When free isn’t such a good deal
Don't we look happy?!
The only channel I let my kids watch at home is PBS Kids. I like that the shows are only on for a limited amount of time, and when they’re over the kids have no problem turning off the tv(for some reason they are not too eager to watch Sit and Be Fit!). I also like that there are no commercials and no violence. There’s also very little adult content, with the exception of Sesame Street, which I think tries a little too hard to be hip.
We waited in line for those BK crowns!
Right before school started, PBS sponsored a Back to School day at the Children’s Museum. It included free admission to the museum, crafts for the kids, plus a goody bag. I thought this might be a fun little Saturday adventure for us. Not so much. First off, you had to complete a kind of scavenger hunt to get the goody bag, so my kids didn’t see much o the museum because I was obsessed with filling out their cards (I promise I won’t take over their science fair projects, but we were in a time crunch!). Once we finished all of the cards, we didn’t even want to stay around because there were just way too many people. Also, the crafts and activities offered weren’t really set up for a billion people to participate. We didn’t even get any popcorn because I just couldn’t wait in the line. I think that I have to remind myself that I don’t really like people, so I need to stay away from crowded events.
Don't worry, Ben was there too!
I think most times we would be better off paying the price of admission and having a little space to ourselves. I won’t even tell you about last Saturday’s sneak preview of a certain children’s movie. Suffice it to say that Doug was not a happy camper when there was a line, too many tickets, and not enough seats! Although, next week PBS is sponsoring a free screening of the new National Parks documentary at Mission San Jose. There will even be lots of fun activities for the kids…
Just like Disney World
Neutral Territory
We decided to take a little road trip up to Dallas over the Labor Day week-end. We thought it was important for Afton to experience a little thing we like to call BYU Fooball! This was much more successful than Samuel’s introduction to college football last year!
- Afton wasn’t so excited by the big finish!
I have to say, everything about this year’s trip was better than last year’s trip (except that we didn’t get to see Mike and Ingrid this year!). The game was on a Saturday so there was no rush hour traffic, we got to see Greg (and I think it was a worthwhile trip for him!), we got to see the new Cowboys Stadium, we got to celebrate Granny’s birthday, and we got to stay an extra day because of the holiday.
- Doug and his brother Daniel
Apparently because this game was in Dallas it was considered neutral territory. I’m not quite sure on the exact math, but I don’t think being outnumbered almost ten to one is really “neutral.” Although, the blue shirts were easy to spot in the sea of red!
- Alec surrounded by Sooners
- Outside the new stadium
The stadium was crazy. We were in the highest section, but you could still see everything really well, which might have had something to do with the largest hanging hd screen in the universe. How big was it, you ask? Let me put it this way, there is a cheerleader from Oklahoma who is seriously wishing that she had done a better job shaving under her arms that morning!
- The screen takes up half the stadium!
- up close and personal
I’m sure it would have been a great day no matter the outcome of the game, but the fact that BYU beat Oklahoma just made it all the more sweet. It’s nice to be the underdog some times. Although, I think Greg probably lost about a year of his life wit all the screaming and stress! I also have to give kudos to the Oklahoma fans. They couldn’t have been nicer after the game. Lots of people congratulated us, and one sweet old lady came by to tell us that her daddy told her, “Never bet against theMormons!”
- Greg about to have a heart attack!
Doug’s parents watched our older kids, which was especially nice considering that it was granny’s birthday. Doug’s sister Amy had a little lunch gathering before the game which gave our kids a chance to play with their Dallas cousins. Our kids also had a great time back in Richardson playing with some of the Memphis cousins. It was a packed week-end, but it was definitely worth it!
- Granny multi-tasking with Afton and Hieu
- Hieu loving Afton
Samuel and Khai
Twofer
A two dollar day!
I took the boys to the dentist a couple of weeks ago, and Dr. Bob mentioned that Samuel’s two bottom front teeth were loose. He was a little surprised that Samuel hadn’t mentioned it because they were very loose.
Flash forward a couple of weeks, and Samuel mentions that his tooth hurts while he’s eating his cereal. Being the ultra-sensitive mother that I am, I told him to chew with his back teeth! As he’s getting ready to board the bus, Doug notices that his tooth is actually missing. We don’t know exactly when this happened, but the toooth has not ever been found. I was prepared for drama about what the tooth fairy would do for missing teeth. How do you prove that you actually “lost” the tooth?
Well, no worries, because when Samuel got off the bus that afternoon he had his secod tooth in a plastic bag. That’s right, two teeth in one day! Samuel was very worried that the tooth fairy wouldn’t find him at granny’s house, but he calmed down after we sent her an e-mail!
This is just one more thing forcing me to accept that he’s growing up. Making me even sadder was looking at his new big teeth that are coming in fast and furious. I had visual proof of what the dentist tells me every time we visit:
“Boy is the orthodontist going to love you!”
Helping Hands: Part IV
(Hopefully) Last, but not least, and in honor of my dad’s birthday, the final installment of the Helping Hands series. This entry has taken me the longest to put together mostly because my dad was here for a month. If you know my dad, you know that it wasn’t a month spent relaxing!
I have compiled a condensed version of some of my father’s activities while he was here. There is no stopping my father. When he first arrived I was worried about his shoulder injury, but apparently, he would let nothing stop him! It’s almost embarrassing how little I did while he was here.
I was a little worried about having my dad here for a whole month, but it was great. It really took the stress off of the final weeks of the pregnancy. My dad pretty much ran the house, including teaching the kids how to swat flies! The day after my dad left, Samuel came out looking for his clothes, because for a month my dad laid out the kids’ outfits every morning! he also made sure that the boys were bathed which is something that I don’t take too seriously!
So, here is an idea of what to expect when Bill Frank comes to stay:
2 – vacuum cleaners
1 – mop
1 – ceiling fan
20 – trips to Sonic
100 – Buddy Bucks received
1 – trip across town in 100 degree heat, with two toddlers, to find sheet metal
1 – car detailed in preparation for sale
3 – meals of grilled steak
4 – evenings babysitting so Doug and I could go on dates
1 – citizenship swearing in ceremony attended
1 – shelf installed in master bath
3 – light sabers purchased (plus one for Jason Hunt)
1 – complete day watching three boys so I could deliver my baby in peace!
1 – new iron (plus much, much ironing!)
1 – office chair (apparently doing work while sitting on a kiddie chair isn’t cool!)
1 – alarm clock
5 – people flown in from Seattle
1 – grandma flown in from Halifax
1 – yard tended to for large item trash day, plus a hedge trimmer
- Countless groceries and cans of Fresca
- Hanging of pictures and curtain rods
- Driving Doug to work and therapy almost every day
I am noticing a trend toward cleaning supplies. I’m wondering if dad is trying to tell me something?! Every time I try o finish the list, I come up with something else, so know that this list is incomplete. He took my boys on errands every day, and he sacrificed a month of time with his wife. Thankfully, grandma also got to come out when Christina was here.
I know at the end we were wearing on my dad, but I hope he knows how much we appreciated everything he did for and with us while he was here.
Happy Birthday Dad!
First Day Jitters
Such a serious student!
Of course, I’m talking about me. Samuel wasn’t worried at all. He got right on the bus, no problem there. I do think however, that there’s something wrong with making a five year old catch the bus before the sun comes up!
I put on a dress and everything!
I was up late last night making sure that everything was ready so that my first born could have a hot breakfast on his first day of kindergarten (this annoyed Doug a little since I don’t usually worry about him having a hot breakfast!). I also wanted to make sure that I looked presentable for the other parents at the bus stop and the bus driver. I know this isn’t my day, but I don’t want people judging Samuel based on his mother showing up at the bus stop in her pajamas! I am drawing the line at attending the parents breakfast this morning. Hopefully they don’t parade the kids around the cafeteria saying things like, “Don’t worry Samuel, I’m sure your mommy loves you …. even if she couldn’t be bothered to show up for her free donut.”
Waiting for the bus with daddy.
The bus drove up, the doors opened, and my first born climbed the steps. There wasn’t even a hint of missing his dear mother! I know he’s ready for school, now I just have to resign myself to allow someone else’s influence on my son for 7 hours a day. Does that seem too long to you, because it sure seems too long to me. What to do now? Oh right, there are still three more at home!
He didn't even look back!
Birthday Giveaway
Congratulations Aimee!
I’m pretty sure I’ve got your address, but if it’s some random Aimee that I don’t know, send me your info at: lovelydainty(at)gmail.com!
I think this went pretty well, maybe I’ll do it again some time!
This year my family has been extremely blessed. It has been overwhelming at times and just plain fun at times. In the middle of one of the more difficult times I was telling my sister-in-law how I wouldn’t ever be able to repay her for what she did for us, and she told me that I would have my opportunity to help someone the way that she helped me. Well, I don’t think that’s exactly what I’m doing today. I’m more giving into fun karma. This week Doug and I both won contests. I won a little something something over at DesignMom and Doug won something at his work’s United Way kickoff. I can’t keep on basking in my good fortune if I don’t give something back.
So, today I am hosting my first ever
Sarah’s Favorite Things Giveaway
This could all be yours!
Now I’m no Oprah. I’m not even Pioneer Woman, but I do have a few favorite things that I just love, and I would like to share those things with one lucky reader. These might seem like quite the mishmash, but that’s my life!
So, here’s what will arrive in the mail if you win:
We R Memory Keepers mini album
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (it truly is magical!)
M&M’s Premiums Triple Chocolate
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Spray in Baby Blossom
Burt’s Bees Lip Balm
Pampered Chef Cake Tester (I don’t even think they make these any more, but I stockpiled them because I love them so much!)
Safety 1st Baby Nail Clippers (By far the best ones out there)
Heather Bailey FreshCut Quilting Squares
Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste
I might even place a few more things in there before Monday.
Here are the details:
To enter leave a comment on this blog. One entry per person. Contest closes Sunday at 5:00pm. Winner will be randomly selected and announced Monday Morning. I’m so excited to use random.org for something official!
So, for all of you who never make a commentthiscould be your moment of glory!
Good Luck!
Were You There?
Part of the invite
I don’t want to over-hype my coolness, but the place to be a couple of weeks ago was Dixie’s shower! I can do no bragging, because everyone was super helpful. Even though this was, by far, the biggest shower I’ve ever thrown, it was also the easiest.
Dixie and her Mom (I mader her wear the boa and crown!)
The nicest thing about the guest of honor being the Relief Society President is that everybody wants to help. The nice thing about all the craziness that’s happened to us this year is that I now have no problem accepting help! I think I’ve done away with the notion of having to do everything myself. For example, the invitations came from a wonderful little Etsy shop Lil’ Sprout Greetings. This girl did a great job, very reasonably priced, and super quick service. She also came up with the design. I just gave her the basic concept and she ran with it.
Guests
more guests
My other big revelation was to use the neighborhood clubhouse instead of my house. My usual big stress is cleaning the house, but using the clubhouse was wonderful. A big empty space with a lot of parking and lots of chairs and tables. I also didn’t have to worry about my kids running around or cooling off my living room for 30 people in the one hundred degree heat.
Diane and Anna hanging the lanterns and flower balls
So, what do you do for a woman who is about to have her fourth boy? I went back and forth between many ideas, but the winner actually came from Dixie’s mother. Queen Dixie seemed like a very appropriate theme!
My Co-host Anna
We also went very simple on the food: cookies, cupcakes, fruit trays and veggie trays. This is another place where we had a lot of help. Anna and I worked on the sweets, and then took other people up on their offers of help for the other things. I ran out of time to organize the game, but I don’t really think anyone noticed that.
Cupcakes
Baby lemon pound cakes
Crown and onesie cookies
A couple of weeks before the shower I was reading a BHG article that featured a company called Bake it Pretty, and they were the source for the super cute cupcake liners and cookie cutters, edible glitter and candy buttons. This is a wonderful source and they are very reasonable.
Bake it Pretty's pretty packaging!
I was also very proud of the party favors: little packages of blue gummy bears. You can buy bulk gummy bears from many places, but the best place I found after much searching was Amazon. There price for 10 lbs. of blue bummy bears was half as much as anywhere else, and the shipping was only 99 cents for two day. A deal at twice the price!Dixie and her family have been calling the baby a gummy bear since the very beginning, so even if no one else got the joke, I know that appreciated it!
Sewing on paper was another time saver!
I don’t know if there’s really any more to report about this shower. I think it was a great time, and hopefully Dixie does too! The moral of this story it; don’t make things more difficult than they need to be!
The gift table
Helping Hands: Part III
Part of the banner Christina made
At this point you’re probably asking yourself, how much help did these people get? Well, let me tell you, a lot! This one will be out of order, but that’s okay.
After Christina's hard work!
While my dad was here, he flew my sister and her kids to Texas from Washington. This is how I know my sister loves me. She flew across the country with her three kids, and left her husband at home for almost a week. The only thing that maks me sad is that the timing didn’t work out for her to be here when the baby was born. She was my own personal doula when I had Samuel!
Working hard in the 100 degree heat!
If you don’t know my sister, you should check out her blog here. The girl has got crazy energy. She did not want her trip to be a waste in any way. She and my dad were always going. I’m pretty sure that Christina and my dad did all my nesting for me.
Cousins!
There were trips to Goodwill and the fabric store. There were cupcakes made for a visit from her sister-in-law. There were stories, and not very much t.v. to distract the children. There was Dancing with the Stars on the Wii in the hopes of inducing labor! There was a wonderful visit with Grandma Ellen. Then there were the projects…
The dresser and the doll that Christina made
My sister likes projects, and I have benefitted greatly from that. We learned to love the spray paint (thanks for the idea, Anna!), and used it on many, many things! Christina refinished the rocking chair (which I have been talking about doing for 6 years), made curtains for the nursery, refinished the dresser/ changing table (this a joint project with my father), we framed fun stuff, then there was the magnet board, and she made bread, and green smoothies. She also went shopping for Doug’s birthday present with me. There was even a trip to the pool with 6 kids under 6!
A fabric covered magnet board with homemade magnets
It was a jam packed week, and I was sad when she had to leave. She called from the airport becaue her flights got a little out of joint, and I almost drove right back to get her. Would her husband really mind if she never came home?! When Doug and I were first married, we lived in Salt Lake and Christina and Jason were in Provo. We would hang out once a week and get lunch, or get out hair cut. Now, we see each other a couple of times a year, and it’s kind of sad. Unfortunately, I don’t see us moving to an island any time soon, and I don’t know that she loves all the Texas heat!
The curtains she made
After she got home, she made us even more stuff. There was a banner a homemade doll, and two of the most adorable onesies you’ve ever seen. The nursery exists because of my sister! One day I might even move Benjamin out and Afton in! Everyone should be as blessed to have a little sister like I have.
Christina and Eliza
2 New Citizens in 2 Days
The All American Family!
On May 22 we welcomed Miss Afton Rose into the world. The day before, on May 21, I became a United States citizen. The timing was a little scary for me because you cannot mess around with the immigration people. The last thing I wanted was to go into labor on the 20th and have to miss my swearing in ceremony! Thankfully, Afton cooperated, and all went well (unless you don’t like waiting around an auditorium for hours on end!).
I was very lucky to have my father there and also some very patriotic friends who wanted to show their support. We even had a little barbeque after so that we could celebrate. If you’ve never been to one of these ceremonies before, there are many, many people. On the day of my swearing in I think there were over 400 new citizens from over 80 countries. They call each country and have everyone from that country stand. I;m pretty sure that I was the only one from Canada, but my cheering section was very large!
My cheering section!
So, just in case you’re wondering, here’s why I became a citizen:
I am Canadian by birth, and I love Canada. It is where I came from and what shaped me. I liked growing up in Canada. I liked the education, and I really liked the food. I was pretty certain that I was going to marry a Canadian and spend all my days in Canada.
I had no idea that I would marry an American, and not just any American, a southerner. It was one of the things that worried me a little bit when we were dating. Would my northern sensibilities mesh well with his southern charm?! It didn’t really occur to me right away to get citizenship. The process of getting a work permit and traveling papers and a green card is somewhat arduous, and I didn’t really relish the idea of more paper work and more cashiers checks made out to the USCIS.
Then I started having children … American children. There’s somehing nice about everyone in the family having passports from the same country. There’s something very nice about not being grilled by the customs agent every time I cross the border. There will also be something very nice about voting in my first election.
I like to consider myself pretty well versed in what’s going on around the world, and it was extremely frustrating not being able to have more than an opinion. I wanted a say. Now I have it. There is also a responsibilibty, though. For those of you who haven’t ever looked at the oath, you should check it out here.
My Welcome to America Gift Basket
The ceremony was fairly emotional for me. I’m sure part of it was the hormones associated with being nine months pregnant, but part of me felt like I was leaving a part of who I am behind. At the same time though, I have felt very welcomed here. I am loving being American and being able to say what I think and having it count for something. It was very nice to be able to accompany my little sister into the back customs office at the airport and not be afraid of having the guy not let me into the country!
So, although I still say, “zed” and “chesterfield,” I am feeling very at home here. I love this country, and I love what it stands for.
But, if you want to know where I came from, check this out:
Before and After: the Car Seat
A seat fit for three boys!
To Whom it May Concern,
Apparently you didn’t appreciate my husband’s sense of reduce, re-use, recycle. Or maybe you just knew that I had asked my husband for a new car seat because I thought 3 kids per car seat was enough. You knew my husband’s response was something along the lines of, “Plastic doesn’t go bad.” Or maybe you thought that the blue circus theme wasn’t appropriate for our new little girl.
Whatever your reasons, I was very pleasantly surprised to arrive home from a date with my husband to see this on the front step:
We asked the babysitter if she saw who dropped it off, but she said whoever it was ran really, really fast. Doug wondered what was inside (appearances can be deceiving!). Then he wondered who would do such a thing. Who thought our car seat wasn’t good enough?! His first thought was my dad, but I told him that my dad hadn’t commented on the car seat, so I was pretty sure it wasn’t him. I asked around on Facebook, and someone suggested that it might have been Greg, but that didn’t ring true either! I thought it was a particular friend. Doug decided to do some detective work the next day at church. Who would look at us funny for not bringing the new car seat with us (it was very late, and church starts very early)?!
When we got to church Doug agreed with my original hypothesis. All I can say is, thank you so much for being so thoughtful. We love the new seat, and even though I know plastic doesn’t go bad, I think the baby is all the safer for being in the new seat.
Love,
Me
Afton's new ride!
