The Mother of Geese

Read my VisualDNA ™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Now that the weather is getting a little nicer our family is in the mood to do a bunch of geocaching . Brad got word about a geocaching event that involved shooting off rockets at the destination. Abbie and Brad worked on the rocket (that Abbie got him for Father's Day) last night and it looked like this: We entered the coordinates into the GPS and it took us here: (I joked with Brad that it would be a good place to dump bodies if we ever had need to: After we got out of the car and ready to go I made them do a quick photo op: Brad got everything ready. He is such an expert. 5-4-3-2-1 BLAST-OFF!!!! Here is Abbie going to retrieve the rocket with some new friends. (After she retrieved it once she put her locked her elbows and made a fist and said she would NOT be retrieving anymore thankyouverymuch.) If you look really hard to the left of the 2 tiny figures that is her. She was slightly annoyed when she came back... Here is how Amelia spent the morning: And here is what everyone el...

Abbie demonstrating the art of proper spring bubble blowing to little sister.

Grandma kitty gave me a subscription to the greatest foodie magazine EVER so now I have many great ideas and meal plans. We eat around 6:00,I would be happy to set another place for you... Friday: Beef-stir Fry with snap peas Saturday: We will be eating here Sunday: Apricot chicken with potatoes and spinach Monday: Shrimp and wheat couscous Tuesay: Greek Pizza Wednesday: Fish Tacos Thursday: Chicken satays with peanut sauce

Amelia has her monthly ear infection right now (tube that child STAT!) but she is still a party girl so she is walking around the house clutching her yellow balloon. I'm glad there is still a little bit of helium left because we are going to release a couple into the universe.

(Quick parenting tip for you...Apparently 5-year-old girls have a problem with not being the princess for the day. I was very firm that it was MY day---so you can see Abbie was a little annoyed at having to share the crown with anyone--althought it is MY crown anyway...) So I had in my head that I was going to do the whole #32 wearing a crown, a sash, and doing the beauty pageant wave to everyone I saw (kind of like my first sweet 16), but it wasn't quite like that-which is good because I am not the same girl that I was for my first sweet 16. My dad was the first to wish me a Happy Birthday making me equal parts weepy and happy at the same time. I got some lovely phone messages from as far as Orlando to the OC and San Diego. My momala made cupcakes and brought balloons which made my students equal parts excited and confused as we were talking about Joseph Fielding Smith. Abbie and Amelia kept a secret for 2 weeks about my birthday present (which truth be told I had already seen abo...

Just close your eyes and ignore the slutty stewardesses (they are absolutely NOT high class flight attendants like Granny)

So I have been in a little funk bloggerly speaking lately and I know I need to pull myself out of it. This morning while I was folding my mountains of laundry (I have a song for that too...) I had THE WORST song in my head. Over and over I was singing the chicken dance, but unfortunately it was the Elmo chicken dance. I decided to purge myself of this chicken song by sharing a very entertaining Lawrence Welk video. Is it just me or is it a little bit creepy? Then while I was doing the search for chicken dance I found this little jewell and coo-coo-cha! the blog drought is over. "Has anyone in this family ever even seen a chicken?" Enjoy.

with Abigail Maude Step #1. Start with a perfect Spring Break Week and a Clear and Wide Open Schedule Step #2. Clean your Fresh Strawberries Step #3 Make Grandma's perfectly Simply Pie Crust (with a fork for the cornmeal consistency) Step #4. Roll out the pie crust. Step #5 Prick the crust so it can be baked 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Step #6 Spoon the strawberry glaze over the strawberries and baked crust. Your little sister will be amazed!

Dear Heidi, Did you hear the amazing news? MTV is going to reform .">Menudo . You and I both know that we loved this boy band before all the other wannabe boy bands came to town. Do you still have the Menudo Scrapbook? Dibs on Robby Rosa, you can still have Charlie whatever his face was. Lovin you! And I can't believe I still know all the words to this song... HD ps Remember how Rob like chased down the limo after the concert? That was so great...

So I have been REALLY bad about the regular healthy meals lately and have been relying a little too heavily on the ol' freezer downstairs. Both our budget and our nutrition are suffering because of it-so here's whats for dinner this week: Sunday: Brined turkey with cherry rhubarb glaze Monday: Chicken Pasta with artichokes and red peppers Tuesday: Asian Burritos with Ginger Salsa Wednesday: Spring Chicken noodle soup, Turkey Wraps Thursday: Mediterranean Fish Friday: Kids FFY, Heather and Brad Date night-oh yeah! My momala has this lady in her wah-red (got to pick up that accent..) who has a rhubarb patch so we are all up in a rhubarb way. So I found this lovely glaze in case anyone else has any need for it. It is so spring isn't it? I found it here

Brad and I are separating. That's really half true. We are a happily married couple from about 9:00am-11:30pm. Lots of giggling, tender hand holding, deep soulmate connecting moments. Its the 11:30pm-7:30am shift that is the problem. You see aparently the black kettle is calling the pot a snorer . With my growing girth I am snoring at night. Here is where the irony starts a drippin'. HE SNORES!!!!! Bad. Not a nice rhythmic snoring that you can adjust your own breathing schedule to. Its the horrible, loud, not cute snoring. I have been sleeping with snorer for the past 8 years and putting up with it thankyouverymuch. He has been trying to stop my snoring by (I AM NOT EXAGERRATING!!!) using a pillow over my face to muffle the noise. So I wake up many times a night gasping for breath. (Maybe not gasping) Point is, I have decided that in order to save our marriage he will be sleeping with his other wife in the basement until at least October. I fully believe it will keep our marria...

Just thought I would mention that anytime I am at the computer checking email, HOA business, doing a lesson, getting ready for SS, checking the blogs whatever...Amelia will come up to me and go "Who-who" and want to watch the Gwen Stefani video AGAIN and AGAIN. She does a little dance and everything... So sorry to Brad who hates music on blogs that I haven't taken it down yet..but my baby's gotta DANCE!

(Being HOA Pres I have been receiving many eggs for the easter egg hunt scheduled for Saturday) Abbie came home after a long day with Grandma.... Abbie: "Mommy, all these eggs are making me NERVOUS..." Me: "Why?" no response.. Me: "Why?" no response. just whining. She's getting herself a drink of water...wants ice...decides to lick the ice tray... Brad comes upstairs to show Abbie that it doesn't happen everytime and not to be afraid... I, being pregnant and such, laugh so hard a little bit of pee comes out.

MMMMMMM Cheetos.

So we started reading the scriptures together as a family after dinner and I was trying to explain to Abbie what it meant by "record of my people". Me: Its a record Abbie: (blank stare) Me: You know, like a journal Abbie: (blank stare) Me: We're reading Nephi's Blog Abbie: (giggle and smile) Oh.

When I came home from teaching today Abbie was excited to tell me how to make lemonade... You take 7 lemons, squeeze them Put in 2 inches of sugar then 3 cups of water... Yummy.

Dear Mel-Dawg , What projects did you do this weekend? Can't wait for Saturday. How does 1:00 sound? Oh, and how did you get the head to stay on? Sincerely, Mutha Crush formerly of the elusive 23 posse gang.

It's a balmy 59 degrees outside and Abbie and friend are in their swimsuits laying out.

I know some of you have heard me complain about the fact that I share my husband all polygamist style with someone else. I thought I would take just a few minutes to tell you about her. She is demanding. If she could she would take all of Brad's spare time. She steals money from my baby's mouths. She has been known to be very expensive. She is frustrating. She makes Brad angry sometimes. In the last year and a 1/2 she has consumed his thoughts. But here's the kicker. She's pretty. She is comfortable. She is warm and cozy. The girls adore her. Ladies and Gentleman: I give you...The other woman... Here is the main room. Brad finished welding and painting the trim for the fireplace. The screen. Did I mention the screen? Abbie calls it the scream. It sure is a... The projector in the ceiling. Thank you Costco. You can kind of get an idea how we spent 8 hours this weekend. It looked like this: More pictures of the other woman coming soon...