Because It Can't Always be about the Bachelorette

Here is what my kids have been doing the last few months...feel free to bail now.  I wouldn't want to read this either!

LUKE

1.  Luke is on the swim team at the gym.  He also does speed camp (I have no idea what he does there but I know it was cheap and he rides his bike there twice a week so I'm a fan.)  He still takes piano lessons and now takes tennis lessons too.

2.  He went on a trip to Washington DC with Sammie and Sam back in the Spring.   I had to get over the fact that I wasn't there to comb their hair but they had a great time.  Most of the photos looked something like this:

3.  Luke turned 9 and had his birthday party at Boondocks.  I am an awesome mom and forgot to order a cake.  I told Luke cakes are played and donuts are so much cooler.  He totally went for it.

4.  Luke continues to be a sweetheart.  He recently got his hair cut short into something I called "controlled chaos."  He loves wearing a blazer to church and begs to wear it every week.  (remember my thoughts on blazers...woo hoo!)

SAMMIE

1.  Sammie's great love right now is tumbling.  She is constantly doing handstands, cartwheels, back walkovers and back handsprings when our babysitters spot her.  I think she loves it even more than dance.

2.  She had a dance recital in the spring and was adorable.  She had a little solo part at the end and if you know anything about Sammie's emotional instability, this was nothing short of a miracle. 

3.  Sammie continues to take piano, tennis lessons and swimming lessons.  She also did very well in her school's jogapalooza.  She is scrappy but fast.  She is my most athletic kid.

4.  Sammie still continues to be high maintenance and requires the most of me as a parent.  She needs lots of special girl time and I end up blowing the wad taking her to get pedicures with me and to dinner, shopping, etc. Yet, she is hilarious and cracks me up with her adult talk.  She is addicted to the Bachelorette and was pulling for Sean.  We argued about that but I take hope in the fact that she thought the Ox was a total tool.

RYAN

1.  Ryan takes swimming lessons and that is all.  But that is enough considering all the stuff the older kids are doing.

2.  Ryan loves his buddies more than anything in the world.  He asks every day for a friend and is pretty low maintenance when he has someone over.  He goes to a playgroup every Monday.

3. Ryan played soccer in the spring and Sam was his coach.  Ryan thinks he rocks at soccer.  He would always say things like "I don't know why I am so good at soccer..I just started."  Oh, to be that confident.

4.  He is still my favorite child.  He climbs in bed with me in the mornings to snuggle and compliments me daily.  He is a very very big boy.  He is going to be my biggest kid.  He already weighs more than Sammie who is three years older than him and he is the tallest of all of his friends. 

BUSTER

1.  Buster doesn't take any lessons yet..hallelujah!

2.  He is obsessed with dinosaurs.  He actually plays with them all day long.  He likes to make them piggy back which looks a little too much like they are mating.  I find them like this and it makes me laugh:

3.  Buster still loves his "ba-bas" and being a big baby.  He loves Diet Coke and give me the sweetest kisses ever.  He is obsessed with watching Winnie the Pooh in the car.  Sometimes he looks like he is in a coma..he is so mesmerized.  Zombie child:

4.  He is a pain in the butt most of the time but he is so dang cute, he gets away with it.  To this day, complete strangers stop me to tell me how cute he is.  He blows kisses at everyone and makes friends wherever he goes. 

That's it folks.  If you are still here..you deserve a medal.

Sunday in Spring

I had a really great weekend. It was our stake conference and I made it a point to get to the adult session Saturday night and I took my kids to the regular session Sunday morning. The Sunday morning was a total bust because Mitchell was out of control and we left early. I forgave him because it was his birthday and really, who doesn't want to sneak out early anyway? The adult session was so good though. I have been feeling a little spirtually disconnected lately so I made myself go to it and it turned out being so worth it.

When we arrived at Stake Conference this morning, I had to parallel park on the street. I am terrible at parallel parking. I have no faith in the way they taught us in driver's ed so I usually reverse and pull up about 10 times to get in.  My kids were laughing at me. When we came back to the car to leave, Luke said, "Mom, I'm just walking home because it's going to take you like 15 minutes to get out of that spot!" It made me laugh out loud. Sometimes that kid cracks me up.

This afternoon, I took my kids down to Temple Square to see the tulips. I had to parallel park again..twice in one day..what are the odds? My kids thought it was hysterical. The tulips were out of this world. If I ever get married again, I am doing it in the spring! I am done with winter weddings! It was so nice outside and fun to walk around with my kids and enjoy the flowers.  Mitchell was napping at my Mom's house.  Here are some of my favorite shots:

It is also Buster's birthday today. My baby is two!!! Yes, I made that cake...continuing the tradition of the world's ugliest cakes. Don't forget this one.

I wish my Grandpa Warner was here to see it. He loved my ugly cakes! I think I really took it to the next level with this one. The cake kept flaking off as I tried to frost it. At some point, I had to stop frosting or the whole cake would have come off on my spatula. And yes, I shamelessly brought it to a family party. I have no dignity!

This little guy didn't care. 
 

Happy Birthday darling Buster!

Spring Fever

What I am wearing this Spring:  These t-shirts from H&M.  These shirts come in a pack of two (with a white one) for $12.95.  They look cute under almost any color of cardigan or on their own.  They were so great I picked up a second set for when these get yellow pits and gnarly.

What I am trying not to kill:  My new hanging plant from Walmart. Every year I buy one and every year I kill it. My only goal for the summer is to keep this thing alive! I have been doing a lot of yard work lately because it finally hit me that no one else is going to do it. But I am proud of myself. The yard is coming along. Anyone want to come over and teach me to use a trimmer?

What I am unsure about:  These bright blue skinny jeans from Old Navy. I wasn't sure I should be stuffing my trash in these but for $19.00, I figured I would give it a go. I wear them with a neon pink and white tank from H&M. My kids give me funny looks and I don't care!

What I am accomplishing: Getting this picture made and framed for my living room wall. I have one of each of my kids at age two in matching frames. I think Buster's turned out cute.

What I am eating:  Cinnamon Cream Cake from Corner Bakery Cafe. Are you sick of hearing me talk about CBC yet? Good, me neither. Ron gave me some of this when I went to the VIP lunch (don't be jealous) and I can't get enough of it. My mom is addicted too. I find myself driving past Corner Bakery Cafes that aren't on the way home.

What I am pining for I just splurged on: This jacket from Impact Fitness. I work out every.single.day. So I can kind of justify this.  Plus, I think I could wear it outside of the gym.

What I am obsessed with:  Cute earrings from Rodworks. This is my third pair. They are all under 10 bucks and big earrings are my new thing. I've moved away from necklaces because they feel too dressy to me. But big earrings are my new favorite spring accessory.

What I will be reading:  He's Just Not That Into You. by Greg Behrendt.  I have read this book before and loved it.  The whole point of the book is summed up in a phrase in the introduction: don't waste the pretty.  You're pretty, you're smart, you're interesting.  So don't waste the pretty on men who don't reciprocate, or who make excuses, or who don't make you happy.  I think the book is empowering to women and every dating gal should read it.  It's funny too!

What I am using:  Jergens Natural Glow for Face in medium.  I use this every day as a moisturizer/sunscreen.  It gives you just the right amount of color without looking orange or fake.  Don't buy the light or you won't see any color at all. 

What I am decorating with: Bright candy in my candy jars. I want to replace the skittles with something red like Swedish Fish. I can't buy candy that holds any appeal for me or I would pound it all day every day.

Where I am going:  California to visit Ashley. I am leaving Thrsday and I am so excited for some R&R...good food, shopping, pedicures, movies, etc.   

What are eating/wearing/obsessed with this Spring?

*I have been meaning to thank my friend Greg forever for giving my blog a face lift.  He made it so I can have HUGE pictures, which may or may not be a good thing....

How We Spent Our Easter Vacation

I have a love hate relationship with Spring break. I have all of these grand plans to take my kids to do fun things and then I panic about crowds and don't take them anywhere except the gym and the mall. (Like Ashley, it is my life's work to avoid crowds!)

But I did manage to eek out a few pretty good activities:

Sammie's birthday party..cutest invitations from Tiny Prints:

Party at Sorenson House in Draper..it is 60 bucks people! And I would describe it as a poor man's Lion House. It was an incredible party for 60 bones.

Girl's Night Out with Sammie. For her birthday, Sammie wanted to go to dinner at Kneaders and get pedicures. It was hilarious and scary to watch her reading the friend magazine while this man rubbed her dogs. I texted Sam to say "we are in trouble..she has had her first taste of the good life!"

Horseback Riding with Luke. I know..I am the bomb. I bought this on Groupon and it was really fun. We rode horses in Midway. My horse was smaller than Luke's which makes me look like a giganto woman on this little pony but I think he survived:

Luke was obsessed with the horses' bladder and bowel functions. He insisted I take this photo:

It was a fun day for the two of us.

Last but not least, my Mom and I took my kids to the zoo and then she helped me wrestle them at Subway afterwards. My mom is a good woman:

Now it's back to real life.

Dear Winter,

I'm leaving you. I've been seeing someone else and his name is Spring. I just returned from a trip to Southern California (post coming) and I can't go back to you. You are too cold, too dark, you have too much baggage (coats and boots!) I need a change! I'm committed to Spring now.

I am buying spring clothes in bright colors:



I got my nails painted in a hot pink shellac:



I've washed my mini van (this is not nothing people)

and I've busted out my flats:



It was 60 degrees today and I went to church with bare legs. My birthday is coming up and you know I don't want you around for that. So take a hike! We're through!

p.s. Check back this week for a very fun giveaway I'm doing to celebrate Spring!