Favorite Sunday Ever!

What is better than the magical night that you go to bed at 12:00, wake up at 8:00, and get nine hours of sleep? Snuggling with your kids in a king size bed, eating a late breakfast, having stake conference at 1:00 pm so all the girls get their hair done and I get a shower, and still get home in time to relax a while before you have to start dinner. I am a happy girl. It was such a great day.

My Newest Hobby

Look what I did Friday night! Love my latest hobby. It's called the "gourmet club" and there are 14 women in it. We take turns in pairs hosting a gourmet dinner, and Friday night was mine. Here are the pictures and menu that I promised. If you want recipes, you'll have to email me!

Me and my pardner, Anne. She was the best to work with, so easy! She is strong in the areas where I am not, so we make a good pair. Added bonus, she's hilarious!

The invite. These are very formal. You have to practice good etiquette or you are asked to leave the club.

Anne's genius.

So, the menu:

Mango Blueberry Frappe

Butternut Squash Quesadillas with Feta, and Cilantro Lime Dip
Melon Apple Chutney with Ham on Cornbread Rounds

Glazed pear salad

Roasted tomato and roasted yellow pepper soup
with serrano cream.


(no picture, but possible my favorite recipe of the whole night!)
Blood Orange Sorbet


Beef Tenderloin, Roasted Potatoes with Garlic Mustard Herb Vinaigrette and Green Bean Stacks

Pumpkin Gateau with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Orange

The cute girls we hired to help us in the kitchen (and it's a good thing we did!) Amy and Lindsey.

The gourmet ladies. Such fun women, I just love them!


The end of the night. These dinners are such hard work! We planned for months, and we practiced for weeks, and cooked for two days prior to the big night. As we complain and stress about how much we have to do, our husbands wonder why we do it and threaten to start a "golf club." This time around I figured it out. For me, it's the challenge. A chance to sharpen my cooking skills and use my brain, which otherwise get little use. A reason to spend time with friends and laugh. When it's all over and I breathe a sigh of relief that I can put my house back to order, I feel so great about all that I did and learned. And of course there is the great food!

GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!

Yesterday was "Silent Saturday" for our soccer games. This is a once a year deal where the parents and coaches have to keep quiet throughout the entire game. (Brutal) You are only allowed to clap. So with that preface, check out Ashley taking the ball from a girl and sending it home! No idea who the crazy guy is yelling "GOOAALL" during Silent Saturday.

Don't get it

I have been spending lots of time and energy trying to get good at coupon shopping. I'm so irritated with it tonight. I spent hours clipping coupons, matching them up from the Sunday paper and cellfire and shortcuts. I borrowed my SIL's subscription to a grocery game website to print up the shopping list with available coupons, which I gathered all together. I spent almost two hours at the store finding just the right size and quantity of things I needed to double up good sales with good coupons. I did not buy things that were not on sale or not on my list. I even went at night so I could focus and not worry about keeping Nate from opening candy or answering Ashley's million questions.

So why can't I match up to the savings that are reported to me by my clever SIL and the mom's who blog about couponing? Arrgh!

Lets hear it friends, how do you do with your money saving attempts? I need some more tips.

Nate and the Spider

Nate is pretty funny about bugs. He likes them, but is also afraid sometimes. Tonight we got out the Halloween decorations for f.h.e. and there was a big plastic spider in there. I put in on a lamp shade, and then it turned up on the ground where Nate noticed it and started to smash it with a ball.

Then it flipped over and he squatted down beside it and hit the ground nearby trying to get the spider to move. When nothing happened he hit the ground again saying, "come on, dude!" Ah la la la la. Justin and I cracked up.

Then Justin took the spider and pretended to get Nate with it, but Nate jumped back and said, "Hey! Stop it Dad!" Such a funny age. That kid is endless entertainment.

Sorry about my poor cinematography.

Day to day business

Nate fell on the sidewalk and split his poor lip open. It is pretty much completely healed now, one week later but he looked pretty sad last week.

I love these twinkly eyes, the wavy gold hair, and the little mole on her cheek. She lost a tooth Sunday, she came up to me and I pulled it right out with a paper towel. She lost it the first night so then she wrote a cute note to the tooth fairy to put under her pillow but we found the tooth in her bed. She got her dollar this morning.

Grab the popcorn, here we go:

Black=Ashley talking Green=Me talking Blue=situation description

Mommy, what apple is this? Is this a play one or a real one?
Real.
Can I have a bite of it?

Mom, can you get a toothpick out so I can get that? Showing me apple in her teeth.

Is this a new bracelet?

Pointing to a box of cookies, Mommy what are these for?

Mommy howcome...what are you going to do with the graham crackers?

Watch me how I do it. Biting the apple.

Mommy. You gotta take a bit of this apple, it's soo good! Mmm, yummy yummy yummy.

Mom what did you do?

Mom are we going to play in the nursery? On the way to a Relief Society activity.

Mom what are you going to be making?

Can I have some Honeycombs?

I slowed down to make a left, Mom why are you stopping when there's a green light?
Hey mom I think I saw a police car.

Mommy I made a double sandwich for Bubba. Out of Honeycomb cereal.

Pulling into the church parking lot, Where's Anne Copelands car?

Do we have church on rainy days?

Mom, when can we go camping? I don't know. Howcome we can't go right now?

Picking her up after the Relief Society activity, Mom are we going somewhere else, like shopping?

Howcome you writed a list down? That's why I reminded you.

I am so funny!

Can I have a drink of that?

Mommy, howcome you wroted a list down? No answer, I'm writing.
Mommy! What is that list for?
I'm writing down all the questions you ask me.
Why?
So I can put it on my blog.
So you can read it like every day your on it?

Uh, Mom can I have a drink of your shake?

Mommy howcome they make the tall tower? Driving past the radio tower near our house.

Mommy don't you think it would be cute if I had a tall pony in my hair? And put like a clippy in it.

Mom the garage door is all the way open! As I sit in the driveway writing down the last question.

Grabbing my hand and holding it. That reminds me what I want to make with you. I want to make those yummy cookies that you gave your friends at church today.
No, you have already had ice cream so you can't have anything else until you eat the rest of your apple.
FINE! After all of these apples are done than I'm finished! And I'm not eating anything else!

Why?

What was that sound?

Can we eat kiwi tonight? While still working on her apple.

Wiping the windows inside my car, Can I wipe the other windows Mommy? Because the other window is pretty dirty!
Sure.
Where is the paper towel?
In Nate's car seat.
This is a great day to clean the windows!

Howcome I can't do the other side of the front seat door?

Why?

Hey, what's on me?

Playing with an electric toothbrush, Mom what if the doctor's office had a toothbrush just like mine and they had to spin it on your hand and it tickles?
That would be funny.
That would be hilarious! Can I try that on your hand?

Mommy howcome you're writing like a whole... She's on to me.

Hey Mommy let me show you something it's going to tickle so bad! Sticks the toothbrush under her armpit.

Hey Mom, what if I was eating with my armpit and I had to toothbrush it!

I asked her to do something, I'm too busy brushing my shoe. That head is going in the trash.

What?!

I asked her to scratch my back, Hey Mommy can I scratch it under your shirt?

Mom are you writing me down as laughing?

Mom, tell me all the words you writed down.

Mommy can you read me this page?

Can I walk on your back?

Howcome I can't brush your hair?
You can.
She comes back with a brush and I hear a noise.
Don't toothbrush it!
Howcome I can't toothbrush it?

Mommy can you take your clip out?

Your hair has enough hair for filling the whole entire comb up with hair!

Mommy are you going to write this down?

Did you write my name on there?

Mommy, are you going to make a list every morning?

I'm laying down resting, Mommy where did you get that sparkly eye shadow?

Mom when the little hand is on the four we are going to clean the closet.

Mommy how do you get your nails all shiny when you put nail polish on it?

Mommy, can you read this list? Pointing to a page. This one?

Can I write down a page? No. Howcome I can't do it?

I am trying to take a cat nap before the girls get home from school, Howcome we can't clean the closet right now?

Mommy can you do this so I can pop it? A little toy you turn inside out and it pops back.

Mom, when are we going to have a snack? Cuz I'm hungry.

Mommy can I have some gum? I don't have any. Can I just look?

Mommy can you read the list to me? Not right now. Why? I'm resting. Tomorrow can you read it to me?

On the way to Emma's soccer game, Next time we come to the game can we bring stachios?

Mommy how much water does a firetruck hold? A firetruck doesn't hold water. The hose does?


I pretty much gave up after that. We had the game, came home and ate, and put them to bed. Repeat process tomorrow. Get an idea of what being a mother to a small child is like?