Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Did you ever?


Did any of you ever do this as a kid? I remembered doing this at ALL picnics. I still love olives. The other night as I was fixing tacos I stuck these olives on Lucy's fingers to keep her entertained while I finished making dinner. All my kids love olives. It is one of the few foods we can all agree on. Too bad they aren't a top five food. I wonder if the kids really like the taste or if they just enjoy the way they can eat them?

Taming my Tongue!

So I have to confess something, sometimes when very frustrated I have been known to say a swear word or two, but I generally stick to the damns and hells. While building my house my language was at its worst. One day I was on the phone talking to Jason and I called my painter a jack ass. Anyone who had any interaction with my painter knows that is what he was. All of the sudden I hear three year old Truman repeating jack---, jack--- and he and Isaac laughing. Then Jason is also laughing hysterically. I was reminded that I needed to clean up my language even though building a house was pure torture. So today I went to pick up Lucy at Jessica's. She was watching her while I volunteered at school. We were talking, I don't even remember about what when I said damn, damn stupid about something. Lucy was milling about the room and came over and looked me straight in the eye and said "Mom, we don't talk that way." It was hilarious and a very good example from my two year old again. Even though my language is usually pretty clean, I am going to try really hard not to say any bad words. I don't want to hear them coming out of my sweet little girls mouth. She is too cute for that!

The Wind

Can I just say that I hate the wind. It has been blowing like crazy all day and now it is the middle of the night and it is making it so I can't go to sleep. I even went to bed kind of early and I have just been laying there not going to sleep. The wind ruins all fun outdoor sports and it makes my vent hood clank like crazy. I hope it STOPS soon and for that matter I am ready for spring!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Brusha Brusha Brusha!

I have just returned from the elementary school where I volunteer each week. Today I was in the first grade class. Can someone tell me why none of these children brush their teeth? Can you say DOG BREATH! I am going to call the school and ask them if they would like Foothill Dental to come and do a presentation on oral hygiene. But in the meantime please remind your children to brush their teeth so they don't kill the reading helper with their bad breath.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Target

Bins for my closet.

Lucy's closet.

This is going to be a long story but I have been told by my occasionally bossy sisters that I MUST blog about this. So if you have a few minutes read on and enjoy a glimpse into my CRAZY mind.

I have been in project mode lately. I like being in project mode but it doesn't happen very often for me. (Usually I am in unfinished project mode.) David went out-of-town last week for a few days and that will usually get me going.


So as some of you may know Liberty of London has done a design line for Target. I have been waiting excitedly to see the goods! In fact I was seriously considering breaking the Sabbath and heading to Target to check it out as the line debut this past Sunday. I am happy to report that I waited until Monday, so this is what I spent my Monday doing.


Lucy had a doctors appointment Monday early, 8:20. Jess and I also trade kids Monday morning so one of us can go to the school and read with Jack and Truey's class. It was my turn to sit. I met Jess at the school at 9:00. I told her we were headed to Target. I know she was chuckling at me that I would take 3 children to Target rather than wait an hour and go with 1 but like I said I have been anxiously awaiting.


The stuff was DARLING! I wanted all of it, but I was able to focus my ADHD mind on a couple of things. (As many of you know my little boy has ADHD, in researching it I have also diagnosed myself and most of my family members as having some form of the disorder, they do not support me in my diagnosis but people with ADHD can have the ability to hyper focus. You can judge for yourself.)


I decided that I wanted to get some storage bins. These are the cutest bins I have EVER encountered! In my toy room I have a miss mash of bins. It drives me crazy. I like uniformity! I have tried to go back and buy the same bins later but they don't make them any more, this is frustrating. The Centerville Target had two of the bins I wanted all the others were gone. The stuff was already a little picked over at 9 a.m. I left the Centerville Target and decided to head to Layton.


I called Jess to see if she was done at the school yet but she didn't answer her phone so we all got on the freeway heading North. Jess called me a couple of minutes later but I was already going North. I also talked to Kim on my way to Layton and told her I was on a hunt. She laughed. When we arrived in Layton I put Luke, Lucy and Daniel all in the cart and Dan said to me in a confused voice, "Another Target?" Oh yes Daniel. (Just imagine what was going through poor Lucy's head by the end of the day.) While in the Layton store David called me to check on Lucy's doctor appointment. We talked briefly because David is brief and he knew I was at Target with 3 children. We were able to pick up 4 bins in Layton. 2 for Lucy's closet and 2 for mine. I decided they would be very cheery in my closet as well.


We headed back home. I dropped Dan and Luke off at Jessica's and went home for some lunch. We ate lunch, I talked to my dad, he was checking in on Lucy's doctors appointment also. As I was putting my treasures away I remembered my toy room and how I have wished I had the same type bins. I decided that I needed more bins.


We headed to Fort Union. En route to Fort Union Kim called to ask me a medical question about Anna, she asked me "Are you ever home?" I said "Not today, I did not tell her I was going to Target. While we were talking David called. I hung up with Kim before finishing our conversation about Anna. I asked David if there were any Target stores by his office and we concluded that there no Target stores in Salt Lake proper. (I just have to mention here that I hate the Sandy, Draper, West Jordan, South Jordan area. Davis County is MUCH better.)


The Sandy Target did not have any bins, but there was a very helpful Target employee. He printed off a receipt showing which stores had how many bins. He then called the West Jordan Target and put the bins I wanted on hold for me, then he persuaded me to go home and order them on Target.com. We even checked to see if they had the items online. They did and he told me that they even had free shipping but I needed to create an account and he suggested that I do this at home. I thought to myself yes this is silly driving all over the valley, I'll go home.


I came home put Lucy down for a nap and went to order my bins on line. I was checking out and the total seemed way higher than it should be. $105.00 higher! That was almost the same as all the bins! Ridiculous! I placed a phone call to Target.com and said "Really?" I was told "yes, really." So I cancelled my order. I went and pulled out the receipt that the overly helpful Target employee had printed for me and started phoning Targets and putting bins on hold.


A bit later my boys got home from school and Lucy finished her nap. I informed my children that we were going for a car ride. West Jordan was next. On the way to West Jordan Kim calls me back to finish our discussion about Anna and she is in hysterics that I am on my way to my third Target. I do not correct her and tell her no its actually the fourth.


We get to the West Jordan store and we can not find the bins anywhere. I see a worker and ask her if she knows where they are. She tells me they haven't been set yet. I explain to her that the worker from Sandy had called and put the bins on hold for me, could someone please get them out for me. She tells me NO. We aren't allowed to get the merchandise out if it hasn't been set. I'm thinking WHATEVER! I explain to her that I have driven clear from Bountiful and I have been on an extensive hunt for them and they are selling out fast online etc. etc. She is NOT going to help me. There is NOTHING she can do. Nicole is started to feel a little rage coming on, but I remain calm. I explain to her that the line debuted yesterday and they must be running a little behind because it was already suppose to be on the floor. (I should have asked her if she would like to offer me a job because I seemed to know more about it than she did.) She again tells me that there is nothing she can do. So I asked her if I could speak to a manager about it. She informed me that she was a manager, of course she was. So then I had to ask to speak to her manager. Her manager said it was no problem to pull them out for me. (Question, Why are some people by nature helpful and nice and other not so much.?) They actually did have them on hold for me in customer relations like my buddy in Sandy said. West Jordan produced 4 more bins.


Leaving West Jordan store and going to West Jordan SE store. (Why does WJ have two Targets and Salt Lake has zero Targets?) My mom and dad call me. They are headed to Las Vegas. My mom says "What is this I hear about you heading to all the Targets in Utah?" Yes I am and I know that it is crazy. She is very cute and offers to stop at all the Targets along the way to Vegas. Oh won't my dad LOVE that!


Then it occurs to me that I have done this before. About 13 or 14 years ago Target debuted Snowman dishes. I lived in Kentucky at the time and drove all over Louisville searching for dishes. They too were a hot item and I had my mom searching for them here in Utah. I still have them and still love them.


I arrive at WJ SE go in the store, I hand the phone to Isaac and he talks to Grandma while I buy my 4 on-hold bins. Load the kids back in the car, Grandma is still talking to her Grand kids. So I arrive at the South Jordan Target wrap up the conversation with my mother and go in to get my final 4 bins.


Lucy needs to go the the bathroom and this point so we are in the bathroom when David calls me. It is six o'clock and he is calling from home wondering where we are. I tell him that I can not tell him and he starts laughing and says are you at Target again?! At this point I am completely humiliated that I am so obsessive and crazy but I actually think that it is something that my cute husband likes about me. I confess that I am indeed at Target but that we will be home shortly as we are about to leave South Jordan.


We got home just before seven o'clock and Jessica called wondering how many bins I bought? 18 total. All I can say is what a NUT and I have been absolutely thrilled with my Liberty of London purchases. They make me HAPPY! (P.S. Today when I went to work, Lucy told her babysitter Laurie that I had gone to Target. Pretty funny!)

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Lucy's 2009

    • Turned 2 years old
    • Learned to talk (she has a little lisp like her mother did.)
    • Loves books (favorites are "The Cow Jumping Over the Moon" aka "Goodnight Moon" and "Sharing with Renoir" Horray, I finally have a child that likes stories.)
    • Loves to sing (Favorites: "Twinkle, twinkle" "My Beloved Son" and "Sunshine")
    • Loves to play with brothers and cousins
    • Loves her Poppy
    • Loves her "B", thumb and Raarry.
    • Favorite movies are Peter Pan and Beauty and the Beast
    • Mama's little helper and buddy.
    • She is a sweet heart and a tease.

    Monday, January 4, 2010

    Truman's 2009



    • Turned 6 years old
    • Broke his arm playing on monkey bars
    • Finished Kindergarten
    • Attended Summer reading
    • Swim Lessons
    • Baseball with a busted arm
    • Started 1st grade with Jackson
    • Tumbling
    • Jr. Jazz
    • Great Student
    • Quit sucking his thumb
    • Halloween- Captain Hook
    • He is either being naughty or nice there is no in between

    Isaac's 2009



    • Turned 7 years old

    • Finished 1st grade

    • Attended Summer Reading

    • Swim Team

    • Diving

    • Baseball

    • Tumbling

    • Allergy Shots

    • Started 2nd grade

    • Jr. Jazz

    • Indianna Jones for Halloween

    • New Bike

    • Lake Powell: SKIS and WAKEBOARDS!

    • Orlando: Fought Darth Vader at Jedi Training

    • Says the sweetest prayers

    • great friend

    Monday, November 9, 2009

    Pomegranates. YUMMY!


    Don't you just love this time of year? I have especially loved the last couple of weeks and the beautiful weather we have had. I wish fall would last a few more months. I have worked in my yard a lot the last two weekends and it feels so good. I think I am glad that I got the second chance to ready it for winter. It would have really bugged me all winter long if I hadn't gotten to it. I told David that next year we need to have one weekend a month when it is work in the yard weekend, and golf doesn't get to interfere that weekend. Wouldn't that be great? We'll see if it happens. But getting the yard done really made me happy.

    I also love the great flavors of fall and this topic is actually what has prompted my jump back into blogging. Today we went to Jessica's for dinner and I was throwing together a salad while we waited for the meat to cook. (Another entirely different blog topic.) Anyway, Jessica makes great salads and she suggested putting a pomegranate in the salad. I love pomegranates but I hate peeling them. They always make a huge mess. You must wear an apron and even still hope you don't really like the shirt you are wearing. Well Jess taught me the best new trick about cutting the seeds out of a pomegranate. Score the peel and then fill a bowl full of water and let the scored fruit soak in water for a few minutes. Then open the fruit under water. Wala! no mess. Strain the pomegranate and all the seeds are easily accessable. I thought this trick was amazing. Now I don't have to hope Costco has the already seeded pomegranates. They go bad way too quickly. I remember the first time I ever had a pomegranate we were in St. George, and I was pretty young. My Grandpa Truman offered me some and being a picky eater I probably only tried it to please him. I remember really liking it. They are so pretty and have just the perfect amount of tartness. Very pleasing to the palate. My good friend Laurie use to always bring them in her lunch during fifth grade. I've got to remember to ask her if she knows this trick. We always hated peeling them. I am headed to Costco tomorrow. Truman and I will be in heaven eating those beautiful seeds.

    Sunday, June 28, 2009

    Happy Anniversary!


    Today is my 14th Wedding Anniversary! Wow! Were does the time go? It seems like yesterday that I was 20 and in love for the first time. Going to Israel really was a great idea. David and I started out as good friends and I think that was a great way to begin a relationship. There really isn't anyone that I would rather spend time with or talk to. I remember talking to someone in Israel about David, this was before I knew that I liked him, I remember telling them that whoever married David Stohl would be a very lucky girl because he would treat her very well. At that time I never imagined I would be the lucky girl. I am so glad that I am. He really does know how to treat me. He is a great husband. I also have to say that I know how to treat and handle him too. I understand him better than anyone and we get along very well together. He needed a wife with a little bit of spit fire. David, I love you very much, you are my sweetheart and I think that we are a perfect fit. Happy Anniversary!

    My Least Favorite Day!

    Today has been a very looong day. It was come home from Lake Powell Day. I do have to say that I hate this day. (But it did go pretty smoothly.) My reasons for hating it are probably multifaceted. As a kid it was a very high stress day. My dad (who I adore) and I almost always had a fight on this day. He was a stressed out houseboat driver and I didn't think I deserved to be yelled at because he didn't like driving the houseboat. Thankfully Jason has taken over this job. (Don't be mad at me Daddy.) It is also a let down after a fun week at one of my favorite vacation destination. A long drive and a ton of clean up work at the houseboat and at home once you finally get there. I am now up late trying to catch up on my contest with Kim. Lets see if I am still in the running.

    A Little Late

    I am in a contest with my sisters about blogging everyday. I have been out of town and out of reach of a computer for the last week. Before I left I scheduled my posts so that I would not loose the competition. But I only got to Thursday. I had a very busy week and still tried to post so Kim I am wondering if I lost or you will be lenient? What do ya think?

    Thursday, June 25, 2009

    Isaac's smokers hack

    For the longest time Isaac has had a smokers hack. He coughs really hard and clears his throat like a grown man. We have always just chalked it up to a little bit of mild asthma. Well I have been wondering lately if Isaac has allergies. So a few days ago I took him to see a pediatric allergist. We went over the forms and I told him my suspicions and then they administered the scratch test. Isaac cried and was really angry at me the whole 15 minute wait time. He was carrying on like a crazy boy. When the doctor came back in he was quite surprised that Isaac was VERY allergic to almost everything. (All trees, all grasses, all weeds, some molds, cats, dogs, and horses.) I guess it is a good thing we no longer have Cleo and Zoie. He wasn't allergic to feathers but we are not having a bird. I am feeling sad for poor Isaac. And I am feeling a bit dense.

    Wednesday, June 24, 2009

    Summer Reading List

    When I was in high school Jessica use to write me a summer reading list. I could sure use on now so I am asking that you to help create a summer reading list for me. What is on your must read list? Name me a few of your all time favorites. I would love to hear your suggestions. Happy reading this summer.

    Tuesday, June 23, 2009

    What is in your church bag?

    I am looking for great ideas of what to pack in a church bag to entertain a little two year old. Lucy is now at the stage that she doesn't like to stay in sacrament meeting so she is loud and knows she will get taken out. Please HELP!

    Monday, June 22, 2009

    Happy Birthday Lucy!

    Lucy,
    I hope you have a great day. You are a special little girl and you make our family so happy. You are developing the cutest personality and I hope you will always be as darling as you are right now. Have a great day baby girl.
    OXOXOXOXOX
    Mom

    Sunday, June 21, 2009

    New Calling

    I have a new church job. I've had it for about two months now. I am the Secretary of the Relief Society. This is very new for me as I have not attended Relief Society for more than a month at a time since I was in college. I have always held callings in Primary and Young Women's. It should be nice for me to get to know the ladies in our ward better. It will also be a good reminder to study gospel topics for myself more regularly. I do miss my cute Primary class though.

    Saturday, June 20, 2009

    Good-Bye Level 3

    Truman has learned so much in his swim lessons the past few weeks. The other day he swam almost the whole length of the pool. He looks a little like a bug does swimming in water. His teacher is the swim coach for Isaac's swim team. She swam in college and is also getting an advanced degree in sports psychology. (I didn't even know that was a job but apparently pro athletes use them all the time.) She is very nice but is also all about the business; which is really good for Truman as he can be a bit silly at times. She said he should be ready for swim team next year. She has been teaching them different strokes. He now knows proper technique on more strokes than his mother. I am starting to think that I should be the one taking swim lessons. (I did have that episode during the Spudman you know.)

    Friday, June 19, 2009

    Results


    IN-N-OUT Wins!

    Thursday, June 18, 2009

    A Little Poll

    Tonight we went to dinner at Five Guys. I have been wondering which restaurant would win the best burger award. Five Guys or IN-N-OUT? I believe that I decided IN-N-OUT wins. Their burgers are the best. Simple and you can have a chocolate shake to go along with the meal. Five Guys is good but the last two times I have been there I have been a bit disappointed. Two times ago I ordered grilled mushrooms and grilled onions. The mushrooms were from a can and the onions were only grilled for about 30 seconds. I don't like raw onions or canned mushrooms. Tonight I ordered the cheeseburger plain. Lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup and mustard. I'm thinking plain it will be perfect right? It was pretty good but the cheese wasn't melted. I don't really get that. So that is why my vote is going to IN-N-OUT. Cast your vote now.