February: Dear Utah

Dear Utah,

These are the kids riding their bikes in January.




These are the plants in my front and backyard here in February.





These are the kids playing in the back yard with friends yesterday the end of February.





I am not missing scraping snow off my car or coats today.

February: Kitchen Update (Part III)

This is our basement kitchenette that we have been using during the remodel. Fortunately we have a fridge, microwave, hot plate and dishwasher! We ain't ruffin' it!


This is the desk the kids do their homework on in the family room.

The unfinished basement has transformed from a hazardous playroom to a furniture storage room.

Our upstairs family room too!


But we are getting close to the finished product. Our cherry cabinet doors are for the most part done and the glass doors have been installed.


The appliances were hooked up on Friday.


Still waiting for our microwave trim kit and pocket doors on the appliance garage.


These are the knobs and bin pulls we are going to use. The brushed nickel for the black cabinets, the oil rubbed bronze for the cherry cabinets.


This is a little knook that will hold my china. I got a 2nd dishwasher too (it was free with the appliances we purchased so we made room for it!).


Sink, disposal, and faucet have been installed. I now have running water.


The electricians are going to come in and installed lighting in the glass cabinets.


We are using antique German glass in our cabinets. It is a distorted clear glass.


The oven works!

Desk is almost done, just waiting for knobs and pulls.


The hardwood floors turned out beautiful. We owe that to Toodie. She has such great style and design ideas. We were stressing over the stain coloring but thanks to her reassurance, we nailed it!


We owe her tremendously for the cost savings on the pulls and knobs too! Everyone needs a friend like Toodie.

February: Young Women's Basketball

Apathy.

My new word for our YW basketball team this year. I had a total of 2 girls interested in playing this year and that translated into our team being combined with the YW of Yreka. I became a crowd cheerleader while the other coach got to coach (she had 5-7 players at every game).


I didn't even get to scrimmage that much. I miss basketball and certainly didn't get to relive my younger years this year.


One bright note was that my sweet young woman Angelique scored the game winning basket against undeafeted 2nd ward.


Regardless, I am going to become a crazy coach next year and hopefully drum up some chicklets for basketball.

February: Andrew and YMCA Bball

We have an announcement! After 3 years of YMCA basketball Andrew has scored a basket!


We pray this is the first of many!


Although 4 games have passed since he scored.


We are still hoping for another miracle!

(Can you tell this is a frustrated athletically inclined mother who can't believe her son shoots and dribbles like a girl?)

February: Valentine's, Vomit, and Volunteering

I have always tried to help in each child's classroom. With 3 kids in elementary school, it makes it hard to volunteer in each of their classrooms every week, especially with either bringing Ethan with me or finding someone (primarily Nana) to watch him. In February, Lizzy's first grade teacher needed me once weekly and I agreed to start coming, with the understanding that I would always bring Ethan and when he had reached his limit on volunteering we would leave.

(Sophie's Valentine Party-I volunteered)

The first week I was to attend Lizzy was sick and therefore we couldn't go. The second time I was to volunteer Ethan was sick and I just couldn't bring myself to writing another note stating I was not going to be there. I didn't want anyone to think I was a flaky mom. So, in my stupidity, I gave Ethan Tylenol for the fever, Robitussin for the cough, and Benedryl to sedate him and dry his secretions and off we went to volunteer.

(Andrew's Valentine Party-I was in charge)

We arrived and the classroom was running smoothly and I helped children at the reading station. Twenty minutes into volunteering I smelled something poopy. I asked Ethan if he was alright and he came up and confessed he had messed his pants (he had been potty trained for forever and hadn't had an accident in even longer). I quickly took him into the bathroom where I discovered he had diarrhea. I took off his poopy underwear and instead of washing it (because I had nothing to put it into, I stuffed the underwear in my pocket). I then cleaned him up and we returned to the classroom. Time went on and we continued to volunteer. Another 20 minutes later and Ethan came up to me stating his tummy hurt. I had him lay his head in my lap and I rubbed his back, while helping a child read.

(Lizzy's 1st grade class)


A minute later he looked up at me and then proceeded to throw up all over the front of me. Now, in my quick thinking, I tried to "catch" most of the vomit in my lap, knowing that if it hit the 60 year old carpet below me it would become a calcified part of history in this classroom. I whipped Ethan's shirt off of him, blotted up the big chunks in my lap, turned to the teacher and frankly stated, "We are out of here!"

After we exited the classroom poor Ethan is sobbing, shirtless, and it is cold. I am waddling with vomit all over me and we run into Sophie and her Kindergarten teacher. She gives me a puzzled look, I give her a brief explanation, then we race to car. I get to the car, reach my hand in my pocket to grab my keys but instead of discovering my keys I discover Ethan's poopy pair of underwear and now my hand is covered.



I then proceed to drive home left handed while dry heaving from the stench on my clothes and hand. I put Ethan in the tub, me in the shower, and by 9:00 am we are back in pajamas and don't intend to change again.

So the lessons learned:

1. Don't be a martyr mom and volunteer when you have sick kids, just say no!
2. Don't save poopy underwear, sacrifice them to the the trash can and waste the dollar cost
3. Don't drug your child up with 3 kinds of OTC meds
4. Don't put your key in the same pocket as poopy underwear
5. Driving left handed while smelling poop and vomit at the same time is more hazardous than using your cell phone and driving

February: Hair Raising Experience!

Mish has not liked the noise related to the kitchen remodel, especially the sander. My hair looks the same (ask my husband). Brian feels like it is an accomplishment for me if I shower in a day with all these workers around. I didn't shower today.

February: Eat Your Corn!

We have been camping out in the basement, especially now since our upstairs floors are being refinished. We have been fortunate to have good friends feed us and drop food off. My kids have not been allowed to be picky since beggars can't be choosers. Lately, I am making them eat a small serving of each food item.


Andrew has always lived on a prison diet: bread and butter. He refuses to eat most foods and when pressed, has become quite tearful. One night Brian wouldn't let him leave the table till he ate his corn and he sat there for about 90 minutes and then, after a babysitter arrived and convinced him to eat the corn, he threw it up in her lap. On this night, the kids were eating cheesy potatoes, chicken and some rice with pine nuts in it. Andrew again became difficult when it came to the rice. I made him eat 3 bites worth and he broke out in hives and became wheezy, we think because of the pine nuts. Andrew then scowled at us with that "I told you so" look. How can a parent win?

February: Kitchen Remodel (Part II)

Hey mom, these pics are for you.

The kitchen is really starting to come together.

I started to get the inserts to the shelves and a few drawer fronts. Instead of going with painted cabinets, we went with natural cherry and it is quite beautiful.

This is the desk area

The granite was installed


Along with a farmhouse sink



China nook


Pantry space

I got new windows along with granite window sills which will be great to hold my pots without worrying about water damage.

It is really looking so beautiful.

February: Lizzy's Lost Tooth

Finally I captured on film a lost tooth. Lizzy lost another tooth and I have not been the diligent picture taking parent to capture the moment because the tooth fairy keeps stealing her teeth...albeit sometimes accidentally a day or two late, like this one!


Lizzy is understanding with the absent-mindedness of her tooth fairy. She told me it must have been a busy night last night with tooth removals and she just didn't get to that tooth.


Good thing she is so patient!

February: Andrew's Food Fight

Andrew's buddy Nicolas told him that he was going to be invited to his house for his birthday party. He told him that at the party they were going to have a food fight. Andrew wanted to go prepared. So he told me he was going to work on his defensive wardrobe.


When he came out to show me his costume, I couldn't help but think he was going to join the jihad. He told me his sword would cut through the food.