don't underestimate the wheels

It snowed today.
Shocker.
Not.
It always snows
in the Spring here.
Boo.
I reminds me of a
time when we actually
welcomed the snow.
Way back in January.
The 2nd day, to be exact.

We went sledding.
Weather was glorious.
Amazing scenery.
Family & friends, the best.
Food. Fire. Hot chocolate.
Happy children.

Baby's first sledding trip.

And Bugg.
What were we going
to do with him?
We'd done this before
last year but he was smaller,
lighter,
and we went where there
was cement so we could push him.
We can't bring his hot wheels
into the snow!!!
Could we?
Oh, I don't even want to go!
Poor Bugg.
He gets left out of so much.
Sometimes,
it's easier to just
stay home.

Behold.
The hot wheels are awesome.
Once again,
Bugg proved that he can't be stopped.

And he can sled, too!
Safely on dada's lap.

That was a really
beautiful day.
And now I'm ready

for green grass and
SUUUUUUUuuuun,
I wonder how his wheels
will work in sand?
We'll try that one someday.
We are unstoppable like that!

celebrating us

The first gorgeous
Saturday of the season!
Halle-wahooo-lujah!

It was so meant for
me & the Hunk
to get out,
just me & him,
to celebrate US.

Dates have become
extra
important to us,
especially as
more babies have
come along.
That time with
just each other
is so needed.
And it's so dang fun.
My husband makes me
laugh and forget that
I'm a 30 year old,
sometimes very stressed out,
scatter-brained,
car-pooling,
doctor appointment setting,
diaper-changing,
vacuuming,
nursing,
time-out giving,
laundress of a mama.
Instead, he makes me
feel as if I'm a
school gal again,
giddy and carefree.
Plus he says I'm hot.
He is a good man.

A breakfast date to
Magleby's.
All you can eat french toast.
I always eat more than he does.
It's trademark.
On our first date,
he took me out to Hard Rock.
I ate all my dinner,
PLUS HIS leftovers.
That did it for the Hunk,
he was keeping me.

And then I get to
come back to my babies.
All refreshed.
I feel as if I can do this
mothering thing.
My batteries have been
recharged and I
know that I can
give them my best self
when I'm taking care
of me, too.
And taking care of my
sacred marriage.
I feel so blessed.
And quite blessed, also, to
have grandparents close by!
Thank you, thank you,
thank you, G&G!

I love how happy
they are to see
me.

Joy.
That's why we're here.
To be happy.
It's hard sometimes.
But this life
is good.
Can I get an "amen?"

Purple Day

Today is Epilepsy Awareness Day.
or PURPLE DAY!

Our Bugg has epilepsy.
It is totally bogus.
But it is what it is.
And 50 million people
in the world deal with it, too.
Today, we wear purple to
spread the word about epilepsy.
But you know?
We forGOT to wear purple!
So we made cookies
and frosted them in purple
buttercreamy delight.

We have this thing
with cookies.
You knew that.

Happy Purple Day!

sibling therapies

"Therapy is life."
That's what I heard
when Bugg started the
early intervention program
when he was just
one month old.

But I quickly found
that he despised therapies
and SO DID I.
It stressed me out.
He was showing
such little progress
and cried all the while.
I had this constant
guilt when I wasn't doing
therapies with him.
I would forget,
he was napping,
we were too busy,
all the excuses
to avoid the dreaded
therapies.

We did stuff here and there.
But I wasn't hard core.
It wasn't my life.
Bugg, Meeskii, my husband....
they were my life.
And so therapies
just made their way
into the natural happenings
and goings-on with the
family.
Ahhh, that was much better.
I don't blame myself
that he is not walking yet.
Or doing this or that.
I take my cues from him.
And he is a happy guy.

With the addition of Rooskii,
we've had more opportunities
to do therapies.
She's a teacher already.
It has been loads of fun
to have another typical child.
All the "firsts."
They have taken on
a new meaning this time around.
In a healing kind of way for me.
Rooskii pulls Bugg's hair,
chews on his arm braces,
and steals his glasses.
The pesky lil' sis
has no idea,
or does she,
just how much
big brother is going
to teach her in life.

the DDS

Went to the dentist
for the routine check-up.

And to our surprise,
(NOT!),
Bugg has an overbite.
He eats
his hands/sucks on
his fingers every waking hour.
His hands are horribly red
and puffy and blistery.
We have him wear arm braces
to keep him from putting his
hands in his mouth.
But this irritates him a lot
so we end of giving him
one hand for comfort.
He has even gotten a staph
infection in one of his hands
because the blister got infected.
AAaarrrrggh!
We also tried some imported
fancy stuff from Sweden
that you paint on the fingernails.
He still went at it
but just looked as if he wanted to
throw up.
ANY IDEAS?
We've probably already
tried them all but I'm
always open to suggestions.

Oh, and what do you do
after going to see the dentist?
Or any doctor, for that matter?
GET A COOKIE.
Naturally.

celebrating my fave springtime color

You are not tired
of pin curls yet,
are you?
I"M NOT!

He got his braces!
They are very cool.

Well, truthfully,
YELLOW is my
favorite color
all year long.
But Spring brings
out the best
in yellow,
I think.

I like pretty things

And cookies can be very pretty.

Have you ever discovered
a new cookie recipe
that just made you
giddy?
These rootbeer cookies
did it for me.

Oh, the giddyness.

Rootbeer in the frosting, too.

These are so good
that they didn't
even make it to
the table.

HAPPY SPRING WEEKENDING!!!!!

Root Beer Cookies (from the ward cookbook!)
2 C brown sugar
1 C softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 C buttermilk (I used 1/2 C milk with 1 1/2 T lemon juice)
2 t root beer extract
3 1/2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Stir in buttermilk and root beer extract. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Drop by teaspoons on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 - 8 minutes. Cool on rack.

Root Beer Frosting

2 C powdered sugar
1/3 C softened butter
1 1/2 t root beer extract
2 T hot water

Combine all ingredients. Frost cookies when cool.


You guys, you are really going to enjoy these.

recipe must include music

Frank & I made
dinner together.
Music inspires
my cooking.
I love, love, love,
my CD player
in the kitchen.
Please invest
in one.
Or blare the music
from the nearest stereo.
Your flare for
meal concoctions will
improve big time.
And you'll find yourself
dancing around the kitchen
as you add some
S & P, a bit of basil,
some more parsley.
What have you.

Rooskii's toes

Dinnertime prep seems
to always get my
mind going.
And at the most
chaotic time of day.....
cranky children,
she wants to be held,
she wants to have a friend over,
he is bored & biting
his hands off,
WHERE IS THE HUNK?
Chop, chop some veggies.
Measure some flour.
Put the pacifier in again.
Help with homework.
(In Kindergarten??? Please.)
Stir, stir. Pour, pour.
Oh, the craziness of it.
But the music keeps me
happy.
And so yes,
I was thinking.

Rooskii's hand

About ultrasounds.
When a mother
gets that first ultrasound
of her baby growing inside,
she thinks,
"I just want it to have
10 fingers & 10 toes."
I mean, I did.
And I've heard it
a zillion times from
others.
But after having Bugg,
I think,
"What if it doesn't have
10 fingers & toes?"
or is missing that or the other?
You'll still love that baby.
You'll still cherish every ounce
of that baby.
I still love my
special boy.
His brain isn't formed
perfectly.
But he is PERFECT!
Perfect, I tell you.

Just absoposolutely perfect.
Pic from Halloween 2009.

love & luck

I feel like such
a lucky gal.
Today was filled
with LOVE.
Just being with
the ones I adore
so much.
It was also filled
with food coloring....

Green eggs....
weird.
Bread is painted with
colored milk.
Then toasted.

The weather was glorious!
And we are beginning
to see some green again!!!!
We are lucky to
have such terrific
neighbors
so we delivered
a bunch of
shamrock mistletoe.

Bugg's school had
a St. Pat's party.
The dancing was awesome.
I never noticed
all the eyes on us.
Bugg is such a celeb.

This dada can really
tear it UP!
He was doing
cotton-eye Joe,
grapevines, twirls,
and all that hype.
With Bugg.
And I was rollin'.
Hysterical!

Oh, fun!
Our favorite.
The flashlight hunt
to find the treasure:
a rainbow cake.

I love a day filled with
LOVE &
GREEN.
Such a happy color!
I have eaten
way too many
Lucky Charms.
We get it only
once a year.
Got to stock up
my belly.
Is it eerie
to know your insides
are stained green
for the day?
I was happy to for-go
the ol' Corned Beef n' Cabbage.
Blech, blah, ICK!
Loooooved the hot dogs 'n chips
at Bugg's party.
See?
I can break out of tradition.

And oh, OH,
I am soooooo
SOOOOOO
lucky to have you
swell readers.
You just really add
to my day with
your comments and blog posts.
Thank you.
Love, Bree