The Mother of Geese

I have been getting all caught up on my This American Life . A few weeks ago they featured an episode called "This I used to believe". Sort of a takeoff of NPR's "This I believe". I thought I would dazzle the blog with of my own version of "This I used to believe." I graduated from USU with a minor in Women's Studies. At the time, I felt so empowered and important. I especially remember one lecture that discussed the importance of having neutrally balanced toys. I remember vowing to make sure my future offspring girls played with trucks and my boys played with dolls. This I used to believe...that I would be enlightened enough not to think its wierd or funny and encourage that sort of play. Challenge the stereotypes! This I used to believe.... but now, I think its hilarious and not necessarily advanced that Max does this... Sorry Brenda. You can rip up my degree. I'm probably too silly to deserve it now. (Mel-Dawg and Special K-holla! how great ...

I am all about the destination dinner experience (not like The Mayan more like the whole meal transports you someplace). I have been dying to try Spark ! and was not disappointed. Plus it rated a C on family friendly so I was IN! We grabbed some friends and had a great time! The big sell is the full non-alcohlic bar drinks. I got a delicios Kiwi Martini and Brad got a Black Lemonade. Also ordered were the ox-blood and the mango mojito. "Dueling Edamame" lemon and Hawaiian salt vs. Bacon Sauteed. Very flavorful. We also tried the thai spicy tuna roll with cilantro and jalapeno. Pow! I ordered the tandoori-crusted blue nose sea bass with coconut rice and a roasted pineapple salsa. Brad got the surf and turf with a soy demi-glace. Delicious! Our friends got the fried chocolate pudding. We scored with the chocolate covered bananas in philo with mango ice cream. Oh how I wish I could be a restaurant critic and get paid for it.

Today My Whim! felt like giving all the children benedryl at naptime. Take That! evil allergies! Awesome. Then my Whim! wanted to snuggle with her oldest on the hammock. I can't believe I was a hater on my freckles when I was younger. I can't tell her enough how much I love them on her! Then My Whim! left and went to dinner with the most awesome presidency. Have you been to the Blue Lemon Bistro? Do not take your husbands because they will most certainly NOT appreciate chicky food. Take the girls.

I was inspired by this blog a few weeks ago and her ability to so My Whim! today was to just say no when I received a phone call from someone wanting me to do something I really didn't want to do. I feel like I am plenty involved in enough things and that there are other people who need to be given the opportunity to help out. I almost danced when I hung up the phone. Also, at the market today I found the most beautiful rhubarb. I whipped up a drama queen worthy strawberry rhubarb crisp for dessert because My Whim! said I should have dessert in the middle of the week. My Whim! laughed at Bradfo who ate a good 3/4of the pan (which is the equivalent of about 6 cups of fruit. Lawd have mercy on the pipes.) And yes, My WHIM! is so sick of looking at fatheatherpictures so yes, we are blank and boring for the time being.

(the movie last night was a big fat waste of an hour and a half and a bigger fatter waste of Best Female Actor Oscar. Pah-leeze) My Whim! enjoyed the spring weather today. Look at those mountains! It was 5:30 pm and I was in full panic mode because I hadn't treated myself to even one My Whim! Good thing this tree cooperated with a few buds! (background...I have been bugging Brad to put up the hammock he got for Christmas. He refused until our honey locust tree had buds.) My Whim! insisted I lay in the hammock instead of making dinner. My Whim! demanded company from her two favorite boys and some radio paradise blasting out a little Peter Gabriel, Cake and Sublime. My Whim! threw caution to the wind and did not reapply sunblock. My Whim! liked these flowers the girls picked for me Then My Whim! made a salad and grilled fruit for dinner

I am having a birthday this week. In honor of the birthday I have decided to do everything according to "my whim" this week (say my whim in a high pitched voice). Today I decided to NOT wake up early to go swimming, NOT listen to Max's music in the car despite his whining, and NOT clean the house. My whim! My whim! wanted to go to the tulip festival with a picnic dinner My whim! wanted to hold her sleeping baby who didn't have a proper nap instead of forcing him to wake up My whim! couldn't decide what ice cream flavors to have, so she ordered all of them then My whim! ate her fill of the sundae and left the rest at the table without calculating how much money was wasted Later My Whim! is not going to put the kids to bed but will watch this movie and My Whim! will not double task by folding laundry.

Do you know how much I love Park City? I have so many great memories from different times in my life and thanks to this weekend I now have more great memories. Water fun: baths, swimming, steam showers! Snuggling in cozy beds Breakfast by Brad Who needs the "blue bathrobe" when you've got a hotel one? Watching Marley and Me (Amelia cried for a good 20 minutes at the end thanks Cuz, I still don't ever want a dog but it was a nice movie) I think I have mentioned that my kids will sell their souls for suckers... We love to eat at the Red Banjo Pizza Place on Main and we are planning more trips up this summer.

Today I dressed the kids up for a health fair (plus my dad was going to be dressed as a swishy pirate). Amelia went as a reluctant Peter Pan and I spent the morning with dialogue like this Amelia: Does Peter Pan jump on beds? Does Peter Pan drink water? Does Peter Pan suck a yowee? Does Peter Pan wear seatbelts? Abbie went as a pirate and Max went as Captain Hook's sidekick Smee. Abbie is pointing to her picture she submitted. We came home and had an indoor picnic which resulted in 20 minutes of high fives and "bones" ...Remember how Monday looked like this? ...and Thursday looks like this?....

Donuts and the Aquarium (because that's what everyone else in creation chose to do today also) mmmmmm. Donuts. The Danielson's have searched near and far to find the best donuts in town. We know who bakes them fresh, who defrosts them from a box and bakes them up, who is chintzy with the sprinkles, and who is worthy of a full pink box. But nothing could have prepared me for these numbers . Thank you Anne for showing us the glory. The glaze is made of actual fruit! (Imagine that) Amelia and Abbie both chose Strawberry Cream. Hazen chose pineapple. Remarkably, it fell on the floor and Anne let him keep eating it because it was so delicious. My winner was a raspberry mango. Party in my mouth people! I took a german chocolate cake and a peanut butter chocolate home for later. After losing Max for a terrifying few minutes at the aquarium, I decided to improvise using a scarf. My favorite was how he would closeline other pushy kids. Yes, I tie my child up. What of it?