Really?

So today at Walmart the lady standing behind me in line told me how cute Grayden is. After I politely said thank you she replied..."He looks just like Brad Pitt. I've seen his baby picture.". Really? He's so much cuter than him. Just sayin'

Luke's First Day

It is hard to believe that Luke was finally going to Kindergarten! He was SO ready. It was hard for him to watch Lauren and Nathan start school a whole week earlier than him. A couple weeks before Kindergarten started we made a chain to countdown to the first day of Kindergarten. Each loop had a little activity on it to prepare for the big day...write your name, practice letter sounds, read a book, etc. We had a lot of fun doing that together each day. So when the first day finally rolled around Luke was pretty excited for school to start. He is my first child to attend afternoon kindergarten. Luke is not the fastest kid when it comes to getting ready so I thought I would enjoy this last year of lazy mornings with Luke. And by the time he is bored with me or done with running errands, school starts! And best of all he gets to ride the bus home with Lauren and Nate. On his first day of school the PTA did a 'boo-hoo' breakfast for all the new kindergarteners and their moms. We went a few minutes before school started to eat donuts, take pictures and "boo-hoo." As hard as I tried, I didn't shed a single tear! Luke has been such an angel to have at home. He is very laid back, easy going, and just fun to be with. I think if he wasn't so ready to go to school I would have been sad. But I was just really excited for him. And the highlight of his first day of kindergarten? He got to play with his big brother at recess!

Binki baby

Grayden is definitely a binki baby. All my kids have loved their binki's but Grayden is literally obsessed. Lauren had her binki until she was two years old. She was our "Manipulator." One night, as she had done on several previous nights, she threw her binki out of the crib after she had been put to bed in an effort to get us back into the room to get it for her. On this one night Jason decided he was fed up with the routine and went in as usual to get the binki only this time he took it with him and shut the door. She screamed her head off for a LONG time that night. But that was the end of the binki for her. Nathan was our binki lover. He used to walk around the house going "bee are u?" Over and over and over until we would all join in on the search to find it. One day when he was three years old and we had done the "bee are u" search with no luck he had to go to bed without it. I promised him we would look again the next day. Of course we didn't find it then either. He was pretty melancholy for a few days but eventually got over it. Then about a week later Lauren and Nate were playing in the toy room and I hear Lauren shout with joy, "Mom, I found it!" I ran upstairs to see Nathan with the binki back in his mouth. I quickly took it away because I knew I didn't want to break it of him again. Luke was my easiest going about the binki. He got to an age where he was fine leaving it in the crib in the morning and only having it at naps and bedtime. When he was a little over three we decided that we should have him give Santa Clause his binkis and Santa would bring him presents. As I sat there that Christmas Eve and watched him contemplate this decision, tears filled MY eyes when he set them all down on the plate with the cookies. I'm not sure how Grayden's story is going to end...do they have binki rehab, binki AA, or self help books on ditching the binki? All I know is it's not going to be easy. But you know what they always say "He won't go to Kindergarten with his binki!" Oh wait, that saying is for potty training.

First Day of School

I don't know what it is about the first day of school that makes me want to start blogging again. Probably because I look at my kids and think where has the time gone? I am lucky to have kids that love school. They were even besides themselves about back to school night. And I admit I love this time of year too. I was so excited this morning I was up at 6:30 this morning making cinnamon rolls and sharpening pencils. I love school shopping, lists, new backpacks, the whole thing. Lauren, Nathan and Luke will all be in the same school this year which I think will be the only time this will ever happen. Lauren is in 6th grade, Nathan in 4th and Luke starts Kindergarten next week. After a crazy busy summer I may actually be productive again. I always have big expectations for myself when the kids get back in school....I'm going to scrapbook, finish a book in less than a month, clean out and declutter closets, and other projects that won't get done. I love first day pictures. My kids are usually pretty patient and I even got a diva pose from Lauren this year. I am blessed with such great kids. And I did the usual "pretend like you love each other" picture of Lauren and Nate to which they usually respond...we do love each other mom! That's what I want to hear.

Twice a Year Blogger

I decided I am really good at blogging every six months. It really doesn't feel like my routine changes that much from day to day. Dishes, laundry, driving in the car and always looking forward to a nice tall Diet Coke from the Maverick fountain. Makes my day complete. Once in a while things come up just to throw things out of whack for a little while and then we are back to the daily grind. I decided not to long ago that I needed to be better at keeping a journal...well at least my style of journaling which always involves a calendar. I have a calendar obsession. As long as I can remember I have always kept a calendar...several actually. In October I got my first iPhone and absolutely love the calendar on it. I have little dings for everything. Tighten the retainer...ding! Take the kids to piano...ding! Change my birth control...ding! And I also love that my husband's phone also has all my calendar items on it as well. So when he thinks I am at home blogging in my pajamas in the middle of the day (who me?) he has several dings to tell him differently. But I have to admit I miss my paper calendar just a little bit. After going through a little withdrawal I bought a desk calendar. Not really to write on, just to look at on my fridge. Then I bought a little planner calendar. I decided this would be a great way for me to journal. I still remember my mom keeping a calendar journal. One notation was of my brother walking with his older sisters to school in his snowsuit. It was August. Priceless. I love that the small calendar gives me just enough room to write down a little snippet of my day and I don't have a whole blank page staring at me to fill. This past Sunday I noted that while I was getting ready for church, Luke was sitting on my closet floor also getting ready. After a few minutes he started to sing his own little jingle..."I like Jesus, but I don't like church, I like Jesus, but I don't like church..." So Luke. This is also the child that cannot physically shut his eyes for any of our daily prayers. And who also told us that maybe Joseph Smith was the one who decided that we should give candy with our valentines. So its these little moments this year that I am going to jot down in my precious little calendar notebook. Especially those days when I need to remember why I do each day what I do and my purpose here on this earth, no matter how hard it is some days. I know having a family has nothing to do with me teaching them. Its how they are going to teach me to be a better person. I need to jot that down a little more too.

Grayden's books

I started reading to Grayden before naps and bedtime when he was about six months old. Now at 16 months if I try and put him down without reading to him first he gets upset and points to the rocking chair where we usually sit. Today while I was spending the usual morning hours at the kitchen sink, Gray went to his room and brought out a couple books to read. He loves the books with the flaps that open up and is particularly in love with a Sesame Street book right now. I love these pictures of him sitting on the couch looking at his book. Sesame Street is some serious reading.

Time to Blog Again?

My daughter recently informed me that my sister was sick of looking "games galore" on my blog. Ok my non-blogging sister, I hear you. But wait before I attempt to post again let me put Gray down for a nap, finish unloading the dishwasher, reload it and change a couple loads of laundry first...then after I make my bed and hang up the laundry in my room, wipe down my bathroom counter, get Gray up from a nap to pick Lauren up from school and grab Luke's prescription on the way home I'll get this post done. But then I'll have to start dinner, get Nathan to soccer practice, help with homework, force my kids to practice piano, pick Gray up from hanging on my leg and get dinner dishes cleaned up. Blog, what blog? Oh that journal thing I'm supposed to be keeping on the computer so I can make it into a book someday and my kids will realize what a wonderful, fulfilling childhood they had because I kept track of every day, every activity and every recipe....Recipe? Now that is something I know how to share. After canning 31 jars of peaches this weekend I didn't really think about dinner on Sunday night. That's when my kids think it's really cool that we are having french toast for dinner and they don't really know it's because I forgot to plan ahead. Kids are so forgiving. Unfortunately this recipe is not....

Fluffy French Toast

Is it pancakes or is it french toast? Who cares! It's seriously yum! Next time you are in Walmart and they have oodles of french bread on clearance for $0.64 you'll want to buy numerous loaves to freeze just for THIS recipe.

Combine
1 cup flour
1 3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t sugar
1/4 t ground cinnamon

Combine
1 cup whole milk
2 whole eggs
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t maple flavoring (just subt. more vanilla if you don't have this)

10 slices French Bread

Heat skillet over medium high heat and brush just enough vegetable oil to coat. After combing each separately, combine wet and dry ingredients, stir just until combined. Pour the batter into a 8x8 or similar size dish and dip pieces of bread into the batter, flipping to coat both sides. Place immediately on hot skillet. Flip when browned and brown the other side. Serve and enjoy!

There you go she-who-will-not-be-named! Now you can look at Fluffy French Toast for the next several months!!