One Star

We took Ashlyn to her first movie yesterday - Wall.e. I was so excited for her to have this experience. I talked it up all morning so by the time we left, she was pretty stinkin' happy about this new adventure. We arrived at the theater about five minutes before show time, hurried and got our tickets and popcorn (I could not let Ashlyn go to her first movie and not get popcorn), found our seats, put Ashlyn in a booster chair, armed her with all the essentials - popcorn, candy and her sippy cup, and then we turned our attention to the previews.


Now, I wish I could go on to tell you what a great experience it was, but I just can't. It was terrible, not Ashlyn, the movie. A major Pixar disappointment. I am usually a big fan of Pixar, they have put out some great shows, but not this time. I guess you can't always win.

The sad part is that I really think Ashlyn would have loved the big screen if the movie had been decent. She was fascinated during the previews and the movie did hold her attention for the first half, but then it went downhill fast. Even I was bored. My dad fell asleep a few times. The only redeeming factor was that Wall.e himself was a pretty cute character. So, for him I give the movie one star.

We should have gone to Kung Fu Panda.

The End.

Faux Pas

Kids get away with everything. Uncouth behaviors that are unacceptable for adults are perfectly okay for children. I have often thought about this and wondered what it would be like if adults acted more like children. Skipping down the isles at the grocery store. Stomping feet and pouting when we can't have an ice cream cone. Shoveling fistfuls of jello in our mouths with our hands. Crying when we find out there is no more chocolate milk. Running around the front yard in your underwear. Shoving the person who took that last shirt on the clearance rack. Breaking out in song in the middle of Sunday School. Eating dog food...oh wait, that isn't even normal behavior for most children, just mine!

But kids do these kinds of things all the time and it's accepted, it's normal, and sometimes it's even cute. And it isn't just uncouth behaviors that kids can get away with, its also their appearance. It's okay for kids to go to the store without shoes and a shirt. It's okay for them to wear their pajamas all day. It's okay for them to "wear" their lunch. It's okay for them to have wild and crazy hair. And it is even cute when they have food stuck to their face...

A Reason To Celebrate!

Are you looking for a reason to indulge? Searching for some justification to feed your sweet tooth? Trying to find an excuse to consume an extra 200-300 calories today? Well, here is the answer you have been waiting for! Today is…

National Donut Day!!

On some days we honor our presidents, our pioneers, our veterans, our secretaries, our teachers, etc, etc. But look a little farther and you will see that we have a day for everything! Cheese Day, Rotten Sneaker Day, Mustard Day, Denim Day, Clear Off Your Desk Day, and History Day. There are also some things too important to be limited to a single day, and have therefore been given a week or a whole month to honor, whatever it is that needs to be honored. Such include: National Canned Food Month, Boost Your Self-Esteem Month, Pickle Week, Snack Food Month, and Cartoon Appreciation Week. Don’t you just love the USA! Although I am a bit confused as to why our planet earth only gets one day and blueberries get a whole month?

We celebrated this beloved holiday by, you guessed it, eating donuts. When simply eating donuts wasn’t enough, we crafted some paper donuts and decorated them with foam sprinkles.

So to all my family, friends and faithful readers, I say indulge, feed that sweet tooth and treat yourself to some sugary goodness with a hole-in-the-middle. You’ll be glad you did!

Who's Who?

You only get one guess...

Mindy and I have a joke that she produces skim milk whereas I produce whole. I love that my kids have cousins so close in age - it is so much fun to watch them grow together. I have always felt so blessed to have so many cousins that I feel close to, and I am so grateful that my children will have those same types of relationships. If Maya and Trent go to the same schools, Trent can be her bodyguard!

Surprise X 3 = Fun Times!

If you have looked at Mindy or Monica’s blogs, then you already know about my dad’s b-day surprise, but I still wanted to write about it.

Who doesn’t love a good surprise? Friday was a day of surprises – three to be exact. It was my dad’s birthday and we decided to surprise him by having a campout. We debated about where to go: Tanner’s Flat, Deer Creek, Antelope Island, to name a few. In the end we opted for the easier, safer, cheaper route – my parents’ backyard. It really is the perfect spot; plenty of trees, a pond, a fire pit, and the all important indoor plumbing!

The kids had so much fun "camping out" at grandpa and grandmom's house. They especially loved playing in the pond. Of course, they don't need the excuse of "camping" to get soaked - someone always manages to get wet when we are in grandpa's backyard. Us adults had a lot of fun too. We sat around the campfire until 12:30 am! It was a great mini-vacation, one that will definitely be repeated.

I guess the campout was actually the second surprise. The first surprise came to all of us when we arrived at my parents’ home. Jake had just gotten home from his graduation vacation to Hawaii (lucky kid spent two weeks sight-seeing, surfing, and eating fresh pineapple) and surprised the whole family with gifts! He really put a lot of thought into each gift. What a guy! My personal favorite was Trent’s cabana boy outfit:

But the big surprise of the night was my dad’s brand new motor scooter! We tried to fool him with some socks and ties –which is what he had requested for his birthday- and then Aaron snuck it up behind him and honked the horn. He was shocked, to say the least! He has been talking about getting one for years. It was a dream come true for him. He kept saying, “I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!” He even pinched himself several times. It was so fun to see his face; it was a look of pure joy. It was by far one of the most fun/exciting gifts I have ever given.

Can you say "Dumb & Dumber"?!