To you, I confess, because I keep it real...

I just... well I ... there I was.... (how should I start this?)

I put on the nice black pants. I put on the a little too low top (for the Mormon woman, nothing swanky). I put on perfume. I put on make up even though my eye has been acting up - is it episcleritis or allergies? (If you think I made that epi word up, look it up. It's an auto-immune disease of the eye and I have it for real.) I was about to go put on the shoes to go with the outfit when I flipped my hair over my shoulder* and glanced in the mirror as I walked away. I had to step back and look again because I could of sworn that I had two different earrings in.

"No I don't" I shouted inside my head. "I very deliberately picked the leafy silver ones."

But oh yes, oh yes I did have two different earrings in!!! One silver hoop and the other the leafy silver one! What is my world coming to??? I could have gone out on Friday night in the Friday night outfit with two different earrings in!

Would anyone have told me?

Maybe I should go for it just to see. Naw.

* The place I put the astrix up there above. Why did I do that? Because when I first typed it I typed... "I was about to go put on the shoes to go with the outfit when I flipped my head over my shoulder." That would be something huh? Flipping my head over my shoulder?

What do you get when. . . ?

What do you get when it's Friday afternoon, no one has napped, they've been playing video games or watching movies all afternoon after a "no media" week, Mom's on the phone and everyone - all three of them - start screaming at each other repeatedly so Mom sends them to different couches?



Exhibit One - sleeping Liam. He is having a hard time right now because he has allergies, and even though I give him the "non-drowsy" stuff he still gets tired and ornery late in the afternoon everyday. Notice the true to character long pants, long sleeve shirt and socks, all of which have been worn three or more days.

Exhibit Two - Sleeping Hewy. Most of the screaming was a "uh-huh" and "nuh-uh" argument between Liam and Hewy and that resulted in an upset- therefore screaming Noble - for Liam to stop arguing with a two year old. Why does Hewy have bread? The whole loaf? In the Quiet room? (That sounds like it should be a solution in the game Clue - Hewy in the Quiet room with a loaf a bread! Only, I don't know the crime or answer!) Was he tired from his no nap and hungry and I just didn't notice? Or offer? Was the screaming all because he needed help to open the bread?

In the picture below notice my youngest angel's mouth. While I was on the phone he came in the study and said, "Mom, see my lips, I paint them blue." Oh, how I am loving his increased vocabulary! That was all that I could think or say. And then as he left the room he made a pucker and smooched the air. Every mother should be so lucky.


Exhibit Three - no picture. Where was Noble? He had been sent to the family room couch and while I was still on the phone he came in and asked if he could go play video games. I wrinkled my nose and shook my head no, to which he "tween pouted" but left the room without slamming the door - which he has been known to do from time to time. He gets that from me, and well - I get it from someone too. We worked it out after a few more minutes. I went to look for him. He explained what the fighting was about. He asked again if he could play video games, nicely. I agreed. As he walked out the door I said calmly and politely - "asking me while I am on the phone..." and he finished for me, "not such a good idea, thanks Mom."

Oh, how I love this growing up tween.

Today's lunch

It's Friday.
That means kicked back relaxed afternoon chatting with a few friends.

Here was today's lunch.
This is the left overs. I didn't take a picture of it all pretty on the platter - we were all salivating at that point.




First it is important to know that I use recipes the same way that Pirates use Pirate Code, they are guidelines, not restrictions that have to be followed to a T. So everything below in parenthesis, is what I did that was not in the recipe

Lemon Linguine with Crispy Prosciutto (I used bacon)

1 pound linguine, boiled according to directions
1/3 cup olive oil (I didn't measure and I am certain I didn't use that much)
1/3 cup minced shallots or onion (I used 1/2 of medium onion)
(1 small yellow zucchini sliced into half moons)
1 Tbs grated lemon zest
1Tbs garlic, minced (I used 3 large cloves)
4 oz Prosciutto (I used bacon (cooked) because I couldn't find prosciutto and I didn't have time to go to a second store)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (I used a 1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper (I didn't measure)
4 cups loosely packed baby spinach
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
For garnish - Parmigiano-Reggiano, sliced

(The time it took me to boil the water, was the same time it took to chop the veggies. The time it took to boil the pasta was the time it took to cook the veggies.)

Heat oil in a large skillet and saute all veggies, except spinach. Add lemon zest when veggies are tender. If using prosciutto add now and cook until crisp. If using cooked bacon, crumble in now. Remove from heat. Top with lemon juice. Stir in spinach. Place drained hot pasta on platter or large bowl. Toss with yummy lemon veggie mixture. Top with pine nuts. Garnish with shaved/sliced Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. (Use a carrot peeler to slice off of a brick of cheese)

All in all - I started this dish at 12:30 and my first friend knocked on the door at 12:56. She saw me assemble it on the platter. So really, in real time, really, this is a thirty minute meal from start to table.

serves: recipe says 6

(I fed 4 ladies, 3 kids - and you see the lefotovers)

helping hands

!!!WARNING!!!
fine print ahead

These pictures were snatched from a fellow blogger's blog - which I don't know if that's legal in blog land, but she is a friend and these are my parents so I think I have rights here. I just didn't want y'all participating in possible unlawful viewing of pictures in blog land.
Therefore I feel legally obligated to not only link to her blog here but to tell you in the finest print possible.


Most of you know, but in case you are new here, these are my parents.
Pat and Dick Simpson

Allow me to explain why they are in hair nets. It's free labor, only this isn't child labor, it's grandparent labor. I was too busy, yes really and no I was not at home on the couch eating chocolate and reading the Twilight series. Really. I was grocery shopping and homeschooling, and doctor appointmenting, and doing the dishes and and and... okay maybe I did eat chocolate. I was too busy to attend the cannery volunteer appointment that So Sweet Sarah had arranged. So I sent my parents. Aren't they wonderful!? I know, I know, I get told all the time how utterly spoiled I am to have them. And you are right. Utterly. Spoiled. But not rotten, I prefer spoiled precious.

Thanks to their kind service my food storage is stronger and ya know... we will just have to go together another time. Thank you Mom and Dad. Thanks for your time. Thanks for your service. Thanks for your spoiling me.

in case you didn't know...

Today while I was at the local pick up everything you don't need and then some super store I bought a pack of combs because the boys lose them like water down the drain.

When I got home I saw this icon on the package. In case you don't know what a comb does.

I only wish they worked that kind of magic on my hair. Combs alone do not give me sleek, smooth precision hair.

Make it Monday

i am sure you have heard me say or read somewhere that I wrote it here that I have given up all hobbies for 3-5 years. (well we are down to 2-4 years now). but sometimes I just get a craving, an itch, a hankerin' to play with paper again. it all started the first week we met for our RS presidency meeting at Lacy's house. she has this tin star on the wall that has different patterns in the metal and all-the-while I'm trying to conduct the meeting, in my head I am paper piecing this star out in my head. cut here. fold there. glue this. match that. so I knew I needed a project to fix this addict's hunger so I could get back to work. homeschool. relieving society. homemaking. all the feelings of a tender parent-ing. sleeping. blog stalking. ya know, my basics.

Saturday I took a run to Scrapbook 911 - appropriately named for this kind of paper emergency, with this project in mind. why this project? I don't know. one of 93,007 rumbling around in my head and today was it's lucky day.


so, what are they you ask?

they are post-it note holders!
to toss in your bag, purse, church binder, car.

imagine the look on the other mom's faces at playgroup when you whip one of these out to write that easy Grape Truffle recipe on!

Hewy's fave chore!!!

Hewy loves to unload the silverware from the dishwasher. He delights in this work. How do I capture that and bottle it and keep him loving jobs forever?

I especially like today when he said, "Mom where this goes?" And held up a big spoon - in the past he has just put all the spoons together, but today he recognized that this spoon was different than the others. Wahoo! He's learning.

Cookies!

Our Stake and Ward received a call to help in post-Ike-Houston this past weekend. They had asked for men, chain saws, front loading tractors, face masks and rubber boots. But as the "Relief" Society, what were we to do - it is our job to Relieve Society, right?

So this is what we did.



Cookies. Cookies. Cookies.
Lots and lots and lots
of cookies!!!

1,000+ in fact.

I am so proud of my Sisters for stepping up and helping out the way they did. 1,000 cookies! We boxed them up and sent them with the men. I didn't care what they did with them after that. Shared them, left them at shelters or the Stake Center there. Just home baked loved from those of us that couldn't be there.

By this shall men know...

What color are you?

Saw this time waster on How About Orange.

Quick and fun you can see what "color" you are based on your birth month and then a quick synopsis of "who you are" based on the day you were born. Click here to try it yourself.

As for me...
My Colorstrology color is Wedgewood (kinda blue/purple/periwinkle
and means: Creative, Youthful, Efficient
"You have enormous creativity and an eye for detail. Highly principled, you are a good person that takes yourself and behaviour seriously. You love to learn and acquire information. You are constantly analyzing and assimilating the psychological aspects of life. You can be hard on yourself and need to be surrounded by people who remind you of your greatness and caring nature. Your personal color resonates with peace and love. Wearing meditating or surrounding yourself with Wedgewood calms your nerves and lightens your spirit.

So what do you think? is it close, right on, not at all the DJo you know?

Five random facts about me, tag

Five Random Facts About Me

1. I am 33 years old and am 60% grey. Yes, I do hide it well, thank you.
2. I lose car keys. Some of you know this for a fact yourselves.
3. Spell check was invented for me - because I can't spell to save my life.
4. I've never been in a car accident.
5. I can quiver my chin and Alec claims he cannot say no to that face. Oh the power.

okay, if you do tags, tag your it.

what happens at your house when...

What happens at your house when you have several friends over for some casual chitchat and light nibbles?

I have decided to have a few friends over on Fridays to cure my lack of adult-female-conversations. Is it true that women need to speak 2,000 more words a day than men? Anyway...

Today I had friends over - maybe too many as I am not sure I got to talk to everyone. But this is a work in progress. A goal for self. And if you live in San Antonio or will be in the area on a Friday and you too need or want conversation let me know I'll have you over too.

I am sure there are things that happened that I am unaware of because I can't even really remember who was here - let alone keep track of everyone and everything.

1. Young William (not my William, but a Sarah's William) came in from outside drenched from head to toe. He was washing his hands. And then Noble brought him a pink towel because we are such a girly family we have pink towels? We have one pink towel in the whole house - MY (the only female) beach towel. And this is the towel he brings dripping William?
2. A decorative plate fell from it's display and a piece broke off. Nathan, the boy that had simply walked past it, not bumped or shaken it was sad, so sad. So we fixed it together while I reassured him he is more important than a plate.
3. Ben was slimed. By who or what we don't know. It wasn't a little slime either, it was a good bit of drippy-clear-snot-consistency slime. Kind of like a giant Great Dane might do if offered a steak. He got a quick bath in the sink. (Ben doesn't talk and none of the other kids were willing to talk for him either.)
4. I know that I put 45 chicken nuggets in the oven, and I know that Noble took them out when the timer went off. But I never saw them again. I thought I had fixed more than enough seeings how almost everyone was under 5 (other than Noble and my William) I wonder if I am going to find them between the couch cushions and in random drawers. Or did the kids really eat them all? Does anyone know how many kids were here? I get eight when I count, plus the two non-chicken-nugget-eating-babies. Did Ben even eat one or did he just vacuum my floors as he army crawled?
5. I am also collecting cookies to send to Houston with "our men" to help clean Houston up. (I'll post on that later) and so I had random women from church stopping by with cookies. I should have thought that through better. I am sure some were wondering why they weren't invited to my little party and also having 20+ bags of cookies laying around that are "untouchable" is not so good for kids!
6. The after Enrichment talk was delightful. That's all I am saying.
7. I love that I have this kind of house. Love it.

Things break and it's okay. Kids run in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out and leave the door open each and every time and it's all good. Kids get soaked from nose to toes and don't freak out - he'll dry. Slime from the mysterious and imaginary dog that lurks around.

Today is one of those days that you sit back and say, okay, all the chaos, all the craziness, all the effort, energy, sweat and tears that go into my demanding, rowdy, hectic life is really kind of fun and rewarding in it's own out of the ordinary way.

Now if I can just remember that when it really matters.

The jokes on who?*

Last night as I sat on the green couch in the family room watching America's Got Talent Top Ten with my laptop on top of my lap creating the outline for my RS presidency meeting today Hewy came and stood in front of me and said:

"On your mark, get set, ch-garble-n!" And started to run, stopped, looked at me, said "You say it," backed up and got ready again...

So I said: "On your mark, get set, Go!" And he didn't run, but gave me a look like - did you not hear me?

"No 'go' - chicken!"

"Chicken?"

He gave an affirmative nod and got ready again.

"On your mark, get set, Chicken!" I said and and he was off and running and had a mile wide grin on his face as he completed the lap around the couch.

"Again!"

"On your mark, get set, Chicken!" I said

Only to be met with another stand still and an exasperated face - how could I possibly be a 33 year old mommy and not know how this game went?

"No, waffle!"

"Oh, waffle. Okay. On your mark, get set, waffle!" And he was off for another lap around the couch.

And then he was done, he didn't want to play anymore.


*This is funny because earlier in the day I had heard Liam play a "trick" on Hewy. "On your mark, get set, Chicken!" And then he would laugh and say "I didn't say go Hewy, I said, CHICKEN." And then he did the "trick" again with waffle. Ironically, Hewy too young to understand that this was a joke - thought they had created a new game.

love two year olds.

You learn something new everyday...

I remembered this from a few days ago today while in the shower.

A few days ago Liam was sitting on the floor near me and I had my Capri dressed legs propped up on the table in front of me. By chance Liam brushed against my legs and something caught his attention. He looked at me to see if I was watching him - so I pretended not to be using my Mommy peripheral vision.

He tried to seem nonchalant and brushed his fingers over my leg. He got a look on his face that said, interesting. And then he did it again. This time his face was perplexed-curious-and-what-was-that-other-look-oh-yeah-disgust.

"Mom, your legs have whiskers." A statement.
not a half breath later. . . perhaps even the same sentence. . .
"your legs have whiskers!" An exclamation
another half breath. . .
"your legs have whiskers?" A question

Having never really thought of it as whiskers I said. . .
"Yep."

"But, whyyyyyyyy?" It seemed his universe might crash all because my legs had whiskers.

I then tried to explain, society, preference, feeling, texture. Daddy legs, boys legs - Mommy legs. I made sure that he understood that shaving my legs is right up there with Dishes and laundry on my least favorite things to do with my time list and that why I had whiskers, pricklies, stubble.

He seemed balanced somewhere between intrigued and horrified.

My Husband Left Me!

I just laugh when I say that... ha ha ha

Alec is outta town for the week. I don't like it. Not one bit. So what have I learned?
1) I am much more comfortable at home at night when he is here.
2) That I allofasudden forget I am a small town girl that doesn't lock much of anything ever and I become a lock freak- doors, windows, cars, what else can I lock?
3) That Godiva Chocolates do make me feel better - and make me a nice mother. (Good foresight my Love)
4) I had to have the phone right next to me all night long, in case I needed to call 911 or Alec called to say his hotel was on fire.
5) That I made sure the golf club that is next to Alec's side of the bed for protective purposes was really there in case I needed it.
6) I must be able to detect heartbeats because once Hewy crawled into bed with me at 4 a.m. this morning I slept more soundly than I did all night long.
7) That I am grateful to be in the cell phone generation - I tried not to have a heart attack when I couldn't get a hold of Alec but was grateful once I did. Oh, you were on an airplane, that's why it went straight to voicemail.
8) That "Twix-t" still makes me swoon just as much as it did 15 years ago.*

Come home my Love, come home.
Pick me, choose me, love me! - she says in her best Meredeth Grey whine

*While Alec and I were dating he secretly left a Twix candy bar (a favorite of mine and his) on my pillow with a poem:

May there little distance be

Twix-t you and me

throughout eternity

And last night as I went to bed - I found a Twix on my pillow!

More Cartoon Fun

The boys wanted to make their own cartoon people. We had fun working on it together - what they thought they look like and what mom thinks they look like - weren't always the same. But these are what we came up.

Noble

Hewy

Liam

Cartoon Me!

Did you know that you can create a cartoon you online? Well, I guess you can do just about anything online these days.
So what do you think? Me, or not so me?

Wanna try it?

Go here

log on

See over there on the side bar??? You can now be a follower. I hope you all let me know you're watching me. How many followers do I have?

All Smiles!!!

This week was the boys 6 month check up at the dentist. Wa-double-hoo!!! This may have been our first family visit that everyone came away with NO CAVITIES! With three boys, that is just music to a mothers heart and soul.


Apparently how fast you grow determines how quickly your teeth fall out... Liam has four loose molars! He is not even 8! All the permanent teeth that are growing and have come in look great! No more odd-ball baby teeth from the cleft palate. Just a regular ol' kid.

Noble is also growing fast and loosing teeth more quickly than the dentist would like.. but they are all healthy teeth! Braces are in his future!

And for the second check up in a row Hewy stole the show. He jumped right into the chair, let the hygienist clean his teeth, floss, brush, poke around. He was super for the dentist and had everyone singing his praises by time we left.

Nine Eleven

In honor of Nine Eleven.



When we first picked our lot that the house would be built on they told us our house number would be Nine Eleven, or Nine One One. Yikes. The thought crossed my mind that we should pick a different lot! But so much thought and effort and consideration had already gone into picking it that I decided I could live with it. We could live it.
We get a lot of comments about it. Some people think it's funny that the Relief Society President's house number is 9-1-1. But now, three years later, I have kind of grown attached to our number and the fact that it is associated with a very important time in our lives and for our country.
So today, September 11, 2008, when it was time for the pledge of allegiance, we went outside, posted the flag, talked about "Nine Eleven" and had the pledge outside.

Witte Museum

What? I never blogged this?
I thought I had.
Best intentions... whatever!

This was a fun filled, educational packed, adventure of a Mommy-and-me get together!!! Why the extra enthusiasm? Trying to make up for not posting it earlier.
This was a couple weeks ago, okay - maybe three or more.

Politeness aside, Andrea agreed to move with her husband and kids when they got transferred. Rude! But I won't dwell on the fact that she put her family before me, cooking classes, the Sonterra RS or even, Sarah. (For those that don't know that I am (mostly) joking, (ahem) "May I have your attention here, I am kidding, joking, a good ol' rib rubbin' here. Please don't flood the comment box with comments about my rudeness. Thank you.")

So before the cruise I had agreed, well-begged, Andrea to let me help with her kids on the pack up day. In my post cruise hang-over that was the same day as the Mommy-and-me day trip to the Witte Museum. Being one of the best friends ever and the calmest mother-to-my-friends kids (not my own mind you) that I know, I suggested I take her kids with us to the Witte. (said "Whit-ie" for you non San Antonioans)


So what did I learn?
1) that my three plus her three equals six.
2) that keeping track of six kids is insane.
3) even with the buddy system.
4) even when half the other people at the Witte are your friends with their kids.
5) that the only one that doesn't look related is Liam. People thought they were all mine - including someone from the Mommy and me group that said "Dixie you have six kids?"
6) that girls are far more emotional than boys.
7) that Andrea is far more capable of mothering girls than I am.
8) that kids as young as 9 have sworn off McDonald's.
9) that good friends will do just about anything for you.
10) that I would do it all again.

But only if you move back Andrea. :) just kidding, drop 'em by anytime.

Haircut

I am glad that Hewy is still too young to care that I cut his hair. Because I butchered it. I can't decide if it was worse to have it hanging in his eyes or this... the way it looks now. It didn't help matters that it had been bugging me for days when I decided to trim him up right before church on Sunday. Me, hurrying to cut hair - is never a good idea!


Cute little mister though.

first day of school

What do your first day of school pictures look like?



Liam loves this picture, which I think is funnier than the picture itself. We'll see what he thinks of it in the coming years.

One of the best parts of homeschool is that you "can" wear your PJ's to school - but it's funny that he changed out of the PJ's he wore to bed just to wear these to school.

This was Liam's choice of outfit for the day.
Nuf' said.

14 Years

September 2 was our 14 year anniversary.
14 years! When did that happen?


14 things I have learned in 14 years with My Love
1. He does not like chocolate (how did I miss that while dating?)
2. We are opposites when it comes to sleep patterns, he is a morning person, I am a night owl. (except when he is reading the Twilight books - he stays up later than me)
3. He is naturally more patient, tolerant and adaptable than I am.
4. He likes to travel. A lot. And not just to the next town - the next state or across the ocean.
5. "What if" is a game that can go on for hours, even weeks - whatamIsaying, it lasts the whole college football season.
6. That 68 is four under par. Usually.
7. Having not known a stitch about college football 14 years ago...I can name more than five college football coaches by team - probably more, I just don't want to make it seem like I know too much.
8. I understand what 10-Q means or at least I understand it means he is busy at work.
9. That if you mow the lawn in a crisscross pattern it looks like a checkerboard. This is important.
10. There is never one choice, there are always, always, options.
11. That an only child can find her place in a family of six kids plus siblings plus nieces and nephews et al.
12. Google races. There is no reason why we can't know an answer.
13. That "love" means nothing to a tennis player.
14. That I am the most important person in his life.

Holes Happen

That's just the way it is. "Holes happen." That is what the personal chef who was teaching the cooking class I attended last week said. Just that simply. Holes Happen. She was cutting a pork loin into a filet that could be stuffed and rolled to yumminess - but she cut a little to far. Holes Happen. Just as matter-of-factly as could be and she moved on.

Why is this worth blogging? Well, it was funnier there in person with her Russian accent for one. But in addition to that, now looking back and pondering - the simplicity. She didn't cuss. She didn't throw the meat away. She didn't weep. Holes happen. It think it's my new motto even when there are no literal holes. Holes Happen.

Breakfast Cereal spills.
Markers colored on body parts
Broken dishes
Stains on carpet
Chocolate milk spills
Sippies leak
Black dresses show children messy face marks
Nylons run
Cowlicks
Laundry left in the washer too long so it smells bad
Ice cream left on the counter to melt
Gas tank on empty when I'm running late
Missed appointments
Nike shirts on dates
Weeds in the lawn
Someone stole our garbage can
Neighbors have all night party
The DVD skips
Out of paper for the printer
The dryer ate one of every sock pair we own
etc.

Holes Happen.

Hewy kind of days

Just a sampling of what it's like to have a Hewy.


Has anyone seen Hewy? Is he with you boys? I can't find him. Hmmm. Panic starts to hit - did he get outside, is he in the drier (don't ask - but experience!), could he possibly be playing by himself somewhere (unheard of for my youngest child). Okay, when was the last time I saw him? we had just got home from swimming, I had just handed him a Granola Bar because he was hungry, the phone rang - that was 45 minutes ago.
Oh wait, here he is. Asleep in his wet swimsuit (now dry) curled up on the quiet room floor. Poor neglected child. The half eaten granola bar was there on the couch and I remember that I had heard a thump and him kinda whine about ten minutes earlier. I wonder if he fell asleep standing up leaning on the couch and then fell over? (and just to clarify, that is toy-plastic-food on the floor not real food.)

Hewy has been obsessed with Disney Pirate Tattoos since our cruise. It's a good thing they gave us several packages on the ship. We are about half way through our stash though... then what? We apply one every other day or so. Goofy, Donald, Mickey and Minnie.

And here we go - the blackmail pictures for his teenage years.
By our third child we think we have this potty training thing figured out - make it their idea. We started with the little potty - he likes to sit on it, but no action yet. That's okay, our hopes are by his fourth birthday and right now he is still two. So this weekend I bought new unders with characters that I knew he would go ga-ga for. Just how Ga-ga was a surprise.
He wanted to put them all on! All on. Over his jammies - it was Saturday so he got to stay in jammies all day, what am I saying, he's two, he can stay in his jammies whenever he wants. But he didn't stop there. He insisted that he wanted one on his head.

Okay, let me re-gain control of my hysterical laughing.

And then, (oh my sides hurt), and then his ears!

Okay, so someday he may want to tackle me but seriously, how cute and funny is this!? Chick Hick's from Cars on his bottom and Go Diego Go on his head! And he thought he was cool! In the end, the head gear didn't last too long - but he did wear three pairs over his jammies and one pair over his diaper under his jammies for the whole day!

Blue

I think part of the delay in posting the picture was that I knew that I hadn't captured the whole experience. Hewy was not amused at having his picture taken and didn't want to disclose the full context of his adventure during the shoot - this is the best I got. However it doesn't show his neck, belly, palms or behind (yes, behind) his ears.

Just so you know - it did take a good four days to fully absorb-rub-off-wash-off to the point that he didn't look like he had some weird smurf disease.