Saturday, March 28, 2009

Monetize Me, Baby!

I decided to check and see what everyone was up to this evening and stalk...um... I mean follow a few blogs. I went to my dashboard and on the side by where it shows me every one's new posts and whether I want to add a new post, there was a new link.

It was called monetize.

Now it took me a minute to realize what this is. Once it all clicked in my head, I had to click on the link just to be sure. Yep. I can now put ads on my blog and you, the unwary and innocent reader, will make me money just by clicking on the ads. Oh, I am SOOO done with the ordinary work force. I have decided we will move to Jamaica and buy red corvettes, and you may visit any time.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Monday, March 23, 2009

Is It Spring Yet?


This morning while we were getting ready for school and work, Nadia looked out the living room window and noticed that it was snowing. She started to get upset.


"It's the THIRD day of Spring! It's not supposed to snow anymore! Where is all the green grass and sun?!"


I had to sit her down and explain that sometimes when it is the end of one season and the start of another, they wiffle waffle and it's always a surprise what you'll get day to day. Like with politicians and their promises. Okay, so I didn't say that last part. But I was thinking it.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Delta, Delta, Delta

We went down to Delta for the weekend. See those children without any coats or long sleeves? Ahhh... It was so nice. We spent an extra day down there, Cliff got to sing in a quartet with his brothers and dad, and it was Carson's (Cliff''s Dad) Birthday Extravaganza. Hey, when you can fit and light 72 candles on one cake, it IS an Extravaganza. I would have taken pictures of that as well, but my battery died and I was a little worried about that much light damaging the camera lens anyway. Just teasing, Carson. We were so happy to be there for your birthday!

I call this picture "Wait for meeeee!" I will be hearing that constantly in about 6 months, I am sure. Poor Benjamin tries so hard to keep up with the big kids, but just can't do it yet. Don't worry, we still took him with us, just in a stroller. That's how he rolls. Brandon did great on the 2 wheeler bike but was not happy about it being "pretty" instead of "cool". Pink on a bike, no matter how little, is never cool when you're a 5 year old boy.

One of the great things about warmer weather is kicking the children out of the house and making memories with family and friends with sidewalk chalk or bubbles. We had both and used it all. Okay, so maybe the chalk got broken and the bubbles spilled, but they still were used and the kids enjoyed them. That is the important part. We also played at the park and took walks. Then we saw the Styers and played some more. I love walking with the kids and letting them play outside with friends and cousins. We don't get to do it enough, and that is my opinion as well as the children's.


Thursday, March 12, 2009

Answers

Okay, so I'm going to cheat because I may not have access to a computer tomorrow and Cliff won't buy me a Blackberry with internet access. Yes, you should all call him and complain.


1. True. I really cannot donate blood because I may have been exposed to tainted beef while living in Western Europe, so I have to wait to see if the Red Cross ever decides I'm safe or not.

2. True. Most people don't know I have been a great fan of both since high school.

3. True. I may have had a sitter who was a little behind reading wise, but she had me read to her so she could answer her homework questions.

4. True. I still get teased about this. Maybe that's why I don't wear them anymore. The worst was at Prom and my bro told my date I was already wearing a snack so he didn't need to take me to dinner. The jerk.

5. False. Cliff did, not me.

6. False. I am not a swimmer in the least.

7. True. And everyone in our old ward knows it. Do you know what kind of looks you get from all the old men after that? Who then go home and tell their wives? So embarrassing.

8. True. I have been there and done that.

9. True. Canada and Mexico were only day trip visits, but I was there.

10. True. So where do I find a house? Behind a horse pasture. Of course mice try to drop in for a visit.

11. True. Peer pressure from missionaries and the bishopric, no less. No pressure at all.

12. True. Cliff had to sing the next day at his uncle's funeral. We had to get up at 6 after waking up at 4 the morning before to get to Manti. His brother couldn't sit beside us because he kept smirking everytime he looked at us.

13. True. Partly from moving around, partly because I am lazy and didn't keep it up.

14. False. I may be a homebody, but I get really antsy after living somewhere longer than 3 years. I think packing and unpacking are fun as long as the kids are busy elsewhere. Unpacking is like Christmas morning to me.

15. True. I freeze up on the phone and talking face to face with someone. I think that they are suddenly going to realize what a dork I am and why on earth are they wasting their time talking to me when they could be doing something pleasant?

Monday, March 9, 2009

Lies!

My good friend Krista did this on her post, and graciously is allowing me to copy her since I can't think of anything interesting to blog about. What you do is write 15 things about yourself, with a few lies thrown in the mix. Then you, dearest reader, must separate the fact from fiction. The answers will be here Friday. P.S. In all fairness, I'll let you know that there are 3 lies. Find them if you can...

1. I cannot donate blood because I may be a carrier of Mad Cow disease.

2. I am the one that turned Clifford on to Jimi Hendrix and opera.

3. I was reading at my baby sitter's level when I was 5 and she was 12.

4. When I was 2, I ate my mother's contact lenses. Twice.

5. I learned to drive when I was 10.

6. I was on my high school swim team and broke a school record.

7. I proposed to Cliff.

8. I have had a regular birth, C-section and VBAC.

9. I have been to Canada, Mexico, and Europe, but never the Middle East or Asia.

10. I am scared to death of mice and the Hanta virus thing you can get from their poop.

11. My dad didn't want me to go on a mission because he thought I was going from peer pressure.

12. I was married one day and had to attend a funeral the next.

13. I have attempted to learn the piano 3 times.

14. Even though I was raised an Army brat, I hate moving. I am a homebody.

15. I hate talking on the phone because I am scared I'll say something stupid.

Now if you think you know the answers, go ahead and leave them in your comments. Let's see how many of you get them right!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Tales From February

It has been a little hard lately to think of things to blog about. All I want to do right now is have enough dry ground for children to play outside, and get some Spring Cleaning done. I know, I am going crazy. So I have some random stories that I just don't want to forget to share with family (and any one else who may be interested).

Benjamin is a criminal mastermind in the making. He pushes a chair over to the counter to get whatever I have unwittingly left there, thinking it to be safely out of his grasp. I am a moron. Benjamin has gotten into the chips bag, my water cup, and even a pumpkin pie. Today he took the cake. Really. I made a cake for Sunday dessert, let it cool, and frosted it. That's when the little man struck. He got his chair, and tried to eat his cake. It was a little hard to dive into since it was still intact, so he opened the drawer and pulled out a spatula. That's when I caught him, using the spatula to cut into the cake. He's brilliant. Brilliantly evil.

Brandon loves salsa. He loves cars and transformers, too. But he is quick to tell you that he will NOT marry it, whatever "it" happens to be at the time. We will be eating dinner or he'll be playing with a toy, and he'll say, "I love this," with, "But I'm not going to marry it," all in the same breath. Apparently we have been using that joke WAY too much this cold and dreary winter, in an attempt to warm up our frostbitten hearts and toes.

Nadia bought me a teddy bear for Valentine's Day. It is pink, and is holding a pink heart pillow that says, "Princess" with a little pink jewel on it for some bling. I brought it out of the wrapping, with Nadia clapping her hands and asking me if I loved it. I said it was a great Valentine's Day gift and thank you. Guess what she said after that. "Mom, don't you think your new bear would look great on my bed?" Guess where it is now. Good thing I didn't get a new pair of pearl earrings this year, huh.

If these cute stories haven't put a smile on your face, maybe this will: I think I may have signed up to teach a bread making class.
Of course it was purely accidental, and I can see my sister Lauren falling off her chair laughing as she reads this. Hopefully it will have happened at work, in which case Workman's Comp will pay for any injuries I may have caused.
I'm actually not a bad baker, but this may not be the best move I have made being a "Helpful Helen." It would probably have been okay if I had a mixer, and Heaven only knows how I've made it through 9 years of marriage without one. Oh, wait, we always had great bakeries right by us so I could be lazy and just buy my rolls.
Maybe that's what I'll do: we'll just go on a field trip to Geraldine's or Great Harvest and I'll explain all about the different types of breads and rolls you can buy while we eat some samples. I bet it will the best attended class EVER.