Leezy Lindsey

12 Ways You Know You Have 3 Little Girls

2010-06-29T16:05:00.003-06:00

You have a load of pink laundry at least every three days.
Every tickle fight ends in tears. No exceptions.
Your poor ears almost get use to the insanely high pitch shrill that can be heard from little girls all too often.
You go through lots of shampoo.
It takes at least thirty minutes to get them dressed for the day. Ten of those minutes is spent picking out which bow they want to wear.
You have enough drama in your life to be part of a soap opera.
You can't walk past the shoe section of any store unless you are prepared to let them try on at least 3 pairs.
You get to share your makeup.
You always have a hair stylist who is willing to brush your hair. Well, as long as they get to use the spray bottle.
To save yourself from some headaches you don't bother buying ANYTHING unless it's pink or purple.
You wonder what it would be like to own anything but dolls and dress-ups.
You never go without hugs and kisses and know that some of your best friends will always be your girls.

My Two Must Have Summer Products

2010-06-23T15:33:00.000-06:00

This is my favorite tanning lotion because you see results in a day and it doesn't have a nasty odor. Plus, it looks natural and is very affordable.

Summer (especially in the desert) means dry skin. Combine that with me running and wearing sandals everyday and I've got some rough feet. I absolutely cannot stand the feeling of dry feet so I'm am more than willing to spend $20 on a lotion that keeps my feet silky smooth. A little goes a long way because I'm still working on a tube I bought the beginning of last summer. Oh, and did I mention it smells wonderful?

What are some of your favorite products to use during the summer?

Oreo Bites

2010-06-22T11:52:00.004-06:00

My friend Susan recently introduced me to these tasty delights. I seriously LOVE them!!! They are so good and pretty easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 package Oreos

1 package cream cheese, softened

White chocolate (I used almond bark from Walmart. It was something like $1.77 for a whole brick and I prefer the taste to white chocolate chips for these treats)

Directions:

Smash up the Oreos. If you have a food processor I would recommend using it for this job. I don't so I put the cookies in a ziploc and used a rolling pin. I then transferred them to a bowl and finished the job with a hand mixer. After the Oreo's are as crumbled as you can get them, mix in the cream cheese. Roll the mixture into balls and freeze for at least 3 hours. After they are nice and frozen, dip in the white chocolate. Enjoy!

LOL

2010-06-13T09:18:00.011-06:00

Blake and I watched the first part of a great documentary last night called, The Human Face. It was made in 2001 and I think it is way before its time. The movie points out how important face-to-face interaction is and how our society is spending too little time doing this. One of my favorite parts discusses all the advantages from laughing. Blake and I were talking after the movie and concluded that there isn't any better feeling than sharing a genuine laugh with a good friend or someone you love. Not only does laughing together strengthen relationships and bond us closer, it just feels great! In fact, one of the first things that attracted me to Blake was his crazy sense of humor. I knew by marrying him I would never have a shortage of laughter in my life. :)

You might be interested to know that some of the health benefits from laughing found in this great article include:

Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing.
Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more.
Humor shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

So have you had a good laugh today?

World Cup Fever!

2010-06-12T12:37:00.001-06:00

GO USA!!!

Look Mom! I made bread!

2010-06-10T19:43:00.005-06:00

Isn't she a beauty? I faced my fears today and knocked #5 off my bucket list. My friend Melissa came over to show me the art that is bread making and we had a lot of fun. I am surprised at how delicious this stuff tastes given the fact that the ingredients are 100% healthy. We topped off our bake fest by making a banana cake so you could say we had a tasty, yet productive afternoon.

Thanks again Melissa!

The Hand Dryer Predicament

2010-06-04T14:53:00.007-06:00

One of my favorite new hang-outs for lunch is our local McDonald's. They have a really fun and clean play area for the girls and I've taken a liking to their chicken selects.

The other night we went with Blake for dinner. Sadie needed to use the restroom so I went with her. After she was done with her business we washed our hands. I finished first so I went over to the blow dryer made for hands and waited as my hands were blown dry. My hands were just about free from water when I began to notice the dreaded sticky feeling you get when you didn't rinse all of the soap off. This problem is annoying because you don't notice the residue until your hands are pretty much dry. Do you start all over and wash again? You can't just wipe the soap off because the reason you are using that obnoxious machine in the first place is because paper towels aren't being offered. I guess you could use toilet paper but that could make an even bigger mess since the toilet paper in public restrooms is cheap and tears easily.

Ahhh! What a predicament I was in! I decided I would regret not re-washing my hands so I walked back to the faucet, helped Sadie finish up and rinsed my hands once more. We dried our hands together and finally made it out of the bathroom - both with soap free hands.

My Bucket List

2010-05-27T16:07:00.002-06:00

I know bucket lists are so last year...maybe even two or three years ago but lately I have been thinking about some of the things I want to accomplish in the next few years. I have a better chance of doing some of these things if I write them down so here goes...

Be in the audience of a talk show. I don't really care which one.
Beat a video game.
Take a major road trip across the country to see all the sites and our families.
Plant a fruit garden.
Bake bread from scratch. I'm really scared of this one but there isn't anything better than warm homemade bread smothered in butter so I think getting past my fears would be worth it. Or maybe I'll just ask for a bread machine for Christmas...
Run a marathon.
Sew something. Nothing too hard though. Maybe some cute blankets for my girls.
Read all of Jane Austen's books at least twice.
Compete in some type of tennis tournament. Maybe doubles with my man?
Take my girls to Seattle. I know they would love Snoqualmie Falls and the Pacific Science Center.

Why I deleted my Facebook account

2010-05-21T15:36:00.005-06:00

It's been exactly one week since I deleted my Facebook account. I had been thinking about doing it for awhile but I finally took the plunge last Friday. I have to admit that it was a little scary but so far I don't have any regrets. In fact, it has been a little liberating. Here are a few of my reasons for saying goodbye to wall posts and pokes:

I have run into a few friends from my past recently and we had nothing to talk about! I already knew how many kids they had and they already knew where I lived and my husband's name. What should have been an exciting meeting with an old friend turned out to be awkward and boring. I realize this can be a consequence of blogging but I'm not done. :)
This hurts my pride a little to say but I used the word friend very loosely on Facebook. There is no way I have 342 people whom I can call true friends.
I shouldn't care what the people I barely knew in high school are up to. Shouldn't is the key word there.
I thought a lot about what I would be missing if I got off Facebook. I was worried I would be "out of the loop" but I finally came to the conclusion that I would survive. I am confidant that I will eventually find out about all my newly pregnant friends.
I don't think I was addicted to Facebook but it's easy to spend a lot of time browsing pictures. I have been on the computer much less this week.
Facebook brought unnecessary drama into my life. I would worry that so-in-so would get offended if I denied her friend request because I barely knew her or I would find out what a messy and inconsiderate husband my friend had through her status updates. These are not things I want to be worrying and thinking about.
Status updates are interesting. I like them when they are funny or interesting but there is a fine line between being informative and sounding conceited.

Don't get me wrong, Facebook is a lot of fun. Do I think less of people who are on Facebook and do I think everyone should delete their account? Nope. Not at all. This was a personal decision for me and in no way am I advocating the distinction of social media.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

My babies

2010-05-20T09:05:00.000-06:00

Taco heaven

2010-05-19T22:04:00.008-06:00

I miss lots of things about living in Washington. I miss all of the the green, the lakes, the city and tons of the restaurants. One of the restaurants well, fast-food establishments that I miss is Jack in the Box. Oh, how I crave their Oreo milkshakes! One of my favorite meals is their 2 for 99 cents tacos. Whenever I travel to a state where a Jack in the Box is located I make sure to eat there at least twice.

Well imagine the joy I felt when a friend told me that Burger King sells tacos very similar to Jack in the Box!!! They aren't quite the same but they are delicious and they will definitely hold me over until I can get the real thing. They are a little more pricey costing $1.29 for two but the extra 30 cents is well worth it - the grease stains on my shirt are proof.

In case you were wondering...

2010-05-14T15:11:00.004-06:00

I just deleted my Facebook account.

I'm not cool anymore

2010-05-13T20:00:00.011-06:00

I must be getting old because I just don't understand these styles the young people are sporting now:

Off the shoulder shirts. I don't know if I want to live in a world where it's cool to look like you are an extra in a Jane Fonda workout video.

I get why the ladies like Justin Bieber. I just don't get why he wears his hair like this. This look looks good on no one. Sorry boys.

Is it seriously cool to wear neon colors again? Wow. I don't really mind this one so much. I'm just more shocked that people are wearing such bright apparel once more.

Skinny jeans. While they might look good on women who have a cute figure these things should never be worn by a man. I have a hard time believing the young ladies find this look even remotely attractive.

Ear buds in ears at all times. This one is more of a pet-peeve of mine so I'm going to put my feelings on the subject out there and you can do with it what you will. By walking around a public place listening to music you're basically saying, "I don't want to be bothered by anyone so leave me alone." How anti-social can you get? Now if you are in running clothes, I'll let it slide.

What am I missing?

Let them eat cake

2010-05-13T14:00:00.005-06:00

I've been trying to get back to my pre-Jane weight and I thought the best way would be to buy a cake stand and make sure there is a cake in it at all times. It has worked pretty well so far.

Cake is only good when it's moist. Really moist. So I have searched the internet and my cookbooks for the best cake recipes. So far I've made carrot cake, banana cake (thanks Melissa!) and chocolate cake. They have all been DELICIOUS!!! The next on my list is this red velvet cake. Can't wait.

After the red velvet cake I'm out of ideas. I need recipes that can stay outside of the fridge since the whole point of me making cake is so I can show it off on my counter. So do any of you have great cake recipes? Me, my family and my muffin top would sure appreciate it.

No boys allowed!

2009-10-17T08:37:00.004-06:00

So baby #3 is a girl! We just found out yesterday. We decided to wait until we found out what we were having before we told anyone that I was pregnant. It was kind of fun that way. Plus it seemed like the first half went pretty fast. I'm due the end of February and I can't wait to see if my genes can pull through this time.

Alarming

2009-10-13T08:47:00.004-06:00

What is the first thing that goes through your head when you hear a car alarm go off? I'm willing to bet it isn't, "Oh no! A burglar is is trying to break into someones car!" Especially if it's 11 o'clock at night and the alarm has been going strong for a good 15 minutes.

So my question is, what is the point of car alarms? Are they really offering any protection to our vehicles? Or are they just one of those neighborhood noises that wakes up our children and annoys everyone within a 10 mile radius?

Bad habits die hard

2009-10-10T20:27:00.006-06:00

Sadie started sucking her thumb when she was 4 months old. Being naive, first-time parents we thought it was cute and weren't really concerned. I seriously thought she would stop by the time she was one.

Well, here we are almost 4 years later and she is still sucking her finger. I say finger because about 6 months ago I put band aids on both her thumbs thinking that would stop her but she just moved on to her pointer finger. As of today though we are officially kicking this bad habit. Here is our solution:

This picture was taken early in the afternoon when the athletic tape was first applied. She's happy and excited because I told her that as soon as she stops sucking her fingers she can pick out a toy at Target.

She did okay until it got around bedtime because this is the time of day when sucking her finger becomes almost a necessity. Just as I was starting to pat myself on the back for finding a way to get rid of this nasty habit, I caught her sucking her middle finger!

So after pajamas were put on this is what became Sadie's fate:

I was not going to take any more chances! Oh and don't let the smile fool you. If you look closely you can see some tears remaining from the tantrum that was only calmed down by a reminder of the promised toy.

Do I feel a little bit guilty about tucking my daughter into bed with Michael Jackson fingers? Sure. But then I remember all the humiliation I am saving her from later in life. Not to mention all the money I will be saving in dentist bills.

Wish us luck!

Updates

2009-09-30T22:52:00.007-06:00

Since it's been awhile, here's a quick update on the girlies:

Sadie:

Mastered the times tables over the summer and has moved on to long division.
Has taken after her Father and is working on her second novel.
Is taking 3 dance classes, violin/piano lessons, acting classes and is in 2 different preschools. She is still bored.
Planned and organized a food drive for victims of the recent fires in California.
Was asked to sing a solo by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. She declined due to scheduling conflicts.
Has developed a taste for anything organic and refuses to eat anything else.

Madison:

Recently potty trained herself in 20 minutes.
Has an impressive vocabulary and has become quite the motivational speaker. She has been making her way around the local preschool circuit speaking about the pressures of toddlerhood.
Can run faster than most 7 year olds.
Can name any classical song after hearing only the first 2 measures.
Puts herself down for naps.
After seeing her dance for less than 5 minutes, her dance instructor bumped her to the class where they use pointe shoes.

My least favorite word

2009-09-29T14:09:00.004-06:00

I hate the word moist. Absolutely hate how it feels and sounds when you say it. However, I like my desserts to be moist and there really isn't a better word to describe a moist piece of chocolate cake. Sure you can combine words to make the same meaning but that's not productive. So my friends, can anyone be my thesaurus and come up with a better word?

Oh and what is your least favorite word?

Sisters!

2009-04-04T12:26:00.002-06:00

What's the deal with blogging?

2009-03-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

This last little while I have had absolutely no motivation to blog. There have been several cases where I have sat down to write a post but my mind goes blank. Lately I have toyed with the idea of getting rid of my blog completely. It's kind of embarrassing when you haven't updated your blog for a few months. So I have decided to weigh the pros and cons of blogging to help make my decision.

Pros:

It's a great way to keep in touch with family and friends. However, so is Facebook.
You can become a better writer.
Comments are fun to read.
It's a wonderful way to keep an online journal.

Cons:

It takes time.
When I am an active blogger I am constantly thinking of things to blog about. On some days it consumes my mind.
I feel bad if I go a day or two without posting anything.
Uploading pictures can be a hassle.
Reading a post of someone apologizing for not posting for a long time is awful.

I'm sure there are lots more pros and cons but for now I'm going to leave it at that. I probably won't get rid of my blog but I don't think blogging will ever be really high on my priority list again. All I'm saying here is don't hold your breath for my next post. :)

Our little ballerina

2008-12-18T15:08:00.007-07:00

Sadie had her Christmas dance recital this morning. Here are a few shots of her performance:

She gets so into it!

The candy cane train.

Singing carols to the audience.

Santa even made an appearance!

Proof that she enjoyed the candy cane Santa gave her!

Cutest picture ever.

2008-12-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

I changed my mind

2008-11-26T12:45:00.007-07:00

Here's a few things I use to like but don't anymore:

Gum. I have always been addicted to gum until just lately. After chewing a wad for five minutes my jaws are bored and I have to spit it out.
Staying up late. Even seeing my clock read anything later than 11:00 pm makes me physically ill.
Ice cream. I use to love this stuff. I rarely crave it now and I would much rather eat a brownie or some delicious pastry. My only exception to this is if I am offered a chocolate malt.
Lip Smacker's chap stick. I would seriously go through a tube of this a week in junior high. I now prefer a more mature looking container of lip gloss.
The new Volkswagen Beetle. I was obsessed with these when they first came out. It's not that I don't like them anymore. It's just that I would never buy one. A van would be so much more practical, right honey?

A chocolate truffle for breakfast?

2008-11-07T15:11:00.005-07:00

When Sadie asked for a See's mint truffle at 7 o'clock this morning I told her her no. She asked why and I said it was too early. She then asked why it was too early and I didn't have an answer for her. Seriously why do people frown upon eating things like candy, pizza and soda in the morning? Does a brownie know to add 100 extra calories just because it's before 10 am?

We're in trouble

2008-10-31T07:39:00.004-06:00

Last night as we were sitting at the table eating dinner Blake attempted to have a serious talk with Sadie. It went something like this:

Blake: "Sadie, what do you say if a stranger tries to give you some candy?"

Sadie: "Thank you!"

Oh boy.

Top 10 things I hate about brownies

2008-09-26T13:18:00.005-06:00

They take way too long to bake.
They leave crumbs all over my kitchen floor.
The box mix only comes in a 13x9 size so I'm stuck eating brownies for breakfast and lunch.
They are cheap so I can't resist grabbing a few boxes every time I go grocery shopping.
I blame them for me not being able to fit into my favorite dress.
I only crave them late at night after the kids go to bed. So not only am I up past my bedtime, I'm eating later than I should.
Whenever I make them my milk disappears.
After waiting forever for them to get out of the oven I still have to wait some more for them to cool off.
The baking time is never the same. Once I think I have it figured out I end up with undercooked or burnt brownies.
They taste even better with more sugar and more fat added to them. Examples: adding chocolate chips to the batter, melting Andy's mints on the top or serving a warm brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

5th anniversary and balloons!

2008-08-23T14:42:00.007-06:00

Instead of going for the traditional gift of wood for our 5th anniversary, Blake got creative and took me hot air ballooning! Here I am standing in front of the balloons getting ready for take-off!

A shot of the balloon that left right before ours.

Awesome picture of the interstate!

This is what our balloon looked like from the inside when you looked up.

Blake took all the pictures. I was too nervous to let go of the sides of the basket!

The pilot took this photo of us. Thanks Blake for a great 5th anniversary! I'm not sure how you are ever going to top this!

From the mouth of Sadie

2008-08-19T19:25:00.005-06:00

Sadie was tagged by Josh. I wrote exactly what she said after I asked her the question. Enjoy!

1. What is something that Mom always says to you?
Hayley

2.What makes Mom happy?
Daddy

3.What makes Mom sad?
Mommy cries like a baby.

4.How does Mom make you laugh?
Playing computer with me.

5. What was your Mom like as a child?
Went on the potty like a big girl.

6. How old is your Mom?
2

7. How tall is your mom?
3

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Pink

9. What does your mom like to do when you're not around?
Scooter

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Running

11. What is your mom really good at?
Football

12. What is your mom not so good at?
Daddy

13.What does your mom do for her job?
Stomach

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Corndogs

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
I'm proud of you that you got better on your stomach.

16.If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Credit card

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Push me in the stroller.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We have purses.

19. How are you and your mom different?
Piano

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Milk and rootbeer.

My new favorite commercial

2008-08-16T08:18:00.001-06:00

Eating chips can be noisy

2008-08-16T08:13:00.003-06:00

Does anyone else have to turn the volume up on their TV when they eat Doritos?

Sausage is the new beef

2008-08-15T12:06:00.000-06:00

With food prices getter higher every time I go grocery shopping I have started to get a little creative with how I prepare meals. Since I could use my whole food budget buying a few pounds of beef I have found a new animal that can replace the cow in quite a few recipes. Jimmy Dean's regular pork sausage has become my new best friend in the kitchen. At less than three dollars a pound I can justify this purchase and I like the flavor it adds better than beef. Here are just a few ideas on how to use sausage instead of beef:

Cook it up and put it in spaghetti sauce. The flavor is amazing.

These delicious egg rolls. So good! One of my favorite dishes at the moment.

Add a 1/2 pound of sausage to this really easy but tasty recipe for Crock Pot macaroni and cheese. You'll be happy with the result.

The Olympics are wiping me out!

2008-08-14T16:42:00.005-06:00

Here has been my grueling schedule ever since the Olympics started a little less than a week ago:

6 am - 7 pm: Normal daily duties such as bathing, changing, feeding, cleaning, disciplining and playing with Sadie and Madison.

7 pm - 12 am (or later): Watching the Olympics.

I have not been getting the 8 hours of sleep that I require to function during the day. As a result I have been grumpy and very hard on my girls and the gentleman gymnasts. So here is my public apology for being so quick to get frustrated with my daughters and for judging the men in leotards by their tight pants and high voices. I'm sorry.

Hair fun

2008-08-13T12:09:00.004-06:00

My cousin-in-law, Melissa emailed me a link to a blog with creative hair-dos for little girls. I have been in a rut with Sadie's hair for the last little while so it's been fun to try some new things out. Here's one of my favorites:

I did it!

2008-08-12T11:52:00.003-06:00

After over three months of training it's all over. On Saturday morning I ran my first 1/2 marathon. I loved it! The original plan was for Blake to run it with me but due to his back injury he wasn't able to. Despite his major setback, Blake was my biggest fan. He cheered me on from the couch every morning while I would take the girls on my training runs. He never complained even though I know he was (and still is) very disappointed. He has been such a good sport and I want to thank him for that. Thanks for being the best cheerleader, Blake! You can beat me next year!

I stand corrected

2008-08-06T12:33:00.000-06:00

There once was a time I thought I was using the best mascara. Dumb.

As I was standing in the makeup aisle of Target a while ago something inside urged me to reach for the orange tube I had never seen. The price was only a few pennies more than what I was paying for my usual selection and since I was feeling adventurous I made the purchase.

I have been using Cover Girl's Lashblast mascara for over a month. I waited to blog about it until now because I wanted to make sure that I had for sure found my new favorite mascara. Here are a few reasons this stuff is incredible:

The brush is huge! It makes application quick and easy.
It makes my eyelashes very long and thick.
No clumps. Not one. I'm serious.
Easy cleanup. It stays on when you want it to but it comes off without a fight.
After using it for a month it is almost as fresh as the first time I used it.
I really like the orange.

Now if I could only find the perfect eyeliner. Any suggestions?

I can't afford office supplies

2008-08-06T08:18:00.002-06:00

Why are Post-it notes so expensive? Seriously. Does anyone know?

I'm a picky watermelon eater

2008-08-01T12:45:00.004-06:00

If I had a watermelon patch I would only eat the first bite of each of my triangle slices. In my opinion this is the sweetest and juiciest bite of one of my favorite fruits. Too bad I don't have my own patch. At almost eight bucks a pop (yes, I paid that for a medium size watermelon this week) I am forced to eat the whole slice.

Not faking after all...

2008-07-31T21:38:00.015-06:00

About three months ago Blake and I decided to run a 1/2 marathon this August. As part of our training we ran a 1 0k on the 4th of July. The day after the run Blake began having some major pain in his right leg. He waited a week to go see the doctor and get some pain medication. After being on the meds long enough to realize they weren't helping he went back to the doctor. The doc prescribed a stronger drug but Blake was still in horrible pain. Nothing seemed to give him any relief.

So after barely being able to walk for the past month Blake got a MRI done today on his lower back and leg. Good news is we finally know what is wrong. Blake has been suffering from a herniated disc. The bad news is that he will definitely not be running any time soon. He is going in for a steroid shot on Monday afternoon and we're hoping that will fix the problem. If not, it could mean he will be getting a little surgery done in the near future.

Blake sure outdid himself this time. If he was really that afraid of me beating him in this race he could have just asked me to slow down. It would have been a lot less painful; physically anyway. Geesh.

Peanut butter playdough = tasty fun!

2008-07-31T21:38:00.009-06:00

While my Mom was here visiting this past month she kept my girls very entertained. One of the many projects she did with Sadie was peanut butter playdough. It was a hit! Not only did Sadie have fun playing with the dough, she had even more fun eating it! Here is an easy and cheap activity to keep your kids out of the summer heat for at least five minutes!

Recipe:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1 cup instant nonfat powdered milk

Mix all together until smooth.

Still potty training...

2008-07-18T11:07:00.003-06:00

While I was in the middle of cleaning Sadie up after one of her many recent #2 accidents this morning she says, "This is just really horrible."

I couldn't agree more, my dear.

Picking someone up from the airport is hard work

2008-07-18T10:14:00.005-06:00

On the fourth day of Blake being gone on a business trip it was time to load the girls in the car and head to the airport to pick him up. To save a little gas on the drive there I decided to roll all the windows down. It was still hot but at least I was saving a couple bucks. About five minutes into our adventure Sadie started throwing a fit because the wind was blowing her hair all over her face. This was frustrating for me because this was coming from a girl that begs to have her window rolled down every time we get into the car. After listening to her scream for awhile I gave up. I rolled up the windows, turned the air conditioning on and watched the gas meter start to fall.

Because I can't seem to figure out how long it takes to get to the airport from my house I always either arrive way too early or way too late. Last night we were way too early. Luckily at the Salt Lake airport there is a parking lot for those of us who are too anxious to pick up our travelers. I pulled in, parked, rolled down the windows and turned off the car. After about thirty-seconds I was hot but I refused to turn the air conditioning back on. While wiping the sweat off my forehead I looked at all the other cars with their engines going, windows up and cool wind blowing through the passenger's hair. I wasn't about to do that. I had no idea how much longer we would be waiting and I didn't want to "waste" my gas.

After sitting in a hot, parked car for more than twenty minutes my girls started to get restless. I turned on the music to entertain them. That lasted for a minute. Sadie ate fruit snacks while Maddie entertained herself with the package. Another five minutes went by and that's when I noticed the beads of sweat all over Sadie's face. This is the point when I gave in. The windows got rolled up and the air conditioning was turned on. It's one thing for me to suffer to save a few bucks but who am I to put my kids through misery for my silly cause?

The minute I got Blake's text saying that his plane had landed I prematurely drove towards the pick-up curb. Because I wasn't being very patient we ended up waiting in our parked car right next to a sign that said, "No parking. No waiting." for about fifteen minutes. I sat there nervously the whole time. Finally Blake hopped in the car and we made our way home.

Needless to say I have learned my lesson. I will definitely be wearing more deodorant next time I pick someone up from the airport.

A well-deserved camping trip

2008-06-22T13:43:00.011-06:00

We just got back from an exciting camping adventure with the Andersen family. Although all of us are total camping dummies our efforts were a success. Here are a few pictures to prove that I actually went camping:

Blake and Madison eating breakfast.

Haley and Sadie. There was some major drama going on between these two but they remain best friends.

Matt and Maddie

Cute Maya

Silly Sadie

Susan & Maya

Me & Maddie

This is one of the few moments that they were getting along.

The Andersen Family

Our family

The Ritz Monster

Another homemade photo shoot

2008-06-13T15:51:00.002-06:00

Madison is a flexible sleeper

2008-06-13T15:44:00.001-06:00

A post for the grandparents...

2008-06-03T14:28:00.004-06:00

Creative handwashing

2008-05-29T08:16:00.002-06:00

It's been a long few weeks around here. I'm not exaggerating when I say at least one of us as been sick since the beginning of May. We keep taking turns and it has taken a toll on all of us. Here is proof from last night that it had been another rough day:

I picked Maddie up and wiped her snotty nose with my finger. Yes, it's come to that because her nose is so raw I feel horrible using a tissue.
While I'm still holding Maddie I go to the bathroom to wash my hand.
I turn on the light.
I turn on the water.
I wash my hand.
I turn off the light.
I turn off the water.
I dry my hand.

A few things about my girls...

2008-05-20T12:57:00.005-06:00

Sadie

She came up and pinched my bum after I had just gotten out of the shower and said, "Cute buns, Mom!"
Maddie was in her swing sucking on her pacifier when Sadie asked me if she could take the pacifier out of Maddie's mouth so that she could make her smile. I told her she could and what happened next was two sisters giggling at each other for about five minutes. There is seriously nothing cuter.
She is going to wear diapers forever.
After I get her dressed for the day I always tell her she looks like a princess. The other day when I told her that she said, "No, Mommy! I look like Barbie!" Oh great! I don't even know how she knows who Barbie is!

Maddie

This girl loves bananas!
Whenever I'm holding her she immediately grabs at my mouth. She loves to look at my teeth. Future dentist, maybe?
She loves to be naked. The minute her clothes her off she starts flipping around like a fish out of water. I know that is a weird comparison but it's exactly what she looks like.
Her deep belly laugh is one of my favorite sounds.
Maddie is a very happy and content baby. I can't tell you how many people have asked if she knows how to cry.

Stop, drop and think of five!

2008-05-19T16:44:00.006-06:00

I have a gift for assuming and jumping to conclusions. I am very good at it. This isn't something I am proud of because it can cause a lot of problems. When Blake and I were newlyweds someone gave us a piece of advice that has helped me deal with this weakness of mine. We were told that when someone does something that either hurts our feelings or makes us mad we should think of five reasons why they would have done what they did. Here's an example:

We have a lot of construction on the road we live on. Currently there isn't a turning lane so there are signs everywhere saying that left turns are not allowed. When someone does decide to make a left-hand turn it causes a major traffic jam because our road is very busy. It drives me nuts when I get stuck behind one of these inconsiderate drivers! I get very frustrated and I have been known to honk my horn at them. So here are the five reasons I have come up with why someone would feel they are important enough to have twenty cars waiting behind them:

One of the passengers is in labor and if they don't make the left turn the baby will be born in the car.
Their car can only make left turns.
They have a 2 1/2 year old in the back seat that has been screaming for ten minutes because she dropped her sunglasses on the floor and the only way to stop the madness is to make the left turn so that they can pull over and recover the lost possession.
They are almost out of gas and making the left turn will take them to the nearest gas station.
There is a chance that they might not have not seen the 1,034 signs all over the road stating that left turns are not permitted.

This strategy has helped me give people the benefit of the doubt. It has helped me stay calm and helped me realize that most people aren't trying to upset me on purpose. There usually is a really good explanation for why people do what they do. Plus it is pretty entertaining. You should try it out sometime! It especially works well when your husband leaves dishes in the sink right after you have cleaned the kitchen!

Useless

2008-05-18T12:27:00.006-06:00

Why are "snack size" bags made? Seriously. Do they serve any purpose besides frustrating me? Have you ever tried to stuff some Cheetos Puffs in one of those things? You can fit maybe five in the bag and then good luck zipping the bag up.

I've gone to the store with plastic bags written on my list and accidentally come home with the "snack size" instead of the "sandwich size" more than once. What a waste. I have yet to find these things useful.

Sick of being sick

2008-05-16T22:36:00.006-06:00

I've been battling allergies and a cold the past week and a half. Here are a few of my observations:

Coughing attacks always happen at the most inconvenient times. Two examples would be in the middle of the night when I would rather be sleeping or during church when it's really quiet.
Sleeping with the window shut helps me sleep better because my nose and throat aren't itching like crazy. I get hot though. I'm not sure which is worse.
The Kleenex with lotion in them work. They don't cost that much more either.
Sadie is getting a lot of practice at saying "Excuse you, Mommy" after I sneeze.
I'm not sure if I like the way NyQuil makes me feel. I use to love it but I think I've changed my mind.
There is no such thing as a "sick day" when you are a mom. Although Blake has let me sleep in a few days and that's been nice.
Pretzels are a good thing to eat to scratch the back of your throat. However, if you also have a sore throat they can be painful.
The cough drops with menthol work better. The fruity non-menthol ones are tasty but the lemon menthol ones are more effective.
Water is necessary but does not taste good when you have a cold. Juice tastes much better.
Having allergies and a cold at the same time can take your motivation away. I'm going to go ahead and blame them for my lack of posting anything for so long.

Sure way to make you smile!

2008-05-16T15:00:00.002-06:00

Maddie loves Sadie. Sadie doesn't have to do much to get Maddie to laugh. Here is proof:

I don't know why the video is so blurry but really all you need is the sound.

Some recent snapshots...

2008-04-16T13:06:00.003-06:00

One minute makes a big difference

2008-04-07T13:25:00.007-06:00

Let's say I have to be somewhere at 6:00. If I look at the clock and it says 5:36 I feel like I have plenty of time. Almost a half-hour, right? But if the clock says 5:37 I'm a complete mess and already feel late. I'm not sure why that one minute changes things so much.

$173.47 not well spent

2008-04-04T14:26:00.004-06:00

While my Mom was in town last week we thought it would be fun to head over to Nordstrom and check out this eyeshadow/eyeliner product that one of my friends was raving about. We went to the makeup counter and were shortly greeted by a sales lady. I told her what we were looking for and she showed us around. Neither one of us usually buy our makeup there so we were a bit lost. The sales lady offered to show me how to apply the eyeliner and then proceeded to finish my eyes off with several eyeshadows she picked out. I liked how my eyes looked and knew that I was running low on my makeup at home so I decided to buy everything.

This is when things started to go from good to bad. We walked over to the register and she began ringing everything up. As I saw the prices my heart starting thumping out of my chest and I felt like I was going to throw up. Now, I was prepared to pay more than what I normally shell out for Covergirl but I had no idea makeup could be so expensive! Do people seriously pay 26 bucks for a brush to apply their eyeshadow? I'm not sure why because I am perfectly satisfied using the applicator that COMES WITH my eyeshadow! And don't even get my started on paying anywhere from $18-25 for a single color of eyeshadow!

Needless to say, while I was handing over my credit card all I was thinking about was how I was going to get my money back. I was mad at myself for listening to a woman wearing bright pink lipstick and sparkles all over her face and I even started to resent her.

After we finished the transaction my Mom and I walked around the mall. It was hard for me to have a good time because my mind was only on the tiny bag of overpriced eyeshadows and brushes shoved in my purse. I felt so sick. The amount of money I had just spent was more than half of what I spend on groceries and toiletries for a month! I knew I had to take them back.

We went back to Nordstrom and because I was too embarrassed to deal with the same salesperson again we went upstairs to customer service. Much to my relief the lady at the desk returned the items even though she said I was suppose to do it downstairs. I have never been so happy taking something back.

Now, I know all of this was completely my fault. If I would have asked the prices before agreeing to buy them this would have all been avoided. But is expensive makeup really worth
it? Because after I told Blake what had happened he looked at my eyes and said, "I can't even tell she did anything different than what you normally do!"

My simple novel

2008-04-02T14:00:00.007-06:00

Blake was introduced to a band a couple weeks ago and fell in love immediately. Lucky for him they were in town Monday night. He bought tickets for the show early last week and I was a little surprised when he said he had a ticket for me. He usually goes to concerts with his other music-loving friends. Not that I don't love music. It's just that I don't necessarily love Blake's music.

Fast-forward to Monday night. Blake and I drove up to Salt Lake with the intentions of eating before the show. We parked in a questionable part of town by the venue where the band would be performing and started walking to find a place to eat. We walked into the first place we saw and picked out what we wanted to order. Just as we were about to order, the guy behind the counter tells us that everything is vegan and that all the meats and cheeses are fake. Right at that moment my hungry, just getting over the flu stomach became full. After asking what "meat eaters would like," Blake ended up getting a grilled cheese and we both got Italian cream sodas. The bread on his sandwich was good but everything else (including the drinks) were not. We left for the concert carrying our untouched drinks because I didn't want to hurt the feelings of the guy that made them for us. We threw them away in the first garbage can we came across.

I knew the night was getting more interesting when Blake was patted down before we entered the venue. That couldn't be a good sign of what was to come. We walked into the dark, dirty room full of college kids and I felt out of place. We found some stools and sat way back in the corner next to the only couple in their sixties that were attending the show.

The show started forty-five minutes late. The opening act was strange and horrible and the main band was okay. While inhaling second-hand smoke from the rude man standing in front of me, I listened to the lyrics of the songs being performed and watched the sweaty audience mindlessly jump up and down in front of the stage. I compared this scene to the two sweet, innocent girls sleeping at home and realized that I am really happy with my life.

I like how simple my life is. Some may say it's predictable for a girl of my beliefs and situation (get married young, have kids soon after getting married, and stay home without pursuing another profession) but I am happy. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Sure the vegan-eating, concert-going life is for someone but not for me. Basically what I'm trying to say is that I prefer my hair to smell like Thermasilk when I come home from a date with my husband instead of cigarettes. That's all.

Things I wish I never had to say

2008-03-15T10:22:00.003-06:00

While speaking with the receptionist of my dermatologist, these words came out of my mouth:

"I have a couple moles I need him to look at but does he remove warts, too?"

I have never felt more beautiful.

Different days, same pose

2008-03-13T19:15:00.007-06:00

Shame on Milton Bradley!

2008-03-12T15:19:00.005-06:00

I have had lots of fun introducing my girls to things I loved as a kid. I've put glow-in-dark stars on Sadie's ceiling, forced her to love Ariel, and have rocked out to the Best of Wee Sing while driving around town. Another one of the things I was excited to buy for the family was Hungry Hungry Hippos.

I bought the game and here is my review:

It took 20 minutes to put together and less than a minute to figure out I had wasted $17.49. The first disappointment is that you have to snap the hippos onto the board and take them off to fit the game back into the box. Second is that there aren't very many white marbles. The third and biggest downfall is that the hippos jam when you hit them. I barely had to push on my pink hippo before it would get stuck. It was frustrating because isn't the point of the game to be able to smash those hippos as fast as you can? I mean, that's how you win the game! If your hippo stops in the middle of the competition, where's the fun in that? This cheap version of the game is no where near as fun as the one I had when I was a kid. What a shame.

More pictures...

2008-03-07T20:23:00.002-07:00

Homemade yogurt is good

2008-03-04T13:09:00.005-07:00

I recently bought a yogurt machine because Sadie downs the stuff. I thought it would be fun, cheaper and healthier to start making it from scratch. I ordered my machine online and made my first batch last week. I was more than happy with the results. It was so tasty that I served it to my family for dessert with berries on top. Here's the recipe I used if anyone is interested:

Vanilla Yogurt

Ingredients
4 cups milk (your choice whole-skim)
1/2 cup powdered dry milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4-6 tablespoons sugar (or honey)
1/2 cup yogurt starter (unflavored plain yogurt with active cultures)

Directions

Set 1/2 yogurt starter out to warm to room temperature.
Heat the milk to almost a boil. (I microwaved it in a glass bowl for 5 minutes on high then 2 minutes on medium). Cool the milk to barely warm.
Add dry milk, vanilla and sweetener of your choice; stir well.
Stir in yogurt starter (do not whip but mix very well!).
"Cook" the yogurt using your preferred method and time. Longer makes a firmer, more tart yogurt. I cooked mine for 12 hours. Chill 4 hours before eating.

Catching up

2008-02-29T07:49:00.004-07:00

If I had been blogging the last few weeks here is what a few of my posts would have been about:

Did you know that the best way to cut brownies is with a plastic knife? I tried it and could not believe how much better it worked!
I've had several people tell me that Maddie looks healthy. This is the nice way of saying that she is fat. Yes, at almost 16 pounds she is definitely getting enough to eat.
Even though I promised myself that I wouldn't get into this season of American Idol, I have fallen in love with David Archuleta and Brooke White.
It's taken me this long to realize that the tune to "Head, shoulders, knees and toes" is the same as "The wheels on the bus."
Reese's Snacksters are my new favorite afternoon treat. I still can't get over the fact that they are only 100 calories per pack!
I have started using my straightener on Sadie's hair. It looks so cute! Plus, after I'm done she always says she looks like a princess.
Going to bed last night at 8:30 felt great.

Our first cruise

2008-02-18T13:47:00.011-07:00

We went on our first cruise last week with our friends Mark and Lindsey. Even though the late night Chocolate Buffet was completely disgusting, we managed to have a really good time! We weren't very good about taking pictures but here are a few snapshots of our week in the Western Caribbean.

Here is where it all began. The red-eye flight was a bad idea.

Our first stop was Cozumel, Mexico. Here is the view from our boat.

Blake with the Mexican flag behind him.

Me & Blake on some beach in Cozumel. Here is where I tasted the second best pina colada I've had. The first was on the boat.

Lindsey & Mark in front of the bluest water I have ever seen.

Me with one of the many towel creations that was waiting for us after a long day of eating.

Our second stop was Grand Cayman. We decided to be a little adventurous at this port and took a boat several miles from shore to swim with stingrays and snorkel by some coral reefs. Here is Blake swimming with the stingrays. I chose to stay on the boat and watch at a safe distance. However, I did snorkel and found it to be quite enjoyable.

Our residence for the week. When I first saw our boat in Florida I was quite concerned. I didn't think a boat that was painted like that could be a good sign of what was to come. I was pleasantly surprised once boarding it though. It was beautiful inside. Our rooms were MUCH bigger than I expected.

A picture of one of the sunsets from the boat.

This is Mark resting on Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. Can you tell he didn't want to get sunburned?

The waters of Grand Cayman.

There was a photographer on the boat that would show up every night while we were eating dinner. The funniest part was that he would take a picture of each couple and then he would take individual portraits. Blake and Mark made it interesting by striking ridiculous poses. You could buy a 5x7 for $12.95 but to save a few bucks Blake was creative and took a picture of our pictures.

This was another stolen photo of one of Blake's finer poses.

What is wrong with this picture?

2008-02-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

Girlies in pink

2008-02-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

Here are the results of the photoshoot I attempted this morning. The girls are wearing their matching sweaters that Nana & Papa gave them for Valentine's Day.

One good thing about all this snow...

2008-02-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

Last week the girls and I met up with Kyra, Susan and their kids to play in the snow. Here are some snapshots of the fun. Thanks Susan for the pictures!

I will miss you

2008-01-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

Did you know?

2008-01-18T17:20:00.001-07:00

I received an email from my Dad this morning full of interesting stuff. Some I had heard before but others were new. Here are a few of my favorites:

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little "stringy things" off of it. That's how the primates do it.
Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler a and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.
Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.
Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simple chop them up with the food chop per. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza.
Easy Deviled Eggs. Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and -- ta da! -- static is gone.
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include
something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Singing non-stop...literally.

2008-01-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

While making what seems like my daily trip to Wal-Mart a couple weeks ago, I noticed a bunch of DVD's that were selling for $1. I quickly scanned them and picked up three sing-a-long ones for Sadie. My thought process went something like this: Sadie likes to sing, these are cheap, so why not?

When I made the quick decision to buy these DVD's I could have never predicted the Kidsongs phenomenon currently taking over our house. The minute I popped one of these DVD's in, Sadie was hooked. Even better, I totally remember watching these when I was a kid! Sadie would watch these things morning, noon and night if I let her. She is addicted to the overly cheesy kid's singing in overly cheesy music videos.

The point of this post isn't to dwell on my $3 find. Instead, I wanted to focus on what is said after the credits. In a really perky voice, the announcer says, "Kidsongs are kid friendly because they automatically loop!"

Every time I hear that, I just laugh to myself. How many times do they think kids should watch the same show in one day? If Sadie had her way, she would sit in front of the TV all afternoon but that can't be healthy! In fact, there have been a few times when I haven't caught it in time and before I knew it, I was hearing that annoying but catchy intro song for the second time. Why in the world is Kidsongs promoting and allowing kids to watch their show on repeat? It's silly and sad at the same time.

Madison's Blessing Day

2008-01-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Our first family picture using our tripod.

Right before leaving for church. She wasn't a happy camper.

Matt & Emily Allphin

Grandma & Grandpa Ridd

Me & Stephanie Holt

Sadie & Haley playing. This picture was taken after they had been "dressing up." Notice Sadie still has on her boots.

Steve, Eric & Laci

Another flattering one of Steve & Eric.

Brad & Zach Snow

Christine Snow holding Maddie. Susan is the one folding her arms on the left.

Maya, Matt & Susan Andersen.

Sadie was so wiped out from the busy day that she got herself ready for bed. Can you tell?

More pictures

2008-01-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Maddie & Sadie taking a bath together.

Madison.

Sadie's red chair broke and this is what I found when I came back from getting a screwdriver to fix it.

Sisters. Sadie loves to hold Maddie.

Sadie reading to Madison.

Is there an echo?

2008-01-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

I was on the phone a couple weeks ago making reservations for our cruise in February. The lady helping me was very nice but she kept hesitating and I could tell something was wrong. Finally she asked me if I heard the same echo that she was hearing. I told her that I didn't and offered to call her back. She said that we were almost through so it wouldn't be necessary.

It was a couple minutes later when I realized that my shadow (Sadie) was sitting right next to me mimicking my every move. She had her held tilted to hold her imaginary phone, her legs were crossed and she was pretending to write down the reservation information. That's when I realized that the "echo" was Sadie. Not only was she copying my every move but she was repeating every single word that I said. I hadn't even noticed!

After I explained the "echo" to the customer service rep, all three of us had a good laugh. Sadie's giggle was of course another echo!

I got my new shoes on

2008-01-08T14:38:00.000-07:00

I have been wearing the same pair of running shoes for over three years. I bought them with the Christmas bonus my boss gave me and I remember picking the perfect pair was quite the process. They have definitely been great shoes but I have needed new ones since, oh, probably last year. My feet always got sore when I wore them. There was hardly any support or padding left. So, when it got time to make my Christmas "wish list" for Blake, new running shoes were on the top.

I went to Finish Line's website and randomly picked a few pairs out that I liked. I knew I wanted them to be pink but other then that, I left it up to Blake.

On Christmas morning I was more than pleased to open up my new shoes. They were pink but they were also Nike Shox. I had heard good things about these new (well, sort of new) Shox but I always told myself I would never get them. What was with the weird columns in the back? Were they really necessary? I was sure they wouldn't make any difference in the performance of the shoe. I was convinced that they were only an expensive gimmick.

Boy was I eating my words the first day I laced them up and began running on my treadmill. Not only were they lighter than my previous pair, they fit my foot like a glove. I felt like I was running on clouds. I am not exaggerating at all when I say that I was able to run a full five minutes longer with these babies on my feet. These shoes have changed the way I work out. The pink plastic cylinders in the back are even starting to grow on me. In fact, I dare say that I like the way they look now.

Now if I would just stop making chocolate chip cookies, I might be able to see some results of all this running that I am doing!

New Year's Pictures

2008-01-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

Sisters.

Madison sitting on her throne.

Maddie sleeping in what looks like an uncomfortable position.

Sadie, Haley & Ashlynn on New Year's Eve.

Sadie playing with her dollhouse.

Sadie helping me make chocolate chip cookies.

Mommy tag

2007-12-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

1. How long have you been a Mom?
It was two years in October.

2. How many kids call you mommy?
Two cute girls.

3. When you were pregnant did you know what you were having?
Yes, I knew both of them were girls so I wasn't shocked when the ultrasounds confirmed my feelings. Oh, and for the record, the next one is going to be a boy!

4. How old were you when you became a mom?
22

5. How long were you in labor?
It was about the same for both girls. I was induced around 8 in the morning and had Sadie at 6 pm and Maddie at 4 pm. I pushed over 2 hours with Sadie but Maddie popped out after 2 easy pushes!

6. What’s your favorite thing about being a mom?
The kisses, snuggles, and "I love yous" that come without being prompted.

7. What’s your least favorite thing?
No more sleeping in.

8. Do you want more kids?
Yes! Not sure how many though.

9. Have you ever taken your kid(s) on a trip?
Yes. This may sound bad but it doesn't feel much like a vacation when you have to worry about nap times and diaper changes.

10. How many times have you been peed on?
I have girls so not very many times.

11. How many times have you been barfed on?
I have been spit up on thousands of times but never barfed on.

12. Are your kids named after someone?
Sadie is named after my youngest sister that wasn't with us very long and we just liked the name Madison.

13. When is the last time you had a sitter?
Two weeks ago. My brother watched them while Blake and I went to a Christmas party.

14. When your kid gets in trouble, who is the bad guy?
Usually me. Although I think Sadie obeys Blake better.

15. What is the longest you have been away from your kid(s)?
I think it was 5 days. Like I said, I prefer to really relax when I take a vacation.

16. Are your toes painted?
Nope.

17. Last movie you saw in theater?
Enchanted! Loved it!

18. One thing you will not give up just because you’re a mom:
Working out.

19. One thing you did give up now that you’re a mom?
Freedom. I miss going to late movies with Blake.

20. Favorite Cartoon:
I am so sick of all of them! :) We're taking a cartoon break at our house for awhile. It's been nice.

21. Favorite Snack:
Anything sweet.

22. When the kid(s) are napping, you are:
Cleaning, laundry, or blogging. Plus, one of the perks of Blake working at home is that I can run errands with Maddie while Sadie is at home sleeping.

23. Where is/are your kid(s) now?
Sadie is taking a nap and Maddie is nice and full from just eating.

24. If I could do it over, I’d do this differently:
Skip diapers and start potty training immediately.

25. What is a lesson you’ve learned as a parent?
You can't control everything. It's okay if Sadie gets most of her meal on her shirt and so what if you spend most of church standing out in the hall.

I tag anyone that wants to do this! Thanks Becky for the idea!

Yes, she actually left the house looking like this...

2007-12-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

I couldn't get her to take off the glasses. She was shielding her eyes from the snow.

This is her cowgirl church attire.

Christmas pictures

2007-12-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

The girls in their Christmas dresses.

Sadie

Madison

Cinderella wearing Snow White's cape on Christmas morning.

A flattering shot of Blake because he put a picture of me playing my flute on his blog and won't take it down.

Maddie pictures

2007-12-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

I promise we have a second child. Here are a few pictures to prove it:

I am a good wife

2007-12-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

You want to know what I did today? I went to the post office on the busiest day of the year. Why? Because Blake sold something on eBay and needed to ship it out 24 hours after receiving his customer's payment. Why? Because that's his policy.

So, after waiting for 5 minutes just to get a parking spot, Maddie and I (luckily Sadie was at home taking a nap) walked into the most crowed post office I have every seen. The line to have someone help you was so long that I pitied all those in it that didn't know how (or couldn't) use the Automated Postage Center. I immediately started to pity myself when I saw how many people were waiting to use the APC.

Forty-five minutes and $10.55 later, the sold video game was in the mail. It's a good thing the people in line with me were very nice. Did you know that it's really cold in Alaska and that the postal workers are much nicer here in Utah than in California? I learned these little gems of information from a man that grew up in Alaska and from an old woman that had just moved here from California. So as you can see, my trip to the post office was not only productive but educational!

It could have been worse. I heard a lady who had stood in the longer line as she was walking out say, "What a waste of two and a half hours!"

What a crazy time of year.

Sadie is obedient

2007-12-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

After a long day of running errands, the girls and I are beat. We got home about 20 minutes ago and I had to get on Sadie for patting Madison a little too hard. Of course Sadie made it clear that she wasn't going to listen to me by smacking Maddie again. I then asked Sadie if she wanted a "time out" to which she answered, "Yes."

I had to follow through with her answer so I told her to go to her room and shut the door. To my shock (and amusement) Sadie walked back to her room, shut the door and started to cry.

I wish she would listen to me that well all of the time. Like when I ask her to stay by the shopping cart, stay out of my cupboards or eat her veggies.

Cereal makes my mouth dry

2007-12-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

Eating cereal makes me thirsty. I'm not sure why because each piece of my Captain Crunch is usually soaked in milk. But somehow I end up reaching for a glass of something to quench my thirst at the breakfast table and have a problem. What drink do I reach for? Here are a few of the options I have tried:

Milk. This doesn't seem right (nor does it sound appealing) because the stuff is already in my cereal bowl. Plus, I only like to drink a glass of milk with brownies, Oreo's and some cake.
Orange Juice (or any juice for the matter.) This doesn't work because the sweetness of my cereal makes the juice taste sour.
Hot chocolate. I don't like the mix of hot and cold.
Water. I just don't like water in the morning unless I'm working out.

I just can't seem to find any type of liquid to satisfy my dry mouth while eating cereal. Sugarless cereal could work with juice but I'm not about give up my Cocoa Puffs. Any suggestions?

Oh deer!

2007-12-03T13:19:00.001-07:00

This is what your car would look like if you hit a deer while driving home on a dark, snowy Saturday night. I know this because that's our car. Click here to read Blake's longer, more descriptive account of the accident.

Pictures

2007-11-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

Maddie!

Maddie wearing Sadie's glasses. So cute!

Sadie playing at the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum.

Sadie & Papa playing at the museum.

Sadie shopping at the museum.

Papa & Sadie doing the news at the museum.

Sadie & Madison

Miracles do happen. Sadie fell asleep for the first time EVER today on her own before nap time.

Both of my sleeping girls.

Madison's birth announcements

2007-11-13T14:08:00.001-07:00

I sent these out last week but I wanted to show them off again. No, I didn't make them but my friend Emily did. Here's her website in case you are ever in need of a really good card/announcement/invitation maker. Didn't she do such a good job?

10 reasons why I love newborns

2007-11-02T16:55:00.000-06:00

The sounds they make while eating.
How they nestle up to you when you are holding them.
How they smile without knowing it when you tickle the side of their mouth.
How their eyes can say so much because their mouth can't yet.
How quiet their "really loud cry" is. I appreciate this one more now that I have a two-year old who has fully developed her lungs.
You can set them down somewhere and when you come back to get them, they are there.
Their diapers are not that dirty.
Their diet is very simple. Hardly any mess. Oh, and they aren't picky eaters.
They can pretty much fall asleep anywhere.
How almost everyone that is around a newborn says, "There's nothing like a new baby" because words cannot even describe how sweet and how much joy a newborn can bring into your life.

The blast from the past post for today is: Sweet Sadie

A few snapshots...

2007-11-01T18:57:00.000-06:00

Here's Maddie doing the standard newborn pose.

Dad & Sadie carving our pumpkin.

The finished product.

Maddie, the pumpkin.

Sadie & Maddie.

Sadie & Haley ready to go Trick or Treating!

The first door!

Sadie's new bath toys. Baths will be MUCH longer from now on around here because of the foam alphabet .

Close up of Madison.

My blog is almost 2!

2007-11-01T16:30:00.000-06:00

It's been about two years since my first post on LeezyLindsey. November is my blog's birthday month and since most of you that read my blog haven't been with me since the beginning, I am going to catch you up!

So, every day this month I am going to feature one of my favorite posts from the past two years.

Here is today's link:

If I Were a Rich Woman

Old Navy is crazy

2007-11-01T14:38:00.000-06:00

As I was making my weekly visit to oldnavy.com today, I was shocked to see them selling a line of cashmere sweaters. Yes, that's right. Old Navy is now offering cashmere. At first, I thought that was pretty cool. That is, until I saw the price! $69.50 folks! That's what thy are charging! My question is why in the world is Old Navy selling cashmere? And do they really think that Old Navy customers are going to pay Banana Republic prices for a sweater? That's craziness if you ask me.

My girls

2007-10-18T16:24:00.000-06:00

I think we're going to make it

2007-10-17T11:38:00.000-06:00

Life after having a baby is like a roller coaster of emotions. One minute I feel extremely on top of it and the next, I feel like there is no way I can handle two little girls. Here are just a few emotions I have felt over the last week:

Relief: It was so nice to hear the words, "Come to the hospital in a hour Lindsey to have this baby" when I called the hospital at 5:30 am last Thursday morning. This was after I was scheduled to be induced on Wednesday but was bumped to Thursday.

Fear and disappointment: I felt this when my doctor informed me that I might not be giving birth on Thursday (after being on the pitocin for two hours) because I wasn't dilated enough and he didn't want to put me at risk for an unnecessary c-section.

More relief: When my doctor decided that I had progressed enough to stay at the hospital and give birth on Thursday. The relief really came when he allowed me to get my epidural after going through heavy contractions for two hours. I must be a wimp because I have no idea how women can handle giving birth naturally.

Amazement and again more relief: When I only had to push three times to bring Madison into the world. This was great because I had to push for two hours with Sadie.

Love: It was crazy to me how much love I felt for Maddie right when I saw her. I was afraid that there wasn't any way I could love someone as much as I loved Sadie but the extreme love I felt for Maddie came so naturally.

Fear and relief: Fear when I saw how big Madison's nose was (I was afraid she took after her Dad in this area) but I was relieved a few hours later when I saw that her nose had just been swollen and had gone down considerably.

Joy: To see how excited Sadie was to see Madison for the first time. Granted, I could tell she was a little jealous by all the attention Maddie was getting, but it was a great feeling to see my two little girls together for the first time.

Overwhelmed: The thought of taking care of Sadie and Maddie is still too much for me to handle. I know it can be done. I'm just looking forward to when we work out our new schedule and get back into a routine.

Excitement: When I thought breastfeeding was going so much better this time around.

Discouragement: When I found out that Maddie had lost over a pound in a few days and that she needed more milk then I could give her.

Frustration: When Madison won't wake up to eat.

Happiness: Watching Blake hold Maddie. He is so sweet with her.

Thankful: Having my parents take Sadie for the day so that I can get some sleep.

Guilt: Knowing that Sadie is going through a transition and not wanting her to feel that she is being bumped out of her place.

Awe: As I hold Maddie in my arms, I can't get over how beautiful and perfect she is. I feel so blessed to have her as part of our family.

Pain: I'm talking physical pain. It seems like the minute I get over one of the physical pains of giving birth, another one shows up. Yuck.

Hope: Knowing that everything is going to be fine. My physical pains will go away. Madison will learn to eat because she is a strong, healthy baby. Sadie will forgive me and will eventually decide to be my friend again. And, knowing that I'm not alone and that Blake is right by my side is enough for me to keep going. I have hope because this is a wonderful time of my life. Once my hormones settle down a little, I will be able to enjoy this roller coaster a little bit more. Instead of being scared and closing my eyes, I will be able to let go of the bar, raise my hands over my head and enjoy the ride.

Madison Snow is here!

2007-10-13T10:29:00.000-06:00

Maddie is here! She arrived on October 11, 2007 at 4:22 pm. She weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. (thank goodness!) and was 19 inches long! We are home and adjusting! More details to come later. Just wanted to post some pictures...

Who knew Happy Meals could be so racy?

2007-10-08T20:49:00.001-06:00

For Sadie's birthday, Blake and I took her to McDonald's for lunch. After I got over the price of a Happy Meal, (I remember when they were $1.99!) we sat down to enjoy our delicious, processed food.

Of course, the first thing Sadie wanted to do was see the toy. I ripped it out of it's packaging and handed it over to her. Between bites of her chicken nuggets she would play with her new treasure. I didn't really pay much attention to the doll, mainly because Sadie was so excited with it and I was busy downing my chicken sandwich. But, when I finally noticed just what my $3+ had paid for, I did a double look. Was that doll's skirt really that short? Was that cleavage I saw? And why was it necessary for her belly to be hanging out? Seriously. Who dresses like that to go skating and why was my two-year old being given this in a children's meal?

I don't consider myself the kind of mom that feels the need to censor every part of my child's life but at the same time, I was a little shocked to see what was considered an "appropriate" toy for a Happy Meal.

I guess since Sadie was only turning two that day, I should have asked for the toy for ages three and younger. Maybe when she's four, I will feel much better about her playing with a half naked doll.

Sadie's birthday bash!

2007-10-05T10:56:00.000-06:00

We went to Chuck E. Cheese's last night to celebrate Sadie turning two. She was in her own little world and loved every minute of it! Thanks to everyone that came! Here are a few pictures of the happening event:

Haley & Sadie on a ride together.

The cake.

Sadie being shy while everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to her.

Opening presents. It was really cute watching how excited she got when she realized what each gift was. Thanks to everyone for all the great presents!

The piece of cake I "accidentally" cut for my brother, Steve.

Shane & Stephanie

Grandpa Snow & Sadie

Steve & his "friend" Brooke

The Andersen Family

Sadie & Papa Smith

Our family.

*My Mom (the photographer) and Laci & Eric were also there. The batteries in my camera died before we could take their snapshots.

My sunshine is 2!

2007-10-04T00:01:00.000-06:00

Unexpected comfort

2007-10-02T20:54:00.000-06:00

After returning from a rather eventful trip to Walmart tonight with Sadie, I had had it. I was done being pregnant. I was done feeling like I tried so hard to make everyone else's life easier only to give myself disappointment. I was done waiting 20 minutes for Sadie to make her way up the stairs to our apartment while I'm holding heavy bags. I was done being tired. I was done feeling like I could never be caught up with all the the things I'm expected to do. In short, I was overwhelmed and feeling sorry for myself.

As soon as we walked through the door, I threw my bags on the kitchen counter and started crying. I just felt like giving up.

Well, it didn't take Sadie long to see what was going on. She walked right up to me and said,

"Crying, Mommy?"

"Hurt, Mommy?"

"Kiss it better, Mommy?"

She then proceeded to start kissing my knees. I'm not sure why she thought it was my knees that were in pain but the location of her kisses didn't matter. Her sweet little spirit could see that I was hurting and she wanted to make it better.

After she finished kissing my knees, she grabbed the kitchen towel and said, "Wipe tears, Mommy?"

I let her and then "All better, Mommy?" were the words that came out of her mouth.

Of course her innocent and tender actions only made me cry more but they were now tears of gratitude and feeling so lucky to have this very special girl. She is constantly bringing a kind of joy into my life that I never knew was possible. And, just like tonight, she always seems to know when I need it the most.

Alarm clock regrets

2007-10-01T08:47:00.001-06:00

The only day I need to set my alarm clock is Saturday night for church on Sunday morning. Every other day Sadie gets me up before 8:00 am and I don't feel the need to get up any earlier then that. Well, I always set my alarm on Saturday night for around 7:00 am (just in case Sadie decides to sleep in) and I always regret it on Sunday morning. Of course the snooze button gets slapped and even though I stay in bed until 7:15 or so, I'm still upset at myself for thinking that I would want to get up that early! Getting up early is much easier said then done!

Does anyone else get a little too ambitious when setting their alarm clock?

I like the fall

2007-09-28T13:05:00.001-06:00

What is it about the weather? Why does it come up so much in conversations? Why does it affect my mood so much? What is it about a sunny day that makes me so happy and why does a rainy day make me tired?

Well, I might not have the answers to those questions but I am sure loving the cooler, fall weather we've been having. It has been so nice to turn the air conditioning off and open the windows for a more natural (cheaper) way of cooling the house down. It's been fun dressing Sadie in her new fall clothes. It's been nice sleeping and not waking up in the middle of the night sweating. I'm already a hot sleeper as it is and it doesn't help to have a warm body growing inside of me. I can't even remember the last time I slept with a blanket. Well, that is until this week. I have missed using a blanket and it has been nice to at least fall asleep covered up. Of course, I wake up a few hours later and have to rip the blanket off.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that fall is definitely my favorite time of year. And I think most of that has to do with the type of weather we get during this season. It's not too hot and not too cold. It's perfect for a light jacket. I think that fall is the prettiest of all seasons (it might be tied with spring) and that the smells outside are so clean and fresh.

Here are a few more reasons why fall is my favorite season:

Everything pumpkin! Need I say more?
Halloween & Thanksgiving (probably two of my favorite holidays)
The leaves turning red, orange and yellow.
Relief from the summer heat.
Corn mazes and haunted houses.
Warm food/beverages like chili and hot chocolate.
Birthdays. My family has a lot of birthdays in the fall (including my own).
Christmas is coming up.

What about you? What is your favorite season and why?

To sing or not to sing

2007-09-26T12:00:00.000-06:00

One of the perks of having a birthday is that it's pretty much guaranteed that you get to go out to dinner to celebrate. When I was growing up, the decision of where I picked to go eat depended on what type of birthday treat the restaurant offered. Would I go for the free cheesecake that my favorite steakhouse provided or what about the ice cream sundae that the Olive Garden gave out?

The only downside to my birthday eating out bliss? The birthday song. You know what I'm talking about. I always dreaded seeing the line of employees making their way over to my table to sing (very loudly) their birthday wish to me. Sure, it was embarrassing but at least I got a free dessert out of the whole ordeal.

So, I was rather disappointed when a few years ago, a group of co-workers took me to Olive Garden for my birthday and we were told that they no longer gave out free dessert for birthdays. They told us that they would still sing to me and if we wanted, we could purchase a dessert that they would bring out. I laughed to myself because the whole point of enduring the birthday song was so that you got a free tasty treat at the end. There was no way I was going to let them sing to me if I wasn't going to get my reward!

Now, I don't want to pick on Olive Garden. I'm just using it as an example. But it has seriously gotten to the point where finding a restaurant that serves a birthday dessert (for free) is hard to come by. How sad. What is this world coming to? Are the restaurants out there really that cheap?

I ask you now. Where do you go for your birthday? Am I missing out on some wonderful birthday treat? And how do you feel about being sung to? Would you let your server sing to you even if you that piece of cake they bring out ends up on your bill?

Never say never

2007-09-20T08:02:00.000-06:00

Before I became a mom, I had some expectations that I thought were fairly reasonable. Sure, I had heard that each child comes with their own personality, but I wasn't fully aware of the fact that they really do come with a mind of their own and that they use that mind from a very early age. To show how naive I was, here are just a few things I knew my kids would never do:

I was never going to have a child that sucked her thumb. Sadie's been doing this (and continues to do this) since she was 4 months old.
I was never going to have a child that was attached to a blanket. Sadie has two.
I was never going to have a child that needed a certain stuffed animal to fall asleep. Elmo has suddenly become Sadie's best friend and must be in her bed before she will even think about taking a nap.
I was never going to have a child throw a tantrum in public. Not to mention smack me in the face while I was trying to discipline her in Old Navy. Sadie did this yesterday.
I was never going to have a child that liked Barney. I'm not sure how, but Sadie not only knows who Barney is, but gets very excited when his show happens to be on when the TV gets turned on in the morning.
Oh, and I was never going to lose my temper. HA!

So what about you? Did you have anything that you thought your kids would never do?

Cool and not so cool

2007-09-18T09:07:00.000-06:00

Cool: Gas prices are finally dropping.

Not so cool: After I had already parked, unscrewed my gas lid, and swiped my card, I realized that the gas station I was at only had the super premium (meaning super expensive) gas. Needless to say, I paid WAY too much for gas yesterday. Yuck.