Conquering the Heber Valley Century!!

In case you haven't noticed, lately around the Honey House we have become cycling enthusiasts. In August I got my first real road bike as an early birthday present and participated in my first ever bike tour. (I managed to cycle 42 miles, which I was pretty impressed with because I have never been very fit, if you know what I mean.)

Then this month we signed up for another bike tour that happened to fall on my birthday. Honey Daddy and I signed up to do the metric century (100km) ride as part of the Heber Valley Century. My parents and one of my sisters also participated with us.

It was a beautiful day. We left the boys with my youngest sister and headed to Heber City. We got there as the first group was leaving, and I was amazed at how many cyclists there were. I heard that there were seven to eight hundred people riding that day!

Honey Daddy and I had a good time riding together. The first part of the ride was not too bad, but after about 15 miles there was an enormous hill. I am talking about 3 miles of 8% grade. It was tough! I just kept pedaling, even though I was only maintaining about 5 mph. I told my honey to go up at his own pace and I would meet him at the top. I am proud to say I made it to the rest stop at the top! I made my hubby pose for a picture with me.

We're cute, huh?

During our well-deserved stop I enjoyed the beautiful scenery. I saw a bike propped up against a rock and could not resist taking a picture.

Before long we took off again. We rounded a corner only to find that there was ANOTHER huge hill to climb up! Since my husband is a better cyclist than me, especially when it comes to climbing, I told him to go up ahead again and take some pictures for me.

Can you see me? I am the pink speck in the front coming up the hill.

I love this next photo he took of me! Whenever I look at it I feel like superwoman.

I wasn't going to post the next photo in the series because it is just a shot of my rear end, but I decided it was worth it to show you how far up this hill goes!

The best part about going up huge hills is going down the other side! My speedometer said we got going around 45 mph! It was awesome!

Then we rode around in the next valley around various little towns. My husband and I had fun riding together, and we learned a bit about how to cooperate and help one another by drafting. I hope to get in better shape over the winter so that riding with me is a bit more challenging for my husband. That way we can be a team and both have a great time!

The bike tour ended where it started, which meant that we had to climb up the big hills AGAIN... from the other side, of course. By the time we hit 45 or 50 miles I was getting really tired... but we made it! Wahooo!!!

I can't believe that I actually cycled about 67 miles!!

I was really proud of my parents and sister too. My mom and sister did the 25 mile ride (which turned and avoided the big hill), and my dad attempted the hill but couldn't make it up because he wasn't feeling well. He still managed about 40 miles, which is awesome!

Toothpicks and Q-tips

I ran into "Not me! Monday" on a blog that I read occasionally and I thought it looked like a whole lot of fun. So without further ado, here is a list of thing that I absolutely, positively did not do in the past week:

I did not wait to get breakfast for my son until he repeatedly asked me to because I was busy on the computer... ( I was not blogging, really!).

I did not give my son peanut butter crackers and let him eat them on my husband's side of the bed so I could sleep in a little longer. Twice. (Sorry honey!)

I did not let my son drink some of my diet coke when he asked for it because that would not be good for him at all, right?

I did not give my son's face a spit bath in public.

I did not bicycle 67 miles on my birthday because that would be just plain crazy. (There will not be tons of photos and commentary about it on my next post either :o)

While we are confessing things here, just so you know I have a thing about ear wax. I can't stand yucky, waxy ears. (Yes, I do use Q-tips with caution on my kid's ears even though they are sharper than my elbow!). Apparently Jonah, my two-year-old, has picked up his ear cleanliness habit from me. So after a bath one morning this week he and I had the following conversation:

Jonah: I have some ear wax. I need a toothpick.
Me: A toothpick, are you sure?
Jonah: Yep. I need a toothpick for you to clean my earwax.
Me: Umm... Maybe you mean a Q-tip.
Jonah: Oh. I need a Q-pick for my earwax.
Me: You mean a Q-tip?
Jonah: Yes. A Cute-tip.
Me (laughing): close enough.

Birthday Bike Tour

Anticipation
Tomorrow is the big day
The day I was born

What has been planned for
the birthday festivities?
I'm SO glad you asked!

How 'bout a bike tour?
Over sixty miles sound good?
I must be insane!

That's right... tomorrow I will be thirty-somethingish. I must be going a bit crackers in my "old" age because I am actually looking forward to going riding tomorrow.

My husband and I have signed up for our second bike tour. Last time I went 42 miles, which was my biggest physical accomplishment EVER. To give you some idea, I am the kind of person that did not go out for any sports in high school. I did well in school, I read a lot, and I sang in the choir.

On our last tour my husband rode 80 miles. He is a machine! (He was on the track team, swim team, and soccer team in high school... how did we end up married?? Must have been love!).

This time he is going to ride with me... even though I am a bit slower than he is. We will be doing the "metric century" ride, which is 100 km (62+ miles). I never thought I would enjoy cycling as much as I do... a year ago if you told me I would be riding over 60 miles I would have thought YOU were crazy!

So here's the bike Honey Daddy got me for my (early) birthday present:


Isn't it gorgeous? He has also bought a lot of gear for me recently. This week I got a long-sleeved jersey that is super-cute, and shoes. We'll see what else tomorrow brings!

I think after all that biking we will have to go out for dinner... and I can eat whatever I want and not feel the least bit guilty about it! Wahoo! Wish me luck!

*I got home from work after writing this post (Thursday evening) and found two dozen pink roses! Even though he was in bed, my little boy came out to get a hug and tell me that he went to the store with Daddy and "then we came home with flowers for you!" Isn't that sweet?!

Bike and Burn - Fat Ticker Friday

I have been doing pretty well this week. Midweek I weighed myself and I had lost a pound. We'll see what the scale says in the morning! Maybe I should tell it to be extra nice because my birthday is Saturday... do you think that would work?

* I just weighed myself, and I lost 2 pounds this week! Wahoo!!

I have been monitoring what I eat (yucky food journal) and working out a lot. My exercise this week mostly consisted of bicycling and I am really enjoying our new healthy hobby.

Saturday I went on a grueling ride with my husband. We went 20 miles total, half of which was up a HUGE hill. From our starting point we figure we climbed 1575 feet in elevation. I didn't think that I could make it, but with my husband's encouragement I did! (To check out the view from the top, just scroll down to the post below!)

Then I have gone on two other bike rides, which were just over 10 miles each. I am enjoying cycling a lot more than I have any other kind of exercise. If you haven't tried it in a while, you should! It's amazing what you can accomplish when you decide that you can do it!

I've been enjoying watching "The Biggest Loser" so far this season. I like the show because it shows that ANYONE can lose weight... and that it's hard work! They get a lot of help and lose weight faster than most people, but even the people who go home and have to do it by themselves look amazing! I have to admit that it also makes me feel good about myself because I realize that I am not fat enough (anymore) to qualify for the show.

I'll have to let you know how I do next week after cycling 60+ miles with Honey Daddy this weekend on our bike tour! Wish me luck!

Picture my World

This weekend Honey Daddy and I went on a bike ride. We are training for the bicycle tour that we are participating in on Saturday. I think if I had known exactly where we were going I would have said something like, "No Way, No How!"

Here's a picture I took when we were near the top. To give you an idea, we started WAY down there in the valley and rode our bikes all the way to the top. We climbed about 1,575 feet in elevation in about 10 miles. I think I nearly died.

I was so proud of myself for accomplishing this ride! It made me want to say, "I eat hills for breakfast!" We had a blast riding down the hill. My odometer said we were going over 40 mph!

In other happenings, lately little Eli has discovered his toes... and apparently he thinks they are pretty tasty.

He is getting closer and closer to crawling, but I can't seem to get a photo of him up on his knees yet... the little bugger! I sat there forever this morning trying to catch him at it, but no luck.

Jonah was not happy that I was taking so many photos of Eli. He insisted I take a photo of him as well. I didn't really have a problem with that, so here it is:


Finally... I spent today canning spaghetti sauce. It was a pretty tiring endeavor. I was so jealous when I came to the living room to take a break and found Eli like this. Doesn't that look so nice and peaceful?!

I am participating in Wordful Wednesday.

I Dream of Mommy

Each day I find myself wearing many different hats in the process of being a mommy. I am the chef, the housekeeper, the chauffeur, the laundress, the nutritionist, the day care operator, the diaper changer, the disciplinarian, the playmate, the teacher... and the list goes on.

Though I do not relish some of these tasks, so far I have not been asked to do any of these things to the point that I would consider it above and beyond my call of duty as a mother. But then again, my oldest is only two! So I am sure I have many years of unreasonable demands yet to come.

The thing that drives me crazy right now is that Jonah thinks that he can just tell me what he wants, and I will automatically make it happen. As though I was put on this earth merely to gratify his every little desire. It makes me want to say:

I'm your Mommy, not your all-powerful,
wish-granting genie!

(I'm a smokin' hot genie, no?)

I think in his little brain the dialog would go something like this:

Jonah: I want to watch a movie.
Mommy: Your wish is my command!

Jonah: I want some candy.
Mommy: Of course! What kind would you like?

Jonah: I don't want to go to bed.
Mommy: Of course not. Let's eat candy and watch a movie instead!

Um.... Dream on Buddy! In case you haven't noticed, I am the one in charge here! I am your Mommy and that means that I get to decide what's best for you.

Just because you want something, doesn't mean you will get it. That's life, son.

If it's Not Broken, I Probably Didn't Touch It.

Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! My Honey is home. (hallelujah!)

It's a good thing my husband came home from his conference yesterday, otherwise who knows what else I might have broken!

Yesterday morning we went to the doctor's office for Eli's six month appointment (poor boy got 4 shots), and then we went bargain shopping (would you believe chicken at $1.39/lb and ground beef at $1.79!). Then on the way home I noticed that the blinkers on my car weren't working anymore.

Not a huge deal, right? I figured I could still drive the car later to pick him up as long as I was careful.

Later in the afternoon I walked past the car and noticed that there was a rather large puddle of water underneath it. I popped the hood and found out that the reservoir was completely empty of coolant.

I didn't dare drive the car because who knows where the leak was? I could have filled the reservoir and still burned out the engine on my way to pick him up.

No problem, right? I will just take my husband's car to get him. All I have to do is move the car seats. I'm not too excited about this because my husband has strapped the toddler seat in my car so tight I have a hard time ever getting it out of the car, but you do what you gotta, right?

So I got my keys and headed out to the garage to switch the car seats. I stuck my key in the door (we have an outside entry because there is a carport between the garage and the house), twisted the key and opened the door. When I tried to pull my key out of the door it wouldn't budge. No matter how I jiggled or turned it, my key would not come out.

So now my key is stuck in the knob and I cannot get it out. I call my husband's father (who does some locksmithing on the side) and ask him what to do. While I am talking to my father-in-law, my husband calls and says that they are getting close to his work and I can come pick him up.

I had to tell him that it might not be possible for me to come get him. Luckily the guys driving the van agreed to bring him home. I felt a bit bad welcoming my honey home with a list of things to fix. What can I say? Without him we just fall apart.

On a happy note, at least I remembered to pick up the dry cleaning this afternoon so my husband has something to wear to church (I got there about 15 minutes before they closed!)

Blog Design for Dummies

So many fun blogs
Dazzle with their cute designs
My blog looks BORING

Sick of my header,
Color scheme, style and paper
Under construction?

I have been around visiting a lot of your blogs recently and noticed how absolutely flippin' adorable you all are! Then I came back to my blog and about fell asleep (not because of the writing... I am so stinkin' funny and adorable, right?!?).

Maybe it's a result of spending time with my sister this week learning to make cute digital scrapbook pages. It got me thinking that with some effort (ugh!) I could make my blog look much more attractive.

I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself. I have only been blogging for a little over three months, and this is the blog design I started with. Now that I am such a veteran blogger, I can come up with something better, right?

I guess it's time for a change. Too bad I don't know exactly what I want to do! I guess I just need some ideas. What do you do to make your blog attractive? How often do you change up your blog design? How did you come up with your cute header, backgrounds, etc?

Post a comment and leave me some tips, oh ye wise bloggers! What do you like about your blog? I will come check out your blog to see what I like about you.

Hot for the Holidays - Fat Ticker Friday

I don't know if you noticed, but I am participating in Hot for the Holidays. A bunch of bloggers are getting together to try to lose 500 lbs. Heck, I would like to lose about 30 myself.

So my husband was checking out my blog the other day (he doesn't very often) and he is excited that I am going to be hot for the holidays. Too bad I'm the one who has to do all the work.

I am happy to say that even though my husband was gone this week, making it difficult to exercise, I lost 2 pounds. Hooray!

What sucks is that the best way for me to lose weight is to keep track of EVERY SINGLE THING I EAT. Otherwise I end up mindlessly munching on this or that. So it's food diary time for me!

When the Cat's Away, HE Gets to play?!

Yesterday was a pretty long day for me.

After spending the night at my sister's house in a room with my two boys (get much sleep? um.. no), I got up and crammed in as much digital scrapbooking as I could. That part was fun (or as much fun as it can be when there was one kindergartner, two toddlers, two babies and just two adults to take care of them all). I learned some really fun things and decided that I can actually DO this scrapbooking thing (Thanks, Sis.).

Then it was time to pack up and go home. Boo!

We got everything in the car and drove the two hours home. Both boys fell asleep in the car, so I had a moment alone with my splitting headache. Then we got home in time to scarf down dinner and run over to my neighbor's house so I could watch her two kids like I said I would.

When we got home after 9 p.m. (past bedtime!) I got to get the boys ready and in bed. I was exhausted! And I was missing my sweetheart.

So I called my dear hubby who has been away all week at his computer conference in Las Vegas so I could say goodnight to him. The phone call went something like this:

Me: Hi Honey!
Him: Hi!
Me: It sounds noisy, are you out on the Strip?
Him: No, tonight we are at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, remember?
Me: Oh right! As part of the conference entertainment, right?
Him: Yea. Guess what?! I got to ride in a race car on the track and go over 100 mph and I took some pictures of some of the really cool cars they have here. Like this really cool (insert some car name here) and a (pick another car).
Me: Wow. That sounds like I lot of fun. I wish I could be there.
Him: I know.
Me: Do I need to let you go?
Him: No. Right now I am just standing in line to play an eight player racing arcade game.
Me: That sounds like fun. It's nice that it's all included in your conference.
Him: Yea... and I got to eat as many hamburgers and (insert other delicious foods here) as I wanted to.
Me: Wow.
Him: Well it's really noisy and I can't hear you very well, so I guess I'll let you go.
Me: Ok.. I love you.
Him: Love you too, Bye!

After that I just about had to go lay down on my bed and cry.

It's not that I don't think he should have a good time (the nerve of that guy!). I am happy that he is having fun... I just want to be having fun WITH HIM. I want to go to Vegas without the kids and get to go out and play. *sigh*

Oh well. At least he is coming home tomorrow! Maybe he will bring me home something nice.

Guess I will shave my legs in the morning. I haven't bothered since he left. :o)

Don't Lay Down on the Job!

So not only has Eli decided that rolling around and trying to figure out how to crawl make really fun pastimes, he has apparently decided that he does not want to recline anymore... not if he has a choice.

The other day I went to lay him down in his bouncy seat, and this is what he did:

No thanks, Mommy!

I tried to lay him back, but he just stuck his little arms out to the sides and backwards. That little pill! Apparently he will grow up in spite of me! Oh well... at least he's cute.

Speaking of cute, check out Jonah:

For the longest time he has been dreadfully afraid of the lawn mower. I guess after we cured him of his fear of the vacuum he has decided that the lawn mower might be another one of those things that is "not scary, just noisy".

Friday when Honey Daddy was going to go mow the lawn, Jonah told me that he wanted to "help Daddy". So my wonderful honey let Jonah help when he got to the straight parts. I had to dash to get the camera and take some pictures. You should have seen the smile on Jonah's face when he decided he was done helping. It was so precious!

Isn't it nice when helping makes your children happy? I hope he doesn't grow out of that anytime soon.

I am participating in Wordful Wednesday.

I Was Alone, I Was All By Myself

Last night I slept alone... all alone! (can't you just hear the sad violin music?)

Honey Daddy is away this week at a computer conference in Las Vegas. He doesn't go very often and the University is paying for the trip... so I am glad that he gets to go.

On the other hand... he won't be home until FRIDAY! I miss him already. I don't sleep very well when he is gone. (We are cuddly sleepers, and now I can only spoon with his pillow and it's not the same... is that TMI? :o)

After spending the day with the boys it is nice to have Daddy come home from work. They are excited to see him and it gives me a break... and an adult to talk to. (Not to mention the fact that I am madly in love with the guy.)

Yesterday when Jonah woke up from his nap he said "Daddy not home yet?".

Sorry buddy. Daddy won't be home for a while. I have a feeling I am going to be answering that question a lot in the next couple of days. *sigh*

On the bright side, I decided to take a short trip and go visit my sister. She is going to give me a tutorial on digital scrapbooking! I won't have to feel guilty about all those beautiful pictures of the boys on my computer at home. Now when unsuspecting visitors come to my house I can pull out my scrapbooks and they will be trapped for hours! Mwuahaha!

What have I done for me lately?

The blogosphere (with the exception of yours truly) is abuzz with talk of children going back to school. There are tons of posts with adorable children in their brand new clothes heading off to school with backpacks full of pristine school supplies.

The reason you won't find any of that here is because my oldest is just two. So although "back to school" doesn't have the same meaning for me just yet, there is no denying that summer is over and fall is here.

In the spirit of back to school, Jen at Absolutely Bananas has suggested that this Monday we write about Back To Mom. Sometimes we get so caught up with doing things for our children that we forget to think about ourselves. In other words, what are you doing just for you?

So I spent some time this weekend thinking about the things that I do for myself. Here's what I came up with:


This blog is for ME. After giving birth to my second son, I felt like I needed a creative outlet. So that's why you are all stuck with me!

When the whim strikes I can jot down whatever want to, and I have been amazed that other people actually read what I write. I can talk about what is going on in my little world and I am amazed to find that other people care. It is nice to feel that sense of community. It helps me feel less isolated and insignificant... I realize I have more in common with other mothers than I sometimes think.


I am fortunate to have the ideal working situation, and I enjoy going to work. Two evenings a week I have the opportunity to work as a reference librarian at our local university. I used to work there full-time, but now I am the only part-time librarian they employ (I only work 8-10 hours a week).

I love my boys, but sometimes I need to spend time with other adults and use my brain. This way my husband gets one-on-one time with the kids and I can stay current in my field and make use of that Master's Degree that I worked so hard to get.


I have a new hobby and it actually involves exercise! (I know! I can't believe it either!)

Honey Daddy started commuting to work by bicycle and he enjoyed it so much that he wanted to participate in bicycle tours. I had wanted to find something we could both enjoy together, so I gave it a try.

I was surprised to find that I love cycling. HD and I went on our first tour a month ago, and I actually rode 42 miles! We are doing another tour (on my birthday!) later this month and my husband and I are planning to ride about 65 miles together on our second tour.

I love the way I feel after I go out riding (especially on the new bike HD got me!). Sometimes I have to get up very early to get a ride in before my husband leaves for work, but it's worth it. I feel wonderful and I am getting in great shape in the process!


Right now my boys still take naps in the afternoon, so I use that time for myself. It is tempting to get some extra housework done but I find that I am happier if I spend that hour and a half doing something I enjoy.

My sister has children that don't nap anymore, but she still has a "quiet hour" where the kids have to lay down and watch a movie while she does her own thing. Smart woman, huh?

Often I will blog during naptime, or I will spend the time reading a good book. If the mood strikes me I will work on making cards or work on my current sewing project. I treasure the time I set aside for myself. I think it keeps me sane and makes me a better mother and wife.

So there you have it. I try to get enough sleep, take my vitamins, and do these things for myself. I think my children will thank me for it later on... and my husband supports me fully. He knows that he's happier when I am happy.

So what do you do for YOU?

That's Mommy to you, Mister!

Please call me Mommy
Why are you calling me Mom?
I am not that old!

For some reason Jonah has started to call me Mom occasionally and every time he does I just cringe. It's kind of the same reaction I experience when I am called "Ma'am" in public. I just think... That's NOT my name! Don't call me that!

I definitely haven't ever referred to myself as Mom. I don't know about you, but for some reason I didn't expect him to start calling me that until he was.... I don't know, like 12! Not when he is just two.

I don't have a problem with being called Mom per se... I guess my real problem is that's what I call MY mom and she's WAY older than me! (you know I love you Mom!)

I don't think that I would particularly like being called Mother either... but then again, everyone probably has their own preference, right?

Maybe I should go call my Mom and see if she would rather I call her Mommy from now on! :o)

My first blog award!

They like me, they really like me!

Can you believe people actually enjoy all of my silly stories? Hooray! (it's probably the pictures of cute boys that drew them in!)

Thanks to Jennifer @ My Chaotic Peace, Vixen @ Vixen's Den, and Abby @ The Merry Meyers for nominating me for this award! I feel so loved! They all nominated me within the past week and it has taken me this long to get the award up (we're not sick anymore, wahoo!).

The rules of this award are:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person you recieved your award from
3. Nominate and link to at least 7 other blogs.
4. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you've nominated.

So here are some blogs that I have been enjoying lately:

Debbie @Suburb Sanity
Angie@ Seven Clown Circus
Maggie @ Maggie’s Mind
Shannon @ Following Our Bliss
The Laundress@ Dirty Laundry
Shana @ Utterances
Cathy @ The Clothesline

Also go check out this contest at the R Family Diaries to win an an Epson Picture Mate Portable Photo Printer. I want it so bad!

Noah's Corvette

This morning as I was getting dressed, Jonah was playing with a little red car in my bedroom. He rolled it over the heater vent, enjoying the bumpity-bump noise that it made.

Then he rolled it across the bench at the foot of our bed. He stopped the car and proceeded to open all the doors. Then in his high-pitched toddler voice he said:

"Come out children! Come out and see rainbow! Is sign of my love for you."

We have a Noah's Arc board book and I guess he listens more carefully than I thought.

Apparently Noah gave up the arc and decided to go with a little red sports car instead. Wonder where he put the elephants... in the trunk? (haha! I know, I'm SO lame.)

Six Months Old

My sweet little Eli-

Can you believe that we have been together six months already?

What is even more unbelievable to me is that a little over a year ago you weren't even part of our lives. Somehow, looking back, it seems as if you have always been part of our family. You belong with us. We love you.

We have grown to love you more and more with every passing day. When we first brought you home from the hospital you didn't do very much (but you were sure demanding!). So much has changed since then! You are our little Mr. Personality.

You are such a sweet boy. There is definitely a reason that your daddy calls you Mr. Wiggles & Giggles. You have always been a mover! When you were small and we put you in your bouncy seat you would kick your little legs and get yourself rocking. Now you have already figured out how to roll yourself all over the house. I never know where I will find you! You are even working on crawling and sitting up... I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. You are growing so fast!

I love that you are so cheerful and happy... I love to hear you laugh! Ever since you figured out how, you have been showing us your adorable dimpled smile. Soon you will have some teeth to go along with those dimples. That will be nice, especially since it will mean less waking up at night, diaper rash, irritability, and a little less stuffing everything in sight into your mouth!

Thank you for being so good-natured about enduring your big brother's attentions. He loves you and sometimes doesn't quite know how to show his excitement gently. I can already tell that the two of you are going to be best buds.

We love you buddy. We are looking forward to the milestones and moments to come.

I am participating in Wordful Wednesday.

Nursery Rhymes gone wrong

In the process of raising children, you rediscover nursery rhymes, songs and playground chants that you forgot long ago. I can't tell you how many times I end up singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", "Ring Around the Rosies", or "The Ants Go Marching" in a day.

If I sing one song, I am instantly inundated with requests for other songs my son is familiar with. The other day I caught Jonah sing "Rock-a-bye Baby" to Eli. It was the most precious thing I have ever seen!

Jonah is pretty good with things that rhyme. He can (mostly) recite "Jack be nimble" and "Humpty Dumpty" as well as some others. But sometimes it seems that these rhymes get lost in translation. Either that, or they get deliberately changed. For example, in the past week I taught my son this rhyme that I remember from playing on the playground:

Teeter totter, bread and water
Wash your face in dirty water.

Remember that one? Jonah thought it was hilarious. He has been reciting it over and over. Then he came up with his own version:

Teeter totter, bread and water
Wash your face and dirty french fries.

Then he giggles hysterically, like he has just told the funniest joke ever. What a nut! I don't know where he came up with the dirty french fries part!

Ok, gotta go. I have had to sing "the ants go marching" up to "six by six" while typing this and it is starting to make my brain hurt. Although it is amusing to watch Jonah march around the coffee table!

Spill Proof Sippy Cups and other Fairy Tales

Yesterday Honey Daddy had a meeting to attend before church. So it was up to me to get myself and both boys dressed and ready to go. Anyone who has children knows this is no simple task!

Within an hour and a half I managed to take Jonah to the potty, get everyone breakfast, take a shower, get out our Sunday clothes, get Jonah dressed, blow dry my hair, feed Eli, iron my skirt, get Eli dressed, curl my hair, pack the diaper bag, and get dressed myself. Honey Daddy came back in time to help get the boys shoes on and we headed out the door.

We put the boys in their car seats and I had the diaper bag on my lap as we drove over to the church. On the way there I noticed that my leg felt a little wet. When I looked down I saw an expanding spot of red juice on my khaki skirt. Oh No!

Apparently the Take 'N Toss cup that I had put in the outside pocket of the backpack we use for a diaper bag had somehow tipped over... and it wasn't as "spill proof" as they claim.

I felt like a complete idiot for putting red juice in there, but the cups aren't supposed to spill or drip, right? So we walk into the building, all the while I am covering my skirt up with the bag. I head for the ladies room as soon as we get there to try to get the stain out.

I end up hiding out in the mother's room, stripped down to just my slip while I frantically work on my skirt. I got the stain out, but was left with a wet spot bigger than my hand. So I am alternately trying to sponge out the water with paper towels and then flapping the skirt in the air to dry it. I probably looked like an idiot! Good thing no one was in there.

I returned to my seat just in time for the meeting to start. My husband informed me when I got there that Eli just spit up all over his suit. Nice.

What a great morning we were having. Then during the meeting Jonah needed to go potty. When I was in the restroom with him I noticed that there was a thumbprint-sized spot of red juice on the BACK of my skirt. What?! How did that get there?!

I didn't even bother to work on that spot because apparently I just can't win.

So now I am on a quest to find a sippy cup that DOES NOT SPILL. The Take N Toss ones are nice because they are cheap, but I need to find something that we can take with us in the car and when we are out and about that will not spill... on me, on the car, whatever.

Any ideas?

Bicycle Boy

Lately my husband and I have been riding our new bicycles fairly often. My husband has been commuting to work by bicycle and we have both been trying to train for our second bike tour, the Heber Valley Century on my birthday later this month.

Almost every time one of us goes out to ride our bike Jonah says, "My come too!". He wants to keep up with us SO badly. He hasn't even really figured out how to use the pedals on his tricycle. He just scoots himself along with his feet but that doesn't deter him in the least.

Jonah has already figured out from our example that to ride a bicycle you need a helmet. When we help him put on his little helmet I can't help but laugh... it just looks so HUGE on his little noggin. Safety first, right?

Under the Weather

Just when you think your children are finally free from sickness and your head congestion is clearing up... that is when you will get food poisoning.

Yesterday evening I lost my lunch, dinner, and everything else I ate that day. I felt much better afterwards. Then I got to spend the rest of the night waking up with my two-year-old after he puked all over himself and his bedding. It was tons of fun, let me tell you.

We are both feeling better today. Jonah seems to have bounced back a little quicker than me. I am exhausted and a little bummed that my sinus congestion seems to have returned. I don't know if it's allergies, or the cold that just won't die. Maybe I should go see the doctor, huh?

Thank heavens for friends who come bring you chicken soup, diet coke and companionship to cheer you up and make you feel better.

Show & Tell: Oh Brother!

I caught my boys playing together on the floor and coaxed them to hold still for a photo. Aren't they adorable?


Eli is almost six months old and already adores his older brother. He watches Jonah all the time, and no one can get Eli to laugh like he can.

Right now rolling is Eli's mode of transportation. I am never quite sure where he will be if I set him down and leave the room. This morning I found him halfway beneath his crib! Silly boy! Inevitably he will roll up against the coffee table or the wall and then cry out in protest... like "Who put that there?!".

Lately Jonah will come up to me at random times and say, "Mommy, I love you!". He is such a sweetheart and it is SO nice to hear him tell me that! He likes to cuddle and give hugs and kisses (when he kisses you he doesn't actually touch you. He gives "air kisses". It's cute).

It almost makes up for the independent streak he has developed lately.

I don't have a problem with Jonah wanting to do things by himself. I DO have a problem when he throws a fit because he wanted to do something that you already did... when he didn't TELL you that was what he wanted. Sheesh! So we are trying to teach him that you need to make your request BEFORE something happens... after all, Mommy is not a mind-reader.

Jonah used to refer to himself by name all the time. Now everything is Me, My or Mine. "My want to do it!" and "My want to help!" are now common phrases at our house. I am hoping that some of this is a phase and he'll grow out of it, right?

I am participating in Wordful Wednesday

Labor Day Rain Delay & September Snow??

We had some fun plans for Labor Day. Honey Daddy and I were going to ditch the boys and go on a long bike ride together by the lake. Doesn't that sound nice? Then maybe we would all go out to lunch together.

Too bad some plans don't make it past the reality check.

Yesterday it started to pour. We are talking thunder, lightening, and buckets of water. This morning when we woke up it was still overcast and the pavement was wet. So we decided it was not worth packing the kids and bikes up only to get drenched. *sigh*

We planned to swap babysitting with some friends, so we are still watching their girls late this afternoon so they can go to a movie... and wouldn't you know it, the weather is clearing up!

So instead of going on a bike ride together, my honey is on a ride right now and I will go when he gets home. I guess we'll try to go together again this weekend. The weather is supposed to get better.

Speaking of crazy weather, I talked to my mom today and she told me that it snowed in Star Valley, Wyoming this morning! Can you believe it? Snow in September!

My sister and her family went to visit my parents this weekend. They went boating on Saturday and then Monday they played in the snow! They got a little bit of everything!

The kids had to borrow hats and gloves from grandma's closet to go out and play in the snow.

Check out the cars and the boat coated with snow.

This is my favorite photo. Talk about clash of the seasons! Check out the kiddie pool full of water on green grass that was spared from the snow by the tree... not to mention the flowers in the foreground!


I hope that this is not foreshadowing the weather for this fall! We had such a short Spring, I hope that we get to have a nice, protracted Fall season.

So how was your Labor Day?