What is Water Worth?

I'm one of those people who LOVES good water. You know, the type my brother-in-law calls a "water snob." I can totally tell the difference between bottled water and tap water. As much as I love to drink it, you can understand why I accepted the offer the other day when a water salesman came to the door and offered two months of free bottled water service just for trying out their new company.

Two of my favorite things in a single sentence. "Free" and "bottled water." I wasn't about to turn it down, even though The Man loaths the fact that I will actually pay money for something that we get for free right out of our sink and fridge. So the delivery guy shows up yesterday with my new water cooler and a couple of bottles to start out. Wasn't quite what I expected - the water cooler looked like they had just picked it up from some office that had it for a few years and wasn't using it anymore. But, it was clean and, most important, free.

We set it up in the kitchen and plugged it in to get the water cold. It's not loud, but it does make some noise that I can hear when my house is quiet. Did I just say, "when my house is quiet?" I have two toddlers. Like that ever happens.

This morning after getting home from the gym, I immediately went upstairs to shower and get ready for the day. I find that if I don't do it right away, I'll stay in my nasty, sweaty gym clothes until about 4 pm convincing myself that I'm "too busy to get in the shower yet." I hate when I do that. I figured I'd be out of the shower by the time Devil Child needed to go down for her morning nap.

When I hopped out I could hear a little argument between the girls. Nothing to be worried about, I was sure. I got dressed, combed my hair, and headed downstairs. Devil Child was soaking wet, and Miss Priss just looked at me and said, "She did it." Those three words haunt me.

I looked in the kitchen and realized my whole floor was now a small pond. "AAAAHHHHH!!!!! Why? Why? Why did you do this?" So there it was, my first bottle of fabulous free water, all cold and yummy, puddled on my kitchen floor.

Needless to say, the water cooler is now unplugged and sitting in the garage waiting for Dan the Water Man to come pick it up. The free water didn't cost me one red cent, but it wasn't worth all that.



I've apparently passed on my love of ice to my girls. They now ask for their "treat cup of ice" every afternoon. Bad habit? Maybe. But now I don't have to deal with the mess of popsicles all summer when all my girls want is a cup of crushed ice. :)

100 Things About Me...

Now that I'm 30 (yes, I'm admitting it) I thought it might be a good idea to share a little about me. I've changed so much over the last ten years. Those who knew me back when I was single (and not a mom) may be a little surprised at how much I've changed. Then again, maybe I'm not so different as I was. You decide...

1. I have a big family (nine, altogether), and I love them all to death.
2. I wish we all lived closer together. I miss them.

3. Music is a huge part of my life. It's in my soul. The right song can literally make me get up and dance. On the other hand, the right song can easily make me cry.

4. I hate my curly hair.

5. I'm thankful, though, that I have hair, and no bald spots.

6. I think I still suffer from "middle child syndrome."

7. I have two heros in my life. My husband and my dad. They have saved me from everything from a broken down car all the way to a broken heart, and everything in between.

8. I love Oprah.

9. I believe low self esteem is one of the biggest tragedies in a child's life.

10. I love to dance. My kids will either love me for it, or be completely and utterly humiliated by it. I hope it is the first.

11. I want to be skinny.

12. But apparently not as much as I wanted that rasberry zinger I ate when I got home from the gym this morning.

13. I want more children.

14. I want to be more like my mom.

15. I believe there is a better place waiting for us after this life.

16. I want to be worthy to get there.

17. I think there is nothing more hearbreaking than the abuse (physical or mental) of a child.

18. I wish I was one of those people who other people love to hear sing. I can carry a tune, but I'm no soloist. I have always been jealous of people who were "blessed" with fabulous voices.

19. I love Mexican food.

20. I've pretty recently turned into a reader, and I'm finding I really enjoy it.

21. I know money doesn't solve all your problems, but I believe it could solve some of them.

22. Like my desire to travel with my family.

23. My husband is a complete romantic.

24. And an extremely talented as an artist.

25. I wish he could attain his dream of working for himself (as an artist).

26. I believe it will happen someday.

27. I enjoy cooking and baking.

28. I wish I could play the guitar as well as my dad, but I don't spend enough time on it.

29. I'm glad I have my career, but I hate to work.

30. I'm deathly afraid of bugs and spiders. All of them. I don't care how much bigger I am than them. I hate them. All of them.

31. Sometimes I think I'm a good mother.

32. And then my children will throw tantrums in public and put me back in my place.

33. I find it easy to sympathize with others.

34. Therefore, I cry a lot.

35. Like at coffee commercials and Kodak commercials. I remember one time crying while watching Punky Brewster. (Wow, I AM old!!!)

36. I'm terrible at keeping in touch with old friends.

37. I'm so thankful for old friends who are good at keeping in touch with me.

38. I love having people come to visit.

39. My feet grew like a full size after having kids.

40. My rear end grew a lot more than that.

41. I love the rain.

42. I wish I wasn't so worried about what other people thought.

43. Since having kids, I find it very hard to buy things for myself. Not that I don't do it, it's just hard.

44. I have never found a pair of jeans that I love.

45. I used to want cosmetic surgery.

46. Then I watched a few of them on tv.

47. I don't handle pain very well.

48. I've decided to deal with what God gave me.

49. I slept with my baby blanket all the way through college and until I was married.

50. My husband probably would have let me sleep with it even after we were married.

51. I still have the blanket.

52. If I tried to sleep with it now, my husband would leave and sleep on the couch.

53. I love my new house.

54. I've secretly always wanted to try therapy. I don't know what for, but I just want to see what they would ask me about.

55. I get an adrenaline rush when I "win" an auction on Ebay. Seriously, my heart starts racing in those last 10 seconds. I love it!

56. Apparently I need to stay away from Ebay.

57. I say "freak" and "freakin' " way too much.

58. My favorite places to shop are Kohl's and Target.

59. I hate the mall.

60. I love getting popcorn when I go to the movie theater.

61. I'm finding it harder and harder to stay up late at night.

62. I'm not a phone person. It's not that I don't like talking, it's just ... say what you called to say and get off.

63. If the conversation were in person, I could talk for hours and hours.

64. On one of my first jobs as a court reporter, the attorney came in and asked me, "Are you old enough to be doing this?"

65. I told him, "Yes, I am. And you should be thankful to have a reporter that is so good at what she does that she finished school this young."

66. I didn't really say that to him, I just wish I did.

67. I often think of really great comebacks after I've left the situation. (Man, that would have been a good one!)

68. I'm not afraid of dying, I'm just afraid of leaving people behind.

69. One of my favorite quotes: "Not everyone can be famous, but everyone can be great. Greatness is measured by service."

70. I heard that quote on Oprah.

71. Tulips have always been my favorite flower.

72. But I also love lillies.

73. I love to have a clean house.

74. I hate to clean my shower.

75. I can't stand it when I know someone doesn't like me or is mad at me. It eats away at me.

76. I love it when people tell me that my girls look exactly like me, even though I don't see it.

77. I think my husband is hoping that if we ever have a boy, he will look exactly like him.

78. I'm not athletic at all, but I always wished I was.

79. In the end, I believe good will always win over evil.

80. I wish I had better fashion sense. Or a personal shopper.

81. I am a sucker for infomercials. You name it: excercise videos, skin care products, kitchen gadgets, and cleaning tools. I'll watch them over and over. But I don't believe their if-you-call-in-the-next-20-minutes-we'll-make-one-payment-for-you claims. It doesn't matter when you call. They'll give you the deal if you ask for it.

82. I can't get enough of scary movies. Even if they give me nightmares.

83. My husband thinks I'm in love with Freddie Prince Jr.

84. I mean, he's not ugly, but come on, he's no Brad Pitt. Or Johnny Depp. Or Orlando Bloom. Or that guy from Eight Below and Into the Blue. What's his name? Yeah, he's hot.

85. I love to watch musicals.

86. I can't help but sing along, even when people tell me it's irritating.

87. I wish I had bigger lips.

88. But I'm glad that I have a small nose. And small feet.

89. I like that my family always says "I love you" at the end of a conversation. We'll never have the regret that we didn't get to say it that one last time.

90. I don't think that it means any less just because we say it a lot.

91. You can NEVER tell someone you love them too many times.

92. I'll never get enough hugs and kisses from my babies.

93. I hope my girls learn earlier than I did to be grateful for parents who love them beyond measure.

94. I'm not afraid of many things, but the thought of having my girls turn into teenagers frightens me. This world is a scary place for young adults.

95. I hate that it's when you are at your dumbest and most selfish stage that you end up making the most important decisions of your life.

96. I believe that to be truly happy, you must forget about yourself and serve those you love. And sometimes those you don't.

97. I don't believe there is just one person out there for everyone, but I know without a doubt that my husband was the very best of all the ones out there for me.

98. Love may not conquer all, but it's far more powerful than a lot of us give it credit for.

99. I know it is possible to have the fairytale ending that all girls dream of.

100. I am striving for my "happily ever after." And I'll get it.

A Look Into the Future?

I've taken a few days off since having a couple extra kids at my house. My brother and his family came through on their way to California for a soccer tournament for one of their girls, and two of the five kids stayed behind at my house. We've had them for five days now, and it's been a blast! I just love these girls. I'm not sure if it's because I lived with them a number of years ago, but I've always felt like these girls are partly mine, in a way. I wish we got to see them more.



Destiny is 9 and Ireland is 8. They have been such a big help to me this weekend. They totally love my girls, and my girls adore them. The other day when they were all running around the house "practicing" their ice skating and making up dances, The Man and I watched them while we laughed and I thought, "This could be a little look into our future. Someday our girls will be their ages, and hopefully we'll have a couple more little ones." It's going to be great.



We've spent our days visiting our new library, going to the park, baking, shopping, and watching movies at night. The girls also got to go to their other cousin's house down at the other end of the valley. They have so much fun over there. K & E have a bonzai slide that the kids can't get enough of. It's one of those blow up water slides. It's awesome!!! (Sorry about your grass, guys! A worthwhile sacrifice for all the fun they've had, if you ask me. :) Don't you agree?)



Today is our last day together before their parents come back this evening. We may head over to the rec center for a swim if my neighbor isn't home to use her pool. The girls all love the water. Thank heavens for that. It's the only relief from this crazy heat.




So today is my birthday -- the first anniversary of my 29th birthday, if you can belive it. Am I really going to be one of those people who can't admit her real age and claims to be 29 for the next ten years??? Maybe just for a couple years. I just don't feel my age. That's what's important; right, how you feel? I'll just keep telling myself that.

Destiny asked The Man yesterday, "Can we go shopping tomorrow for something for The Woman's birthday?"

He said, "Sure. What do you want to get her?"

"I don't know. But I don't have any money," was her answer.

Like I said, I love those girls. Total sweethearts. I can't wait to have them come again.

A Moment with Miss Priss

BE FOREWARNED:

If you don't like poop stories or think they are in any way inappropriate, DO NOT read on! Unfortunately for you, with two little ones, our lives are filled with lots and lots of poop. For those of you who, like us, have little ones that grant you lots and lots of poop, here's a tiny glimpse of everyday life with our little Miss Priss...

Recently we had some friends over who were kind enough to bring a fruit platter to add to our dinner. They left the remaider of the fruit for us to enjoy the next day. For some reason, kiwi was not a big hit the night before, so the girls and I had plenty for lunchtime. Miss Priss was a little hesitant to partake, having never eaten kiwi before. She asked, "Mom, what's this?"

"You'll like it, I promise. It tastes like strawberries. You LOVE strawberries."

"Green strawberries???" she asked with confusion.

"Yep. Try one and let me know what you think."

Miss Priss ate a slice, and decided she did like the green strawberries. In fact, she cleaned up everything we had left of them. Later that afternoon Miss Priss went in for her afternoon, um, "appointment" in the restroom. Upon completion of her business, she hollered out, as she does every day, "Mom!!! Mom!!! I need you to help wipe my bum!!!"

Side note: Wipe your bum? Come on! You're FOUR YEARS OLD!!! Help me out, ladies, since she's my first. Does this everyday bum wiping ever end? Will she ever learn how to get everything clean by herself? I don't know how much longer it will be appropriate for me to walk into the bathroom to find my daughter grabbing her ankles.

Back to the story ...

I entered the bathroom and finished cleaning her up. She then stood straight up, pointed with her open hand right at the toilet and asked, very matter-of-factly, "Do you see this?"

"Yes, I do. Uh, thank you?" (I must add here that I did notice her poop was a little greenish, which had, in turn, changed her pee water from the normal yellow to slightly green.)

"No, mom. My pee-pee is green. My pee-pee is not supposed to be green. It's supposed to be yellow. Don't feed me those green strawberries anymore."

And with that, she pulled up her pants and left me in the bathroom with the green pee-pee. Lovely.

So about a week later I was over at a friend's house getting some sun while the kids played in the kiddie pool. My friend brought out a bunch of snacks, one of which was a fruit tray. Miss Priss took a look at the fruit and asked, "Are there any green strawberries?"

"No, sorry. But there's lots of watermelon and grapes. I know you love those."

Miss Priss decided to go for a piece of pinneapple. She picked it up, held it up to me and said, "I'll have this one so my pee-pee can be yellow now."

"Whatever works for you," I said.

She popped it in her mouth and looked as if she were deep in thought for a moment. "Yep, it works for me!" And off she ran to the pool.

How great would it be if life were as simple as it is in the world of Miss Priss. :)

Devil or Angel, Will You Be Mine?

AAAAHHHHH!!! This child will be the death of me, I just know it. When The Man and I only had one, Miss Priss was so wonderful, and so sweet, and such a good sleeper, and such a nice girl. I must admit, I thought I was a fabulous mother. Now that we have #2, I'm learning that it had nothing to do with my self-proclaimed fabulous parenting, and everything to do with their own little personalities. I have to watch Devil Child like a hawk, constantly, to make sure she's not hitting, pushing, yelling at, or scolding some poor soul.

When we just had Miss Priss, and she would be playing with another child (usually a boy) that would hit or push or spit on her, I was totally one of those moms who says, "Oh, that's okay, he's just being a boy." But I was secretly thinking, "Can't you do a little more to teach him that it's not okay to treat people like that, even though he's a boy? Why can't your child be more like my sweet little Miss Priss?"

To all those moms out there that I had those terrible, evil thoughts about: I AM SO SORRY!!! I had no idea it truly wasn't your fault. I was naive, I was blinded, I was ... completely wrong. And now I ask for your help. What, oh what can a mother do to make her child JUST BE NICE???Our little Devil Child is notorious for seeking out another child -- seriously, she like hunts them down -- sneaking up behind them, and pushing them flat on their face. For no reason. Or she will find an older child, no matter the size, come right up to their face and push them in the stomach. For no reason. But her all-time best rotten move is when she's really upset with you for something you did (or didn't do), and she gives you one of those if-looks-could-kill looks, points her finger at you and shouts, "YOU!"

Ooohhh, burn! I truly have no idea what message she thinks she's getting across, but it's nonetheless completely embarrassing for me. I know the written story isn't nearly as effective as actually hearing her, but lucky you, I was able to capture it on film. An amazing feat, I know, since I'm usually one of those "Honey, quick! Get the camera! Get the camera! Get the cam -- nevermind, you missed it" people.

So here, for your viewing pleasure, is my very own little Devil Child, in all her glory, about to shout, "YOU!!!" right at me. Or maybe it was her sister. Or her dad. Or one of the sad little children that sometimes come to play at our house, despite the mental beat-down they get from my baby.You also get to see Devil Child in a place she visits quite frequently every day ... the time-out corner. (Love that bedhead!)

Finishing touches

Projects, projects, and more projects. "Finishing" a home is never done. My dad and I finished insulating the garage doors to help with the heat this summer. It was nice to get that done so that I can use the garage to actually finish some other projects. He also helped me refinish the top of an old dresser that belonged to The Man's granddad and grandma. Now I just need to repaint it, and it will be ready for Miss Priss's room. I'll post a picture when it's completely complete.

It's taking me quite a long time to put some finishing touches on the house. Thankfully we were smart enough this time to paint BEFORE moving in. Now I just have a ton of wall space and nothing on it! We'll be getting new family pictures soon, and I bought some new shelves to go up behind our dining room table to put them on. I can't wait to have that done.

Today I finally picked up a few things at Home Goods and Pier One to put up above the kitchen cabinets. The kitchen finally looks finished. I love it! Our walls are taupe and a really dark almost army green (sounds yucky, I know, but it's awesome), so I decided to accent the kitchen with a deep red. Looking good. Now we just need some more plants in the house. The Man loves to have real plants in the house. Fortunately there are many to choose from that can take a pretty good beating before actually giving up the ghost, so I can handle having real plants.


Next on the list: Finish the girls' bathroom. I found some great towels and a bathmat, but can't for the life of me find a shower curtain to match. Guess I'll have to pull out the old sewing machine. We've also got to paint it.

Then it's down to sanding and staining the old kitchen table. Don't know if this one will ever actually happen. Knowing me I'll end up spending a week trying to figure out how to get the blasted chairs apart so I can sand the entire thing, another week just to sand it, another day staining, and then I'll realized I HATE the color stain I chose, and it will be off to the discount store to find a new table and chairs set. Maybe I'll just skip all the time wasters and get right to buying a new set. Yeah, that sounds good.

We've also still got to come up with new themes for the playroom and the girls' rooms. Then The Man can start painting the murals with his loads and loads of spare time.

Better get movin'. The list ain't gettin' any shorter!

Oooh, Is That a Louis Vuitton?

So I had one of those purse parties the other day. You know, the ones where someone comes with all the designer knock-off handbags at a fraction of the price. Didn't go as well as I had planned. I guess people in my circle are as cheap - uh, I mean as frugal - as I am. But it was still tons of fun. I'd totally do it again.

The girl comes to my house with baskets full of purses for display, and we chatted a bit while we set them up.

Here's me: "Wow, these are really cute. You'd never know they're not the real thing. Where do you get them?"

Bag lady: "Actually, it's really hush-hush. I order mine from someone in Albuquerque, but I think they actually come from New York. No one in the business really talks about it."

Me: "Really?"

Bag lady: "Yeah. The lady's shop gets like raided and stuff all the time."

Me: "Huh."

My inner monologue: "Raided? Are you kidding me? Are people seriously that hard up for a purse with a designer name, that's not even the real thing, mind you, and that unwilling to pay $60 - $100 for it??? Wow, people are freaking nuts!"

But I had a great time with my friends. Thanks, S, for bringing a few, and K, for driving you and your friends halfway across town just to be there for me. Oh, and for actually buying one of the bags. How lucky am I for having you as my sister! And let's not forget a great big thank you for buying the wallet I totally wanted.

Yeah, that's right. I was totally eyeballing this cute pink Coach wallet, but at the time had chosen a great little Louis Vuitton beach bag. So my friend sees my sister looking at the wallet and says, "Yeah, The Woman totally likes that one. You know, her birthday is coming up. You could buy it for her. She'd love it."

Here's my sister, "Whatever, I totally like that one. I'm buying it for me." Love you, too, sis.

Lots of people came, only two actually bought, which equalled a really miniscual discount for me, which equalled no super-cute LV beach bag. I'm not big into ticking off The Man by spending money we really don't have on something I really don't need.

So maybe I'll do another party another time. And hey, who knows, I may even buy a purse next time!

Who Are We, Anyway?

So I've made some tiny changes to the blog since first starting. The Man was a little leary about our personal info being out in cyberspace for just any pervert to find, so we've taken out our real names and I've given everyone a nickname for the family blog.

First, my husband, The Man. He just is, okay? If you don't belive me, ask his two best friends from high school. They know.

Then there's me, The Woman. No reason, it just goes with The Man. Since we're married, I figure that works. I love being a mom and having my family at the center of my life. They are what keeps me going. I'm doing my best to teach my girls values that will make them each the kind of person I always hoped I'd be.

Our oldest daughter is Miss Priss. If you know her, there's no explanation needed. For those of you who may not know us well, the name is very fitting. She is my little drama queen. LOVES princess stuff, LOVES dress up, and LOVES playing pretend. Ninety percent of her life is spent in some other world that I hope never to actually witness for myself. She's a crack up and keeps us all entertained daily. I'll frequently be sharing "Miss Priss Moments" with you all. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do when they happen -- on second thought, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do when we've had a few weeks to get over being totally ticked off. Whichever it is, I'm sure you'll all get a kick out of her. If only she could control the drama a little and focus her energy, she'd make herself rich somehow. I'm sure of it.

Our youngest daughter is Devil Child. Okay, so that's a little harsh, but she definitely has her moments where she deserves it. Like when we're in church and she decides she doesn't want to sit in the seat anymore; she'd rather run up to the pulpit, so she grabs my face, looks me straight in the eye and shrieks uncontrollably while her face turns red and her head starts vibrating. Scary, I know. But then she's also really sweet. She loves to talk and talk and talk, even though no one can understand a single word. But we all love to watch her talk because she uses her entire body (shakes her hands, nods her head, and jumps up and down) just to converse.

So anyway, that's us; just a normal, typical, crazy family. Trying to survive in this world by finding humor in all things chaotic. Nice to meet you.

Our Little Celebration

We celebrated the 4th of July with our friends, the "Garmons". After working on the backyard we hit Kohl's, and then went out to dinner. We went over to the Garmon's and watched their neighbors set off fireworks in the street. Poor E was out by the time we got there, so he missed the entire celebration! The girls LOVED the sparklers (or as Miss Priss called them, "sprinklers"), but both touched the top and burned their little fingers. On the way home we discovered that half of our town no longer actually goes to fireworks shows; they all set off their own. There were fireworks going off everywhere we looked.

After coming home we put the girls to bed, and came out to visit with our neighbors, who also had been setting off their own fireworks. I love living on our street. We moved here back in February with five other families from our previous ward. The kids have a blast playing with each other every day, and I love how it reminds me of when I was growing up. We never worried about being kidnapped if we were playing out front or cars running us over or anything. Nowadays we have to be so careful. It's nice to actually know our neighbors. So many people here never even meet their neighbors. I don't know how long we will be here in this house, or even in this city, but I'm sure glad we made the decision to move to this street!

Happy 4th of July!

The Man has the day off today - yeah!!! We woke up early and took the kids to see the Veggie Tales movie. Devil Child didn't like it as much as Curious George last week. We each ended up take a walk with her through the halls of the theater. Miss Priss had a great time, though. Next week I'll probably leave Devil Child behind with a friend while Miss Priss and I go alone.

We've got rain today, and that helps the temperature a ton. It's still hot, but not so miserable that we don't want to be outside. The Man's been in the backyard this afternoon planting some more. Our yard is small, but he's made a great design for the space we have. It's going to be beautiful when it's all done. I can't wait to finally be able to use the backyard.

Sounds like Devil Child woke up from her nap. She wen't down immediately after the movie this morning. We'll fix some lunch, then it's off for some shopping before fireworks tonight. Hope everyone has a great Independence Day. We're so blessed to live in this land.

Finally starting!!!

Okay, Kendi, here it is! Can you believe I finally got around to doing it?!? Now we'll just have to see if I can keep up with this, or if it will turn out like my other journals, where there are sometimes years between entries. I'll do my best. Sorry, no pictures yet. One thing at a time. I'm waiting to see if we've got a babysitter for tonight or not. The Man wants to see Superman Returns. I don't care what we see. I'm just excited for a night out. The girls are both sleeping. The heat seems to wear them out pretty good. Summer has been fun so far with swim and gymnastics lessons for Miss Priss, and lots of playdates for Devil Child. We've also been hitting the movie theater for their free kids movies every week.

We went camping with a couple other families this weekend in Pine Valley (just outside of St. George). It was awesome to get out of the heat. Now I'll be getting ready for a trip to San Diego to visit the fam and to see celtic women at Humphrey's by the Bay with mom and dad. I can't wait. I've been obsessed with them since seeing their concert on PBS. I know, I know, I'm a total dork. I ordered the video and the girls and I watch it constantly. I love to have the music playing in the house, and I can't help but stop to watch a song or two every time I pass through the tv room.

Hopefully I'll learn how to post pictures soon so my posts won't be so boring. Talk to you later.