Field Trip

This morning I got to join Makenna for her "big" class field trip to Fresh Market in Centerville. I had volunteered to go but then the teacher discovered there were too many moms that volunteered so she just picked 6 to go and sent a letter home. Makenna said, "I hope they need you to go - because I need to you to go!" Oh, how sweet! So it was a good thing I was "picked!"

So we walked to the bus stop, took the maybe 3 minute bus ride on the UTA (not school!) bus, then walked to the grocery store. There, they got to sample cheese at the deli, look at the birthday cakes, get an apple from the produce manager, talk to the butcher (Makenna's least favorite part), and go in the back and see the walk-in freezer and walk-in fridge where the milk is stored. Then they each got to pretend to be a cashier and scan something. Then they got a balloon and a sack full of snacks. Then we walked back to the bus stop and rode back to school.

Today I had an "aha moment" about why I just love kids. Everything is new to them and so exciting. They are thrilled about such little things. One kid exclaimed as we were walking to the bus stop, "Woah! Look how little our school looks!" And you should have heard the squeals when they could spot the bus coming down the street. So sweet and simple!

Oh, and I have to tell something about Makenna. As we were walking back to the bus stop to go back to school, Makenna's friend Ellie came up to me and said, "Makenna is such a good friend. She gave me her balloon!" Each kid had received a balloon, so I asked Makenna why she gave Ellie the balloon. Makenna said, "Ellie's balloon went up in the sky. I didn't want her to be sad, so I gave her my balloon." So sweet! Another mom overheard and ran back and got Makenna a balloon. I just wish I could bottle up this sweetness and innocence and pure excitement!

MAKENNA'S REACTION WHEN THE BUS STARTED GOING

CUTE FRIENDS

PRETENDING TO BE A CASHIER

THE WHOLE GANG

WAITING FOR THE BUS TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL

Book Worm!

I've mentioned before how much Kiera loves to read. But I just can't tell you how much that means to me as her parent! Quentin has never really liked reading and has wished that he had that love, that desire, to delve into a good book. I love, love, love to read and am overjoyed that Kiera loves it as well. Friday she brought home a book from school - "Wayside School is Falling Down," a book about crazy things that happen at a crazy school. She sat and read, and read, and read. Even when we left in the evening to run a few errands, she read in the car. And by the end of the night, she had read the ENTIRE 180-page chapter book. And she was so sad it was over, she began reading it over again the next day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day has been a big deal at our house this year. A few days ago, Kiera came home from school, distraught, because her teacher said leprechauns are not real - they're like fables or fairytales. Kiera asked us what we thought. Oh, to be little again and have that imagination and hope! But we wanted to be cautious and truthful - we said that leprechauns are Irish and there are real Irish people (this spurred Kiera to do a bunch of research on Ireland, where it's located, what the flag looks like, what the people look like, Irish names, etc. etc.) Quentin also mentioned that leprechauns aren't usually seen, but that doesn't mean they're real or not real. I think that satisfied her a little.

Yesterday was a preparation day for St. Patrick's Day. At school Kiera and her friend Ashley made a "Leprechaun House" at the base of a tree. It was made out of leaves and twigs. Yesterday afternoon the girls' cousins came over and made St. Patrick's designs with perler beads. And after dinner, the girls' friends Chloe and Sophie came over and made their perler bead designs as well and contributed them to the "shrine" (for lack of a better word) they made for the leprechauns. Kiera had drawn pictures and wrote letters to the leprechauns that might visit in the night. In her letter, she asked if the house she and Ashley made could be their real house, she asked what their names are and she asked if they could come and play sometime. Oh, and she wrote, "And tell [my teacher] that you are real."

So imagine our surprise when, this morning, the marshmallows they left out for the leprechauns were half-eaten and scattered on the floor along with some "magic glitter." (Apparently leprechauns can be pretty messy!) They had answered Kiera's letter, saying their names were Patrick and Megan and they thanked them for the treats. They also left a picture of their house and left green stones with a thumbprint sticker on them under each of the girls' pillows. Wow! The leprechauns must think these girls are pretty sweet!

WHAT THE GIRLS LEFT FOR THE LEPRECHAUNS TO FIND

TREASURES FOR THE LEPRECHAUNS

WHERE THE LEPRECHAUNS LIVE

SHAMROCK WAFFLES FOR BREAKFAST!

ALL IN GREEN!

Chickpea Curry

I have a new obsession. Chickpea Curry. Seriously. I've tried different versions of this Indian staple but have found that most are overpoweringly (is that a word?) SPICY! I was in the mood to try a new recipe last week and stumbled upon this one. I made it...and fell in love! And I can't stop craving it - I think I'll have to make another batch SOON!

I decided to post this recipe so all future generations can know this was one of my favorites! I just added a simple green salad and some crusty bread. Mmmm.... Let me know if any of you try it!

4 large (Costco-sized!) potatoes, cubed
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons curry powder (or more, depending on your taste)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cumin (or more - seriously, can you ever have too much cumin? Mmmm)
2 teaspoons salt
2 (10.75 oz.) cans condensed tomato soup
1 cup milk (or soymilk!)
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, rinsed and drained

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat; simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in curry powder, ginger, cumin and salt. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring.
3. Pour in soup, milk, chickpeas and corn. Stir in potatoes. Simmer till heated through.

Daylight Savings Time

I hate Daylight Savings Time. A lot. By the time I enjoy the girls going to bed on time and waking up on time, the clock changes and messes my whole life up. The girls are too tired to get up on time, and they complain about going to bed when the sun hasn't even gone to bed yet. And I'm so dang tired too! And what's probably even worse is looking at the big clock I haven't changed yet (it's too high for me to reach and I need Quentin to change it) and realizing how much I could have gotten done in a day if only I had gotten up an hour earlier each day. But it's too late for that now. I'm too tired.

Ready, Set, GO!

I can't believe how much the girls love these bouncy ball things. Kiera got one when she was about 3 and she and Makenna had to take turns with it. Then we got another one a few months ago, but you can't just have 2 when you have 3 kids. I had bought the pink one over a year ago and stashed it away - I couldn't bring myself to open it and blow it up because then it would be one more thing to store. So I figured it would be a good gift for some other kid. But we decided to open it and make things fair - and I can't believe how much fun they've had. They have races down our long family room and they just seem to be bouncing constantly - good exercise! They asked me to try it once and it about killed my legs and gave me a headache. But they sure like it!

Framing: Check

Here's the thing about Quentin. He is a perfectionist. Big time. And he's so dang smart! He constantly amazes me by what he knows how to do - my mom says there's nothing he CAN'T do. Even if he hasn't done something before, he can analyze it and figure it out. But whatever he does, he takes his time and does it right. He's not satisfied until it's perfect. And I'm trying to remember that's a good quality!! Anyway, sweet Quentin has been working SOOOO hard on our preschool/theater space. I looked back in my journal, and he's worked 5 full days (like, 14 hours per day) on it. He's been doing the framing and just finished it tonight. Yay! One thing down! He had to frame 2 of the 4 walls which went relatively quickly - what took so long was cutting out and installing 2 vents in the heating ducts, framing around a water pipe, reinstalling the security system so it will fit outside the sheetrock, and especially framing around the heating ducts. But it is done. At least the framing. And that's a big accomplishment! Next up: electrical for outlets and recessed lighting. Here we go! (Good thing tomorrow is Sunday - he needs a break!)

Check out the intricate work he did around the heating vents:

Meet Your Meat

Okay, in my 22+ years of being a vegetarian, I feel like I've been a pretty good person (at least I hope so!). I feel like I don't judge others when they choose to eat meat, and I don't try to "convert" people and usually don't even talk about it unless someone seems interested in knowing more.

Lately I've read a few books and seen a few movies that have reconfirmed my decision to be a vegetarian (and borderline vegan!). Also recently, a few of my neighbors and family members have been trying to eat more naturally, including more organics and whole foods, etc. and I've been thrilled to see a lot of vegetarian "basics" becoming almost mainstream (at least in my little world) - even if they still include meat occasionally in their diet.

Well, one of my dear friends and neighbors has been doing most of her grocery shopping at Whole Foods for the last few months - she buys organic milk, soy yogurt, whole fruit roll-ups, quinoa, and grass-fed meat. She is amazed at what a difference it has made for her, her husband and her two young boys.

She's the one who told me about the video "Meet Your Meat." She said she hasn't dared watch it yet because she might not eat meat ever again (is that a bad thing?!) :) Anyway, I was curious and found it online. Wow - my heart is still pounding. If you're curious to know what really goes on and where your meat really comes from, I encourage you to watch it. Be aware that there are some disturbing images (and even a swear word), but the discomfort you feel may prompt you to better algin your values with your actions.

I realize that Heavenly Father created animals for a purpose and most likely one of their purposes is to sustain humans with meat, milk, eggs, etc. But I'm appalled at how things have changed from the "olden days" - animal products are not as pure and healthy as they used to be. In fact, everyone knows that cow's milk is known for its rich source of calcium. Calcium is a mineral which comes from the ground. When cows eat grass it becomes absorbed in their bodies and comes out into their milk. But nowadays, most cows don't eat grass - they eat corn - and their milk has very little calcium in it. So calcium is ADDED to the milk when it is being processed. It's not really in the milk to begin with!

Anyway, I'll get off my little soapbox now. Just a little food for thought. And I hope I haven't come across like a PETA commercial. But check out the video at http://uneasysilence.com/Qgd and let me know what you think!

Week In Review

Just a few random things to catch up on....

Last Saturday our niece Marina was baptized!! We're so proud of her and her decision, and it makes us even more excited for Kiera in her upcoming baptism!

KIERA, GREAT-GRANDMA STEPHENS AND MARINA

KASIDEE WITH GREAT-GRANDMA STEPHENS



This morning Kasidee and I joined a few neighborhood friends for a tour of the Bountiful Fire Station. Even though I've had a fire station tour about 3 or 4 times with different preschool groups, it was fun to see it through new eyes and watch how amazed the kids were who had never been there before!

FRIENDS AT THE FIRE STATION



In other random "news," we gave the girls a wireless thermometer as one of their Valentine's Day gifts (weird, I know). Kiera has really gotten interested in science this year at school and we're always on the lookout for things to promote her interests! I've seen different versions of these thermometers and have always thought they were kind of neat, but when I saw a version that displays the current time, indoor temperature, outdoor temperature and high and low of the day - plus a little girl that "dresses" for the weather (shorts and a tank top in hot weather, hat and scarf in cold weather, and about 4 other outfits in between), I thought that was way cool. The girls have loved watching it and making notes and forecasts. So fun! (P.S. I couldn't find a picture of the version we have, but this is pretty similar - except ours is not as elaborate, it's pink and has a girl).




And finally, March is my spring cleaning month. It's a month that I usually feel motivated to get it done (the sun shines in a different way and highlights all my dust!), plus I am energized to finish it before yard work starts calling me. In years past I've tried to take a few days and cram it all in - get it all done at once. But with kids I've found that's impossible. So my goal for this year is to just take 2 rooms each Tuesday and Thursday (the days I usually don't have other commitments). Dust blinds, wash windows (inside), organize drawers and closets, "shop vac" the carpet corners, pull out and vacuum under furniture, dust baseboards, scrub tile, etc. etc. etc. Things no one would probably even notice, but things that make me feel good, knowing every square inch is clean and organized!! I made a "master list" of what each room requires and just check it off as I go. But I've found that if I take a few hours and just concentrate on 1 or 2 rooms at a time, it's not so overwhelming. And by the end of March, I'll be done! And then it will be time to focus on the garage, the shed, the yard.... Hmmm...it never ends, does it!?

Tea Party for Annabelle

Yesterday the girls invited their cousins over to celebrate Annabelle's (Kiera's doll) birthday. Makenna brought her doll Annie to the party, Kasidee brought her doll Lily, Marina brought her "haircut" doll and Roman was a good sport and joined in the "girly party" with his dog. They all had a fun little tea party, then everyone made Annabelle birthday cards and Annabelle gave everyone Jolly Ranchers and cookies in their party favor bags. It's so fun to see how creative these kids get - and I would love to step into their imaginary world for just a moment! (P.S. Makenna was having fun, but she didn't want to be in the picture because, well, because she's Makenna!)

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Some say that movies and media don't influence the way kids think or act. Seriously?! One of the girls' friends let them borrow the movie "Barbie and the Three Musketeers" and they watched it the other night. When it was done, they started "fighting" with their swords (made out of ribbons and paper fans - that's girls for ya!). I made sure to emphasize that it's not good to have real swords or try to hurt other people for real. Kiera said, "Oh, I know. It's just fun pretending to be a...a...I can't remember the word - all I can think of is trapezoid. Oh yeah - a Musketeer!"

Some Excitement

We had some excitement this afternoon, but not necessarily the kind of excitement we like to see. Makenna, Kasidee and I were hanging out this afternoon when we heard a police siren pretty close. We looked out the window to see a couple of police cars, an ambulence and a fire truck speed down our street. My heart started pounding. My first thought was that something had happened at the school. I quickly grabbed Makenna and Kasidee and put them in the car. But as soon as we pulled out of the driveway we could see that the emergency vehicles were just about 6 houses down the street. The scene was like a movie - neighbors bolting out of their houses and running down the street. I joined them and it took awhile for the word to get out about what was going on - an 18-month-old had stopped breathing and was found passed out in their crib. The girls and our neighbors and I hung out outside while Life Flight came and landed right on the street. About 30 minutes later EMTs brought out the baby on a stretcher and the helicopter took off. The scene quickly cleared. I don't know the family (they are in a different ward), but I haven't stopped thinking about them all day. You just never know what the day will bring - and life can change in an instant. I think I'll hold my little family a little tighter and closer tonight and thank my lucky stars.

Starting - Finally

When we first moved into this house, we were thrilled with the amount of storage space. Not only with the built-in cabinets and drawers and the extra rooms, but also with the unfinished, "designated" storage rooms. Yes, rooms. Two of them! We were so happy that there was nothing to finish and nothing that needed to be updated (unless we wanted to - like our downstairs bathroom). But the more we thought about Quentin's "shop/storage room" and how often we really used it, it started making more sense to use it for SOMETHING. We had tinkered with the idea of turning the "shop/storage" space next to the downstairs kitchen into a theater room - and that's when the preschool opportunity came along. So we decided to finish the space with a dual purpose in mind - a preschool 9 months out of the year and a theater room during the summer. I know. Kind of weird - we'll see if it actually works out the way we're thinking! But all I know is that it's getting done. And it will be nice to have the space be usable instead of just a place to stash all of our junk. We've cleared it out, gotten rid of a ton of junk, and have consolidated all of our "storage stuff" into one area - the ONE storage room (and I like my storage room neat and tidy!) And now the fun part begins. Making plans and designs - and Quentin starting lots of hard work - to get the space finished. Yahoo! I can't wait to see this skinny, rectangluar, dark, cold, ugly room be transformed into something warm, bright, beautiful and inviting (though still skinny and rectangular - but hey - there's nothing wrong with that!!) I just hope we can finish the 230 square foot space in the 6 months we have till preschool starts!

Food Inc.

My friend did a post on her blog recently about the documentary "Food Inc." She and her family have been learning more about healthy food choices and have implemented it in their lives. (Even her kids that are about Kiera's age are on board!!) In her post she offered to lend her copy of the video to anyone interested. Quentin and I watched it last night and were blown away. I've been a vegetarian for about 23 years. Label-reading, decoding ingredients and trying to make healthful choices have been a way of life for me. But having a husband and two-thirds of my children prefer "kleenex bread," macaroni and cheese, and basically anything that has white flour and cheese has been hard. At least Makenna eats (actually she adores!) fruits, veggies, quinoa, soymilk, and whole, natural foods. But seeing this movie has inspired both Quentin and me to prioritize and put our family's health and food choices at the top of the list. My only dilemma - how to get the picky eaters to get on board and begin adoring whole, natural, organic, yummy food! Hmmmm....

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown!

Last night was the last production of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" at the girls' school. The last 3 1/2 months have been filled with weekly rehearsals (some 3 hours long!) and this past week has been crazy with the school assembly (where they put on the play for the school) and 2 cast shows for each of the two casts. Whew! I must say though, that the girls have loved being involved in this play. Makenna had been interested in doing some theater classes and this play came along just in time. The girls were both little birds (Big Hoot and Peety) in the play and even though their roles were small, they felt just as important as the "big" characters. The directors have been absolutely wonderful, and I've been impressed with the quality of the teaching and the production. It's been a great experience - one that we'll never forget - and we can't wait till next time!






WITH THE DIRECTORS ADDIE HOLMAN AND DANA MADISON


THE CUTE BRACELETS THE CAST MEMBERS RECEIVED FROM THE DIRECTORS

Discovery Gateway

Today I got to help "chaperone" the second-grade field trip to Discovery Gateway (also known as the Children's Museum). I always like a good excuse to have fun with my girls, especially if it means a little one-on-one time. Kiera was so excited to have me there with her, and we were happy to have Quentin pop in from work for a bit. Fun fun!

Valentine Parties

Don't ya just love how each holiday has celebrations lasting the whole week? Yep, the kids get all sugared up for days prior to the actual holiday! Anyway, today was Kiera and Makenna's class Valentine parties. I had volunteered to help with both - I was in charge of a craft for Makenna's kindergarten party and just had to help with the "cookie making station" in Kiera's class party. After Kiera's party, she begged me to stay for lunch. So Makenna, Kasidee and I ran home, made a quick sack lunch and joined her for lunch and recess. These are the days we'll remember!

MAKENNA'S CUTE LITTLE VALENTINE CREATURE!


KASIDEE THOUGHT THIS IS WHAT THE STICKERS WERE FOR...


MAKING COOKIE'S IN KIERA'S CLASS...


ONE KID'S COOKIE - YES THERE'S A COOKIE UNDER THERE. I GOT A KICK OUT OF WATCHING HER EAT IT!!


KIERA'S WHOLE CLASS


RECESS...

Catch Up

I've been a slacker in the blogging department lately. Most of you could probably care less about what I have to post about today, but since I use my blog as a record of our family's events, I like to include even the mundane things! So here's my modge-podge of events in the last couple of weeks:

Anyway, awhile ago Kiera asked Quentin if he would come to her class to speak about Denmark (where he served his mission). I guess Kiera's teacher had been asking for volunteers to talk to the students about different countries and Kiera was so excited to have her Daddy come to class. I took a few pics but believe it or not this was the best out of the bunch (too bad we can't even see Quentin's face). He was showing the class a long, skinny Danish flag - how cool is that?! He also talked about a blind lady he met in Denmark, who showed him how to write in brail and where to purchase the equipment. Quentin was excited to learn, since his niece Sasha was blind. While preparing his presentation to the class, he "punched" everyone's name in brail to give to them - they thought that was so cool!




Our cute little "Scootlebugs Preschool" sign is up in my yard, attracting cute little customers! :) My preschool partner and I have been busy getting our registration packets ready to send out - we're so psyched!! We each have 7 students on our list already! Yipee!




Playdates at our house are a "feast or famine" type of thing. Since this past week was "early out" from school every day, we had more than our usual share of playdates - and most of them at our house which is fun. (The weather has been so nice they've mostly been outside!) I think I counted 11 different friends in 6 days. Crazy but fun! Makenna had a few of her friends from school over Monday and they wanted me to get a picture of them with the birthday cake they made for Kasidee.


Later in the week we also had my friend Amanda's girls over to play. Quentin and I went to school with Amanda and her husband and have done a few things together here and there. Last summer they moved to Centerville (probably just over a mile away) and we finally had them over to dinner to catch up. Our kids totally hit it off and they invited our girls to a birthday party the next week. Amanda and I haven't stopped hearing about them wanting to play together again, so they came over on Thursday. We figured our kids ages are right in between each other - my Kiera is 7, her Maren is 6, my Makenna is 5 1/2, her Emily is 5, her Katie is 3, and my Kasidee is 2 1/2. She also has a 9-year-old son and an 18-month-old daughter, but her middle kids and my girls have instantly become good friends. And don't you just love a bunch of smiling girls?




This is probably a silly picture, but one day I was walking past my big wall with the clock on it and I noticed a shadow - the sun was bouncing off my backyard neighbor's window and shining on my wall. But it was passing through our trees and the big pinecone my mom had hung in the tree when she made "peanut butter and birdseed birdfeeders!" The shadow was so pretty that I had to quickly grab my camera!




Big news - Kasidee is officially potting training! She's been sort of interested for a few months but I didn't want to do anything until after the holidays. The other day she saw me putting some laundry away and saw some of the girls' panties. She wanted to try them on. So I dug out some in her size and she wore them for about an hour then peed all over in them. But she kept asking to wear them. Since we only had 1 pair in her size, we went to Walmart and let her pick out her very own. She chose Minnie Mouse, of course. She was so excited and wore them the whole day. She would announce when she needed to go on her potty chair, and she even did the big #2 in it. I was even able to take her to church today in her panties! She has had a couple of accidents, but I guess there's no turning back now. She's so proud of herself and I must say I'm amazed at how well she's doing! She's just such a smartie!




Last night Quentin's Grandma Stephens stopped by with Dallin, Crystal and Shlenae. Grandma will be celebrating her 95th birthday next week. Doesn't she look great?! She's an inspiration to everyone. She's always so positive and fun and sweet. Ya just help but smile when she's around!