Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Reservoir

 I grew up by the beach. My children have never been to an actual "ocean" beach. (They've been to a small lake beach, but don't remember it.) When I found out that there was a nearby reservoir with a little beach - I was excited to take my kids. They were so excited to go to the beach, and LOVED every minute of it!


Esther & Rachel brought their little ones too.
Brooke was having fun shooting us with the water gun.

 Unfortunately she couldn't figure out how to fill it up herself, so I had to help her out many times!


Hey look, I was there too!


Brooke was not a fan of getting messy feet.

There was even a couple of ducks there to feed.

Aubrey posing for me in her cute suit I got her for next year.

What a fun morning we had! I wish I knew about this place a long time ago!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Double Rainbow

 At the end of Aubrey's soccer game last week, we looked into the sky and saw a rainbow.


 On the way home we saw that it had turned into a double rainbow. The girls were thrilled to get to watch a rainbow on the drive home.
 
Here's some more pics of my little soccer player!





Monday, August 29, 2011

Evenings Out Back

 Most evenings when Jeff gets home from work, he goes to the backyard to work on something. The girls follow him out and either "help" him or play while I finish preparing dinner. It's a great little routine.

Just like her sister at this age, Brooke LOVES to pick the cherry tomatoes.

After she gets a bowl full, she comes running inside saying, "I need to wash them now." She drags over her stool while I turn on the water. Then she washes them one by one.

Helping Daddy plant some grass seed.

Having fun with the hose.


Practicing her soccer kicks with Dad.

I'm gonna miss the evenings outside once it gets cold.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Cute Brookie

 My Brookie is ALL GIRL. She hates being messy and dirty and LOVES getting all dressed up for church.

She begs me Saturday night to put curlers in her hair and gets excited on Sunday morning to put on a pretty dress. Here she is last Sunday looking "so pretty" for church.






 

I LOVE that little girlie girl!

Friday, August 26, 2011

Splash Pad

 I heard from my cousin about this really fun and free Splash Pad. If something is both fun and free - then I MUST go! I knew the girls would love it since they loved the Princess Dot Puddle Pond at Disneyland.

I was right - they had a blast! I love Aubrey's genuinely happy smile in this picture!

Brooke just skipping around!




Brooke followed Aubrey and Zoe everywhere they went!

Getting all soaking wet!


Time for our picnic lunch. Brooke started teasing people and calling them "boys."  Aubrey and Zoe thought that was hilarious and joined right in!

 Esther and Isla were chillin' with us.

 


Then we had to try out the playground - which was way too hot! But they at least got to climb a little.

Such a fun place. You gotta love free fun!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Game Night with Aunt Summer

 Since both Jeff & Steve were not around on Friday night, Summer invited us over for a girls Game Night.

We've been playing in the sun a lot lately, so Aubrey has been napping almost everyday. When it was time to go, I asked Brooke to wake up her sister. It was so cute, that I had to take some video.


After we finally got Aubrey to wake up, we headed over to Summer's house.

Summer taught us all how to play the game of "Life". Aubrey was really into it the whole time. Brooke however, only lasted a few minutes. Then we had to put a show on for her to keep her from destroying the game board.

Just as we finished the game and were enjoying dessert (Left over Steve's birthday cake and homemade sugar free chocolate frozen yogurt) Aunt Esther, Aunt Katie and cousin Isla stopped by.

If Isla is set down, Aubrey is there as quick as can be to give her lots of loves.

Brookie lovin' on baby Beckham.

Aubrey wanted her and Brooke to sit on the arms of the chair and take a pic. with Esther and Isla.

Brooke wanted more pictures.

It was such a fun night! Thanks Summer for inviting us over!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Different Strokes for Different Folks

Recently I had a conversation with my Mom in which she relayed a conversation she had had with my cousins wife. They had been visiting them and so my Mom showed her mine and my siblings blogs. My cousins wife expressed that she would never have time to do a blog. That she was so busy just taking care of the kids and cooking and cleaning that there was no time for anything else. My mom agreed with her and said she wouldn't have had time to do the blogs or any of the sewing, crafting, outings with my kids and church calling that I do. I responded in my usual way when approached with this subject, "Well, you probably cleaned more than I do." My mom then replied, "But, your house is not dirty, sometimes messy, but not dirty." So, I've been thinking about this conversation and came up with my own theories on the differences in style of stay at home moms. I thought I'd share in case anyone happened to be interested or can identify in any way.

Before I begin I want to make it clear that I do not feel that one style is any better than the other - just different.

So, my Mom (and I think the majority of women - I think my style is a more masculine way of doing things) is a "See what needs to be done and do it now" kind of a gal. If there are dirty dishes in the sink, they get cleaned immediately. She told me that she did laundry every single day because there was always enough for a load to be done. Since, she had a house full of 6 kids, I am certain there was something that needed to be done ALWAYS. And so, she was always busy doing those things and didn't have time for any extras. This lends itself to a clean and orderly home and I know she got a lot of fulfillment knowing that she was taking care of the needs of the family and the home. This is a perfectly wonderful way to be a homemaker, the problem for me is - it's just not me.

I am a "compartmentalizer". I have a time and a place that I do things. It's not something that I sit down and schedule, or spend any time putting together - I just do it naturally. And, whatever I am doing, that's what I am doing. So, when I see a need, I make a compartment for it (I schedule a later time that I will get it done.) We'll go with the laundry example. I do laundry on Wednesday's and Wednesday's only. (Well unless a bed gets wet or thrown up on - something out of the ordinary) On Tuesday generally our laundry baskets are full or over flowing. Instead of thinking, "I have so much laundry to do, I better do it now", I think, "It's a good thing laundry day is tomorrow" and then I don't think another thing about it until the next day. Since, I know when laundry gets done, I'm not at all concerned with laundry until that day. After the normal morning routine (scriptures, exercise, breakfast and getting us all clothed) mornings are spent on outings. Most of the time doing something fun with the kids, and sometimes running errands. That's what I do in the morning and that's all. So, yes, the sink is full of both breakfast and lunch dishes, but I'm not at all concerned with it because it's not doing dishes time. I do dishes in the late afternoon usually while I am simultaneously making dinner. So in my compartmentalized brain, dishes in the sink does not mean that I need to do dishes, it just means that I do them when it's their time. Nap/quiet time is my time to either blog, work on a project, or do something calling related. Am I concerned with the dishes in the sink, nope, because it's not what I am doing at the moment. Cleaning gets done on the weekend. The bathrooms are cleaned and the floors are vacuumed, etc. every Friday (sometimes Sat. if something came up). Do I worry how the bathrooms or carpets look on any other day, nope I don't. After the kids go down at night it's back to my time to craft or blog or whatever else. Unless it's Wed., because on Wednesday night I watch a show while folding the laundry that has been washing all day. (side note, I don't fold any of the laundry during the day, because it's not folding laundry time.) You will find me every single Wed. night folding laundry. Sunday afternoon and evening is generally spent doing Primary stuff. So, I have a time and place for all of my duties, including plenty of time to play with my kids, blog, do my calling and craft. My style lends for a much less tidy house and would probably drive the "get it doners" completely crazy. But, I am fulfilled when I get to play with and teach my kids stuff and be creatively productive. If I didn't have some tangible products to show for my time, that would drive me crazy. Without those things, I feel empty and unfulfilled. Plus, my brain is on constant overdrive thinking of something fun to make for/with my kids and fun things for us to do together. I literally cannot turn it off. So my house is reasonably clean (I realize this is subjective) and I fit in all the other stuff I want to do.

Like I said, neither style is any better than the other. As long as your reservoir is filled, then you are doing things exactly the way that you should. Because after all we are all different with different needs and talents. And that's what makes this world an interesting place. Like the title says, "Different strokes for different folks."

Monday, August 22, 2011

Week 11

I lost another 3 lbs this week! Yippee! I'm sure my stint with food poisoning contributed a bit - but I'll take it any way I can! So now I'm up to 23 lbs lost!

The last several weeks I have been focusing more on permanent eating changes as opposed to sticking strictly to the diet.

Some of these changes are:

* Sweetening with honey (and occasionally raw sugar) instead of using sugar. I've been getting way less headaches and I think staying away from sugar has contributed. Plus, I've fond lots of really yummy desserts sweetened this way, so I haven't really missed the white sugar.

* Eating whole grains instead of refined. I do miss the soft white stuff occasionally, but for the most part wheat and multi-grain stuff tastes good too. Plus I have an awesome nutrimill wheat grinder that grinds my wheat super fine. So, my homemade wheat bread is pretty close to the consistency of white bread.

* Staying away from processed foods and eating and cooking with fresh foods instead. Aubrey was having major tummy trouble a few months ago. Since, I stopped cooking out of boxes and the freezer her tummy trouble has entirely gone away.

* I have discovered that I am lactose intolerant - thanks to the lack of dairy at the beginning of the diet. So, I've been drinking soy milk and taking a lactaise pill whenever I eat dairy. My stomach has never felt better! Although I really do not like the taste of soy milk. I think I'll try Almond Milk next.

* Eating natural nut butters. We certainly don't need the extra oils and salt in the processed ones. Plus, the natural ones taste just as good to me.

Cutest Little Soccer Player

  Aubrey started soccer last week and she was so excited! She has always loved to play with balls, so a couple years ago I told her that when she was older she could play on a team. She asked me several times in the last couple of years if she was old enough yet. When she turned 4 I could finally answer "yes." I asked her if she wanted to play the ball game that you throw and hit or the kind that you kick. She said, "kick", so I signed her up for soccer.

Everyday last week she counted down the days until her first soccer game. I can't lie, I was pretty excited too!

It was total cuteness! (See proof in the videos below!)




I only played one year as a kid and my parents called me the "dandelion picker", cause apparently that's all I did during the game. I was happy to see that Aubrey did not take after her mom. She was in there the whole time chasing after that ball!


Brooke was a cute little cheerleader (at least whenever she wasn't running onto the field!)

I had told her several days before that's what she would be and we practiced cheering for Aubrey. Here she is doing her little cheer for Aubrey! ("Kick the ball, run so fast . . .")


Aubrey taking a little break and looking oh so cute in her uniform. A few days before the game she said to me, "Mom I remember that soccer players wear a shirt with a number on it. Am I going to get a shirt with a number on it?" When I said that she was she was sooooo excited about it! She then asked, "If I get the shirt with the #1 on it, does that mean I get to kick the ball first?" Funny kid!

Giving fives to the other team after the game ended.

Aubrey and Zoe with their coach. He did a fantastic job giving direction to these clueless little soccer players.

Aubrey had really wanted to score a goal. She said to me several days before, "Mom in soccer you kick the ball into the goal and someone lays on the ball." I explained to her that at her age they wouldn't have a goalie to stop the ball, but they still will try and kick the ball in the goal. Then she said, "Mom when I am kicking the ball and I'm close to the goal, watch me the whole time." I explained to her that it's not easy getting a goal and that she may not get one. She was still determined to get a goal. They have practice for a bit before the game begins. During the practice she made it into the goal twice. I was hoping that she wouldn't know the difference and that would count as a goal to her. So, after the game I said, "Aubrey I saw you kick the ball into the goal two time." She looked at me really confused, so I further explained that it was during practice. She replied, "Mom that wasn't really a goal." She's getting way too smart!

Even though she didn't get a goal she had a blast. When it was over she said, "That was so much fun! When do I get to play again?" And she has asked me everyday since if she gets to play soccer today. I love seeing her learn new skills and have so much fun doing it!
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