Merry Christmas

We love the Christmas Season and we love our friends and family. Hope that you are all having a happy holiday season filled with love and cheer and reflections upon the Savior's birth. Here is our Christmas Card for all those who didn't receive it in the mail.

Flesh of my Flesh

While packing what I hoped would be one gigantic suitcase for our family of six for a nine day trip to Texas

- I'm like the world's best packer -

I asked Kody what he would like to bring along. He abrubtly left my room ran to his and came barreling back with none other than a jean baby quilt I made him at birth that he sleeps with and a huge

- by huge I mean more than three times his size -

teddy bear Grandma gave him that he sleeps with. He threw both items in the bag, closed the lid, and tried to zip it shut.

A boy after my own heart I laughed at his picks and recalled telling Travis before we were married that marrying me would be easy for him because my material needs for a lifetime were very low maintenance
-inclusive of a King size bed and Down Comforter-.

Everything can be accomplished with a good night's sleep and no one knows that better than Kody and me.

So Much

(So the baking began Saturday evening.) (Sunday Travis shoveled our driveway and thought piling it neatly around the mailbox would be funny. It is to me, but that's why I married him. It's over five feet tall there. Love you Mrs. Postlady.) (Sunday night we delivered cookies to our visiting/home teachees. This was a neighbor of someone we visit. Seriously a whole 'nother level. I love it. fab-tack-u-lous.) (People who know me well know I love puzzles. I'm a big fat nerd, but I love them. I started this baby over a week ago. 1000 pieces of pure pink. Took me forever and my eyes are mangled, but I needed to get it done to get to the serious baking.) (Serious baking commenced today. Just under 20 dozen cookies. All before 12:30. That doesn't include the chocolate cookies, fudge, or other goodies from Saturday. Now I just have puppy chow, one more batch of fudge and I am done. - Minus the actual Christmas day cooking/baking.)

Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you are feeling the holiday cheer and enjoying it.

Gingerbread Housemaking

Tidbits

Thank you Treila, my mother in law,

for the best Christmas gift of serving dishes.

It's exactly what I wanted.

Yeah I picked them out with the money she sent

because lugging these babies to and from Texas would be a pain.

I love the snow. Sigh.

I hope it snows several

feet this winter.

I hate Isaac's.

With all the free coupons

we seem to get for this place I keep revisiting it

despite never having an experience I'm happy with.

This food might look good,

but it never tastes good.

Church Christmas Program cancelled

because of snow. I don't know that I mind that much

even though I am the choir director and singing in two other groups.

Does that make me a bad person?

Neighborhood sledding so fun.

Despite being a country girl there are perks

to subdivision living.

Oh, and if you are totally clueless this area

is being pounded with snow right NOW.

It's Free For A Reason

Some people may argue that things that are free are for very good reason. Not being a participator in this particular thinking - I have gotten numerous awesome free deals including my fifty Christmas cards this year - I am a huge fan of freecycle. If you don't know it - well do your own research. This weeks find a bag of boys clothing 3-6T. Sweet clothes for all three boys in one bag.

(a peak view of my favorite find)

(full effect)

Oh yeah this is a nigh on to powder blue, seventies style, jean like leisure suit. This baby was free for a reason. It was destined to end up in my home on this child. Never was there a little boy with a better personality to don this apparel.

Holiday Wisdom

Today I had a visit with the Lady Dr. Another year come and gone and in the interest of no more children I have to do a quick stop in with her for a physical and pap smear to get more of my contraceptive medicine of choice. With that all set and taken care of she looks at me and says "Can we talk about your weight?"

"Sure" although there is a part of me cringing inside. She says when you first came here a year and a half ago you weighed four pounds less. My goodness who knew four pounds would initiate a conversation of this proportion. She says four pounds isn't a lot but if you start gaining it here and there it starts to add up. Well obviously. And what she says is nothing I don't already know and think.

But then she drives her point sufficiently home by adding and a year and a half ago when you weighed four pounds less you had a new baby, 6 months. Alright mental picture is sufficiently clear - I'm pudgy the whale. She asks, "Have you lost any of the baby weight?" Well no not really, but the truth is yes I mean at one point, nine months prego, I was tipping the scales at twelve pounds heavier than I am now. But after the initial 8 pounds of baby and a couple of accompanying fluid I guess the answer is indeed no I have not. Crap! How'd I miss that.

And she proceeds to question me about my eating habits, exercising routine, and lifestyle. In the end she finishes up with a healthy summary of the situation. Stop eating late in the evenings, take a couple extra laps on your stairs each time you scale them during the day, and park at the back end of parking lots, and open door manually instead of going through the automated ones.

Man she just dumped on my holiday happiness. I love Christmas, the family, the friends, and most importantly the eating. Already I am worried does this mean I should start watching what I eat starting today, the week before Christmas. Because that is where we are at, one week till Christmas. And this is when the wisdom hit me. Perhaps next year I will be going to the Lady Dr. one week after Christmas instead of one week before. So that when she wants to talk about weight loss strategies I'm totally on board. Because truth be told after finishing at the doctor's office I go to take Travis back to the office - he was watching the boys in the waiting room - and he is telling me about this huge cookie tray some subcontractor had brought in.

It was huge and yummy. And I had a chocolate cookie, a chocolate chip cookie, and four chocolate covered pretzels- yeah the first one was so good I stole the rest of those babies. It is at this point that I may have sputtered to Travis over my cookie filled mouth "Screw the Dr." But in the interest of watching calories a nasty piece of chocolate candy that I didn't like I hoisted onto Travis instead of finishing.

It's all about the baby steps right???

P.S. This is largely satirical. I am not really looking for the "you look great, Mary" or similar sentiments. I am holding to the holiday wisdom from here on out though. Seriously Dr. visit after the holidays.

Priorities People

While helping in Wyatt's Kindergarten class yesterday I was helping the kids with their journaling where they are asked to draw a picture and then write two sentences about it phonetically spelling out the words as best they can.

Problem: The misspelling of the word "we" where both sounds are phonetically audible.

Common spelling: Wii

Seriously people if your kids think that this is the spelling of one of the most common pronouns turn off the video games and try a little academic lesson in your home instead.

My Grown Up Christmas List

I would like to think that I care about all the things that the song lyrics refer to

• "no more lives torn apart"
• "that wars would never start"
• "love would always win"

but really I don't. They seem sort of dumb and corny to me. The simple things make me happy. So call me crazy but these are the things that have been going through my mind lately that would make up my grown up christmas list:

• king size deep fit sheets
• a new down comforter
• a gravy boat and spoon
• some cool new high heeled brown shoes
• a black pair wouldn't hurt either
• pruning shears
• some comfy but cute non jean pants
• brown eye liner
• my own GPS
• some tiered serving party dishes

Call me a selfish cad if you must. It's probably true.

Favorite Christmas Lights

....so far.

(the gingerbread house according to my kids)

Yummiest, Fastest, and Most Foolproof French Bread

Due to overwhelming personal emails and requests here is the french bread recipe I promised over a week ago. Everyone enjoy.

Yield: 1 super large loaf or 2 small loaves
2 1/2 C. warm water (105-110 F)
2 T. yeast
Let it proof
3 T. sugar
1/3 C. oil
1 T. salt
6 C. flour

Mix it in a Kitchen Aid, Bosch, or mixer of choice till blended. Cover and let rise 10 minutes. Remix and repeat ten minute rise sessions for a total of 6 times and 60 minutes. This is a wetter dough. Instead of flour oil a counter and rolling pin. Take the dough roll it out, then roll it up. Seal edges, pinch seam. Put on cookie sheet,cover, and let rise 20 minutes. Use razor blade or sharp knife to make three decorative slits. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and slice with a sharp bread knife. Egg wash optional for yummy crispy french bread crust.

The Face of An Angel

Every day since his birthday, Dec. 1, this boy has woken up and asked: Is today the day Santa came?

And every day I have to tell him : No not yet.

And he replies: Oh Darn It. How long till Santa comes?

And I will give him the daily counter: 17 days till Santa comes.

And everyday he responds: That will take forever!

What a sweetie!

In My Absence...

Since dropping out of the blog world for six days, a record for me I think, I have been keeping a crazy schedule which includes five hours of sleep or less each night. But a lot has been accomplished.
I have in no particular order:
A. watched the Christmas Devotional weeping shamelessly on several occasions

B. tried to catch up on a weeks worth of laundry (about 9 loads)

C. carried out/baked for/attended a Relief Society Meeting which included Make-A-Mix jars and quilting

D. made four batches to donated and sold over 100 1 lb. boxes of cookies at the Manheim Auto Auction

E. resorted to listening to book on CD to get my reading fix despite being desperately busy

F. set up and decorated two Christmas trees and other indoor decorations

G. went to see the Nutcracker Ballet with Bella, oh my so good

H. took my perfectly acceptable living room, dining room, and kitchen and decided to paint them (before)

I. ate at Olive Garden with two other mother daughter duos before the ballet

J. finished painting, removed the tape, and reassembled my three rooms (after)

K. played in the first snow of the season with my kids, Kody held out the longest

L. and wrote my letter, addressed, and stamped 50 Christmas Cards which are to go out today.

The rest of the house may still look a tornado swept through but I told my friend last week that after Tuesday things would be back to normal. So that leaves me with today for more laundry, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, and bathrooms, oh and my desk is a bit of an issue, and outside lights, and --- oh perhaps I shouldn't think of all the things I still have yet to do.

Manheim Auto Auction Addendum

More on Letter D:
After sitting at the auction all day from 7:45 am - 4 pm I have decided this is the place to go if you are a woman in need of a self esteem boost. Top ten reasons are as follows:

10. The male to female ratio is disproportionately in your favor.
9. Any other female competition tends to be over the age of 50.

(Note: Beware of one female security cop who is fiercely hot, so that even the women who is 74ish I sat with said, I wouldn't mind doing something so that she could arrest me)

8. The majority of these men are the perfect age demographic of 30-50.

7. The men are some of the sweetest eye candy I have ever seen. Most are well dressed, a fabulously perfect length of scruff, foreign, and exotic looking. Yum Yum.

6. All of these men come with their own accent. Some will even try to seduce you by speaking in their native language.

5. They are generous with their money and bought lots of overpriced cookies for a good cause.

4. Most of these men are dealers and are rich to boot. Some have other homes in other countries since they are dual citizens. Brazilian men will offer to take you to their house in Brazil since you have never been. They volunteer to show you how beautiful it is.

3. These men whether through cultural differences or personalities conducive to the car trade are not afraid to take action and make blatant passes at a woman.

2. They use flattery. And it will make a girl feel fabulous. One will tell you that you are super pretty because in his country super is more than very pretty.

1. If it gets serious they might give you a free car or at least a really cheap one to buy.

Give a holla' for the Manheim Auto Auction Men.
Note: I am not responsible for any long term character issues encountered in these men as I cannot vouch for this type of man, but he sure does make a girl feel very good for a day.

And Four It Is

Today is Issac's birthday. Although he's a little confused on the topic since we celebrated yesterday due to conflicting events. Since the day Issac was born people have told me he looks exactly like me. It filled me with a sense of pride since the previous two kids had looked so much like "Whitings", people would mention to me that had I not just delivered these children no one would know they were mine. Along with his looks since the day he was born Issac has been more like me than all the other kids combined.
From two weeks old he started crying for what appeared to be no reason and didn't stop until this last year. Similarly my parents have told hundreds of times how I cried for no reason from birth to age two. I have hypothesized some possible reasons for all this crying after knowing myself and Issac. We both know exactly what we want, how we want it, and the time frame in which we want it done. When these things don't come together perfectly we are sooo distraught, hurt, or angry it leads to tears - although as we get older we learn to curtail them better. Issac is supremely sensitive. His feelings get hurt so often. And he responds much more to a firm talking to than a spanking. Spankings make him angry and rebellious. Verbalizing your disappointment hurts his feelings to the point where he will do anything to make it better and needs to be held post talk to reaffirm your love for him.

Issac is fiercely independent. He has always been old enough, big enough, and smart enough to do things on his own. Since two he could dress and undress himself. And just this summer he decided to teach himself to swim where he totally submerses his head and kick rapidly. He doesn't get very far but he is fearless in the attempt. He's very physically adept and has been mastering sports since he was three. Just this past Thanksgiving Day our friends were teaching him to shoot a hockey puck, they are serious ice hockey players. He consistently could get it in the top corner of the goal. He can bat right and left handed and is completely ambidextrous as diagnosed by an occupational therapist. He will cut, draw, play sports, and point using both hands equally. Last night while doing skeet ball at Chuck E' Cheese he alternated each ball from left to right.

His energy and smile are infectious. His laugh is amazing. He is the only person who thinks that being tickled relentlessly is a reward and often asks for it after doing something good. Sometimes he will want to be tickled so much but it then turns to crying all without him ever having complained once. I don't like this part, but it still doesn't seem to bother him too much as he continues to ask to be tickled. If you ask him for a kiss he will refuse you just to be a tease. Then later he will come like he is going to kiss you only to lick you. And finally when you have given up all hope and moved on to something else he will run up unexpectedly and delight you with one of the best kisses ever. He squeezes so hard when he gives hugs you can feel the intensity of emotion he is experiencing.
He is a little monkey and loves to climb, hang, and jump around. He doesn't hold still for very long. And often times if he is supposed to be sleeping you can go into his room and find him hanging upside down from the top bunk slats into his bed balancing precariously on his head. He loves the park and being outside. He thinks that alone time with mom or dad at night is about the best things ever and he adores candy and chocolate which is his ultimate motivator to do things he hates to do.

He is just perfect and I can't imagine our family without him.

Thanksgiving Weekend

I love me a four day weekend. So many things to do and our family tries to pack as many in as possible. We started Thanksgiving morning with a little Turkey Bowl. The weather was pretty nasty and the field covered in mud, but the men had fun and the kids got dirty. What more do you need to start the day. After we headed over to our Bishop's house for some yummy breakfast. I may now just be a Hungry Jack pancake fan after his wife's pancakes made my Bisquick pancakes taste like rubber.Next we headed over to York for some lunch/dinner with people who are second parents to me. I practically lived at their house growing up. I contributed three pies and the stuffing, which is the best part of any holiday meal hands down. After leaving there we headed over to my brother's house for some family fun. The cousins played till midnight at which point we decided it was time to hit the road. Mindee, my brother's wife, had left early to go to some midnight black Friday sales. As we left their house I thought Toys R' Us is so close. We'll just stop in. Well the line wrapped the whole way around the outer perimeter of the parking lot and was at least 500 people in the pouring rain. I forgot that madness lickity split and headed for home.Friday was spent hitting up black Friday sales and saving bu-coo bucks while Travis worked all day on a home improvement project which will be announced later but remains a mystery till I get the necessary photos. Saturday morning we woke up and got ready for zoo madness. We headed to DC to hit up the National Zoo. We left at 9:30 and got home at 5:00. It was super fun and the weather finally cooperated.

Vacation from school, yes, but the lazy kind of relaxing most people think of, no way, not for our family. Tonight I still have to make some cookies for my fabulous choir. Maybe tomorrow will hold the promise of doing nothing so that I will be supercharged for the new week.

Discordant to Sacrilegious

After working with a fair amount of children through school, primary, and my own, I have always felt you could tell a lot about the parents through what the kids say and do. Take a look at this picture and tell me what it says about me.
On the off chance you haven't figured it out, I know I didn't upon first viewing it - I'll decipher the drawing for you as Wyatt did for me. Their church lesson was on fasting and who they could fast for. Wyatt decided he could fast for Jesus, artwork entitled "Of Fasting Jesus". And this is Jesus shooting a gun and the bullet coming out.

I think I have tossed my theory on kids being a reflection of their parents. Much easier to accept it that way than determine I am somehow responsible for this craziness.

Taking It to the Next Level

Wyatt's obsession and love for Wolverine has been taken to another level as I take off his shoes and socks one night to find these babies.Sick!

New Moon

Was supposed to be running a PTO activity last night at the school, but came home for a quick stop before the event started to find my neighbor taping this to my door as a surprise.
Yeah we Baron's Ridge girls are going to see this movie tonight. I'll probably spare everyone the lame review after.

Gratitude is All About Attitude

In anticipation of the best holiday of the year I feel inspired to write a blog about all the unexpected things I am grateful for (even if it is a week early):

• unexpected Thanksgiving invitations
• sword hands
• beautiful ballerinas
• an unexpected starry sky
• free activities for children
• four beautiful seasons
• good parent/teacher conference reports -for the most part-
• surviving the swine flu with relatively minor symptoms
• supportive undergarments
• books
• cabin trips
• decent work hours for Travis
• blogs
• my Chanel purse
• 2 functioning automobiles
• large desk calenders
• the opportunity to serve
• soft kid lips with willing kisser participants

Although silly just thinking about some of these things the other day in the car led me to a brief moment of vision loss due to restrained tears. It may not seem like a lot but for me it is plenty.

Mat Club

Our little wrestler has just started the season. There first practice was Monday night and since I am on ballet duty with Bella, Travis handles wrestling practice with Wyatt. Travis thought it was so fun to watch. The kids ran and played games to build stamina, did the chair sit for 20 seconds for muscles, and learned the basic positions. Wyatt has been showing off his skills ever since.

(Wyatt is the super fast kid in orange shorts)

Age

Me: Wyatt you are so smart. You and Bella are so much smarter than Mommy and Daddy were at your age.

Wyatt: But you are smarter now than I am.

Me: Yeah but when you are fifteen you will probably be smarter than I am now.

Wyatt: Yeah and by then you'll be a grandma.

Mini Vacation

When you can't find fall leaves to rake because your backyard is devoid of all deciduous tree where else do you go except up to the cabin. Which is just what we did. I love this place. I love the lack of distractions. And I love that it forces our family to do things together.

Yummy

I just want to eat him when he is this cute.

Desperate Housewives

Last night another Baron's Ridge Bookclub Meeting commenced. We read "The Alchemist", one of my favorite books of all time, but only grazed its content as we were much more entertained by catching up with one another.

Highlights include but are not limited to:

• hilarious stories of neighbors who no longer live in our neighborhood (which according to Jen doesn't count as gossip since they don't live here anymore)
• rectal thermometers being pooped out mid temperature taking
• assistant district attorney neighbors who dress up as Darth Vadar for Halloween and ask the kids if they want to touch his stick
• neighbors with hot bodies who go around showing our husbands their belly button rings
• neighbors with shooting ranges in their basement
• a librarian who lives in the neighborhood declining our invitation to join bookclub because she hates reading
• stories of a person who superglued in a tooth they had lost until they could get to the dentist
• peeing dogs and puking babies
• late night kidnappings in the summer to drag others out to overhear nondescript "moaning" of other neighbors with their windows open
• plastic surgery reveals
• and many other stories including worst dr. visits for immunizations

Seriously you could make a show out of how much fun we all have. Oh that's right - they already have. And who says being a stay at home mom is monotonous. Apparently they never lived here.

All I Want For Christmas

is a potty trained Kody

Ballet Tickets

I have two extra ballet tickets. One adult and one child for $36 for Saturday, December 5th at 1pm. Anyone interested in attending this event let me know. Tickets will be sold to the first person responding. They are right next to Bella and I, although this is an early Christmas present for her and a surprise so please don't mention it to her.

Happy

(photo by travis)

5 Weeks

(before)

(after)

My Wild Adventures

"I'm a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl. Moment to moment. That's me." And if you can tell me what movie this is from we may be kindred spirits. And there aren't many areas in my life that I am actually like this moment to moment girl because I am more of a planner with a wild streak. And that wild streak comes out when it comes to traveling, whether road trips, vacations, or moving. So it should come as no surprise that Travis and I shortly after we got married decided to do a stint in Alaska.

There were some crazy times I'll admit it. But also some fun times. Well recently through the fabulous invention of facebook I have reconnected with one of my old friends from Alaska, Dahlia. I would attend the singles ward with her despite being married, because Travis was almost always out of town and I was only 20. We worked together for a brief period before I quit my job in Alaska, but we still hung out and we always laughed and that is what I remember. And she also blogs and after reading a couple entries I was smiling fondly although I may not have been smiling as the stuff actually happened back in 2001.

The year we were there it did snow all the way until June 6th. And by the 21st of June the Midnight Sun was crazy allowing for a party to be held all night long in Fairbanks. We ate funnel cakes and other fair food, heard bands play, and walked about enjoying the entertainment. We saw the Northern Lights start to appear in late August and it didn't ever get above the 80's that summer. We almost "crashed into"/drove under a moose driving back to Utah at the end of the summer and yes they are that big. Although I didn't appreciate Alaska so much when we were living there I can't wait for Dahlia to move back so I can take a little trip to visit her. I love finding long lost friends and remembering bits of history that are easily forgotten.

Isn't She Beautiful

...if not a little crazy? But that may just be my favorite thing about her. I saw this picture of my sister who lives in Utah and despite a sisterhood filled with annoyance, hatred, best friendship, a little more annoyance as she threatened Travis's life while we were "dating", we are back to best friends.
And I hate that six state, two mountain ranges-one being the largest mountain range in North America, and 2087 miles seperates us. But she is beautiful and she is always just a phone call away. Expect one tonight Elizabeth. I love you.

Prima Ballerina

the most beautiful ballerina - bella thrives in the dance studio

and I love to watch her grow as a dancer

Home

This past week I went back home to let my mom watch the kids for a bit. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of this place, the fall colors, and the memories that flooded my senses. I remembered hours of laying on the sunporch attempting to get a tan, after dinner basketball games, playing in the forests, and discovering an old junkyard and the treasures that a five year old's fingers found.I remember when this shed was brought out to our house shortly before the boat arrived that was meant to fill it. I have a scar barely visible on the back of my left knee from the rooster who lived in the chicken house behind this shed.I remember when Travis and I burned down the chicken house two years ago and buried the remains with a backhoe. I remember raking endless piles of leaves, and swinging from the rope swing into them. I remember having to pick up the sticks throughout our yard after a wind storm because my parents always wanted our house and yard to look nice.
I remember Autumns so beautiful I wrote in my journal that this would be the thing I missed most when I went to college. I remember my mom taking my brother out to the MTC and his two high school buddies watching my sister, two brothers, and I for a week. I remember the buddy, AJ, left his car parked on the hill and it rolled down the hill, crashed through the fence and fell into the creek. I remember skipping school that week and going to the batting cages to play ball, and my little brother, James, getting a spider bite on his lip that made it swell to four times its normal size.

I remember many hours standing over the burn pit watching for the flame to die entirely before leaving it so we didn't start a forest fire, and I remember a time or two when we did start one and scrambling to put them out. I remember many ward activities at our house, countless open houses, and family gatherings. And I remember being awakened by a fireman in the middle of the night because we had a chimney fire and they had come and were shocked to find me sleeping right through the fire alarm.

I remember so much about this house, this yard, but most of all I remember it is home. And it doesn't matter that I'm almost thirty, have been away for eleven years, married for nine, have four kids of my own, and two houses of my own when I think of home more often than not I am thinking of this place.

The Loot to Boot

When Doughnuts Attack

I am calling and running around like a crazy lady this morning looking for non denominational yet festive doughnuts. A traditionally sane person may be rendered speechless by the absurdity of this comment. I was when I originally uttered it to the lady working both at the bakery of Weis and the old lady eavesdropping nearby.

I knew this comment needed further explanation so I began elaborating telling these women that I was my daughter's room mom at school. The go to helper, the planner of parties that are labeled by season instead of holiday for both seperation of state and religion, but sensitivity as well to different religious beliefs. I explained it was particularly important that I follow these guidelines because there are two Jehovah's Witnesses (I'll assume that is the plural, although I'm not sure) in Bella's class. It must remain religiously neutral or they cannot attend the festivities. Therefore I needed two dozen doughnuts that contained no jack o' lanterns, spiders, witches, etc... Now for the past month I have been frequenting Weis's bakery and they have had these beautiful doughnuts with orange frosting and fall colored leaf sprinkles on top. I thought they would be perfect. I didn't want to buy them too early only to go stale.

So last night after the ward trunk or treat I stopped in but they only had five left. I came back to Weis first thing this morning thinking I would have the best selection and could maybe get them to make any extras I needed before the party at noon. Well they had some this morning but they were all jack o'latern ones. I tried to explain the phrase non denominational doughnuts to the baker whereupon she gave me the deer in head lights look again. Well they only make doughnuts once a day. This was their selection take it or leave it. And closer to Halloween the baking staff assumes people want Halloween doughnuts so they make more jack o'latern ones. Long story short I found enough, several different kinds of non-denominational doughtnuts for the party, but different than I had originally planned.

Well two little boys sitting in their car cart are going nuts as I load twenty four doughnuts into two boxes and into the cart. The old lady eavesdropper says to the boys, "oh don't worry boys your mom will get you a doughnut. She wouldn't get that many for other little kids and not any for you." I am flabbergasted. This doesn't happen often. I find myself to be rarely flustered. Because although I had planned to get the boys jack o'latern doughnuts today, nine times out of ten I wouldn't have. Then the older women continues to comment on the nature of Kody's beautiful hair. Seriously not a day goes by that I go into public and don't get a comment on his hair. Not a day, since he was born, over two years ago.

I answered with a quick, "Yeah he's our cute redhead." And she says, "Oh- I wouldn't say his hair is red." I just assumed cataracts had gotten the better part of this woman's vision and let it go. We came home and the boys swapped their breakfast of pancakes that they had previously wanted to doughnuts and apple cider instead. Well these are smart children, what can I say. So it being a holiday I conceded. And that is when the doughnuts attacked the faces and fingers of my children leaving in their wake perma orange stains.

(now you tell me how far off this chemically composed orange frosting is from my son's hair)

(issac says kody you have a red mustache, i say red or orange, and he says orange, but then why are people always calling kody a redhead, touche my young padawon)

(so yummy you can see his uvula)