Dialogue with Sunny

Sunny was running around naked. As always.

Mommy: Uh! OH! Naked boy! Sunny, don't pee on me!
S: No, I don't!
M: Where *does* pee go?
S: (pointing) On the floor!


(Note: a few minute later, after much discussion, he realized it belongs in the potty ('like poop?') and has been displaying his skills-- he has now pooped in the potty 6 times! Each time his idea! WOW! Big boy!)

Gusty

Gusty is doing "massage" and "cost-country" and "show jumping"

Gusty is making me nuts.

Because all day long I have had Gusty, and not Drew.

And Gusty has to tell me about every gallop every moment of 'horse care'. Gusty makes piles of my clean clothes and jumps over them. He tells his brother not to call him 'Drew', but 'Gusty'.

Sunny has been renamed 'Peanut the Pony'

Heaven knows I deserve this!

Etsy Seller of the Day

OK, I think this seller is amazing. The store is called Random Acts of Green.

I've been very interested in cloth diapers for a long time. I've started making them more times than I can count, and I have about 20 half-made ones in my garage somewhere, because I get tired of messing with my sewing machine after awhile. Why do I bother? Because most cloth diapers are just not AFFORDABLE for me (I realize that to other people $10+ a diaper is no big deal, but I'm all for the under $6/diaper, personally.

This shop is a dream come true. And how can you not love a shop based on being Green?

Cute, affordable, eco-friendly, cloth diapers! Woohoo!

Remembering Fairyland

My inspiration for the butcher-paper paradise was from a fond memory-- visiting my sister and family in Germany.

Bluebell was a fairy who lived in a castle in fairyland. There was a forest with trees and fruit (NOT apples) and bats in a swamp-- the fruit would make people fall asleep and the bats would kiss the fairies and they would get lost in the swamp until someone came and rescued them.

Considering I have problems with memory, it's amazing that this is so vividly clear to me.

I can remember a bunk bed and night light, with a mattress for us on the floor, the glass door separating the bedrooms from the main room, playing with play-dough-- the bathroom with the bath tub-- the walks outside of the buildings, the park... going on a walk and tiny flakes of snow falling on us...

My favorite memory of that visit, though, is my beautiful sister racing up to us from outside of the airport in a gorgeous pants-suit and grinning, bending down to sweep us into her arms and give us hugs and kisses. She was SO HAPPY just to see us! I can still SEE it.

Here's to soft pretzels with mustard and cities paved in stone-- here's to Austrian hotels with red carpets and porcelain dolls...

Here's to family and memories that never grow dim with time...

Twenty Minutes Awake...

...Juice in a bottle
Kitchen all cleaned
Sunny has cereal
Playroom picked up
Vacuuming baby...
Cuddly boy...


Yeah, I can tell
When my husband prays for me in the morning.

Poodah-heads

On Sunday my boys somehow got into my contact case and shaved some deodorant into it, then topping it off with contact fluid and creating a slime. When I discovered it, I scrubbed it out, but, despite my efforts, my last pair of contacts were still ruined the next morning.

I'm wearing my glasses :p

My hubby thinks my glasses are hot.

He must like nerds.

Seriously!

I won't be getting new contacts until the student loans come in, so I guess the hubby will be happy ;)

Dreaming...

A wonderful lady from our ward brought us some Butcher paper for the boys to draw on when she visited (for three hours!) with me on Sunday. It was so nice to talk to an adult, and one that is going through a lot of the issues I am, with driving and anxiety etc, and she is succeeding, which makes it so great to talk to her-- it gives me so much hope for the future!

So, yesterday, the boys and I decided to draw our dream-house. We drew a big white house with a front porch-- fruit trees, a pond, a garden, a chicken coop, horses (Drew's was Red, Sunny's was 'Jeff' which, yes, is a color) We put a dog and four cats (Drew wanted ten, but I drew the line at four). It was really fun! Drew put his bed in the pasture and it looked like the dog was eating a pumpkin in the garden. We had one sheep and one goat in with the horses. We drew grass and roses and all-around had a fun time making our 'dream' house. Drew was talking about how he wants a pony, not a horse, because he's short and how Sunny needs a pony too. We made sure Daddy's horse was a palomino paint, and Drew named Daddy's horse 'Fun', so Daddy would 'love him'.

What's your dream house? What would it look like?

Sick Tummies

My boys probably wish they were always sick.

Mommy let them have 'drumsticks' for breakfast this morning. And juice.

Little ice-cream faces are beautiful.

Drew likes the ice-cream part and Sunny likes the chocolate.

It's a perfect world.

MMMM....

So, I'm back in the non-gluten world, and have immediately had to start working on my diet. For example-- my boys love to have pancakes for breakfast, but I , of course, don't eat them...

So, yesterday I made sushi... vegetarian sushi.

I cooked two cups of brown rice, without rinsing it before or after. Added in about 4 tblspns of rice wine vinegar, 2 tblspns sugar, 2 tblspns Mirin, and mixed that all together. I then put the mixture on a sheet of Nori (a package is about $1.25 at the supermarket and is enough for LOTS of sushi-rolls) For filling I put in seasoned mushrooms (in soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and rice wine vinegar), slices of yam (cooked), and avocado. Then, because I don't have a sushi-roller, I took some papers that were stapled together and used THAT to shape my rolls.

Yum. Even Drew has given it a try. Hubby won't. Ever.

But it means I have something to eat. I have them stored in the fridge.

I also made my mom's recipe of oyster stew (simple-- onions, butter, milk, oysters) which fills me up really fast, considering its mostly broth :))

The best thing about giving up gluten is that I eat so much better. I've been eating pears and nectarines all day, and, on day four without gluten this time around, I already feel healthier all around.

Woohoo!

Pre-Pre-natal

Yeah, you heard me. Baby number 3 is in the planning stages and we're a month away from... ignition? Take off? Trying? That all just sounds WRONG!

So, anyone who sees this is challenged: 5 must-dos for getting ready to be pregnant. Especially nutrition (I'm planning on a gluten-free pregnancy), supplements that are must-haves, and a GREAT regime for pre-pre-natal fitness so I can go into this STRONG.

I'm already looking into nausea-aids for morning sickness and pre-natal workouts. We're getting a replacement pool key so I can start swimming the boys, just as soon as the student loans come in.

And, yeah, you guys will know if I'm pregnant before I officially announce-- because I don't plan on really announcing I'm pregnant until I hear a heart beat.

Other news: I will NOT be going to the Birth Center this time. They changed management and the drive is too far. I'll be going to NW.

Remember-- you read this! So, you are now obligated to give me 5 TIPS!

Bless his little Heart

Sunny told me he had to poop.

So he pooped in his potty.

GOOD JOB!!! BIG BOY!!!!!

A Few Words

Strawberry cake...

Rolling fondant...

3D Cars pan...

Gum paste Wiggles...

All with my BOY!

Four years of perfection, my darling Drew! I love you so much! You are, as you always say 'my best friend'. You are so smart, so fun, and so energetic. I love it when you sing and dance and jump on the couch... all at the same time. I love it when you read stories to your brother and pretend to be afraid of him.

These last four years have been incredible! You are the greatest boy!

I love you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

WWYD

We were driving home late last night, after watching the Olympics at my MIL's house. Just as we were turning into our neighborhood I saw a bunny on the road-- hit by a car, injured, but not dead.

I begged my hunny to turn the car around and he did, reluctantly. He told me to just 'nudge it off the road'. Instead, I picked it up and brought it home. (So me, right?)

He's a beautiful little desert bunny-- with a small head, and huge, beautiful ears. He's hurt, and I don't know if he'll survive, but he's still alive this morning. I just couldn't leave him there, terrified, to die in the road if there was anything I could do about it.

And, at least, if he does die, it will be in a beautiful grassy backyard, instead on on the street.

Poor little Peter. (Yes, I named him Peter rabbit-- sorry, bro!)

On another note altogether: Drew finally lost that tooth he smashed all those months ago. He looks crazy-cute with that gap!

Thinking...

I'm sick more often than I am healthy.

Yes, I'm sick again. ICK!

How am I ever going to get anything done if I'm eternally feverish?

I'm Magic

My SIL has a magic belly.

*I* have a magic mole.

Two of them actually.

With weaning Sunny, he suddenly grew very attached to these two moles-- he holds them when he's trying to fall asleep, and even tries to kiss and rub his nose on one of them, which, weird to begin with, is even weirder as it is in my ARMPIT! Strange child!

The other mole is on my ribs and has had so much loving attention that it's going away.

Trust Sunny to love something about me that I loathe. Seriously!

I hate adrenaline

I hate adrenaline.

Today our large, low-slung dresser, TV, and DVD player collapsed on top of both of my boys. The TV narrowly missed landing on both of them. One side of the dresser crushed Sunny. Neither one of them was hurt-- thank HEAVEN! The only casualties are the dresser and DVD player-- which is smashed.

I am so grateful they're safe. Now, several hours later, I'm just trying to burn that dratted adrenaline out of my system... shake shake shake!

Drew

"I am going to run far away and you can't get me. I'm going to go up to Heaven and go be with Jesus... so THERE!"

four hours

My camera was working for four hours.

Then Sunny fell with it and it no longer is working.

At least I got a few pictures before its untimely demise.

Too bad the card isn't working now, either.

Song Lyrics and other Misc. Fun

Drew: "Sunny is a poodah-head from our imagination..."

Drew: "...with parents kind of dear..."

Drew: "If your happy and you know it smack his BUTT!"

Both: "Where's Jeff? Is he pooping outside?"

Drew: (Sweetest baby voice ever) "I'm going to get you! You wanna get SMACKED?"

Drew: Why are you talking?
M: We're talking about when to have another baby
Drew: And what does DAD say? Huh?

Sunny: Mama, what happened?
M: You hit me
Sunny: Oh.... poor Mommy. I'll kiss it! (kisses) There! All better!

Four Words

Buck Naked Baby Dancing