During one of my many blog-stalking explorations this morning I came upon this link.
I know so many of us out in blogland need a break from the craziness. Admit it, I've read your blogs and know that I am not the only one. So, I thought that since I know so many ladies that are going to the premiere of Twilight (and this includes me) I thought I would support this mom, to help her get more traffic to her blog and make her possible trip a reality. Just check it out!
Some of you know that the main purpose of this blog is the immortalize for posterity the goings-on of my family. I have ever intention of having this blog made into "journals" for my family to keep forever...or until they are too embarrassed and decide to file them in the local landfill. So, as I was walking around my house the other day I realized I have overlooked a major part of our recent goings-on. My house is not clean. Most of you know this. I have 4 kids all young. They don't really care how the house looks so it is mostly left up to me (although I force them to clean it get dirty within 2.5 seconds because they just don't seem to care). If anyone has brilliant ideas of how to get the kids in on the cleaning and loving it let me know.
Well, I decided to post pictures of how my house is treated by my children. One day when they have children of their own and go crazy in their houses I will be able to bust out the blog book and show them that it is only "PAY BACK!" So have fun with the pics and with the theme song "Our House" by Crosby, Stills and Nash. Oldie and goodie.
The ceiling in Kylie's room- back with they had bunk beds this was great fun- grab a crayon and color on the ceiling. I obviously haven't cleaned it yet. Hey, it hasn't been a year yet, get off my back.
In the bathroom is a stack of drawers to hold the essentials. You have seen this in a previous post I will not mention. Anyway, coloring is not only for paper and walls, now it is for drawers in the bathroom. I don't recall ever coloring in the bathroom as a child, but if my kids do it, it must be great fun.
Yes, that is a toilet seat lid and that is Malia's little hand. Again, we are in the bathroom. Who needs a fuzzy toilet lid cover when you can just take a pen and scribble cute things on the lid?
This is a wingback chair- I know you love the upholstery. DI special (Utahns know what I mean, huh?). Not long after getting this one the kids decided that this chair needed some extra flair. What goes great on a chair? How about a big hole? Great idea! Let's jab it with a pen until it goes through then just tug at the hole until it opens up nice and big. Let's also do a couple of little holes around it, little babies for the mommy hole. Good times.
Honestly- not even 2 days after Dalen and I finished the basement walls, texturing, painting and just trying to get it to not look like a dungeon (still does, by the way) the kids took the above wingback chair and tipped it over, while standing on it creating this lovely one-of-a-kind hole in the wall. Daddy was just so excited to see the newly decorated wall he could hardly stand it!
This is food. Before I cleaned it off the wall I had to get a picture of this one. You know when you have chocolate syrup on your icecream you really need to practice the good manners of sharing. I don't recall ever including the wall in the list of PEOPLE to share with, but apparently my kids have a list of their own.
Britin was brilliant with this manuever! A week after we finishes painting the hallway upstairs (so it didn't look dirty with the beige walls-YUCK!) she must have thought the walls had an itch. She was scratching the wall over and over again until she noticed that a little bit of paint came off. Well, then she picked at it, pulling at the surrounding paint until it became this! My kids have a knack for picking at things (bears, blankets, skin, etc.).
Now this one, you will notice is the dishwasher. Malia- talented artist that she is, got ahold of a permanent marker and redecorated the front of the dishwasher. Beautiful artwork, don't you think?
Lastly this is the wall downstairs, where mommy rarely goes now, because of things like this.
My final thoughts- thank heavens for Mr. Clean magic erasers. I would love to kiss the brilliant person who came up with that one!
**funny little side-note about the magic erasers- I was cleaning the bathroom not too long ago, getting crayon off of the bathtub- forgot to grab the camera before cleaning up that mess- and left the eraser next to the tub. That night Kylie showered and afterwards came out and told me that her face, just below her eyes was hurting. It was red alright. I thought that she was having an allergy attack or something. Only to find out later that she had used the magic eraser to clean her face. What in the world? Maybe she thought that since it did such a good job of cleaning everything else it would do a great job of cleaning her face. Well, needless to say, but I will say it anyway, she rubbed off a number of layers of skin just below her eyes, leaving huge red marks. She was really embarrassed by this event, so don't mention to her that I put this on the blog. She'll have to wait until she gets older to find out that her mom spilled the beans on this one, K?
** UPDATE- just thought that I'd fill you in on the burn situation on Kylie's face- this happened during the summer. She was better within a few days. I know they aren't safe to clean bodies with, so I am much more careful with them now. Just had no idea at the time that my 7 year old would think it was a helpful body-cleaning tool.**
You all thought I was going to get all political on you, huh? I'll save that for next week. Today, in honor of the upcoming elections I am holding my own polling.
Time to vote, ladies and gentlemen. Which one is best??? Please limit your vote to 1 picture for me and 1 picture for the sexy hubby.
#1. This one is me my graduation year... 1994. Sweet, eh? Dalen laughed when he saw it because he said it actually looks like one of my old school photos. Should I be offended?
#3. Or, how about this one... from '78. The one from my birth year was awful, so I had to branch out a couple of years to find this one.
Now for Dalen's pictures- ooh! sexy!
#1 (the year his mom graduated)
#3 (the year he was born)
Most people know that I love to bake and cook. I am usually pretty good at it too. I especially love to bake desserts because I heart SUGAR! I have a major sweet tooth (I have a funny story about a sweet tooth comedy act, but I'll save that for a later date- if I remember).
Well, this morning some friends and I had a fabulous "Happy Divorce" party for another friend of ours. I know this sounds weird, but this really isn't a bad thing for her. She is like 60-something and hasn't known where her husband has been for the last 8 years. He calls every so often for money, but that is about it. So this really wasn't a sad thing for her. She showed up and actually had tears in her eyes- I am thinking because she was touched by the support she felt, not because we chose the wrong shade of red. It's her favorite color- but it has to be the BRIGHT red, no dark, blue based red or maroons for this girl! Anywho- I was in charge of the dessert, and going with the theme of red I thought that I would make a strawberry shortcake dessert. I love it with angel food cake the best, so I went to a couple of stores and they told me they don't have any because it isn't strawberry season anymore. NICE! So I had to go with a box mix, which I have never tried with an angel food cake. I figured it would be an adventure and a learning experience. It sure was.
My thoughts have always been- when you are cooking/baking something for the first time I need to follow instructions to the letter, after that I am free to have at it with my own ideas. Well, I followed the instructions...especially the one that specifically says (and I am quoting directly from the back of the box), "Do not use a Bundt cake pan or angel food pan that is smaller than 10" x 4", or the batter will overflow." Well, I have a supreme Bundt cake pan, bigget than 10" x 4", so being confident that I was following the instructions I had at it and put the cake in the oven.
It wasn't long before I started to smell burning. There have been a couple of spills in the oven before - hey, this happens when the oven is actually used. I decided to do some checking though, and sure enough this is what I found.
Actually, when I first opened the oven the cake was about 4 inches over the top. What in the world. I think it was a humbling experience for me, though. I need to be put into my baking place. Really, I will never be a Martha Stewart, Emerille, or even Julia Child. I am just little old me, who can't even get an angel food cake to turn out right.
The best part of this whole thing is actually right now because as I am sitting typing this out I have the oven on auto clean and it is STINKIN' up the house. Kylie came running in to my office and said there was smoke in the kitchen. Of course there is, the cake is being burned to ashes as we speak. We will be holding a memorial service for the cremated ashes later this even. All those wishing to pay respects or send condolences may do so in the comment section of this post!
Theme music for this post- Burning down the house by Talking Heads.
Last night was our ward Halloween party. It was great. We actually had a dinner this year and I thought it was so good. Potato Bar- need I say more? Okay, so you all probably have no idea how much I love potatoes. It was a definite bonus part of serving a religious mission in Idaho! Lots of potatoes and I learned how to make them just about everyway possible. Also, I learn what potato flakes are made from and also boxed dehydrated potatoes, and there is no way you could get me to eat them! ... Unless it was the last thing to eat in the world and I hadn't eaten anything for 83 days- and then I'd still have to ponder if I could really down them!
Back to my story about the party. The costumes were really fun! My kids had a blast being princesses, an indian and Luke Skywalker.
She was a little bugged that people kept asking if he was "Hokaponnas." She got annoyed and said- "No, I'm an indian!" I had to explain that "POCAHONTAS" was an indian. Then she was happy!
This one probably only means something to those of us who are related- but Emily looks like the spitting image of her grandma, who is on a mission- my aunt! Loved this costume, so did the rest of the ward- we all knew who she was dressed as!!!
The bishopric- this year- SUMO Wrestlers! They really get into the act.I found this on another blog and loved it. I love to read so I was curious to find out what character I resemble and was pleasantly surprised by this one...
Yeah! I don't think I am really like her, but I think it made me feel good about myself today, and that is always helpful! Who are you?
I am totally a proud mom. My son is such a great little guy. Last week he came home with a ribbon pinned to his shirt, proudly announcing he was the "Student of the Day" at his school. Last year Kylie got that award and this year I was blessed to have my son get the award. We may not be a perfect family, but I am thinking I have some great kids. He kept the ribbon on his shirt for the rest of the day so he could make sure his dad saw him with it on.
The school also gives a folder of fun prizes to the honoree. A great pencil, a gift certificate for free crazy bread at Little Skeezers and a fantabulous gift certificate. He was awarded the student of the day for "Always coming to school with a smile on his face." I love my bud!
