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)

Women - A Role So Divine

Everywhere I turn I find women who inspire me with wisdom and courage. I find righteous women who love the Lord, their families and their lives.

I feel lucky to know these women, to call them my friends and each day I wake up excited to check in on them via their blogs. I learn new things about being a mother, about being a person. And each of them has something I am just a little jealous of, in a totally good way.

Women around the world amaze me with their similarities and differences. I can't help but feel closer to my Heavenly Father when I contemplate each of his unique creations.

600 pictures, 3 parks, 7 days

Although logically I know that 600 pictures is a obscene amount to take in three days over a week long period, I can't help it. I have to take that many just to get that perfect picture that I fear will forever be lost in my aging mind if I don't capture it and permanently preserve it.For more tear jerkingly beautiful pictures of my precious boys and autumn see my albums on facebook.

When Nature Calls

(I used to want to be a boy so bad when I was little for just this reason)

Someday Can I Own That?

Yes, if you want to I say. This is the first time Issac has ever reminded me of Travis in anyway. After a year and a half of using our undeveloped neighboring lots as our own backyard, one of the lots has been purchased and building has commenced. Each day we watch a slew of heavy equipement come in and out. Issac is enamored with all the trucks and has started a list of equipement he someday wants to own and use. This is akin to Travis who has a somewhat long list of his own with the first seven already ranked in order. Maybe someday we will have our own little developer/builder just like Daddy.

I Can Read

He really can. It's amazing to watch a child start to learn to read. Their own excitement at seeing themselves reading is the best thing in the world. He knows probably twenty sight words now and can sound out most three letter words. So if I find a repetitive book there starts to be a fluidity in his reading.

A Tooty Ta by Jack Hartmann

Oh my cute little bum I just want to squeeze and eat it.

This week all the elementary schools had Jack Hartmann perform for an assembly. The kids loved it and I knew that they were having a performance open to the entire public at our middle school, aka my backyard neighbor. So earlier this week we walked on down and sang our hearts out with favorite kids songs. This song he invited some kids to come up and do the tooty ta song. Wyatt rocked it out and was totally the best there. I love this my Wy guy.

Carving Pumpkins - Finally

who knew scheduling a time to carve pumpkins would be so impossibleBut we got to it and it was so fun

worth the wait

And That's What I Learned

This is long:

Many of you didn't know and I didn't really broadcast it but from early this summer I have had a part time job. Most of the work I did from home, but one day a week I would be gone all day long doing inspections. I was a commercial property inspector. This wasn't something I was passionate about. But I ended up here and this is how.

There are days as a mother I miss working. I miss adult interaction. I miss using my brain. I miss being mentally challenged. I miss being appropriately recognized for good work and I miss not always being blamed when anything in the world goes wrong. At the end of last school year I started to think about the future. I would have two kids in school this year. I didn't know what I would do. I knew I would be bored. I had toyed with the idea of some part time work. It was around this time I happened to be sitting in the temple. Along happens a women who is moving and she is looking for someone to take over her job. She asks me if I am interested and I am so I call her and we discuss things.

After a rather quick, in less than two week, process I submit a resume, have a telephone interview, am offered the job, am sent a compensation letter and contract, and am started on training. I am a little dazed by how my life has gone from being stay at home mom to part time working women. But I am nothing if not occasionally impetuous.

After several months I submitted my resignation. For all intents and purposes I thought I was done working despite my last day being October 31 technically. But as things are something came up and I have one more day of inspections ahead of me and about ten more hours of work after that.

What I loved about working was that without the kids I am a person again free from having conversations that revolve around only my kids, that occasionally I still will get hit on by men, that people recognize a more broad aspect of my talent and skills, and that two incomes really is quite spectacular.

What I realized I loved even more was being home every moment, seeing the kids wake up sometimes filled with sleepy eyes and crazy hair. I love tight squeezing hugs and their first and last words of the day being Mom as I go wake them up and I love you Mom as I put them to bed at night. I love being the first on the scene when the school calls because my kindergartener may have had an accident while playing on the playground. I love all the cuddles and unexpected kisses. I love watching them learn something new and being the person to teach them that something new. I love how easily they forgive mistakes and how they like to be happy. I love being a mom way more than I ever expected or knew I did.

And most of all I realized I am so lucky to have a husband who provides for our family and I get to chose what I do. And I chose to stay home and do a whole lot of nothing with my kids.

She's All Mine

BEFORE AND AFTER MANHEIM FARM SHOW WEEK, SCHOOL HAS BEEN FILLED WITH FUN ANIMAL PROJECTS. THIS WAS A PIG BOOK THAT HAD SEVERAL ACADEMIC FOCUSES BUT ENDED WITH THIS PAGE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS FROM READING ALL HER VERY SERIOUS ACADEMIC ANSWERS AND THEN GOING TO THIS OR WHAT BUT I DIED LAUGHING. I COULD HEAR HER VOICE FROM THE ENDING EXCLAMATION POINT. I COULD SEE HER ANNOYANCE AT SUCH A DUMB IDEA AND SENSE HER TONE OF INFERRED RIDICULOUSNESS.

AND I ADORE THAT SHE HAS SUCH A FUN TEACHER WHO WRITES BACK TO BELLA'S QUESTIONS AND IS EQUALLY SILLY AND RIDICULOUS AS WELL AS SMART AND PATIENT. WHAT A PERFECT TEACHER. WHAT A PERFECT CHILD AND SHE IS ALL MINE - WELL TRAVIS'S TOO, BUT THAT'S A TECHNICALITY.

Flashback Friday Firsts

do you remember these babies? well i do. they are a large part of my childhood memories. we had at least four of them. what are they asks the unsuspecting person. well they are the very first ever hand held video game. they are educational and tons of fun.

so i thought those sure were cool when i saw them in my mom's basement the other day. i assumed they didn't work. my kids kept asking what they did. and so she said i could have them. finally i bit the bullet and purchased a costco sized amount of batteries - because they all take four C batteries - and to my splendid relief they all work. and my kids are loving them just the way i did. and you know what i still think they are tons of fun. and they are made by Texas Instraments the creator of my favorite college toy, the TI-86 - a calculator that also had games on it.

It's Just Us

My life is beautiful drives,the beginning of autumn,

bella making french toast for the first time by herself,

messes at Grandma's house,

my kids playing with their cousins,

naps after we stayed up till four am having a sleepover,

awesome covered bridges,

and small town farm shows.

It's the small moments that count!

You Can Be A Big Pig Too

or you might not want to be. Because in our family we start by roasting the big pig for a party. Thursday Phillip and Jamie graced the state of Pennsylvania with their family's presence. Saturday she ran the Baltimore Marathon, her 7th - she's a rockstar, and then we had a party to celebrate their being here and life in general.

A fun party is composed of cool people:

(our fabulous runner)

(sister in law, sister, great neice, and husband)

(adopt a family member niece, brother)

(kids playing in Grandpa's dog's ginormous cages)

(contact a family member near you for details on this crazy crusty face)

(niece, brother)

(sister, niece)

(the girls - Ashley, Mindee, Me)

The rest is just details.

Pumpkin Madness

go without travis to get pumpkins in the middle of the day
or wait till he gets home so he can enjoy the fun and do it in the pitch blackthis is the dilemna our family faces every year at halloween and every year we wait for dad, because he's the best.

Pizza and Pie

Perfect days are made of everyone being asleep but you and one child spending quality time together. Wyatt this particular day was my buddy engaging in many projects together. He helped me clean, craft, and cook. The major C's of my life. We made homemade pizza for dinner for the kids, inspired by Super Solviej - I'd make a link, but she's all privatized. And apple pie for me - totally my favorite dessert. And yes these apples came from the big basket that I won a few weeks ago. I have made apple pie, two apple crisps, two apple cakes, and we've had oodles of fresh apples, and still going.And yes this pie isn't baked yet. And yes these pictures suck because that is what happens when you take pictures on crappy cell phone cameras. And that only happens when you camera dies and that only happens after your kids drop it in the sand at the beach, and apparently it doesn't matter that you take it to a repair shop spend $80 and they tell you it's fixed, because it ain't mister. Lucky it's under warranty. Now I just have to take it back. But pictures are far and few between without my life support camera.

Belly Dancing III

This is my idol aka teacher for belly dancing. And this little move you see her doing took me over a half hour last night to learn. But happy to say, I can do that now. Oh and that's only ten to fifteen seconds of our three plus minute choreography. So I've taken to making small video clips and doing at home tutoring. When I get less bad I'll post some of me doing some moves.

Who's In My House?

The long awaited short hair has finally come.
This morning after sleeping on it, it's a hot mess and I don't know if I know how to fix it.