The down side of generic.

I love how diapers come in all different sizes. What I don't love how each brand of diaper has it's own sizing. So Maggie is still small but size 3 diapers can't quite keep up with all the wetness through the night, and by the end of the day she starts to leak because I haven't changed her since lunch. I need a diaper that can last long. Less changing = Using less diapers = Save money+ Save energy (laziness). So I decide to switch to size 4. We are at Walmart so size 4 generic brand goes into the cart and they seem to get the job done. Next time we need some diapers Shayne is at Albertson's and I say just buy a small package to hold us over. Well apparently Albertson's generic size 4 is too big and leaks out the sides during the day. Great! (not a happy great). So the next time we go to Albertson's for diapers I have Shayne get size 3 because of the problem during the day, right. Well they aren't big enough to go all night. Great, again. Now what? Solution: Buy size 4 diapers at Walmart use them in the night and finish diapers (size 3) from Albertsons during the day. Brilliant. So I have Albertson's and Walmart generic brands figured out. But lately we have started shopping at Smiths and Lins.... I know we will be buying the generic brands from there.... so now I have to learn a whole new system.

I know you are thinking, how about just buy Huggies. All Huggies diapers are the same even if you buy them from different stores. That is true. But I am cheap and my husband is especially cheap and he is usually buying the diapers. So generic it is!

Looking for some indoor fun?

So for a couple hours a day, 3 days a week, I am at home with only one child. How great is that! Practically "ME" time, right? Not quite. Because the one child that is home is still too small to just sit contently in front of the T.V. AND without any older sisters around to entertain her... I'm stuck. But if you know me at all, you know I always find a way to get what I want exerting as little energy as possible and without spending any money. This is what I have found to keep little Maggie busy so I can get to my reading, blogging, and the occasional cleaning.




And YES, those are panties that Maggie is wearing over her jeans. Kate's panties to be exact. And don't worry they are clean... I do get the laundry done, that's part of the occasional cleaning. Now you see why turning the couch into an indoor playground was so necessary.

Here's another clip. I only wish I could catch Maggie before she notices me filming.

Too much time on your hands?

So I found another great book series. For those of you who liked Stephenie Meyers Vampire Series....here's some books for you. They are by Libba Bray. The first book is called "A Great and Terrible Beauty". Book two is "Rebel Angels". And book three, which just came out is called, "The Sweet Far Thing." I read book one while I was in Portugal and didn't know that there was a book after it. That was not fun. I had to wait until I came home to finally read book two. By the way I liked book two a little more than book one. Then of course I finished book two and think, "There has got to be another book." Yep! And it just came out last week. Just my luck. I can't wait to read it... I can actually... I'm too cheap and I'll wait until the Library has it, but when it's there... I'm there. Try these books out. You will love them and your husbands will hate them almost as much as Edward Cullen.

I love vinegar!

So I'm back. Finally. My excuse? How about 2 weeks in Portugal. Yes, the country. It was there that I learned how much I liked the taste of vinegar. Here is how it happened.... So I'm at a restaurant and I get a salad for part of my meal...just a little background information: I don't speak Portuguese. But Shayne does. He went to Portugal on his mission... I don't know how to say ranch in Portuguese and I wasn't about to ask Shayne to embarrass himself and me by asking so I went with the vinegar and olive oil on the table. Okay. So YUM. From then on I was hooked. The rest of the trip I wanted nothing more than vinegar. I even devoured a bag of salt and vinegar chips. Normally I would have thought, yuck! But not any more. Actually I ate other things which were also very de-lish. So thank you Portugal for introducing my taste buds to something they had been lacking.

Okay, so you probably are also wondering about my trip besides the food. It was awesome. We were gone a day under 2 weeks. My little sister Sadie came down to watch our girls for the whole time. Yes, she is amazing and the girls couldn't have had a better time. Thanks, Sadie! (and Christian, and my mom, and Shayne's mom for also helping out). Also, one of Shayne's mission companions, Ryan came with us. Weird? Not at all! He is awesome and made our trip 100 times better. Have any of you seen The Amazing Race? You know how there is always couple that is constantly fighting and arguing and yelling how much they hate each other? That would have been Shayne and I (well not the hating part). If Ryan had not been there, I would have had to take a more active role in the decision making (I'm horrible at that and Shayne is too. Bad combo) and then the navigating. Now that would not have been pretty. Can you imagine me trying to read a map and road signs in Portuguese? So, thank you Shayne and Ryan....my job of sitting back and enjoying all the sites couldn't have been any better if I planned it myself.

Shayne did a great job travel logging our whole trip on his blog, so you should really read about it there. But here's a few pictures.

We had a day layover in London. We walked everywhere. It took me a little while to adjust to looking the other direction first when crossing the street. [You know how the drive on the other side of the street there.] Let's just say we are very lucky I made it home safely. Thank you London for thinking of me when you painted the direction to look ON THE ROAD.

This is Flat Stanley. Clayre had us take him along for the trip. You can see Big Ben and the British Parliament in the background. That view is from The EYE.

While in London, we also got to see Wicked. Sooo good!

In Portugal we drove around in this little car. It was perfect because the roads are tiny and you can park pretty much anywhere you can fit...so sidewalks, freeway exit ramps, even blocking other cars is free game. There are huge roundabouts everywhere. When it came to driving around, let's just say we were all glad I didn't have to drive.

Most everyone there lives in huge apartment buildings. Some look very shabby with clothes drying on lines out the windows...you would think the poorest people lived there. Not so. Pretty much every building had clothes out drying. Even the wealthiest don't have dryers. This is a picture of one of the church branches. It looked like a warehouse on the outside.

We got to see a lot of amazing sites. Century old castles, Roman ruins, and even a chapel made of human bones. It was amazing to be around so much history.

But the best part was meeting amazing Portuguese people. Families and friends that Shayne knew from his mission. That was great. I of course had to endure conversations in Portuguese and every now and then a translation from Shayne. But it was still great. I also really enjoyed watching Shayne. He did an amazing job speaking Portuguese, amazing because it has been 14+ years since his mission. We had a great time together. This trip was a nice break from our busy lives. I don't think I have laughed so much and so hard in a long time. I can't wait to go back.

Santa's List

I'm trying to decide what I want my children to ask Santa for for Christmas. Yes, you read that right I like to decide what they want... I do this nicely of course with a little persuasion...and some sneakiness. Gasp! Terrible, right? No, not really. They are none the wiser and are as happy as could be on Christmas morning, since they are getting what they/I wanted. This couldn't be any more win-win....until of course they grow up and realize I have been brainwashing them their whole childhood. Ooops!?

So... does anyone have any great ideas?

Side thought: Some of you may be thinking Christmas lists now, in November? Too late or too early? I'm not sure which of you think which. So I put both. Well, anyway...Shayne and I like to have the girls write Santa a letter asking for 1 item around this time of year, so later if they change their minds (after we have already purchased the item) we say, "Oh, maybe you can ask for that next year. Santa has already gotten your letter and has been busy making that toy for you." Yep. Great parenting tip! No more panicking a week before Christmas.

It all comes down to a toothpick

Sometimes as a mom, I feel guilty that I don't make my kids fun and exciting snacks. You know the kind that have faces and shapes, lots of colors, and maybe even variety to them.... and then of course they are very healthy for you.
One day it came to me ... something very simple...an idea that turned out to save me from all that work. A toothpick! Yep. This simple tool is brilliance. So now snack time or even lunch time is like a party every day.
Here it is.. easy just 2 steps::

Step 1: cut some food in small chunks. Ex. cheese, strawberries, or my kids favorite apples (sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar).
Step 2: get out the trusty old tooth pick. And wahh-law.

It's amazing how a simple sliver of wood can be the difference between..."boring old apples for a snack again"- t0- "Yes! apples! Yummy!"

WARNING: I must admit here: I only have girls so the urge to poke, jab, or pierce someone does not happen at our table. If you have boys....well...good luck to YOU!

Wouldn't you like to know

I've been tagged by my hubby, Shayne. So here are some things you've all been dieing to know about me.

Places I've Worked:
1. WIC as a breastfeeding peer counselor
2. Truitt Middle School as a 7th grade math teacher
3. MLMS as a night time custodian
4. USU University Inn as a desk clerk and night auditor

Places I have lived:
1. Logan, UT.
2. Houston, TX.
3. Mesa, AZ.
4. St. George/ Santa Clara, UT.

Guilty Pleasures:
1. sneaking in a nap
2. eating handfuls of milk chocolate chips throughout the day
3. hurrying to put the kids to bed so Shayne and I can.... watch t.v together (especially Thursday nights)
4. not having to cook dinner, therefore not having to clean up afterwards

Favorite T.V. shows:
1. 30 Rock
2. The Office
3. CSI (Las Vegas)
4. The Closer
5. Amazing Race and Survivor

First things I thought when I saw/met my significant other:
1. He's cute.... to bad he is dating my cousin (Brooke)
2. If he only got to know me, he would like me. - I always thought I was the kind of girl guys would like to marry, but not to date.
3. Who puts milk in their ice cream? -I do, now.
4. He's funny.

Favorite Places I've been on vacation:
1. Seaside, OR.
2. Disneyland, CA. /San Diego, CA.
3. Logan, UT.
4. Portugal- leaving in a few weeks (I've never been out of the country...no, not even to Canada or Mexico)

Favorite Restaurants:
1. PF Changs
2. Mongolian BBQ
3. Outback Steakhouse
4. In and Out

Favorite Books:
1. Vampire series by Stephenie Meyers
2. Emma
3. These is my Words
4. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series

Talents:
1. Talking and talking while running (I never run out of things to talk about...even during a 20 miler.)
2. Falling asleep when my head hits the pillow- nightly around 10:30 (even if I take a nap during the day)
3. Making others feel good about themselves by telling them all my flaws
4. I am really good at packing our van up before we go on a trip

Things I like:
1. DVR
2. Conversation
3. running
4. one-on-one time with my girls (individually) and alone time with Shayne
5. eating foods not made by me

Things I dislike:
1. Planning meals for the month
2. End of the month Budget review (or really anything money related)
3. That I'm a little too sensitive sometimes
4. The fact that I enjoy a little drama (Does that make me a drama queen? Please no.)

Goals for the future:
1. Try to go a whole day without calling/or IM Shayne at work
2. Boston Marathon in April
3. Not get sucked into confrontations with Parly
4. Watch more t.v. (thanks to DVR)

I tag: Amy, Kristi T., and brother Marty

Halloween 2007

Getting everyone in costumes this year without spending a cent. Priceless. Literally. Here's how it ended up looking:

Maggie: Halloween Princess- used the dress that all the girls have worn on their 2nd Halloween. $0

Kate: Porcelain Doll- or China doll as she calls it. Used a dress that we got from Shayne's cousin, Athena who wore it when she was a little girl. $0

Clayre: China girl- used the costume from Clayre's dance recital last year and the real Chinese paper umbrella was a gift from Brooke. $0

Parly: Bride- used her white baptism dress and my wedding veil. $0

Shayne: Old Man- clothes came out of his closet, YES he shaved 1/2 his head, cane brought over by Susan. $0

What a cute and cheap family.

Love comes in a Box

So the other day I made Hamburger Helper for dinner. In my defense, Shayne wasn't coming home for dinner and we needed to hurry so the girls could go with Nanny Susan to Wizard of Oz at Dixie High School. Anyway, the girls loved it! Yes, the musical and the Hamburger Helper. Here is the conversation we had at dinner:


Clayre: "Mom, how did you make this?"
Me: "It just came from a box."
Clayre: "This box is genius."
Parly: "Clayre, sometimes you just make me giggle."

Again, to be the Best Mom Ever....really isn't that hard. It comes in a box.

Worried? Don't be

Have you ever wondered what my kids are doing while I am "blogging"? Yes, of course you have.

Okay, technically most of my kids are at school/preschool (at least for a few hours), so it is just Maggie and myself at home. Here's a little glimpse of how Maggie keeps herself busy while I am in a computer trance:

Yes, that is a doll stroller. (above)

Yes, she is sleeping on tile.

Such a cute thumb sucker.

Can't her mom just pick her up and put her in her crib? No, that would require me to get up from the computer.