 oz. bag 2 for $3.00!

Bar S 12 oz. Hot Dogs $0.49 per package!

CapriSun 10 ct. Assorted $1.59 each box!

Kellogg’s 9 oz. Fruit Snacks $0.79 each box!
(with In-Store coupon and purchase of 2)

Twizzler’s 17.6 oz. bonus bag $0.99 each!

I don't know if they will be limiting the quantities.

HAPPY SHOPPING!!

Homemade Samoas

2009-03-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

I just posted the recipe for this yummy treat seen above and thought I'd include it here as well. if you want the recipe, click here. I included a link to homemade thin mints as well.

My First Post

2009-03-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I wanted my first post here to be fun and inspirational...but I am only coming up with weird or funny things. So I have decided to post a funny/wierd story with a recipe that I LOVE and think that EVERY mom needs because of how quick and versatile it is.
So, my kids do and say the darnedest things! I don't know about yours. My 20 month old daughter is very unique! Whenever she, or her siblings, fart she LAUGHS!! (SIGH) I have NO idea where she got this from...except to put the blame on my boys! I am so embarrassed and don't know how to get her to stop. It even happens in public. I hope that she out grows this FAST!!! People say your children are a reflection of you...but, I seriously DO NOT do this!!!
There. I had to vent and get that out!
She is such a cutie and brings me tremendous joy. Anytime there is music she will break out into song and dance. I DO know where she go this. LOL! Even though I have NO rhythm I still enjoy dancing and singing! It's usually to Old McDonald or some other children song. None the less, I still LOVE it! So at least she got something from me!

On to my recipe. This is one that I make alot! The kids and the adults LOVE it!

Homemade Breadsticks: Super fast, easy and only 5 ingredients!
Mix 3 cups warm water with 4 TB of sugar. When sugar is dissolved add 2 tsp yeast. Let bubble(sit in bowl) for 5 minutes.
Add: 2 tsp salt
7 cups flour
Let rise 20 minutes. Punch down and divide in half. Roll out on floured surface into a semi-rectangle shape approx. 1/4 inch thick.
I brush on melted butter and then cut into strips with pizza cutter.
**personalize your breadsticks by adding: cinnamon sugar, parsley flakes, Parmesan cheese or garlic powder...or whatever you'd like***
Fold your strips in half, twist and put on a large jellyroll pan. Pack your breadsticks in because this will fill a whole pan.
Bake at 400* Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes
After you pull them out of the oven...dab with butter lightly.

I bake these with Parmesan or garlic powder for spaghetti or lasagna. I serve them with marinara sauce. I just made them last night with cinnamon and sugar and they were to die for!!
Your hubby and kids will LOVE you for making these!!!
Let me know how you and your family liked them! Or how you personalized them to compliment your main dish. I'd love new ideas on this "staple side dish."

Why do we do what we do

2009-03-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

I was reading my friends blog and she was talking about how we as Mom's do funny things sometimes. We get trapped between the grown up world and the world of children. For example, she has started potty training and now feels the need to inform her husband when she has to go potty. Funny! I started to think about this and realized, I to often tell my children when I need to go potty. I tried to think of other things I might do that is not normal adult behavior. I found I often wonder into the bathroom to make sure there are n o toys in the toilet and that it is flushed. I also find I never fill a glass full with water or milk. Usually it is about a quarter full, even for my husband. Do any of you have these Mommy moments where you seem to revert back?

Happy Birthday Dr, Seuss!

2009-03-02T13:08:00.000-08:00

Today, March 2, would have been Dr. Seuss' 105th birthday! What a fun reason to celebrate with the kids. Check out www.seussville.com for tons of fun games, coloring pages, and Dr. Seuss' biography.

Anyone else going to enjoy Green eggs and Ham for dinner?

"You want me to do what?"

2009-02-23T20:53:00.000-08:00

I had one of those great 'motherhood' moments this week. Luke's pediatrician wanted me to bring in a urine sample for his Kindergarten check up. The nurse called and asked me to come in and pick up a jar and then bring the sample with us in the morning. I went to pick up the jar and almost laughed out loud when she handed it to me. I thought, you want me to do what? You honestly think my four year old that struggles 'aiming' into the large toilet bowl will be able to pee into this little thing, this ought to me fun. Let just say...it was an adventure. Motherhood, so fun!

Dinner Ideas

2009-02-17T20:54:00.000-08:00

OK so my family and I have been sticking to our New Year's resolution to not eat any fast food, and to cook dinner each night! It hasn't been too bad, but I am running out of new meals to try. I know tons of you are great cooks, and I think I have seen some cooking blogs on some of your blogs before too. So, does anyone have any EASY, and yummy dinner ideas for me to try...or even a great cooking blog I can check out? Thanks everyone!

Homemade Playdough

2009-02-10T15:45:00.001-08:00

So some of you asked for this Homemade Playdough recipe off of my Carpenter Column, so I thought it would be more useful on our Joys of Motherhood blog. My preschool kids enjoyed it just as much as my own. I really like the consistency of it! Here it is:

Playdough

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tsp cream of tartar

2 tbsp oil

2 cups water

Food Coloring

Combine all ingredients together. Mix well. Cook @ med. heat stirring constantly until mixture follows spoon. Turn out on floured area and kneed until cool.

Pictures

2009-02-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

I came across a few pictures recently that I had to post. Our scanner is pretty bad and so I apologize for the poor quality. They were also scanned from copies of the pictures so that may have something to do with it. Anyway, I came across this in this month's Ensign. How fun for you Heidi! Way to be such an example of a cute family!

Here's the next picture. Who's that cutie? My husband is Sarah's cousin and I found this in some of his old mission stuff. What a cute family as well! I can't believe that's little DJ. Was he ever that tiny?

Yummy!

2009-01-25T22:11:00.000-08:00

I found another fun Valentine's Day dessert on 2cleverblog.com. (awesome blog) Check out this EASY and YUMMY treat...

All you do is, cut the twinkie in half diagonally, shape into a heart, and top with strawberry or raspberry topping. Mmmmmmm!

Great Deal at Old Navy.com

2009-01-16T21:46:00.000-08:00

Hey ladies! I want to share this great deal with you...

Take an EXTRA 50% off Old Navy Clearance!

4 DAYS ONLY--online and in stores!

Don't miss your chance to save even more on already low prices, now through January 19.

Enter promo code EXTRA50 at checkout.

I just got done doing some shopping. It's always fun to get things for a great deal. Check it out now, things are going fast!

No this dress isn't on sale but I had to show it to you. Isn't it so cute? Libby wants it! (o.k. I want it)

Fun Valentines Day idea!

2009-01-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

I came across this awesome idea on a fun blog called www.makeandtakes.com (check it out, it is a really fun) I am totally making these for EVERYONE this year. I think they are so cute. I'm hoping I can still find the candy canes on clearance. They were 90% off at Wal-mart last week. If you see any on sale somewhere else please let me know.
Make sure you take the plastic off the candy canes first. Place your candy canes on a silicon baking mat on a baking pan or with a pan that has vegetable spray. I arranged them how I wanted them to look when they were done, but they do come out soft and you can mold them later. Set your oven to 250 degrees and cook them for 10 minutes. Right out of the oven they should be playable and easy to mold, caution - they may be warm/hot to the touch. I was easily able to mold them however I wanted. I smooshed the bottoms together and the tops together. I let them cool, placing them in my fridge for faster cooling. Now you can eat them, give them as gifts, or use them as decorations for this Valentine’s Day. They would be cute hanging with a red ribbon.

Now it's your turn to share...
What are some fun traditions, crafts, goodies that you make for Valentines Day? Do share!

Sneak Peek at Black Friday Sales...

2008-11-24T22:28:00.000-08:00

Hey ladies! I found this cool website that has the ads from lots of stores for this Fridays big sales! I don't know if they are the real ads, but they look like it. Check them out!

Happy Shopping!

www.slickdeals.net

Daddy Daughter Dates

2008-11-15T20:25:00.000-08:00

Lucy and Gabe went on a Daddy Daughter date a couple of days ago. We started doing these a couple of months ago. I still remember when my dad took me to get a snow cone when I was little. He got yellow and I got red. I will never forget it. The more experiences we have with our kids when they are little and still love us, the better they'll be when they are older and don't! Lucy asked me today if we could switch off every other month with a "Mother-Daughter" date too. She's so cute!

My little Maxwell says the funniest things

2008-11-10T09:52:00.000-08:00

So we are sitting down stairs and playing guess who when all of the sudden he says, "Mom my bum just went woosh." so I said, "Did you fart." he said, "no." I sat there for a minute when he said. "My bum made a sound like Darth Vador." then he procedes to make the Darth Vador sound so that I would know what his fart sounded like. I have not laughed that hard in a long time. He kept making the sounds with his mouth for quite a while. Every time he did, I would start laughing again. I know that story is kind of gross. But I got a kick out of it. Ho Pur, Ho Pur.........

Rooskies Rant

2008-11-02T18:47:00.001-08:00

Get your own Family Sticker Maker & MySpace Layouts.

How's your week?

2008-11-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

I've had one of those weeks. You know, the kind that you go to bed thinking at least tomorrow will be better and you wake up to find you were wrong. While I've been...

-Battling a headache for FOUR days

-Had a child with food poisioning

-Had another child brought to me at church for, let's just say, misbehaving. (it's a story for another day)

-Living in a messy house

-Getting through Halloween, which can always be challenging with all this sugar flying around.

-Having a husband with a cold

-Coming down with a cold myself

these words from Pres. Thomas S. Monson kept coming into my mind...

If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.

Hey, at least tomorrow is the beginning of a new week right?!

Are you serious??

2008-10-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am having one of those days. It's 12:20pm and we are all still in pj's, uncombed hair, and our house is one big MESS! I don't even care...I woke up feeling that way. So when we woke up and I realized it was going to be that kind of day I decided that I would be an awesome mom today and let my kids eat some left over ghost cake (from our halloween party last night) for breakfast. I thought that they would jump at the chance and that they would think I am the coolest.

So I asked them if they would like to eat some of our spooky cake for breakfast and they both looked at me and said, "No thanks mom...can we have cheerios and yogurt instead?"

WHAT! Are they serious? What kids would choose cheerios over cake? So there we were at the kitchen table...them with their cheerios and me with my cake. Oh well!

Suggestions? Son saying rude words

2008-10-23T22:44:00.000-07:00

I have a problem that I wondered if you all could help me with. My sweet little boy who just turned three has learned some rude words. He has been saying "shut-up" and "stupid." I don't know where he got these phrases, but I know it has to stop. I have tried punishing him for saying these things, but it seems like he maybe wants attention and that is why he is saying these things. I have tried to explain that these are not nice things to say and he just looks at me like "huh?" Any opinions or suggestions?

Calling All Bloggers!

2008-10-10T16:11:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! This is my first post here, although I have been checking it often for quite awhile now. Here's the reason for it: My sister-in-law has this site called Occasional Genius. It is part blog, part idea site. She has tons of ideas for decorating, parties, holidays, baby showers, you name it, she's got it. The blog part is pretty new and she is trying to get people to come and participate - she wants to make it a place where she puts up ideas (and some funny commentary) each day, but also other people can add things in different categories. Right now she is asking people to do a post of old Halloween costumes so that she can put them all together and make a little Halloween section where people can come and get ideas. So, first go here: http://occasionalgenius.com/2008/10/07/the-instigator/. She explains what to do. Then follow the instructions and put a post on your blog with old costume pics. Put her link on there (pretty please!) so that all of your wonderful visitors can check it out themselves and add their posts. It should be pretty fun! The site really does have tons of great stuff on it. Holly is kind of legendary in our family for her fabulous ideas. So go check it out.

twilight

2008-10-07T22:55:00.001-07:00

This is why I hate Sidewalk Chalk...

2008-10-07T20:39:00.001-07:00

So, I am new to this blog and I'm really excited. I am a mother of 4 little boys (2 of which are twins as seen in the picture above) I definitely have my hands full and am sure I will be sharing lots of interesting stories about what my boys come up with. I am also looking forward to laughing with you as I read what you are going through.

As you can see, I hate sidewalk chalk. I posted this on my family blog too but I thought it was so funny I'd share it here too. I am banning the stuff from my house! If any of you are in dire need of it, please let me know and I will be happy to give it to you! I can't understand how they always seem to color more on themselves (or anything else) more than the sidewalk! Does it look like they know they are in trouble? What a mess!

twilight trailer

2008-10-07T20:24:00.001-07:00

Cute Hair Do's

2008-10-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

I posted this on my blog a while ago, so a few of you probably know about this. But my little sis, Jessica, started a blog in June and she posts a cute hair do that she does on her little girl, every few days. You'll have to check it out! http://cute2tryhairdos.blogspot.com/.

Halloween is coming...

2008-10-05T21:12:00.001-07:00

If your house is anything like mine your kids already know what they want to be for Halloween. I think D.J. has known for a couple of months now. Anyway, I was getting my decorations out of the garage and found the box with costumes we have already used. I thought I would post them on here to see if any of you would like to borrow them. Also, if any of you have costumes you would be willing to share post some pictures and help a sister out! If you are interested in any of them leave a comment or email me at sarahbear626@yahoo.com.

Costumes I have:

Ninja: pants, shirt, belt, and hood. (D.J. wore this last year when he was six so it's probably a 6-8)

Superman: cape, belt, and an embleme to pin on shirt. (D.J. wore blue sweats and a blue sweatshirt stuffed with padding for muscles, under the cape and belt. It was so cute)

Buzz lightyear: costume & hood. This is a disney costume size small. Luke wore it when he was 3.

Butterfly: bodysuit, wings, hoodie, & Booties. I think it's size 6-12 months. But Libby wore it last year when she was almost 3 months old and it was a little big. If your interested I'll pull it out again and check the size. I loved it because it was really warm.

Harry Potter: cape, & wand. Libby broke the glasses today. :) This is a kids one size fits all.

Frankenstein: This is just a headband. Luke wore it as a baby with jeans, a white turtleneck, and a denim jacket with the collar turned up. I then just drew little scars on his face. It is my favorite, and soooo easy.

Dracula: Adult size. Cape, Bow tie, and necklace. If you have a husband that hates to dress up like mine this is perfect. It's really easy. Trevor just wore black pants and a white collared shirt with dracula teeth and a little blood coming out of his mouth.

Pirate: Woman's size. Shirt, pants, and hat. Grab an eye patch and jewelry and your set.

Pirate: Men's size. Shirt, pants, headband, and eyepatch.

Fat Tourist: One size fits all. Bodysuit and visor. Trevor wore this with socks and sandles. He also wore binoculars around his neck and I put white makeup on his nose to look like sunscreen. So Funny.

I found a few more...

Dumbo: Size Small (D.J. was 2 when he wore it) I loved this costume. It is really warm.

Hippies: Size Large (adults) What I would give to fit in that costume again, anyway. They both come with shirts(sewn on vests), pants, headbands, and peace sign necklaces.

Horse: Luke wore then when he dressed up like a cowboy. It will fit up to about a 4 year old. Luke loves it. :)

Lucyism

2008-10-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

Lucy looked out the window today while it was raining and said, "It's not really raining daddy, they are just BIG sprinklers." I think she was trying to get him to still take her to the park!

Trev and Libby

2008-10-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

Not quite sure how Libby feels about Trev, but he sure liked giving her loves!

Trevan and His Costumes...

2008-10-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

Trevan is loving costumes and getting ready for Halloween. Although sometimes it doesn't help that he has an older sister who he simply adores and wants to "dress up" like here too!

RAINY DAYS

2008-10-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Maybe rainy days aren't that bad! : )

I found an answer...

2008-10-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

So after my last post I decided to do a little research and see if I could answer my own question. And did I ever! I found an awesome Conference Packet that you can print off for your kids. I looks like a really fun one. Go to www.livinlifepatinostyle.blogspot.com and leave a comment on the post titled Cute General Conference Packet by email, and she will email you the packet. All you have to do is print it off. Awesome! I also have to tell you how cute this blog is, she has so many fun ideas, it is quickly becoming one of my favorites! I emailed her and told her I was putting her address on here and to expect you all. :) I hope this helps make Conference a little easier to enjoy this weekend.

Being a mom means...

2008-10-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

*NEVER being able to go to the bathroom without someone crying or yelling for you.

*Eating Macaroni and Cheese for dinner even if you feel like Chicken Cordon Bleu.

*Vacuuming the carpet at least twice a day. (reference picture. Hey at least it's a happy mess.)

*Sharing at least part of EVERYTHING you eat or drink.

*Hearing the funniest, most truthful things you can imagine. (i.e. you are really stinky mommy...you need a shower(this was while I was doing aerobics in the living room.)

*Not being able to wear heels...you don't want to carry a newborn around in heels...Trust Me.

*Feeling the most intense emotions when you see your child learn something new, smile, or cry.

*Justifying being a little overweight, because it is more comfortable to cuddle with.

*Doing anything necessary to make your children happy and comfortable. Sure it is hard, but isn't it rewarding?!?

Conference Ideas...

2008-09-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

O.K. ladies I need some help. Every six months I am faced with the same dilemma, how to keep the kids entertained and quiet while I try to enjoy conference. I am going to print the coloring books from www.sugardoodle.net. Check them out. There is one for younger kids and another for older kids. What works for all of you? I need some ideas!

Something to think about out

2008-09-23T13:32:00.001-07:00

I know this is probably a dumb thing to post but I just wanted to share it. We got our boys a new bedroom set along with this armoire. I checked it out to make sure that it wouldn't tip. I thought it was a little flimsy but thought it would be ok for then. The next day I heard the loudest BOOM come from upstairs. I ran up and found Kenyon crying. Luckily, he was ok, but the whole thing had tipped over, while he was climbing up the drawers to see if something was on top, and since the drawers were out I think that saved him because the drawers stopped the armoire from falling completely on its face. The TV and some other things fell out. We anchored it right away and it is safe now. Anyways, I am sure most of you are smarter than I am, but I wanted to share this because I didn't even think of anchoring it. I guess I didn't think my 5 or 7 year old would climb up a dresser and my 1 year old is usually playing around there and things could have turned out a lot worse. I will anchor everything for now on!

CALLING ALL MOMS!!!!

2008-09-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a question for all you MOMS out there:

Does anyone know how to get A LOT of

PERMANENT BLACK MARKER off of corian countertops?

MINE and YOURS...

2008-09-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

Here's how it went:

Me: I love you bud!
Cayson: Love you too mom.
Guess what mom?
Me: What?
Cayson: I'm yours!
Me: I know, you are mine and guess what?...I'm yours too!
Cayson: So I am yours and you are mine!?
I'm dad's too mom.
Me: Yup, you are dad's and mine, we both love you huh!
Cayson: I know. (then he sat and thought for a minute)
Mom, I am dad's not yours anymore.
Me: What? You are mine, why did you say that?
Cayson: Dad shares his mustang with me, and he takes me for rides...
you don't do that. (then he thought again)
Mom...I'm yours and mine, and dad's mustang is yours and mine too.

That works for me! : )

I was just wondering...

2008-09-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

Does it make me a bad Mom if I was cleaning the garage and ran inside for just a SECOND and when I came back out I found Libby in the ROAD playing with SCISSORS?????? What do you think?

I'm convinced that my kids have guardian angels!

An accident while not potty training

2008-09-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad to finally have something to post! I was at the Dr's office yesterday in the waiting room when my little three year old (who in no way is interested in potty training and I'm afraid will go to kindergarten in diapers) looks up at me and says "I'm peeing". She had a diaper on and everything but she's never told me when she's going. I thought "Great, this is progress. She can finally recognize when she's going". She then looked down and she and I saw that she truly had peed. All over the chair in the waiting room. For some reason it had missed the diaper and was now all over her and the seat. Of course I didn't have the diaper bag so I ran to the car and grabbed the spare diaper and wipes. They called us back right after I got it all cleaned up but had to explain to every doctor and nurse why my child was in nothing but a diaper and pray that they understood this was not normal for her to wear nothing but a diaper (at least in public).

I'm sorry if this was a little too much potty humor for you and in case it wasn't, I'll add another quick story for you. Sunday morning that same 3 year old was up when my husband (Sarah's (the wonderful creator of this blog) cousin - and he may not want me to tell this) got up to use the bathroom. She asked him what he was doing and he said that he told her. She told him, "Silly dad, only girls go potty, they don't wear diapers. Boys wear diapers." He responded, "looks like grandma wasted time getting me potty trained then." It was pretty funny.

By the way, anyone have any good tips for potty training? She started preschool today and luckily didn't have to be trained before going. They also told me that seeing other kids use the potty (not literally) should help. Any other ideas?

P.S. I know this is my first post and I'm afraid that I come off sounding like I'm a little obsessed with going to the bathroom. I'm really not. I'm actually a pretty typical Utah county mom with 2 cute girls and a wonderful husband. Like most people I love to cook (especially bake - I recently won 1st place in our small hometown bakeoff) and read. Hopefully you'll be able to learn more about me through future posts!

Calling all Mom's...

2008-09-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hi Ladies! I have been meaning to add this post for a couple of week now but you know how it is, busy, busy. Anyway, I would love to invite more Mom's to join our blog. If any of you have people you would like to invite just send me their e-mail address and I will send them, an invite. I will send them an e-mail first to let them know I got their address from you so they will know what is going on. :) Hopefully we will have lots more Mom's joining us and lots more funny stories to read. Remember, everyone is invited!

Sincerely, Sarah
sarahbear626@yahoo.com

Is Independence a Good Thing?!

2008-08-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you who visit my blog, these are repeats...sorry! Anyway, here you go.
Neleah has become increasingly independent over the last little while. She insists on picking out her own outfit, brushing her teeth, washing her hands, etc. all by herself. This is normally a good thing. Recently she found the drawer where I've put all the bottles. She hasn't had a bottle since she was 1 but she likes to play with them. Mason and Neleah will line them up then knock them all down, it makes a lot of noise, maybe that's what's so 'fun' about the bottles. On occasion she'll ask for some water in one, and she's usually ok when I tell her no. Yesterday she and Mason had been playing with the bottles and she asked me for some juice. I told her no, so she went to daddy, who also told her no. I went back to trying to decorate our place and 10 minutes or so passed. I went back into the kitchen and asked Donney where she was. He hadn't noticed she'd left the room. I called for her and she came around the corner with a big smile on her face and her bottle was half full of water. Donney and I chuckled, little miss had climbed into the tub, turned the water on and got herself what she wanted. I took her wet hands and walked her back into the front room. She looked up at me with her big smile "Juice Mom!", took a drink of her water then said, "Uck Mom" and laughed. "You're so silly." I said to her. She did it again. Still completely convinced she had been in the tub, I decided I better go make sure she turned the water all the way off. When I walked in, this is what I saw...

I don't know if you can tell in the picture, but there is a nice trail of water that leads right to the TOILET! "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH Neleah!!" I ran to her and took her 'juice' from her. I too began to tell her "Uck Neleah, that is so yucky!" She did the same thing she'd been doing, "Uck mom!" and then just laughed. So you're wondering where she picked up this "Uck" sound. Well as part of her new independence, she's also been using the toilet as her sink to wash her hands! I've been telling her over and over "Yucky! No No No!" She always says "Uck" and looks at me as though she's convinced the toilet is a nasty place to put our hands. However, it's clearly not what she's thinking. It's time to potty train, maybe she'll understand that's what toilet's are used for. Just as a side note, I had just cleaned the toilet on Saturday and it was flushed! LOL
Here she is in a pull-up she put on all by herself. Yes she undresses herself too!

First of all, let me say my son has amazing upper body strength. He can pull himself up onto just about anything and he doesn't need any sort of step to get him there. With that being said keep in mind our microwave is above our stove and he's used it often, but with supervision. Anyway, when your sweet 3 year olds are laughing and saying "Shew fire", it's a good indication something may not be right. I walked into the kitchen to a nasty smell and a smoke filled room. The microwave was on and had been for 3-4 minutes. (See the video below) Mason tells me he was cooking breakfast for me. :) 0Before I picked ALL the crispy pancakes off I grabbed the camera. Needless to say, I've learned how to put the child lock on.

I'm sitting here posting this with Ma on my lap anxiously awaiting "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse." She thinks I'm "tricking" her because I keep going from my blog to this one and not to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She just said, "AAHH man mom this is an abomination!!!" (Too much Lilo and Stitch!)

Don't you wish you could really lock them up sometimes? : )

2008-08-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

OK, this is Kiley and Cayson zipped up in our butterfly net. (We were crazy last year and raised Monarch butterflies...this is what the butterflies lived in.) Today Matt got out the net to use for something else. I walked into our front room and they had climbed in and zipped themselves up in it. The only problem was that they couldn't get themselves out of it. I was tempted to leave them in there! JUST KIDDIN!! They were actually having a blast in it and really wanted to stay in it and play, but something about this didn't seem right, so I unzipped it and let them out after a litte bit! Can I say that it was nice while it lasted without sounding like a bad mom!? : )

My addition to Kristen's post...

2008-08-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

I was going through my pictures and found this picture of Luke and wanted to add it to Kristen post about Max sleeping in funny places. I guess he had a rough day at Grandma's house and fell asleep in her living room. I would have at least found a couch. :)

2008-08-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

I have something that is very funny to share. My son Paiden is now eight years old and would die if he knew that I was sharing this story. When he was about three years old and we were getting ready for bed. We had just gotten him in the bath tub and he was cleaning him self off when he made a new discovery. I was sitting beside the bath tub when all the sudden in a very excited voice he says,"mom guess what, I have a ball." I started laughing of course. then he says, "holy crap mom I have two." I thought I was going to die. I have never seen him so proud of him self. Of course at that age they are in love with any kind of ball. Well he was definently pleased with him self that day. Children are great fun, and add lots to our lives. It would be so boring with out them in our lives. I hope you get a good laugh out of that one.

Things I never thought I would say

2008-08-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

I think every Mom stops at least once a day and thinks, "I can't believe I just said that!" Usually the words would never be placed together in a sentence. Well lately I have been laughing about all of these. Here are a few of my favorites:

The sword does not go in the toilet
Pooh is not funny
Why are you licking my leg
Glue is not chap stick
Boys don't wear panties, they wear underwear
Girls can't be princes, or Darth Vader

Well there are the ones I can think of at the moment. You notice most of these come when kids are doing something "creative". :) Post things you have said and have a good laugh at yourself. Laughter is the best medicine after all.

The Things we go through for our Kiddos!

2008-08-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

Recently I was reading Mandy's blog and it brought back a memory that I just have to share with you. I will begin by saying that at the time this happened I did not find it funny at all, but as time goes on I have to admit, it's pretty funny.

When D.J. was in Kindergarten he rode the bus to school. In the middle of the year the school decided to change the bus schedule. The change put him at school 30 minutes early and the whole bus route was different. Being the loving mother that I am, or paranoid, I decided to follow the bus to school so I could see what the new route was.

I guess I made the bus driver nervous so she asked all the kids to look at the car behind them and asked if it was any one's Mom. Of course my little D.J. said, "No, it's not mine." So she called the police. I was pulled over and the police officer would not believe me that my kid was on the bus. He said the driver asked ALL the kids and everyone said, "no." I was so mad. Honestly, why would I be following a bus, in my pajamas, no bra, hair not done, no shoes, with my screaming baby in the back seat, if my kid wasn't on the bus. Finally, after what seemed like forever he let me go, but not without telling me that the city police have my license plate number and if I get caught following a bus again I would have big problems. I immediately called Trevor to get some sympathy but he was laughing so hard I hung up on him. Later that day when D.J. got home he told me all about the bad lady that was following them to school but told me not to worry because the police came and took her to jail. I didn't have the nerve to tell him it was me. I just said, "oh, good thing!" To this day he doesn't know it was me.

To top it all off, that night was a ward party and guess what the talk of the neighborhood was? Yep, the BAD person following the bus to school! Trevor kept looking at me laughing. I gave him the evil eye, you know the one that says 'if you say anything you will die'!

Like I said, not funny at the time, pretty funny now!

The things we go through for our kids!

So here's the lesson for the day... don't follow your kids bus to school or make sure your kids know what your car looks like!

Does it matter if the colors mix?

2008-08-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

I made Isaac a batch of play dough today. I split the batch into four sections so I could make different colors. After kneading in each of the colors (which took almost twenty minutes) Isaac went to work mixing all the colors together. At first I told him no, but I soon realized that I made it for him and he could do whatever made him happy. It worked out in the end...it occupied him for like fifteen minutes or so. Isn't that always how it goes. :)

I couldn't take a picture fast enough...He had already started mixing.Hey, at least he's happy.

Here is his creation. Maybe it's just me but mixing colors is a big "no no."

2008-08-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

This is Maxwell sleeping on the couch. He is quite a funny little boy. He falls asleep in the funniest places.

Check him out!

2008-08-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

Yep, I let D.J. wear a belt around his head like a headband all day!
He wanted to so bad and I just thought, "it's not worth the battle."

I know that your kids have come up with some funny outfits, post

your favorite picture so we can all have a good laugh at our kids

expense. :)

OK...I'LL BE THE FIRST...HERE'S MY STORY!

2008-08-18T21:24:00.001-07:00

Oh my sweet boy Cayson! He is trouble....today I walked into the bathroom and found his toothpaste tube sitting on the counter. This isn't unusual, what was unusual was the large amount of toothpaste in the toilet next to the counter and the wet toothbrush on the floor. I walked into the other room and asked him what had happened. He got a huge smile on his face and said, "Mom, I brushed my teeth! I can do it by myself!" GROSS! Luckily the toilets were clean and luckily I have a new toothbrush for him. Let's just say I did a really good toothbrush session on him after that. How do their little minds come up with this stuff?

Welcome!

2008-08-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to finally get this blog up and running...
Feel free to post as often as you would like. Also check back often to see all the adventures everyone else is having at their homes! Hopefully this blog will become a place where we can all have a good laugh once in a while and remind us that we are not alone in this crazy thing called....Motherhood!