FHE Halloween Style

The annual carving of the pumpkins and making and eating of the caramel apples. :)
Brent even got out the dremel to help Isabella carve hers. As if you really need an excuse to use the dremel!

Is It Time To Rebuild?

So I'm out of shape. Not only am I out of shape, I'm a broken down shadow of my former self. Back in, when was it? 2004? Back in 2004 I was in optimal condition. Well sort of anyway. I weighed 20+++ pounds less than I do now. + equaling + or - 5 lbs. Don't worry, this isn't turning into a story problem. Or is it? It is a problem. Back when I did weigh 20+++ pounds less, I was in good shape. I had muscles, well muscles as far as I'm capable of building muscles. But I was hungry. Soooo hungry. And I hate being hungry. Not only for the obvious reasons but because it makes me loopy and unable to safely drive or operate heavy equipment, if I were to operate heavy equipment. So I slowly, steadily put back on most of the weight I lost when I decided it was time to lose that baby weight after Noah. Which doesn't count the 30lbs of weight you lose just by thinking about losing weight after having a baby. And now I'm out of shape. A broken woman.
I started exercising. Low impact stuff. Enjoyed the afternoon walking in the beautiful autumn weather. I feel like I could go on doing that forever, it's so beautiful with everything all awash in an orangy fall glow. But soon the winter gray will be here and that doesn't inspire. Exercise+Cold=Bad. Additionally, doing the walking and low impact, wimpy, sort of strenth training has apparently brought toxic poison to the surface with no apparent exit strategy in the form of aches and strangely, itchiness too. So what's a girl to do? Can you rebuild your broken down, self abused body to it's former glory? (Using that term very loosely.) Anyone? Bob? Jillian....? So that's the quest. The goal. To rebuild. Start from scratch. Resurface better than before. But without being hungry. Remember? Hungry is bad. I read this book a couple of years ago when I was still in my obsessed with health and nutrition books phase called the Perricone Diet. It explained how to do such a thing with certain exercises and specific healthy food like almonds, fish, berries, organic milk, etc. And of course there was a whole series of vitamins to go along with the diet that were very specific to it. Coincidentally Dr. Perricone was willing to sell these to you for a nominal fee. But the price was completely worth it and justified you know. ;) So should I go on a diet of nothing but say salmon, blueberries and flaxseed? Sounds like something a grizzly bear might enjoy. But I am not a grizzly bear. Bears are scary. So, balance. Is balance the key? Could be....

Well Said Colin Powell

Random Stuff

Why don't the grocery stores sell the plain Malto Meal Scooters anymore? You know, the cereal like cheerios. Scooters were cheaper and tasted better. Now I have to buy cheerios or the store brand which taste weird. Just wondering and it really annoys me.

Why does the brown stuff in the center of salmon taste fishier than the pink part? Yeck!

So today in the car going to the credit union in Magna and one last try to find the scooters at the Smith's out there I told Noah to remind me later and we could get our Halloween decorations out. We are (I am) being very slow this year with that. Noah's reply to me: For my birthday? Noah's birthday isn't until January but he has been talking about it all the time lately and he has decided he wants to have a Halloween birthday party. I guess it's as good a time as any to get a jump start on the decorating, huh? My reply to him: No....for Halloween. Funny kid.

Last week they had Red Ribbon week at school. You know, the drug prevention week where they dress up everyday and have assemblies and such. So kids from the local high school came to talk to the elementary kids. Isabella was telling me about it later and she says something to the effect of: "Mom the kid in the assembly said that when we are grown ups we can do drugs if we want to but now we shouldn't. I don't think he should have said that, kids shouldn't do drugs now or when they are grown ups." Smart girl! I mentioned it to Noah's teacher and she said her son heard the same thing at his school. Something like, when you're an adult you can make your own decisions and do drugs if you choose to but now you shouldn't. I agree with Isabella, you shouldn't do drugs as a kid or adult. I think they need to work on their confusing talking points!

So I teach the ten year olds in primary at church (Isabella's in my class). We've been practicing for the upcoming sacrament meeting primary program. My friend Lisa is the senior primary chorister and she was trying to get the kids to sing louder. She told them in sacrament meeting they want everyone to hear them so sing loud enough so that old lady sitting in the back can hear you (paraphrasing Lisa here). So half the kids turn around and look at me! They take things so literally. So after we went to class and I announced to the class, I am NOT the old lady sitting in the back! They all thought it was very funny of course. :)

The Enthusiasm Gap Is Showing!

I just got back from a nice walk through a couple of neighborhoods here in my little town. It's a beautiful fall evening. The air is crisp, leaves are turning (sort of anyway). I love Fall, and I was feeling the good exercise vibes! Had the new Ben Folds on my iPod (good stuff). On my walk I finally saw a McCain/Palin yard sign. The first one I've seen here in the T.C. and that was at the home of the most politically active person I know around here. I saw three Obama signs, and one of the houses was extra enthusiastic with car bumper stickers to boot. That makes a total of seven signs I've seen around here so far, if you count my neighbors who took theirs down to put sprinklers in their yard and the house with the printed out piece of paper in their window. It doesn't mean much, it's just making me happy. I could go on about all the reasons I support Obama, and I do have reasons. But I just want to be happy with the enthusiasm gap right now and not worry about the fine details.
I just put this on the wrong blog, oops! I gotta keep these blogs straight.

The Birthday Party

So the Friday after Zoe's birthday she had her birthday party. We did a scavenger hunt. (Or is it a treasure hunt? Not sure what the difference is.) The kids had a lot of fun searching for the treasure. I had a lot of fun planning it, always like getting crafty! And it was a record planning time for me- five days! It was threatening rain but the weather turned out just right. I made the party a little too long and girls were running around starting to get bored at the end but other than that it went off without a hitch. Brent made the cool treasure map above.

Running in search of clues

Reading a clue at the park

Puting the treasure map together

The treasure chest

The booty!

A Couple Birthday Pics (see post below)

Zoe is nine today!

Happy Birthday Zoe!

Today at 3:35 pm Zoe turns 9! (See sidebar, she told me to be sure to update it!) What can I say about Zoe? When I was pregnant with Zoe and we were considering her name, the name Zoe seemed like something you would have to live up to if it were yours. The name Zoe made me think of someone who was fun, brave, carefree, adventurous, and above all unique. Zoe lives up to that and more. She has truly been an interesting child to have around here. She is one of the most strong willed, stubborn people I have ever met. As a baby she was all smiles and laughs but that soon changed to a very challenging young girl as she got older. I've been really proud of her lately. She had a trying first half of the year (therefore, so did her parents). She was definitely a handful and on top of that seemed to be developing obsessive compulsive disorder. Spending tons of time in the bathroom, washing her hands (you know how Zoe gets the bleeding hands in the winter, well this was about ten times as bad as usual.) I had to set all the clocks forward about 7 minutes so she could get out the door to school on time without me harassing her. This problem even crept into the day she was baptized. She was so excited to get baptized and it was a very special day but afterward she was really upset because she felt so much pressure over having to be good now. She thought she had to be perfect from then on. I had to finally sit down with her and re-explain repentance to her and that no one is perfect after they get baptized and that's the cool thing about repentance, that we get to start anew every time we do it and try to improve ourselves. Finally it all clicked for her and things settled down. It took a long time and the long boring winter didn't help any, but we finally figured out what was wrong with her. She quit sucking her thumb (finally) right before school started last year and that was always a comfort thing for her. She has always been a high strung girl but she could at least go lay down and have that thumb to comfort her. Without it she was terribly distressed and it took months to work through that. She seems like she's matured a lot lately and the thought of her as a teenager in a few years doesn't strike terror in my heart like it once did. She's still a spitfire, of course, but she has always had this really sweet side too. She is so good about playing with Noah most of the time and they really have fun together. All the kids, although they do get on one another's nerves on a regular basis, are really loving toward each other and look out for one another. Once in a while we'll be out at the store or somewhere and I'll look back and Isabella and Zoe will be acting like the best of friends, laughing and holding hands. I love those times! I don't know where they got that because my siblings and I gagged at the thought of ever hugging each other or saying I love you. Anyway, we love having Zoe in our family, she is the queen of silly from time to time, making us all laugh. She amazes me with how smart and curious she is. I think it's cool that she asks for educational toys for her birthday like binoculars and stethoscopes. She has so many natural talents, I guess that is why she has that stubborn personality, to balance things out. I love this girl and I'm so grateful to have her and her brother and sister in our family!
(I'll get some birthday pics up later today!)

FINALLY! A Convincing Reason To Give Up Ice Cream

I like ice cream. It's probably my favorite treat. But after listening to this story on the news I think I'm through with ice cream. Those wacky kids at PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have sent Ben & Jerry's a letter requesting they stop getting their milk from cows and start using human breast milk. Apparently some restaurant in Europe is doing it. Sure, the babies will love it but it just about makes me want to lose the ice cream I had for lunch today! I'm not kidding, I had ice cream for lunch.

Halloween Decorating

I have no life lately. Seriously! It's just all mom duty right now. Keeping the schedule clear so I can be helping out at school, or busing the kids to this or that activity, or overseeing homework and other projects. It's plenty exhausting (for my brain anyway) without trying to find a life for myself.
I do have the season premieres of The Office and Grey's Anatomy to look forward to Thursday, and the first Presidential debate Friday. I know, I'm just a little pathetic!
I did venture out to Super Saturday yesterday. You know (or not), the crafting extravaganza the sisters have every fall over at the church. I didn't have any money (or wall space) to do any of the projects so I brought the projects I purchased about a year ago for the family room downstairs. It was fun, always enjoy a good round of painting, and I got four projects wall ready. But when I came home I took everything downstairs, put it all against the wall to see how it looked and discovered that I must be subliminally obsessed with Halloween. My family room walls have white bead board on the bottom half and orange on the top half. Orange (?) you say. It sounds weird but it's actually a nice, soothing shade and the room has a very zen feel to it, great for working out. It's kind of a pumpkin color. I seriously love it. Every room downstairs is a different fun color, making it look like a "Littlest Pet Shop" house, but it works. So you're probably starting to get the picture with the pumpkin orange wall. I painted this shelf black, which is okay because there is already a black clock on one of the walls. The problem comes with my love of the color green. I've got lots of green in my house because it's my favorite color- all sorts of different shades of it I love. So I had this cork board to paint and this letter "H" that will sit against this mosaic tile board thing we made as a family. I painted the cork board and the "H" green to go with the aqua and green throw pillows. When I looked at it all against the wall I realized it is the same shade of green you would paint a pumpkin stem and leaves. So between the black and the orange and the green it looks really weird and like I purposely meant to decorate my family room in some sort of Fall/Halloween theme. So it's back to the crafting drawing board. I'll have to sand it all down and repaint it another, safer color. Maybe periwinkle. That sounds safe.

Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator

Sarah Palin's kid's names are Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, and Trig. Have you ever wondered what your name would be if Sarah Palin was your mom? Well now you can find out! I ran into this Sarah Palin baby name generator. It's pretty funny.
The names in our family would be:
Brent~ Bowl Antler Palin
Cindy~ Froth Moonshine Palin
Isabella~ Knife Pile Palin
Zoe~ Moose Roadster Palin
Noah~ Mullet Troll Palin

Here is the link if you want to try too....right....Here

What's your name?