Drowning Our Sorrows

Superkid's T-ball game got cancelled last night. We went down to the beach and tried to remedy our disapointment by stuffing our faces with ice cream and running around in the tide.


The truth is T-ball game or no T-ball game there was no way we were passing by the cool waters of the Atlantic without getting out to deflate Mom's feet.

Crammin' It In

Nesting Instinct? I hope so! Last week it was all about getting the baby's clothes organized and getting Superkid and Abizella into their new beds in preparation for the new baby. This week it is all about getting as much fun and errand running in as I can before the baby comes (try not to laugh too hard when the baby doesn't come for another month).

Today I went to my last day of Body Pump at the gym. My membership is now on hold for 2 months. I pretty much just went today so I could bump into the crowd and have them tell me how amazing I am for sticking it out to the end (most of them are under the false impression that my due date has arrived...hmmmmm... I wonder who could have told them that?).

I also managed to get in 2 doctor appointments, 1 for myself (I bumped into the gorgeous M.J. I think I have seen her the last 3 times I have been to the doctor. We may have the same care team...but we see them at two locations. Maybe I will be seeing her at the hospital!) and 1 for Abizella (Yeah! No ear infection.).


We went BLUEBERRY PICKING! It was hot and humid but at least the bushes were tall and wet providing some shade and relief. The kids loved it. Superkid is an amazing blueberry picker! He worked like a champ. Although in the end I am not sure that he did not eat more than he actually picked! I was not about to stop him from eating something healthy. Abizella LOVED that the "boobewies" were PURPLE! But somehow managed to pick as many green berries as blue berries. She mainly enjoyed zipping up and down between the bushes.



I got my haircut! This may seem like not that big of a deal...but it has been so long since my last cut that the stylist forgot that I was pregnant. I am pretty sure that my hair has never been longer. She took off at least 8 inches in some places. I am cooler (and far less frumpy!) already! The best part is that I went all by myself while SuperPops took Superkid and Abizella to a T-ball game.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring!

Sorry Mom

After 9 years of walking in the footsteps of my Mom and being a true minimalist, I broke down and bought I Kitchenaid mixer. Actually the credit belongs to my good friend who not only graciously called me up last weekend to let me know that they were practically giving them away at Lowes, but also actually had her husband pick one up for me and delivered it to my house! I have been talking with her for over a year about wanting to buy one after she showed me how quick and easy it was to make bread in her Kitchenaid. I was SUPER excited to use it when she dropped it off... but I was EXHAUSTED last week and the thought of making ANYTHING that required more than 5 minutes in the microwave was beyond me. Well, Pops broke it out this afternoon while I was napping and we decided to give it a whirl. I gave it a once over and familiarized myself with the switches and such. I was ready to add the ingredients when Pops came in and suggested a different mixing arm. "Trust me Babe, I've been using one of these my whole life,” he said confidently. I had never used one, so after quickly referencing the manual, I switched arms. Little did I know that cooking with a Kitchenaid requires NO ENERGY from me. It was about the easiest thing ever to make a batch of cookies, in fact I kinda feel like I was cheating. Cooking with a Kitchenaid is analogous to using steroids for cycling. Call it what you will, get it in whatever cute color you like but it is a performance-enhancing gadget. Now you may say the same about a dishwasher or a microwave. But nobody ever got complemented on how amazing their dishwashing skills were or how fabulous they are at defrosting hamburger (outside their mother, who is just trying to instill feelings of worth). I have to admit, not only were they the easiest batch of cookies to make, they were some of my best cookies to date. So I am definitely keeping the Kitchenaid! And I will focus my energy on getting this little cookie monster (and her gooey hands) to eat at the table instead of hiding by the couch so she can see the TV.

Shopping Escort Service

Like to shop? On a tight budget? The Toddler Shopping Escort Service has a solution for you! Just take any one, or better ALL 3 of our Shopping Escorts with you on your next shopping excursion, and you are sure to save money! Not only that, but our escorts are highly trained in cart pushing, random object selection, and are sure to attract the attention of other shoppers (tantrum displays). Not only will you find it impossible to make impulse purchases (as your attention will be directed towards pacifing your escorts), you may even save money on the items ON your list (as you will never get to them, let alone actually READ your list). For best results schedule your next trip during naptime or before bedtime. Call today and make your selection!

*Escorts require a meal (they most likely will not eat), snacks (for dumping on the floor), a beverage and play breaks every 10 minutes. Potty trained models also require unanticipated and IMMEDIATE potty breaks.

Ready Set Pop!

This morning I went to a baby shower for my friend M.H. who is having a baby GIRL!!! It was fun to see all of the little pink things that come along when a little girl is coming on the scene. Turns out that M.H. is expecting her baby 2 days after our little guy. Even stranger, we have the same doctor. We like to joke with one another about kicking out the baby first...or even better, ending up at the hospital at the same time. Only time will tell. It is all good fun with M.H. but after each of our discussions I smugly think to myself, "Ya, like she is going to have that baby first!" #1 I have history on my side. Superkid was a month early and Abizella was 2 weeks early. #2 M.H. isn't nearly as large as myself. Now in the picture above I have cleverly hid behind M.H. and S.K., but it is deceptive. I know better because my little joke at her shower today when people asked when I was due was to say that I was due 2 days before M.H. After their eyes fell out of their heads and they managed to lift their jaw off the floor I would say, "Now you know what M.H. will look like in 2 days!"

Actually, I waffle between wanting this baby to come NOW! And happily putting off the date. At my last Dr. appointment I was ready to get this over with. I was chatting with S.K. after the appointment and told her about this unfortunate lady I spoke to in the elevator that was a day past her due date. Her legs were so swollen that they looked like tree trunks. The women just had an ultra sound and the tech was predicting a 10 lb. baby. I commented to S.K. that after talking with her it put things into perspective for me, I really wasn't suffering and I could hold on another couple of weeks. I love S.K. she said back to me, "Oh, how good of you to patiently wait 2 more weeks and still have the baby two weeks early!" Seriously, who is going to keep me in line after S.K. moves this fall!

Then I have days like the last couple where I have enjoyed swimming and playing with my little ones so much and think of all of the fun things I want to do before the baby comes. Not that the fun ends when the baby comes...we all know babies thrive at the beach too. But things will probably slow down a bit.

Thanks M.H. and S.K. for posing with me, I wish that we caught M.D. for the belly shot before she took off!

Fabulous Friday Night!

Pops passed me as I was coming in from the gym (I had to drop that in for you Andy) and he was heading out for work and asked if I wanted to do anything fun tonight. Well, we both knew the answer was YES! but, it wasn't revealed until later that we had different ideas of fun in mind. He should know by now that I pretty much have one thing on my mind when it comes to the FUN department... a night at the beach! He is a good sport and didn't bring it up until we were sitting on the beach, watching the tide creep up on us, about half way through our large pizza. He said, "Ya, this is a great way to spend a Friday night too." I asked if he had something else in mind. He said that he was thinking about going to the new Simpson's Movie. He was right about not bringing up his suggestion earlier. Sitting through a movie with Abizella is about as pleasurable as sitting on an ant hill, and you get about as much sitting done in either scenario.

As it was, we had a great time. Pops and Superkid dug in the sand. Abizella and I took to the water. She raced back and forth through the quickly filling tidepool laughing and splashing. Everytime she got across she would turn and say, "Run again Mama!" And off she would go. I got to partake in my favorite passtime as well; taking pictures at sunset of my favorite subjects at the beach. Later we bumped into some friends and ended up going out for some ice cream. A perfect night. We'll have to send the boys to see the new Simpson's movie another time!

Happy Pioneer Day!

Even though we are 2500 miles away, we are not ones to miss out on a HOLIDAY! I wish I could say that I got up and ran the Deseret News marathon this morning (not really, I just like to say stuff like that when it is out of the realm of possibilities). We did make it to the pool for some fun (okay, it was motivated by swimming lessons rather than sheer recreational bliss). It is a little tough to find buffalo meat out here, so we had to pass on the buffalo burgers. But we did partake in a Utah fav; we went to Cold Stone for a little Holiday treat. Judging from the parking lot and the line at Cold Stone, Pioneer Day is spreading in popularity! The kids decided to spread the holiday joy into today by throwing their own DAYS OF '47 Rodeo! They are doing a really good job simulating the event too... it is hot enough and stinky enough to believe a Rodeo is going on in the play room!