New Year, New House

Charming 1950s rambler in a quiet, coniferous forest neighborhood at an approximate elevation of 5,000 feet. Close to excellent schools, and a wide variety of bamboo forests, this luxurious family home features gorgeous views and central heating for comfortable winter hibernation. For more information, or to schedule a tour, please contact Dolhaus Realty.

Please Compare the Following Photos:

When looking at these photos, would you say that:

A. Oscar looks like his father
B. Thank goodness Kathryn's genes were added to the mix
C. Oscar should be a child model

or

D. Who the crap cares, you should write a political blog

we ♥ united parcel service

{and we love you, mom, for sending it... so THANK YOU! california tree-ripened fruit = bliss}

I'm LOST...

So, have I ever mentioned here on my blog that Terry O'Quinn is Ben's uncle? Well, yes, he is. Here I am golfing with him once upon a time (he totally stroked my ego by telling me what a great golfer I was... have I been golfing since? No. On a sidenote: what is up with my outfit???)

Anyways, so after watching the Season Six Premiere of LOST all I want to do is jump on an airplane headed for Hawaii, find uncle Terry, grab him by the shoulders and demand to know what the devil is going on, on that crazy little island... I don't think I can wait until next week for more answers. LOST. It's brilliant. (For all those who have been living in a cave the past 5 years, you can catch up on all 5 previous seasons here. It's worth it.)

UPDATE: For those who are wondering who the other men in the picture are, they are my bro-in-law Patrick and Terry's youngest brother, Tom. Ben was also golfing with me that day, he was just on another "team"...

Things I'm Currently Loving...

Avocados with salt and lemon. My mom sent me a bunch of avocados (& lemons) off her tree and they are delicious.

Oscar cuddling. You sit on the floor. He plops himself on your lap. Every time. Also, he loves books.

Oscar's kisses. This is a new trick. And I'm in love with it. Big, mouthy, drooly Oscar kisses are the bomb. Come over to my house and get yours today. (Added bonus: he has a runny nose which adds a bit of danger to the mix and makes the whole experience more exhilarating).

Taking the kids sledding. They are old enough to have fun but young enough that we only last about an hour.


(Poor Oscar only lasts like 3 minutes, but then he just lays down and takes a break & we have more fun because now there's an obstacle to try and miss with the sleds.)


Oscar's Snowsuit... "I can't put my arms down!" Love it.

Hello Twenty-Ten!

{our family on temple square, salt lake, december 2009}

So here we are in the new year...I have pretty much had a headache for all of it. Sometimes I get these fun little headaches that last several days. So since January 1st I've been lounging around in pajamas and watching my home fall into a state of disarray (which puts Ben into a state of crazy... he's a little bit ADD). But just think of how much fun I'm going to have organizing and cleaning when this headache leaves me! Fun squared, that's what it's gonna be.

So, to recap my New Year so far: pain, pills, and pajamas, Papa Murphy's, piles of laundry, and perturbed husband. Help me.

p.s. Reading this book gets my cleaning juices flowing:

Aw yeah! Tips on removing laundry stains, cleaning duvets, dusting, kitchen maintenance. Gets you all hot and bothered to clean your house. And be all house-wifey...

Ahhh-Oooo!

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Vintage Love

So I've been wanting to get a headboard for our bed. We've never had one. My bedroom has always been at the bottom of the totem pole as far as decorating goes. Even the kid's rooms have taken precedence over mine. Anyhow, I LOVE the headboard that belongs to Don and Betty Draper on Mad Men. Ben hates it. He says it's depressing and reminds him of something in his grandparents basement. What do you think?

photo via here.

photo via here.

The Doctor is In...

...sane. Insane, I tell ya. A while back Maggie went in to get some shots so she could be all legit for preschool. She was so brave, not a single tear was shed. But now she is obsessed with playing doctor and vaccinating every person, doll, stuffed animal and on one occasion, the couch (probably against mad cow- they are leather).


Here's a little movie that I could not for the life of me cut down (so I will hold no hard feelings if you don't want to watch 2 whole minutes of the cuteness that is my daughter and youngest son- also the cuteness that is my pasty leg, the object of Maggie's masochistic doctoring- also the cuteness that is my annoying voice. I do sound like Fran Drescher... ugh).



p.s. My friend Kim stole my camera and then tossed it into her backyard. Probably to teach me a lesson about leaving clutter in her immaculate house. Anyways, I found out and am making her bring me dinner on Sunday to make up for it. So then I will perhaps blog a little more frequently (I am one of "those bloggers" that usually needs photos to illustrate my posts).

Can't handle the withdrawl...

Who am I kidding. Really. I'm just going to accept my addiction and move on. At least blogging doesn't have any adverse side affects. Well, except for the carpal tunnel. There's that. Oh, and the brain tumor from the electro-magnetic whatchamacallits being emitted from my computer. But who counts that.

Moving on:




{Oh man, that felt good to get that out there and on my blog... Breathe it in, people, breathe it in. Now don't you feel so much better?}

Photo Tag

So, I got tagged by Jen. I haven't "played" tag in a while, so here goes:

The Rules, if you so choose to play:
Go to your photo files, get the sixth photo from the sixth folder and blog about it. Then tag six people.


Here is my photo:



Isn't Maggie adorable? She was 8 months old and we were on vacation in Mexico. We were there for 2 weeks and it was heaven- heaven, I tell you. We were at a place that was called Half Moon Bay (I think) and Ben and Maggie had been playing in the warm water. Maggie loved the water- I think she's part fish.

Ben is also so adorable and this photo makes me super excited for the cruise we are going on in May... as in NEXT MONTH (giddiness ensues).

Ready or not, here are the tagees:

Ashley, Erin, Sarah, Melissa, Olivia, and Anjie (and anjie, I know I didn't answer your "Eight is Enough" tag game... partly because I'm lame-o and partly because I did this one awhile back.)

Also, I tag whomever else wants to play. It's kind of fun, like a walk down memory lane.

growing on me...

I'm not sure how much more swelling of these cheeks I can take. In the meantime, Ben sure is envious of my manly jaw.

I survived...

Now, whose cheeks are bigger?



p.s. I'm trying to smile in that there picture.

Day of Rest

Dear Self,

Please stop comparing yourself to your older sister whose pre-pregnancy clothes are too big one month after birthing her children, while you are still fitting quite nicely into your maternity jeans whilst your 3 month old lay in your arms nursing. Also, stop stressing about your upcoming 30th birthday and the cruise to the Bahamas (both occurring the end of May). Instead, remind yourself on how much you love your three little ones (all of whom greatly contributed to your current "pleasantly plump" condition) and paste a picture of Marilyn Monroe to the bathroom mirror (this will especially help your post-shower ego). Keep exercising, eating tons of vegetables, and drinking silly amounts of water. Embrace your curves, dearie.

love, moi

p.s. also, please can you find a bathing suit like marilyn's for the cruise? hhhhhot!

because it's a thursday...

I guess that's a good enough reason to have a cranky day.

Post-nap Pouts:


Little Miss Pouty Pants (practice makes perfect!):


Another reason: I was busy making this mess instead of paying attention to my little dollies...


And what do I have to show for that mess, you might be asking? Nada... I got too distracted by the awesome movie my kids were watching.

Remember this gem?


{I just realized just now that the actor there in that picture is the Oompa Loompa from Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory... fascinating!}

accountant? anyone?

So last year Ben and I did our taxes online with Turbo-Tax. Easy, fast, free. Perfect. We got our refund deposited into our bank account in record time. It was awesome. Tonight I sat down to fill out our taxes online and thought it would be easy peasy all over again. WRONG. Somehow the "YES, I have been convicted of felony substance abuse" box got checked. Under my name. And I can't figure out how the crap to change it.

And what am I going to say tomorrow when I call a Turbo-Tax representative to help me? "I was so confused... I didn't understand the question." Yeah, that doesn't sound like I was high. Who doesn't understand "Are you a convicted felon?". Egads.

Bang, bang!

Maggie and I are the proud new owners of a bit o' forehead fringe. Our hairstyles are so now.




This little game of "Change my Hairstyle!" hits me every few months. Usually I cave and go get my hair chopped off, but I'm trying to grow it out and so Maggie fell victim to my scissor-addiction. (Because cutting my own bangs didn't fulfill my need completely.)

How to Depress Yourself...

1. Download a not-so-flattering photo of yourself on MyHeritage.com in their "Celebrity Face Recognition" section.

This was the only picture I could find that fit all the "criterion". Most pictures of me have a kid's head blocking half my face. Unfortunately, this picture was taken while I was pregnant and camping (hence no make-up) in Yellowstone last year. Loverly.



2. Watch in anticipation while the Face Recognition Software does it's work...

3. Feel your dignity and self-esteem rapidly deflate and then disintegrate as you realize the high-tech software has decided you closely resemble this guy:



STEVE BUSCEMI!?? REALLY??? Ouch. Squared.

4. Post your Collage online in a sad and feeble attempt to re-fill the void that was self-worth by fishing for compliments in the form of blog comments.



Here's my Celebrity Collage:



Oddly, it doesn't make me feel any better that Christie Brinkley and Charlize Theron made it on my list. Because Stevie Buscemi as my TOP PICK? That's like finding a hair in your food at a restaurant. It ruins the whole enchilada.

Yet another online quiz...

Here's a random one:

You Are an Ice Cream Cake

Surprising, unique, and high maintenance. You're one of a kind, and you don't want anyone to forget it. You're fun in small doses, but it's easy for people to overdose on you!

What Kind of Cake Are You?

Sorry to all those who overdose on me every day (ie Ben).
Also, taking this quiz makes me hungry for ice cream...