Funnies

Last night Kasidee was telling Quentin that she and I were at the store one day and we went to the "girl aisle" to pick out a pretty shampoo. We smelled one and I said, "Ew, that smells like a man!" After Kasidee finished telling that story and laughing, Makenna's eyes got big and she said, "Really? What did it smell like?" (and then whispering), "Like poop?"

Kasidee loves the PBS show "Super Why," with Wyatt and the "Super Readers." One day Kasidee turned to me and said, "I know why they are Super Weirders - because they're weird!" (She mixed up the word weirders for readers!)

One night when I was going to put all 3 girls in the bathtub for a quick rinse-off, they were arguing about who got to be in front. I said, "Seriously? We already have magnets on our fridge to keep track of whose turn it is to pray and whose turn it is to have me sit by them during bedtime stories...do we have to argue about whose turn it is to be in the front of the tub too?" Kiera said, "Well, those things are worth fighting about!"

I love how Kasidee and most of her preschool friends use the words "Goed" and "Gotted" and "Haded" for past tense words. So cute!

The other day I asked Kasidee how she got to be so pretty and so sweet. She said, "Because I wanted to be that way!"

Progressive Rocks!

Okay, so I'm sure we've all seen or heard the advertisements that it pays to shop around for auto insurance. And over the last couple of years I've read articles that the potential savings can be great if you just compare insurance quotes. I always thought, "Well, I think our insurance is pretty cheap and it just seems like a hassle to have to check with a dozen companies to save 20 bucks."

Well, I stand corrected. This weekend we spent about an hour - from the convenience of our computer - checking out insurance companies and getting free quotes. Actually, we only checked out 2 other companies before we realized that we were getting ripped off by our current insurance company. After just a few clicks, we switched insurance to Progressive and saved over 400 buck-a-roonies EACH year! Is that crazy or what? Of course, since we have really old cars and haven't had claims or accidents, we got basic insurance for cheap.

So...here's my little shout-out to doing a little research to save serious money! Yahoo!

Book Blizzard

I am a sucker for children's picture books. They're simple and sweet, and they just make me feel so good inside. There are millions of titles in print, but (in my opinion) there are only a few hundred that are "treasures."

The fourth grade classes at Kiera's school have been working on a "Book Blizzard" presentation that they did today. Each student was to choose a favorite children's book and present it to the school and to parents. They needed to do a poster representing their book and have at least 2 props to support it. They also needed to "show off" their chosen book and tell about their favorite part.

When Kiera got the assignment, she came home from school so excited and got to work - she knew exactly which book she wanted to do and how she wanted to present it! "Homework" is easy when it's fun!

Going to the Book Blizzard this morning was fun. The kids put a lot of thought into their presentations, and it was nice having something that was just for fun. It was great seeing what the kids' favorite books are (I think 5 of them chose one of those "If You Give a Pig a Pancake" books) and there are some I've never heard of that I want to check out. What a fun thing to do in January!

Outer Order / Inner Calm

I read an article in January's Good Housekeeping magazine this morning that spoke to me. Gretchen Rubin wrote, "One of the things that has surprised me most is the inverse relationship between clutter and happiness. In the context of a happy life, maintaining a roomy coat closet or a bare kitchen counter may seem like a trivial accomplishment, but somehow it can have a grand effect on your level of happiness. For most people...outer order contributes to inner calm. When I'm surrounded by a mess, I feel restless and unsettled, but clearing clutter gives me a surge of energy."

A-Men! I totally agree! Sometimes I wonder if I'm really OCD because I can't seem to foucs on ANYTHING unless my environment is in order. When I worked as an office administrator, I couldn't start my day until everything was just right on my desk and in my work area. And I noticed that when I was particulary stressed at work, for some reason I would be driven to make sure the Kleenex box was perfectly straight and the papers in my inbox looked neat.

I'm still the same way at home. I have a routine in the morning that includes going in each room and straightening it so it's just right. I know that me or my kids or their friends will mess it up throughout the day, but it gives me inner calmness to start out right. (However, most times I feel like I spend ALL morning getting it just right!)

Even so...I still have stuff. This winter I've been tackling some of my "clutter problem areas" and I feel like I've finally conquered just about every nook and cranny in my house - though it's always something to keep up on. I don't want ANYTHING in my house (or garage or shed or car) unless I need it or love it. Living with other people makes it a little tougher, but I need to respect their stuff and also realize that my girls will eventually outgrow some of their stuff (toys!) and then I (and they) will have fond memories with those things....

#@%& Pinterest!

Okay, so after months and months of hearing about Pinterest, a few weeks ago I finally checked it out. After initially feeling overwhelmed and confused, I got hooked. Big time. It is such a waste of time - but I feel drawn to it every spare moment I have. It's fun to get great ideas about everything under the sun, but it also makes me feel wishful and stressed that I can't do every single project right. this. second.

However, it has also helped inspire and motivate me. I love Januarys so I can focus on indoor projects, whether it's home improvement projects, trying new recipes, doing crafts. One thing I've noticed on Pinterest is that little things can make a big difference.

So...since is was a dreary and drizzly day today (my favorite kind!) and we had a free day stretched out in front of us, we decided to tackle some "forgotten projects" that were on our list. Not on Pinterest's list, but on the list of things we noticed when we moved in 5 years ago but hadn't thought much of since. We love, love, love our home and think everything about it is perfect and beautiful. But it's got weird electrical issues. One light switch has to be pushed all the way up to make the lights stay on, and lately it has gotten to the point where it won't stay on at all. The kitchen light switch used to work fine, but about a year ago we ended up having to flip the switch DOWN to turn the lights ON. And one of our recessed lights goes on or off depending on it's mood.

So...we went to Home Depot this afternoon to get stuff to fix these things, and I spotted some brushed nickel knobs and handles. When we first moved into our house, we noticed that 4 of the closet doors (that all looked the same) had 4 different types of '80's style knobs on them. I remember changing the knobs within the first month of moving in. But for some reason (money? time? lack of interest?) I found myself overlooking the ugly knobs in the laundry room. But when I saw the sleek, new, beautiful knobs at Home Depot I knew it was time.

Even though "honey wood" is not "the latest" thing, I love it's warmth and natural beauty. And adding pretty, classic knobs to my laundry cupboards and drawers brought them into the current century! I know it's a change that no one else may even notice, but to me it makes me happy inside. Just a little change can make a big difference in my little world that I see all day long. I knew you'd ask, so of course I took some before/after pics. Check it out:

BEFORE



AFTER




While I put the new knobs on, Quentin tackled the electrical issues and put new white switches and switchplates on. Little differences, I tell ya, make me smile. It makes our home seem newer and prettier!

Now...we just need another snowy, free day to finish changing our switch plates (half are cream and half are white) and our knobs (half are painted gold and half are brushed nickel) - I'm just a little OCD about stuff like that. Or...maybe I'll just keep it on the list!

Shepherd's Pie

One of my New Year's goals is to try new recipes. (My goal was 2 new recipes each week, but I've slacked off a bit.) But the other night I made Shepherd's Pie. Traditionally, this is not a vegetarian dish, but there is a tasty vegan version in the frozen food section made by Amy's. But I've never made it myself, so I challenged myself to do it. It really wasn't that hard (it only took about 20 minutes to prepare - mostly chopping veggies - and 30 minutes to bake.) The results were de-LISH! This is definitely something I will be adding to our repertoire of recipes. And the best thing is, you can add any combination of veggies, beans, legumes, etc. and top it with mashed potatoes. Mmmm...simplicity and comfort in a bowl!

2012

I know the new year has been going for 18 days now, so I don't know why I didn't think of this til now. (I get my greatest thoughts either in the shower or folding laundry, which is when this epiphany happened.) So...2012 should be an eventful year for us. Check it out:
* I will turn 35
* Kiera will turn 10
* Makenna will turn 8 and be baptized
* Kasidee will turn 5 and start kindergarten
* Grandma J will turn 90
* Grandpa J will have been gone for 20 years
* We will have been in our house for 5 years
* Q and I will celebrate our 15-year anniversary

Happy New Year!

Funny

One of the things Quentin and I gave the girls for Christmas were "Gratitude Journals." They're really just planning calendars for the year, with a couple of lines to write stuff. Anyway, all 3 of them look forward to being able to write something they're thankful for that day. It took me a couple of days to realize that Kasidee says "Fankle" for "Thankful." How cute is that?!

As I was tucking Makenna into bed last night, she asked me to brush her hair to help relax her. I commented on how long her hair is getting, and told her that Daddy could trim her hair any time she wants. She said, "No, I want long hair like Rapunzel...so I can whack people with it." That's Makenna - my sweet princess with an attitude!

Finally

I think everyone all along the Wasatch Front has wondered why we haven't gotten any snow so far. Okay, maybe a skiff here and there, but none that really sticks. But finally today (after the weatherman predicted 1/2 inch) we woke up to about 5 or 6 inches! The girls were so excited and raced outside to play. But silly me, I didn't think about the camera until Makenna was the only one left outside. She put on some old ski goggles, laid down in the snow, and put snowballs on the goggles. Silly girl!

Sooo cool!

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