Play my Little Part in Something Big

The Comeback Kid

2012-02-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! THIIIIIIIIINGS!!!!

1. I said fare-thee-well to my twenties last month. We had some lively times. Including: working at Disney World, starting a band, going to concerts, meeting a super-neat guy, marrying that guy, having some babies, graduating from college with honors, making some quilts, teaching some Zumba, writing some really boring things, and other stuff. On to the next adventure! I was ever-so blessed to be able to spend my birthday weekend with my beloved friend Katie doing all the things that I love. Reading, eating ethnic food, hanging out in little breakfast cafes, watching UK period dramas, jumping on hotel room beds. It was marvelous. Oh, also, neither of us thought to bring a camera, which is ironic, since she is a professional photographer. Nice.

2. Elliot has a sweet little friend who carpools with us to Kindergarten. He can never quite remember Astoria's name, and has started calling her "Australia". Awesome. I like that kid.

3. Did you know that my two-year old has figured out how to open all the doors in the house, and completely disable those little child-proof doorknob covers? I cannot tell you how many times a day I scream into a pillow. It is a lot. While it is true that children are wonderful and full of sweet and hilarious things, they are also little turds. All of them.

4. I am collecting songs that involve hand claps. If there are any you know and love, leave it in the comments. Some I've collected so far: Photograph - Weezer, 1234 - Feist, Close to Me - Get Up Kids (The Cure Cover), The First Single - The Format. But I need more than this, or my bathroom just isn't going to get clean. That's a fact.

5. So, like any mom, I love bragging about my kids. Love it. And it's totally easy, because my kids are geniuses (they get it from their mom, of course). So the fact that my youngest is now visiting a speech therapist is, well, a different experience. Part of me wants to hold on to her adorable "deedle dees" as long as I possibly can, but when it comes to trying to decipher what she wants when she's furiously pointing in a vague direction screaming "deedle panna!!!!" (No. I have no idea either.) It's more than obvious that she needs a little guidance from someone who knows about these sorts of things.

6. Downton Abbey. Yes yes yes yes yes.

7. Did you know that both songs nominated for Best Song at the Oscars are in some way directly connected to Flight of the Conchords?

8. This song. A million times.

Outdoor Church

2011-12-22T23:52:00.000-08:00

This is a post that was supposed to happen a log time ago, but didn't because these pictures were all on Blair's phone.

One sunny August morning, the Einfeldt family was anything but peaceful. No one could find their shoes, some people wanted to play on the computer (or check baseball scores) instead of helping little ones get dressed, some had nothing to wear, someone ate someone elses graham cracker, everyone was yelling at someone else. It was an all around bad morning. We finally were dressed and ready for church, but as 5 grumpy people got into the car, we made a quick game time decision. At the end of our street, we turned the other direction, and drove up the mountain for outside church.

It was an excellent decision.

December-y Things

2011-12-18T23:44:00.000-08:00

Why do people like me even have blogs anymore? Post-shmost.

1. We are doing an advent calendar "for the first time in a hundred years" (thanks, Elliot). Inspiration came from Katie, who did some awesome things last year. Like a face paint day.

Most of our activities have been pretty simple; making paper snowflakes, hot chocolate, take cookies to a friend, write a Merry Christmas letter to grandma, those kinds of things. The best one so far was having the girls dress up in tutus and dance to the Nutcracker. Hilarious. AND Tomorrow we are going to Krave (sweeeeeeet.)

2. I finally got new shoes for my Zumba classes, but it may have come a little too late. Can I get a knee transplant? Is that a thing?

3. Rou has decided she hates her bed, which is SUPER-AWESOME for everyone as I'm sure you can imagine.

4. Rou also has a little meeting with early intervention the first week of the new year to have her hearing checked. As adorable as it is to hear "deedle-dee-shooo" every day, it'd be nice to have a few real words thrown in there too.

5. OH. Also, my little Ruby Soho turned two. Aaaaaand all the pictures were taken on Blair's phone, aaaaaaand he left his memory card at the school... which he will not be returning to till after the Christmas break. Of course.

6. It's getting to be that time of year where I'm in pretty desperate need of real-life friends. So if you are at all interested, there is a lengthy application and interview process. Included in the application is a 100 question quiz on ridiculous things like sci-fi television and movies, classical literature, and punk and emo bands of the 2000's. I'm just kidding. I just need someone to hang out with me and not mind that I have crazy children and no husband until March. That's all.

7. I firmly believe that my house would be a whole lot cleaner if Plants vs. Zombies didn't exist.

8. Lately I have been requesting that at least twice a day, Astoria sings me the "North Star" song from Peppa Pig. She does it in a little English accent, and it is the happiest thing in the world.

9. Hugo. Loved the book, loved the movie. Loved.

10. It is possible that I am just as excited as Elliot about her getting Lego Harry Potter years 5-7 for Christmas. Maybe even a little more (though I doubt it).

***11. Christmas is lovely, isn't it?

I love Celtic Woman at Christmas time.

The Ninja Quest

2011-11-16T09:31:00.001-08:00

Me and my sister-wife. I love this picture.

For the last couple weeks, my darling friend Brittni has been staying with Team Einfeldt. It has been lovely. I like to refer to her as my sister-wife, and I'm terribly disappointed that her sojourn with us is ending. Brittni and I were English majors together, we also worked together for about three years as business and technical writers for a computer education company. Also, she is wonderful and I adore her.

Last night, Coach Blair was telling us about the day's basketball practice, and about a kid on his team who expects to be a starter, but isn't putting in the extra time and effort to be the kind of player he wants to be. "You can't just play for 4 months out of the year and call yourself a basketball player. That's just not how it works. The kids who do well on the team are the gym rats who play because they love it, and play and work on their game whenever they get a free minute." I've heard Blair say things like this a hundred times, but it wasn't until Brittni mentioned something about it later that night that I realized that it applies to me too. "How can we claim to call ourselves writers if we don't actually write?" That Brittni is a smart cookie.

So we have decided to resurrect the Ninja Quest. It is a little silly game we devised a few years back in order to give each other writing prompts, and post them on a little blog. Most of the stuff is, well, it's practice. Meaning it's probably not very good (mine especially) but the point is to just be writing things again. Thanks Coach and Brittni for being so awesome.

p.s. anyone is welcome to be a ninja, if you are in to that kind of thing.

Do I Dare Eat a Peach?

2011-11-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky

I just realized that I can count the weeks remaining of my 20's without taking off my shoes. Outwardly, I came to terms with this a long time ago. When asked my age, I usually just say "30" or "almost 30". Might as well get it over and done with. Inwardly, however, it's a different story. You know those dreams where you are supposed to be teaching a class, or giving some kind of big presentation and you are totally and completely unprepared? It feels kind of like that. (Which is bad, but not as bad as the dreams where your teeth fall out. Those dreams can go jump in a lake. A lake of piranhas. Who, I assume, have stronger and more plentiful teeth than I ever do in those lousy dreams)

I am completely aware of how melodramatic I'm being. I also don't care.

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
And seeing that it was a soft October night
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.

1. Are there things that a person is supposed to do before they are 30? Should I have made a list? I have a good 9 weeks left, so if you have any suggestions of "Things a Person Should Do Before 30" pass those along.

2. I'm curious about something. Does food start to taste more bland as you age? Is that a thing? I made grilled cheese and tomato soup for me and the girls today, which has always been the foremost in winter comfort foods for me. Bland city. I added a good 6 drops of hot sauce and it was rather enjoyable. Am I alone in this?

3. The deer have come down from the mountain into my neighborhood.

For I have known them all already, known them all;
Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,

I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;

4. You know what I just love? Working out, dancing, lifting, walking, all those things. You know what else I love? Truly and deeply? Cake. Brownies. Cookies. Soda. Roast beef with potatoes and gravy. Butter on everything. Why can't I love things like lentils?

5. Is there anything more lovely than this song?

6. Another thing I'm curious about? Do ALL almost-two-year-olds love nothing more in the world than running full speed away from you? Love taking all their clothes and diaper of at least 3 times a day? And hate hate hate sitting down, sitting in a stroller or car seat, and more than anything hate being held in public so they writhe and wriggle and scream out "no! no! no!" so that passers-by assume you are beating and pinching them? Just want to make sure I'm not alone in this either.

Do I dare
Disturb the universe?

7. Some things I really like: acorns, lampposts, doorknobs and keyholes, wisteria, stone pathways, teacups, lavender, willow trees...

8. The quilt I started for my in-laws in May will not be finished in time for Christmas. Boo.

9. I love Elliot's pictures. She just drew me a picture of a girl robot with hair who ate a bug. Awesome.

I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

~T. S. Eliot

10. A Care Bear, Peppa Pig, and a little punk.

I was the Green Lantern for Halloween, but didn't get a picture.

And I said Hey. What's going on

2011-10-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

"When I'm a stay-at-home mom I'll have plenty of time to blog." - FALSE.

So if not blogging, what exactly have I been up to these past few weeks? Other than accidentally leaving comments on people's blogs while still signed in as my husband?

1. Unholy amounts of laundry. Where are all these clothes coming from? Dear everyone who is teleporting your dirty clothes into my laundry baskets: that is so weird. You should really stop doing that.

2. Hanging out with the world's most radical five-year old.Is she kind of a little bit of a tom-boy? Maybe. But I prefer to think of it as a girl who likes awesome things like superheroes, Harry Potter, and Star Wars, in addition to awesome things like gymnastics, soft toy animals, and pink things. Recently she drew me a picture of a scene from Thor. Complete with Frost Giants, a feast for Odin and Thor and all their friends, and a battle on the Rainbow Bridge (the Bifrost). The last book she checked out from the library was a Norse Mythology book. Yes. I am rather proud of her, thanks for asking.

3. Loving but also hating my hair. Here's the thing, it's long. Like really, really long. Most of the time I love it. Except when it's my 6th Zumba class of the week, it's a disgusting sweaty mess, and I think "what, you mean I have to go and wash AND dry AND do something with all this? No. that is garbage. I'm going to destroy it with kitchen shears in about 4 seconds." Then I come to my senses and realize that if I chop my hair off before the new year, my Christmas card photo will be a lie.


See? It's long. And please excuse the lack of makeup. It's a weekday.

4. Reading too many books; on my own and with the girls, but that is okay.

5. Preparing for Octoberpocalypse. That magical stretch that involves an anniversary, a birthday (Astoria), Halloween (and it's, like, 12 accompanying Zumba parties. guh.), and the return of basketball season for Blair (Bye Coach. See you in February.)

Rou brings me a shoe - "Deedle deedle deedle SHOOOOO??" As soon as the shoe is on - "Deedle deedle Buh-bye!!" Because, obviously, shoes = going buh-bye.

All the Fall Things

2011-09-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

Elliot and I are equally excited about Kindergarten. I'm not a cry-on-the-first-day kind of mom. Not because I won't miss her (How can I? It's only 3 hours. I can barely get laundry and a Battlestar Galactica episode in that time) but because I know she is hardcore loving it.

I know that the cool thing to do is to downplay things like this (I'm also aware that it's going to make me sound like one of those moms that you just want to punch in the face) but gosh dangit! How did I get landed with such freaking brilliant kids?! Given the fact that she is so very young and so very tiny, I'm not trying to integrate her into a first grade class or anything, but that's not to say she couldn't handle it. Luckily, her teacher is the mamma of a dear English major friend of mine from college, and is sending Elliot home with 2nd grade level books to read for homework, and doing all the other amazing things that are so rare in NCLB schools. (And don't even get me started on NCLB. It makes me want to kick trees.)

Preschool totally caught me off guard, as you can see by Astoria's ever so fashionable hairstyle.

This kid on the other hand? I have no idea what to do with her. She reads all the books Elliot brings home. (She is 3. No, I'm not kidding. Ask my mom.) And the blue faced doll dangling by her side is George, named after Peppa's little brother from her very most favorite show, Peppa Pig. It's adorable. And the little Brittish accent Astoria's adopted because of it? The best thing ever.

And Miss Rou? She's still the best snuggler a mamma could ever ask for. She also has taken her "deedle-dee" language to the next level: Winnie-the-Pooh - "Deedle-dee-Pooh?" Hi daddy - "Hi deedle-dee!" I want a drink of juice - "Deedle-deedle-deedle-SHOO!" I want to wear this pink coat - "Deedle-deedle-deedle-deh?" (and my personal favorite) Yes - "SHEEEAAAAYYY!!"

For going into the kitchen to retrieve my camera, I deserve a prize. So I'm going to eat one of these dark chocolate pomegranate candies and not even feel bad about it.

Tuesday Confessional

2011-09-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

(Confession inspiration via Katie my darling)

1. I honestly believed in my heart that being home instead of at work would allow me to blog more often. Such is not the case. Sorry, Charlies.

2. I love TV shows, but hate hate hate TV. I would like to enjoy my Battlestar Galactica without commercials and on my own schedule, please. I would rather my kids enjoy Super Why and Backyardigans without all the other crap being shoved in their innocent little faces. Another thing about TV I can't stand. Freaking ESPN. In summation: The hard drive is filling up quickly, but basic cable has been cancelled. Thank the gods.

3. On the subject of TV, I'm not at all ashamed to admit that I am totally looking forward to the return of Community, Fringe, 30 Rock and Mad Men (in early 2012), and am excited to check out Alcatraz. See Katie? You're totally not alone.

4. I've been eating Greek Yogurt lately. I like the Greek Gods brand because it has the names of different Gods on each flavor. Hera = Fig, Poseidon = Plain, etc. But i'll admit it's ever so slightly bothersome that the pomegranite flavor is associated with Apollo. Persephone makes more sense, am I right?

5. Have I ever mentioned how much I like mythology? Well. I do.

6. Despite my love for mythology I'm having an incredibly difficult time getting through Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I'm aware of the fact that i'm an annoying prude. Whatever. You can judge, I don't care. World War Z didn't bother me in the slightest, though. What's that supposed to say about my personality I wonder.

7. I was going to post pictures of Elliot and Astoria on their first days of school, but my camera is in the kitchen.

8. Newest obsession: Salted Caramel anything.

9. Still on pace to complete 45 books by the end of the year, but still behind on my goal to finish the Einfeldt quilt for my in-law's by Christmas. Solution: more audio books.

10. I do not find Daniel Craig attractive in the slightest.

The Best BFF

2011-08-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty lucky when it comes to friends. Even more so to have a friend with whom I can share memories like these:

Playing Power Rangers on the trampoline causing one of us (me) to break an arm.
Making candlelight potions out of different kinds of soda in a walk-in closet (Candles lit in a closet. Brilliant idea.)
Going to a concert in Florida with every intention of making out with Incubus, but instead meeting a future husband (hers).
Panhandling with our guitars at gas stations.
Stuffing our bras with toilet paper and then going to a church activity.
Holding hands in bookstores, and ordering appetizers and desserts.
Performing a play we made up about Greek goddesses to impress the boys we met at the mall. (Totally worked too)
That one very foggy New Years...

It also just so happens that my BFF is probably the most naturally talented at everything human person on the planet. Kinda makes you want to hate her, (which I've done) but then, she is forced to have a BFF who is an insufferable know-it-all who is so nerdy it's embarrassing. It all balances out.

This summer, my BFF (who, along with her husband, just happens to be a very amazing International Wedding Photographer) was sweet enough to take a few family pictures, pro bono. I like to think of it as friends with benefits, only the benefits are actually awesome. Here is just a little taste of her awesomeness.

Oh and did I also mention that she spent the summer in Paris and brought me back a beautiful scarf from Bordeaux? Like I said. Benefits.

Well hellooo there, Internet

2011-08-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

I'm well aware that I'm not the only one who's posts slow down in the summer. And like those others, I have plenty of good reasons. Perhaps even ten reasons? Maybe not, but we'll give it go, eh?

Ten Things from the Summer of 2011

1. I have officially graduated to the glamorous life of a stay-at-home mamma. It is lovely. I'm amazed at how much time I have to actually get things done. With my husband's fancy new job as a middle-school English/Spanish teacher (we are super posh, aren't we?) we have been getting the kids in bed before 10:00 p.m. and eating dinner together almost every night (Zumba still muddles that one up a bit). This is the life. But it does kind of put a damper on the blogging. About 90% of my previous blog posts were written at work in the down time between projects.

2. On July 28, just 7 days shy of her 104th birthday, my amazing great-grandmother Mary Lou Jones finished her time on this earth. Saying that she was an incredible person doesn't even begin to describe it. I wish I had Dumbledore's pensive so that I could see just a few of her memories.

Me (and the gestating Astoria) Great-Grandma Jones, Elliot, Grandma Mary Louise, and My dad, Roger

3. My husband has an amazing friend who just happens to work for JetBlue. Thanks to our dear Uncle Rico I was able to fly to Oregon to attend my great-grandma's funeral and celebrate her life with my family. Blair and the girls stayed home, I missed them terribly but loved having a little alone time. (Who am I kidding, part of me never wanted to come home.) And yes, while in The Dalles I did go to Burgerville, had a Tillamook cheeseburger, walla-walla onion rings, and a fresh raspberry lemonade. AWESOME.

4. I've also been reading like a hungry wolf who devours books instead of small children (or something). I've read a few stinkers and some amazing ones as well. The highlight of my summer reading adventure? The audiobook of Tina Fey's Bossypants.

5. Blair insisted that we have one last hurrah before the summer came to a close and he started his new job. So instead of going to Lake Powell with his family (I love his family, but hate-hate-hate lake powell), we skipped down to California. I swear we should probably just buy yearly passes to Disneyland. It'd probably be cheaper. Although it helps that our kids look so little, it helps when sneaking them in when we probably should have bought them tickets. Oh well

6. Elliot would like me to add, though, that this was the first year she was able to go on some big kid rides. We are still hearing all about how great Splash Mountain and Star Tours was. By the way, they changed up Star Tours and it is REALLY cool.

7. Astoria is too smart for everything. Except using the toilet.

8. Rou has attempted to break my sewing machine twice in the past week. Yesterday I took out some screws and pulled of the front to find the spool holder, 5 potato chips, a pretzel, 2 straight pins, and a piece of a graham cracker.

9. Did you know that all the Zumba classes in the world will not help you lose weight if you insist on drinking, like, five sodas a day and eating pizza in bed 3 times a week (talking about myself here) I'm just sayin'.

10. Elliot starts Kindergarten in 7 days. This is epic.

Please excuse the lack of pictures. I'll make it up to you. I promise. But not with cookies. It's too fracking hot to bake cookies.

Firebolt Envy

2011-07-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

Yes. I am one of those weirdoes that dresses up for the Harry Potter premiere. However, this was actually the first one I dressed up for. Why, I had the perfect Dolores Umbridge style pink tweed suit in my closet, and this might be the last opportunity I'd have to wear it.

But i'm glad I did.

Because this lady won the costume contest.

But how I beat out an 8-year old Voldemort who shaved his eyebrows for this is a total mystery to me.

I suspect my muggle-born husband (who is likely a wizard in disguise) was casting imperius curses or something.

It was a wonderful, magical evening.

Lovely Summers make for Lousy Blogging

2011-07-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

At least, in my case it does.

It is humid and warm today. A true rarity in these arid parts. It is lovely.

My Elliot will be FIVE on Friday. She wants a backpack she can take to kindergarten, and a Harry Potter cake. She is trying to plan a surprise party for herself (that kid.) And she wants me to invite her "boyfriend" Zach. He is 18 and was a senior on Blair's basketball team last year. She's already told me she's going to marry him when she grows up. (sigh... that kid.)

We spent our Independence Day in Parowan, where Blair and his incredible assistant Roy hosted a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. It was a more of a success than we'd even hoped for. But let it be a reminder for next year: Shoes should probably be a requirement. Just sayin'.

Happy Dance

2011-06-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

Ten things that are making me deliriously happy today.

1. I cannot get enough of summer. It is beautiful outside. It is just the tiniest bit breezy, it is hot and dry, and the sky is the most perfect cloudless blue behind the bright vermillion mountains.

2. This amazing veggie sandwich from The Grind.

3. Thanks to a brilliant effort by Team Einfeldt, my house is miraculously clean (for a few minutes, anyway)

4. The sound of my daughters singing the Star Wars theme song at the top of their lungs.

5. A summer full of Blair. I really, really like having him around this much.

6. Extra ice in my beverage.

7. My nerdy anticipation for Harry Potter, Midnight in Paris, The Muppets, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, and the Hobbit movies.

8. Sore muscles. Nothing beats the feeling of knowing that you worked hard.

9. My almost-5-year-old asking for a backpack for her birthday, so she can take it to Kindergarten.

10. Anything by Mo Willems, Mercer Mayer, or Arnold Lobel. My most favorite children's authors/illustrators. (Especially Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp, and Frog and Toad are Friends.) I have to read Liza Lou in the most ridiculously fake southern accent I can possibly manage. It's basically required.

P.S. Are we friends on Goodreads yet? If not, find me. It will be lovely.

If you really want to know the truth...

2011-06-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

S o m e . T h i n g s

1. I'm reading Catcher in the Rye, and I'm about ready to swear to never say "sort of" again in my life.

2. Blair is out of town this whole week at a basketball camp. The house is much cleaner and the girls and I eat healthier, but I have no one to watch Mad Men with. It's pretty lame around here when he's gone.

3. I've tried to get into cool hipster music, (like The Decemberists, and everything my dear friend Brittni listens to) but I just can't do it. It puts me to sleep. I blame all the seriously awesomely loud (and not so loud) punk rock I grew up listening to. I mean, how could you not feel amazing while listening to this, or this, or maybe even this? And definitely this. I know this makes me sound totally old and not hip. Well, I am old. So there.

4. I hate potty training. Hate it.

5.I was going to make this a ten things, but Astoria is sitting next to me whining about playing starfall.com. "I need you to give me a turn, I need you to give me a turn. Because I need a turn. And you didn't ask me if you could play on the computer, and mommy, now I need it to be my turn "

Also, This was in my neighborhood:

Apparently, the Death Eaters have made their presence known in my town.

30 years of amazing

2011-06-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes people turn 30.

When that happens, you decorate the house, and eat sushi.

You also make that person wear a silly hat,

and take pictures of yourself making weird faces with your friends.

You also play games, and trade books, and laugh at your sillyness, and be all around awesome nerds.

Did you know that I married the greatest guy? Well, I did. Thanks for being born, coach. I love you so.

And a big thanks to Laura, Brittni, Joe, Amanda, Zach, and Katie for making Blair's birthday so very wonderful.

For the times, they are a-changin'

2011-05-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

In 2 months my professional title will change from working-mom, to just mom.

But let me back up a little bit.

The coach is celebrating adulthood this summer. Last week he was offered a teaching position for English/Spanish/ESL at a local school, meaning no more graveyard shifts, no more cramming 32 hours of work into a weekend, no more working Christmas mornings, Sundays, birthdays, et cetera. A week from today, the coach turns 30. It's kind of a big deal, I think for me more than him (partly because this means I'll be 30 soon. meh.). From this point on the "Young Family" title becomes a bit more of a stretch, and all the juggling starts to look ridiculous.

For the past 5 years, we've become masters of the juggling. Dividing our time between jobs, coaching, school, and kids; most often with little or no help from babysitters. We know the in-and-outs of switching cars/kids while on the clock, and give up dates so that we can save those precious babysitting hours for ridiculous work schedules. Through all of this my boss has been nothing short of a hero, allowing me to get my hours in when I can. Our kids manage beautifully, but the first years of their lives have been weighted with serious inconsistency. What, you mean your kids don't go to bed at 11:00 p.m. every night? Your kids are potty trained before the age of 3 1/2? Unimaginable.

So, back to my main point. I'm quitting my job.

I'm all a-jumble with joy, and fear, and plans, and terror, and calm, and whirlwinds.

I'd really love to talk with someone else who's made this transition. I'd love to think that on August first, I will have my children up, dressed, and out for some healthful fresh air in the backyard by 8:30 am, while I sip herbal tea on the back porch. I will take them on daily adventures to the park, the library, or the mountains, all while maintaining an immaculate household. I'll have time to prepare meals, which we will eat as a family at the table, and my kids will learn to try new foods. (ignore, of course, the fact that i'll still be teaching at the gym 4 nights a week, and the Coach will still have basketball from November to February and all of June) But a girl can dream... right? I know this is going to be weird. And I'd love love love any advice you have to offer.

If you're listening, Woooah-Ooohhh-Ooohhaohhh

2011-05-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the Coach was all sorts of grumbly and upset because he found out one of his favorite bands was playing in Vegas, and he was stuck at work.

A convienently-timed message from our dear friend Trent informed us that Jimmy Eat World would be playing the next night in SLC.

Oh! I have family there!

So within hours we were able to arrange for my sweet family to watch the little girls, and the Coach was able to get work off (he was originally scheduled to work a double).

At this point, I started to panic just a little. Everything was taken care of, except of course for the tickets. We could no longer buy them online, it being so close to concert time.

Now I need to explain something to you about the coach. He is a super hero. But let me illustrate this:

Superman is to Bruce Willis' character in Unbreakable

as

The technopath kid from Heroes is to The Coach.

Make sense? (If you managed to understand it through all that geekery, I applaud you.)

Anyway, he starts sending tweets to the opening band, Kinch (who is supremely wonderful, by the way) and somehow got the two of us put on the guest list.
THE GUEST LIST.

What could be better?

Well, realizing that a former boyfriend of mine works at the venue and, since I'm apparently on amazing terms with him (?), he walked us up to the front of the line guaranteeing us our choice of spots (which is upstairs, front row. Perfect view of the stage, none of the squashysweatymoshyunpleasantness )

We enjoyed Jimmy Eat World immensely.

I've said before how ridiculous it is trying to tell anyone your personal feelings on music. It just doesn't work. it ends up sounding lame. So use your imagination. It was like that.

Last of all, I ended up encountering not one, but THREE guys I used to date that night. (it's bound to happen when you are as involved in the concert scene as I once was). Weird, but dang I made a good spouse choice. A REALLY good choice.

All I need is just to hear a song I know...

2011-05-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, right now I need you to do three things.
First. Look at the big banner that contains the title of this blog.
Second. Scroll down a little, and look at the little quote hiding under the picture of the temple on the sidebar.
Third. Scroll all the way to the bottom and read the little quote at the end of the page.

Now.

Can you possibly guess where the coach and I went last night? Hmmmm?????

You can't buy this kind of awesome

2011-05-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, it's a Monday where one kid has been puking since Thursday, another puked in your bed at 4:30 in the morning, and the other has decided that, you know, potty training just isn't for her.
Then you go about your over-scheduled business and just happen to have one of those terrible and mortifying experiences so completely embarrassing that you swear to yourself to never ever ever share it with anyone, even if they do ask you what your most embarrassing moment is.
At that point, you either A) cry/dig your fingernails into your palms/stay up for hours obsessing over who saw your massive fail or B) do all of A and then realize that if you don't immediately think of some way to feel awesome, you're gonna drive yourself bonkers.

On that note, I give you:

Ten things I like about myself.

1. My hair grows fast.

2. I used to hate my unusual middle name, now, I think it is the best thing ever.

3. My best friend gave me a nickname in the eighth grade that has stuck with me.

4. I am strong, healthy, and can have babies without epidurals. It's my super hero power.

5. I can sing, dance, and play the guitar (I can't do any of them especially well, but I can do them. And that makes me happy).

6. I enjoy reading books more than cleaning my house; I feel that having creativity, intelligence, personality, and enthusiasm are more important that having people think you are neat, pretty, and put together.

7. I have seen every episode of LOST, have read many of the books referenced in the show, and not only loved, but understood the finale. In summation: I am a huge nerd, and I embrace that.

8. I am using my college degree.

9. I am really, really short.

10. I have awesome taste in husband, and friends.

Ah yes. I needed that.

So, what do you love about yourself?

The Nerd Post

2011-04-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

1. Confession: I'm a total fangirl. And I mean that in the dorkiest sense of the word. My Pinterest account has only one fashion picture (and it's from a Harry Potter movie so it doesn't really count) but at least 20 pictures 100% nerd certified. Doctor Who (especially the tenth doctor. Yowza.), Harry Potter, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy... you know. All the stuff that I tried SO hard in High School to pretend I didn't like, because I was on the dance team. (oh, pu-leeeeze.) And when you're just approaching the borderlands of popularity, all the really truly interesting things kinda take a back seat. It was the same with Blair. He was on the basketball team, so reading Stephen King books and liking X-men was totally out. Thank heavens we found each other. Without the companionship of a fellow closet-nerd, I'd be all sorts of bitter and repressed.

2. Blair is the perfect guy for me. He is not, however, a carbon copy of myself by any means. (Let's just say that I'm left on my own to swoon over The Doctor - but at least he tolerates it.) He's into graphic novels and ridiculously intimidating literature (think Atlas Shrugged or Ulysses). One of his favorite movies is Little Shop of Horrors, and has admitted to me that if ever that play is performed anywhere near out vicinity, he's going to audition for the part of Seymour. What a guy.

3. Diet Coke is super gross.

4. I saw the movie Rio with Elliot and Astoria last week. They loved it (except for the Pretty Bird part, which is really too bad since it's Jemaine Clement, who is freaking brilliant) I thought it was a cute little movie, but really I paid more attention to the music than the movie. Samba beats are excellent for Zumba, yo. Oh and Tracy Morgan.

5. Do you ever fantasize about how you will save your family during a zombie apocalypse? I do. All the time.

6. I am really feeling the need to get away next weekend. Blair is taking an ESL certification test this Saturday so I'm thinking the girls and I need to go somewhere. Maybe somewhere where they have little knuckleheads like them to get into mischief with.

7. I have one more pattern that I'm considering for the rug that I may or may not actually have the patience to paint.

8. I have a good friend who is currently living in Austria, working as an au pair. She met Ben Folds, she, like me, loves all things nerdy and awesome (the Doctor, Firefly, LOST, Community, Star Trek, etc.) she was in a ska band, and once, the two of us spent an evening eating ice cream and watching 17 Again (starring the Zac Effron) and talking about silly things long, long after the Coach and my girls were all asleep. She is wonderful and I miss her. Just thought I'd express that.

9. May is going to start very very soon. I'm still trying to get my summer reading list together, and it's about 50 degrees outside. Freaking Southern Utah. I'm taking suggestions for the reading list though.

10. I just today discovered A Fine Frenzy. I'm so so glad.

Design Fool

2011-04-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not exactly what you would call a pro when it comes to design. What do you think of these for a rug?

Quatrefoil

Moroccan Tile

Imperial Trellis

Which is your favorite?

Keep calm, and get in the Tardis

2011-04-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

Of course I'm going to tell you who won the giveaway, but first, I'm going to make you scroll through all these pictures of my offspring playing in the nerdiest thing I've ever created. (except for the Redwall fan-poetry I wrote in 7th grade. But, that's neither here nor there...)

Wait Rou, it's a traaaaap!!

Of course what I really want to do is give everyone a book. All ten of you. Maybe I will, just give me a few months, and don't be weirded-out if I ask for you mailing address seemingly out-of-the-blue.

But first, I shall bequeath a book on the ever delightful:

Natalie Moon Gleaves

Here are a list of phrases that will mean nothing to anyone except ~~Natalie~~ Madali:

1. "What's up Ukraine!"

2. Lemon spike juice music sidewalk chalk drawings

3. Remember when you hated me because I liked your boyfriend's Weezer shirt? And you HATED me? That was awesome.

4. Muh?

5. Brazillian Rivers, That 70's Rivers, probably some other Rivers' that I've forgotten about.

She is awesome. I can't wait to pick out a book for her.

And like I said, I think everyone won this giveaway. Just be patient. :)

Best Intentions

2011-04-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

Maybe I should test these things out before getting too carried away.

If you tried to enter the giveaway, and were unable to do so, I'm very sorry. If you'd still like to have a lovely book chosen especially for you by yours truly, the commenting issues should be all fixed now. Enter, tell your pals, have a biscuit, and be excellent to each other.

Reading is FUNdamental!

2011-04-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

You know what I haven't done for awhile? A book giveaway.

Remember these posters? I was trying to find some of the old ones I remember from the library when I was a kid (You know, with Michael Bolton, and Phylicia Rashad, and that girl who played Blossom.)

Yay Yao!

You already know how to enter.

1. Follow this blog
2. Leave me some comments or other love-type notes (make sure you leave at least one on this post so I know you'd like to be part of the giveaway)
3. Send me a picture of you peeking over a book, with a link to your reading list, Goodreads page, or other book-love-type-thingy.
4. Post something about this giveaway on your blog, or facebook, or something and let me know about it

I know you'd probably much rather have one of my fabulously spectacular hand-crafted cardboard Amazon boxes pained to look like the Tardis (picture in an upcoming post). But books are just as neat. I promise.

A winner will be selected on Wednesday April 13th

Hoot Hoot

2011-04-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

This is me

This is also my entire family.

As fancy as it is to be owls, it's not actually conducive to what most people refer to as "real life". You know, where people have to go to school and work and actually be there on time; instead of dropping your 4-year old off at preschool twenty minutes late and then deciding that a crappy Hostess danish is really the best choice for breakfast because that's really the most appetizing thing you saw at the gas station on the way to work. (On a side note, it was super gross. That'll teach me.)

So when exactly do I come to that magic place where my kids go to bed before ten? Or where I leave the house with Elliot at quarter after nine and the rest of my household (The coach included) isn't still completely zonked out?

In other slightly owl-related news. I started reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to Elliot. Am I starting too young?

A button and things

2011-03-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

1. Look, I made a button.

2. I've been spending all my free (and also not-so-free) time thinking about how lovely it would be to have a book exchange party. I've been thinking about the decorations, and food, and the friends. It's an all-consuming thing. Would any of my blog friends like to do this with me? (Ann-Michelle, Utah county is not too far.) Let me know. I would really really like to play.

3. Elliot totally ate it on the sidewalk yesterday.

Poor kid. She must be related to me.

4. I need to spend more time practicing new Zumba routines before I actually go and teach them. I always think I'm ready, but it's usually by the 3rd or 4th time I do it in class when I finally feel comfortable with it. Yesterday I choreographed a routine to the new Avril Lavigne (don't judge) and decided 2 hours later that I could totally teach it. Yeah, that seems reasonable. Right.

5. I have a quick question; do any of you have any experience with a child who has a mortal fear of using the toilet? If so, I'd really really like to chat with you.

6. Punctuation! If it weren't for the Internet telling me how to (and Facebook users reminding me how not to) use it, my life would be controlled by a propensity for comma splices and run-on sentences, which is a really terrible combination.

7. You know what would be really cool? A Lego Lord of the Rings game. (Wow. Did I just get that nerdy?)

8. I work in an office where there are currently four pregnant women, and one who just had a baby 2 months ago. And no I am not next, thank you very much.

9. (Just a heads up, this is a rant. Ok, sorry to slow you down, please continue.) If you sell items from your home (scented wax, jewelry, make-up, kitchen items) I'm sorry, but I am not going to come to your "party". It is not a party. It is a trick! My idea of quality time with friends does not involve a presentation on the amazing benefits of this body scrub, or being made to feel guilty for showing up and eating your snacks and not dropping bundles of cash on some junk that I could probably buy online if I really REALLY felt like I needed it. Does not buying from home sales pitches endanger our friendship? I'd rather not find out. So call me next time you'd like to have family game night, or watch a movie, or cook a meal together. I'd prefer that.

10. Look! It's Rou as the Tenth Doctor!!

Wake the Sun

2011-03-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining

I got Elliot to school on time

We saw daffodils blooming outside her preschool

My breakfast sandwich from The Grind is all full of cheesey perfection

Elliot and I saw the baby chicks at IFA

And as I was getting Elliot up this morning, Astoria, who is notorious for complaining and arguing and general defiance any time we say prayers, knocks me out with a cheerful "How about a prayer?" So, we had one.

If this morning is any indication on how the rest of the day is going to pan out, it's going to be smashing.

A morning song for you

(click it. Embedding wouldn't work for some reason)

Swinter

2011-03-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

Did you know there is actually no such thing as Spring in Cedar City? It's true. We get Swinter, It's just like winter, only in between the snow storms, there are these deceivingly gorgeous days where the sun shines and flowers, in their confusion, start to bloom - only to be covered in ice a few days later.

It's kind of like this, only not as picturesque. Poor little lilacs.

I've Brought Shame to my Homeland

2011-03-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

I'm off my game this year

It's March 17th

I'm not wearing green

The corned beef brisket I bought is still sitting in the fridge instead of simmering away in the crock pot

I didn't tape a paper rainbow to the wall, or put out a little pot of chocolate gold coins

I'm probably making my Irish mamma weep right now.

AND to top it all off, I forgot to fill out a bracket. The Coach is not amused by this.

So instead of a post filled with mossy Irish awesomeness, here's a picture of a squishy hug by some silly kids.

California Dance Party

2011-03-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

Ten things: Vacation Edition

1. Hey! Did you know we went to Disneyland? It was kind of spur of the moment. Like we decided on Tuesday and left on Saturday. Nothing like spontaneous vacations.

2. Remember the whole thing about balancing out on vacations? Yeah it was kind of like that, but more on the positive side, which is pretty sweet.

The low points:
a. One of our strollers was stolen (At freaking Disneyland outside the teacups! WHO DOES THAT?!? Don't worry, it was a cheapie $10 wal*mart one we bought when Elliot was a baby.)

The stroller - and the kid who constantly tried to escape it

        b. Elliot peed her pants on the way back to the hotel both days.
        c. During the Peas experience, I discovered that Elliot was 38 1/2" tall, the requirement for some of the fun big kid rides is 40". So I bought her some shoes with super thick soles and did her hair high in hopes I could sneak her onto Star Tours (which was closed, bummer) The only one we attempted was Soarin' over California, and she was, alas, still too shrimpy. I half-expected her to get super upset about it since I got her all excited about it while we were in the fast pass line. She was amazing though. Didn't even bat an eye, Just asked to go see the Muppet 3D Movie again.
        d. On the first day, BOTH Blair and I were silly and forgot to charge our phones the night before... meaning they were both dead by noon. Lame

3. Dude. I'm not such a downer. SO many more high points than low. I was just trying to make it sound all dramatic, which, it really wasn't. Here's Elliot's Monster face.

We had a very magical time. We rode rides, and made friends in lines, and ate over-priced food, and did all the things you do at Disneyland. Yay!

4. Favorite rides: Blair - claimed he was just there to make sure all his girls had a great time (what an excellent little minion) Mary - California Screamin'. Single rider line AMAZING, Elliot and Astoria - Both said Pirates of the Caribbean and The Matterhorn (so brave. Love these kids) Rousseau - The Monsters Inc. Ride (that and It's a Small World. We went on both a billion times I think.)

5. Did you know that little kid hoodies cost $40 there? Now I do.

6. We saw the Aladdin Musical twice. It is pure awesome. If you plan on going there anytime in the near future. Don't. Miss. It. Best genie jokes (this is more for my memory, apologies) - Calling the carpet "Sham-Wow" "Tiger blood/Winning" "You can run and tell that, homeboy"

7. We continued our tradition of always running into at least one person we know there. My friend Mary (great name, right?) and her sweet family were hanging out in Tomorrowland with us. If you're in the Cedar City area? Go check her and her husband out at Off the Cuff. They are hilarious.

8. The hotel we stayed in had Bunk Beds. BUNK BEDS!

9. Before the trip I bought a book at wal*mart, and it made me feel incredibly guilty. I'm so sorry Braun Books! Please forgive me!

10. We didn't meet any characters or princesses this time... but you know who we did see?

KABA MODERN
Blair and I used to watch America's Best Dance Crew. This just happened to be one of my favorite groups on the show. It was amazing, kids! They did a bit of this dance:

Yes this was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. I'm a dance nerd. Before they performed they had loud music playing everywhere and I totally embarrassed my family with my stellar moves.

Elder Einfeldt

2011-03-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

Hey kids, Blair's little brother Joel is serving a mission in Tokyo, Japan. So if you happen to have any extra prayers about you, please send them his way, along with the other missionaries (and, well, everyone) in Japan at this time.

Also did you know that the minimum donation for the Red Cross is only $10? I'm pretty sure I can spare a Hamilton or two for Blair's baby brother. It's be pretty great if you could as well. :)

So far all we know is that Joel is accounted for and that he is safe. We're anxiously awaiting more information.

UPDATE 03/12/11 - We received a short e-mail from Joel letting us know that he is doing well, and is using the yellow work gloves Maureen sent him.:)

Thank you all for your kind support and prayers!

Serendipity

2011-03-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Lately my house has had a very distinct odor about it. Let me give you a hint. This odor is usually accompanied with one or more of the following: taken away toys, an "i'm sorry", tears, lies, laundry, laundry, laundry, mad dad, frustrated mom, and always a pair of pants with a big wet spot on the front. And no, we are not potty training Astoria. It's the other one. The already potty trained one that's causing us grief.

Of course like any rational mother, I start blaming myself, assuming that i'm doing something to make her rebel. I assume that there is something 'wrong' with us and that i'm a bad mother because I can't keep my four-year old dry. The saddest part about it? She lost Lego Harry Potter because of it (because a good percentage of her accidents were while playing said game) This is almost just as sad for me as it is for her. We just unlocked the Accio spell! Come ON! Oh well. She asked if we could watch the first Harry Potter movie together last night, which was so very magical. She kept comparing it to the game. "Hey, what?! I thought that Draco Maff-loy threw cake at Her-my-mee!"

but back to the point...

In the midst of beating myself up over all this, the universe takes a hand. teamBoo, out of the blue, posts a little something that reminds me, Hey, i'm not alone in this. I'm not a terrible mother, or a terrible human being just because my four-year old has bladder control issues.

Here is little excerpt from teamBoo:

I peed my pants well into my 20's. As a kid, my sisters would hold me down and make me laugh until i peed (it didn't take much). Once, when i was pregnant with Elyott, I had to change my pants 7 times during one particularly hilarious game night. SEVEN times. I was 19. I thought it's what every little giggly girl did, until I grew up and very few of my friends could relate to my pants wetting confession. It isn't my most proud feature, but there it is (for the record i haven't in like 5 years ;)

My daughter Elyott can relate to this. like 100%.

And it is ultra disgusting when i go to check if her clothes are clean or dirty and i (without fail) take WAY too big of a whiff (when just a little sniff would've sufficed)...and then my face melts off. And then i think, "uhhh! when is she gonna grow out of this!?" and then the little cricket that lives in my clock reminds me of my first sentence of this blog post (damn.)

Then sometimes I stress about Elyott seeming "so big" already at the ripe age old age of 8. Like how most of her conversations have a varied but certain degree of precociousness (i'm sure every mother kinds feels this way about their kid) but more specifically lacking that awesome preschool aged janky vocabulary set. Most of the time she is usually pretty spot on when she is figuring something out, and I start to long for the days when she said and did really awesome and ridiculous things like: pulled her halter top shirts down below her nipples cause she thought it looked "fancy" or sang the lyrics "popcorn popping on the 'rake-a-dot' tree!" (instead of "apricot") or when she was a baby and we'd say "i love you" and she'd say a very efficient "too"...OR when she laid her clothes out for school to look like this.

I'm glad I can always rely on the Boo-ster for reminders that we are not alone in this crazy motherhood business.

In this totally secluded little world I've created for myself (remember?) I frequently forget how common things like wet pants, trips to the hospital for strange things put in the ears/nose/whatever, and being totally overwhelmed on a daily basis, really is.

And please, if you've had similar issues? Please please let me know. Especially if you have any little golden nuggets of wisdom to share.

Getting Outta Dodge

2011-03-03T13:55:00.000-08:00

I realize that I'm not the world's most frequent blogger, and the fact that I'm alerting you to a short, weekend absence seems pretty ridiculous when I usually cap out around 5 posts a month.

But anyway. We are going to escape for a few minutes.

Till then, here are five things for your face. Sorry it's not ten. I'm really only functioning at 45% capacity today.

1. The PHS Rams finished their season with a 19-6 record.(going 10-0 in region). They lost in the second round of the state tournament (bummer) but went on to win the consolation tournament, taking 5th overall. Not too shabby for a second-year head coach, don't you think?

Some of my most favoritest pictures from the season


*Gary has the prettiest 3-pt shot. He should have been a dancer.*

Photos courtesy of Dave Mineer

2. I have been sick since Valentine's day. Lamest thing ever. I keep waking up at 3 a.m. with horrible coughing fits. Guh. If this cold had a crotch I would kick it.

3. You know what's loads of fun? Letting your topless one-year old push your four-year old around in a toy stroller.

4. I read more books during the month of February than any other month last year. Does this have anything to do with basketball season? Probably.

5. In case you were curious, the peas are safely out of Elliot's ears. Silly head Elliot.

Don't Try This at Home

2011-03-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

Elliot had a pretty rough day yesterday. Threw a tantrum at school, threw a fit as we were leaving the gym, and just to top it all off, she decided to shove frozen peas in her ears before bed last night. She asked for a cup of frozen peas as a bedtime snack. Your four-year old asks you for healthy food as a snack. That should have been a huge red flag right there. I sent her to go watch a movie, and she comes out 20 minutes later crying.

Because she stuck one pea in each ear. And can't get them out.

Took her to the ER last night... they couldn't get them out either.

So I'm stuck here at work, while the amazing Blair-face takes my little Princess Pea to an ear, nose, and throat specialist in St. George.

Kids. Seriously...

Update: She's going to have a little surgery tomorrow morning to get them out.

Oh Elliot.

What we do on Saturdays

2011-02-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

When I was a little kid, I would ride my bike to the library. Which, when I think back on it is rather impressive considering it was about a mile from my house through the busiest part of town. Then again, back then it was a pretty small town.

I lived in the library like my husband lived in basketball gyms. I was a true library rat.

Upon moving to Southern Utah in 2003, One of my first orders of business was to get a library card. I was terribly disappointed when I walked in. It was not the clean, well lit place I was used to back home. Most books on the shelf looked like they had been donated as rejects from the goodwill in 1960.

Last year I decided to give it a second try. By this time a new library had been built near the park. Also by this time I had three impressionable young ones to wrestle with. The new library is spacious, full of windows, and the perfect place to chase around this little nutter.

Elliot's favorites are ones that get read in British accents

Rou pushed this stool around for a good 20 minutes

Wow. Astoria doing an ABC puzzle. How totally uncharacteristic.

We have been back nearly every week since then.

Tell your Mom, Tell your Dad. We were Super Rad.

2011-02-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

Remember these guys?

Ahhhhh. the memories.

Ten things for today:

1. I have this little sister Laura. She is small, and very funny. Okay so actually she is taller than me, which I totally resent.But she is very funny, and awesome, and clever, and beautiful, and needs to come hang out with me post-haste.

(sorry it's a tiny picture)

2. You know what would be just stellar? If i could somehow put my smallest one to sleep without the use of boobs. Dear Rousseau, you are cute and I'm totes in love with the teeth in your happy little smile. This does not make it okay, however, for you to use said teethies to use your mamma as a chew-toy.

3. I know my dad reads this blog... He would probably be fine if he skipped this next one. I realize that no one cares/wants to hear this info. but it's a somewhat big deal to me and worth noting.

I'm officially not pregnant. Why is this even a big deal, and why am I acting like a 12 year old? Probably because when the thing that reminds you you are not pregnant is absent for over 2 years, you kind of look forward to its return. There. Enough said.

4. I have never been good at Christmas cards. Which is why in the future, yearly mail correspondence from Team Einfeldt will be conducted on Valentine's day. Because let's face it, by Valentine's day I'm sick of this lousy winter confinement and ready to communicate with the outside world again. I'm on my way to the post office just after this post, in fact. So some of you may have something in ye olde mailbox soonish.

5. Everyone should have a friend named Katie. Especially friends name Katie who talk them OUT of spending 80 dollars on fabric, and encourage them to shop around a bit more. Guess what, Katie? I got what I needed for less than 20. Boo-freaking-yah.

6. By the way, I would post a link to Katie's blog so you can win her awesome scarf. But I want to win. So, you know, Fat Chance.

7. I found out that on of my absolute FAVORITE authors from my childhood passed away last week. Brian Jacques, the author of the Redwall series was incredibly creative and one of the greatest storytellers i've ever read. In his memory i'm going to read the first three books (maybe more) of the Redwall series this summer. Won't you join me?

8. My friend Chow has been talking about grammar pet peeves on her blog. I have one. I'm not nearly as hilarious or creative as Hyperbole and a Half, so if you want to read funny go there and read about the Alot. But anyway. Do people realize the difference between passed and past? Like someone writing something about waltzing passed a box of pencil shavings? No my friends. Just no. And Dear Utah girls - Just because you do not know how to pronounce the word "Sale" does not make it okay to tell me that you have some really cute bows "For Sell" just sayin'.

9. If you have tips on how to grow a blueberry bush (preferably indoors...) pass the info to me, would ya?

10. Last of all, May I present to you the UNDEFEATED REGION CHAMPION PAROWAN RAMS!!!!

Check out that handsome devil, He's-a mine!

And Elliot is in L O V E with Zack.

Speaking of love, I am completely aware that it is now Valentine's day. So Yay Love!!! Now go eat some chocolate!

Two out of Three Ain't Bad

2011-02-02T11:33:00.000-08:00

Elliot: Ike likes Doctor Who. He's really cool.
Mom: I like Doctor Who, so does that mean I'm cool too?
Elliot: Mom, you're smart, and beautiful... but you're not cool.

Balancing Act

2011-01-28T06:54:00.000-08:00

I had every intention of posting all about my adventure in a timely manner, with all sorts of pictures and other awesomeness. Instead you get the bullet point version. Sorry charlies.

I ate Fenesjan at a delightful Mediterranean restaurant. My waiter was delightful and gave me my order of Athens fries to-go for free.
I jumped on the beds at the hotel.
I met Scott Shriner outside of a Starbucks in the Hard Rock Hotel. Yes that IS the bassist for Weezer. Yes I do have a picture. Yes it is on my friend Trent's camera, and no I do not have it as of yet.
Weezer was so amazing, I can't even talk about it. Just kidding. I will totally talk about it for days on end.
Brian Bell forgot to play the Sweater Song and moved right on to Surf Wax America. Rivers set him right.
Slide show intermission with old photos of the band, including one from the tour in Utah 1997 with No Doubt. (My first ever concert) That was pretty rad.
Encore featuring Rachel Haden from That Dog singing "I Just Threw Out the Love of my Dreams" (she was freaking adorable. I wanted to put her in my suitcase)
Stayed up till forever with Trent and Brittni and all the random silliness that happens on late nights. Lots of giggling and singing of Red Hot Chili Peppers
Got an @ tweet from Sam Means (from the Format. Go look them up. NOW) about the concert,

AND THEN...

Transmission blew
stranded in the middle of the freaking Nevada desert for 2 hours
Rescued by Trent and Brittni
Food poisoning
Eye infection

So all in all, things evened out.

I'll bring home the Turkey if you bring home the Bacon

2011-01-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

In 45 minutes, I'm leaving for Vegas.

A L O N E

Let me present to you this piece of awesomeness, my theme song for the weekend:

Hours of delightful book reading with no one asking me to get them a chocolate milk. I'm considering building a couch cushion fort at the Barnes & Noble.

Oh, did I mention i'm also going to see this?

My heart is all fireflies and lightning.

Somebody's watchin' me...

2011-01-17T09:14:00.000-08:00

Hmmm.... Blair's gone all day, and the girls and I are bored. I know!

Let's put eyes on things!

Elliot: thought it was hilarious and wanted to put eyes on EVERYTHING

Astoria: got totally freaked out and cried saying "Mommy, I don't want eyes in the house" So i started to take them down (which caused Elliot to weep uncontrollably) After Elliot talked to her about it, she was game "Mommy! I like eyes now! Let's put eyes on the potty!" But it wasn't to last. After about 20 minutes, she got concerned again and told me "Mommy, I'm done with eyes now."

What do you do on boring winter days?

(By the way I totally stole this idea from the awesome Team Cowan. I heart them so much)

January Things?

2011-01-12T22:48:00.000-08:00

1. In an attempt to cut back on sugar, it seems as though I have inadvertently turned up my Diet Cherry Pepsi (aka sweet nectar of the gods) consumption. I guess I didn't realize how much I was actually drinking till at about 1 p.m. today my head started throbbing from caffeine withdrawals.

Oh Come On! (in Gob Bluth voice - which i'm an expert at) Can't I just have one vice without consequences? ;)

2. In case you were wondering? Peanut butter and maple syrup on waffles is disgusting. And I guess I'm the only sane person in my house since Blair and the girls love it. (dry heave)

3. It's official. My baby sister (nearly 15 years my junior) is gorgeous. A) how did that happen and B) Why did she get all the pretty genes? It's not faaaiiir.....

4. Apparently caffeine withdrawal also causes irritability. Oh. that explains some things.

5. I'm on an active hunt for a time machine. Anyone know where I can score 1.21 jiggawatts? Either that or I need to put myself into some kind of coma for the next 48 hours. If I'm not conscious on my birthday that means I don't actually age... right? RIGHT?

6. I didn't post anything yet about New Years, but look! we had a New Years!

Every year we pick a different country (or something... last year we did New York, which is not a country, but certainly a culture) And this year we did China. More on this later.

7. The Matches will make me feel amazing no matter how terrible my mood is.

8. If I was super cutesey, I would make this list have 29 things... but I'm not.

9. Zumba classes are getting more crazy. I LOVE how full it's been lately, the energy is bananas. Come to my class. Do it.

10. I love you, goodnight.

The Other Resolution

2011-01-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while a girl just has to write a post where she whines like an "I'm-going-to-totally-die-if-I-don't-get-asked-to-prom" high school junior. This is that post. I'm going to try and restrict myself to less than 3 a year.

In addition to the list of resolutions I made last week, there is one additional one that I feel like adding to the list.

Make some friends.

Okaaay. I know I know, I have friends. At least Facebook seems to think so. Maybe I should change this a little:

~~Make some friends~~
Make time to be a friend

I am completely aware that there are different seasons in life, and I'm currently in the "youngish-mommy-who-is-crazy-busy-and-has-a crazy-busy-husband-and-crazy-kids-but-no-money" season, not so much the "insanely-popular-at-dance-parties-and-enjoy-life" season, or even the "my-kids-are-in-school-and-my-spouse-has-a-good-job-and-I'm-going-out-for-lunch" season. But that doesn't necessarily mean that because I'm in the young(ish) mommy season that I have to be so lonely all the time, does it? But here's the kicker. It turns out that in order to have friends, I actually have to make some effort. Bleh. Meaning I might actually have to call someone on the phone. And even more terrifying, make some kind of plans to actually hang out with that person. The very thought of that makes me want to crawl into a closet and rock back and forth, hugging my knees.

I've lived in the same neighborhood for about 3 1/2 years. wanna know how many times my kids have played with other kids in the neighborhood? Probably never. And it's my own fault. You'd think after that long I could become friendly enough with someone that we could at least exchange play dates or something. But no. I stay in my safe little house and my safe little backyard. And I have no idea why. I used to be friendly... really. What happened to me?

Maybe I'm just being silly. My kids are wonderful, and I enjoy spending time with them. Teaching Zumba is great, and I love having a little time to do something I enjoy so much around some really fantastic women (even if the only talking involved is me screaming "Add the arms! Now, Turn to the left!". )

Shouldn't that be enough?

It should be. It really should be.

Pirate Smile

2011-01-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

So, it turns out that I'm not quite as terrible of a mother as I'd imagined. We discovered that Elliot's mouth full of tooth decay was caused by huge gaps in her enamel that didn't form correctly when she was growing in my tummy. I seriously couldn't figure out why I had only one kid with teeth like an old prospector, when they all have the same brushing/eating habits. This explains a lot. The gap though probably wont be fixed till she's a little older. Like her daddy she has a long frenulum that extends all the way down between her front teeth. Genetics are so weird. Anyway, thanks Dr. Albrecht (p.s. best pediatric dentist office EVER. they are AMAZING)

Elliot did amazing at the surgical center. She can be pretty dang well-behaved and sweet when she puts her mind to it. :) And she's pretty proud of her new "pirate teeth". And maybe someday she'll be a seamstress for the band...

Hold me closer tiny daaaancer...
Count the headlights on the hiiiiiiwaaaaaay...

I suck at resolutions.

2011-01-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

Here are my goals from last year:

Lose 23 pounds (this is not an arbitrary number, and not a lofty goal either. 12 pounds will get me to my pre-pregnancy weight, 23 will get me healthy.)

Completely potty train Elliot and Astoria. Elliot is halfway there...
Run a 5k.

I did not run a 5k. But I did get Zumba certified and am teaching 5 classes (sometimes 6) a week. So there's that.

Elliot is Potty trained, Astoria on the other hand has to get extra "help" on a bi-monthly basis as well as cut out pretty much all dairy for a bit in exchange for "chocolate swilk". Right now we're just happy when she goes at all, forget doing it in a potty. we'll work on that after basketball season.

I am 16 pounds lighter than at this time last year. Baby weight? No big deal. Healthy weight... you mean I have to cut back on copious amounts of sugar? Forget that.

So I pretty much did everything a solid HALF-WAY.

Guh.

This years goals? Of course i'm still going to make some.

Read 45 books
Brush my teeth
Ensure that my kids get no cavities this year
Turn off lights when I leave a room
Kiss Blair more
Take Anne Morrow Lindbergh's advice and spend some time alone

There is is. In writing. I have bazillion other goals in mind, but this'll suffice for now.

One last thing, Elliot has surgery tomorrow. It's not "real" surgery, but she is going to be put under so that her ten million cavities can be fixed. More on that later.

Let the Year of Mary Einfeldt commence

Happy Little Clouds

2010-12-30T12:02:00.000-08:00

Watching Bob Ross painting clouds is quite possibly one of the most relaxing activities I can imagine.

After the insanity of Christmas, nothing is better.

(Stori refused to wake up)

Our holiday was rather delightful, Elliot got a Lego Buzz Lightyear (translation - Elliot got to watch all giddy and excited while Mom put the Lego Buzz together), Astoria got the Cinderella kid doll she has been asking for, and you know what her response was the minute she opened it? "I thought I wanted the Tiana doll?" Seriously child?

And I got tickets to see this:

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !

But my hands down favorite part of the gift extravaganza? The card Elliot made to accompany the Waffle maker we gave Blair.

She may be the next Bob Ross.

i like candy

2010-12-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

Candy is my favorite. Seriously.

Some facts about candy, and it's relationship with me and my family.

No matter how many days a week I teach Zumba, I will never get rid of these flesh pockets sitting on my hips, because of candy.

My three root canals, and myriad other teeth problems are not  completely because of candy, but I have no doubt it played a pretty  significant role.
Elliot is having oral surgery next month... due in large part to my bad genetics, and of course, candy.
When I was pregnant with Rousseau, I craved sugar like you would not  believe. In fact during my pregnancy I had a very special dream once  where I was able to take a private tour of a pastry shop, and I could  eat anything I wanted. Best. Dream. Ever.
I don't remember the last time I went through an entire day without  eating sugar in some form or another; usually chocolate, but also  cookies, Cherry Pepsi, ice cream, chai latte, various baked goods, you  name it really...
(fun fact: Elliot is wearing a Slytherin shirt that used to be mine. Also, the shirt i'm wearing, Blair bought on the day we met. Brand New concert t-shirt. And Rou enjoyed some chocolate... obviously.)


 Elliot  and I made a "Hogwarts Gingerbread House Castle". The  marshmallow on  the top, Elliot told me it was smoke from the chimney,  but I still think  it's Neville Longbottom after the incident with the  broomstick and the  remembral. We added a little more after this, but  you get the general  idea. Where was Astoria during all this you ask? 


Passed out, probably not due to candy consumption, but then, you never know...

And we are still a good 4 days away from the sugar-fest that is Christmas.

I'm not promising anything, but in order to avoid the evil diabetes fairy that is probably waiting around the corner, something must be done.

Like I said, I can't straight out promise that candy and I are totally splitsville, but I need help. really. So, if you have any advice to offer? that would be pretty amazing.

I hope your Christmas is the best thing ever. Better than a backstage pastry shop tour (ooooohhhhhh.....).

Slow Down, Baby

2010-12-14T08:34:00.000-08:00

This post is a double whammy.

First, my totally unrealistic, but still fun to dream about Christmas dreams:

Someone to come decorate (and clean, while they're at it) my house.
Someone to pick out my clothes every day, because I have no sense of style.
Enough financial stability to ensure that Blair would never have to work another stupid graveyard shift again.
To magically have perfect teeth.
For massive amounts of delicious treats to have a less devastating effect on my body.
To somehow have enough time to just slow down and enjoy things, like holiday traditions.

Second:

Mary+camera+Picnik.com = A life which looks much more interesting

Kids on a trampoline + Zach Cowan + Leaf blower = Hundreds of delightful giggles

Astoria, Rousseau, and I spent Saturday with my dear Katie Cowan. It was so very wonderful. Even though i'm sure I WAY overstayed my welcome, (oh, eat all three meals at your house? don't mind if I do!) I had a fantastic time with many inappropriate comments regarding breakfast meats and possibly some hilarious quotes from the Little Mermaid.

ALSO, I finally got to meet the very delightful Ruth! We had a lovely breakfast (thanks Zach and Katie!) but alas, I didn't even think to get my camera out. Boo. Nevertheless, Ruth is just as wonderful as I'd imagined.

Ma petite chou

2010-12-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

Voila! Puis-je present ma petite fille qui est une an aujourd'hui! Fantastique!

Je voudrais ecrire cette histoire tout en français, mais ma orthographie et grammaire est tres terrible.

See? All those years I took French in school has now been validated... or something.

Today is my little French woman's birthday. And to celebrate, she got an eye infection! Woo-hoo! The other girls wanted to join in the fun, so they got eye infections as well. How thoughtful.

Because we are SO high-class, we took the family to the ihop last night to celebrate. Hey, it's the only restaurant (that is not pizza) where the girls will actually eat the food.

Who is Rou?

Rousseau Evangeline is lovely
She has a delightful little smile, and will show it to you with very little coaxing
She is the first of my kids to refuse the aboo (pacifier, binky... whatever you want to call it.)
She will climb into everything the second you turn your back.

Evidence:

Cupboard, Dishwasher

Fridge, toy box...

Songs she loves to fall asleep to: If my heart was a house - Owl City, The Moon-Atomic - Angels and Airwaves, and Don't Stop Believing - Journey.
We had decided on the name Rousseau before she was born, which is fortuitous in the sense that Rousseau means "Little red head", which she is.

Bon Aniversaire littlest one!

Flying Milk

2010-12-06T16:52:00.000-08:00

Ten Things!!

1. For the second time this month, a gallon of milk decided, of its own accord, to fly out of the back of the car the second I opened it, bursting open and spilling all over the driveway. FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS MONTH! Boo milk.

2. See this? it's a picture of myself, taken with my camera. Notice I did not say camera phone? YAY! Thanks to wonderful friends and family, and the amazing generosity of Katie Cowan. This girl has a camera.

3. Now that I have a camera, I can document all the glamorous things that happen to me, like Rousseau dumping out a box of cereal on the carpet. It's a rite of passage at our house.

And Astoria thought it was hilarious, obviously.

4. Today is one of those days where every time I think about teaching Zumba tonight, I feel like i'm going to barf all over my new dancy shoes...

5. Look! new dancy shoes!

6. I have a strange desire to make a Hogwarts gingerbread house this year. Awesome? Or just nerdy?

7. I have seen Blair for a total of 4 hours since Thursday. Welcome to basketball season.

8. I love the way Elliot says "Chilly"

9. It seems as though I will not be completing my book list by the end of the year like i'd planned. I'm still going to make a push for it, but the small amounts of free time I have can either be devoted to reading, or finishing my sister's Christmas present, and well, my sister wins hands down.

10. Note to self and others as well: Watching The Walking Dead right before bed? not the best of ideas.

December Winner

2010-12-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

We have a weeener!

Gregory!!
(I hope your Amazon Wishlist is up-to-date kid. I'm kind of a stalker, sorry!)

Yay!

Here's the problem though. I kind of want ALL of you to win. I'm not joking. I get SO excited when I start looking for books for people, you have no idea. And it is my intention that sooner or later, if you keep playing, everyone will win! So do not despair dear friends. (or dear family members, who will PROBABLY get books for Christmas anyway. I'm nothing if not predictable.)

I have a host of other things to tell you about, but it will have to wait till I can get my monkeys... I mean children busy doing something other than climbing all over me (Rou), whining for jam sandwiches (Astoria) or begging me to play Lego Harry Potter with her (Elliot). Till then, farewell!

I ain't no hater... mostly

2010-12-01T09:10:00.000-08:00

I have a complicated relationship with Christmas music (and Christmas in general to be completely honest, but that's a post for another day). Surprisingly, I am not the kind of girl that keeps the dial glued to lite FM 100 from the day after Thanksgiving on. No I'm more the type that seriously contemplates tearing off my own ears and flinging them on the first 8 bars of "Last Christmas" (I don't care if it's Wham!. It still makes me want to punch kittens).

Other songs on the ear-flinging list?
Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time (sorry Katie)
Baby, it's Cold Outside (also known as "Christmas Date Rape! Yay!")
The Harry Connick Jr. version of Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Blech.

Did that sound like a bah humbug? Sorry.

However, I do not hate Christmas music. I just hate sucky Christmas music. There's tons that I really love. Call me a sappy sentimentalist, but I'm into the pretty stuff. I could listen to Sufjan Stevens for hours. The Carpenters, and classic ones like "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas" or "The Christmas Song" are great. I'm all about chestnuts roasting. But the hymns, and pretty instrumental ones are the best. Bring a Torch, Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming, and O Come O Come Emmanuel, and anything that is lovely.

This one. OH yes.
Just close your eyes and listen to it. The video doesn't really add anything to it.

See? I'm not a total scrooge. I just have standards.

I also like The Matches, December is for Cynics... but that has really nothing to do with Christmas. AND it's the Matches, so it doesn't count.

So what are your most favorite, or most hated Christmas tunes?

Did you enter the December Book giveaway yet? Do it! Nowish! You have till Friday, kids.

Christmas Present for You!

2010-11-30T12:28:00.001-08:00

My book giveaway #1 was a success I think. (Ruth, I'm really REALLY hoping to give you yours in person!) Thanks to everyone who played! So... wanna play again? If this gets annoying just let me know, but seriously. I like books, and I like giving them to nice people even more.

Reminder:

1. Comment on this post if you'd like to enter
2. After you've commented, you get additional entries if you:

a. Are a follower
b. Send me a picture of you peeking over a book and a link to your current reading list
c. Tell someone else about the giveaway (and then let me know about it)

3. I'll choose a winner (through a random number selector) this Friday, and hopefully get it sent out the winner before Christmas!

In other happenings, Elliot and I unlocked this piece of awesome:

I promise I am doing more with my life than playing Lego Harry Potter with my daughter, promise.
Look at all these lovely little things I have on my plate

TONIGHT is Blair's first basketball game of the season. The Parowan Rams shall conquer Milford most triumphantly!
Still teaching 6 Zumba classes a week, AND getting my first ever pair of real-life dance Nikes in Blair's basketball shoe shipment (YAY team discount!)
If work had a face, I would punch it.
My kids are amazing. Have I mentioned that already?
Working on a top secret Christmas present for my favorite seester. Laura, can't you just live closer so I can kidnap you to Denny's again? Or Cheesecake Factory (ooohhhhhhh.... cheesecake...)

Anyway. Enter drawing. Win a book. And let's be friends.

Little Kid Things

2010-11-28T11:19:00.000-08:00

Rousseau is saying words.

Uh-oh ("Uh-ay")
Thank you ("Da-day")
Mom ("Mom-eeeeeeeeeeeee")

My other kids say things too. Like Elliot. The other night I reminded her that if she was going to drink that juice, she needed to go to potty before bed. She responded, "I won't let you down, Mom!" Cute.

Astoria says words too, but she also thinks it's the most hilarious thing in the world to sneak up on me and LICK my arm. What? Nice one kid.

Black Out

2010-11-18T13:03:00.000-08:00

photo via

Call me crazy (no, I know you already do. But this time you have my permission.) but I really think there should be a mandatory power outage at least once a month.

Benefits:

Provides an excuse to avoid vacuuming, doing dishes, and other such activities
Who doesn't love candles?
You can eat something that isn't cooked by radiation. (you know, like Peanut butter sandwiches?)
Good reminder of how a four-way stop works
Entertaining kids with real-life activities like the park, and books, and coloring in lieu of spending 4 hours trying to save up enough Studs to buy the Dumbledore character you just unlocked. (oh that was me. sorry.)
(unintentional bonus) Your husband might just use up all his cell phone battery reading twitter, and with no electricity to charge it will be forced to listen to you ramble about really exciting things like visiting teaching and how many people were at Zumba class instead of tuning you out.
The first movie your kids watch after 7 hours of being denied due to no power will be the most entertaining movie they've ever seen.

Ten Thi... oh look, shiny!

2010-11-09T09:04:00.000-08:00

Hey! It's ten things for today!!

1. Remember Trent from Daria? He was totally the hottest cartoon. However, I think he's in for a replacement.

Megamind. Yeah, he's blue, what of it?

I took Elliot and Astoria to see Megamind over the weekend. The weirdest part? The fact that I have 2 kids who are old enough to sit through an entire movie at the theater without any running around, playing with the chairs, kicking the lady's head sitting in front of us... They were totally on their best behavior. I don't care what you say, it's a milestone for me.

2. Bacon and I are on a trial separation. We've decided to see other people/breakfast meats.
Sorry Bacon, you know I love you, but I think I love you a little too much, and that's really not beneficial for any successful relationship.

3. I fear that the winners of my book giveaway are going to realize very soon just how totally nerdy I am. Sorry about that.

4. In Sunday school this week, I kept wanting to bring up examples from Scott Pilgrim to illustrate points from our lesson. (I restrained myself though)

5. Cars are the lamest things ever. Blair's needs a new alternator, a serpentine belt, and a headlight. Mine needs brakes, a tie rod, windshield wipers, and an inspection+renewal. yay. Oh i'm not complaining or anything. oh no, i'm just so excited because taking cars to get fixed is like my favorite thing ever. meh. If it wasn't for the fact that I have quite possibly the greatest Dad on the face of the earth i'd be tacking new tire, oil change and car wash on there too... but like I said, my Dad is the business.

6. I have been reading this book for what feels like the last ten years. Thanks Susanna Clarke for totally messing with my Fifteen Books by the End of the Year Thingy...

7. Basketball season for PHS officially started yesterday. See ya in 4 months, Blair.

8. Trying to come up with ten things for this post has made me realize how completely boring and uninteresting my life is right now

9. Sorry about that.

10. Um, I like stuff.

wow. that was astonishingly anti-climactic.

Candy Coma

2010-11-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

Wanna know how I topped off my Halloween sugar rush? Oh with a POUND of fancy See's Chocolates.

Seriously?

What? I had a gift certificate, and I was in town. I wasn't going to let it go to WASTE was I? So much for sexy Zumba arms (a girl can dream...)

Obligatory Halloween pictures:

The sorting is my favorite part. This is where I steal all the Almond Joys and Butterfingers. I'm not that mean. They don't like those ones anyway. (Almonds and coconut for the pickiest 4 year old in the universe? Right.)

One of these things is not like the other...

Here I am dressed as, you know, myself.

Well, I had every intention of being the White Queen, and I was going to wear my wedding dress (not like it's being used for anything else) but the dress in in storage at my in-law's house and I couldn't get to it in time. Wanna know what's weird though? That Tinker Bell-ish dress? I wore that to a Halloween party when I was 17. What the WHAT? I'm sure I was drowning in it back then though. You don't get much size selection when you buy from the D.I.

Also I haven't done ten things in a while. Next time, next time.

Another also, Enter Gregory's contest, and look for my next book giveaway in a couple weeks.

Chicken Dinner

2010-11-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

So who wants a book? How about this kid?

Ruth!

(My blog BFF who i've never met. She actually won both times. :) Since we are friends on Goodreads, this one should be pretty easy. Yay!!!)

Or maybe this kid?

Carrie Rosalind

(Yay for new friends! I do love a good challenge.)

Congrats friends! (y'all need to e-mail me with your addresses. Okay? mary_gola(at)live(dot)com )

The next step is my favorite. Picking out the books. Oooooh I can't wait!

"And Otho?" (as Elliot would say) don't be too bummed if you didn't win this time. Because I just decided I'm going to do this every month. Back in March I decided that I was going to "Give a good friend a good book" every month. I followed through with it for about 3 months. So not only is it high-time for a comeback, this way i'll have friends to bug me about it if I forget.

OH and If you didn't win mine... You might just win Gregory's. Go there and enter now! Do it!

The next post will contain Halloween costume pictures. Ye have been warned.

"Off With Their Hats!"

2010-10-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

A little preview for this weekend.

Elliot:

Queens always have perfect penmanship.

I am exhausted. I stayed up WAY too late finishing Astoria's costume

Apparently I'm not the only one.

Also, don't Forget to enter my little BOOK GIVEAWAY

You have 'till Monday to enter.

Happy Hallowe'en Kids!

Sweet 100 (and a present for you)

2010-10-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

This is my 100th post.

That deserves a celebration don't you think?

I think so too.

SO in celebration of 100 posts I want to give you a book. Because we all know how much Miss Maryposa likes books right? I'll pick two winners and send them a book (a secret surprise book! hee hee!!)

Then of course Neil Gaiman has to go and steal my thunder. Ok Mr. Newberry-Award-winning-61-weeks-on-the-bestseller-list Gaiman, but i've had this idea for months, then you swoop in with your Hallowe'en give a book idea and make me sound all unoriginal? huh. Touche...

You've won this round Mr. Gaiman!!!

Moving on...

Here's what you can do to win a book:

1. Follow this blog
2. Leave me some comments or other love-type notes (make sure you leave at least one on this post so I know you'd like to be part of the giveaway)
3. Tell someone else about this blog (it's all about sharing the love)

extra credit: Post a reading list on your blog (for any season or occasion) and send me a link and picture of you peeking over a book.

Already done all these things you say? Well then consider yourself entered 4 times. (so yes, you get an entry for each one.)

I shall select a winner on November 1st. That's one week kids.

There you go, I hope you win!

2 Very Important Things

2010-10-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

(this one is going to be long. you may want to get a snack.)

I'm not the only one that just can't seem to get a handle on October, right? It is always busy, and yet I'm always surprised when it gets here and running around like an insane asylum escapee screaming out nonsensical things like "JAM SANDWICHES!" or "RAFER ALSTON!" while attempting to shove a bacon and peanut butter casserole into the dishwasher because my brain has stopped functioning and I no longer remember how to prepare food.

Last weekend Blair and I had a party. A no-kids-all-day-awesome-sauce-happy-6-years-of-marriage kind of party.

Do you see how hot this man is? No wonder I said "Ok i'll marry you"... after 2 weeks of knowing him.

I made him a scavenger hunt. And with the help of some very very dear to my heart friends, was able to pull it all off. (Brittni and Joe, y'all are my heroes!)

That was last week.

***

TODAY...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASTORIA!

(adorable, even when she's stealing my hot chocolate)

This kid is 3. and she is amazing.
At risk of sounding like one of those annoying braggy-pants moms... you have never met a kid as awesome as this.

Fun Facts:

She can read. No seriously, like whole books. (her first one was I Love My New Toy (an Elephant and Piggie book) by Mo Willems) And she's been doing it for the last 4 or 5 months. I would love to take credit for this, but in all honesty, I didn't do anything. She is OBSESSED with the ABCs, and has a redonkulous photographic memory. (now if only she would use that memory to find our lost hard drive remote...)
She tells people at church that she is "Cinderlella"
She attempts to sweep my floor while pretending to be Cinderlella or Snow White. This could turn out to be awesome...
Last night after I told her she looked lovely she said "Right?!"
Gives the BEST smooches. No battle. (sorry kids #1 and #3)

But unfortunately she has the terrible burden of not only being the middle child, but also having her birthday fall one week after her parents anniversary, and one week before Halloween. And therefore pretty much gets the shaft when it comes to birthday parties.

I'll let you know how it goes.

OH one last thing... The next post will be EPIC AWESOME. So prepare yourself.

(Thanks to Joe and his camera for the pictures!)

Manderley

2010-10-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

It's been raining for 3 days straight

After my kids go to bed, I listen to the rain in the dark.

I'm reading Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. It is the quintessential read on a rainy day book. The only downside, is that I don't really want to do anything else.

I've been picking lavender from the garden a few houses down from Elliot's preschool. I have a little bundle drying in my car. (You know, it kind of masks the odor of having three rather smelly, albeit adorable, kids in the car)

It's time to pull my sewing machine out again. I want to make some little pouches for my lavender so I can have a sweet-smelling underwear drawer (which would be more effective if the underwear actually made it TO the drawer. More like sweet-smelling underwear laundry basket.) Also, Astoria is going to be Alice for Halloween. I'd better get on that post-haste.

The soundtrack to all this rainy-ness has been the newest Jimmy Eat World album, Invented, and Something to Write Home About by the Get Up Kids (it is soooooooo good, but also makes me feel kind of old. I don't think anyone listens to the Get Up Kids anymore, which is really really sad.) Also this amazing cover of Radiohead's Creep (look out kids, it's got an f-swear)

I Like October.

A Metaphor?

2010-10-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

It started raining while Elliot and I were walking to school today. Crazy, torrential, violent, mixed-with-hail, kind of rain.

via Slow Muse

We stopped near a building with a large awning for a minute to see if it would let up. Elliot just wanted to keep going, in the rain.

I said okay, and not 5 seconds later a man with an umbrella walks up and offers it to us.

Last night a different man threatened to call the police on me for leaving my three (one of whom was sleeping) kids in the car while I ran into the gas station to buy a single chocolate milk. I'm sorry, but there is a difference between parking your kids in the hot sun for 20 minutes while you shop and refraining to wake up, unbuckle, and drag two toddlers and a baby into a gas station while you buy an effing chocolate milk for them. So, rationally, I threw the chocolate milk at him, yelled something not nice, and went back to my car where my kids started to cry because I didn't have their chocolate milk. We spent the next 20 minutes driving around to find someplace that had chocolate milk in a drive-thru window.

I drove the next 3 hours angry, miserable, and feeling like the worst parent in the world.

This morning Elliot and I saw a rainbow. Someone let us borrow their umbrella. The lavender in the rain smelled heavenly.

Love for Team Cowan

2010-09-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

Just in case you didn't already know, Team Cowan is the absolute best ever.

We were friends before we even met.

It's story time now, so feel free to sit on the carpet criss-cross- applesauce (because apparently they can't say Indian-style anymore)

As Blair's once and future wife, I was embarking upon the rite of passage of meeting Blair's friends.

First there was Rico. We "met" over the phone, which if you're going to meet Rico, is really the best possible way to start things off. He's a great guy (we love our Uncle Rico) but over the phone, he's the most interesting man in the world.

Then I met Mark. Blair's best man at our wedding, and the primary force behind Blair's sushi conversion. As soon as Blair and I got engaged, we went straight to Mark's house to share with him the news. He likes to claim that he was the first person we told, but in all honesty, I called my BFF Katie Hulett on the way to his apartment. (And on a side note, everyone should have at least one dearest friend named Katie. I'm just awesome because I have TWO! )

Jaron (or The Duke) was SO much fun. We don't see him much anymore, but like Blair, he's a basketball coach. We went to the Nike Basketball Coaching Clinic in Vegas with him one year and had a blast trying to take sneaky pictures of crazies.

Brock, Blair's roommate at the time, is... well he's Brock, or you may know him as Goodbye Nova. :)

Last of all there was Zach. Blair had told me about Zach and his wife Katie. Zach was the only one of Blair's friends who had a wife at that time so I was excited anyway to meet her.

Instant Love.

She is lovely, and creative, and silly, and so very smart, crafty, artistic, and absolutely hilarious. When Blair and I were married, Katie helped out with some very amazing things, and I will forever be grateful to her for that. She taught me how to sew awesome t-shirts, AND has two strapping young lads comparable in age to my lovely daughters. Is arranged marriage still frowned upon in our culture? :)

In summation, I love Team Cowan. And not just because of this.

Listen to Me!

2010-09-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

Push some buttons, and be happy.

As an added bonus, listen to Big Casino to see where the title of my blog originated.

Extra Lame

2010-09-26T14:58:00.001-07:00

Because I love teamBoo more than any other blog I creepily stalk, what kind of crazed obsessed fan girl would I be if I didn't play Project Boo: Defenseless Babies Edition. Or in my case, defenseless 4-year old who goes through withdrawals if she can't play Lego Harry Potter 20 hours a day. (this is an exaggeration. i promise i'm not that terrible of a mom.)

except... uh....

what is THAT?!

I'm trying to decide if the super ghetto vibe of this picture makes my extra awesome, or just really super lame.

So lame in fact, that i'm starting descend into a existential-blog crisis. Is it possible to have a blog, and not be some kind of semi-professional or super-advanced-amateur photographer?

Seriously, i kind of feel like the kid in middle school with the gross homemade lunch, while all the other cool kids eat their cool lunchables and snack packs.

But having nothing but a weak-a camera phone does capture moments like these:

Behold! Rou crawling into the refrigerator!

And check out these super girls. Best part of our super hero night, was when Elliot came up with a magic spoon that would take us wherever we wanted to go when she whispered into it. I think a tiny conductor may have been living in the spoon as well.

We went to a boat, Africa, the Zoo, and America (sure. okay Elliot.) And we rescued some baby lions. It was an eventful evening, even if the only proof I have of it is something very blurry.

So until the time that Elliot can conjure up a real-life camera out of her tree branch magic wand, i'll keep stalking teamBoo. Maybe i'll send her a cup of my blood. (ok... it's funny if you've seen Blades of Glory, I promise. )

White Pants

2010-09-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

With the exception of skirts on Sundays, and my stretchy workout pants on Zumba days, all I wear are jeans. Currently, every last pair I have either a) don't fit -or- b) fit and have holes in the knees from excessive wear.

Yet somehow here I am, a solid week after Labor day, wearing white pants.

weird.

I received them from a friend who was getting rid of some old clothes. Anything from this friend, being super hot and ten bazillion times more fashionable than myself, had to, at the very least, be tried on. I didn't think the white pants would even come close to fitting. Especially since earlier that day...

someone asked me when my baby was due.

guuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Even though i'm 80% robot and don't cry ever, even when we're watching Toy Story 3 or Up and Blair is sobbing next to me, this got to me hardcore. I cried in my car like an emotionally disturbed four year old. (something with which I have loads of experience)

So when I tried on the impossibly small white pants with no hope whatsoever, only to find them pleasantly closed, I decided I would wear them today just on principle.

No I am not pregnant. Thanks for asking.

So, dear lady who just happens to work at my FAVORITE bookstore, please try to have a little more tact next time I come in to buy charmingly used copies of Rebecca, or to order some more Steven Milhauser.

Thanks.

Recent quotes of awesomeness from my kids:

Elliot:

"Mommy, don't call daddy a terrorist."
"Please? just a few more minutes?" (in response to my efforts to wake her for school. I thought it'd be a few more years before I started hearing this. guess not.)
(eavesdropping while she wishes on a star) "I wish that I can be big so I can be smart like daddy and exercise like mommy, and I wish that I can be big so I can drive a car"

---

Astoria:

"I have Snow White poop. Because I'm a princess."
(after giving her a kiss on the cheek outside on a breezy day) "Mommy! the wind blew my kiss away!"
"You're the biggest Mommy in the WHOLE WORLD!"

---

Rou:

"bababababababababadadadadadadaaaaaaaaa...." (you get the idea)

Thanks to Chelsey for the photos. You always save my bacon. Or something...

New Friends Come to Play

2010-09-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

I'm still collecting.

These lovely ladies not only enjoy a good book, but are fortunate enough to share family ties with Team Cowan. Double win.

And now... Off to the theater!!

R is for Re-donk-ulous

2010-09-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

Time for ten things again? Yes, I think so.

1. I have to tell you a story.

Yesterday I ventured out with all three of my little monkeys to our local colossal retail empire (also affectionately known as walstarmart). As I pulled into the parking lot, I see this little girl in a shopping cart holding a brand-new-shiny-princessy-pink ball. Cedar City, being known for it's malice, rips the ball out of the poor girl's arms with it's rather savage winds. So, naturally, I ditch my kids in the car, and race top-speed across the parking lot to retrieve the ball for this little girl (she couldn't have been more than 2).

I being the amazing track star I am (riiiiight...) recovered the ball, and headed back to the parking lot, only...

where did the little girl go?

I looked every where, we drove up and down each aisle, asking people if they'd seen the family that this ball belongs to. No luck.So now, it turns out that I am a thief. This ball is still sitting in my car, and my kids keep asking me if we can just take the ball to the little girl's house. Excellent idea kids... too bad I have no freaking clue who this girl might be.

So anyway, if you live in Cedar City, and know of any small girls who were at the Wal on Wednesday, wearing a yellow shirt, and had the misfortune to lose a pink princess ball... please let me know?

2. My BFF is in a play this month, and i'm going to go see it. You should too. Look here for details. http://www.tsbtc.org/

3. Now that I have one kid in Pre-school, it seems like EONS will pass before the other kids get there.

4. Can someone please explain to my husband that while using twitter all the time is #supercool and all, Using all the little #tags just make you #kindofretarded and #superannoying.

5. Mystery Men. Oh how I do love that movie.

6. If you haven't already spent hours and hours reading this blog instead of doing actual work at your job (like me), then you really should go take a peek.

Added bonus, we both have daughters named Elliot. (her's is spelled differently, but still amazeballs.)

7. Did I tell you already that my mouth is out to kill me?

- Abscessed Tooth. -

Hands down the WORST pain I have EVER dealt with (and this coming from a girl who has delivered THREE babies totally unmedicated.)

8. I have a strange urge to go read all the Harry Potter books again.

9. Remember Book Orders from school? Elliot gets them now. Love it.

10. Look what I finished.

15 to Finish the Year

2010-09-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

Think I can get through all these by the end of the year? I think I can.

Also, tell me what you think about this: I was thinking about doing a giveaway. I don't have anything fancy or crafty to give you, but, I like books, and something tells me you do too. SO remember back a long time ago when I was giving a good friend a good book each month? well, It only lasted 3 months, and I can do better. But this time around, I was thinking that maybe if you followed my blog, or told a friend to follow, or something like that, I would pick one person each month, and buy them something off their Amazon wishlist. Would you be into that?

some nots

2010-09-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

- I do not wear lipstick
- I do not run marathons
- I do not own anything from anthropologie or urban outfitters
- I do not like Dave Matthews Band
- I am not a size 2
- I do not have good teeth. At all.
- I do not eat organic or vegetarian
- My kids are not super well-behaved
- I am not a photographer, an amazing cook, or a fashionista

But I'm pretty dang happy anyway.

Yay for School

2010-08-31T10:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, for serious this time.

See? Very serious.

I'm not gonna lie, I was a bit concerned about sending Elliot off to school. She is one of the youngest in her class, and she likes to get super emotional about things. Not stupid little things like her mom abandoning her with a class full of strange kids or anything irrational like that, oh no, she gets diva-ridiculous when she is playing with five dolls, and another kid asks to play with just ONE of them. Okay Elliot. Calm down dance?

But so far (2 days in) she is doing absolutely splendid. As far as I know that is...

So. Remember THIS???

Well, my deadline was yesterday and I still have 30 pages to go in Tale of Two Cities.
you know what this means?
I'm 99% the awesomest person ever. Close enough.

So, I loved having a summer list and a deadline. I ended up swapping out a couple books here and there by the end of it, but for the most part having a list to go to worked well for me, and kept me always looking forward to something. I'm trying to make my next list a little more diverse, but let's be honest, I'd probably rather read things that I know I'll enjoy instead of making a list of books that smart people think I should be reading. So there smart people.

How did your summer reading list go?

I will post my chosen books to finish up the year by the end of the week.

And just to send you off on a delightfully random note: here is Astoria on a typical day.
She is a Zebra-Lion. And probably a princess Zebra-Lion who has to eat 5 apples and jump over a hundred rocks before she can make the baby zebra-lions wake up and take her to the ball.

Okay. Sounds good Stori.

Epic Mom Fail

2010-08-23T17:29:00.001-07:00

I got Elliot up early today.
She got dressed in fancy new back-to-school clothes.
She accompanied me to work.
We walked the 3 blocks from my work to her pre-school and had all kinds of fun adventures on the way.
We opened the door and found... no kids?
What?

Sorry Mrs. Einfeldt, you're retarded. Pre-school starts NEXT Monday.

Oh.

Well, at least Elliot looked cute.

(i'm going to write a letter to Santa and ask for a camera. This camera phone nonsense is getting ridiculous.)

Happy Leaps and Twirly Dancing

2010-08-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

It's Friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiday

Yippie!!

For the last two weeks or so, Elliot has been calling me "Mother". Thanks kiddo. Just what I always wanted. It's endearing in a Pre-Victorian novel sort of way... or in a Bates motel kind of way, which is decidedly more creepy.

Tomorrow is Something Corporate

and Blair has informed me that for our anniversary he would like to go see Ben Folds and the Colorado Orchestra in Denver (right... we'll see about that.)

One last thing. Elliot starts Pre-school on Monday. And I will find a camera if it kills me. If I don't have a picture of her standing outside the door wearing back-to-school fashions and a backpack, well, I just can't call myself a decent mother can I?

All pictures stolen from Clare... She can tell you where she found it. And you can go be amazed by all the pretty things she finds, and all the lovely things she says

This week is bananas.

2010-08-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

What better way to prepare for quite possibly the busiest and most stressful week of the summer than sitting here rather petrified, and blogging about it rather than doing any actual preparation? I'm just full of amazing ideas.

MONDAY:
Work face.
Blair's interview at PHS
More work.
Back to school night for Elliot's pre-school. Parents only.
Attempt to recover the house from the weekend hurricane
Blair works a graveyard shift. yuck.

TUESDAY:
Work Work Lame Sauce
ANOTHER back to school night for Elliot, but this is the one where she comes, meets her teacher, brings her extra clothes, tissues, all that other cubby hole business.

WEDNESDAY
Ready to shoot myself in the face at work
Primary party... wait, go back to Monday and Tuesday and add in preparing for this delightsome* event. Who in their right mind would call someone as scatterbrained and unorganized as myself to a position that requires so much planning and organization? Guh.
Zumba. But of course I promised my class that I would have a dance to the Glee version of Safety Dance ready. So unless an extra hour of choreography materializes i'm going to have to squish that in too.
Another graveyard for Blair. Bless him. He did it so we could have the weekend off.

THURSDAY
WORKISGOINGTOKILLME
Hopefully Blair starts working at PHS this day. Which would be great... except of course for the fact that if he does get this job (which we think he probably will) we begin the all-entertaining job of juggling kids, and annoying my boss (who is really too amazing considering all the ridiculousness with my schedule.)
More Zumba

FRIDAY
work. yay.
Pack and clean the car
Sigh and lament the fact that I am not my mother and can't for the life of me get the house clean before leaving on a trip. Someday i'll come home to a clean house and it will feel amazing.
The very nanosecond Blair gets out of work we high-tail it to SLC

SATURDAY

SOMETHING CORPORATE.

ahhhhh...... sweet relief.

Oh. And just in case you were wondering about it? Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is hands down the best movie i've ever seen.

*update as of 4:00pm - Yeah. Blair got the job.

"I am a very fierce Tiger-Frog"

2010-08-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

Playing with my kids is the tops, and Astoria comes up with the best quotes.

1. I am behind. 100 Years of Solitude was pretty amazing, but it took a HUGE chunk out of my reading time. I have 4 books to finish by Aug 30th. Guh. Blair was doing well for awhile, but gave up. Here's my feeling on it all: Reading is neat, and the summer reading list for me just fits in with my penchant for making lists as well as being the absolute LEAST competitive person I know (heh). So I'm moving forward with my fall/winter reading list as soon as I've finished up the summer ones. I think I also like having a list of books because I'm usually at a loss of what to read, and I've been referred to so many good ones that this way I can easily keep track of what i'd like to pick up.

2. THIS BAND. IN 3 WEEKS.

Blair is the best. Ever. Not metaphorically.

Something Corporate has been been on hiatus since 2005, and don't get me wrong, I love me some Jack's Mannequin... but SoCo is better. There. I said it. SoCo is better.

3. I like rain. I really do.

4. My AMAZING friend Katie C. sent me the coolest gift EVER.

Rainbow Brite Pencils, Magnets, and Post-its. She rocks.

5. So yesterday Blair and I just for fun re-watched the season finale of Glee. Blair IS Will Scheuster. No question about it. Then after that We (he) went through like 10 different episodes fast-forwarding to our (his) favorite songs. Blair is a huge nerd.

6. It's possible that Junior Mints are the best candy.

7. Watched Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian with my kids again last night.
THIS is my FAVORITE part of the entire movie.

8. My Mamma and Aunt Jeanette came to visit this past week. It was delightful! I do so wish they lived closer, and it also made me crave a trip with my own sister.

9. I'm having a couple 2for1 nights at my Zumba class this month, so if you're in town Aug 19th or Aug 25th, come shake it with me, and bring a friend!

...

10. Okay, I saved this for last because it is very very important. I need this. No, you don't understand. I really need this.

SO much so that I've seriously considered putting a "donate" button on this blog in order to raise the money.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World opens in 2 weeks, and I'm going to dress up. I've never dressed up at a movie premier before, so yeah. It's that big of a deal. When did I become such a gigantic nerd? Ugh. I blame Blair. And Joe Willis, of course. :)

Look to the Cookie

2010-07-26T09:41:00.001-07:00

I've been listening to the Pixies, and eating a black and white cookie.

Aaahhh, the nostalgia, it's squashing me. All I really need now is a coconut mocha from the Salt Lake Roasting Co. and I will completely drown in the memories. (Of course the fact that i'm at my desk surrounded by freshly sharpened pencils and embarrassingly out-of-date computers kind of ruins the illusion.)

Also, the Black and White cookies here resemble sugar cookies more than they do real Madelaines, but such is life. It's still magical.

Now if you'll excuse me, i'm going to listen to Gigantic for the 18th time today.

It's tickets to that thing you love!

2010-07-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

I assume everyone is probably sick of hearing about my reading list, so I'll keep this brief (I should probably skip it all together, but it's been the main thing on my mind as of late, so there).
I removed Mockingjay from my summer list since I probably won't have time to get it finished since it is released 4 days before my deadline, and I doubt I'll get it in time.

SO, it's being replaced with Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. I've haven't really read many mysteries, and this one is widely considered a classic in the genre, so there's that. Mockingjay is on the list I'm creating to finish out the year. And I'm VERY excited about some of the books.

To Business!

1. I may not have a camera, but I do have the skills to convince my dad to take a bazillion pictures with his while we were visiting over the 4th.

The Girls and GrandmaPosa (Astoria makes being "really really ridiculously good-looking" look easy)

Elliot is dead serious about her firework picture. Serious as a heart-attack while piloting a zepplin over a bacon factory. (see item 2)

Admire my amazing photo editing skills.

2. I do not wish my husband was the Old Spice guy, and he does, in fact, smell like a man (man), but that doesn't mean we can't stay up way past our bedtime watching these.

3. Equation for the worst day. (Seriously So Blessed + Stuff White People Like) / A full day of nothing to do at work = Feelings of complete unoriginality, self-worth issues, and all around grouchiness. In summation; Avoid.

4. Someday, I would like to take an alone vacation. Not a long one, just maybe a short weekend. Obviously it will be awhile before something like that can happen, by the time Rou will be finished with nursing, we will be thigh-deep in basketball season. I would go someplace rainy and read books outside under an awning at coffee shops and eat lunch someplace ethnic and walk around a city just looking at things. It's tentatively scheduled for Octember 37th, 20someday. I know how selfish and ridiculous that sounds. I know. But maybe the fact that it's logistically impossible makes it all the more alluring.

5. Astoria has the best Zoolander faces i've ever seen.

Blue Steel

Le Tigre

Magnum

Reading Update

2010-07-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Recently, the book group I was in disbanded. Which affects me greatly since I didn't attend any meetings. Silly. So a couple spots were left open on the list. One has been filled with the Scott Pilgrim series. Partially in preparation for the film, which looks ridiculous, and partially in response to the urging of C. Joe. I trust his judgment when it comes to comic books.

The other spot on the list is still open. I'm still deciding what to fill it with. My plan is that my fall/winter reading list will be a bit more diverse. But I may not be ready to diversify just yet. It's okay though. I'm old and set in my ways. :)

I do like rounded corners.

My Crazy Little Lady

2010-07-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

My Miss Elliot is Four.

I have a four-year old.

How did this happen?

Four things my Elliot loves:
1. Black Present Bear
2. Standing on her head
3. Making Rousseau laugh
4. Telling *jokes*

Elliot's Four favorite jokes:
1. Why did the banana go to the doctor? Because he wasn't PEELING well!!!
2. What did the old man say to the old woman? Where's my socks!!
3. Why did the ocean talk to the other ocean? Nothing! he was just waving!
(here's where it gets... creative)
4. Peas restaurant? Why do they call it peas restaurant KA-CHOW!!!

(Other jokes in this vein include a question involving some surreal combination of subjects, with the punchline KA-CHOW!!! I have no idea where she got this.)

Elliot and cousin Aspen

Elliot's Four wishes:
1. To be big enough to drive a car and play her Cinderella computer game
2. To be smart like daddy
3. To exercise like mommy
4. To grow up and make a blanket for mommy

Four things I LOVE about my Elliot:
1. The way she starts nearly every sentence with "Actually..."
2. Listening to her very logical explanations of why things happen, like: "Actually Mom, sometimes cars just get broken, and that's why we take them and put them up on big trucks so that they can get fixed." Then she shrugs her shoulders in a very matter-of-fact, that's-just-the-way-things-are-don't-blame-me kind of way.
3. Her gorgeous dark red hair (when it's combed, of course)
4. Her delightful little giggle. I could listen to it all day.

Identity Crisis

2010-07-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

First of all, I apologize for my font schizophrenia. It comes to this: I feel the need to express myself and my identity through fonts, and as it turns out... I have no idea exactly who that identity is anymore.
I used to, really! And not just in decorative lettering, oh no. I had a style. I wore band t-shirts nearly every day, I dabbled in pink hair, I made color-based posters out of ripped up magazine ads. I was pretty awesome.

So because I can't find a font that I feel truly epitomizes the real "me" I'm completely questioning my perceived identity.

That's just messed up.

So I finally finished the Mysterious Benedict Society. It was cute. Now I'm reading The Princess Bride and I realize why it took me so long to tromp through M.B.S. and why I am zooming through the marvelous Morgenstern abridgment. William Goldman can write. I know that selecting literature that is aimed at ten year olds may have something to do with it. I am not ten years old (well... not chronologically anyway) therefore I should have seen it coming. HOWEVER. Just because a book is aimed at younger readers should NOT be an excuse for lameness. Don't get me wrong, M.B.S. had some good characters, it had some real potential, and was all in all a moderately enjoyable read. But Harry Potter it ain't.

I'm a little over half way done with my summer reading list now, and have read only 3 so far that I would consider 5 star reads. Though that number may go up soon. Like I said, Princess Bride is amazing. I'm astounded it's taken me SO long to start it. I'm also reading One Hundred Years of Solitude (audio book). LOVING it so far.

Anyway. Tomorrow is Elliot's birthday. Hooray!!

And I'm considering taking up a collection for a new camera. Who wants to read a blog with no pictures on it? Not me.

Things that are saving my life today

2010-06-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

My RX Bandits t-shirt

The hope of making this for Rousseau

Vampire Weekend

This poem. I'm sorry. It's cliche, it's over used, but I needed it.

Popping bubble wrap at my desk

Zumba in less than 8 hours

AND

Blair's changed the ringtone on his phone to the theme from Star Wars. I don't think I fully realized just how perfect this guy is for me back when I married him. SO much more nerdy than I ever could have hoped for. I tried to counter it by changing mine to the theme from Star Trek: The Next Generation... but it just didn't quite have the same power. Don't take this as a concession of any kind. I was raised on both.

add this to the collection

2010-06-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest member of our little reading society:

(Incidentally, her blog is delightful. I read with pleasure.)

So, how is everyone doing on their summer reading lists? I expect updates you know, printed updates with full color charts, a detailed analysis on each book, multimedia presentations... you know that sort of thing.

right.

but I really would love to hear how everyone is doing

I'm totally killing my list. I'm like 15 books ahead of schedule. Ok, not really. I for the life of me cannot finish The Mysterious Benedict Society. Yes I realize that it's a book for 5th graders, but let's remember that most 5th graders to not have jobs, spouse and kids, and a kick-ass Zumba class to teach every week. (please come to my Zumba class?) As always you can track my progress (and Blair's as well) here. I'm also thinking that I need to be a bit more diligent about posting reviews of these books on my goodreads page.

Also, Happy Falker Satherhood to my dearest Blair, and my fantzastic Dad. I would estimate that a good 63% of my awesomeness can be attributed to these two fellows. I love you guys.

One last thing. Go see Toy Story 3.

Liberated.

2010-06-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

Notice anything different about my blog? No?

I deleted something from my blog list.

Something that makes me feel nothing but negative feelings,

and replaced it with this:

I couldn't be happier.

A Trillion Bees and Similes

2010-06-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

I'm having a rather dramatic day at work. I just threw my purse at a window like a emotionally disturbed three-year old (something I have plenty of experience with).

sigh.

The last two weeks have been rather more eventful than usual and require more rambling than usual... please bear with me.

1. Lately I have been able to scratch many things off of various lists. From my New Year's list, I'm at the mid point of my weight loss goal. I'm now back to where I was before I got pregnant with Rou. Only 10 more till I'm back to where I was when I got married nearly 6 years ago. yesssss. I should really be thankful for the stomach flu I got last week.

Speaking of the stomach flu.

2. The timing *could* have been better. I spent the entire night before my Zumba certification workshop puking like a co-ed in Miami on her first spring break. Nevertheless, I wasn't going to miss the workshop (especially since I'd already paid for it). So the next morning my mom, baby Rou and I drove up to Clearfield (got lost thanks to super WRONG directions on Google Maps). My amazing mom tagged along so that I could feed my anti-bottle kid. Halfway into the first master class, I thought I was going to probably die, but thanks to a well-timed glance by the instructor and a really nice compliment, I found some way to stick it out. SO, less than a week later, I was thinking about where I could use my newly attained skillz. I found a Yoga studio here in town and shot them a quick e-mail offering my services as a Zumba teacher. Less than 3 hours later I had a job. Crazy.

3. So, you really should COME to my first ever Zumba class at The Yoga Shop this Wednesday at 7:00 pm (go here for address, and class details). Yes I am completely nervous and intimidated as a Star Trek fan at a Creatine convention.

4. Is it true that all the kids say "legit" now instead of "cool"? Blair (via the kids on his basketball team) tells me that this is so, but I am hesitant to believe.

5. I absolutely love the guys on Blair's team. He is lucky enough to coach some REALLY great kids. I could listen to Jaylund and Russty talk for hours. And Weston is a total sweetheart. We went to a little tournament in Salina this past weekend, and his team totally cleaned up. They are going to be SERIOUSLY good. (Far too many adverbs in this paragraph... moving on.)

6. While in Salina I spent some time with my lovely Miss Katie Cowan. As always, she was delightful, and just LOOK at the result of our visit!
She is sew crafty. I love it.

7. I just finished When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris as part of my summer reading list. A. I loved it, B. It has totally changed my general opinion of creative non-fiction, and C. I'm now obsessed with finding humorous Japanese to English translations. Since my Brother-in-law will soon be spending the next two years in Tokyo, I'm going to beg him to send me pictures of any awesome ones he sees during his journeys. Ruth? Any awesome translations you find in Korea? Send them my way as well. Oh, and another side effect of reading/listening to this book? I now hear David Sedaris' voice in my head narrating my life in humorous anecdotal fashion. Urgh. Well, there could be worse things.

8. I just invented a drink. Coke, with lots of ice, and Dulce de Leche flavored coffee creamer. WHY I thought this would be a viable flavor combination I don't know, I blame it on putting the coffee creamers right next to the soda fountain at the Pastry Pub. Nevertheless... it's a super-sweet taste fiesta.

9. Go read something hilarious right here then acknowledge the blatant plagiarism in the next item. :)

10. Finally, and most importantly, the hottest guy I know just turned 29. The lousy part about it was that he had to not only work a graveyard shift the night before his birthday, but then had to go right back in later that same day, which is as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something. But we still had a little celebration. I woke up very very early and made sure that he came home from work to a clean house, a nice breakfast, and a big kiss. I do love my Blair so very much. And since this year is officially "The Year of Blair Einfeldt", I expect many wonderful and marvelous things for him. (state championship maybe?)

LOVE and LOST

2010-05-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

First of all, please don't get offended by any of my comments? It may sound like a personal attack... but it's not. I'm just super opinionated.

without further ado...

1. I've recently had an overwhelming urge to write spacey Arthur C. Clarke or Ray Bradbury style sci-fi. Little short stories involving spacemen with rocket packs, and Mars colonies, and robots, and laser guns.

2. Elliot has started saying really, uh, interesting prayers. Last night she wanted to make sure that we remembered to not feed Rousseau pizza.

3. Two super nerdy things that I got excited about yesterday: Learning how to fill multiple cells with the same text at once in Excel, and the use of commas in relation to subordinate clauses. (I looked the latter up on OWL at Purdue because I was just curious. Who get's curious about grammar? I AM a nerd.)

4. Ok, so I realize that I'm kind of lazy. Therefore my new goal is going to be something along the lines of selecting only ONE lazy activity per day. Work on the Astoria blanket, read a book, or watch a TV show, but no more of all three in one day. I mean, come on.

5. This Saturday is the Zumba workshop. I keep having these horrible dreams where I see myself being dragged out by the shirt and tossed into the parking lot for being any number of the following: uncoordinated, lame, uncreative, not skinny enough to teach Zumba, ugly shoes...

6. I really should stop eating chocolate for breakfast.

7. Is there some kind of Murphy's law that states "The more tired you are, the less sleep you will be entitled to"?

8. So I used to always think it was SO funny when people would say things about kids growing too fast or whatever.Had these people just skipped all the amazing stages of toddler-hood? You know, the smashing peanut butter sandwiches into the carpet, the hair pulling, the FUSSING... That being said? Can someone please tell Rousseau that she needs to STOP getting big so fast? Where did my tiny little baby go?

Ok, the last two are rather intense. Just a heads up.

9. LOST. I LOVED IT. Here's why: The LOST creators/writers are smart people, and created the show with the expectation that their audience is as well. For the most part I believe this is true, but if I have to hear (or read on Facebook) one more hater saying how they just wasted the last 6 years on a show I'm going to punch that person in their stupid head. First of all, LOST was always a show thats intent was to make the viewer think and to promote discussion and debate. Are there really people out there that thought the show was going to spoon feed the viewers an ending that answered EVERY question? Have they not figured out by now that the whole point of LOST was to get people to use their brains a little bit? Granted, I felt like I had a step up on the casual viewer, because I took the time to look into the Easter Eggs that were left along the way. The ending to me was really no surprise after having been exposed to texts such as An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Slaughterhouse Five, and Stephen King's The Dark Tower. I, for one, am incredibly grateful for ANY opportunity to use critical thinking skills and use then on a well crafted piece of media, whether it be film, television, graphic novel, art, or a book. But then again, I also think about papers I could write on childhood literacy and its relationship to adult income while blow-drying my hair, and thought it was a good idea to immerse myself into the second nerdy-est college degree out there. If you were looking for a mindless junk food TV show to aid in accelerating brain damage, go watch some procedural, or worse, reality shows.

Wow. that was WAY more negative than I had originally intended.

My real feelings on the ending? I love that they made it all about the characters, their connections to each other, and the choices they made. The plot elements in the show (all the mysteries) I really felt were mainly there as facilitators for the characters to grow. Especially with Jack. I would love to talk about it more, so if you're in the mood for some delightful discussion and debate, call me.

Last of all

10. I have been to a lot of concerts. Trust me.

A LOT.

This may have been the best one.

And that is saying a lot.

Any praise I could give this event would just come out sounding trite and lacking. I don't have a camera other than the one on my phone, which usually really sucks, but at least the pictures I got from the show have a nice impressionistic feel to them, which is probably the best way to describe it anyway. There was this amazingly positive energy that was there and an overwhelming sense of love and connection. And for the record? Tom DeLonge is kind of a nerd. Awesome.

Red

Blue

Purple

Orange

LOVE.

The next time I see Katie C? I'm gonna kick her in the knees.

2010-05-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

Just kidding Katie. So she wanted to play the "let's make a soundtrack for our lives" game. Sounds like fun right? More like stressful and aggravating (but in a rather fun way I guess.)

First of all, I start WAY overthinking things. For example, are we making this soundtrack on the assumption that my life is a movie? That would be a rather boring movie. I have mixed feeling on this point. Next, the song selection. It would be much too easy to just go and pick my ten most favorite songs and use that as my soundtrack. Oh no, I need to select music which would be appropriate for the various "scenes" that will be appearing. I'm making this way too complicated I know. Then, of course, there is the problem of using music because I have seen it in a movie, and loved that particular song. I don't want to be, like, a poseur or anything. (heh heh) For example, Sabotage by Beastie Boys (been used Star Trek.) or that really pretty one by Aimee Mann in Magnolia - you know the one I'm talking about. anyway. ALSO. is this movie a musical? I'm assuming no. If it was, I'd of course have a completely different soundtrack. Well, in fact I DO have one. I wrote a play in college which was a Moulin Rouge-type musical, anyway so I guess I'll skip those songs. And finally I come up with a list that has 35 songs on it. I am now supposed to cut that 35 down to ten. TEN!?!?!? Come ON Katie! In the cutting process I had to slice Weezer, Motion City Soundtrack, Radiohead, Something Corporate (cry), Brand New, Incubus, The Format, fun., The Eels...

sigh.
I made it to 13. Sorry Katie, I tried.

The opening scene
Something very super-hero-esque happens
Chase scene
Something probably involving cars
ROMANCE?!?
The Villain
Dance number #1
Someone making some kind of hard decision
The scene that would probably make you blush
People getting stuff done. I don't know, like building a house or something.
The HERO
Dance number #2
Most triumphant end credits

And last of all, if it's a slightly depressing, but romantic and beautiful sort of movie in the vein of Garden State or 500 days of Summer or something slightly indie like that. Here is the ending song.

If you actually just listened to all those songs? The next time I see you, I will buy you a cupcake. One of those gourmet ones even. And i'll give you a high-five. Because those are the best.

Some Cool Guys

2010-05-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

I have the pleasure of being acquainted with some seriously awesome guys, who are also world travelers. Today's ten things includes a few.

1. This guy. He's leaving this week for a most righteous and triumphant mission in Tokyo, Japan. My girls absolutely adore their Uncle Joel, and are really going to miss him. Blair and I will also miss him. Joel is an all around amazing kid, and I know he'll do great things. Good luck Uncle Joel!

2. This guy. World traveler extraordinaire. He is an amazing photographer, super daddy, not to mention he has exquisite taste in women (he's married to my very dearest friend in the world)
Go look at his site, if you are getting married in a strange and exotic land, or just want to get some severely bad-ass family photos taken. Kevin is the guy. (And Katie too of course).

Blog

Photography Website

Reading List

3. So... I accidentally bought some waterproof mascara last week, and I'm having a totally unnecessary crisis about it. I actually don't wear any makeup at all except for mascara, and ridiculous amounts of moisturizer (this Oregon native skin doesn't love living in the desert so much). But seriously, who wears this crap and actually likes it? It gets all smudgy under my eyes, I can't wash it off without going out and buying eye makeup remover, and for that price I may as well just go buy new mascara. grrr. lame.

4. On Friday, Blair and I thought we had been robbed yet again. We have had 4 packages go missing in the last 2 weeks, and we thought someone was stealing mail packages off our doorstep. I got so upset about it that I barfed in the wal*mart. nice. A day later we find out that our *special* mail carrier had put all of our packages in a lock box and *forgotten* to leave us a key.

Yeah.

You stay classy USPS. Luckily the Sees chocolate my mommy sent me for mothers day was not yet melted. Ahhh, silver lining.

5. Today for breakfast I ate broccoli, and a Twix.

6. I had a dream last night that I was going to try out for a roller derby team. I was practicing skating at the church building I attended as a kid. Oh, roller derby...

7. I've realized that I will probably never be a truly effective Zumba teacher, because I don't listen to the radio. How am I supposed to know what all the cool kids want to dance to?

8. Elliot is under the impression that a headache, is called a "head-egg". I discovered this when she told me that headaches are yellow and white.

9. There is this game that the Einfeldts like to play. It's kind of a weird cross between the telephone game and pictionary. Needless to say, it is amazing and hilarious. We all played it last night while we had Joel around. It's basically a wellspring of classic inside jokes that we can use to annoy people for ages to come. And for the record, the grim reaper welcomes you to New York. :)

10. I'm the teensiest bit behind in my summer reading list. If I can just finish A Passage to India by the end of tomorrow though, i'll be back on track. Bam.

I do like my daughters so very much

2010-05-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

How have I come this far in life having never listen to Muse? Tell me this.

Anyway. It is rather apparent that I need a real camera.But maybe it's for the best. Most of the pictures I take of these girls are a blur, which fits since that's pretty much how they look in real life. Elliot in the last week has finally got a hang of potty training, and is even dry through the night. Whew! I was seriously starting to get concerned that she would be the only kid in preschool still in a pull-up. Thank goodness she finally got it all figured out. Since i finished her blanket, she's been telling me that when she grows up and is a mom that she is going to make me a blanket too. Sweet. I like her.

Last night in sorting laundry, I started a box of newborn clothes that Rou no longer fits into. Not fair. Can't she just stay tiny for a wee bit longer? She scoots all over the place, hunting for paper to shove in her mouth. She still won't eat ANYTHING but what i can provide for her, but she will eat paper. Nice.

Also, the more I hang out with Stori, the more I realize that she is more like me than I previously realized. She is obsessed with books. Not just interested. OBSESSED. I hear the phrase "weed it, mommy, weed it! Oh Pweese mommy, weed it!" more than almost anything else. (except maybe "can I? can I?" it's adorable) We probably read at least 15 books a day, minimum. It doesn't matter what i'm doing, she will find me, shove a book in my lap, and insist that I read it to her. The funny part is that halfway through the book she usually takes over, pausing only when she encounters a word she doesn't know ("mommy, what does this says?"). She can read more words than Elliot, easy. I also was an early reader. She dances whenever she hears the smallest snippet of music, and is not only fiercely competitive, she has a bit of a mean streak (also a lot like me).

In summation: I think my kids are pretty awesome.

Adendum

2010-05-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

In response to my husband having recently finished Blood Meridian, I have decided to modify my list a wee bit. Perhaps someday I'll still get around to reading it, but... not right now. From what I understand, the writing is amazing, the dialog is amazing, but the subject matter is a little more intense than what this silly, sensitive mommy is willing to undertake at the moment. In its place I've decided to read a couple Sherlock Holmes novels, thanks to a rather kind and thoughtful gift from my excellent father.

I haven't done ten things in, like, a hundred years.

1. The amount of money I spend each week in diapers has officially dropped by 30%. About freaking time.

2. Remember how my husband is wonderful and awesome? Look what he got me for Mother's day:
And look at the result of this gift:

Bang. One down.

Thanks Blair

3. A conversation that took place today as the girls and I stopped by a field to look at some sheep:
Me - I hope those baby sheep remember to say happy mother's day to their mama sheep.
Elliot - MOM! Sheep don't say WORDS!
Astoria - How does a sheep say happy mother's day? BAAAAAAA BAAAAAAAAAA!!

Then we laughed loudly, and scared some sheep.

4. Toasted coconut banana macadamia nut chewy granola bars.

5. I got a new calling yesterday. Primary Activities Coordinator. Oh don't worry, I'm still teaching Sunday school too. Thanks.

6. Severely irritated with USPS right now. Seriously guys.

7. My obsession with Mo Willems is getting out of hand. Yesterday the girls and I wrote our very own pigeon book with illustrations and everything. It even has hot dogs in it. (What?!? WHAT?!?!?)

8. Blair is on his 5th day of no soda. In honor of this momentous feat, I celebrated with a rather large Dr. Pepper. You stay classy Maryposa.

9. I am teaching my first (kind of) Zumba class on Tuesday. I am totally unprepared, moderately mortified, and possibly questioning my decision to do this. However, I do have a dance choreographed to a Vampire Weekend song, so you know, i've got that going for me.

10. I'm pretty sure Blair has found his own "Personal Legend" (read The Alchemist) Wish I knew what mine was.

Last of all, in honor of Mother's Day, here is my most favorite poem on the subject. Please enjoy.

The Lanyard

Go now! Read it!

Blueberry Girl

2010-05-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

I am dangerously close to blowing my entire paycheck on these babies.

Astoria and I blew through a carton of them in less than 5 minutes.

I'm seriously considering moving to Oregon, just so I can keep blueberry bushes in my backyard. (well, i want to move to Oregon to several reasons, not the least of which is fresh blueberries.)

And want to know the WORST part about it all?

Blair hates blueberries.

What? WHAT!?!

Hot AND Smart

2010-05-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

Look at this guy

This guy just graduated

He looks a little dazed if you ask me.

I am so so so proud of my hottie-cakes. Besides he was wearing his robe with Chucks. Very Harry Potterish, and also very hot.

Whoopeeeee!!!!

I'm Collecting Readers

2010-04-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

These kids love books too! Won't you join us?

Bibliophiles Unite!

Summer Reading

2010-04-27T09:46:00.001-07:00

18 books. 18 weeks.

I'm not in school anymore, so a summer reading list might not make a ton of sense, however I do like goals, and I do like lists. So I'm giving myself till Aug 30 (Elliot's first day of Preschool). In the spirit of diversity, I put a few books on my list that I wouldn't normally pick up. I tend to gravitate towards YA, and anything fantastical, so for me Vonnegut and Cormac McCarthy are a big deal. If you're into this, make your own summer reading list, and I'll link it here!

Here are my books. (green = currently reading) (red = finito!)

1. Something Wicked this way Comes - Ray Bradbury
2. The Magicians - Lev Grossman
3. The Alchemist - Paulo Coehlo (Greenslake ward book group May book)
4. The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart
5. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
6. When you are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris
7. The Hiding Place - Corrie Ten Boom (Greenslake ward book group June book)
8. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
9. The Princess Bride - William Goldman
10. A Passage to India - E.M. Forrester
11. Scott Pilgrim (the full series) - Brian Lee O'Malley
12. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
13. Rift - Todd Petersen
14. A Study in Scarlet - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
15. And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie
16. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
17. The Wizard of Oz - L. Frank Baum
18. Blankets - Craig Thompson

Also, I'll admit that probably half of these will be audio books. So what of it? You wanna fight about it? Anyway, It makes things like doing dishes, working on the Elliot/Astoria/Rousseau quilts, and long drives infinitely more interesting.

~Maryposa

***

So I have found myself in a new and weird spot in my life. No school. Leave it to me to be done with school . . . and then create a summer reading list. Anyway. Here are the books, in this particular order that I think I will tackle. None are re-reads (I don't think) and I am open to suggestions as replacements if there are a few that may not be as good as I hope.

1. 1984 - George Orwell
2. Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
3. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
4. Notes From Underground - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
5. Haroun and the Sea of Stories - Salmon Rushdie
6. Fear and Trembling - Søren Kierkegaard
7. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
8. A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
9. The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring) - J.R.R. Tolkien
10. Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
11. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
12. Dune - Frank Herbert
13. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Bryan Lee O'Malley
14. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim - David Sedaris
15. Y: The Last Man - Brian K. Vaughan
16. Ulysses - James Joyce

Yes I know that some of these may come across to some of you as pretentious or otherwise but I spent a long time being pretty one tracked on my reading and I reserve the right to read a pretentious or especially bad book.

~Blair

add this to the list

2010-04-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

Some things that were missing from my Shape of Things to Come list. Shame on me

Have a house with a secret room. Preferably behind a bookcase
Collect all of Mo Willems' books (and possibly meet the man himself?)
Cook something so amazing that my husband says "wow"

and most importantly,

See fireflies in person.

Photo found here

How can I have lived this long and never experiences fireflies? Guess it's time to visit the South eh?

The Good, The Bad, and The Disney.

2010-04-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

I have had many extensive conversations with myself on how this blog post was going to go down. Lists always seem to win. But first, I want to tell a sad story. This does not go on the list because i would prefer it to be a happy list. We stayed in Phoenix for a couple nights to visit my grandparents before heading on to CA. While there my car got broken into, and my purse stolen. Lame lame LAME. I'll spare you the list of all the things that were inside, because A. what a downer, and B. it's not going to do any good. Let's just say everything was in there. And now I'm going through the ridiculous process of calling a billion people to prove that I am, in fact, myself. But just as we tried our best not to let the incident ruin our trip, i will try not to let that story ruin this blog post.

So, onward!
1. Elliot and Astoria did amazingly well, considering how completely dramatic they are. I think we only had three complete meltdowns, and it was nothing a peanut butter sandwich couldn't fix.

2. Astoria LOVED It's a Small World. Yay, at least I have someone on my team.

3. Met some characters:

Love this picture so much. Cinderella looks a little tipsy, and Elliot seems to be getting a little too comfortable there.

4. Monster Faces!!!
5. Blair, the fantastic guy that he is wore the baby backpack about 75% of the time. What a trooper. We also made a deal that we each got to go on one "big kid ride" while the other one took the girls. Blair's pick: Tower of Terror. Mine: California Screamin' (I freaking LOVE fast roller coasters)

Blair and the Cheshire Cat. This picture was followed by an intense discussion on how Disney basically destroyed our favorite childrens books (Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan respectively). As horrible as those adaptations are, we're still total Disney kids. This is actually the 5th Disney trip Blair and I have been on in the almost 7 years of knowing each other.

6. Elliot's gastrointesntinal sensitivities scored her a free T-shirt. Um... Yay?

7. The crowds were really not bad at all. Longest we waited in any line was I think 30 minutes. Advice to anyone going this year: The BEST times to go are mid-week (we did Tues and Wed) Preferably during the school year. And we rode the teacups and the Pooh ride each about 5 times. Score.
8. CAPTAIN EO

I can hardly describe the awesomeness.

9. Dinner at the all-you-can-eat barbecue place in Frontierland. Ohhhhh so delicious.

10. Spending a week with my favorite guy and the three best kids a girl could possibly hope for.