Culinary Aspirations

One of my new goals is to cook dinner once a week. I know it doesn't sound very ambitious, but we get to eat at our parents on Sundays, I work 2 or 3 nights a week, Kurt cooks or we eat frozen pizza. Anyway-I was having a craving so I decided today was my day to cook (even though Kurt isn't crazy about tuna casserole, he's a good sport and it's one of my favorites). So Felicity and I put on some music and started to cook.We had some trouble along the way.

My "tuna drainer" got stuck in the can and it literally took me 10 minutes to get it out.

When I turned on the burner to cook the pasta, there was some chunk of food underneath and it was smoking and started on fire. It's kind of hard to deal with cooking catastrophes when you have a 12 lb baby strapped to you.

After we got things figured out and changed burners we were doing fine. Things were looking yummy-Alfredo sauce and herbs and breadcrumbs on top. We stuck it under the broiler and then...accidentally got distracted putting some laundry in.

I haven't had one of those TV cooking experiences where black smoke pours out of the oven. Until today.

I scooped off the burnt top and I think it's still delicious, but Kurt has yet to try it. No matter his verdict, this is our home cooked meal for the week seeing that I work the next three nights in a row. Sorry honey.

3 Down...

Some recent cute pictures...

We had a fun lunch with our good friends Laurel and Isabel! Laurel-I stole some of your pictures.

The armpit seat...

This is the princess crown from Easter that Grandma Julie gave us. Love this picture!

Ha!

I know these ones are blurry, but her smile is so cute!

This is a darling outfit that Felicity got from Aunt Mikel and the Hansen Family.We love the shoes too!

This is the baby swing at our complex. I put her in it for a few minutes whenever we go to get the mail. Even though the pictures don't prove it, I promise she likes it!

Bejeweled

This is one of my new favorite shirts. I would get one for you Marissa

if they had one in your size. You are my original peanut.

Our little peanut got her ears pierced today! I know not everyone agrees with that, but I think it's darling and now she doesn't have to wear a bow everywhere-people will know she is a girl for sure. Plus-I don't have to listen to her whine about getting her ears pierced for 12 years or so. Those are my arguments-think what you may. Kurt agreed to the idea as long as he didn't have to be there. I can understand that. Felicity did great! She cried for about 1 minute and then she was back to smiling!

4 Months!

Felicity is four months old! I don't think anyone is as obsessed about her pictures and her new accomplishments as we are, but just in case:

-Felicity rolled over from her stomach to her back 4 times in one day. She has only done it that one day but I'm sure she will figure it out again. It was during conference so maybe she was"moved by the word". Kurt missed it the first time because he was resting his eyelids.

-Felicity is now capable of being entertained by an object besides her binky. She likes toys! She likes to grab on to her baby chain and rattle. She does hit herself in the face and throw things on accident. She also likes to grab my fingers and put them in her mouth.

-Felicity is growing some new hair (not in the back-she still has a huge bald spot with a dark "soul patch" below it.) Her hair is wispy and wacky. She has some hair that is pretty long and a new layer underneath that looks like a buzz cut.

-Felicity is in the 80th percentile for height, 22nd for weight and 44th for her head size. She now weighs 12 lbs 8 oz. Yowzer.

14

Two down...

Go Jazz, Go!

One down, 15 to go.

Bonjour!

Things I'd like to do in this life...

I wrote these down on a scrap of paper when I was working at Gart Sports and I've carried them in my planner for the past few years. I haven't looked at them in a while but I'm glad that I have accomplished #'s 12 and 13. Thanks for the tag Rissy.

In no particular order...

1. Be a contestant on Jeopardy ( I was invited to try out in college. I didn't make it.)
2. Sing the Star Spangled Banner at some sporting event (It might have to be t-ball)
3. Complete a triathlon (I don't run or bike...)
4. Get a passport and use it at least once
5. Be in a pageant (I know, I'm not a pageant girl but I really wanted to give an intelligent answer. My days for this are over I'm afraid. Not the intelligent answers, just the possibility of a pageant. I was thinking of doing it but then I got a husband instead.)
6. Speak Spanish Fluently ( I took AP in high school but I was never fluent.)
7. Be published-children's books or poems.
8.Teach college
9. Teach seminary
10. Go bungee jumping (I've already been skydiving)
11. Serve a mission or two with Kurt
12. Get Married-check
13. Have children -one down 6 or 7 to go
14. Swim the English Channel (If you know anything about swimming, you know this is close to impossible-but hey, you never know, I could start exercising again someday)
15. Be on The Amazing Race. I used to love that show and I want to go on it with Marissa, but I don't think our families can do without us now.

One of Felicity's Best Friends

I just wanted to post about a lovely girl I know named Tara. She is my brother Brett's girlfriend and she is a sweet and talented girl. She has a knack for winning ticket to ride and soothing fussy Felicity. She seriously has the magic touch! She graduated from Paul Mitchell and she is very talented and helpful when it comes to our hairstyling needs. Just wanted to say thanks Tara for being such a fun friend to have around! (Oh yeah, we love that Brett guy too!)

Bag Tag:Before and After

If you know me, you probably know that I usually have a lot of junk in my purse. I take trash from people and put it in my purse, gum wrappers etc. Things accumulate fast!

My current bag: fake brown leather from Target. I really like this bag, nice and big!

Contents:
wallet
broken sunglasses
rubber bands and bobby pins that I don't need anymore
gloves
assorted jewelry
7 lip products
a 3D fish puzzle (keeps Kurt entertained in church)
$1.25 in change
My jump drive
bandaids and neosporin
2 lotions
floss
kleenex
tylenol
3 different "tummy" medicines
gum
7 pens
pad of paper
v.t. assignments
jones soda candies
a licorice caramel (yum!)
on the right is a big pile of trash

Thanks Laurel. This has helped me to clean out my purse. I have been wanting to find a new bag that I can use as a diaper bag and purse. Until I find one that I really like, I'm going to try to use this one as both since it is pretty big. We'll see. Here's the new pic.

Diapers and supplies

Nursing cover

Extra outfit for our little regurgitator

lotion

still broken sunglasses

1 pen

same lip stuff and edibles

floss

Spit up rag
tummy meds

kleenex

wallet

Sorry that I'm laggin' on the taggin' Marissa Peanut darling. I will do your tag I just have to think about it a little more.

Mission accomplished

Brandon ran into some unwanted competition in the form of other hunters, but he came away with the prize - his first turkey!

Everything I need to know I learned from Supernanny

My dad doesn't like to watch Supernanny because he thinks that because of the cameras the kids act differently (worse) than they normally would. Plus, I think it makes him crazy,what with the screaming kids and all (the same reason Kurt won't watch Jon and Kate Plus 8 with me). BUT, I love to watch both of these shows and other ones like them. There is even a supernanny of types for dogs on Animal Planet called "It's me or the dog". Pretty funny.

I like watching supernanny because 1) it makes me feel better about my life 2) I am really interested in child psychology, classroom management and discipline. Whether it's after a hard day teaching or dealing with a certain newborn I know, watching Supernanny makes me feel better that I can either send 26 kids home to their parents or that I only have 1 of my own so far. I try not to be judgemental because I truly believe that every mom is doing their best and every kid is different and I'm not there yet so I don't know how hard it is. Now that I'm working at Target in the evening I get to people watch a little bit and I see lots of things that make me think, "Ooh, Supernanny wouldn't like this..." I guess she has become the voice in my head a little bit. Ok, so I am young and naive and maybe I know nothing about discipline but I pray that my family won't ever be needing the services of Jo Frost.

These are things that I have learned from my education, experiences and from Supernanny...

1) Kids have got to know that you mean what you say. Do not make empty threats! Once they figure out that you have forgotten about a consequence, they know for next time that they won't really be punished. Make consequences logical and appropriate to the situation. If you "threaten" to take away 5 minutes of computer time, you better follow through or they will start to walk all over you.

2) When kids get upset and hysterical about consequences or punishments, do not try to talk to them! If you are putting them in time out, put them there without saying anything. They know the consequence and they are irrational so there is no point in talking to them. Kids want to argue with you and get out of things, but if you stay calm and cool and stick with the predetermined consequence they will know that you mean business. During a training I went to for managing aggressive students successfully (MASS) they said that there are two things undermining discipline in the classroom; too much talking, and too much emotion on the teachers part.

If you have seen supernanny, you have seen parents putting their kids in a timeout spot or in their beds over and over and over (sometimes for hours). This may seem crazy and cruel but if you do it right and stick with what you said, staying calm and quiet and avoiding arguing they will eventually know that you mean business and that will be the last time you have to spend so long getting them in time out. I love to see kids finally break and sit quietly and apologize. Man, I love it! It's hard to see kids freak out for so long, but it really is for the best. If you are going to use time out it's recommended that the child sits in time out for as many minutes as they are years old.

3)When you are talking to kids about rules and consequences, get down on their level and look them in the eye. Talk in a calm voice and explain to them why they were put in time out. Give them a hug and tell them that you love them (if they are your own)after they are done. D&C 121:43, right?

4) Kids often act out because they are bored! Of course kids are going to start bugging their siblings for entertainments sake if there is nothing else to do. Teach kids how to go about choosing an activity and do things with them like art projects and easy games. You'll have fun too.

I'm sure not everyone loves JoJo or these tidbits I've shared, but I just wanted to put it out there because it's fascinating to me! I think I would like to be some sort of behavior specialist. I guess I better wait and see how things turn out with my own kids, huh? Now, if only I knew anything about babies...

Julian Beever

How cool are these?! Some of you may have seen this guy's work before, but I was just introduced to it for the first time today? You really have to see these shots from another angle to believe that they are not 3-D images.

"Julian Beever is an English artist who's famous for his art on the pavement of England, France, Germany, USA, Australia and Belgium . Beever gives to his drawings an amazing 3D illusion."

Wild Turkeys

Apparently two of Kelli's very close friends went camping with their husbands this weekend (you know who you are), and I wasn't invited. I'm not one to be content within the city limits, especially when friends are off taking advantage of the beautiful outdoors. So, I invited myself along with my brother-in-law to scope out the wild turkey scene in Provo Canyon. He has a turkey tag, and the hunt starts next weekend. I'll let the pictures help me tell the story.

Brandon got some tips about where we should go, and here is some evidence that we were in the right place.

How about this? We must be in the right place.

It's official - right place. We heard a Tom calling, and Brandon got out his turkey call for a little chit chat. It was pretty entertaining.

Here's Brandon picking out his hiding spot for next Saturday.

We checked out another spot in the canyon that was also recommended. Do you see what I see? Look closely. Click on the picture to get a better look.

Hey there, Tom. Nice beard.

This guy was roosting up in this tree, and he wasn't about to leave on our account. The rest of these pictures are just scenic shots from the trip. Eat your hearts out!