What's Not To Love?



Okay, friends, this is my almost two year old. She is wild and spunky and crazy and I love her to pieces. I don't know if it's because she is the 3rd little girl in our family and just has to act out to get attention, but she is more trouble than my other two combined. She also brings laughter to our home more than anyone else.

For example, she has a thing against wearing clothes. (As you can see in the photo-- no pants.) She loves to strip herself down and run naked in circles around our kitchen table. For 10 minutes. And all the while I'm thinking, "Please don't pee on the floor, please don't pee on the floor." I'm really hoping this is a phase that she will grow out of.... not that I wouldn't be proud to be the mother of the girl who streaks at football games or anything.

Another frustrating antic of this little one is how she gets rid of food she doesn't want to eat. Here are the ones we see almost daily:

1. Chuck it across the table at Daddy's head.

2. Slide it under her chair to the dog. Seriously, we've tried training the dog not to beg for food while we're at the table, but until we can train our kid not to give it to her, I don't think we have a chance with the dog.

3. Put it in her mouth, chew, then lean way over and spit it onto the floor.

Little Darling also perseverates. Right now she loves babies (okay, she's always loved babies, but right now it's really intense) So, if she sees a baby, she cries out "Baby, baby" until she's holding it. Not such a big deal when we're at home and I can give her the doll, but how about when we took the girls to see Tangled this weekend and my daughter had a panic attack that she couldn't hold Baby Rapunzel? Or how she got into an altercation (that being the grown up way of saying fist fight) in nursery when an innocent little girl took her baby?

The child is a problem solver. She loved getting into the cupboard under the sink where we keep the dishwasher detergent, so in an effort to avoid becoming best friends with Poison Control, we installed those little baby latches on the cupboards. It took her two days to figure out how to push down and open the doors so that she could again mouth the dish soap. Obviously, I thought, the solution was to put the soap up high out of her reach.... but no. She just drags a chair over from the table, climbs onto the counter, and grabs the soap again. She has realized that she might not be tall enough to reach what she wants, but she can always figure out a way to climb up. That kind of problem solving ability will come in handy later in life, right, like if she's ever trapped on a deserted island?

My girl has a love/hate relationship with the snow. She gets so excited to see it out the window, begs to don all her winter gear (which takes about 30 minutes because she insists on doing it all by herself), then rushes out into the cold. And realizes it is cold. Touches the snow and realizes it is both wet and cold. Realizes she'd much rather be back inside where she's warm. Repeat the 30 minutes to remove winter gear. 

So, yes, there are days when I think she might drive me crazy. All that energy trapped inside a little body, without more than 25 words to express what she's thinking.... it probably drives her crazy too.

And yet, I love her in a way that crushes me. I hold her in my lap and run my finger across her smooth little cheek and feel like my heart might burst. I give her Eskimo kisses and she laughs and cries out "More, nose, more." I read her book after book after book and she never tires of sitting there, cuddled by my side. I am her Mommy, her favorite friend, her comfort object, her world.

And she is mine.

Community Resources

I guess it's the social worker in me, but I feel compelled to do a post about resources that are available to help parents. Reason being, there are so many out there! If you are having a struggle with a child, there are people out there who would jump at the chance to assist you. If you are struggling with your own issues of depression, there are counselors who set aside part of their day to assist on a no-fee policy. If you have legal troubles you can't take care of on your own, there are programs that provide attorneys for you to talk to. There is no shame in needing help (okay, I'm crying as I type this), there is no shame in seeking to make a better life for you and your family. It's okay to ask, I promise.
I found all of these resources at the United Way of Utah County website, under the tab Find Help and click on Check our Online Database. Seriously people, there are more than 350 listings, go check it out! For those of you who don't live in Utah County, I would google United Way in your area to see what resources are available to you. Most of them are national programs, so they should be available everywhere.
Here's a list of some that I thought might be pertinent:

Parenting Group-- a 12 week course for parents taught at BYU. Topics include how to connect with your children, setting limits, teaching values, etc.

Speech and Language Clinic-- a BYU clinic for any child with any type of speech delay.

Autism Study-- a study for kids with autism ages 4-7.

Couple Treatment Study-- for married couples. Will receive reimbursement for participating in study/counseling sessions.

Walk in Volunteer Clinic-- a free clinic for non-emergency medical needs, including well child checks.

Mutual Self Help Housing-- a program for low income families to assist in building their own homes. Kind of like Habitat for Humanity, but there's a group of families that all work together building each other's homes. I helped with this a few years ago and it was so fun, especially because it turned out we knew one of the people who would be moving into the neighborhood we were working on.

Children with Special Health Care Needs-- evaluations for children whose parents feel there is a significant delay in their child's development (speech, hearing, vision, learning, autism, etc.)

Welcome Baby-- a program for new mothers. I volunteered with this program for almost a year and I would meet with new moms and talk to them about what to expect their baby to be doing, ways to interact with their child, how to care or the baby, etc. They have a new component which involves playgroups and even have free information to download about how to hold a successful playgroup that teaches your child social skills.

Help Me Grow-- a program that can provide assessments on child's development and provide information about resources available.

And, if you'd like, the United Way website also has a huge list of volunteer opportunities in the community. There are so many things that you've probably never heard of, but would be super helpful and fun to be a part of this year!

Thankful for Work?

I was searching the internet for a good quote on Thanksgiving, something about being thankful to have dishes in the sink because it means that we've been surrounded by food and friends. Do you know the one I'm talking about? Well, I found it, but I also found these other two quotes that I thought were fabulous.

“What people don't realize is that the so-called Seattle grunge scene grew out of several close-knit gourmet supper clubs - we would only pick up guitars to pass the time while our dishes were simmering, baking, boiling, etc.”

-Kurt Cobain

"The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes."
-Agatha Christie

I know, you're thinking, what in the world do Kurt Cobain and Agatha Christie have in common? Well, they are both immensely creative people whose works have sold millions of copies and influenced their scene completely. Would there be modern rock without Kurt Cobain? Maybe, but it sure wouldn't be the same. Which mystery writer of the 20th century has defined the genre? Agatha Christie for sure.
And here they are, both saying that many of their ideas were born while they were engaged in somewhat meaningless tasks like cooking dinner and doing the dishes. Tasks that must be done every day, and tasks that I dread every day. Maybe I'm just looking at it in the wrong way. Maybe instead of looking at the dishes as something gross that's keeping me from what I'd like to be doing, I need to look at it as a time when I can let my mind wander, peruse, and create because my body is engaged in work so automatic I could do it in my sleep. Maybe we need "mindless labor" like this every day so that our brains have a chance to do what they do best-- think. Maybe the dishes are a blessing after all.
It reminds me of my favorite quote from our recent General Conference by Elder Christofferson "A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires."
The work we do each day may seem menial and unimportant, but the reality is that we need it. We need it for the obvious reason: otherwise we'd live in filth and disease. But we also need it for less obvious reasons like allowing our minds to work on creative pursuits and for consecrating our lives.
Yes, I suppose that I am thankful for work. Now I'm going back to bed.

100 Things I'm Thankful For

In no particular order....

1. My husband
2. My daughters
3. My parents
4. My in-laws and extended family
5. My health
6. My children's health
7. Competent medical care when we need it
8. Insurance-- it costs a ton, but we'd be in huge trouble without it
9. My husband's job so I can stay home with my kids
10. The Gospel
11. My friendly neighbors
12. Close friends that I've known forever
13. Close friends that I've only known a little while
14. Good books
15. My computer
16. My education
17. My experience as a social worker
18. Comfortable pajamas
19. Cozy warm bed
20. The moon
21. The sun
22. The stars
23. Camping
24. Being a counselor at Oakcrest
25. Indoor plumbing
26. Yummy food
27. Snow at Christmas time
28. Any day when the high temperature is around 80 degrees
29. My talents
30. Your talents!
31. Being surrounded by so many amazing people who teach me new things
32. The pears I canned this fall. De-lish
33. Diapers that don't leak
34. Car seats and other safety devices
35. Vaccines. (there's opening a can of worms....)
36. Freedom to make my ow choices
37. Men and women who sacrifice for this freedom. It's just as much of a sacrifice to be the wife/mother who stays home and worries while her husband is fighting in a war
38. Fun blogs to read
39. Facebook to connect me with old friends
40. My calling as a Sunbeam teacher
41. Our ward/stake leaders
42. The prophet
43. On nights when my girl is sick, I am thankful that I remembered to pick up the toys on her floor before bed. That way, when she threw up in the middle of the night it only messed up the carpet and I didn't have to disinfect 50 billion toys.
44. People who work hard to make our community a better place
45. People who plant flowers along Main St. in our town every spring
46. Swimming pools
47. Life jackets
48. Parks
49. Tall trees that give lots of shade
50. Lilacs and their delicate scent
51. The way daffodils are the happy announcers that spring has arrived
52. Perspective
52. Learning from mistakes
53. Autumn leaves, especially crunchy ones
54. Libraries. How awesome is it that we can go there and pick out something we want and they let us take it home for free?
55. Story time at the library
56. Amazing teachers like Mrs. Burgi and Ms. Heather
57. The nice old guys who work at Macey's
58. Warm coats
59. The trail by our house
60. Memories
61. Giving service
62. Receiving service
63. Toddler cheeks
64. Little babies' soft squishy bums
65. My testimony
66. Smart people
67. Kind people
68. Sledding
69. Skiing
70. Snowshoeing
71. Hot chocolate
72. Girl's night out
73. Date night
74. Family night
75. Crayons, markers, playdoh, watercolors.... and everything else that helps to keep my children entertained and explore their creativity
76. My college roommates (I had a dream about us all being back in the apartment last night)
77. Dreams
78. Disneyland
79. Paris
80. U2 (my husband and I fell in love at a U2 concert)
81. Temples
82. Good deals you find on the internet
83. Going out to eat
84. The shelves in our game closet
85. The scriptures
86. Fresh spices (seriously, using fresh basil instead of dried makes all the difference!)
87. Food storage
88. My sewing machine
89. craiglist
90. Yard sales
91. Clothes that fit
92. My camera
93. Scrubbing Bubbles
94. Good movies
95. Good music
96. Good friends for my kids
97. My one neighbor who lets me borrow anything I ever need
98. Opportunity
99. Black Friday sales
100. Comments (hint, hint)

Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave

There's this fine line we walk as mothers. How much truth do we really want our children to know? This may seem like an absurd question. You're thinking-- I want to be completely honest with my kids.
But, really, do you?
Do you want to be the mom who dispells a child's belief in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy? On one hand, you're practically a criminal if you do tell your kids that Santa's not real. Because of course your kid is going to tell all the other kids at recess and then poof!-- all the magic of Christmas is gone. On the other hand, if you choose to lie to your kids about the existence of Mr. C, you know they'll find out eventually. They may conclude that you are a liar. If you'd lie about Santa, what else would you lie to them about? How are they to know what, if any, things you tell them are true.
Do you want to be the mom who glosses over serious issues like abuse, abduction, drugs, etc. because you don't want to frighten your little ones? What if this lie results in the most frightening consequence of all: that your child is put in one of those situations and doesn't know how to handle it? Doesn't know to scream and run, to tell a trusted adult, to just say no? Or is it better to lay the truth of the entire scary world, which is truly full of bad guys that no super hero can stop,  in front of your child so they are prepared for what they will face?
Do you want to be the mom who tells your kids the truth about your imperfections? That in spite of your status as a grown up, you're still afraid of spiders, thunderstorms, earthquakes, airplanes, even the dark? That there are some situations over which you have absolutely no control, that there are some times when nothing you can do will make it all better? Or do you hide that cowardly side of yourself, pretend to be large and in charge-- in order to give your kids a sense of security and peace?
Tonight I am faced with a dilemma. Do I lie to my daughter and tell her everything is going to be okay? Her little best friend is moving 14 hours away and her heart is breaking. Do I tell her it's okay, that we'll see Addie again soon? Do I tell her that soon she's got loads of other friends so she shouldn't be so concerned? Or do I hold her, cry with her, and let her know that sometimes life just sucks? Sometimes bad things happen and there's not a thing you can do about it.
I'm not sure I'm ready for her to know that yet. Not sure that I want another sliver of her innocence to drift away.She's only six after all. And so, once again, I have looked into her trusting blue eyes and told an outright lie.
Sort of. In the long run, things really will be okay. It will be a rough couple weeks, and we'll always miss our friend, but eventually things will be okay. I guess that's the truth I really want her to know anyway-- that when life gets hard she can get through it. I hope she'll trust me on this.

Kid Activity: Numbers

Technology is not really my friend today. My camera is busted (yes, my $500 camera. I'm so mad!) and my Word program won't open. So, here's a super simple idea to do with your kids without a photo.

Write the numbers 0-10 on individual cards and scramble them up. Have your child put the numbers in order. See if he can do it in descending order as well. Ask him to pull out a certain number (ie 6). You could also pull out two at a time and see if he can add them.

This is a simple way to see if your child recognizes the symbols we use to represent numbers. This came home as homework for our kindergartener, but our preschooler could do it too. So often kids surprise you with things they have picked up without you noticing.

Do You Like to Eat?

Do you like to eat? Because I sure do. I don't particularly enjoy cooking/baking, but I sure do like to eat food that tastes good. One of my good friends is a foodie and has shown me the world of recipe blogs, so I thought I'd share some with you. I promise I've tried every recipe I mention here and have loved it!
1. http://www.itwasamazing.blogspot.com/
My friend Kristi started this blog a couple of years ago. It's great because a whole bunch of different people contribute, and the only rule is that it has to be something they actually ate in their family. So you get some really healthy ideas, some that are for huge groups (like the girl who posted the recipe for enough chicken salad sandwiches to feed her Super Saturday), and some that are simple and easy.
Here are some of my favorites:
cilantro chicken , Monterey chicken, spinach stuffed chicken breasts, brocolli and bowties, fiery fish tacos.

2. http://www.ourbestbites.com/
I just found this one about a month ago so I haven't tried too much yet. But I do really love the ones I've tried, especially the Monster Munch. I made some of that for a Halloween party and have made it twice since then. I just love it!
Apple streusel bars, monster munch, chicken taquitos.

3. http://www.melskitchencafe.com/
I've been following this blog for more than a year, and I really do find most of my new recipes here. She seems to have much the same tastes as me, which is awesome. I do not think there is a single recipe I've tried from her site that I haven't liked. That's pretty strong praise. My favorites are:
Chicken fajitas, lemon and garlic grilled chicken, skillet chicken with brocolli and parmesan (very similar to Penne Rosa from Noodles & Co.) , stir fry basil chicken, slow cooker Italian beef, southwest rice and bean salad.

I dare you to try something new this week! What are your favorite recipe sites? I'm always hungry for more. ha, ha.

Tired of Looking Like a Mommy?

In my various employment adventures I have been forced to wear a uniform. My high school gig at All-A-Dollar required khaki pants and a white shirt. I worked at Old Navy back when all the staff wore those blue Tshirts with the ON logo on them. When I worked at the wedding video company, I had to wear a dress every.single.day-- in case there was some catastrophe and I had to go help at an actual wedding. (It happened more than once, so it's good I was prepared.) My post-college job as a social worker didn't have a specific dress code, but since I still looked like I was in high school, I always wore professional clothes so I didn't get detention for skipping class when I was on the job.

Then I became a mother. And what, my friends, is the appropriate attire for mothering?

So, for the last six years I have worn jeans and a T shirt pretty much every day. I like to kid myself into thinking I'm going out on a limb if the shirt is striped or has a V neck, but in reality, it's always just jeans and a T shirt. Kind of blah, huh?

A friend of a friend is doing some fashion challenge for the month of November where she picked 30 items in her closet and is just trying to rearrange them into different outfits all month long, not repeating once. I was in shock. I pretty much wear the same thing every day. I resolved to do better, to go out on a limb.

I bought skinny jeans. I tried on leggings, though I couldn't get over how huge they made my feet look so I didn't purchase them. I bought a cool hat. I was on my way to a total transformation-- a real fashionista!

Then I went into DownEast while I was at the mall the other day. I beelined for the clearance section and I found this amazing dress.

Only it was black. It's so pretty, all satin-y and flowy and has that cute flower thing under the chest. Loved it. So, even though it didn't make any sense, I tried it on. And I loved it even more. Isn't it fabulous when you actually like what you see when you try something on? 

Here was the best part

Ten bucks! That's it? For this gorgeous dress that made me feel like a princess? Sold!
There was a moment of debate when the sales lady told me that all clearance are final sales. Cannot return, which I am known to do. I have absolutely nowhere to wear this dress. It would be great if I were going to Homecoming again, but I'm not. It would be great if I were going on a cruise, but I'm not. It would be great if my husband's firm had some swanky holiday party that necessitates a fancy dress, but it doesn't.
And yet. I felt like a princess. Not like a tired, cranky, frumpy, dowdy, been-wearing-Tshirts-for-six-years-and-you-sure-can-tell Mom.
So I bought it. My girls are thrilled, we're going to have a dress up party all together. That got me thinking-- what if all the other mommies I know feel the same way? What if you all  are wishing for some occasion to really dress up? Wasn't part of the fun of high school dances just getting ready? Knowing you were looking a-maz-ing? Feeling the satiny fabric against your skin, hearing the skirt swoosh as you walked? Don't you wish you could do it again?
Well, let's! Let's have a fancy mommy dress up day. We could go out to dinner somewhere nice (or not), or we could just meet at my house and eat chocolate fountain until we pass out. I promise that if you'll ignore my outie bellybutton courtesy of Baby #3 I will ignore your muffin top. Let's just dress up and have fun. You know you want to.

(Seriously, if you want to, leave a comment. I'll plan something)

PS-- The DownEast website has lots of fabulous dresses on clearance right now. In case you *cough* aren't exactly the same size as whatever formal you have lurking in your closet.

Kid Activity: Paint a Mural

 Once I helped a lady in our ward move and she gave me a bunch of her junk that she didn't want to take with her. I am a sucker for free junk! I scored a griddle (which I use at least twice a week) and a roll of butcher paper. My kids are HUGE fans of the butcher paper.

 One day I just taped a long stretch of it to an open wall in our kitchen and let them paint a mural. Painting a mural is different than painting a picture on a table because it's so much bigger and you get to stand up! They loved it, even though the younger ones didn't exactly utilize all the space.

My favorite was this from our little friend Max. He painted a picture of how he learned to dive this summer.

Do you see a little boy diving there? I sure do.

On the road again

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and for many of you, that means being trapped in a car with your little ones for eternity while you travel. I'm lucky because most of my family lives within an hour of me, but we have made some long road trips and it can be a nightmare. Here are some ideas that I've picked up for our journeys:
1. Leave as early in the morning as possible. Or maybe as late at night as possible. Basically, leave at a time when your kids are most likely to be sleeping, so they will sleep in the car. Sleeping children are much more pleasant to travel with.
2. Make it special. I have a friend who lived in Texas and would drive (with her 3 kids under 5) back to Utah a couple times a year. That's like a 22 hour drive or something. She told me that she would always go to the store the night before the trip and buy donuts and chocolate milk for breakfast so the kids could eat in the car on the way. We've started doing this too, and our kids love it. (Donuts typically have "treat" status in our family, so it's equivalent to eating ice cream cones for breakfast.)
Another way to make it special is to buy some new toys for your kids to use on the trip. When we went to Disneyland earlier this year, I bought a new coloring book and box of crayons for each of my girls. What a thrill a new coloring book can be. I also bought some cheap little toy (Little Pet Shop maybe?) I wrapped all these things up and they got to pick one item to unwrap each time we stopped. It was awesome! Instead of whining about getting back in the car, they couldn't wait!
3. Snacks. Road trips mean snacks. Another friend of mine took advantage of the post-Halloween candy sale to stock up on treats for her upcoming Thanksgiving road trip. We always have special snacks for road trips-- things I don't usually buy like beef jerky and Pringles. I like to try to pack some healthy foods like apples and oranges in addition to our junk because after a while your body starts to crave something with nutritional value.
As for drinks-- I learned the hard way that those little Yoplait smoothies are a terrible idea. Our daughter spilled hers in her cupholder and didn't tell us about it till we had been in California for 2 days. It was a horrible, nasty mess!
4. Books. My kids love looking at books, even if I'm not back there reading to them. I always pack lots of books. It would also be a great idea to have a book on CD for the family to listen to.
5. Music. Just before we left for a road trip, I checked out the Pinkalicious CD from the library. Let me tell you, it was a hit! We pretty much played it non-stop and the girls even choreographed some moves to go along with the songs. That is such a happy memory for all of us. Go to your library and try to find a new CD that you think your kids might enjoy.
6. Games. Our kids love to play "I Spy" while we're driving. They also like to play a game where we take turns saying words that rhyme. Sometimes we take turns telling stories or adding on to eachother's stories. Recently we introduced them (at ages 4 and 6) to the concept of 20 Questions and they loved it. (we limited it so that they could only choose an animal, this made it easier for them to guess the answer).
Sometimes when the kids are asleep while we drive home at night, T and I will play a game to keep the driver awake. We flip through the stations on the radio, naming the artist who is singing. He complains that I have an unfair advantage on the country stations, but really we both just have a good time together. Another one we play is where one of us randomly says a word (like "blue") and the other has to come up with a song that has that word in the title (Blue Suede Shoes).
Feel free to share any of your road trip tips in the comments, that's what we're trying to do this month.
Good luck with your holiday travels! Be safe.

Hold on to your children

If you came to my house today, this is what you would see:
 My family room looks like this.

We tore everything apart over the weekend to paint, but still haven't put it back together. Why is it that I decide to do major projects when there's really no time to get them done? Why is it that I have decided that now is the right time to go through everything on my shelves to weed out the irrelevant stuff?

 My sink looks like this. A little bit of dishes from last night, breakfast, and lunch.

My bed looks like this. Like the laundry basket threw up all over it.

Seriously, I wonder if I have cleaning ADD. I seem to be incapable of completing a project before starting a new one.
And so, rather than spew off fabulous mothering advice for the day, I am going to work on cleaning my house. My advice (to myself especially) is that sometimes you've just got to do what needs to be done,even if it's not fun.

Here's a great quote from RosemaryWixom, Primary General President at Oct. 2010 conference:
"Parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends, Primary leaders-- each of us can reach out to hold onto the children. We can stop, kneel down, and look into their eyes and feel of their innate desire to follow the Savior. Take hold of their hands. Walk with them. It is our choice to anchor them on the path of faith."

So, even if your house is a mess, even if you forget to do your hair and make up 75% of the time, even if all you can make for dinner is Captain Crunch.... Hold on to your children. The mess won't last forever, but they will.

Gratitude Garland

Here's a fun idea we did for FHE last night, courtesy of http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/garland-of-gratitude-668045/   . I just used their template to cut out leaf shapes on fall paper, then we each took turns writing things we were grateful for on the leaves. They are stapled to a peice of twine and hung on my empty wall (because I was CRAZY last weekend and painted my family room and kitchen and still have not put everything back together. But do you like the color? Sherwin Williams Comfort Grey. Love it. But I digress.)
They would be darling over a mantle, on a stair railing, or pretty much anywhere. It's always good to count our blessings, right?

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Do you know how I do food storage? I buy what I like, when it's on sale. Which is why I have about 250 bags of chocolate chips in my pantry. Because although we may not have enough pinto beans to survive a year, we will definitely not starve. We will be trading our chocolate with all the practical people who stored real food.
Sometimes on Sunday afternoons I hear my chocolate chips beckoning to me. I have a favorite Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, but once in a while I like to mix it up. Last week I made Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, but they weren't really very good.
Today I tried these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies from http://www.itwasamazing.blogspot.com/. They are fabulous! Most pumpkin cookies are really dense, but these are so light and fluffy-- almost like a mini cake. The girls loved helping out, especially licking the spoon. You should try it with your kids!

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup shortening

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I probably did 1 1/2 cups)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and pumpkin until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips. Stir in the walnuts if desired. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Book Review

One of my favorite activities to do with my kids is cuddling up and reading a story. I love to feel their soft little bodies snuggle against me, I love to rest my cheek on the top of their heads, I love to hear them giggle with delight or recite the lines along with me because we've read the book so many times.
Reading with your kids is important to their development, both intellectually and emotionally. They grow to understand how books work, that stories are fun, and see letters working together to convey thoughts. Emotionally they feel of your love as you take time each day to hold them close and share something special. I read at least one book to each of my girls individually before I put them down for naps/quiet time. Yes, it cuts into my "me" time, but it's worth it. I love reading!
Here are a few of my favorite books. I'm sure you can find them at your library.

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Charlotte's Web by E.B White

I know I mentioned the other day how I love this book, and really I do. I love White's style: beautiful descriptions that are simple enough for a child to understand, simple setting and plot, and a poignant message. I love Charlotte, I love Wilbur. I love that friendship can flourish between two who don't have much in common. Love it.

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

This is a great story about two sisters who are princesses. One is brave, the other is timid. But when her sister's life is on the line, Addie is able to face her fears and discovers a well of strength inside her. I love the message of sisters' loyalty to one another and the Girl Power message as well. My girls aren't quite old enough to read it yet, but I've told them the story a few times and they love it.

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

This is a cute rhyming book about a little llama who has a hard time going to sleep and keeps calling out for his mama. A favorite line from this book that you can often hear at our house is "Please stop all this llama drama!"

Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You? by Dr. Seuss

This rhyming book is full of fun sounds for your children to mimic. My almost 2 year old loves it.

No Matter What by Debi Gliori

This is such a cute story about Large (the mommy) and Small (the kid). No matter what kind of mischief Small gets into, Large is always full of love for him. We call our toddler Small because of this book.

Thankful Together by Holly Davis

This is a cute rhyming book about a regular day and how the mommy shows her love to her little one all day long. It has fun illustrations and the prose is so precious.

Time for Bed by Mem Fox

My best friend brought this book to me when I was in the hospital after having my first baby. It's been a favorite ever since. I love the illustrations; my kids always love to point out which animal is the mommy and which one is the baby. I love thinking of mothers of animals everywhere loving their babies as much as we love ours. (Yes, I know it's probably not true that snakes tuck their babies in at night, but it's a nice thought)

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

This is such a classic! Poor, misunderstood Max gets sent to his room after being naughty and his imagination goes wild as he dreams of being King of the Wild Things. But then, "from far away across the world, he smelled good things to eat and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all." He wanted his mommy back! I love that even naughty kids love their mommies.

What are your favorites to read with your kids?

Ordinary Miracle

Today my oldest is sick, so we snuggled on the couch watching "Charlotte's Web." Truly, that is one of my favorite stories of all time. I love that it teaches, in such a simple way, the power of friendship in someone's life.
We got to participate in an Ordinary Miracle last night. One of the local high schools was having a fundraiser for one of their students (Adam) who has neurofibromatosis. They have spent the last week doing "Make a Wish Week" where each day they had some sort of activity or fundraiser to raise money for Adam's wish. It all culminated in last night's event, the Salem Gorge.
It's a little bit like Taste of Chicago. Each club in the school prepared some food (brownies, pizza, popcorn, hot dogs, etc.). Families like us bought a pass that allowed us to go from table to table sampling all the goodies. All the money raised went to Adam.
Let me tell you, there was a lot of money raised. The place was packed! Considering the size of the town, it was a miracle. I imagine at least half the population of Salem was there. And I bet almost every student at the school showed up, most wearing T shirts saying "We Love Adam." I overheard someone say that two separate people donate a thousand dollars each.
Wow. What a response. What a demonstration of love and support for this kid. The whole time I was there I was close to tears, thinking to myself how I would feel if I were Adam's mom. It would be devastating to know your child had an incurable disease, but watching your community (especially his peers) go to such great lengths for him..... What an incredible feeling.
And another thing. What a great group of kids those high schoolers are. To plan, organize, and carry out such an extravaganza. I was amazed, and grateful to see that in spite of the bad rap teenagers often get, there's a lot of good they can do too. It gave me hope for the future.
I was happy to share this event with my kids, to talk to them about how good it feels to serve someone else-- even if we don't know the person. If we know we have lifted another's burden in some small way, we know we are following the Savior. That's something I want them to understand.
What Ordinary Miracles have you witnessed lately?

Saving money at the grocery store

Money management is not exactly a talent of mine. I was raised with the attitude of "We don't buy something until it's on sale, but if it's on sale, then we buy three!" That works if you're buying canned tomatoes, but not so much if you're buying Girbaud jeans (do you remember those? How cool were you if you wore those pants?)
Anyway, I have found a few little tricks to save money, especially with grocery shopping. No, not coupons. I tried that for a while but it was too overwhelming. Hats off to all you couponers.
Here's what I do:
1. Make a monthly menu. I got this idea over at Camille's Casa, and she's going to do a guest post on it later this month so I won't go in to too much detail. Basically the idea is to make a menu of all your family will eat for a month, then do one massive grocery trip. You can buy in bulk and save money. You'll probably still have to go back to the store for milk, eggs, and other perishables, but at least you won't be going as often.
What I like about this:
Hello, no stress over what to make for dinner! You already know what you're having (woot!)  and you know you have all the ingredients (double woot!).
It makes it easier to be sure you're doing the things you know are good for you, ie. eating fish, whole grains, etc.
And, I specifically plan my kids' favorite meals to be about 3 days apart so that when my oldest complains "You never make anything I like for dinner," I can smile sweetly at her and point at that we did, in fact, eat Hawaiian Haystacks 2 nights ago. So calm down and eat your casserole. :)
Best of all, it really does save money. I just did my month of shopping today (yeah, I know it's the 8th. Give me a break) and I only spent $130. I'll probably go back for diapers, milk, etc. during the month, but I doubt our total grocery bill this month will be more than $300.
What I don't like about this: It takes a lot of time to plan it out. Probably no more than you would spend if you added up all the time you spend worrying about what you're doing for dinner each day though.

2. Bountiful Baskets. This is the best thing ever! It's a co-op (not a business out to make money) for buying produce. Some sweet ladies take the time to make the order to some produce farmers and we get the benefits! You get a laundry basket full of food-- half fruits, half veggies-- all for $15. ($25 if you want organic, but I'm not that committed). It's available in Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, and Washington. You can order your basket on Monday, starting at noon, until Tuesday at 10pm (Yes, that's now. It's okay if you click over there and place your order, but come back!) Then you pick it up Saturday morning. Easy peasy.
What I like about this:
Your produce is so much cheaper. I usually order a basket every other week and it has saved lots of money on our fruits/veggies.
I feel like we eat more produce because we have it in the house. We also eat a greater variety of things I might not have purchased myself, but because they were in the basket.
They sometimes have extras to add on to your basket (this week it's 24 pounds of Honeycrisp apples for $18. I paid $2.29 a pound for those at Macey's this morning!). The extras are always a great deal. They do 9 grain bread, 5 loaves for $10, and it's SO yummy! Or cookies, rolls, green chili peppers..... just whatever is in season. Usually you can order a boatload of something and then preserve it in some way (canning, freezer jam, dehydrate).
What I don't like about this:
Their website is confusing. Do your best and you'll figure out how to place your order, but it may take a minute.
You don't get any say over what's in your basket. We've ended up with some strange stuff in there like okra, swiss chard, brussells sprouts. But again, it forces you to try new things and it turns out I like brussels sprouts! Most of the time the produce is fairly benign; there's always bananas, salad ingredients, apples.

What do you to save money on groceries?

Keep a record

Just before we got married, my husband’s mother presented him with a special gift. It was a journal she had kept of him from the time he was born. It was so precious to read back over the funny things he said and did. It was also wonderful to hear his mom express over and over again how much she loved him and the hopes and dreams she held for him.


We decided to keep up with that tradition with our children. Each one has a journal dedicated just to her and in it we keep a record of their lives. Sometimes the entries are funny “You are the awesomest pottier ever!” or “Today you came to us while we were at Grandma’s and said ‘Daddy, Mommy. Rice goed up my nose.” Sometimes the entries tell of our incredible love for our little ones. Sometimes they record special blessings we have witnessed, as President Eyring advised

Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.

We try to use their journals not only as a sentimental journey but as a place for us to bear testimony to our children. Maybe I’m morbid, but sometimes I think about what my kids would know about me if I were to die. I try to record in their journals, and in my own, the things I want them to remember.

I have 3 little girls, ages 6, 4, and 2. And although I think I will remember exactly what each one was like at a certain age, the reality is that it starts to blur. I am so grateful to have these journals to look back and remember their individual personalities, likes and dislikes, and phrases. For more than a year my little girl would wake me up in the morning by sticking her nose in my face and saying "I want guffast" (breakfast). She doesn't do it any more, but you better believe it's written down so that in my old age I can know it was Kate and not Eve who did that.
Another idea is to write a letter to your child on his birthday each year. Keep them all together and give them to him when he is grown. He will so appreciate the love you express by writing things about the person he is.

Should we not have respect enough to God to make a record of those blessings which He pours out upon us and our official acts which we do in His name upon the face of the earth? I think we should. –Wilford Woodruff

Activity: Go Camping Inside

It seems like winter lasts longer and longer each year. I swear, it was snowing in June last year! So, one day a few years ago when we were cooped up and bored with being inside, we decided to set up the tent in the family room.

We hauled all our blankets and pillows inside.

We read stories and ate PBJ's. We laughed at our static-y hair.

 And, we had a great time together.

Sometimes all it takes is doing something out of the ordinary to make your kid's day.

Fully Invested

Do you remember a few years back when the slogan for BYU football fans was "Fully Invested?" What does that mean, anyway?
According to Answers.com, fully invested is "Said of an investor or a portfolio when funds in cash or Cash Equivalents are minimal and assets are totally committed to other investments, usually stock. To be fully invested is to have an optimistic view of the market."

I love this definition, especially as it relates to motherhood. Let's change it up a bit to reflect what we're doing with our lives right now: Fully invested= said of a mother when funds in cash are minimal and assets (time, talents, energy) are totally committed to other investments, usually children. To be fully invested is to have an optimistic view of the future.
If you're like me, your funds in cash are minimal. I have a budget to follow, bills to pay, loans hanging over my head. Our family would certainly be better off financially if I were to pursue a career instead of staying home with my kids. Instead, I choose to commit the only assets I have available to give to my children.
And I do this because I have an optimistic view of the future. I believe that by raising a righteous generation of kids who know the truth and cling to it, the world will be a better place. I believe that I instill in my children a sense of their innate worth by spending time with them-- teaching, playing, dancing, singing, etc. I believe that I can teach my children to serve others when they see me serving, to love those who are different because they see me loving, to pray because they see me praying.
What we do as mothers is critically important. Are we taking that job seriously? The other day I had some one on one time with my middle daughter. The baby was asleep and her big sister was at school. She wanted to paint, so I got out the watercolors and paper and set her up at the kitchen table. Usually I will do dishes or some other chore while she paints. I figure, I'm still in the same room as her so we're still spending time together. But on this day, I sat down beside her and painted a picture myself. My artistic skills are lacking, but we had a marvelous time! She opened up and chatted with me about her little girl life and I was reminded why I do what I do.
Because I love my kids. I am fully invested in them.

Activity: Sorting

Gather a little baggie full of different types of noodles and dried beans. Ask your child to sort them. You can sort by type, color, size, texture, etc.

This sounds so simple, but it so great. For one thing, it kept my 4 year old occupied for about 20 minutes. She sorted everything into its own pile, then I had her count how many were in each pile and decide which one had the most and the least. I also asked her about what the different objects felt like.

Here are things kids learn from sorting:

1. Recognizing things that have similar qualities. This will help with pattern recognition and math skills later.

2. They have to use fine motor skills to pick up the objects and place them in piles. This will help with developing muscles for writing.

3. If you talk to your kid while doing this activity, you will be able to review concepts like more/less, counting, and vocabulary (discussing the textures).

Best of all, if your kid gets excited about sorting, maybe they can take on the job of pairing up all the socks in your laundry!