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First I couldn't upload any videos...now I can't seem to upload any pictures onto my blog. Not sure what the problem is, but stay tuned.

Way Too Excessive and What A Load Of Crap!

No, this isn't a post about the stimulus package...

This is about our playroom and the problem with excessive amounts of toys.

Neat Freaks, look away.

I don't know if your kids are anything like mine, but I have the kind of kids that had tons of toys that were never played with. And I'm the kind of mom who thinks that all the Littlest Pet Shop toys should all live in their very own bin. And the Barbies should all be together in their own bin. And Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head should all be in one bin and so on and so forth. And I'm also the kind of mom who prefers to have the kids' friends play at our house. And my kids' friends are the kind of kids who like to dump all the toys out, but don't play with them and then I'm left to clean up everything and put all the toys back into their proper bins. I'm not the kind of mom who enjoys this. I started thinking about what toys my kids do actually play with. They like their Littlest Pet Shops, their Nintendo DS's, their American Girl Dolls and Webkinz. I was fairly certain that I could get rid of all other toys and they wouldn't really care as long as they kept what they really love. So since I'm the kind of mom who isn't against bribery, I enlisted the help of two new Webkinz that would live on top of the fridge until my kids got rid of almost all their other toys. Brilliant, I know. Meet Pansy the Hummingbird and Bubbles the Seahorse. I couldn't have done it without them.

With their help we were able to get rid of bags and bags of toys. Gone are the Legos. Gone are the Polly Pockets. Gone is the Princess castle. Gone are stacks and stacks of books, games and puzzles. Gone are all the Dora The Explorer toys. Gone are 2 garbage bags full of stuffed animals. Gone are the doll strollers. Gone are 2 toy cash registers. Gone is the train set. And guess what?!? It's been about 2 weeks since I did all this and the kids don't even miss any of those toys.

Here is the load of crap headed for DI.

You can tell from the debris that was swept up that this is a girls playroom. Beads, barrettes, Barbie shoes, oh, and a fake chicken drumstick...all sure signs.

And here are the results. Looks pretty good.

Now, don't feel sorry for my kids, I have vowed to get rid of half of all my stuff, too. All in all, I feel like my kids have learned a valuable lesson about excess. And how anything in excess can be too hard to manage. Hopefully they will remember this. Ha, who am I kidding?

Don't Try This At Home...Unless You're An Astronaut

Neopolitan Astronaut Ice Cream = YUCKY!

Leer had to go to Seattle for work and he brought us home some Astronaut Ice Cream from a museum he went to. It is gross. Well, unless you like your ice cream warm, chunky, chalky and freeze dried. Needless to say, this is one item that will not be a part of our food storage. In case of disaster, we just won't be eating ice cream. Thanks for thinking of us Leer! Glad I'm not an Astronaut.

Wick & Dilma

Leer has a great uncle and aunt named Dick and Wilma. We rarely see them and the kids don't really know who they are, but Leer and I affectionately refer to them as "Wick & Dilma". A couple weeks ago we went to a family function and when we pulled into the parking lot, I noticed their car and said, "Hey, there's Wick and Dilma!". Chloe, in her pre-teen, cynically-toned, voice asked, "Who's WICKED Dilma?" She didn't understand why we were laughing so hard.

You Be Thelma, I'll Be Louise & Moqui Caves...A Roadtrip

Last Saturday, my dear friend Cindy and I, drove the long 12 hours back to Utah. We talked, we sang, we reminisced, we laughed. There is no one else that can make me laugh as hard as Cindy does. It brought back a lot of memories of all the road trips we'd taken in the past. At a gas station along the way, we even found some of the chocolate toffee covered almonds that were the standard snack we used to eat whenever we would travel, back in the day. They were $6.95 for a little bag, but we didn't care...it's tradition. Just out of Kanab, we stopped for a little culture (and to stretch our legs) at Moqui Caves. The girls had a great time checking out the collection of fluorescent minerals on display there.

All of us

Aubrey, Chloe, Myah

Myah in front of an international money display.

Since it was too dark to photograph any of the fluorescent minerals, I made a video. Probably not the greatest quality.

I Shall Call Her Squishy

The girls and I left Leer alone to study, and took a road trip to Arizona. We finally got to meet Heidi's baby Audrey. Heidi & Jason have waited over 10 years for this baby. I kept asking Audrey, what took her so long to get here and where has she been all this time...but she didn't answer me. What a special baby, though! Totally squishable. I guess it's true what they say, "good things come to those who wait". Myah kept telling Audrey that they were best friends. We miss them already.

Myah & Audrey

Me & Audrey

Heidi, Cindy & Me. These girls have been my best friends for a long time. Heidi since 5th grade & Cindy since 7th. Anyone who can put up with me for that long deserves a medal.

While we were there, we decorated Heidi's plant shelves. This is Cindy, way up there.

Chloe got to spend some time with her friend, Karly, who is Heidi's niece.

Myah Says...

"Mom, did you know my birtday is before Jesus' birtday? 'Cause mine is in Nobember and His is on Christmas....Jesus' birtday should be on Fanksgibing 'cause we're so fankful for Him."

'Twas The Month After Christmas & I Ate Too Much!

'Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).
I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt.
I said to myself, as I only can"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"
So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore,
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

Christmas

Ice Skating on Crescent Lake

The kids had so much fun trying to ice skate on Grandma & Grandpa's lake. They did a pretty good job!

Myah

Chloe

Chloe and Myah falling on their butts simultaneously. This happened quite a bit.

My cute nephew Jack

My adorable niece Kate and my BIG brother Josh

I was kind of worried at the thought of letting my kids skate on a frozen lake because I thought maybe they could fall through the ice. Then I found out that the ice is about 16 inches thick. This is a picture of some ice fishing shanties and trucks out on the middle of the lake. I guess it's safe.

My Dream House

After much finger-licking, stickiness and teamwork, we were able to build our dream house over the holidays. Quaint and tasty...what more could you ask for in a house?

Over The River and Through The Woods...

...to Grandmother's house we go.

I thought I'd take some pictures of my parent's house. They live on a lake in Wisconsin. This is where we are spending Christmas this year. It is really beautiful here and really cold.

Front of house

Back of house

My Dad's woodworking shop and boat garage

What you can see of the house from the lake

If you look closely, you can see a squirrel in this bird feeder on their deck. They get a lot of deer, birds, squirrels and other wildlife in their yard. Even BEARS. Good thing it's hibernation season.

I Like Cookies

If I come back and I'm hardly recognizable, this is why. Judith really outdid herself when she decided it would be a good idea to make over 15 different varieties of cookies, 4 different kinds of breads, and half a dozen different kinds of candy.

I like cookies.

I like candy.

I like bread.

Don We Now Our Gay Apparel

Gay as in...cheery: bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer; full of or showing high-spirited merriment; given to social pleasures often including dissipation; brightly colored and showy; offering fun and gaiety;

Last night we had a fun evening with friends. We went out to eat and thought it would be fun/funny to wear an ugly Christmas sweater. Hopefully YOU don't own any of the sweaters pictured below. It's OK to be jealous.

L-R: Sally, Chris, Shane, Kim, Ben, Heather, Tiffany, John, Cousin Eddie...I mean Tom, Tiffany, Carlye, Cameron, Jason, Me

Some didn't participate (LEARNUS). But I think it was torture enough to have to be seen in public with me in my unfortunate ensemble. Who invented the ugly Christmas sweater, anyway?

Dance Like No One Is Watching

Chloe and Myah had their dance recital last night. It has been so much fun to see them participate in dance this year. They have both absolutely loved it and I think it does wonders for their coordination and self-esteem. Have a looksy.

Myah


Chloe


Great job girls! I'm proud of you.

Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk

Since Myah has turned 5, she is very much in the "I can do it myself" stage of life. For the most part, this new independence works out just fine. Today, however, we discovered that getting a gallon of milk off the top shelf of the fridge is still going to require parental assistance.

This is a gallon-sized puddle of milk on my kitchen floor.

I guess plastic milk cartons are not made to withstand a 5 foot plummet to the floor.

Piano Recital

This year was the first piano recital I've had since I started teaching lessons. My friend Kim and I had a joint recital which worked out good since I teach her boys and she teaches Chloe. I think everyone who participated did a fabulous job. All the hard work and practicing really paid off for the students.

These are my students. Cute, right?

Chloe's playing has really taken off this year. She's worked very hard and I could not be more proud.

This was Myah's big debut. I recently sat down with her just to see if I could teach her or if it was too early. She's a natural and is very eager to learn. The ideal student! As you can see, she was not the least bit nervous and was totally unaffected by the large audience we had.

Festival of Trees

The girls did a great job in their performances at the Festival of Trees. Myah's group danced to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and Chloe's group danced to "That's What Christmas Means To Me". They have had such a fun time participating in dance. Now we're looking forward to the recital.

The Recorder Is Such A Lovely Instrument

For some reason, I can hardly control my laughter when 100 fourth graders are performing in a Recorder Concert. I think I have some sort of disorder or disease which causes me to laugh at inappropriate times. (I know, that's very immature of me and probably bad parenting.) I don't know if it's the high-pitched, off-key, ear-piercing sound or how serious they all are about it. I do have to say, whoever taught them did a great job. They were totally into it and knew every song. Here. Have a listen. Chloe is in the back row and you can hardly see her. :(

I had to stop recording so I could regain my composure. It's hard to keep the camera steady when you're laughing so hard. Sorry, Chloe. I really am proud of you.

Breakfast With Santa

Cousin Hannah, The Grinch, Chloe & Myah

Grandpa and Grandma Childs took everyone to Breakfast With Santa last weekend. It was lots of fun (except for the annoying Sugar Plum Fairy who pranced around like she really was a fairy). Grandma Shelley even bought all the girls matching outfits and crocheted hats for the occasion. Myah laughed her head off when The Grinch told them they looked like strawberry ice cream with whipped cream on top. But the highlight of the event was when Myah won a candy counting contest and walked away with 23 kit-kats. She guessed 22.