Goodbye Fall?

   I'm sitting here eating some home-made cinnamon raisin swirl toast for breakfast and looking out our living room window at the SNOW ON THE MOUNTAIN.
  
   Snow. Already. My body can't decide if it wants to be excited or slip into a light depression yet. I think I'll try to go for excitement, since we are supposed to be back to high 70's and low 80's by Sunday. We ran the heater last night. It's still on for the moment and it has that warm metallic smell that makes me want to knit scarves all day while curled up on the couch. Listening to Enya. Of course, there are no children in this daydream.

   Let's see, what's the latest adventures we've had? Oh yeah. Max shoved a rock up his nose a few days ago. I had a little panic attack when he came in telling me he couldn't get the rock out. But it came out just fine when I made him blow his nose into a Kleenex. Phew.
   And then Wednesday, Max (again) ((always?)), decided to pull a drawer halfway out of my very wide, very old, very heavy dresser and stand in it. Yeah, that sucker toppled. Maggie and Connor were his audience, but luckily they were far enough out of the way. When I ran in, Max was climbing out from under the mess unscathed. That was not a good moment for me. It brought flashbacks of speeding to Urgent Care with Connor in my arms in the backseat of the van. Remember?

 

I wish I'd gotten a picture of his profile so you could see how far his forehead protruded beyond his nose. That was a scary day.

 

Now that my bedroom door is kept locked all day long, I'm hoping to reduce the amount of damage that can be done. Maggie is the only one with a dresser, and when she is no longer in her crib at night, that thing is being bolted to the wall. I don't care how many holes we make.

 

Now I can't even see the mountain for the wall of snow that is coming our way.

 

And the flakes that are coming down in our yard now.

 

I don't think I'm very excited yet.

 

 

 

 

A Love Story

 

So there's a little something I've been doing for a while that I'm going to regret later. The boys believe that our van can hear them and talk to them. I hit the little lock button on the key fob to honk the horn whenever a response is required. Max never fails to hug and kiss the van before getting into it, always says hi and asks it questions. I finally got it on video. :)

 

Guilt

   I love working. But there's one aspect about me that I hate and it's that I'm a perfectionist with impossibly high standards for myself. This little thing called training is killing me. I hate this short period when I don't know things. I need to know everything right now. Once something is explained to me I can usually catch on right away and do it well, and I've been doing great since I started. Until last night.
   I hadn't been trained in blended drinks yet when I started the evening shift. Things got busy and I was thrown a few. I did as much as I knew and asked for help from the other girls when I didn't know what to do, even though they had their own work. It was not good. Things went badly. And even though it wasn't my fault I still felt so awful and guilty that last night after work I couldn't sleep. I laid awake thinking about that half hour at work in which I messed up 4 drinks and made people wait too long in the drive thru. I still haven't been properly trained in the blended drinks, but I've learned quite a few recipes just by trial and lots of error. So I laid awake in bed going through the recipes so that this NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
   I finally got some sleep. But first thing this morning one of the girls called asking me to come in and help. Someone had called in sick and they were busy and having a hard time keeping up. I called babysitters, but couldn't find anyone to watch the kids so had to call them back with a Sorry. And the guilt started in again. I know they know that I have kids and a working husband, but I don't want them to think I won't help out!

   I know I'm too hard on myself. But I can't help it.

   My conscience is eased when I hold my babies. It helps. A lot.

It's A Pie Day!

    Like I mentioned, Mom wanted to bake pies for some co-workers. So we did.

       Mmmm my house smells awesome.

   First of all, I just wanted to have this picture on record to show how messy my mom is when she cooks. This is just part of my kitchen, y'all. And yeah, that's lard there. But we only used a little when we ran out of Crisco DON'T JUDGE.

 

       But the mess led to this bunch of apples, which I snacked on whenever mom's back was turned. Not sorry.

 

     And then eventually the mess led to these beauts.

 

                Oh goodness. I'm gonna be so fat tomorrow.

                             The mini pies are for the co-workers. Lucky people. The big ones are for me us. Mostly me. Everyone else will figure that out in about 15 minutes.

 

It's officially fall in Salt Lake.

 

Today's Quotes

   Today my mom is baking a bunch of small pies for her coworkers. It's a perfect day for it, rainy and chilly. The oven is on, we're peeling apples, rainy day music is playing softly, and things are starting to smell delicious.
    While mom and I are slaving away, we're laughing at the boys' silly thoughts.

   Max, trying to get down from the island chairs, "Mom, you're squissing me!"
      "No I'm not, you're squishing yourself."
      "Oh... I am??"

  Max wanting to help me cut the apples, "Mommy, I can help you and I won't hurt myself."
       "No Bug, you can't help cut these. It's too dangerous."
 Rob says "Max, you can help cut the cheese."
      "SURE I can!! I can cut the cheese!"

    Connor getting confused about the fruit.
      "Grandma, are those peaches really hot?"
    "They are the hottest peaches. Just like Grandma! heh heh"
      "Yep, Grandma's one hot peach."

  Max broke his new toy gun (which he calls a pew-pew and we aren't not allowed to call it anything else).
     Connor tries to comfort him by telling him, "It's not broken, Max! It's just invisible!"

   Love my sweet boys.

Small things

   Today I woke up with a hankering for homemade pizza. But I didn't have everything I needed, so I packed up the kids earlier this afternoon and we ran to our friendly neighborhood Walmart.
 
   Of course, we can't just get food. I end up going through the whole store because I remember "OH yeah, I need bandaids, and lets look at the fish for a minute and I wonder what toys are on sale?" Today we were in the shampoo aisle and Max shot to his feet in the cart. MMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK!!

   I'm pretty sure the whole store heard him.

  It was a bubble bath container in the shape of Lightning McQueen. The wheels even turn for reals!

   I started to say no. I mean come on. We really don't need another car. I think that makes 283 now. But I found myself unable to resist his sweet little pleas. I threw it in the cart. There was no whining for the rest of the shopping trip. It was weird.

  As soon as we stepped foot back in the house, both boys asked if it was bath time. I assured them it wasn't, they still had lots of time to play before their bath. Taking a bath means bedtime and it's turned into a fight every night.

   But they both started crying! And I remembered Lightning McQueen. Oh yeah.

 So I put Maggie down for her nap and put the boys in the tub, and I've had a full hour of peace!! It's magical! It's like those days off before I had kids, those days that I can barely remember.

   And the funniest thing about it is the cap is on so tight they didn't even get any bubbles out of it!!

Mountain Monday

I cheated and took this picture Friday morning. I'm extremely spoiled by my husband. Every day that he's home he lets me sleep in while he takes care of the kids and breakfast. But even on his days off, the kids don't wake up until after 8. And I'm not a morning person, so I'm never up before them.
   But I was up early for work. I rarely see the sky this time of morning and I wanted to document this strange event.

Little Worm

   Connor is a lover of all things. He has a tender, tender heart. Max found a worm on the patio this morning and ran in to tell Connor about it. They both ran back out to have a look, and soon I hear Connor softly saying, "I love you little worm! I loooooove you little worm!"
   Then he came in to inform me he put the worm back in the grass where he lived.

    When I was his age, I remember playing with worms all the time. But I never really cared about putting them back where they belonged after I was finished giving them heart attacks.

   He's going to be a doctor. Or an extreme environmentalist. But never a good fisherman.

 

Sniff sniff

     Smell that? Oh, forget the last post. We aren't talking about that anymore. I'm talking about coffee now!

    Aaaahh, it's so good to be back to work! Turns out I haven't lost my touch! I still make a pretty mean cappuccino. And now I have a great opportunity to expand my black, khaki, and white wardrobe.

    I've never worked in a drive through before, but today I was thrown into the fire with no training. We were short two people, and it was very busy! But I did it! I only tried to ring up a gift card for $1,500.00 once, and only gave the wrong orders to a couple of people. All in all a successful day.

   At Starbucks, it's expected that you make small talk with every person who drives up to the window, if possible. That's not one of my strengths. I'm not a Chatty Patty. I am a quiet person. I'm not rude, and I hope nobody gets that impression, but I'm not one to strike up conversations with strangers. I find it awkward and uncomfortable most of the time. But I did the best I could, and I learned a lot about people's dogs. There were a lot. And they are treated better than most humans. I mean, how many of us get ourselves a cup of whipped cream just for the pure enjoyment of it?? Right. But the puppies do! And there are a lot of stay-cations happening in Salt Lake City this weekend.
   But we can't talk to everyone. A few people are on their cell phones. (phew!) And then there are those who respond to the friendly 'Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?' with a very succinct 'No.'

  And that's when I rearrange the cup sleeves until the drink is finished.

   
  

Here's a gem for ya.

   WARNING! If you are the least grossed out by poo, you better not watch this video.

Now, just so you know, this is real life, people. There's no CGI. No photoshop. This is what my life is all about. Poo. I get fascinating descriptions about it, smell it all the time, get random and almost daily surprises in my toilets (yes plural, all of them, there are three, and I really did say almost daily, and that means ALL THREE DAILY). I don't know how it's possible for two little boys to have so much of it! Nearly every conversation they have revolves around poop or toots.

 

Max very rarely has an accident, but yesterday he did. And as if that's not enough, 'Da poop fell out of my butt!'

 

sigh

 

Accomplishment

  "Mom! I peed in the toilet! NOT in the tub!"
                       -Connor

Mean Mom; Part 7,348

    Sometimes as a parent I feel like I've lost hold of what little common sense I used to have. For example, if Maggie likes to play in the toilet, make sure the bathroom door is closed at all times. I've been pretty good about that one until yesterday, unfortunately. Especially unfortunate when the boys decided not to flush the toilet.... *shudder*
    I like to think I'm on top of most things. I like to pat myself on the back when we've successfully avoided disaster of any kind in one day. That doesn't happen a lot, to be truthful.
   But yesterday was a big mistake on my part.
   Cuz this happened. (I feel like I use that sentence quite a bit on this blog. Not a good sign.)

   

 

Maggie and I were happily minding our own business in the house while the boys played outside. I don't usually worry about them since we have a fence to keep them in. And they play outside every single day usually without incident.

But Max came inside at one point and said "Mom! Come see our beach!!"

Pretty sure my blood turned into lead and dropped with a thud to my feet. I knew it was bad. So I grabbed my camera for documentation and headed outside to assess the situation.

There they were. My boys, down to their skivvies, with the hose going full blast on the second tier of our backyard that Rob had just cleaned up the other day. And as I was inhaling a deep, deep breath so I could yell a few mommy-ish obscenities, (Holy granola bars!!! What the scuttlebutts happened here??) I heard some sniggering off to my right. The neighbors and their kids were all standing on their deck, enjoying the spectacle. I'm surprised they didn't have popcorn.

Oh how I despise living in the city.

So I swallowed my deep, deep breath and took pictures instead. I'm proud of myself for handling that moment with grace and dignity. *cough, cough*

 

Mudballs

 

 

                                          The rocks were their diving board.

 

                                                                sigh

 

                                        

 

I informed them that they were dead meat, and made them pick up all the toys in the yard. Then I took them in for a shower. But how do I discipline this situation? Really, it's partly my fault for not putting the hose away after telling them a hundred times NOT TO PLAY WITH THE HOSE. The common sense has obviously not been present.

    So I decided it would be best to have a long time out. It was almost time for Daddy to come home from work, so I told them to go sit in their beds until then. I was in the middle of making dinner, but I checked on them every few minutes to make sure they were staying in their beds.

About the third time I went in they were both dead asleep. I could not get them to wake up.

 

Well, that doesn't work. I couldn't let them sleep. They'd never go to sleep at bedtime and this was supposed to be punishment! So I decided it was a good time to vacuum. Starting in their bedroom of course.

 

Nothing.

 

They didn't even twitch.

 

So I got a pan and a wooden spoon and banged until they finally woke up.

 

Ok, I admit this was a little bit fun.

 

Have I mentioned what a mean mom I am?

 

Anyway, they stayed awake after that, until Daddy got home. But this is what they looked like that WHOLE TIME!!

 

               Max cracks me up. He literally sat like this for at least 10 minutes. Looking at me just like that. Every time I walked in to check on them he was just glaring at me.

 

Oh the joys of parenthood.

 

But the clouds looked like this, so it wasn't all bad.

 

 

 

The next big thing.

   I don't know if this is a prevalent thing now, but I've noticed a few kids around here are sporting mullets again.
  
   Because they were so cool the first time around.
 
   Just ask my husband.

  He insists to this day that the hair in his senior picture was 'feathered', while I am pretty insistent that it was a mullet.

   But that's a different story.

  I am so impressed by the hair-do's on boys lately so I decided to start a girl trend.

 

I call it the Chick-Hawk. This is gonna be big people. Get on the bandwagon now. It works for just about everyone. It does help to be tiny and cute though.

 

 

 

I'm in love.

 I've shared a couple pictures of Maggie on Facebook and Instagram recently that I just cant get over! Such cute little pictures of my little girl.

            
             My little sous chef

     Excited by the horses at the rodeo

       Sunday morning perfection

 

Today she's a little princess. She's been eyeing this dress for a while, so it was a special thing to finally fit into it!

 

She's already a vain little thing, no thanks to me! She pats her hat, or whatever she's sporting at the time, until you tell her how pretty she is. Uh-oh.

 

 

Mountain Monday

    I want to keep this Mountain Monday thing up. I know this picture looks a lot like last weeks, but the clouds are stunning today! I should look into getting a new camera someday so I can get more of the whole valley in one picture. For now, this little snippet is enough for me to enjoy.