Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Newsflash
My blog posts have been quite lengthy as of late. I feel like I need to issue a public apology. So, there it was. Peace.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Alliteration FTW
A smattering of simple situations we have shared simultaneously and singularly.
Claire fell asleep on the floor one day and Maddie (somewhat) gently put a pillow under her head. It was very sweet to see.
I can't believe the school year is winding down. Claire celebrated her last year with the GRIT program as she moves into kindergarten next year. She also had her last day at preschool this week. I win "Parent of the Year" award for forgetting my camera on that momentous day. But luckily her teacher made each student a scrapbook of pictures from the year and we will be getting a copy of the slideshow that they compiled. I will have to post some of those pictures at a later date to redeem myself.
The girls at the GRIT year end picnic.
A front row seat at the funny improvised puppet show. They loved it! My favourite character was Adam, the evil monkey.
Claire and I enjoying the park after the picnic.
Madeline is fearless. She will climb anything!
We celebrated the convocation of Auntie Mel and Uncle Greg with a lovely lunch at the old apartment building. Congratulations guys!
Claire in Auntie Mel's grad hat, a.k.a. mortarboard.
Madeline, not to be outdone, in the same pose.
That same day we had everyone over to our house for another get together for my birthday and the graduates. Here I am preparing the shish kabobs. Who doesn't love kabobs? I ask you! No one. That's the answer. No one doesn't like kabobs.
Maddie and Grandpa having a serious chat.
Greg faithfully tending the BBQ.
So, I turned 28. Why does that seem so much older than 27? One thing I do have to say, 30 is seeming younger and younger the closer I get to it. I remember when I thought that 30 was basically senior citizen status. My opinion has obviously changed. I will make an exception in a few months and tease Ryan about reaching that ancient milestone.
I did get royally spoiled with many thoughtful gifts and cards from friends and family. I am very lucky.
Getting ready to blow out the candles on my yummy Oreo Blizzard cake. Of course I had Madeline's help. She's very considerate in that way.
Mel, Claire and Greg relaxing on the sleepy couch. Everyone falls asleep on that thing! It's a trap.
What's a party at our place without Rockband? Check out the intensity. This isn't just a game. It's serious. Fun fact, I have recently ventured into the world of expert guitar. Please, hold your applause. It's only on easy songs.
Claire loves listening to music with daddy's headphones. She gets so relaxed!
RANDOM: Yummy chicken lasagna.
Here's the recipe: (Thanks Lisa!)
Saute 1 cup chopped onion with a splash of oil.
Then add:
3 cups cooked chopped chicken
1 clove garlic
basil
salt
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
1 can tomato paste
Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Prepare lasagna noodles.
Mix together:
3 cups cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp parsley
pepper
In a 9x13 pan layer noodles, then 1/2 of the cheese mixture, then 1/2 of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers. Top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes.
Here is a shot of Claire's profile and bouffant hair style. There are many days where Ryan and I contemplate shaving all her hair off. Because she's sitting or laying down so much and constantly moving, it gets really tangled in the back. She must have a sensitive scalp because brushing her hair after baths is torture for all parties involved. I sit her on the ground, wrap my legs around her to pin her arms down, use one hand to hold her head and try to gently work the brush through with the other hand. We use copious amounts of conditioner in the bath and even put leave-in conditioner/detangler on her hair after. The only thing worse than brushing her hair, is trying to cut it. So we're faced with a dilemma. The last time we cut her hair, it took three people working together for quite awhile to tame the hairy beast. Luckily we have talented hairdressers in the family.
After so much rain lately, it was heaven to have some warmth this week! So we took full advantage of the sun. Notice the beautiful green lawn in all these outdoor shots? Ryan has been meticulously tending to it, banishing unwanted weeds, mowing, whispering sweet nothings to the tiny green blades...everything. Good work.
Enjoying the swing.
Maddie braving the sprinkler. After all that talk about the lawn, that little dead patch there is where an ant hill used to be on which we poured boiling water. It actually seems to work pretty well.
Claire enjoying her swing.
Maddie and her friend Isabella warming up after running through the sprinklers.
Maddie-isms:
"I want macaroni pizza."
Before laying down for a nap she said, "I will have dreams about nice crocodiles and nice umbrellas."
Randomly one day: "I love the Jonas brothers." Disclaimer: The Jonas Brothers are not a part of our daily routine in any way. I think she saw them on the Disney channel one time? I have no idea! I swear. Really. This isn't sarcasm.
While driving in the car, she announced that she was naming her feet. She chose the names "Heavenly Father" and "Jesus" and proceeded to have a whole conversation between her holy feet.
Sometimes I just laugh and laugh at the things that come out of her mouth.
Claire fell asleep on the floor one day and Maddie (somewhat) gently put a pillow under her head. It was very sweet to see.
I can't believe the school year is winding down. Claire celebrated her last year with the GRIT program as she moves into kindergarten next year. She also had her last day at preschool this week. I win "Parent of the Year" award for forgetting my camera on that momentous day. But luckily her teacher made each student a scrapbook of pictures from the year and we will be getting a copy of the slideshow that they compiled. I will have to post some of those pictures at a later date to redeem myself.
The girls at the GRIT year end picnic.
A front row seat at the funny improvised puppet show. They loved it! My favourite character was Adam, the evil monkey.
Claire and I enjoying the park after the picnic.
Madeline is fearless. She will climb anything!
We celebrated the convocation of Auntie Mel and Uncle Greg with a lovely lunch at the old apartment building. Congratulations guys!
Claire in Auntie Mel's grad hat, a.k.a. mortarboard.
Madeline, not to be outdone, in the same pose.
That same day we had everyone over to our house for another get together for my birthday and the graduates. Here I am preparing the shish kabobs. Who doesn't love kabobs? I ask you! No one. That's the answer. No one doesn't like kabobs.
Maddie and Grandpa having a serious chat.
Greg faithfully tending the BBQ.
So, I turned 28. Why does that seem so much older than 27? One thing I do have to say, 30 is seeming younger and younger the closer I get to it. I remember when I thought that 30 was basically senior citizen status. My opinion has obviously changed. I will make an exception in a few months and tease Ryan about reaching that ancient milestone.
I did get royally spoiled with many thoughtful gifts and cards from friends and family. I am very lucky.
Getting ready to blow out the candles on my yummy Oreo Blizzard cake. Of course I had Madeline's help. She's very considerate in that way.
Mel, Claire and Greg relaxing on the sleepy couch. Everyone falls asleep on that thing! It's a trap.
What's a party at our place without Rockband? Check out the intensity. This isn't just a game. It's serious. Fun fact, I have recently ventured into the world of expert guitar. Please, hold your applause. It's only on easy songs.
Claire loves listening to music with daddy's headphones. She gets so relaxed!
RANDOM: Yummy chicken lasagna.
Here's the recipe: (Thanks Lisa!)
Saute 1 cup chopped onion with a splash of oil.
Then add:
3 cups cooked chopped chicken
1 clove garlic
basil
salt
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
1 can tomato paste
Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Prepare lasagna noodles.
Mix together:
3 cups cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp parsley
pepper
In a 9x13 pan layer noodles, then 1/2 of the cheese mixture, then 1/2 of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers. Top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes.
Here is a shot of Claire's profile and bouffant hair style. There are many days where Ryan and I contemplate shaving all her hair off. Because she's sitting or laying down so much and constantly moving, it gets really tangled in the back. She must have a sensitive scalp because brushing her hair after baths is torture for all parties involved. I sit her on the ground, wrap my legs around her to pin her arms down, use one hand to hold her head and try to gently work the brush through with the other hand. We use copious amounts of conditioner in the bath and even put leave-in conditioner/detangler on her hair after. The only thing worse than brushing her hair, is trying to cut it. So we're faced with a dilemma. The last time we cut her hair, it took three people working together for quite awhile to tame the hairy beast. Luckily we have talented hairdressers in the family.
After so much rain lately, it was heaven to have some warmth this week! So we took full advantage of the sun. Notice the beautiful green lawn in all these outdoor shots? Ryan has been meticulously tending to it, banishing unwanted weeds, mowing, whispering sweet nothings to the tiny green blades...everything. Good work.
Enjoying the swing.
Maddie braving the sprinkler. After all that talk about the lawn, that little dead patch there is where an ant hill used to be on which we poured boiling water. It actually seems to work pretty well.
Claire enjoying her swing.
Maddie and her friend Isabella warming up after running through the sprinklers.
Maddie-isms:
"I want macaroni pizza."
Before laying down for a nap she said, "I will have dreams about nice crocodiles and nice umbrellas."
Randomly one day: "I love the Jonas brothers." Disclaimer: The Jonas Brothers are not a part of our daily routine in any way. I think she saw them on the Disney channel one time? I have no idea! I swear. Really. This isn't sarcasm.
While driving in the car, she announced that she was naming her feet. She chose the names "Heavenly Father" and "Jesus" and proceeded to have a whole conversation between her holy feet.
Sometimes I just laugh and laugh at the things that come out of her mouth.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The haps
Here's what we've been up to lately.
Claire's preschool class had a trip to the zoo and Maddie and I tagged along.
Claire enjoying the beautiful day.
Madeline striking a pose.
Claire on the train with her friends from school.
Viewing the exotic and dangerous "goats."
Madeline kept climbing on every fence she found. I looked away for a second, and she had climbed almost halfway up the fence around the llama enclosure. Luckily I was a responsible parent and got her down instead of taking a picture, so this one will have to suffice.
Maddie had fun rolling down the hill.
A picture with my girls.
It's been fun to visit with Jeff again. We're glad to be a stopping place while he's away from his family. Here's Ryan and Jeff enjoying some quality game time.
It was the last big fundraiser/activity for Malmo School and on the morning of, it was pouring rain and it didn't stop all day! Luckily with some last minute scrambling, almost everything was moved inside and the kids had a blast. They still did the bike-a-thon outside and we raised almost as much as last year when the weather was great, so all in all, it was a fun day.
Here's Claire and dad ready to go!
The four year old PM class, lined up and ready for the signal to start!
Madeline and I getting ready to watch the bikers.
Claire got the royal treatment as Ryan not only pushed her around, but sheltered her from the rain.
Maddie and her lovely face paint at the Carnival.
Other fun haps:
Because of Val's generosity, I got to see Beauty and the Beast at the Citadel with my friend Emily. It was a nice cultural evening but Gaston was my favourite part. So over-the-top and hilarious!
Winding down the preschool year, we had our last executive meeting. It's been fun working with these ladies and seeing how much work goes into running a parent co-op. I will most likely get an even better idea because next year there is still an opening for the president. We shall see what happens!
We had a nutrition/feeding assessment appointment for Claire and routine check ups for the both the girls. Both of them are growing and doing well.
As part of dealing with all the logistics of Grandpa's passing, my dad and his brothers took a trip down to American Fork and sorted through their household belongings and each family took some mementos of them. My immediate family and I got together and further sorted the items, each taking some things that reminded us of Grandma and Grandpa. I thought it might be difficult at first, to see things that used to be in their home, but it was actually a nice experience to be with my family and to share stories and memories about the items and about the fun things we did with Grandma and Grandpa.
The girls enjoying one of the few sunny days we've had recently.
Ryan took "his boys" (as Maddie calls them) to play Frisbee golf, to take a tour of Stephanie's lab where she works, and had a fun games night at our house. He's a great youth leader. He's been busy at school, gearing up for the end of the year, trying to hold the students attention. It's an uphill battle these last few weeks, but he's hanging in there.
I keep hoping that the late arrival of summer means that it will last longer to compensate, but I'm worried that won't be true! Hopefully we can get some nice weather soon.
Claire's preschool class had a trip to the zoo and Maddie and I tagged along.
Claire enjoying the beautiful day.
Madeline striking a pose.
Claire on the train with her friends from school.
Viewing the exotic and dangerous "goats."
Madeline kept climbing on every fence she found. I looked away for a second, and she had climbed almost halfway up the fence around the llama enclosure. Luckily I was a responsible parent and got her down instead of taking a picture, so this one will have to suffice.
Maddie had fun rolling down the hill.
A picture with my girls.
It's been fun to visit with Jeff again. We're glad to be a stopping place while he's away from his family. Here's Ryan and Jeff enjoying some quality game time.
It was the last big fundraiser/activity for Malmo School and on the morning of, it was pouring rain and it didn't stop all day! Luckily with some last minute scrambling, almost everything was moved inside and the kids had a blast. They still did the bike-a-thon outside and we raised almost as much as last year when the weather was great, so all in all, it was a fun day.
Here's Claire and dad ready to go!
The four year old PM class, lined up and ready for the signal to start!
Madeline and I getting ready to watch the bikers.
Claire got the royal treatment as Ryan not only pushed her around, but sheltered her from the rain.
Maddie and her lovely face paint at the Carnival.
Other fun haps:
Because of Val's generosity, I got to see Beauty and the Beast at the Citadel with my friend Emily. It was a nice cultural evening but Gaston was my favourite part. So over-the-top and hilarious!
Winding down the preschool year, we had our last executive meeting. It's been fun working with these ladies and seeing how much work goes into running a parent co-op. I will most likely get an even better idea because next year there is still an opening for the president. We shall see what happens!
We had a nutrition/feeding assessment appointment for Claire and routine check ups for the both the girls. Both of them are growing and doing well.
As part of dealing with all the logistics of Grandpa's passing, my dad and his brothers took a trip down to American Fork and sorted through their household belongings and each family took some mementos of them. My immediate family and I got together and further sorted the items, each taking some things that reminded us of Grandma and Grandpa. I thought it might be difficult at first, to see things that used to be in their home, but it was actually a nice experience to be with my family and to share stories and memories about the items and about the fun things we did with Grandma and Grandpa.
The girls enjoying one of the few sunny days we've had recently.
Ryan took "his boys" (as Maddie calls them) to play Frisbee golf, to take a tour of Stephanie's lab where she works, and had a fun games night at our house. He's a great youth leader. He's been busy at school, gearing up for the end of the year, trying to hold the students attention. It's an uphill battle these last few weeks, but he's hanging in there.
I keep hoping that the late arrival of summer means that it will last longer to compensate, but I'm worried that won't be true! Hopefully we can get some nice weather soon.
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