So...my Spring Swap came!

This was so fun Hannah - thanks for organizing it!

I was so excited when I came home today and saw a package waiting for me on the front step with this inside:

I am most excited about this:

and these:

Thank you Jenny!!!

coming soon...

WSMG Pick of the Week

"Glycerine" - Bush
This song is a blast.from.my.past.

So...F

Letter F!!!

Feather F

(thank you again No Time For Flashcards!)

First Daughter's

Second Daughter's

F is for Face:

F is for Flag:

I love how they have different technique gluing on the stripes. Second Daughter puts the glue on the stripes and then puts them in place. First Daughter puts the glue down first on the paper and then places the stripes on the glue.

Display!

So..."green" drink

Doesn't this look delicious?

You'd never guess what's in it...

1. Fill a glass with half water, half orange juice. Pour a little in the bottom of the blender.
2. Fill the blender loosely with...SPINACH! That's right, spinach.

3. Add frozen berries (about 3/4 cup) and whatever other fruit you want. I added peaches because they looked oh-so-yummy at the store yesterday.

**TIP: You can buy frozen berries (Costco has the best deal) but this time of year, when you can buy fresh berries at such a great price, freeze them yourself. I wash them up, cut up my strawberries, and fill a Ziploc freezer bag with my own variety of berries - blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries.

4. For extra goodness, add some yogurt. These babies can be found at Costco and they are only 100 calories!

5. Pour in the rest of the juice and blend it all together.

Like I said, you would never guess what's in it. And maybe your kids won't either!

You really can't even taste the spinach. This is a great way to start your day and it makes enough for another glass with lunch or snack.

So...confessions of a sleepy mom

I did not wake up this morning at 6:30.
Today was not another miracle morning.
But, it was pretty good.

I couldn't get myself out of bed today when my alarm went off for two reasons:
1.) Husband and I had to watch the season finale of 24 last night, and didn't realize it was 2 hours long until we started watching it at 9:30. Again, we had to watch it, so we ended up staying up later than we planned.
2.) Baby Daughter was restless from about 3:30 am - 6:30 am. She wasn't fully awake, she wasn't crying, she wasn't hungry - just restless. Lots of baby grunts, squeaks, tossing and turning. All things that make it hard for Mama to sleep peacefully.

So...when 6:30 rolled around this morning and my alarm went off, I pressed snooze (a couple times) and rolled over with a big sigh. I did however, manage to get myself up and out of bed before the girls woke up and I did also manage to be a happy mom this morning. Yay! I guess, in a way, this morning did have its small miracles.

I have been praying and praying to be a happier mom, to have more patience (with a certain 4-year-old), and to be more sensitive to the needs of my very curious, very busy Daughters. I feel like most days I do what I can to keep them busy enough for me to get my own things done. Most of the time the day ends with grumpy kids, grumpy mom, a messy house, and not enough time. Lose-lose-LOSE situation. Nothing seems to end up how I want it to. (Ok, I know I'm exaggerating a little...) So, I've really been working on fixing the grumpy part by watching & listening to my kids better - figuring out who they are, what they need, and then trying to give them exactly that. I am TRYING and still have a ways to go. Days like today when I wake up happy and not bugged at my kids for actually waking up, getting out of bed, and waking me up (wow, that's horrible), I feel like I am making some serious progress.

Here's to hoping for more happy mornings. :)

So...lists

Miracles happen when I make lists.
(See previous post).
I started making lists like the one pictured below in college. I was a Music Major study violin and was required to practice 4 hours a day. Consistency is a must for me if I want to make something a habit, but I could not find a 4 hour time slot each day to schedule in practicing. So I had to break it up - 3o minutes here after lunch, 10 minutes there between classes, and hopefully an hour before going home, etc. etc. When I would make these glorified lists of things I needed to do, and commit to when I was going to do them, I was so much more likely to get it done.
I go in and out of this habit. Whenever I'm in the habit, I am much more productive, and much happier because I feel like I'm doing the things I want to do. And it's amazing how much time I can find in the day to do the things that are important to me.

And there's just something about crossing things off my daily list of things to do that makes me so happy!

So...it's been a great day so far...

It is a miracle.
I woke up this morning at 6:30 - BEFORE the kids woke up! I don't think you realized how amazing this is. For 1 YEAR after Second Daughter was born I set my alarm for 6:30 EVERYDAY and not once did I get up. I would turn it off in the middle of the night after the second or third time of getting up with a kid. I finally gave up and just accepted that I was not meant for great things like waking up at 6:30 am.

But today I did it! I got up and took Dog for a run on the river trail by our house. It was very nice. I really love being up early and I especially love running in the mornings, but for some reason I can't remember that I love it when I'm in bed trying to get myself out. But today I did it. Hallelujah!

It was so nice to start the day off with some quiet alone time. It was even nicer to be awake with Husband without the craziness of three awake kids. I was actually able to say goodbye to him instead of the grunt he usually gets when he kisses me goodbye while I'm still in bed. So nice.

And if those two things weren't enough to make my day great, ALL THREE Daughters decided to sleep in this morning until 9:15!!! Third Daughter slept even longer - I had to wake her up at about 10:00. So I had a lot of quiet alone time this morning. I was able to shower, get dressed, READ MY SCRIPTURES (!!!), unload the dishwasher, and clean up the kitchen - including sweeping and mopping the floors!!! I can't even remember the last time I mopped - probably right before Baby Daughter was born. It really was a miracle of a morning. Everyone - including me - was happy this morning, which does not happen very often around here.

I have a dream of someday becoming a morning person. That's why today has been a GREAT day and why I am now sitting here during naptime, eating chocolate cake (this day deserves some celebrating!)

So...Almost Famous

My backdoor neighbor Lara Johnson is working on her first solo album featuring original vocal/piano arrangements of LDS hymns & songs. Her first single, As I Have Loved You, is now available to download on her website. About two years ago, when she was writing this arrangement, I helped write the violin part and then went into the studio with her to record it. Yes, that's right, I'm playing the violin on this recording! I felt a little in over my head during the whole experience, but it was an incredible opportunity and so much fun. I really felt honored (and surprised) that she even thought of me. She is incredibly talented and I can't wait to buy and hear the whole album!

So...IT CAME!!!

My banana tree arrived today! It's not quite as beautiful as it looked in the catalog picture, but it did just take a trip from Florida to Utah in a box. I think given the circumstances she's looks pretty good!

Now all she needs a name...

I'm thinking Nan.

So...E

Letter E!

Spong Painted and Cookie Cutter Stamped E

since we only have one "E" cookie cutter, the sponge painting allowed both kids to paint at the same time.

E is for Earth
1. color in Earth

2. cut out and glue Earth in "outer space"

3. wear cutout paper as necklace :)

4. display!

E is for Elephant
Elephant Stencils & Rub Tiles

First Daughter's

Second Daughter's

So...new favorite

oh.my.goodness

Try these amazing cookies.
The best recipes seem to always be made or found by using ingredients that you already have. That's what I was trying to do with my leftover coconut and white chocolate chips that have been calling my name. And sure enough, I have found a new favorite cookie recipe. Husband & I might just hide in our bedroom and eat the whole batch tonight :)

So...go figure

That night, after my previous post wondering where my banana tree was, I got an email confirming that my order has been shipped! Yay!!
(It's about time!)

So...it's been almost a month...

Where the heck is my banana tree?

So...some things

Some things I would love to get done this weekend:

- clean floors in bathrooms & kitchen
- clean up our flowerbeds and get them ready for planting!
- vacuum the goldfish on the floor in the Daughters' bedroom
- organize my art supplies (completely inspired by this)
- go on a run
- finish some baby onesies for sistes in the ward
- do a little (or a lot) of blogging
- catch up on this
- have a great conversation with someone I love talking to

Wishing you all a happy weekend. May all of your lists be completed!

WSMGS Pick of the Week

"Heartless" - Kanye West
Great artist. Great song.
(and I love Kris Allen!)

So...it begins

Last night was Day 1 in my training for the Freedom Run 5k on July 4th. Oh my. 1 1/2 miles was not a very "easy" or "light" run for this post-pregnancy, 9-months-without-any-exercise woman, but it felt good to at least get out there and get started. We are a little under 8 weeks away from the race. I'm thinking that I can be ready by then. I hope!

Anyone up for running with me?

So...hello again

Hello friends.
It has been quite awhile, I know, but time seems to be speeding by me. I am keeping myself busy doing a lot of good things. Some fun. Some not-so-fun. All good. I can't quite seem to get to all the things I want to do. Like blogging... Blogging was my sanity during my pregnancy and really helped me keep my life in order. I can't tell if me not blogging so much now is a good thing or a bad thing. It either means I am keeping myself busy and I don't have so much free time on my hands (good thing?), I'm not using blogging as an escape from my chores (good thing), I'm not using it as an escape from my children (really good thing!), OR it means that I have lost control over my life and can't seem to find a minute to do something I want to do (not so good thing?) Whatever the reason, I am having a hard time fitting in some of my favorite things, like blogging, into my daily routine. I'm hoping this is one of those things that will come back with time. Let's hope so.

I really do love blogging...

So...Spring Swap

Hannah over at Sherbet Blossom is hosting a Spring Swap - what a fun and great idea! I'm excited to participate. It's like glorified pen-palling! I'm excited to meet new blogging friends and who doesn't love to get things in the mail? I do!!! If you are interested in participating yourself, head on over to Sherbet Blossom for details on how to sign up. All are welcome!

Thanks Hannah - this should be fun!

So...George Elliot

"It's never too late to become the person you might have been."

- George Elliot

So...

I did it!!!
Yesterday I finished the Poetic Asides PAD challenge! Wahoo!
30 poems in 30 days - I must say, I am pretty proud of myself.
I had a lot of fun doing this and I'm happy to say I actually wrote a few decent poems.
I can't wait to keep it up with his Wednesday prompts.

Thank you Robert for the daily inspiration and motivation to write!