Google & My Girls

I had planned on only writing about my girls today, on this day of thanks, but upon entering Google, I knew that I had to write about my favorite search engine, too.
I love all of the artwork they put on Google--my favorite probably being the Olympic Rings that they had during the summer games. But as I saw today's festive Thanksgiving day decor, it brought a smile to my face.

OK, now on to the real post...Today I am thankful for my girls. Last night, Rachel proved that she was truly my daughter. She brought me a blanket and begged me to "bundle" "bundle" her up. Then, she found a book and begged me to read it. Yep, bundled up in a blankie with a good book...um they might all look like Greg, but that is MY girl!

Then, this morning, Sarah asked me to help her get dressed. I told her that I would as soon as I put in my contacts. She said, "Mom, you can see me without your contacts, right?"
I told her I could, and she said, "But you can see me even better with them in?"
Again I said yes.
"Wow, Mom...You are AMAZING!"

Yes, I love to be told I'm amazing, and if I can be amazing just from putting in my contacts, maybe I'll wait a few more years before I get my eyes fixed!

Health

As my health continues to creep slowly back into the realm of normalcy, I am more aware than I have been in a long time how wonderful it is to be blessed with good health.
I have had a cold that has knocked me out for over a week. Every night I go to bed early out of sheer exhaustion, and then wake up at 2:00 and 5:00 in a coughing frenzy...and that is with night-time cold medicine, Vick's and a heating pad soothing my aches and pains.
I have been getting up earlier than usual (5:00 is not the time I usually get up) but have had so little energy (plus the aches, pains and chills that accompany a fever and cold) that I only get the bare minimum done.
Today has been the first day that I have actually done a few "extras" (that being the laundry and bathrooms . . . it's amazing how few items made it to the "basics" list) and it feels so good to know that my house is once again coming to order.
A clean house equals a happy me, and when I am sick, I am probably not the best person to be around, so to everyone who has had to endure my presence for the past week (especially my kids), my most sincere apologies!

Soap!

Today's post is short and sweet (smelling).I am thankful for the smell of soaps and detergents. The kids and I took an outing to Costco and, lucky for me, several soaps were on my list. I love walking down the cleaning aisle. Greg...not so much. I LOVE the smell of laundry detergent (the good ones, not the blah generic ones), and I carefully go through all of the cleaners I am choosing for our house to find the ones that, in my opinion, smell the best.
At present, I am enjoying Pine Sol-Orange scent, Kirkland laundry detergent (the liquid or boxed variety are both fine, but the one in the plastic tub--not so great). I also love Tide, Mountain Fresh Fabric Softener (liquid or sheets) and Ajax brand dish soap. I know, Ajax isn't exactly the most beautiful smell, but it's the kind of dish soap my grandma always used, and when I smell it I think of her.
I know others would always buy unscented, and that's just fine with me...I haven't worn perfume for years because every time I did I got a headache (but I can wear body sprays without trouble) so I understand that everyone is different, but as for me...Bring on the smell of clean!

FHE

Every morning when we are eating breakfast, Sarah asks me what the day is. She knows that Tuesdays and Thursdays she gets to go to preschool, Friday we get to have "Sci-Fi Friday" Saturday Daddy doesn't have to go to work, Sunday we go to church and Monday is Family Night.
So this morning when I told her that today was Monday, she broke out in song, with a lovely rendition of:
"This is the night we waited for
Always a treat we get from the store [always a treat we have in store]
We love each other more and more
with every family night.
Stories and things [supposed to be games] for everyone
La, la, la gospel is so much fun [learning the gospel can be fun]
father and mother daughter daughter daughter daughter (the way we sing it)
together on family night."

She repeated the song over and over, dancing with Rachel as she sang.
How can I not be grateful for a night my kids love, when we can learn about the gospel in an informal, fun way?

So, today I am grateful for FHE (even if our lessons are usually less than 5 minutes long).

Penance Brownies

When I look at my Beehives, I sometimes wonder if I was ever as silly as they are. I would like to think that for the most part I was a good, serious child; however, there is one memory that will forever burn in my mind the fact that I could be a complete dolt at times.

Growing up, Aunt Charlene made my favorite brownies. The brownie itself was yummy, but when they were almost cooked, she would put marshmallows on the top for the last 3 minutes of baking, let them cool, and frost them. They were delicious.

I, however have not ever made these brownies, until today, because they have a most embarrassing memory associated with them in my mind.

When I was in seventh grade, during spirit week, we had a Hawaiian day. My mom let me wear a necklace she picked up in Hawaii that had yellow birds on it. While walking home with a friend, the necklace broke, and the birds, and beads went flying down the road.

I loved the necklace and decided that it would only be appropriate to hold a funeral for the two birds that perished with the necklace.

While we were discussing funeral arrangements, a boy in my neighborhood happened to walk past. He asked what we were doing, and I told him we were preparing for the funeral of a bird I had loved, and told him he would be welcome to attend the services.

He came to the funeral, only to discover that he was attending funeral services for a necklace, and wasn't exactly thrilled to have to admit it.

My mom overheard the conversation, and happily smoothed things over with a batch of Aunt Charlene's brownies.

The neighbor stayed and jumped on the trampoline with my friend and me while my mom baked in the kitchen, but the longer I had to wait for the brownies, the more embarrassed I became that I actually invited a guy my age to come to a funeral for a fake bird.

Ever since that funeral, I have not been able to look a marshmallow brownie in the eye without remembering that fateful day when I decided to act like a moron for no apparent reason.

But today, I have decided that I have done enough penance for my actions, and I will be making the same brownies I loved as a girl.

So today, I am grateful for yummy brownies, grateful for the reminder that I could be silly too (so I should go easy on my girls) and I'm also grateful that my name isn't Max Hall....poor cougars :)

Education

Today I am grateful for education. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to go to college. I had a wonderful experience there, learning, meeting new friends and figuring out how to solve life's problems to some degree.
I also enjoyed attending the different sporting events while in college, and today I get to watch a rivalry that is close to my heart. Since I attended both BYU and the U of U, I really love watching the games. I have known players on both teams and have enjoyed watching the rivalry unfold year after year.
Here is a little blurb about the Holy War from Wikipedia:

In the last 35 meetings, the record stands at 24-11 for BYU.But Utah has the longest winning streak on either sides at 26. BYU has won the last two matchups in 2006 and 2007. The last 20 meetings have been split evenly at 10 wins apiece. The largest point spread during the last 20 meetings was in 1989, when BYU won 70-31 (39 points).
So who am I cheering for?
Let's just watch the game...





but GO COUGARS!

Entertainment

Today I am grateful for entertainment. Today's specific entertainment was Ellie's kindergarten Mother Goose program. Obviously, most people were looking at their own children through most of the program, but when attention wandered, it was usually to Ellie. She was so funny. She was making faces at a little boy on the front row, who apparently claimed that the program was too boring, then, she would realize that everyone else had taken a prop out of their paper bags, and she would scramble to grab hers.
She didn't look at me once through the whole performance, but she had everyone else looking at her. I forgot to take my camera, but asked a neighbor to take some pictures of the program for me, so hopefully I will be able to post some before too long, but even if the pictures never come, it was a highly memorable program for me.

Sleep

Some days I am grateful for things I have, and other days I am reminded to be grateful because it has been taken away.
Last night was not my best night of sleep. Rachel woke up several times in the night, as did I, because we were not feeling well. Then at 4:30, Rachel woke up again and was having trouble breathing. It was very odd. It was almost like she had been crying for a long time and was snuffling. She wasn't wheezing, had no cough or runny nose, but she just couldn't get a good breath. I woke Greg up, and she seemed to catch her breath, but we took her to a steamy bathroom just in case she was croupy.
She had no desire to go back to bed, and so we stayed up with her, and she seemed fine until about 8:00 in the morning when she had another episode. We decided to take her to the doctor, but they couldn't find anything wrong with her, and said that she sounded perfectly clear.
I am SO grateful that she seems to be just fine, but I am also grateful today for sleep.
I don't think about it unless I don't get it, but how nice is it to be able to sleep in a soft, cozy bed, in a climate-controlled environment.
Ahh, there is nothing better than a good-night's sleep (it's even better than a good book).

Good Books & Good Friends

Oh the pleasure of a good book. I can't think of anything more relaxing than curling up with a good read.
Tonight I have a book club, and we read "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. It was a short read, but a good reminder to take advantage of the moment.
For anyone who doesn't know the circumstances, Randy wrote the book after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He has since passed away, but his outlook on life as he neared the end helped me to remember my blessings.
I also enjoy the fact that I get to discuss a good book with the girls. It is refreshing to get together with friends and have a coherent conversation without interruptions for boo-boos, drinks, or the wiping of toddler bottoms--not that I don't love all those things, too, but today I am grateful for good books and good friends.

Hand-Me-Downs

Today I am grateful for hand-me-downs and for sisters-in-law who provide them and/or hunt out the uber-bargains for me.
Last night I was searching on E-bay for a Hartstrings sweater--just in case there was one that was to-die-for.
I saw one that looked just like a sweater that Laura found for me a couple years ago, and so I clicked on it. Sure enough, it was the same sweater, (she bought some for her girls, too) for sale by Laura.
I have been reflecting today on Greg's incredible family and how grateful I am for them and for all they do for me.
Today, Becca, Ellie and Sarah all happened to wear clothes passed down from Maureen, and they all got compliments on them (I would have taken a picture, but they have all since changed into dress-ups).
I am NOT a shopper, and so today I would like to pause to say thank you, not only for the clothes but also the friendship you give me.

I feel SO blessed to have such a great family on all sides.

Village People

Today I am thankful for the "Village People." Not these Village People:
although I am always up for a good round of YMCA! Today I am thankful for the people in the saying "it takes a village to raise a child."
Today Ellie came home from school happy as a clam because one of the teachers at school (who she couldn't identify) gave her one of the little wash cloths that is all scrunched up in a shrink-wrap package.
Apparently recess was a bit of an ordeal for her today. The girls she usually plays with said that they didn't want to be friends, so instead she was playing with a moth. Then, she didn't hear the whistle calling her inside and she was left all alone on the playground. When she realized she was alone, she tried to go in, but they lock the doors during the day for safety, so she sat down and cried until this teacher came and found her.
But, when she got home, she assured me that things would be better tomorrow as long as she got a good night's sleep tonight, and really, today was a good day, because she got the Care-Bear washcloth after her lousy recess.
So, once again, I am thankful for the "Village People" who look out for my kids and make things better when I can't be there to help.

Back to Basics & Redi-Whip

On Monday, Greg and I took the kids to the grocery store after FHE to pick out a treat. We decided on hot chocolate with Redi-Whip canned whipping cream. Since then, we have used the 88 cent can to top ice cream, and several rounds of hot chocolate. To me, nothing is better to warm up than a nice cup of cocoa, and this morning we had the best ever!
For Christmas a couple years ago, Greg bought me a "Back to Basics" Cocoa-Latte machine & it makes the creamiest, frothiest hot chocolate ever. Sadly, one day I wasn't thinking and I stuck the pitcher in the dishwasher & alas, it is not dishwasher safe. However, my sweet hubby bought me a new machine yesterday & now I am whippin' up some delicious cocoa!
We had some this morning topped with a squirt of Redi-Whip and some marshmallows, and my kids were in chocolate heaven.
So, today I am thankful for my Redi-Whip and new cocoa-latte machine....Thanks, Greg!

Celebrate!

I am thankful for celebrations. I love a party. Playing games, having fun and just relishing the moment. I also love it when my girls can find unusual things and ways to celebrate. Today has been a cleaning day--something else for which I am grateful--and they have been troopers.
The morning started with a trip to the church where we cleaned the building with two other families. The girls dusted classrooms, washed windows, and wiped out the drinking fountains without complaint and they did a great job.
Then, when we got home, I realized how dirty our own house was and told the girls they needed to help get it cleaned up.
Ellie fought the idea for a while, but eventually succumbed to the enticement that if she finished her bedroom she could go to the "popcorn store" (aka the hardware store).
Well, she was so excited to have her room cleaned up that she had an official "ribbon-cutting ceremony" to celebrate.



--Yep! It's toilet paper!

Laughter

This morning I was getting a little bit frustrated as I was trying to check my email. Sarah and Rachel were fighting over a size 2 shoe that doesn't fit either of them, and they have been at each other all morning. That was when I opened this message from Greg. It is from someone he works with who said that he wouldn't be surprised if this was actually one of our girls. I watched it and suddenly Sarah, Rachel and I were all watching and laughing together.
Isn't it amazing how quickly laughter can diffuse a tense situation?
I am very grateful today for laughter!

McDonalds

Today I am thankful for McDonalds. The food is lousy and overpriced, it is always crowded, and I question the sanitary conditions every time we go, but truly, there is only one McDonalds and there is no substitute.
Growing up, visiting Mickey-D's was a rare privilege and it has remained so for my kids. I take my kids to the golden arches about four or five times a year and today happens to be one of those special times.
Greg is working at home on a presentation today and I'm supposed to get together with a friend, so, to facilitate a more quiet environment for Greg, I suggested the outing. To my satisfaction, we will be going after lunch and so I will be purchasing a cookie or ice cream rather than chicken nuggets or hamburger from the dollar menu.
Woo Hoo!
Don't worry, I will be packing the Purell (an item for which I am uber-grateful & which deserves its own blog post, but probably won't get one--poor Purell) and we will be taking baths tonight, but even if my kiddos do get sick, there just isn't a better spot to let the kids run and play on a rainy November afternoon!

The Internet

How could I blog a month's worth of gratitude online without mention of the blessing of the Internet? Oh how easy it makes my life! How ever did I survive before using it?
Last night I wanted to make Chicken Marsala, and made a quick trip to a few of my favorite cooking sites before combining a few highly rated recipes to make something I knew my family would enjoy.
I have looked up ideas online for just about every aspect of my life...preschool, young women, cooking, cleaning, family home evening, books, movies, home decorating, you name it...the Internet has become my primary source of knowledge. It is also a great tool for shopping when I don't want to take my kids with me (most of this year's Christmas gifts for the kiddos was purchased online because it all comes in drab brown boxes and my kids know it's most likely computer paraphernalia.
I mean, think of Wikipedia alone..."Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information."--Michael Scott (the Office)

The Internet is also a great way for me to keep up on my own record keeping as well as the lives of my friends and family. How great is that?

Oh blessed Internet!

...Hmm....now why isn't autosave working....this thing just isn't posting...where did all my pictures go?....

HA! Just kidding!

Phone Sweet Phone

Today I am thankful for my cell phone. It has been missing for a few weeks and I thought it was long gone, but last night Chris, our neighbor, came over and dropped his phone down our couch (yes the baby eating couch). He reached in to pull it out and brought mine up instead. I had looked under the couch cushions when it was first missing, but didn't delve into the depths of the couch, so I am so thankful today for Chris finding my phone.
I waited a long time before I finally got a cell phone, but decided that it would be good to have one once Becca was in school all day. I don't use it very often and just have a pre-paid plan, but when it is missing I really miss it.
Last night, just before my phone was found, our internet (and now that we are with Vonage our phone) croaked and I couldn't contact Greg to troubleshoot the issue. Now that my phone is back I feel reconnected to the world and life is good.
Oh blessed day!
Everyone give your cell phone the love it deserves--it doesn't take long to miss it when it's gone, I promise!

Rhyme Time

I always find it entertaining to hear kids rhyme when they are just learning the skill. They get so excited, and in my family at least, it never fails that a naughty word or two gets thrown in. For example, today Sarah decided to rhyme with the word "sucker."
MmmHmm, that's right, Sarah introduced the "F" word into our home today....along with "trucker, cucker, blucker, gucker, and ducker."
When Ellie was learning to rhyme she chose to do so at lunch when we were eating ham, and the"D-word" was repeated about 17 times in her rhyme chain
And when Becca first started rhyming, she chose to rhyme "Pretty" which gave us a certain "SH-word" that was admittedly quite humorous to hear a 3 year old say.
I would be interested to hear if anyone ever does anything about the toddler potty mouths. I never have said anything, and the events haven't ever been repeated (other than the fact that the choice words have been repeated a couple of times in their chain), but in my opinion, it's better not to let them see that there are words that could get a reaction out of me when they are three (I fear that Ellie knows that "doggy poo-poo" and "fart" get enough reaction from me that she uses them regularly).

A Quick Ellie Quote

My sister-in-law is pregnant (and I am SO excited for her!) and last night at dinner my mom was asking her if she had any names picked out. She said that they might use Gracie if it was a girl because she just loves that name.
At which point, Ellie chimed in with, "Well, if you like Gracie so much, how come you didn't name Annie (their first daughter) Gracie?"
Good question, Ellie!

Potty On! It's Potty Time!

Oh, how I love a flushable potty! This year for girls camp I went to a cabin with flush toilets. This was my tenth girls' camp and my first one with indoor plumbing. Every time I went in the bathroom I marveled at the excellence of not having to hold my nose while going about my buisness.
This is a blessing I take for granted most of the time--like when I have to scrub the bathrooms, or Rachel is playing in the toilet water; however, I can't tell you how happy I am to have the blessed convenience of running water and toilets that flush/work.
I was reminded today of a Thanksgiving day four years ago, before I started this blog, when Ellie, bless her heart, took all of my hot rollers and shoved them down the toilet.
Greg tried and tried to fix the toilet, but after about 4 attempts (and water still leaking into my laundry room) we finally called the plumber.
We were without a toilet in our bathroom for about a month (from first attempt to plumber coming) and when it was finally fixed I was about seven months pregnant with Sarah and was ever so grateful that I didn't have to run down the hall in the middle of the night when she thought my bladder was a trampoline.
Along with the convenience of a toilet, how can I ignore the blessing of a hot bath? There is nothing I like more than to sit in a hot tub and read a book. Whenever I have had a bad "mommy" day, Greg will grab the book I am currently reading (there almost always is one on my nightstand) and run me a hot bath in our "big tub." The big tub is in the basement right next door to the water heater, and sometimes as I soak I can hear the heater click on. When I do, I am grateful for the blessing of hot water that runs straight from my tap. Add a few bubbles and I am in a veritable heaven on earth!
Oh, how I love modern plumbing!

Serendipity

Serendipity: an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident...I'm thankful for serendipity. Isn't it fun to make a discovery out of nowhere?
Greg and Ben were just talking about someone that Greg knows & as he was trying to describe him, Ben said Oh, he sounds like that one guy....oh, what's his name....you know....and then he named the same person Greg was describing.
We laughed our heads off. There is something just fun about serendipitous discoveries, and in my opinion they don't happen often enough.

I am also a fan of the movie "Serendipity" but I haven't watched it for a while...maybe I should go watch it while I eat some cookies (yep, I resisted making them for 48 hours, but the oven is buzzing, and I have to go).

Saturday is a Special Day!

Today being Saturday, I am thankful for Saturdays--and long weekends. I love not having to get up early to get my kids off to school, but knowing I can get up early to do something fun. I love having my family with me through the day...my house usually suffers from Saturdays, but in my opinion it's worth it!

Yesterday Greg came home from work a little bit early and we went to the local art museum and to the library. The art museum is free and they have a little corner just for the kids (or should I say aspiring artists) to express themselves. They have a "found art" section, an "abstract art" section, a section with books about art, and an easel/chalkboard with all sorts of tools. The kids didn't want to leave & all opted to donate the quarter Greg gave them instead of buying a gumball (for which I will confess to being relieved).

Because of our little outing yesterday it has felt like a long weekend & I am just relishing each moment of the laid-back day.

Cookies

Today I am thankful for cookies. I read a cute book a while ago called "Eat Cake." It was about a woman who turns to baking when she is dealt stress & obviously she bakes...cakes. If I was asked to state my favorite thing to bake I would have to say that cookies take the cake.
Tonight we went to Greg's parents for Sci-Fi Friday & Greg's mom made oatmeal raisin cookies. Mmm, good! I love cookies. Where to begin with this fine delicacy?
I am quite certain that a batch of cookies was the first thing I ever put into an oven on my own. I remember baking a batch of snickerdoodles with a friend & doubling the batch only to realize when we got down to the flour that it called for 6 cups. That's right--the first time I made Snickerdoodles it was overflowing in the mixer at a lofty 12 cups of flour. I am still a little wary of rolling cookies in cinnamon and sugar after that ordeal.
One of my favorite Christmas gifts I ever received was a cookbook from my grandma H. It was a Betty Crocker cookbook and I still own it and use it--my kids regularly ask me to make "eating play-doh."

I don't know that I need to say much else about cookies--chocolate chip cookies are Greg's favorite dessert (well, that and cheesecake) and who can blame him...I submit that there is little better than a freshly baked cookie.

peanut butter fingers....chocolate chip cookies...german chocolate cookies...sugar cookies...chocolate crinkles...oatmeal raisin cookies...pumpkin chocolate chip cookies...

something tells me I'm in for sweet dreams tonight!

Dishes

Greg & I made an agreement shortly after we were married essentially ensuring that we would never get a divorce. The agreement is simply, if we were ever to separate, I would take all of the computers (and computer parts) and Greg would take all of the dishes.

If this gives any perspective to the values we place on "things" dishes are at the top of my list. So here is today's gratitude list of reasons that I am thankful for dishes.

1. Dishes set the mood. I love cute paper plates at a casual setting just as much as I love pulling out the china for a fancy dinner. I love to mix and match dishes from the different sets I own to create a new place setting with a unique feeling.

2. Dishes trigger memories. When I was first married, I invited my parents and grandparents over for dinner. It was the first time I had used my china, and I spent way too long beaming at the plates glistening in the candlelight.
However, when I went to serve the food, I realized that I only had two fancy serving dishes, so I had to make due with other dishes that I had on hand. I apologized to everyone (not realizing at the time that dishes aren't as important to everyone else) that I was serving food from Christmas dishes & explained the situation.
The following week I happened to be up at my grandma's house and she called me into the kitchen. She then pulled out a series of silver serving dishes and told me that she had more than she could use, that they were just taking up space, and she would be thrilled if I would take some from her.
Now, every time I pull out those serving dishes I think of her, and I am reminded of her love for me.
3. Dishes create memories. In addition to me remembering special events when I see dishes, my kids do, too. When I pull out my Christmas dishes they remind me of various holiday parties we have had when we have used them, and when I pull a sippy cup out of the dishwasher they know if it was one that they used when they were little.
I remember my grandma having the little glass "cheese cups" and yellow plastic smiley face cups & she had a special cereal bowl I used when I would sleep over (it had a man on the bottom and I had to eat all my cereal to find him). All those dishes are long gone, but I will never forget them.

Today I am making my grandma's recipe for strawberry butter & I will put it in one of her dishes. I love thinking about her as I use the same dishes she did.

Costco

Today I am thankful for Costco. I have often referred to them as "My personal caterer" and today I get to do an interview with my bro-in-law about why I like Costco. Here are a few of my reasons:
1-The Double Cart--Wow! how nice is it to have a spacious place for all four of my kids to hang out while I shop. They are always better behaved in Costco than they are in the "car-cart" at the grocery store. Then again, maybe that has something to do with reason #2 that I like Costco.
2-The Samples--Yep, nothing better than heading over to a food aisle when the kids start getting a little grumpy to get them something to munch on. And I'm a fan, too. I mean, if you get enough free samples you can call it lunch, but if the samples aren't your favorite that day, there's always reason #3.
3-The Food Court--I love the fact that I can get my kids a hot dog and drink for about half the cost of a kids meal. They love it just as much and I don't have to deal with a toy that I'd rather not have in the first place.
4-SURPRISE!--I'm not a big "shopper," but I love browsing through all of the ever-changing displays that come in at Costco. I have been able to get a lot of my kids' Christmas gifts there at a fraction of the cost it would be somewhere else & since the merchandise comes in and out so quickly I rarely have them begging for the same things on repeated trips.
and last, but not least...
5-Size & Quality Matter--I love the fact that when I buy a box of Dino Nuggets it will actually last me a LONG time. I also love the quality of their food. I have not found frozen green beans, broccoli or berries to match the quality of Costco. Their produce is also ALWAYS fresh. I have yet to find a moldy strawberry when I buy them there.
So, boring as the post may be, I am thankful for my super-store and the ease it brings to my shopping days.

I LOVE AMERICA!

Today, obviously, is voting day and I am SO grateful for the privilege it is to be able to choose our leaders. It is so easy to go online and find information about each candidate & their platform and values. What a blessing it is to be able to decide for ourselves the people we want to lead this land.
So, I highly recommend that everyone makes sure to take advantage of the opportunities that are ours. VOTE!! Make your voice heard! Fight those lines & take a stand (just don't do it between the hours of 9-11 because that's when I plan on going) just kidding! Go whenever you want to! Just VOTE!

On that vein, I am also thankful for political humor. Having watched a lot of the SNL political jabs, I find that it is a breath of fresh air to see the candidates in a more humorous light & to see the politicians on the show laughing along with their counterparts. To me, it makes them seem more human and reminds me how great it is to have the opportunity to choose for ourselves the leadership we want in our country.

Early to Bed & Early to Rise

Today I am trying to be thankful for the Daylight Saving Switch over. I am (first off) thankful that they bumped it back a week, so my kiddos could go trick-or-treating during daylight hours (and since we could essentially start an hour earlier, they didn't get rained on).
Then--although I'm not a fan of it getting dark by 5:00, I am grateful for the fact that we have a much easier time getting the girls to bed and getting them up in the morning since their bodies think it's an hour later than the clocks say it is.
This morning I was able to get a lot done with my kids before they headed off to school & yesterday they even slept in because we kept them up late on Saturday.
So, even though I wish we could have a little more sunshine in the afternoon, I am thankful for the positive aspects of this switch!

I'm Grateful for Kiddie Shows

My girls turned on the TV this morning & although we usually try to make the girls watch "Sabbath Approved" shows, they had something else on when I came in to see them. Before I could turn it off I heard one line from the show:
"Did you know that 100 percent of all home accidents occur in the home?"
"Really? I didn't know that!"
"Yeah, well, it's not easy being a genius."

There are definitely some shows that I would turn off just because they are intellectually depressing to a 5 year old, but sometimes I am cracked up by the writing on those "children's" shows.

I am Thankful for....

As we enter November, I want to add a little bit of gratitude to my blog each day. Today I have to say that I am grateful for fall. Here are some pictures of the kids playing in the leaves with their cousins. As Liesl said, "I think fall is just an excuse for kids to have fun."
Oh, how I love the crackle of leaves!

Happy Halloween

With all of the Halloween festivities it wasn't until Becca said, "Mom we haven't carved our pumpkins!" about two hours after the Halloween party that I even thought about them. So, knowing that I still needed to make dinner and get the girls ready for trick-or-treating I decided to take a page from Pottery Barn Kids (which by the way I saw AFTER I made my crow tree & saw their crows & trees for sale at $25 per crow & $130 per tree). They also had some build your own pumpkin kits with fabric pieces attached to dowels that you stick into the pumpkin. Well, since it was Halloween day, and their kits were $25 a piece I decided to just make my own 5 cent version out of bamboo skewers and construction paper. The whole thing took me less than ten minutes (with about 10 seconds to clean up) and my girls got to stab all the pieces in to make a kitty. This picture was taken after Sarah rolled the pumpkin down the lawn, too, so it was pretty durable.
Here are my little China Dolls ready to hit the road. They used Chinese paper lanterns to hold their candy and as you can see, Rachel was the most excited of everyone to head out.
Here is a picture of dinner--Ham & Pineapple pizza. I put the ham under the cheese & used a combination of Mozzarella and Colby Jack to make the pizza a little more orange than usual.

It was a great Halloween.

Candy Corn Quesadillas

I have had a couple requests for pictures of the candy corn quesadillas, and twice when I made them I set aside one of the triangles to take a picture, but by the time I got back with the camera they disappeared. So, I decided to try a google search and found this picture--apparently I'm not the first to create my lovely Halloween treat (not surprising). I didn't grate my cheese, though. I just sliced it thinly because I thought it was easier to keep the colors separated. I also didn't use American cheese (it's not my favorite) I used Colby Jack for my "yellow." But this gives a good idea of what they looked like.