This Job is Not for Wimps!

So last Saturday I dashed into Borders to get a gift for a baby shower. As I was wandering around trying to find the book I had in mind, an older gentleman started talking to me. I don't know what it is...men over 60 adore me. Can I say that without being cocky? Anyhoosers, after a little small talk he asked me if I was by any chance looking for a job. I told him I already had one. He asked me what I did.



My mom brought this book with her when she came to help me after I had Matthew. I would read it when I was up at night nursing him - it's a wonder I remember anything about it given the state of mind I was in. But it is a wonderful book and she tells of turning down a lucrative contract - pretty much fame and fortune - to stay home and be a mother. Some time after having her two children, she ran into a former colleague. He asked her what she was doing these days, looked at the children and said, "Just a mom, huh?" (OK I know I am butchering the telling of this story, but hang in there) and she told him proudly, "No. I am a mother." She said she could tell he got her point.

So when this man asked me what I did, I drew myself up proudly, gave him a big smile, and told him, "I am a mother!" Well, I saw the confusion in his eyes and he kind of scrunched up his forehead for a second and then said, "Oh, so you don't do anything. You just stay home with the kids." I told him that I thought being a mother was one of the most difficult jobs there was and that an 8-5 job seemed like a breeze compared to being a mother. He just sat there for a second and replied, "Oh. Well, I've never had any kids, so I wouldn't know anything about that." Obviously.

It turns out that he cuts Clint Eastwood's hair and Clint told him (Chez-he's in the hair biz...his pun, not mine)to look for good looking girls to be hostesses and cocktail waitressess at Clint's Mission Ranch. Chez just could not believe that, even after assuring me that I would make good money and meet lots of 'celebs', I would not hire a babysitter and take the job. It was, to say the least, an interesting conversation. It is a conversation that I have been grateful for in the last week, when I feel like my children have entered into a conspiracy with one another to tear away every last shred of sanity that I possess. So if you need to find me, I'll be here. Not doing anything. Just staying home with the kids.

Wedding Bells

My cute sister, Lara, was married on February 16th. I made the trip alone with the kids since Jonny had to work. People on the airplane on the way there kept telling me, "You're brave to travel with two little kids all alone." I told them, "Brave or crazy - it's hard to say which, and if I wasn't crazy to begin with I will be by the time we get there." Truer words were never spoken, but that's a whole other story...

I'm going to do bullets to consolidate:

-Lara was and is sooooo beautiful. Dean always says that she got the majority of the good-looking genes in the family and I have to agree (no offense other siblings). Beautiful pictures of the bride and groom here.

-All wedding activities were just lovely.

-Emma could not get enough of brides, temples, white dresses, princes, and her own princess dress that she wore to the reception.


-The day before the wedding the girls all got together for pedicures at my mom's house. Emma had her first one - I'm trying to raise the child right.









-Emma had a blast playing in the snow with her Grandpa (she pronounces it Krampa).







-And with her cousins.







-We made a separate trip to the temple so Miss Emma could see it. She was with a babysitter during the wedding so she missed out on all that and could not be satisfied until she was there. Her #2 requested bedtime song is "I Love to See the Temple." #1 is "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."


-The craziness involved the fact that Emma got a sinus infection and impetigo, and Matthew got RSV and a staph infection (I promise we don't live in some bacteria-laden squalor...). There was no sleep to be had and I am afraid I was a little bit of a stressed out wack-a-doo. A special thanks to my mom, who also got sick from helping me in the middle of the night with my children, and all my siblings who helped me take care of my kids.

-On a brighter note, we ate at Cafe Rio, Italian Place, and Mi Ranchito twice each and we ate at Crown Burger as well. Hopefully that will last me another 6 months or so until I am in Utah again and can get a fix.

-We arrived home only slightly worse for the wear (my flat iron did not fair so well...nor did my back pack, which didn't arrive until the next day) and were sooooooo happy to see Jonny! Nothing like being separated to really make us appreciate each other.

Happy Birthday Dean

In all the hoopla surrounding getting ready to go to Utah, I missed my brother, Dean's, birthday on February 6th. So belated Happy Birthday to you Dean! Dean is wonderful and especially was great when my parents were on their mission. He and his wife lived in my parent's house and took over the parental role - Dean even took over the making of the birthday cakes that my Mom always did and he did a fabulous job of it.
The man can do just about anything and has done just about everything! Surfing, mountain biking, guitar playing, bonzai tree growing, aquarium (complete with shark) keeping, photography, computer game playing nerd...I love you Dean!

Where's my Straight Jacket?

Well, Saturday is the big day for us. We are off to frozen Utah for Lara's wedding on the 16th. My mom always says that by the time she gets on a plane for a trip she is ready for a straight jacket. I am freaking out a little bit at the thought of traveling with the wee ones by myself - Jonny has to stay home and work - so today when I was at the store I bought a Red Bull (darn that Tim Brown for hooking Kaedi on them, and therefore me on them...) and a big piece of chocolate cake. I don't recall being a stress eater when I was younger, but these days I sure am. I'm not really sure that getting myself all "strung out" on caffeine and sugar is going to help my cause any, but it sure made me feel better.
Besides being excited to see my family, I am dreaming and dreaming of Mi Ranchito, Cafe Rio, and The Italian Place. I'm seeing a pattern here. My life kind of does revolve around food...