The Mother of Geese

This weekend in an effort to "Make Room for Baby" Brad helped me organize the girls closet. Abbie and I spent the day separating and collecting like things and donating the unlike things. By Saturday we were ready for Brad and the trip to IKEA. (Note-while we were at IKEA some crazy pregnant woman who looked and acted like me had a minor breakdown because her husband got a phone call and sat and talked about fire places with a co-worker. Fireplaces?! Did that husband know how hot it is and mean it is to talk about fire?! Did that husband realize that PRIORITIES PEOPLE and the pregnant woman was on a mission?! Whatever he was thinking-I'm sure the words "Coo-Coo" were probably nearby) Here is the before: And wah-la the after: Also, I learned that there is NO WAY that Ty Pennington and his little friends actually move the peoples stuff back inside before the reveal. YOU KNOW that their stuff is chillin' in the neighbors driveway in a big old dumpster.

(Background: Abbie was recently given a bug collecting kit so she can capture all the rolly pollies in the neighborhood. It came with a flashlight. She left the flashlight on and the kit on the front porch last night) Mom: We need to take good care of our things and that means putting them away at night. Abbie: (disregarding what I just said) I need a new battery for the flashlight. Mom: Didn't we just put in a new one yesterday? Abbie: Yes, but I know THE LORD didn't want me to use this one anymore, and THE LORD didn't want me to go outside to get the stuff off the porch. Any ideas how to trump THE LORD?

Dear Sarah Jessica Parker, Not only do I love your perfume, but you also saved my leather couch from Amelia's ball point pen drawings. Who would have thought if I just spray the crap out of the offending 2 cushins it would come right off? Now, what would you suggest for the OVERWHELMING smell in my house? Kind of getting a headache here. HD

Here's what we did this afternoon.

So PG has this lovely summer tradition called Strawberry Days. It includes free swimming at the pool, concerts, parades, rodeos, beauty pageants, and the best part of all the carnival. Before I continue a word about the parade. On Wednesday they have the chidren's parade which is basically the kids from primarys all over the town marching up a hill and around a block. She did it last year and HATED it. It is scheduled for 5:00 in the afternoon or when the temperature reaches 100 degrees. The kids are sweaty, crabby, and nobody is watching them pass because EVERYONE is in the parade. She said she never wanted to do it again and it was horrible etc...(Did I mention parents kind of are encouraged to walk the parade with the kids?) On Sunday at Primary there was a marketing attempt to get foolish walkers to do the parade. Abbie was all excited. I was torn between good mommy-"I love that you want to be active in your church and communty. I will support you in whatever you want and ...

I was finishing cleaning up lunch and I heard a thud, light thud, thud, light thud...I thought maybe Amelia was throwing a doll or a pony down the stairs. To my utter AMAZEMENT she was walking down the stairs all unassisted. Probably not a big deal for most almost 2-year-olds but when you consider the stair height is 8 inches and she is 32 inches tall that is roughly 1/4 of her height. When was the last time you climbed 17 inch stairs? (That would be if you were as tall Brad though...)

Take the Quiz here!

Today was the first day of swim lessons for the girls (and Brad...)I signed Abbie up for level 1 (I believe the saying goes "if at first you don't succeed try, try, try, try and try again"...yes this is the 5th attempt at passing level 1) and I signed Amelia up for a mommy and me class with Brad. I did not however tell him it was mommy and me, I think I might have said something about parent and me class. Before all the swimmers got in the pool I showed Abbie where she needed to stand in line. Classic line of the day, she asked, "Why is everyone so small and short in the line?" Rude and mean mommy thought about saying, "Because dear, all the large and tall kids your size don't refuse to get their hair wet or get their face in the water..." but instead kind and loving mommy said something diplomatic like, "Maybe they were just ready to move on and learn new tricks" (notice the arch in the back to avoid water on head) Yay for Brad for be...

Amelia is not so much a little girl that will fall asleep whereever, whenever like her big sister. Just think it only took 16 months to make her tired enough to sleep during the meal.

So I have a confession to make. I am not Perfect. I try to keep a clean and organized house but I do have one (read a couple) of areas that are not so great. We came home from our trip and bossy Brad refuses to help me get the girls room ready and organized until I face the demon that is my pantry. But here's the deal. The pantry didn't really bug me. The system is as follows...No system. Many bags of almost eaten things so Brad doesn't say, "Did you eat all of the ____________________(fill in the blank). Stuff stuffed where it fit. Only 2 rows of usable space. Since Bossy Foreman Brad was being so unreasonable about letting me keep the pantry like this I caved to his heavy demands. Behold the before: The during: (Note: Trader Joe's is so wierd. I bought All Butter Shortbread cookies with Raspberry or Apricot filling. I opened the bin and BEFORE I KNEW IT half of it was gone. It's like they magically put a spell in the package so that after eating what I am sur...

I have relieved Abbie of her blogging duties and loved sharing the duties with her. We are now home to piles of laundry (ick), car unloading (double ick), and grocery undoing (yay!!! did I mention I hit Trader Joe's on the way out of town?). Here's what I learned on my trip to Vegas with the family. #1. Brad has the GREATEST job on earth. Yay that he was able to have an excuse to take his family along while he was learning how to control the world. (Or whatever he does for work.) #2. I am the WOAH-MAN! How many other 8-month pregnant women go to Vegas during June. With 2 kids. Nay, I saw nary a one pregnant woman atall. Let alone one so big as I. #3. Sting can't handle me. #4. My girls ROCK! I loved just hanging out with them and having "one last trip" with the girls before the man child comes. #5. I am SO FUN when I don't have to clean the house or make meals. #6. Vegas is NOT so much kid-friendly. I really wanted to punch the next person who said, "Wow,...

We saw hotels we got pictures of them they were beautiful. Blue Man group was silly and loud and silly most of all magical. My favorite part was the pipe thing and the juice came out of their chest and it spilled on their drums. The garden was beautiful. We saw flowers and it was beautiful, Melia smelled one and they smelled good. Dear Julie, Here is your picture. We saw the fountains. There were beautiful and pretty and the camera did not get wet! I wish the next time that we come to Vegas the camera will not get wet or run out of batteries or film.

We went to the zoo. We feed the goats and the birds. Chickens got out of their cages and they were everywhere. Mommy almost ran over a little chick with the stroller. (Editor's note-I wanted to provide the girls with some local fun along with the touristy fun, thus the museum yesterday. I stumbled onto this . I figured it had animals, which the girls are into and it promised to be in the "shade". I followed my directions and was alarmed to find that not only was it located directly UNDER the airstrip, but that we were in a neighborhood that most likely would result in a car-jacking. I just started laughing. and laughing. The girls were laughing, but they didn't know why. When I parked the car I took a quick check and all the things I would have to remember for the insurance claim. We walked up to the "zoo"-picture tagged masonry fence with broken bottle fence to discourage raids. Chain link. And my favorite---the chickens EVERYWHERE! Ladies and gentleman, I...

To announce the following. I have officially asked the universe for tickets to the Police on Friday Night. The following signs have pointed to the real event that it will happen. #1. Brad's conference was scheduled for the EXACT time that they would be having their reunion tour. #2. Brad's conference is giving away tickets to such concert. #3. I had a dream about Sting the night before we left. He was singing so close to me I could feel his breath on my upper lip. #4. When we went to get gas there was a Sting song playing in the gas station. #5. A grabbed a CD case that I never listen to and it had a Police CD in it. #6. For every class Brad goes to equals one entry in the contest. Yesterday he left at 8:00am and we saw him around 6:45pm. Big day. #7. We went to see the lions at the SAME place where he will be on Friday. Now, if the universe finds that there is another more worthy of the honor it could and decides to give the tickets to someone else it is probably because of on...

REEEAAAAORR! We saw the lions. Swimming is fun! Don't get the camera wet and don't splash. We went to 2 pools. Momma got wet and so did I so don't get wet people! There we go. Mommy took us to a fun museum . Don't break anything. It might be breakable. I went shopping and a pretend grocery store and did lots of other fun things. SHHHH. Just be quiet. There's someone asleep.

The pool was beautiful. We swimmed in it. I have been practicing swimming to grow back my fins. Mommy took us to a walk. It was hot. Momma was like sweat when we got home. The waterfalls was beautiful. Step away because there might be something that scares you away! So step away! The pirates ships are like right there and they are real pirates. We went to find the statue guy, he was there, and then some people came with some beautiful voices to sing to us. (Editor's note: Abbie made up a song to the tune of row, row, row, your boat to describe the latest scene...) Sing, sing sing a song, sing a little leery song, sing we ding we singily sing a lilly song.

The mountains are pretty. They are red and pretty. We drived to Las Vegas. We played the ABC game that you have to sound out some foods that starts with the letter. I watched Bambi 2, and I watched Shaggy Dog, and I watched Strawberry Shortcake. Amelia was funny. We stopped for gas in St. George. We saw the temple it was pretty.