Friday Confessional

* I confess that I got this idea from Emmy Mom. (Thanks, Emily!)

* When it comes to blogging, I don't care if I have any followers or if anyone even reads it besides my family . . . but I get a secret thrill when I find out that other people do. And if you comment . . . oh boy, that makes my day. Unless you are creepy or a spammer.

* But if you're a friend, or a friend-of-a-friend, or someone who likes what I like, then we're cool.

* It bother's me when people put apostrophe's at the ends of plural word's. This is only ONE of my many grammar pet peeve's but it's probably one of the most common, and I try to overlook it, but I'm human and it's hard, and it's a good thing run-on sentance's aren't YOUR pet peeve or you'd have stopped reading this by now, but that's not really a confession because I've told you all this before.

* I have cut my own hair and then lied to my stylist about it.

* When I don't feel like separating lights from darks, I throw everything in the wash on cold.

* I set the clock in my car 10 minutes fast, so that when I'm running behind I can take comfort in knowing it's not as late as it looks.

* I shower every-other-day to save water. But also because I don't want to do my hair.

* I say I don't like popular music, but I could listen to "Halo" by Beyonce for hours.

* Once we invited  a new couple in our ward to dinner. They gave us their Amway presentation. I was really cheesed off that what I thought would be a nice time making friends turned into getting (almost!) roped into a pyramid scheme.

* When I'm flipping the channels on TV, I'll stop on a sitcom or whatever just to take in their home decor.

* Judging from my banged up / scribbled on walls and furniture, I think my children are more destructive than most.

* Sometimes I beat people up in my dreams. I'd like to say I use wicked ninja moves, but it looks more like nerdy girl fighting.

* I don't care if my kids fold their laundry or not.

* I DO care if the silverware is put precisely the right way in the drawer.

* My secret for confident public speaking is to talk loud. It seems that people think I must know what I'm talking about if I'm shouting.

* I have "carrot toes," meaning, they look like baby carrots.

* When I'm bored I have been known to dial 1-800 and then seven random numbers so see what different companies' welcome messages sound like.

* Are you like me? Then you'll love this. Call the Nestle Crunch Hotline at 1-800-295-0051 (This may take several attempts if the line is busy). When you are asked if you want to continue in English or Spanish, just wait quietly for about 10 seconds and you will smile. Promise! Keep going and press 4. Then tell me about it and we'll laugh.

* Being funny is a full-time job.

* That's why I'm unemployed.

* Ba dum BUM!

* But seriously folks.

* That's all for today.

* (And have a great weekend.)

Visit from the Tooth Fairy

Earlier this month Cameron lost his first tooth! He'd complained that it hurt, and since he'd just been to the dentist I wasn't worried about anything sinister. But I sure was surprised to discover for myself that he had two wiggly bottom teeth!

He wiggled and pulled until it came out at church. The next week the second tooth came out, also at church. Their poor Primary teacher! I'm sure it was hard to keep the kids focused, what with body parts falling out in the classroom and all.

The Tooth Fairy was tardy in her tooth-collecting / money-depositing duties. The first tooth got lost before it could even make it under the pillow! Cameron shrugged and went on with the week, which made the Tooth Fairy feel even sorrier for the lad.

You know how long it took the TF to get to the second tooth, which was safely tucked under the pillow in a baggie? FIVE DAYS! The weather! The traffic! It's hard for a little sprite to travel in such conditions. I'm sure it had nothing to do with forgetting. But when she finally did arrive she left more money than she--or in this case, HE--should have, much to Cameron's delight.

Sometimes guilt and generosity are two sides of the same coin.

At least, that's what the Tooth Fairy told me.

Spaghetti Tacos

Carly and the gang introduced us to a new gourmet entree, which we tried last week.

Spaghetti tacos! I read several "recipes" which all said the same thing: glop spaghetti into a taco shell.

I'm pretty sure you have to be under 18 to consider this delightful.

(Or perhaps a devoted iCarly fan, which would explain why Bryce gobbled his up.)

But every kid at our house was impressed and it was fun to watch the new episode after dinner.

Family bonding over middle-school drama--the twins are getting quite the education.

10 Things on my Mind

1. I started a private blog, a regular "cry-my-eyes-out, muse-on-deep-thoughts, dish-on-people-who-bug-me" journal. But I'm too emotionally tired to write anything. Besides, whenever I read my hand-written journals from years-past I cringe, so I'm actually doing my future self a favor.

So in case you were wondering, I didn't say anything bad about you. (Not that I would. For real!)

2. The piano tuner is coming in 30 minutes. He confessed to me that he does this job, and not music teaching, for the money. Don't you love when people tell you things like that? I feel like the chump who's paying his gasoline bill for the month.

And his name is Lenny. Can I really trust someone named Lenny? Is his piano bag named Squiggy?

(hahahaha)

3. It's raining, it's pouring, cleaning the house is boring . . . but I do it. Heck yes, I do, and it sparkles. Come over quick before entropy takes over.

4. I went to the public library to leisure read. Let me say, that is NOT the same environment as hanging out with a book at Barnes and Noble. You know who spends all day at the library? People who don't smell great, that's who. That was an uncomfortable experience, reading 1984 with Big Brother (literally, the old man sitting across from me) watching.

5. I played with homemade play dough for over an hour today with the twins. I tried to sculpt roses, like they do for cakes, and I do not have the hang of it yet. So I reverted to my usual tacos, lollipops, and pizza creations, which were a hit with C & H.

If I can't be the Ace of Cakes, maybe I'll at least bond with my oldest child by becoming the Bass of Cakes. You want one? No treble.

Holla!

6. Speaking of food, I made some oatmeal-raisin cookies entirely from my food storage. Holy deliciousness. The only modification I made was to use half raisins and half broken Cadbury chocolate bar. (So of course they were awesome--hello, candy.) But it did come out of my food storage, just so you know. I highly recommend this recipe.

7. Speaking of food again, I am thinking of becoming a bread baker, especially if I can convince myself to get a stand mixer. I totally think I could do it and even LIKE it. And like every other stay-at-home mom, what else do I have to do all day but eat oatmeal cookies, watch Wife Swap, and compulsively update my facebook status? I'm ready for more.

8. I can't wait for LOST to start. But I don't want it to start because then it will be over. And then life just won't ever be the same.

9. I love my family like Scott Brown loves the state of Massachussetts.

10. That's all for now. I have to put the twins to sleep. I mean, to bed. I have lost my momentum, but not my mind.

xoxo

Brown Bears!

One afternoon Tyce stayed after school for a band practice and had some time to kill before the late bus came. So he decided to watch the basketball team practice in the gym. While he was there, Coach Washington said he needed someone responsible and reliable to be the team's manager, and asked Tyce if he would do it.

He jumped at the chance!

It doesn't hurt that Tyce is a sports fan and relishes practicing with the team, even though his duties are to film the games and make sure the guys are watered up.

This weekend there was a pre-season tournament, and the Brown Bears swept it all. I was seriously impressed with the talent. Here's Tyce in action!

In the championship game, Brown won 51 to 29.

 

Tyce with his entourage of girls

.

 The team with their well-deserved 1st place trophy!

I am really proud of Tyce for all of his hard work and dedication to the team!

And on a related note, I think the secret of making it through life is to keep yourself too busy to get into trouble.

Mary's 10th Birthday

Man, will I ever catch up? This is another one I'm backdating. Haha.

January 5th is Miss Mary's special day, and now she is 10!

Mary Rachel Kimberly Jones, 
She is made of muscle and bones.
Sing,  my darling. Sing my darling!
Today we shall eat ice cream cones.

Before school she posed with her little brothers.

She wanted a piggy cake, just like every year since she turned 6. This one was called "opera wig pig."

 

She blew out the candles with style.

 

One special gift she received was from Tyce; it was a book in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, one of Tyce's all-time favorites.

 

She let Tyce read one of her birthday cards.

 

She got many great gifts, like this game from Heather.

One of MY greatest gifts is the beautiful, intelligent, creative, passionate, caring daughter I've been privileged to raise for the last 10 years.

I love you, Scary Mary!

My Dinner Party

I have the most creative friends. This idea came from Denalee and was also done by Ashley, who have inspired me to follow in their footsteps.

If I could invite anyone, TV or book character or celebrity to dinner, my top 10 invitees would be . . .

1. Paula Deen--to teach me how to cook like she does.

2. Jillian Michaels--to kick my butt after eating Paula Deen's food.

3. e. e. cummings--to whistle far and wee. And write the place cards scrolly-wonderful.

4. Silas Marner, the title character from the book by George Eliot--to weave a table cloth for the occasion. Such a gentle, misunderstood soul could benefit from company.

5. Dumbledore--to make cryptic, wise observations during the awkward silences.

6. Mr. Humphries from "Are You Being Served?"--to inject a high dose of FABULOUS into the night, and to stage an dinner-guest fashion show / musical number!

7. Hyacinth Bucket (Boo-kay) from "Keeping Up Appearances"--just to get an invite for one of HER candlelight suppers with riparian entertainment.

8. Alicia Keys--to sing and play the piano at the same time. No one's ever draped themselves over my baby grand like that.

9. Napoleon Dynamite--to appreciate that "tots" would be on the menu, GOSH.

10. Hurley from LOST--Dude. Do I have to explain this one? To bring us all back to the island!

Double Decker Bus and the Bellagio

Have I mentioned that we give the children three gifts for Christmas? One is "gold", something they really want; one is "frankincense", something that is practical; and one is "myrrh", something that is enriching or educational.

For the last year Cameron has been fascinated with the double decker buses he sees going down Boulder Highway. He mistakenly called them "don daked" buses and I miss that! For their "myrrh" gift, we thought it would be fun to actually ride on a bus. So Bryce ordered a Hot Wheels double decker bus for each of them to open, and the promise that the next day we'd ride downtown.

So we did. 

This was our very bus! We started at Fremont Street and went down to the Bellagio.

We were very lucky to get seats on the top level on our first try.

There's Bryce's building!

And after a few stops, we got to sit in the FRONT ROW on the very top.

Mary was my seatmate and we a great time.

I'll bet you had no idea Mary had a flair for the dramatic, did you?

We made it to the Bellagio!

The conservatory was decorated for Christmas. Can you believe this is made entirely of flora and fauna?

By the end of the day, Mary couldn't handle Cameron's constant hugging and posing!

Man, was it crowded. Good thing Heather kept Cameron from being lost in the sea of legs, or whapped by his annoyed sister.

Mary and Harrison squeezed through the columns in the lobby.

And we ended the day with dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (Caesar's Palace) and a bus ride back to the car.

And now the boys have been on a real double decker bus, and as an added treat, got to stroll around the Bellagio. I think they had fun--I know I did!

Christmas Portraits

You didn't think I could possibly have more, but you were wrong.

Christmas Day

I'm the blogging equivalent of your neighbor with the Christmas lights still lit every night at 6:00. You're pretty sick of anything twinkling red-and-green, but what are you going to do, knock on the door and hand them the memo that January is here?

Are you wondering why I still have a Christmas background? You are? I knew it. The site I like to get templates from is down. I want to move on, believe me. I may be stuck with this cute little owl until Easter, but dang it, I am not budging.

So this is also my admission that I'm still posting Christmas pictures. And the fact that I'm going back later and re-dating these posts for December either makes me a cheater or a genius.

For your viewing pleasure (or ennui):

May I present to you OUR CHRISTMAS MORNING FUN FEST AND JUBILATION!!!!!

We had a family prayer, then the kids were ready to bound downstairs!

 

Santa brought a dirt bike, an art box, a Playmobile pirate ship, and a Lego space police ship. And the stocking gifts were particularly fun and practical this year! What a smart guy. Very, very smart.

"You want me off your bike? Bring it, tough guy!"

 

After enjoying Santa's gifts, we ate breakfast and then moved to the front rooms.

The kids were semi-confined to their blankets so that they didn't intrude on each others' space. (Marginally successful.)

Tyce was the gift passer-outer.

Tyce read Mary's card to him. As we were out shopping she said, "I don't really know what to give to a 13-year-old boy. I know he likes this AXE body wash, but who am I to care what he smells like?"

Mary got many gifts to put her creativity to good use.

 Cameron liked getting things that go!

 

Harrison liked getting to cheer with the best of them.

 

Heather dreamed of  a Jacob Black of her own. But even hotter, and less affected by the moon.

Bryce can't get enough of BYU.

 One cool gift was the personalized rock hammer for Al from the Ottosens.

I got some knives. Sharp, pointy knives.

 

Tyce read his new Monty Python and the rules for the holy hand grenade shirt.

 

Mary showed off her art supplies.

 

Ninja Cam. How can he grow up to be a ninja is he doesn't practice now?

Harrison loved his Leap Frog read-and-write from the Cooks.

 

The aftermath. This is only one small part. It took days to get things cleaned up and back to normal, but it was worth it!

Thank you so, so much to our family for the wonderful gifts. We loved them all and appreciate your thoughtfulness. We are getting thank-you notes out soon.