Imagination

Let me just say we are not feeling expecially great. It is barely 10 am today. Jake and I are eating progresso soup (0 ww points) and watching a little P&P. Yes, Jake is actually watching Pride and Prejudice with me! I offered to turn it off, but he wanted it on. We are sitting on my bed, and he says, "Mom, how is the movie?" So I ask him how the movie is. He says, "It's kind of scary. It's the dinosaur!" Yes, a little imagination goes a long way with Jake. 

Melt Your Heart

Jake's favorite game is to hide in very conspicuous places and make us say, "Where's Jake?" Recently he's taken to hiding Alisa. We cracked up when he said where's Alisa and we looked down to find this... Yep. Under the blanket, which, btw, was a Christmas present knitted especially for me by Scott's mom and sisters! Beautiful, isn't it?

Oh, my goodness! She is getting so big!!!!

Jake wanted to feed Alisa. It lasted about 30 seconds, but it was sweet! She looks really big! She IS wearing 18-24 month pj's, as I got them for 1.50 each on clearance and Target. 

On a personal note, Alisa has decided to ween herself, I think. She will be 9 months old on Sunday. Yesterday she had a hard time wanting to nurse and bit me really hard (She drew blood! Ouch!). Today she refused to nurse two of the four times! It was tricky getting her to nurse the other two times. She took a bottle just fine, though. I don't think I am ready for her to ween herself! Sniff, sniff. I am sad. I know it's just life, but I nursed Jake until he was a year old! 

Jake's latest saying: "When I'm older, I can do (or use) that..."(weed whacker, knife, scissors, anything sharp).

Scott has had long days this week. He had a laser class from 5:30-8:30 on Mon. and Tue. Tuesday he managed to sneak home for 30 minutes to eat with us before going to the class. Jake was so cute when Scott said he had to go. Clinging to his neck, he said, "Don't go dad! I will be so sad if you go! You just have to stay here with me! Please stay with me. I will be sad if you go to school!" Melt your heart! 

We're Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo...

We went to the zoo two weekends ago. So fun. Jake had a lot of fun, especially running around with Hallie G. He loved these gorilla statues. He loved the real gorillas, too. His favorite were the crocodiles. Maybe because of Peter Pan... Alisa loved the fish. 

Parroting and Misnomers

Mom. Listen to me. I know you are really sad, but...I need you to be happy. Ok?

Hallie, are you listening to me? Look at my eyes. I need you to listen.

Uh-oh. Hallie forgot her bandaid! (her headband)

Going in to church: I will sit with mom and Alisa and dad will play the ormament (organ).

We had a maintenance guy here doing some minor repairs (he unhooked the wires to the death trap heater in the bathroom!) and Jake was, of course, hanging out with him. Later, I asked Jake what he said to the guy. His response? "You are a good worker!" Nice.

Bath time, Mud, and Other Joys of my life!

Here are the two cuties in the bath together! They crack me up. Alisa is so into Jake and just wants to do whatever he is doing...which doesn't make him happy (mostly because she takes his toys).

The other day was sunny and warm. Jake turned on the hose, without my permission. He sprayed Alisa's chair and then made some serious mud in the garden area. The garden is planted now! Yea! (Except for tomatoes and some herbs...we'll plant those the first part of March). Alisa went straight for the water under the chair and had a great time eating grass and leaves. Jake got soooo muddy. Actually, every day it was warm he got soooo muddy. I did a whole load of muddy clothes laundry at the end of that warm spell. Love it. 

Alisa started full-on crawling a couple of weeks ago. She really gets around. She is mostly pulling up on her knees, but not all the way standing. However, last week I found her like this:

Well, she was actually really happy standing there, until I left to get the camera... Funny girl!

Last but not least, I made cookies for a family that took care of our kids for the marathon. One sheet was doughy and one was still baking, so I stuck the doughy ones back in the oven, thinking I'd take them out in a few. I went back to make a QUICK phone call (for a dr. appt. for Jake). I think it was a quick call, but then I got busy doing other things. Later, I smelled burning chocolate chips and came in to this:

So, they aren't burned, but they are really crispy! They are my favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and I was bummed that I burned half of them! Ah! There is another instance that proves childbirth destroys the brain. 

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies (from my OLD roommate, Risa Webb)

1 c. butter 2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar 2 1/2 c. oatmeal, blended in blender to make powder

1 c. brown sugar 1/2 t. salt

2 eggs 1 t. baking powder

1 t. vanilla 1 t. baking soda

12 oz. chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients. Mix all together. Add chocolate chips. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets @ 375 for 6-8 minutes. Don't over-bake! (yes, my recipe says that!) Makes 56 cookies.

Alphabet Tag-my fourth post today. Just scroll on down. I'm bored.

Any hobbies...running, reading, soccer (I think I still like it!)

Best Memories...Disneyland as a kid, Lake Powell in the summers, Mexico family vacations, my wedding, laughing with Scott and the kids.

Cake or Pie...homemade carrot cake


Day of Choice...Saturday. Scott’s home!

Essential Item...running shoes for me, disposable diapers for kids.

Favorite color...silver, but green is probably second

Get up early or late...early…to get more done. I would love to sleep in, though…

Hometown...Flagstaff, AZ

Indulgence...ice cream…anything chunky

January or July...July, as long as we hit the pool every day!

Kids...Two

Love to...read

Marriage Date...June 28, 2003

Number of brothers and sisters...3 sisters, 2 brothers.

Open or close the bathroom door...open, so beware.


Phobia and Fears...knocking out my front teeth, fluttery, jumpy, unpredictable bugs, kids/hubby getting hurt

Quote..."The best things in life aren’t things." That just popped into my head. I love good quotes.


Reason to smile...Husband and kids. Health. The gospel. Life is good!

States lived in...Arizona, Utah, Texas, , North Dakota (Alabama & Georgia for a short time), Honduras (it’s a country, but it’s interesting!), California

Trips, Memorable...Playa del Carmen, Mexico with Scott. We rode the public bus everywhere. It took me back (to Honduras travel).

Unknown fact about me...I have never mowed a lawn before. Dumb, but true.

Vegetable...green beans, broccoli, good asparagus, sauted peppers and onions, carrots, sugar snap peas, edamame (ok, is that a veggie?) oh, yum! Love ‘em.

Want to learn to...cut hair, take great pictures (photography), play basket ball and tennis, decorate!

Xcellent Adventures...living in Honduras…where do I start? No running water. No flushing toilets. Bucket baths night and day with the frogs, eating lizards, tarantulas falling from the ceiling, burning tarantulas with Off repellent, scorpions, you name it. What an adventure.

Your favorite food...Anything ethnic--Thai, Vietnamese, Greek, Indian, Middle Eastern. Love Mexican.

Zodiac sign... Taurus 

I tag anyone willing to answer all these questions. If you do, you're probably putting off something exciting, like cleaning...

Waking Up & Our Snaggle-tooth

Alisa is our snaggle-tooth! She is now finally growing her front teeth (one is already mostly in). She looks like a first-grader or something! Great shot of her silly teeth.

 

It is so hard to wake up! Jake is in that wierd needs-a-nap-but-won't-take-one phase. So he falls asleep a lot in the afternoon. It's always been hard for him to wake up. Just like his daddy!