Love Bug

Utah is finally warming up for Spring. We can hardly stand it. Abby and I have spent quite a bit of time soaking up the sun as she rides her "bike", "car", walking to the park to play, or just writing on the sidewalk with chalk. We are having the best time, EXCEPT, she is pre-occupied with bugs, i.e. bees, ants, rolly-pollys, box elder bugs.... really, anything that moves.

She is so preoccupied that if I tell her, "no, don't bring the bug in the house", she tells me, "NO!" Honestly, I wouldn't mind except for the bees and ants. They both can be very painful when angry. She hasn't gotten a bee yet, but come summer, we will have to have a talk.

As of yet, all the "bugs" have had an unfortunate ending. All have been smothered by her love. Today I noticed her kissing a dead, crushed ant.... Which reminds me of that old Bugs Bunny cartoon.... and I will love him, and hug him, and kiss him...

Abby's New Spring Dress

This picture is a little late in posting, but the stars were finally aligned today and we were able to get a picture taken. Abby's pretty dress was a gift from her Aunt Hilary. The sweater was also from Aunt Hilary, but from the year before... Doesn't it look great with the dress? Anyway, I wanted to post and to say, "Thank you Aunt Hilary, the dress IS perfect!"

However, if right now you are saying to yourself, "Wow, how lady-like, and sweet she looks; let me clarify by saying... this was the only time today that she stood still. She is only two, afterall!

...Suddenly, the mom of the house realized her home was TOO quiet

...and this is what I found. You might be saying to yourself, why is she posting ANOTHER picture of Abby getting into makeup? To answer that, well let me point out her technique, shading, choice of color (I think she was going for an evening look, very smokey eyes), and her sense of style.... Now to be fair, I did take the makeup away, so she was only able to complete one eye, but I think you get the picture....

Mike put her to bed the evening before, but didn't take out her ponytails. On this morning, I left them in thinking, well at least her hair is out of her eyes. Yes it's disastrous, but I was just happy she didn't get maple syrup in her hair at breakfast. I put her in shorts and a t-shirt, but when she went up to my room for her "makeover", she added the leopard print undershirt, green seahorse nightgown and a headband. Personally, I think she is rocked it!

My cousin gave me the courage to post...

The most funny picture I have seen of myself in a LONG time. Mike and I couldn't stop laughing at this picture. I wanted to brighten each of your days by giving you something to laugh at.
Let me put this picture in it's proper contents.... Abby was "dressing up" in some play clothes and we have a Napoleon Dynamite wig from a Halloween costume a few years back. Abby was wearing it, so I ran to get the camera. With the camera, she wouldn't put it back on, so as an example I put it on.... and took my picture.
People who know me well, know I can't keep my eyes open in a picture to save my life. I really thought about deleting the picture, but it was too "dang" funny. Well without any further adieu, here it is.

Mike thinks I look like Benjamin Franklin. He said, "At least your smiling". I am just happy that I don't have any acne.

Well Mikaela, you gave me courage to post my own "bad picture". I hope you enjoy!

In Case of Emergency!

Have you ever had one of those moments, you know, "In case of emergency, break glass?" Well, I think the Abster had one today. She went looking for candy and her first stop was my purse. She couldn't open the tiny M&M candies (from Easter), so those were left. The Life Savers weren't as fortunate, but they were well... life savers! This second picture is afterwards. She doesn't look sorry, does she? She was definitely very proud that she found something. If you look carefully you will see eyebrow pencil on her brows. She is still very into eyebrows. (You know, they ARE a "frame" for your face.... LOL!)

Today's funny interaction with Alex

So lately, I have had problems with Alex, most minor, but he just doesn't seem happy to play at my house anymore. One of his "emotional outlets" is to cry. It's starting to get old, so today I asked him to come down in the middle of one of his cry fits and visit with me.

I asked him if Abby had bullied him, he said no. I asked him what the problem was, he said that he just missed his mom. (She is gone only four hours a day, three days a week) That being said, I decided kids were smart and I would try and rationalize with him.

So I said, do you realize that when you cry, it doesn't bring your mom here any faster? The only thing that it does do, is make everyone on edge. I went on for a minute or two, expounding. Well he started to tear up again, so I asked him if I could do anything for him. He again said no. I asked if Abby could do anything for him, he again said no. So to finish it off, I wanted him to have some input too, so I said, well, tell me what you think. His answer? (I think I can repeat it verbatim...) "Sometimes when I'm at home, I put socks on my hands and pretend they are puppets." All I could say was, "that sounds cool!" Surprisingly, he was much better after that.

As I have reflected on that conversation, I can't help giggle. Completely random!

Well, that's the sign!

You ask, "What sign?"

My answer, "That I'm old!" I will expound....

So February I was clicking through the television on a Sunday night when Masterpiece Theater caught my eye. I opened up the information on it (Dish Network) and saw that they were playing Pride and Prejudice, the six hour A&E version. I was ecstatic! It must have been my good fortune because I realized that it was the first segment of the three AND they were doing a Jane Austen marathon. All six of her books made into movies, over the course of several weeks. Every Sunday since, I can hardly stand it till 8:00p... Abby is in bed and I get to enjoy Masterpiece Theater ALL to myself!

I remember thinking as a child, when my mom would stop on it, that the programing chosen by Masterpiece was for old fuddy-duddies, not my word, but my moms... LOL!

That being said, I guess my tastes have changed. I can just see my next blog on television programing... "Scoot over Dad... is that Lawrence Welk?" That has to be the sign... right?

Very Good Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

So a couple months back, I went to an Enrichment Night where a neighbor walked us through her chocolate chip recipe. She is notorious in our neighborhood for making the best cookies. I have stopped using my previous recipe and am now using hers.

There are several reasons I like hers better than my previous recipe. Her cookies set up bigger than mine did, they are browned on the top, while still being chewy in the middle... last of all, Mike likes them too! So I thought I would share:

Mary Page's Basic Cookie Recipe

Cream together:

1 cup margarine
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs

Add and blend to the above mixture:

2 tsp salt

Stir and add to the abive mixture:

2 tsp soda into 4 TBSP hot water

Blend in:

1 tsp Vanilla

Add:

3 Cups Flour - Mix in well
Stir in by hand 2 more cups of flour
Add your chocolate, butterscotch, mint, or whatever you want...

Place dough in refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours. Make balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 360 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Now you have the recipe, but if you make them, I add six cups of flour in all, instead of 5... She recommends using margarine instead of butter. My cookies are big, the rolled dough before baking is about the size of a golf ball.

Enjoy!

Ready for Summer!

We are definitely ready for summer! I walked into Abby's room this morning and she was trying to get her face in the leg hole of her swimming suit. She was mad she couldn't figure out how to put it on correctly. I decided today just might be a summer day... that is if we stay inside. She is feeling pretty good about wearing her swimming suit today, lots of jumping and twirling!