30 DPC Day 26: Meaningful

Day 26:  A picture of something that means a lot to you



On January 31, 1983, my grandparents celebrated 50 years of marriage.


I was almost 3 years old.


My grandpa hunted for months for just the right present.


He finally found it.

Inside, two of the sweetest people I have ever known.

My grandma never took it off.  And now I will proudly wear it. 

Project 365: Week 14 & 15

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!!!

Day 91/365:  Mama's helper, part one

Day 92/365: Mama's helper, part two

Day 93/365: Fashion Statement, part 1

Day 94/365: Fashion Statement, part 2

Day 95/365: Fashion Statement, part 3

Day 96/365: The humiliation of forced bib-wearing can be overwhelming

Day 97/365: Nutritious, organic breakfast, anyone?

Day 98/365: Real men rock color change hair clips.  On their back pockets.

Yes, I took a photo of my husband's rear.  And posted it. 

Day 99/365: My new toy ... still naked though

Day 100/365: When Grandma & Pepe come home from France...

Day 101/365: Three little butterflies

Day 102/365: The team mascots

Papa's Helpers

The best thing about Papa

is going to his ranch,

and helping with the chores.

Sure, it's hard work,

but somebody's got to do it!

Besides, the rewards are pretty cool.

And so is the scenery.

Heritage

I come from this cabin in Monticello, Utah,

Where my grandparents homesteaded during the Great Depression.

I come from the cliffs of Moab,

when the town was a pitstop for ranchers and roughnecks, not yet a playground for the outdoor enthusiast.

I come from the La Sal mountains,

where they summered the herd on 12,000 acres of pristine mountain wilderness.

I come from this lonely dirt road,

a road with only one ranch,

and a house that seemed so much bigger when I was a child.

And, although my grandparents have not lived in this remote valley for almost 20 years,

The red cliffs and rolling sagebrush still feel like home.

True Story Tuesday: Saint Poopicus Returns

Life has been interesting since Daddy left.  Saturday, I didn't end up having to take the minions to the store.  A fab friend called right before we left and offered to keep the kids at her house.  I almost kissed her.


Sunday after church I took the minions to my parents' house and I headed up the mountain for a beautiful fall Colorado afternoon wedding.  Well, the reception was slower than molasses moving at a leisurely pace, so I didn't get back to my parents until after 10pm.  I was forced invited to spend the night, and got to see firsthand just how little sleep Kat actually gets when she is in pain. 


Monday morning my ninjas parents slipped out of the house without waking us, allowing my girls to get some much-needed sleep.  Kat still hurt so another visit to the doctor was needed.


While we were there, the doc asked us to collect stool samples.  We left, armed with many containers, latex gloves, and a pile of instructions.  On the way back to the office (she spent the day with me so I could monitor her symptoms and, of course, collect the poo), Katrina gave me a very weird look.  She asked, "Mommy, why do they want my stool?"  I replied something to the effect of smart people testing it to figure out what was wrong with her tummy.  Her next question?  "Can we get me another one?  I can't see the mirror without mine."


Wrong stool, honey.  Wrong stool.


And if you have never had the opportunity, let me reassure you that collecting stool from your child is extremely entertaining.  Sadly, a cereal bowl at the office was a casualty of war.  But at least she got to keep her wooden stool.



Seriously people.  I know I'm not the only one who has these conversations.  Go link up with Rachel & Mr Daddy for more true stories!

Letters of Intent

Go visit Julie for more letters that just need written!


Dearest Rain,

Where are you?  I miss you.  Normally, we are well-acquainted with your monsoon habits by now.  Clear blue skies in the morning, thunder and downpours in the afternoon.  And I don't have to water.  Do you know how many times I have crawled into bed in the last month, exhausted from the day, only to realize that I left the sprinkler on?  Again.  Do you know how many times I have then had to pull out the sad puppy face to get the hubby to get up and turn them off for me?  I even miss listening to the tourists whine about you.  Please come back.

With love,
the lazy gardener

P.S.  The spitting last night does not count.

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Princess Potty Violet,

As much as I am enjoying our extended quality times lately, I would prefer that those precious moments were not spent waiting in the bathroom.  Sometimes, I think you tell me you have to go potty just so that we can have a one-on-one conversation.  Because, it never fails.  We spend 10 minutes in the bathroom, discussing the finer points of cartoons, shirt colors, and bugs, and then you pee in your pull-up.  And why, oh why, will you pee on the potty for everyone but me?  You stay dry for the nanny, for Daddy, for your Sunday School teacher, for Grandma, but not Mommy.  Why, darling?  By the way, your sisters were not nearly this stubborn. 

Love,
Ready to be done with diapers

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Dear Mom and Dad,

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
Getting me the gift certificate for the Weisbaden Resort for my birthday was way beyond cool!   And, taking the kids for the night - fabulous!  You have no idea how much we needed this time to ourselves.  Oh wait, you had 4 small kids once.   You know exactly how bad we needed this.  I am positively giddy to go on a date night with my hubby, to sleep in past 6:30 (Ha!  Have fun with that one!), eat what I want when I want, and just relax.  To not have to referee, defend, correct, heal, chase, wipe, or admonish for a while.

Seriously, I could not have asked for better parents, or better grandparents for my kids.  I am sure that, as always, they will have a ton of fun.  And so will I.

Gratefully,
Is it Friday yet?

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To my handsome hubby,

You ready for tonight babe?  To be able to hold each others' hands down the street, instead of the minions?  To eat dinner where and when we want?  To relax and enjoy a restaurant, instead of trying to keep our children from being those kids?  To just relax and talk in a pool, rather than playing "half time trade sides" on the water slide?  To SLEEP IN?!?!?!?!? 

Yeah, me too!

Smooches,
ton amour

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Mr. Loose Tooth,

Seriously.  It is past time for you to remove yourself from my daughter's head.  You have been loose for, what, months now?  I know she is fairly relaxed about wiggling you, but really?  You must have roots of concrete.  You would have thought that her crying and pleading every night for the last week would have annoyed you into leaving.  But, no.  You are even more stubborn than my children.  Well, just so you know, you are facing the master this weekend.  Because Grandpa can pull loose teeth like nobody's business.  And he is far less cheap than Mommy in the "cash for teeth" department.  So, be warned.  You have met your match.

Sincerely,
Can't wait to hear this story

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To my readers/followers/friends,

Thanks for all the loving and encouragement you have given me lately.  It has been a blessing to develop friendships with amazing men and women from all over the country.  You are quickly becoming a family of choice (a post for another day), and I am grateful to have met you.  Although it is kind of weird, still, to me that people actually want to read what I write.  But, anywho, thanks!

Grateful

Old MacDonalds had a birthday party

... and surprisingly, the building is still standing. We are starting the tradition of letting the girls pick their birthday dinner. Most of the time it's pizza. Violet said, "I'nna go Old MacDonalds wif grammas n papas." So, to Happy Meal land we went!


Here's the entire motley crew getting ready to eat. I say motley because getting both sets of grandparents together is always interesting. Fun, but interesting. We talked about everything from the state of the Icelandic currency to an old guy we all know who has Alzheimer's to the closing of a local newspaper. See?? Never boring!

Violet was very excited to open her presents. Very excited. Excited to the point of frustrated screams every time someone touched any part of any of her presents. Interesting, I'm sure, for the other McDonald's patrons. Not that I cared.

But, in her defense, she did let her big sister "read" her new book to her. Please understand, Madison is not a prodigy. Her version of "reading" involves naming the characters on the page and making up a story. But Violet loved it.

"Is this really for me? All of it?"

Yes, baby. Mommy loves you so much that she bought you the mammoth cupcake complete
with pink frosting, entirely for you. So much better that the au-naturel carrot cake nastiness I tried feeding your biggest sister. Mom has learned a few things.

And, once we wore off the sugar buzz with a bazillion trips down the slide (how she didn't puke the frosting I will never know), we went home and HAD to put on the new princess pjs.

Happy Birthday Miss Violet!!!

What Do You Eat At Grandma's?

Because apparently people think our culinary choices are strange. I have no idea why. Doesn't every one's grandparents have...





... pastries the size of your head (which for Madison is amazing)?






... or desserts that require torches?





What about cocktail sauce? Isn't that normal fare for an almost-two-year-old?

... or frog legs?

... or so much pasta that you can't close your mouth?

And I was certain that all grandparents served these...

If you have to ask me what they are, then trust me, you don't want to know. But Katrina thinks it's weird that people find these gross. Because she loves them.

And, yes, frog legs do taste like chicken. They're quite tasty.

Only At Grandma's

My girls LOVE going to their grandparents' houses. It doesn't really matter which one, they just love being with their grandparents. And, we are so blessed to have both sets in town. Makes holidays interesting, but it's worth it!

It's especially wonderful when a sitter has to call in sick and I still have to work. "Oh Mom, can you watch the kids today? Oh, you need me to twist your arm? OK, here you go. That's enough, well thanks!"

And, when you combine grandparents' house with an auntie who loves to snap photos, I have blog material.

So, without further ado, I present to you...


Only at Grandma's!





Only at Grandma's:

• are you allowed to lie in the laundry basket with the clean clothes.

• do little sisters actually share and play nicely. Doesn't happen when Mom's around. Nope. Not a chance.

• are cereal bar fingerprints allowed and encouraged on the walls. "Because she's too cute to tell her no. And she wasn't hurting anything..."
  

• do little princesses get treated like little rock stars too!
  
  

• will an almost 3-year-old (yikes, really?) actually talk on the phone.
  
  

• will a 1 1/2 year old actually be allowed to play with a phone.
  
  

• does a 5 year old get to play on a forklift. Again, it's one of those "Only the Blegers" things. I know most grandparents don't just randomly have a forklift around the house for the grand kids.
  
  

• is hanging off the stairwell encouraged. Again, "because she's so cute".
  
  

• are there more stuffed animals than people.
  
  

• can a tired little girl rest this soundly.
  

We love the grandparents!