Free Rice

Check out this really cool website! For every word you get right, money is given by site advertisers to buy rice for the hungry. And its a fun way to improve your vocabulary!

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

Eat Your Vegetables

Saturday Addison and I went to the Farmer's Market. In my ongoing efforts to get our family eating more vegetables I let her help me pick some. After getting the standard, broccoli, bok choy, peas, Addison noticed a table covered in brussel sprouts. Lets try those! Without saying a word, I picked out a bunch to have with dinner.

Skip ahead to dinner time. Major Drama! As you can imagine - Addison hates brussel sprouts and cried throughout dinner. I actually thought they were pretty good. I had done my best to make them taste good - I sauteed them in garlic, butter and olive oil until they were tender. Oh well, maybe she'll do better with the swiss chard . . . .?

P.S. Check out my, everything food blog to learn more about the world's healthiest foods.

Crossword Puzzle Obsession

I have recently developed an obsession with solving crossword puzzles.

Did you know that some people devote entire blogs to the New York Times Crossword Puzzles! When I get stumped on a clue and google doesn't know or the crosses can't help I turn to these bloggers. It is from reading these blogs that I have begun to develop better crossword strategies and abilities (it really is like having a super power).

Here is what I have learned about crosswords:
1. Monday is the easiest puzzle - each day thereafter becomes a bit more difficult.
2. The most difficult puzzle is NOT Sunday - but Friday and Saturday.
3. The theme of the puzzle is part of the clues!
4. Using google to find an answer is NOT cheating (especially if the crosses are not helping)
5. Copying answers off someone else's puzzle IS cheating.

Today, being Monday, I was prettty happy. I solved both the LA TImes and SL Tribs puzzles in less than 10 mins each without google or help. And, drum roll please, I almost completely solved the NYT crossword - save for 4 or 5 empty boxes. (I then got some help to finish it.) My dream is to be able to solve the NYT puzzles ALONE! Maybe someday.

Mt other new obsession, learning how to change my blog design. Thanks to Heidi for the helpful links!

Birthday, Baptism, Blessing & Disneyland in 5 minutes or less

I have five minutes before Curious George ends so here it goes!

This was a great weekend!

Addison's birthday party - Pedicures and Pizza at Le Chassuer Day Spa (or, in otherwords, our house). Addison invited a few school friends over and we made lipgloss, painted nails, and ate pizza and cake. The girls were very cute and very excited. They continuously made statements such as "Ooooh, this is sooo relaaaxing." and "We look soooo gorgeouuus." Big thanks to Mom and Dad for helping out with the festivities especially after what was supposed to be a 1 1/2 hour flight turned into a five hour ordeal!


Addison's baptism was very nice. We had so many family and friends there, Addison felt very special. She kept saying - I can't believe all these people came for my baptism! She knows that she is very loved and that she has made a very good and very important decision.

Sunday was Mason's baby blessing. It also happened to coorespond to the primary program. Addison and another little boy, Joseph DuToit began the morning with prelude music on their violins. It was so beautiful! When Addison played "Simple Gifts" both Douglas and I choked up. She has learned so much. Mason was very good for his blessing, no crying. And Douglas gave another thoughtful, beautiful blessing to our little boy. I love them both so much!

Monday we spent the day at Disneyland with John, Amanda and the girls. The happiest place on earth! It was really fun and the kids were all very good, including babies Mason and Ruby.

Well, Elias is now tugging on my chair asking for a cupa mook (milk) and "please more.' So I will post a few pictures and call it good.

Elias Helps Me Make A Cake

Sorry it's a little out of focus - but its all I got.

What were you in a past life?

Here is a silly quiz - or more like a cyber fortune cookie.

This is my past life.

Your past life diagnosis:
I don't know how you feel about it, but you were female in your last earthly incarnation.You were born somewhere in the territory of modern Siberia around the year 525. Your profession was that of a librarian, priest or keeper of tribal relics.

Your brief psychological profile in your past life:
You always liked to travel and to investigate. You could have been a detective or a spy.

The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation:
You fulfill your lesson by helping old folks and children. You came to this life to learn to care about the weak and the helpless.

Do you remember now?

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

AAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHH!

The more I have to do the more I want to slow down. Here are the events that are lining up in my week:

1. YW in Excellence (and no this is not a simple event - this is "The Oscars". The presidency has gone crazy and we spent more than 2 hours today setting up the primary room to look like an Art Deco Banquet Hall complete with a Walk of Fame and Red Carpet. It's very over the top, but very cool. The girls will love it and never know how much work it all was. The actual event is tomorrow night.)

2. Dentist appointments (which I cancelled)

3. Violin Lessons (must go because I totally ditched last week)

4. Elias' Music Class (the entire class he whines and clings to me - This is a whole 'nother subject!)

5. PTA - I am the Reflections Chairperson so must attend general mtg on Thursday evening and then have fliers ready by Friday.

6. Addison's Birthday Party (I really want to enjoy this, but am feeling overwhelmed - the Theme? Pizza and Pedicures)

7. Primary Program - Addison has a special violin part and has two practices.

8. Addison's Baptism - Yeah! I need to get everything ready.

9. Mason's Blessing - Yeah! Douglas can handle this one!

10. The descending of family and friends for these great events. Including my dear, beautiful Grandmother Sharon and her new fiance Steven (however, by the time they have passed through Mesquite he will be my new grandfather!)

Did I mention that I have to play a piano accompianment for the YW night. The song is beautiful but I cannot get in any practice time. Apparently my playing piano means that mommy wants Elias to climb onto the piano keys and try to climb inside the piano, and many times it makes Mason cry. I keep trying to tell him that if he would let me practice more, it wouldn't sound so bad!

I am experiencing a tiny amount of stress over these events! No wonder I have downed a pint of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food, 2 candy bars, In and Out Burger with fries, and several mugs of hot cocoa in the past 48 hours. And to top it all off, I have tweaked something in my back and neck that makes it very difficult to turn my head. 1600 grams of ibuprofen have hardly touched it.

Now, this might all seem like complaining. And I guess it is. But the truth is - life is stressful. I just hope that I can embrace the stressful times as much as the joyful times - because it all passes too quickly. This week will be over before I know it (thank goodness!). My question for myself is - Will I remember the fun I had or will I remember the stress? I guess the answer will depend on me and what I choose to focus on this week. AAAAAAARRRRRGHGGHGHGHGHG. I am SOSOOOOO Oveer THIS!

Mason Smiles

This week has been so fun for us. Mason has really started smiling at everyone. His entire face lights up, starting with his eyes and then he opens his mouth in a wide, toothless grin. Its wonderful! And to top it off, the other day while I was putting him in his car seat I made him laugh! It was a complete accident and we have spent the past week trying to get him to do it again, to no avail.

I love that even with child number three, we can still rediscover and enjoy these little milestones. What a blessing these little children are in our lives! How Heavenly Father must love us so much to let us experience parenthood, with all its ups and downs! All the sleepless nights and dirty diapers are worth it when your baby looks you right in the eye and smiles! Or your toddler takes your face in his little hands and kisses you. Or your eight year old tells you they will always be "your girl"! I am so grateful to be a parent.

Happy Halloween

Another Halloween come and gone, except for the candy which seems to linger. And then one day, it just magically disappears! (Where does it go I wonder?!)

Trick of treating was fun as usual. We go a block and half south of the apartment and join the throngs of Hamilton students and their parents filling the streets. Addison always finds friends and this year she visited her 2nd grade teachers' house! She was thrilled about that.

This year Elias really got into it. He was so excited as soon as he learned that people would put candy into his tool bag if he just said "nicker eat" and "nank you." He did not want to go home at the end of the night. I stuck him in the stroller and he pointed at every house and cried "That one, mama, that one." Douglas' feelings are that trick or treating with 2 and 3 year old is much more fun because they are so cute at the door. This is true, but boy they sure don't need all the candy.

Addison really did Hermione Granger justice. She can make a great "know-it-all" face. And I enjoyed volunteering in her classroom for their halloween party. I even made it a little educational by teaching a short art lesson about depth perception and shading. (We drew pumpkin patches.)

I included a picture of the pumpkins that Douglas and Addison designed. This year Addison drew her own design and cut out some of the shapes. She was very proud of herself. I told her that she was lucky, when I was seven, all dad would let me do was scoop out the pumpkin guts.