Big Old Airhead

I would just like to apologize to the drivers at the corner of Balboa and Ventura Blvd at 9:11 a.m. today where I was stuck in the middle of the intersection, trying to turn left. Especially you,the motorcycle at the front. I will bake you cookies if that would help. I was the one more car that thought I could go and blocked all lanes of on coming traffic.

You see, I was behind a cement truck and couldn't see that the arrow had turned red, although looking back I should have just assumed it had because I don't have that great of left turn luck. I wasn't even on a cell phone or dancing to my favorite song on the radio. I hope you could tell that I was mouthing 'I'm so sorry" and waving pathetically. I really meant it. Four lanes of traffic I had to get through while you were trying to go. It was tough. I didn't think I'd make it for a second there. I had to rest a minute in the Smart and Final parking lot (where I was picking up wide mouth lids for Chani's apple cake I'm canning) to recuperate from my embarrassing and dangerous escapade. Wow. I am terribly sorry for being 'that car' stuck in the middle, slowing your morning commute. I really am a nice person. Usually. I don't think I had enough sleep last night. And I was just so thrilled to finally have again that I was running lots of errands. I really needed avocados.

And for all you mad honkers are there...we idiot drivers are really sorry, sometimes we are in lala land. This is why I don't have an ounce of road rage, we recipients rarely do. Because I get why you cut me off, cause maybe you got an emergency call and need to go home right now. I have no idea what is going on in your car, and I try to think the best. Maybe your newborn is screaming or all three of your children are screaming at the same time. Or maybe you are from out of town and aren't aware that you can only exit the carpool lane in certain places. Who knows, but I feel ya, especially today. Hopefully I can rectify my karma.

I love CityFarm so check it out

We ate lunch (which was easy-mac and cucumber 'fries') on the kitchen floor today, because all the chairs were being used in the massive fort the kids made in the living room.

Why are forts so much fun? And why do they require all the couch cushions, chairs and blankets to make them?




Okay...on to the real news....


Do you remember my favorite cooking class?

The one where I pretended to be an adult and ooo-ed and aaww-ed at the amazing house in Hollywood Hills? Where I expanded my palate trying Mexican honey on blue cheese (try it) and learned to make bread and butter pickles?

I am the biggest Paul-fan. Well, my creative teacher has launched a website to share his recipes and secrets.

Check out what he plants in his edible garden. My mouth is already watering and my shopping list is made.

Be sure to click the links to read all about it.

Go to CityFarm

By the way, I still want chickens...

Will you please clean her up?

I don't know why I feel the need to show the gross-ness/still kinda cute-ness that is my life. Mostly cause I'm usual the only adult at home and wish someone could see this. I have this real hope that when I die there is like a major file on my life that I could can rewind and watch again. On a big screen. Or that my guardian angels/fairy godmothers are chuckling along with me. Cause we see a whole lot a mess over here. Especially from this little gal who is in the 15 % height for her age...guess she'll be short like her mama.



Who puts their foot up on the table?

And how did it get covered, just covered, in dinner (Indian food, chicken and rice?). Yes, and I know I should have a bib on her (like the cool one Hillary gave me), but today I just didn't.


And yes she did, she ate some off her foot.
Delicious.

And why the heck do I have my camera so close at hand and take a picture. Well, I hope this comes in handy when she is 15. Or when she is a mom 3000 miles away from me. But I sure do love this messy face. And quickly plopped her in a bath.

Julie Lemmon is super cool

See these virtual flowers?

They are for Miss Julie Lemmon.

Jules. Can you smell them?

Cause she did me a big favor and sewed up a pocket skirt for my music primary job (unpaid) at church. And I love it. How do you say thank you when someone does something just so nice. And when they have more talent in a pinky than...well as much as I love my family, if I could be adopted into a family it would be them. And I would gobble up all the wheatgerm blueberry muffins, Pioneer syrup (straight) and be an expert canner.

Thank you so much. It will get great use.

Don't you want to see it?

Meet my model. Darby girl.

Its hard to model and take a picture of yourself, and she is much cuter anyway. So if you aren't following me yet, the skirt has a million uses. But mostly its a game and way to teach the kids in a fun way. And when you need to do something besides Name that Tune.

So if I where teaching a song about F-A-I-T-H, I could hide the letters in the pockets and then the kids take turns putting their hands in the pockets.

Or I could hide objects...like popcorn if we are singing the popcorn song. Or a picture of the prophet for the prophet song. Or a sun for Jesus wants me for sunbeam.

Get it? See why its so neat? And why my 1st grade sewing level would be so intimidated to make it? No joke I've thought about it for years. Even when I didn't have this calling, because you could use it for sharing time or family home evening. I saw one in my old ward and always wanted one. By the way, you just wear it over your church clothes, not like for the whole 3 hours. Plus that would give away all the drama. You just put it on right before you need it.

But this skirt is cuter.

So I wanted it really eclectic. I love the ribbon on the pockets.

And if you look close, there are pockets on some of the pockets.

Nice touch pretty Julie lady.

Here's even better. Now aren't I lucky? I ask her daughter for ideas how to do it, and instead I get a completed one in the mail. How cool is that.

Pictures speak for themselves Zoo Day

Perfect Day

Yesterday was just a wonderful day.

We went to a place where you feel like you've left LA.

Which is nice sometimes. And its free and windy. We fed the ducks.

And ignored the megaphone man telling us not too.

We had a picnic. And then the kids went home and took great naps. My sister let us borrow their car so its nice to have wheels. Just so you are not restricted by where your feet can take you. Cause mine were tired.



My kids loved watching this toy boat that was remote controled. It was about 2 1/2 feet long is my guess. Very serene. Except B kept wanting to jump in the cloudy water and didn't want to hold my hand.





Its a little fuzzy, but the kids even ate my experimental burritos with black beans (Luke is not a fan of black beans) and canned cream corn. And we had family home evening. Besides duck duck goose, the new favorite is Simon Says. Luke and Darby loves saying "Simon says make me laugh" Jason always wins those. "Simon says make a funny face" Jason wins those too, although I was a close second.

Two posts in one day...oh my!

I joined this healthy challenge by a cute blogger girl in AZ.

I weirdly am really not trying to lose weight, but just want to be healthier. But I did eat one tootsie roll on Friday, just to see if they were still my favorite. Didn't do much for me. Strange. Although I love tootsie rolls, the tootsie rolls do not love me back...and are just finished in five seconds. Its true. I thoroughly enjoyed the piece-S (cause its plural) of birthday cake Saturday, because nobody likes a party pooper. Just maybe I'll skip having it for breakfast...(even though that's still okay sometimes too)

Here is the Link

Just a little Peek

So remember my one bathroom? Well this its normal state thanks to little Miss B. Sometimes I'll even consent if I am getting my face on ... but this one was when J was on duty.


Post game Luke. Works up quite a little sweat!


#1 cheerleader...okay I'm lying. She just likes to run on the stage. But check out that big bow in her hair...do they get any bigger?


This is also me trying to keep the baby girl happy while I'm putting on makeup. Pretty messy counter. I just hope she doesn't learn how to turn on the water.

The Puzzler Girl

Sad this is the only way she'd let me take a picture of her.

Meet my puzzle-er Girl. Is that a word? She does puzzles all day long. All by herself. She is good and loves it. And she loves to show me her finished product.

Here you can see the slightly remaining bruise on her face. Poor princess puzzle-er girl.


Check out the painted nail of my braided, puzzle princess with a band aid...


Is this just the cutest outfit? Thanks mom for the shoes. And I love this cranky little face.

If you click on the picture it will show you a bigger version so you can check out those itty witty bitty teeth. But they hurt! Just ask my shoulder!

Pick me up momma lady!



Thats right you! So frustrating it would be to not be able to talk well. We McCoys are movers not talkers...at least the little ones.

Gotta run and go fight Luke with the nerf guns. Wish me luck.


P. S. So now that I've gone 3 days without my regular diet of cookies and cake...I'm feeling a little better.

But life is pretty boring without dessert.

I am an addict

Today I made it all day without eating cookies, candy, ice cream or other such staple in my day. I am shocked. It hasn't happened in probably three years. That would have been when I tried South Beach but quit on day two after I was crabby. Jason was stuffing them into my mouth to make me happy again. That is a joke. Sugar and chocolate are definitely my downfalls...I think I might be shaking and sweating tomorrow. And I bake better than I cook.

The only way I could do it was measuring in 2 hour increments. "Okay, self, lets make it til 10 a.m. with out a cookie" "Good job self, now shoot for noon." "Holy crap self it 3! Better shove more sugar free bubble gum in your mouth" The trick worked. Sound the alarms.

We'll see how long it lasts. I'm not swearing off my favorite staple, just reigning it in a bit. Mostly cause I've been running diligently for a while now and ready to see some results. Do you want to race? Just let me grab my depends so I don't pee my pants.

For my dad

Here are some more basketball highlights for you.

Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen him so happy. He had a blast.

Luke is a baller

This weekend we saw the cutest thing ever. Luke's first basketball game. Unfortuntely this was a miss, and my camera died before he made his four baskets. He was in heaven. I love that they don't even keep score.

I froze my Costco lettuce

I'm having some friends over for dinner tomorrow cause I went to costco and we are stocked up. I kinda feel like I've been a hermit for the past year.

BUT I went to grab the chicken nuggets out of the freezer for tonites dinner and my 7 hearts of romaine lettuce for $2.76 (this is a guess, I can't remember the real amount, but its close to it) at Costco were right next to the box of mini-frozen pizzas I just bought! Here is what happened.

AHHHHH!

Crap, whats the lettuce doing there!

Jason! Why did you put the lettuce in the freezer?

"I didn't put it there!"

Crap, that means I did it. What was I thinking?

I must've been crazy. Or tired. I seriously don't remember doing that.

There goes my dang lettuce, now I just got to chuck the thing. And I've already been to Target and trader joes today so I'm done with errands.

I must be losing my mind. Costco was a sucesss other than that cause I'm now proud owner of the executive membership (thanks for the tip folks). I am starting to love all the 'you are still a baby to have all those babies' comments. Jason and I were cracking ourselves up cause the next time someone at Costco tells me how young I look I'm telling them I'm 47.

Wannabe Elastigirl

I watch a lot of kids movies.

Or I should say I hear alot while I'm cooking dinner or washing the dishes ...when I want to do it in peace.

I analyze them way too much. I freak out about major plot holes. Because kids are smart and don't deserve a straight to video performance. Or an easy paycheck from a B actor. Its not my favorite when I have to explain to my five year old why Scar wants to kill his brother and nephew to he can be king (Name that movie)... "Because he really wants to be King and is not very nice" Or when you have to interject in the movie like, "Now should Ariel have listened to her dad or visited the Sea Witch?" just so they realize that Ariel was just emotional young teen who over dramatized her feelings.

And I love when the dialogue is witty ..not like raunchy Shrek "I'm wearing a thong" that you just hope goes over your kids head, but then of course is the only line they remember from the movie. But smart stuff.

Or like when Luke called Baylie a worm, and I said, "did you hear that at school" and he said,"No mom, when you let me watch Honey I Shrunk the Kids and the boy was playing baseball and missed two times while his brother was getting strong, but then on the third time he hit the ball and broke the neighbors window and when he called the little boy a worm" (That is an actual quote from Luke yesterday, holy smokes I gotta watch out more what I show them cause that kid is a dang computer! )

And what kid movie is my favorite? The Incredibles.

Ahhh...just brillant. That Helen, Elastigirl, is genius. The perfect mom. Voiced by Helen Hunter. Who yells at her kids and punches out the bad guys. I wish I could be her. And turn into a boat if we get stuck in the middle of the ocean. Or reach your 20 feet long stretchy arm right before the omnidroid is going to smoosh your kiddies. And serve leftovers...wait I do that.

Almost as much as I love the Incredibles, I also love the short that comes on it called Boundin

I mean who says you can't get church other than at church?

"Sometimes your up and sometimes your down, but the best part of all is you can always rebound"

True that Pixar.

Click on the link and you can watch it, but it has like 15 seconds or wierd beginning, other than that its a great youtube copy. Thank you youtube

And I don't know why the font is all big ?

Baylie is 1

Darby is obsessed with these things. Baylie has eaten a few. These little dandelions gone dead are also how I lost her last week. Because our neighbor has tons of them in their yard and we have none.

Baylie enjoying her birthday cupcake. Do you like my new do? Its way healthier now.

This is my attempt to be like Misty. The party favors via Martha via Hillary P.

Darby gal toting her pail. She got clocked in the face by the see saw at the park. Has a prety good bruise on her face now.

B was pooped after her party.

Walk in between conferences. Notice flowers in hands. We love this wagon...

This is my cutie girl. That is what we all like to call her. Here is a proper 1 year old post.

So strange, but she shares a birthday with one little girl buddy and her other little girl buddy was born just the day before. When does that happen? We even bumped into each other at the hospital. We decided to do a joint birthday party for them...which is why I missed me some conference...sadly I realize B will always have her birthday near conference...maybe Friday nite parties?

And 1 year olds do not cooperate in the picture taking.

My sister with all our girls. Hip hip hoorah their is now a second boy on my side of the family...Courtney had her boy today...name pending turns out.

My friend Hillary made this shirt...isn't it cute?

Everyone's talking about it

General Conference was this weekend. My neighbor thought she caught me playing hookie from church, but I tried to tell her that twice a year we watch it on TV (or in my case through the internet). Unfortunately I missed a bunch so tonite I am playing catch up. The first talk I wanted to catch was Elder M. Russell Ballards. Cause everyone is talking about it...are you wondering why?

Listen to it HERE. I think he was talking to me. Just the basics about women and mothers. So if you have a mom, know a mom, are a human, even if you aren't Mormon, check it out. (Even you Chris!)

I had this great idea after the fact, don't you love those...that I should have done a post before to brainstorm ideas on what to do with the kids during conference. (FYI, we watch Saturday from 9-11 then 1-3 and then Sunday 9-11 then 1-3...and the men to their own meeting also on Saturday night. So really even though its a break from regular 3 hour church, we are talking 8 hours of listening. But at least you can be in your pjs eating ice cream and not wearing a dress...yes we Mormons are hard core with our church meetings...and I had no idea we even had general conference on Saturdays until I was in college) My friend Sara emailed me this coloring packet that we used some. We also play legos. lots of legos. And listen with the other ear, because parents can multi-task like that. What are your secret tricks?

I thought Elder Rusell M. Nelson's talk was good when he said, "Don't try to control your children, Listen to them." And he also said to ask yourself, "What can I say or do that would persuade them to choose a better way." You mean I'm not just supposed to just yell "Stop smashing your sister!" for all the neighbors to hear? I definitely have some homework.

Cool News

Have you ever done something slightly embarrassing?

Okay, so I do that all the time.

But this time it paid off.

I decided to stalk my favorite parenting book author, Tamara Fackrell . I tracked down her email. (Thank you Google) And I gushed about how much I am in love with her book. And if she was ever in LA, I would love to buy her lunch.

Well, guess what?

She emailed me back. Twice. She is coming to CA in June and said she'd love to meet me. I already know we will be great friends. Cause she is so cool. And I so semi-worship her. But CA is very big so who knows if it will work out, but I would be so excited. And when does stuff like that ever happen. Stuff like when you get a crazy idea to do something silly and it turns out to be neat.

Our adventure in the botanical gardens

Ahh, look at this serene view at the Huntington gardens near Pasadena.

So peaceful...until we came.


These are the most innocent ones...okay so Brenna and Dallas and Kate should be in there too...hmm...I wonder who I'm exempting?


Monkey #1...

How can I climb on the beautiful Chinese building that is supposed to be full of tranquility?



Okay, jumping pictures a bit. This was the kids favorite part. When the moms took a (figurative) chill pill and let em get wet...clothes and all. Pure child heaven.

See how its done people? And I think my kids drank a gallon of that unsafe water even though I told them no and warned that they would get 'the runs' which will usually stop them from slurping up puddles on the ground.




Monkey #2...

The Ringleader. Where he goes, his sister follows. So probably all at the peaceful garden know this boys name since I was calling for him 40 steps behind and yelling for him!



But we sure did some running. Okay, so the Chinese gardens were much better than the Japanese gardens. Everyone has raved about the Huntington gardens and this was our first time...but I have mixed review if bringing children. Or if just you are bringing my children. Like the huge bridge made for decoration only that was very clearly blocked off. While I was taking a picture, Darby had scurried herself up to the top...and wouldn't come down. That sneaky Darby, I need to chain her to me. While all the other tourists were pointing at her and she was just smiling.

Or the fact that my children don't want to stay on the marked paths, but want to go exploring. Even if that means trampling fancy plants. On the way home on the freeway, while they were all sleeping I was able to contemplate my reactions to all the chaos? Am I too strict? Not strict enough? Why do they tune out my voice? Why am I so quick to get angry when they are just kids? Is it like in church when your kids are being really loud and you are all embarrassing and think its terrible, but really nobody cares or is watching you and if they are watching they understand? I was hot and red faced most of the time when Luke was a baby, but now it takes much more to rattle me in sacrament...sort of. Or at least I'm getting better at it. So as much as I joke about my monkeys, really I am still trying to figure out this mothering thing too. I want to diffuse the situation and not escalate it by my reaction. Now how can I better do that? Deep, I know.

This is one of my favorite pictures...Dallas all wet. So cute.

Darby drenched as well.


In their natural state of running.

In the un-natural state of sitting quietly...but don't they look cute?

Miss Baylie Mae's Birthday is tomorrow...probably by the time you read this post. Happy Birthday Baylie, I can't believe you are 1! Holy cow.

Five seconds after this picture 'they' told us my kids couldn't climb the trees...What can I say, we are rule breakers. Hopefully this is not foreshadowing of their teenage years. No comments from those who knew me as a teenager.