Something Sweet

For Valentine's Day we made sugar cookie pizza and the kids did the decorating. SO yummy and so much fun.

Pierce and I have been working on learning the states. We have a great puzzle with pictures for every state and he loves working it with me. The other day he picked up Colorado whose representative picture is mountains. "Mom," he said, "I know this is Russia." Three-year-old geography at its best.

The church women's retreat is coming up and I've been busy with the details of decorations and snacks and organizing my family so they'll function and eat and wear clean clothes while I'm gone. We had a meeting last night and the kids were in bed by the time I got home. Hudson had waited up on me so I went into his room to tell him goodnight. He whispered, "Mom, guess what I got to do. After Pierce went to sleep I got to sit on the couch with dad and hear some wisdom. And dad told me a spiritual secret. You know what it is? ... Guard your heart." How precious.

This one had just enjoyed some Power Crunch Cookies.

1/3 c stick butter, softened

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1 T water

3/4 t vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1 cup oats

1/2 cup wheat bran flakes cereal lightly crushed

1/4 cup milled flax seed

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Beat butter, add sugar beating well. Add water, vanilla, egg - beat well. Combine dry ingredients through flax seed and mix well. Add to sugar mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips then drop dough by tablespoons 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 7 minutes or until almost set. Delicious!

Stay-cation

My parents have been out of town visiting my sister this weekend, so we're enjoying a little vacation at their house :). They live about .2 miles from our house, so when we forget the pajamas and the toothbrushes it's no big deal. What is the big deal? Oh, I'd say cable TV, a big living room where adorable shirtless boys and a girl-brother are constantly wrestling, stairs (what's more fun when you're little than going up and down the stairs?!), and building forts in the play room. Tomorrow I'll dust and vacuum and, in my father's words, "make it look as if it never happened." We love being so close to my parents, and their house! :)

Weekendish getaway, big girl bed and happy hour

I never intended to be a once a week blogger, but here I am. Ah, well.

The end of February will be our 6 year anniversary, but this year we celebrated a little early. The kids stayed at my parent's house and David and I had a weekend away. Not too far away, and it was actually Monday, but hey. We started with my 28 week appointment. Yes, that means I only have 12 weeks to go ... 11 now. Then we split a cashew chicken salad and some hummus and pita bread and The Cheesecake Factory; we caught a matinee showing of the Young Queen Victoria - a clean, period peace (hubby gets big points for that!); then we got a room at a local hotel - it was actually a HUGE suite - sweet! After resting my huge pregnant body (I'll post another picture soon), we went to dinner at Red Rock Canyon and picked up cheesecake for dessert back at the CCF. No children woke me up the next morning. I had almost forgotten what that felt like.

Tuesday we were back to the real world. The giant baby has been in a big-girl bed for naps for a few days, but in the crib for night time. When I told her to get her blanket for bedtime that night she climbed right into the big-girl bed. I wasn't planning on making the transition so early, but so far she's done great. She walks into the living room around 7:30 the next morning all happy and loaded down with her cup, blanket and baby. It's super cute.

I don't drink pop - really. But today, I did enjoy a little Sonic happy hour, and it did make me happy. Diet Coke with Cranberry, easy ice.

We've also finished most of Hudson's Kindergarten curriculum so I think we're going to get a head start on next year. I'll post what great things I order once I order them. Ordering things is always exciting, even if it's home school curriculum. I've started setting aside portions of my Y checks for specific purchases instead of blowing them on Chick-fil-a lunches. It's pretty exciting to exercise a little discipline.

And now I'm off to the Y to teach one of my last two Cardio Blast classes. I'll still work out, I just can't talk and work out anymore :)

Crock Pot Granola

Click HERE and you can find the greatest, easiest recipe for Crock Pot Granola and Granola Bars. Awesome breakfast and snack. For a little extra fiber and omega 3's you can add milled flax seed and kids never know :)

Coffee please.

I have three small children and one huge belly. When bath time rolls around I line them up in the tub and scrub and rinse while they play and wiggle and splash. Then I pull out the boys, lotion and robe them and send them to their room. Next I wrap the giant baby in a towel while she gnaws on Diego's arm (teething is her full-time job). Then I finally stand up straight and fully inhale. The crowding out of my lung capacity is here. Lovely. The boys clothes are always laid out and ready for them, but who can resist a game of birthday-suit tag around the house before following directions and getting dressed! All clothed and combed, nails clipped, ears clean, and I collapse.
Yes, there are days when this task is such an exhausting chore. It's going to be great to add another to the mix - rub-a-dub-dub, four "men" in a tub might be pushing it though. We'll have to go to two bath times, but that's another story.

I talked to a couple of empty-nesters yesterday who were practically in tears missing the days when their kiddos were little. One of them was my mother. Here's to enjoying the exhausting, LONG days of mothering small children and soaking in and loving every moment!

And, this video is for my sister Shannon. My baby girl is obsessed with her dog. :)

Alayna talking about Milton

Nesting or Crazy Cleaning

Snow Bunny

Snow storms and sick children facilitate baking, eating, and for me, a little cleaning. I don't know if it's the early stages of nesting or just my way of coping with anything and everything, but my bedroom looks really good. Yesterday I took down the drapes, washed them, dusted the blinds and rods, cleaned the windows, vacuumed the base boards and decluttered everything. Hudson said, "Mom, why do you give yourself so many jobs?" Ha.

Alayna and I have been playing beauty shop. She loves getting her hair done and I love that it's long enough to play with!

She would touch her hair and say, "So fretty."

The mask I wear to chase the boys around the house. They LOVE it!

Today my plan is to tackle the master bedroom closet and maybe make some more room for the mommy clothes. I'm also going to be putting some drawers under the beds. That should help.

Oh, and I'm decorating for our women's retreat at the end of this month. The colors are pink, black and platinum and the theme is the butterfly with the concept of transformation/sanctification. I'm headed to Hobby Lobby later. Any brilliant decorating ideas floating around out there?