a star wars enthusiast

me: Danny, why do you love Darth Vader so much?

Danny: I don't. I wuv Wooka Die-wakuh so much!

(that's Luke Skywalker, of course)

Danny was sad about something one morning.

Jarrett said, "Don't worry, Danny. The Force is always with you."

Danny's favorite thing to say these days:

Daddy, let's play Star Wars!

a smoothie enthusiast

Dan bought me a new blender for Valentine's Day.
Romantic, huh?
It's actually what I wanted.
I made him do it.

Cate's the only one who has been enjoying the blender with me.
Danny took a sip of the first smoothie I made and said it was yucky.
Jarrett's had a few.
Kris isn't crazy about them.
But Cate will sip and sip until hers is gone
(and all over her shirt, her face and the table).

Danny probably thinks my smoothies are yucky because they're not loaded with sugar
(like those sticky sweet ones from Costco).
All the more for me and Cate.

Thanks to ZeFronk
(a cartoon dog with his own cooking show),
I have a new smoothie recipe.
I actually didn't have a recipe at all before.
I was just tossing stuff into the blender and giving it a whirl.

ZeFronk's Smoothie

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup strawberries
1 banana

Cate's happy.
I'm happy.
And even better,
a 36-year-old actually learned something from watching the Disney channel.

Who woulda thunk it?

yesterday and today

Yesterday

smiling
sliding
digging

running

climbing
riding

swinging

laughing
and
shooting hoops

a little taste of spring

Today

smiling
laughing
playing inside

windy
snowy
chilly

a big taste of winter

I prefer spring.
So do the kids.

brown sugar meatloaf

Meatloaf Monday is finally here!

This will be the one and only installment though.
I've found my favorite meatloaf.
Look how happy it makes my family.
There's no need to make any other.


You might feel the same way after reading the rave review I received.


"I am usually not a meatloaf fan,
but I've had some of yours and it isn't bad."


There you have it, folks.
It isn't bad.

And if you're going to bring dinner over to a friend's house,
remembering the comment that friend left on your blog

"Jim Bob* hates meatloaf.
Maybe one of your many recipes could convince him otherwise."

would be helpful in planning the menu.


Otherwise, your husband might take it upon himself to remind you of that comment
just as you're walking out the door to deliver the meal.
Then you'll feel like a fool the entire drive over to that friend's house.

But you know Jim Bob might forgive you because you also brought
a pan of your favorite cream cheese brownies.
Chocolate is always a good replacement for meatloaf anyway.
Who needs protein when you can have carbs?

So here's the recipe.
Just in case you like eating meatloaf that isn't bad.
Try it. You'll like it.


Brown Sugar Meatloaf

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup barbecue sauce**
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped***
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs****

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan.
Spread the barbecue sauce over the sugar.
Mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Shape into a loaf.
Place on top of the barbecue sauce.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour***** or until juices are clear.


And then,
if you're lucky,
your little girl will be so happy from eating all that yummy meatloaf
that she will entertain the entire family
by placing her carrots into her cup
one by one
and drinking that delicious carrot water.

What could be better?

* Names have been changed to protect the innocent non-meatloaf-loving people.

** The online recipe calls for ketchup. I hate ketchup though. It's for kids.

*** Or leave the onion out because onions are gross.

**** I use bread crumbs that I buy at the store.

***** I usually bake mine for 70 minutes in an 11x7 inch pan. That way there's more surface area for the yummy glaze that forms from the brown sugar and barbecue sauce.

And just for the record,
here's Jim Bob's comment after eating the meatloaf.

"I totally don't like meatloaf,
but I had some amazingness that I wouldn't even call meatloaf tonight...."

So there you have it.

Not bad
and
amazingness.


I totally agree.

our week in review

Cate

ate popcorn for breakfast one morning

puked at bedtime two nights in a row
(and I'm really not happy about it)

got her hair trimmed


spent some time with her beau on the way to playgroup
(she even tried to hold his hand)

discovered that she likes to eat scrambled eggs for breakfast
(no more popcorn)

said "no" for the first time ever

Danny

tried so hard to get into the conversation with the big kids
(on the walk to playgroup)

had an appointment with the dentist
(no cavities)


had an appointment with the ENT because of the hole in his eardrum
(come back in 6 months to see if it's healed, be careful swimming this summer)

got his hair trimmed

missed his nap two days in a row because of the previously mentioned appointments
(and went to bed before 7:30 on those nights...woo hoo!)

figured out how to do a modified "Rock On" sign with his fingers
(and he was so proud of himself)

Dan

had an appointment with the dentist
(who happens to be his first mission companion...here they are 20 years ago)

ironed some shirts

only went to school on Tuesday and Wednesday
(thanks to President's Day and a conference in Salt Lake)


used Cate to do his bench presses
(or whatever it is you call those)

Me

exercised on the elliptical machine next to someone who burned 1,003 calories in 45 minutes
(1,003 calories!)

plugged in the scanner
(and learned how to use it)

ate some chocolate
(and I blame Candis for it)

spent too much time going to appointments

was happy to find out that Grama Bama has no plans to go to the hospital again any time soon

made quiche for the first time ever
(apparently one pound of bacon in a quiche is a bit much...who knew?)

the language explosion

When Danny was around 18 months old, his Uncle Tim informed me that my son was entering into the phase of a language explosion. He'd be learning to say lots of new words. And that's what happened.

Cate has experienced a small explosion lately and it's quite fun to see (and hear). I've been trying to teach her to say please in sign language. That's why she's rubbing her tummy when she attempts to say it. She's already got the sign for "more" down pat.

Enjoy.

called to serve

4-month-old Andrew and his Uncle Dan
(the day Dan returned home from his mission)


Danny was playing in his bedroom this afternoon.
I heard him saying, "Going on a mission!"
over and over and over again.

I went into his room and asked him what he was saying.
He said it again.
"Going on a mission!"

You'd think he was playing with little plastic missionary action figures, right?
Not so.
He was playing with two little pirates, making them say
"Going on a mission!"
to each other.

I'm not sure why he was saying those words today.
I've talked to him about going on a mission before, but not recently.
Maybe he overheard us chatting with the family this weekend
about waiting for his cousin's mission call.

Well, tonight we found out where Cousin Andrew will be going on his mission.
He's been called to serve in the Illinois Peoria Mission.
I'll tell Danny in the morning.
He was already asleep when we heard the news.

Today's been a big day for this family.
Cousin Andrew received his mission call
and Danny was asleep before 7:30.


Congratulations, Andrew!

Maybe we'll come visit.
Peoria is the world headquarters of Caterpillar, Inc.
My little boy loves heavy machinery.
And he loves you, too.

angie's hair care and daycare

I got my hair did on Friday morning.

I brought over my two darlings to play while my grays were being washed away.
Kathy dropped off her little sweetie and my delightful nephew after preschool.
Candis brought over her two angels a few minutes later.

I wasn't sure if Angie was running a hair salon or a daycare.

Either way, my hair now looks fabulous!

(if I do say so myself)

in my heart

I gave Danny a piece of candy with a heart on it.
He noticed the heart and asked why it was there.
I told him it's because I love him.
He said, "Oh, it has a heart be-duz you are in my heart!"

I was touched by his insightful comment.
Then I remembered a song from one of his favorite t.v. channels.
The lady sings, "When you're in my heart, you're in my family."
I'm pretty sure that's where he got it from.
It was sweet to hear anyway.


Happy Valentine's Day

when you're 78

The picture: January 2008, in my dining room
The conversation: yesterday, in my truck


Kris: Danny, you can't marry a boy.

Danny: no comment...probably wondering why Kris is talking about that

Kris: When you're 78 you'll know you can't marry a boy.

Jarrett: Kris, when he's 78 he'll be married. He'll know when he's 12.

Kris: Oh.


Then there's me trying really hard to not laugh out loud,
and Cate wishing she could eat those M&M's someone dropped on the floor.

thirteenth anniversary of a first

Alternate titles for this post:

How to Make Sure You Have a Date for Valentine's Day

Who Kisses a Girl for the First Time Just Three Days Before Valentine's Day?

Transform your Friend/Hang-out Buddy/Jogging Partner into your Valentine with Just One Kiss

Thirteen years
{and many kisses}
later

and now I have

this...

and this...

and best of all

this.

photos by Candis

easy valentine's petits fours

Look what I made. Cute, huh?

My children actually left me alone this morning long enough to make them.

You can make some too if you want.
Just go here for a good explanation and way better pictures.

{or come to cooking group tonight if you're in the neighborhood}

Fondant makes adorable little roses...almost good enough to eat.
{except I won't because it tastes like yuck}

facebook funnies

I've been keeping track of a few things that have come across my facebook page that have made me chuckle over the past few weeks. I'll start with this little gem (swiped from Judy's facebook page...glad she has a scanner that works and that I can swipe her pictures). This photo of me (with a hideous haircut) looks a lot like my little Danny. Hopefully, he'll never have a haircut as bad as mine.

Then there's this comment I received about a few pictures of my mother back in the olden days:

Okay, freaky pictures of your mom! The one with the helmet hair totally looks like Judy in a wig,

but the next one in the short skirt made Kevin say, "That's Cathy's face on someone's body!"

What are you saying, Kevin? That I don't look like I'm 5' 2'' and 90 pounds? I'm hurt. It's kind of freaky to look at an old picture of my mother and see myself staring back at me.



I love this picture of my sisters and me. I don't love the fact that I pretty much look like that still...long brown hair, chubby cheeks, no fashion sense. At least now my teeth are straighter. Jenny's shirt gave me a good laugh though. She's always been a fashion maven.



How could I not chuckle at my fourth grade self in this picture? Growing out bangs is such a pain. I've never been able to pull it off gracefully. Good thing I had that big pink barrette to hold some of them in place. I love that I tucked my striped Izod shirt into my red Dockers. Lovely. I'm pretty sure this is the year my second chin started to make its appearance. It's still with me.



Such a cute picture of Judy with her suckie (that silky rag thing she used when she sucked her thumb). My parents still have those very same couches (with different upholstery now) twenty-five-ish years later. I love that the original wood carving of a bear holding a dead deer is being displayed so proudly too. It made me chuckle to see that again. I wonder who gets it in my parents' will.


I swiped this picture from another friend's photo album. It was taken on July 4, 1993. My friends and I had staked out a prime parade viewing spot in the wee hours of the morning. Can you find me? What made me chuckle about this picture (aside from my stylish white leggings under plaid shorts) is the girl in front with the red sweatshirt around her middle. Is it just me or does she look like she's in some kind of ready-to-give-birth pose with a very big smile on her face?


One last picture. Christmas morning, 1997. Just moments after becoming Dan's fiancee (that's the correct spelling for a woman who is engaged...I just don't know how to put an accent over the first e). I must laugh at myself. Are those Dan's pajamas I'm wearing? They don't look very feminine. A hat? Gloves? I'm surprised he went ahead and gave me the ring after seeing me like that. What a guy.


A few status updates had me laughing too. Here's my favorite:

my friend's status: If you and I woke up in jail together...using only FOUR words...what would you say to me? Copy and paste this in your status and see what funny things your friends say....(And if you make a comment, you gotta put this in your status. Fair is fair.)

her friend's comment: S%$T! {I changed the spelling to avoid using curse words. The friend actually wrote the real thing.}

my friend's comment: that is four letters...not four words!

her friend: LOL ... guess I didn't read it all the way.


And last but not least...


Women are angels, and when someone breaks our wings we simply continue to fly on a broomstick. We are flexible like that.

Facebook might be a complete waste of time, but some of that time it's good for a laugh.

gymnastics and other stuff

Today was Danny's first gymnastics class.
I took this picture before it started.
This was his only smile during the whole class.

He sat on his knees on that piece of green carpet.
He watched the other kids
(8 boys and 6 girls...because I know Dan will ask).
He watched the teacher do warm-up exercises.
He just sat and watched.
No participation.
Just sitting and watching.

He didn't scoot into the center of the mat with the other kids.
He just sat on his knees on the little piece of carpet.
One of the teachers came over to bring him into the group.
He walked over with her
(with his head hung down and his shoulders slumped over).

Then everyone stood up to be divided amongst the teachers (there's 3 of them).
I watched as kid after kid after kid was chosen and placed with a teacher.
Danny watched too.
All the way until the end of the choosing.
He was the very last kid to be assigned a teacher.
I felt really really badly for him.
Being chosen last sucks.
Hopefully he doesn't know that yet.

He walked on the balance beam and jumped off some big square blocks.
He did a lot of sitting and waiting for his turn.
His teacher helped him swing on the bars.
He waited some more.

Then he'd had enough.
The teacher got my attention and said he wanted me.
He was done.
He just wanted to go home.
Bribing him with a donut didn't even work.
We'll try again next week.
Good thing I only paid for a month.


On to the other stuff...

Danny and Cate took a bath this week.
Great news, right?

I took pictures this time because they were actually playing together and being nice to each other.

Cate got stuck in her baby doll stroller.
I was in the kitchen when I heard her whimpering.
I told Danny to knock it off and stop hurting her.
He said he wasn't.
I didn't believe him.
I heard more whimpering, mixed in with a little crying.
I told him to leave her alone again.
He said he wasn't doing anything.
I went into the front room and saw this.
I took a picture before I helped her out because that's the kind of mom I am.

This is what Cate does when we go outside to get into the truck.
She takes off running down the sidewalk.
I don't like it when she does that.
She's fast.

And she's cute.

the words right out of my mouth

You guys, don't step on Cate!

{after I heard Kris say, "If you step on her with just one foot it won't hurt."}


Cate, we don't eat glue.

{after I saw Cate attempting to make a glue stick part of her mid-morning snack}


How are you going to go pee with your roller blades on?

{after Kris refused to take his roller blades off to go to the bathroom}


You're not Hansel and Gretel.

{after I saw Danny walking around dropping fishy crackers on the carpet for Cate to pick up}


Why did you pee on the chair?

{after I saw Danny bottomless on the chair in his room, sitting next to a big wet spot}

He had woken up way too early this morning. I ignored him, hoping he'd just play with toys until the sun came up. I was busy savoring a few more minutes in my warm cozy bed. Serves me right. He needed to pee. I guess it made perfect sense to him to remove his night time pull-up and just pee on the chair.

Tomorrow I'm going to just keep my mouth shut.

baby rusty is one

Remember baby Rusty?

He's one year old today.

Happy birthday, Rusty!

And here's Cate's reaction one year ago today

when I told her she had a new baby cousin.

I think she just wanted to lick him.

It makes sense because he is very sweet.