Change is Good

Ok, Ok. I'm sure that some of you are sick of logging onto my blog and finding it different every time. Hopefully this will be the background that I use for a while, because I LOVE it! I've been searching and searching the web for a template that just looks like ME. You know how a shirt or dress just "looks like" someone? Well, that's what I've been looking for, and I think I finally found it. The blue and brown plaid was getting a little painful on the eyes, anyway! So, enjoy!

Thanks, Shawna, for the website. I love how you don't lose all of your sidebar additions when you change! (http://cutestblogontheblock.blogspot.com)

It ain't easy being cheap!

I am a total cheapskate. I readily admit it, and even though some people look down on my money-spending choices, I am proud of them. We may not have everything new, and goodness knows our family owns almost nothing that is actually name-brand. But we have plenty of what we need, and a little more in the bank account after all is said and done.

Here are a few of my favorite finds:

These hats were FREE! I collect Disney Rewards points, and got these for the kids for no charge, not even for shipping. (By the way, the shirt Frank is wearing was less than $1, and Emma's dress was $3. I made it from pre-fab fabric from Wal-Mart and 1 pkg. of rick-rack trim that was on clearance.)

We considered buying a new trampoline for the kids for Christmas. But, we decided not to and found this one for $40 (enclosure and all) on Craigslist. Good thing too, because 3 days after we got it, the wind blew it down the driveway and the trees shredded the enclosure on the way by. It sucks, but for $40, who can complain?

I literally found this Rainforest Jumperoo in the trash while leaving church last week. I took a shortcut to avoid a line at the stop sign, and this was sitting by the dumpster behind Checker Auto. It is 100% fine, and the music and lights still even work. We won't be using it for a long while, but hey, it can sit in storage, right? These things sell for at least $50-60 on Craigslist! This was not my find, but Andrew's father found it on the freeway near Willcox. It fell out of someone's car and was laying in the median. Minimal damage, but it's free! (Eric is a cheapskate at heart, too.) I NEVER pay full price for pictures, and NEVER pay a sitting fee. I got all of Emma's birthday pics this year for $5.21. That's over 40 pics, folks! Did I mention that I love coupons?
Our favorite cushy recliner. This thing has a REFRIGERATOR in the arm! It also has heat and massage. We got it when we first got married for $500, regularly priced at $1300. Someone else didn't like the color after they ordered it. Looks fine to me, and even matches our couch!

Emma's "Santa" gift this year included a makeup mirror with 20-piece accessory kit and a dressing mirror with garment rack, all with lights and sound. It cost a whopping $7.79 with free shipping. Thanks, Amber, for the heads-up on this one!

So, even though my kids don't have Gymboree and Gap labels hanging in their closet and Andrew and I plan our eating out based on the deals of the day, we get by and have a great time bargain-hunting in the process. Do any of you have great cheapskate stories?

Who woulda thunk?

I've posted before and I'm sure I'll post again about my kids' picky eating habits. Actually, it's not so much picky as just a lack of eating habits! Anyway, I was totally floored to find this scene when I turned around from doing the dishes while the kids ate last week.

This is ENCHILADA SAUCE! That's my plate that I had left on the other side of the table. He climbed over the table to get it and sat back down in his chair to enjoy it. What a kid! How could a little boy that doesn't like hot dogs or peanut butter and honey love enchilada sauce? I guess it runs in the family, though. Emma can't stand the all-time kid favorite macaroni and cheese, but adores sauerkraut and hot pepperoni.

Well, I'll take it. I don't care what they eat, just as long as they do eat!

Winter in Arizona, part 2

Just a few days ago I was bragging about the amazing AZ weather. In fact, just 2 days ago it was 80 degrees here in Tucson. So imagine our surprise when we woke up this morning to find it SNOWING!!! Of course, it had rained so much beforehand that it didn't stick too much on the ground, but everything else got a couple of inches at least. Emma LOVES the snow, and this time Frank even got into the act. We managed to piece together a snowman and have a small snowball fight before it started melting off.

It's snowed here at our house a couple of times every year since we moved here, and I think it's great to have the experience but not have to deal with the mess afterwards. Yea, AZ!

Happy Valentine's Day!

OK. I have to admit, I was really ticked off when the stake cancelled the soccer games scheduled on Valentine's Day. I couldn't understand who cared about Valentine's Day enough to actually cancel other plans and just hang out with their spouse. (As you can probably tell, V-Day is not a huge thing at our house, and never has been.)

But, when Andrew decided to take the day off because I had the day off, he suggested going on a family date, and it was amazing! First, we went bowling. It started off a little rocky because the lane kept eating our bowling balls, and Emma couldn't push the ball hard enough to get down the lane. In fact, a couple of times, the ball actually rolled halfway down the lane and then rolled right back to us. But, after the 3rd time of an employee having to walk down and rescue her stuck ball, they gave us a ball ramp and everything went great. I didn't even know such a thing as a ball ramp existed, but it was awesome. Frank was the cutest thing ever! He wouldn't go up to the ramp with us, but if we just balanced the ball on the top and walked away, he would get a running start and hit it as hard as he could. Then he would dance back up the lane singing "Go ball, go ball, go ball!" It was adorable. Emma was a little pro, and just had to do everything herself. Oh, man, she's getting so big!

After bowling we went over to Trail Dust Town to get a steak and watch the cowboy stunt show. I love watching them fall off buildings and stuff, but Emma was terrified of the guns going off, and especially when the actor fell all the way from the top of a 3-story building. On the way home, she told me, "I was really brave during the cowboy show.....what is brave, Mommy?" "It's when you're not scared, honey," said Mommy. "Oh," said Emma "then I wasn't so brave." Somehow I managed to not get any pics of the show, but maybe that's because Frank fell off the bench and rolled underneath the bleachers and I was busy comforting him. Poor guy, he has a huge scrape on the side of his face, but was so enthralled with the show that he hardly even cried (after I fished him out of there!)

Before we left for home, we decided to do something that we've contemplated dozens of times. We always go into this studio, but finally decided to 'bite the bullet' and do it. I think the results are awesome, but now I have to find some sort of cowboy-type frame to put it in. Somehow I don't think it's gonna match the decor in our house!

After we got home, we finally frosted the cupcakes that we had made that morning. I let the kids do their own, and as always, was pleasantly surprised with the results. It's amazing how much they can do when you actually let them.

All in all it was a great day, even if Emma actually asked to not eat her cupcake so that she could go to bed, she was so tired! I really enjoyed the time together as a family, and maybe we'll make this "family date" a thing we do every Valentine's Day. What a fun new tradition, thanks, Dad!

Bunnies, Bunnies, Bunnies!

Yesterday the kids and I went over to a friend's house to play and meet their new bunnies. We've been trying to set up a play date for weeks now, but just couldn't make our schedules click. But, when Amber sent me pics of the bunnies a few days ago, Emma saw them and put her foot down. We needed to go see Amber and her bunnies now!

So, we finally got together yesterday morning, and we had a blast. Here are some pics of the kids. I admit, if I didn't have a cat that would eat these bunnies in about 2 seconds flat, I would take 1 home in a heartbeat. I LOVE THEM!!!

Too sweet!

Great Quotes (?)

Emma:
- while watching the polar bears at the zoo, a group of kids crowded around her to see too
"Mommy, these kids are taking up all of my breathing room!"
- while discussing what to speak about in her first talk in Primary
"I think the best thing would be to talk about the thousand scrip-chin warriors."
"I want to talk about Captain Moroni and that flag he had on a stick."
"Could we talk about the guys who got burned in the fire but didn't really get burned?"
(She may not have these quite perfect, but I was very proud that she could remember the stories off the top of her head.)
- after Daddy caught her playing with Frank's um, "stuff" in the bathtub
"Daddy, I think Frank has marbles in there!"
- describing getting caught in the bathtub by Daddy to Mommy
"Daddy didn't like me playing with Frank's marbles. Can I get some marbles at the store to play with?"

Frank:
- after falling head-first out of the crib at Grandma's house
"I bonk, I bonk, I bonk." (for about an hour while rubbing his head)
- while banging Mommy in the head with his favorite car
"Mommy bonk, Mommy bonk"
- after hitting Mommy so hard in the shin with a truck that she cried a little
"I sorry I bonk Mommy." followed by hugs and kisses
(I was very impressed by his empathy, but do we see a pattern here?)
- being put in bed last night
"I need car! I need car!"
(He is such a boy! Emma takes a blanket and dolls, he has to have a car in bed with him or he absolutely can't sleep!)

Daddy:
- coming out of the bedroom at 8:00 am to find chaos in the living room and Mommy asleep on the couch
"What exactly happened here?" Uh, the kids!? Mommy sure didn't do it!
And my absolute favorite:
- during pillow-talk, discussing a show about an unwed couple about to have a baby that we were watching on TV
"It doesn't take a man to make a baby, it takes a man to raise a baby."

Winter in Arizona

There are a lot of people in this world (like my husband and you, Rachel) who believe that the presence of the 4 seasons are a necessity when choosing a place to live. I, however, am cut from a different cloth. I believe it's a lightweight cotton cloth, suitable for wear in the Arizona summers. Anyway, I just got an e-mail that illustrates why I feel the way I do about living in Southern Arizona. Many people believe that it's not really winter unless you have cold, snow, ice, salted roads, etc. I, however, believe that it's perfectly acceptable to go through an entire winter without ever wearing a heavy coat! This picture was taken at the park today. Yes, Frank is wearing a light jacket, but we took it off about 10 minutes after we got there. Both of my kids got sunburned, and we even were able to play outside in the sandbox in shorts and bare feet this afternoon. I love Arizona!

So, I already know the answer, but I'll ask the question anyway. Does anyone want to leave sunny, 70 degree Arizona for this? That's what I thought. Happy winter, everybody!
Thanks for the pics, Tahna!

My Little Mermaid

My daughter has a one-track mind. She gets latched onto an idea or memory and won't leave it for days.



Case in point:

Emma was looking through a pattern book at the fabric store last week. She saw a pattern for a Little Mermaid costume.

Ever since, she's been begging me to make her a costume with "red hair that flows just like this (making swaying motions with her hands)" and "green fabric so that my legs can be flippers."


Today at volleyball she told everyone who would listen, and interrupted the game about 9 times to remind me that I needed to create such a masterpiece for her.

We even had to watch the Little Mermaid this afternoon so that she could show me exactly what she was supposed to look like.



This was the scene I found when I came out of the house this afternoon looking for her. She was almost in the middle of the driveway, but it was the largest rock she could find to recreate the "Part of His World" scene from the movie.



Classic, huh?

I Got Nothin'

I have been thinking and thinking about what to write, and I got nothin'.

We just got back from Safford/Thatcher this morning. We got to meet our newest cousin, Camm Owen Allred, and boy, is he cute! He's Amy's newest, and that makes 3 for her. We also got our taxes done and visited all of the grandparents & great-grandparents. It seems like there would be something interesting to write about, but I've got a big blank. So, I'll just share some pics of our outing to the park last week, and leave it at that.



I'm sure that the kids will do something crazy or cute tonight as we navigate our way through dinner, baths, and bedtime. They usually save the really good stuff for when Daddy's not around!

Soccer Stars!

Circles

So I've been thinking this afternoon about circles.
We all know of a few well-known circles.

The circle of life, circles of friendship, the circle/cycle of pride. But I've been thinking of another more prevalent circle (in my household at least).

THE CIRCLE OF HOUSEWORK

By: Kris Merriman, mommy extraordinaire

I choose to think of it as homework, this job that's never done.

Even when life gets busy and we're crazy on the run.

I dust, sweep, and mop and oh, I pick up toys,

I clean so much I sometimes miss my life's little joys.

The house is never clean enough for my husband dear,

but to get it "Andrew clean", I think it'd take a year!

My favorite part of housework is finding special treats.

Like the spot on my cushion or the snack someone forgot to eat.

I love getting to do the same dishes every day,

I find joy in discovering the milk that's turned to clay.

Oh, my life is so exciting, it's always something new.

Like opening the dryer to find all the white clothes blue.

A dustpan and broom are the tools of my trade,

If I only knew how to use them, then my life would be made!

This messy house, this messy house, oh, woe is me.

A shining example of cleanliness I'm sure it will never be.

My house doesn't look good, but I don't really care,

because my kids are calling, and I will soon be there.

I choose to focus on the important things in life,

Like being a good mommy and the world's best-looking wife!

Yeah, right, you all say in loud voices oh so clear.

But ask my man, he'll tell you, if I am standing near.

I love the circle of housework that goes round in my home.

There's nothing better than picking gum out of the carpet with a comb.

But let us all rejoice, great mommys that we are.

For one day, there will be only us to dirty the car.

One day these little kiddos will be raised and gone.

And then who will we all have to blame our messes on?