Random Ramblings

Today for our 5th Sunday lesson our bishop was talking about how his brain is an orb with random, circular, thoughts all the time. Kris looked at me and said, "Does that remind you of anyone?" He meant himself but that is me to a T. I chalk it up to being a mom: I have 5 people to organize and their activities to keep track of, not to mention sales and coupons, FHE lessons I want to do, my food storage buying and rotation, planning my gardens ( and wishing it would stop snowing so I could get out and do something in them), visiting teaching, Enrichment, practicing piano with my kids, and of course the endless piles of laundry, dishes, cleaning and meals. Sometimes I feel like that line out of "Harry Potter" where Hermione is describing Cho's thoughts and feelings and Ron says "No one could be feeling {thinking} all of those things, they would explode." So please excuse the rambling - a few of the things on my mind.

Abi and Kris had an awesome Daddy/Daughter Activity where they made this lovely napkin holder. Abi would love to tell you how they picked out the pattern, traced it onto the wood, cut it out, sanded it (for like 3 hours), painted it and applied the rub-ons ( butterflies of course.) It now graces our dining table at mealtimes. They did such a great job and had so much fun.

Adventures in eating with Leah. These are homemade popsicles from FHE one night. Abi had created (with a little help from mom) a Scripture Bingo Game and prepared a lesson for us. Leah just had to try the popsicle and once she did she was hooked. She grabbed it and wouldn't let go.

How can one little baby get soooooo messy. When Leah is really tired she will rub her hands across her face smearing cereal from ear to ear and top of head to somewhere way down below.

I'm adding a new link to my sites to save me money. It is a link to "Coupons by Dede." Unfortunately the Post Register is not carrying the Red Plum or Proctor and Gamble inserts until July. So in order to get those coupons you can order them through her site. It seems really reasonable and you can stock up on those great Pantene coupons.

Lastly, I'm really excited for my upcoming Jerusalem Center Reunion. I have my skirt almost finished and I'm getting my hair done this week. However I still haven't located a babysitter in Provo to watch Leah for the 3 hours during dinner. Sooooo if you have a sister, cousin, or friend living in Provo who would like to watch an adorable 10 month old and earn a little extra cash, please leave me a comment. Thanks.

Tal lost his first tooth

Talmage has been working on his teeth almost since Abi lost her first tooth. At one point he wanted to get the pliers to pull them out so he could get money from the Tooth Fairy. We convinced him that he could make more money by just doing his chores. But still he has been wiggling them and wiggling them. This first one was getting quite snaggly as he worked and wiggled it. Tonight Kris gave it a couple of good pushes, one back and one forward that really loosened it up. Then Tal grabbed it and pulled it right out. No hesitation!!! He was sooooo excited. I hope the Tooth Fairy rewards him well. :)

Nine Months and Soooo Cute

Time just flies when you are loving your little ones. The nine months since Leah was born have been so full of joy and fun. (I can't say that about the nine months she was growing on the inside.) Leah is such a sweet and adorable baby. She has a really sweet disposition although she is a thinker and a little slow to warm up to new people. She normally just studies them but won't smile as they goo and gaa over her. But for our family she is quick to flash those 8 pearly whites and clap her hands. (Yeah Leah - is our game.)

That's right, Leah has 8 teeth. But fortunately she is not a biter while nursing. She has been known to nip me on the shoulder once or twice to get my attention while I was holding her though. Her hair is starting to curl, to mom's delight, so I like to put a little gel in the top and curl it up. She has the prettiest blue eyes and is sooo expressive. She babbles Dadda and Mom and EeeAah (Leah) but doesn't always put them with the right people. Leah is growing and growing - 28 1/4 inches and 15 lbs 10 oz. She continues to be tall and thin for her age but then she fits right in with her siblings.

Leah is really beginning to explore the wonders of feeding herself. I find it adorable how she can be so dainty to pick up one little bite of food off her tray one minute and then next be stuffing her mouth with a handful of noodles. Her favorite foods are noodles, bits of cheese, bananas and peas. Kris likes to sneak her little bits of brownie which she loves as well. She is also quite fond of apple juice in her bottle.

Leah refuses to crawl but has instead perfected the butt scoot. She gets both legs moving like a lobster and then uses her hands to pull herself around. She is really fast on the hardwood floors but maneuvers well on carpet also. As you can see she enjoys emptying out the entertainment center as well as the bookshelf, magazine rack, bakers rack, and cupboard in the bathroom. She is fascinated by the world around her and loves new experiences like being outside, singing songs, reading books or tearing apart any new thing.

Money Saving Tips

Because who doesn't like to save money.

I've just added a new gadget to my side bar called "Sites to Save Money" where I have 3 sites (and hopefully will soon add more) that help me save money. Most of them are dedicated to couponing and shopping deals but I hope to add other things soon. "Pinching your Pennies" is my new find that has an Idaho forum that lists deals for Albertsons, Walmart, Kmart, and Broulims. Soooo great because I want to know about the sales here in little ole Idaho. FYI - Albertsons has a great deal on Progresso soups and Betty Crocker products through Wednesday where if you buy 10 items you get $10 toward your next purchase. Divide up your finds and roll over the $10 to get nearly free products. "Being Frugal is Fabulous" has lists of deals for stores like Walgreen's and Rite Aid as well as links for freebies and the Monday Redbox Free Rental Code. "The Coupon Mom" has a great coupon data base and system for organizing and finding coupons. However it is a little frustrating because the inserts in our paper don't have all of the coupons other larger papers do. If you have a favorite site you like to visit please send me a comment with the URL and I will add it to my sidebar. Happy Shopping!!!

Talmage turns Six !!!

It is so hard to believe that my "Little Handsome" turned six. Tonight for FHE we watched the home video of clips from his 1st year of life. He was sooo busy. He loved to splash all of the water out of the tub, he growled and babbled at us, he crawled all over and got into everything and was so much fun.

This year he asked for a "Lego Star Wars" cake. Tal is totally into Lego Star Wars for the Wii and plays it every day after school. He has earned enough coins to buy almost all of the characters. He tells me all about his battles and which guys he thinks are the coolest. A BIG thanks to Q.N. for lending me the Lego figurines to decorate the cake. Tal absolutely loved it.

We had a little party with our extended family: grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. A Meek birthday always has a pinata; Tal loved picking out this puppy (for the 3rd year in a row)and stuffing it full of candy. All of the cousins took turns whacking it until the head finally came off and Kris dumped out the treats.

Tal was super excited to get this big boy bike. It is an 18" Mongoose Wild Card. It has pegs and everything ( Kris told Tal how cool you are if you have pegs on the back of your bike.) He took it outside today and was riding up and down the short strip of clear sidewalk between our house and the neighbors. He could really race along and I'm sure that many hours and miles will be put on this bike come springtime.

Leah at 8 months

Our little Lulu is growing up so big and so fast. She is such a delight in our family. She has been standing with help for months now but she is getting steady enough to stand by herself holding onto furniture. She has NO interest in crawling or on being on her tummy. I make her tough it out though by having tummy time every day where we try to play for a few minutes hoping that she will be encouraged. But so far she is content to sit and play with her toys and "Uh, Uh "at me when they get out of reach so that I can bring them back for her.

Leah did master picking up bites of food and bringing them to her mouth this month. It is absolutely adorable to watch her feed herself banana puffs, crackers, or bits of bread or pancakes. She is so dainty using just her thumb and forefinger. But then she smears is all over her face. She also tried nibbles of ice cream and cookies and thought they were wonderful. She would open her mouth like a little baby bird and go "Uh, Uh" until I gave her another taste. We have been trying baby sign with her for a few words. Last night Kris and I both swore she was signing "cookie" at dinner. (Cookies are arrowroot biscuits, above.)

Leah is such a good baby. She can be content for 20 minutes playing with her toys or watching a Baby Einstein movie. She likes to play in this little saucer by me in the kitchen while I make dinner. Like I said, I only have about 20 minutes but I can get a lot done in 20 minutes. She has been pretty stingy with hugs and kisses in the past but she is getting more cuddly again. When Kris comes home at night she is absolutely ecstatic. She will wave her arms around excitedly and grin at him until her picks her up and loves her. She loves to play games with us like Peek a Boo and this falling backwards game she plays with her dad. Leah takes 2 regular naps now, a morning one for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours, and then again an afternoon nap for about the same time. (That's when I try to exercise, shower, and get all of my stuff done.) I wish I could say we are sleeping through the night but we have good nights and not so good nights. One night she slept clear through until 6 AM to nurse and then back to sleep until 8 AM. She goes to bed about 8:30 PM just after Abi and Tal but then will wake up 2-3 times during the night just because. I try to just pop her binky in and wrap her back up until about 4 or later when I will nurse her. We may have to have another "Cry it out" weekend this weekend to work on the sleeping.

Things I've Been Wanting to Blog About

Several things have been on my mind but sadly I never seem to find the time to blog/journal as much as I would like. So here goes: briefly and in no particular order.

What a momentous day. Regardless of how you voted or what your particular feelings are regarding his policies, what a remarkable moment in history. I watched it on TV and felt such a weight and presence in the moment that he took the oath of office. Abi watched it at school, Kris watched at work, and I DVR'd it and we watched with Talmage that night. I want my kids to understand the significance of the moment, to honor the office of the president and we pray for him to lead us in this uncertain time.



My handsome and awesome husband bought me a Wii Fit for Christmas. This really was a thoughtful gift because he knows I enjoy working out but can't get to a gym right now in my life. It's really fun to get on and see my Mii as well as track my weight and BMI. The yoga is fair, good for beginners, but I do like how it helps you focus on your balance. The strength training is remarkably good. I'm terrible at the balance games but they are entertaining and my kids like them as well. In aerobics you have to work up your time, so 3 minutes of step or running is not really a challenge for me but I do enjoy a good Hula Hoop.

Fife Girl's Day Out. This is a tradition that sadly we have not done often enough. Here are all the Fife Girls - my mom and 2 sisters, nieces and my girls. We enjoyed lunch at the Snakebite, a little window shopping at Lemon Meringue and Pandora's Baubles and Beads, and then went bowling at Bowlero.


Tal and Leah are so fun together. She loves to play with toys now and Tal is really good at helping her. He pops up the popper and she puts the lids down and then we all clap for her.

My winter therapy. I dream and plan and make wish lists. And then I have to pare them down to what I can really afford and accomplish in a year. This year I want to finish my garden around our fountain in front and make a perennial border to go along the front of the house. It's on the north side so my options are limited but I'm dreaming of bleeding hearts, Solomon's seal, hostas, lilies ( I hope), lenten rose and cranesbill. If you have any other shade loving favorites, let me know.

Leah is just so darn cute in the tub. She loves her bath toys that Abi and Tal bought her for Christmas. She is such a wonderful baby. She has such a sweet tempermant, sometimes I wonder if she is really my child. I just love her to bits.

Tal started Tae Kwon Do this January as a Christmas present. I am really impressed with the focus and respect he is learning. He is picking it up quickly and already has 2 stripes on his white belt. He loves doing power punches and front kicks, but is very good about NOT practicing on people.

"There is no charge for awesomeness." Not only is he handsome, smart and funny. He is a great husband and father. He took Human Rights Day off from work to stay home with the kids and I. He is very helpful around the house, doing dishes, folding laundry and picking up. Abi, Tal and Leah adore him and squeal "Daddy" when he walks in the door. (I don't get that :) He loves to play Wii with them and is getting really good at Guitar Hero. He works really hard at his job and is a great provider. He honors his priesthood and is the leader in our home. He fulfills his calling as EQP and is really concerned with the people in our ward. And our alone time: M-m-m.

I love you babe.