What's for dinner?

Lately all of my kids have been picky eaters. Lindsay will ask what's for dinner and whatever I say gets a "Ewww....I hate that!" So, I've been trying to make it more exciting. This summer us girls ventured into a little bakery in downtown Lehi and saw this colorful bread.

They all begged me to buy it, but I didn't have and cash, so I didn't. I went back last week and bought the magical bread. No one would eat it.

I was wanting some Minestrone soup last week, but knew that no one would even try it unless I really made it special. So all day as it cooked, I told the kids that I had got Minnie Mouse's secret recipe and I was making her Minnie-strone soup. Lindsay constantly said, "Did you really get her recipe mom?" Not believing me, and I would reassure her that it really was (or maybe it was Jackie Proulx's recipe, but who can really tell, right?)
I took it up a notch when she wouldn't believe me and decided maybe the presentation would make it taste better. I made little Minnie's and tied the silverware up, and even found Minnie and Mickey to join us for dinner.

Lindsay wouldn't even try a bite. Macie picked the cheese off the top and ate that. Maddie was enjoying it - until she came across a large piece of bay leaf and that was the end of that for her. Jeramy and I enjoyed it though!

And I thought you all might be dying for a "year later" update on Esmerelda...
can you find the fish in there??
Yeah, she's still in there. I finally changed the water yesterday. Jeramy informed me that we are almost out of food. Do I really have to go buy more food for her, or should I just start feeding her all the stuff my kids won't eat?

Pick yer Poop...

For those of you who love a good mullet, or a demolition derby, or furniture on your front lawn, you'll probably enjoy this little game we discovered at Silver Lake. I kid you not..."Pick a Poop"
The kids were amazed and grossed out at the same time. Only a few were brave enough to actually touch the poop. Jeramy handed it to my sister who hadn't see the sign yet. She holds it, looks at it... then gives a little "yelp" when she figures out what it is!
We went for a stroll around the lake on Labor Day. You were probably there, too. I'm pretty sure there was a million people, and of course, my Dad ran into someone he knew in the first 5 minutes there.

Lindsay's Birthday

Lindsay has had quite the birth week. It seems like her birthday just keeps on going and going. She started the fun off by getting strep throat and an ear infection - yipee! We had to move her party from Sat until Mon. Saturday night she was deemed "not contagious" anymore, so we went for her birthday dinner. She chose McDonalds. 'Nuff said. We then went to Build a Bear. She was very adamant that she get one, even though she has 7 on her bed that my sister gave her. (Hand-me-downs are just not as cool, I guess). Her bear had to have roller skates, too. I spent $12 on roller skates for her bear. I don't even spend $12 on shoes for her!

Sunday, she got to open her presents from us and Grandma at 12:24 p.m. She's been asking for this pizza play food thing since we saw it in July, so I had to get it for her. Lots of little pieces all over my house, yet another Yipee!

Monday she had her birthday party! She wanted to have a Princess party, but 60% of the kids invited were boys, so we opted for a Dora and Diego party. My amazing sister in Washington made the backpacks for the kids. I love them! I added a map to them and we had to go around outside and follow the map to do activities. We had to help Dora find her gold coins, then help Diego save the animals from the river (my pool with no water, but 45 Cricuted animals in the bottom with magnets on them to be fished out). And we had to go in and help find baby Jaguar. (that would be the picture of the kids laying on the ground...no, I didn't drug them all). What party would be complete without a pinata? I made this festive one and the kids had a great time hitting it - and me. We need stronger trees if these pinata fests are to continue.

Monday morning while eating breakfast, Lindsay said, "I can't wait to wear my party hat and eat my cupcakes!" Sigh. Party hats. Macie and I had to make a last minute run to Partyland while she was at preschool. That girl has me wrapped around her finger!

4 things I love about Lindsay:
1) She is my shadow. At times I hate this, but then it is nice to have someone that always wants me around.
2) She is so thoughtful and kind. She calls Macie "Sweetie" and always shares with her. She is very aware of peoples' feelings and emotions.
3) (She is now up on the couch YELLING at me every 10 seconds to come upstairs. She's making this a lot harder than it should be). I love that she is starting to learn things and wanting to learn her letters, numbers and how to write. It's so fun seeing that new spark of interest in her.
4) I love that when she is in a deep sleep, she still moves her mouth like she's sucking a pacifier. She hasn't had a pacifier since she was 2. It's pretty cute, though!

Happy Birthday, Lindsay!

Survey says...

I haven't done one of these for a while, and this one includes a chance to win stuff, so here's more useless knowledge about me. :)

1. If you could escape to anywhere in the world where would it be?
I would love to go back to Switzerland and take Jeramy this time to a little town nestled in the Alps.
2. What song do you play when you are by yourself in the car?
Really digging Black Eyed Peas right now, can't play it with kids because I don't like Macie singing about the "junk in her trunk."
3. If you had a night to yourself, and money was no object, what would you do?
What wouldn't I do?? Spend Spend Spend. We have a huge list of "if we had the money projects" and I'd for sure hit all of those! Definitely book lots of trips, too!
4. What is your guilty pleasure?
candy bars. I'm worse than my kids when standing in line at the grocery store. I always want one (and usually get one - hey - I'm the mom, I can do that).
5. What is the farthest place you have traveled away from your home?
Europe.
6. Last book that you couldn't put down?
Just this week I read "Hunger Games" in one day, and then "Catching Fire" the next. (I just barely told Jeramy that I'm done with both. He hates how fast I read - something about "slowing down and enjoying them" or something).
7. When you want to escape into another time, what movie do you watch?
I believe in my previous life, I was hanging out with Jane Austin. Anything of hers takes me away.
8. What is your favorite local escape?
The mountains or the desert. I always breathe a little easier out in the middle of know where. Even better if my cell phone won't work!
9. How do you escape on a budget?
My bathtub. :)
Best food you've ever had while on vacation.
I was pregnant and we were in Nauvoo. We ate at a little mom and pop deli and I had a salad. It was the best salad I've ever eaten. Ever.

This is contest entry for those crazy folks at TodaysMama and Cricut. Be sure to check out Cricut's cool new cartridges and the chance at $30,000 in travel for you and your friends at the Great Gypsy Escape site! http://bit.ly/FWcud

Long day

You have 7 seconds to turn down your speakers...
Yup. I put music on my blog. But don't fret, it won't be staying long. I'm not a fan on music on my blog, but this song has been going through my head this week. My yoga instructor plays it at the end of our class and I always love it. I bought it yesterday and I've sat and listened to it a few times and I'm not sure I understand all the lyrics and their meaning, but I love the overall feel of it. I've had a few "long days" as of late. Haven't we all though? So, sit back, relax and listen for 3 minutes 27 seconds.
My mom keeps a notebook of things she's grateful for each day, here's my list from today:

-a good book (thanks Meredith for getting me reading again. 2 books in 2 days - yikes!)
-my parents stopping in with toys for the sick kid, it was a great distraction!
-finally taking Lindsay to the doctor. I always feel better knowing what's wrong and how to treat it. (strep and an ear infection)
-going to Pioneer Party and Target on my own (thanks, Jer)
-listening to Maddie read Junie B Jones to the girls while they were trying to go to sleep.
-hot bath
-my new blanket I got at Kohls on clearance for $7, regular $34. (I think the price makes it softer and warmer).
-being able to use my driveway after 7 days of parking on the street while the cement dried.
-listening to this on Nie Nie's blog tonight.

What are you grateful for today?

More adventures in parenting

I should be going to bed. If I don't make it to yoga at 6 a.m., I blame you.

So, here's the greatest moments in parenting for the week thus far. (and yes, it's only Monday). Many of you have already seen my facebook update of :

if you see Maddie today and think, "Wow, her hair has a nice, extra crisp finish and she smells lemon fresh" that would be because I sprayed her hair with STARCH, not hairspray this morning on accident. Please don't light up by her today, she's highly flammable.

That was actually Sunday before church. I posted it today because I was still chuckling about it. Here's the scoop.
I'm frantically trying to get myself and all 3 girls ready for church. I've got 2 girls down, Maddie to go. I run to my room and grab the hairspray off my dresser. I run back. I start spraying. Maddie gives me this concerned and confused look
"Mom, what are you doing?"
"I'm spraying your hair."
"With what???"
Crap. What to do, what to do? Keep on curling? No, it says it's flammable. But I use it with a hot iron. No. Probably shouldn't risk it. No time to wash it. Must put it up and pray there isn't a fire at church.

Adventure #2 happened while I was washing Madison's hair late Sunday night. I show Jeramy Macie's diaper that is hanging down almost to her ankles. I ask if he's changed her today. "No" Huh. I haven't either. He decides he can change that very wet diaper. I am grateful. Then I hear a loud "Thump" and a louder "OH MY HECK." I ask what the problem is. This is Jeramy's pretty shaken up reply.
"I threw Macie's diaper to the bottom of the stairs and....it exploded." This I must see. Sure enough, diaper "bits" all over my carpet, cabinets, baby blankets and dolls that had been lined up at the bottom of the stairs. Poor dolls, never saw it coming. I thought to grab the camera, but who really wants to see all that grossness??

Adventure #3 was tonight at the Dinosaur Museum. At the Erosion table, Lindsay informed me that she needed to go to the bathroom. Just what every parent loves to hear, eh? I take her out and get to the bathroom and decide I should go also. I leave her on her own and we jabber back and forth about the goings on in the bathroom. She's taking a while. She informs me that "she's going to poop." I'm done by then. I'm walking out when I hear her toilet flush. Oh no. Automatic flushers - her biggest fear.
Shrill scream and panic..."MOM!" I open her door and find her standing with her pants around her knees and her arms folded across her chest. "Mom, it flushed on me and I wasn't done." She's almost in tears.
"I'm sorry, honey. Get back up and finish." She looks at me very sternly and says,
"No. I'm not getting up there until that toilet learns its lesson." (it flushes again) "MOM!!!"
I laugh and laugh and laugh some more. Then I give her my motherly advice
"You can either get up there again and hope it doesn't flush, or you can hold it."
She held it.
I sure hope that toilet learned its lesson tonight.

Never a dull moment at the Wakewii home...

Where'd ya get yer educashun?

I like to think of myself as a smart person. I should add some emphasis in that.
I like to think of myself as a smart person. I did, in fact attend the Midvale school for the gifted. There really is such a thing. But now I'm wondering if it was a "special school" and my parents just told me it was for the smart kids. Here is why I am questioning myself:

Last week my niece was telling us about her test at school. She had to memorize all the state capitols. I thought, "No problem." So I got us each a sheet of paper and gave us 10 minutes to write down all the states AND capitols. I knew I was going to smoke her. I start writing. I stop. I'm stumped. I count my list. 31. That's right, folks. 31 states, and only about 15 capitols. Needless to say, she won. I began to question my intelligence.

Yesterday at Target I saw a dry erase board with the states and capitols on one side, and just the map on the other. I bought it. Surely I would do better with a map. I got 37 states right. Sorry to those I know from Arkansas and the east coast. Your state is apparently not important enough for me to know. I decided I'd better work on my STATES before I move on to learning their capitols.

Last night as I was pondering my recent discovery of stupidity, I remembered something from high school. Close your eyes (well, don't close them because then you won't be able to read). Picture cute little shy Heidi sitting in AP History. Picture the teacher passing back our results on a geography test. She says, "Wow, Ben - you can travel around the world and not get lost." "Nick, you should stay in the United States and you'll be fine." "Well, Heidi. You probably should never leave your driveway." I kid you not. I now blame my lack of knowledge on the AP History teacher (who shall remain nameless because I'm still terrified of the lady).

So, the map of the United States is on my fridge and there it will remain until I know where all the states are and what their capitols are. Oh yeah, my niece also tells me that there is a SONG to memorize the states. I never learned no stupid song. :( I was ripped off.

*I also can't do long division, so don't even ask.

Halloween

I know that Halloween is still, well practically 2 months away, but today I bought Halloween ribbon for some bows AND Halloween paper to make cards. I can hardly wait for Macie to take her nap so I can play!

Also, my favorite store is going to be having a big night of fun ideas for Halloween parties and such. Here's the link for more info. It's $10, but I'm planning on going. Anyone want to join me??

Our big adventure

Last Saturday, Jeramy said, "Let's go somewhere." I've wanted to go to Payson for a few weeks now, so I suggested we go hiking. Maddie kept saying it was going to be boring. (Side note, if you get the Children's Friend Magazine, there is a story this month about Maddie's grumpy day, I swear, I could have written it. Give it a read and think of my Maddie). Everyone else was super excited. My nephew and his wife live down that way, so we called to see if they wanted to join us - and of course they did. Who wouldn't want to hang out with the Wakley's?? We are so cool.

I prepped for a long hike. Tennis shoes for all. Backpack full of supplies. Lots of water. I swear that hike used to be a lot longer than that when I was younger. It took us 10 minutes max. Jeramy was put in charge of the camera because - well - there was water around and I'm known to drop things and such. We were all hiking along nicely. I was holding Lindsay and I said in my best Grandma Jean voice, "Jer, you should be taking some pictures." He said, "Why, are you going to do something impressive?" I said, "You just never.....no!!!" As I totally fall on a log into the river and land on my sweet little Lindsay. If only he'd had the camera out you could have seen it. I was not allowed to hold anyone for the rest of the hike.

Todd and Amy were a great help packing kids, especially Macie. You'll notice in every picture, she's being held by Todd or Amy. After our super strenuous hike, we decided we should go up to the lake and walk around. I have some awesome memories of Girl's camp up there and my mom jumping off the pier. We drive up and find out that you now have to pay $7 to walk around the lake. LAME. Glad Todd was as cheap as us and we didn't go in. He then told us to follow him. We did. He drove us around all these cute little towns and got us to Spanish Fork's new reservoir (Is that how you really spell reservior? Spell check tells me it is, so it must be so). We drive up the hill and see a big sign, "Windfest, $5" Bummer! Todd (being the assertive guy that he is) asked if we can still come in and just go to the reservoir. They let us in without paying. Lucky us! We got to watch all the cool kites and such and play on the toys. We had a great time! We had great plans for more hiking this weekend, but the rain (and master cleanse and the stake baptisms that I had to play the piano at in the a.m. and p.m.) put a damper on the day.

The best part of the day was on the ride home when Lindsay said, "Mom, thanks for doing something fun with us today." As if I don't do cool things with her everyday...

(This post was written while listening to a little Hannah Montana).

Day 6

I know I said I'd keep you guys updated, but I've had a not so great week and I haven't felt so much like blogging.
Day 2: I really wanted popcorn. We were watching a movie. Jer gets a text from his buddy Jon that is doing the cleanse too "Dude. I want pancakes. I'm out"
Jer waivers. I am the voice of reason saying, "I spent 50 bucks on all this stuff - you WILL NOT QUIT NOW!" He keeps going.
Day 3: All guys at work quit (the cleanse, not the company) Jer says it is best day this far for him. He does realized one little side effect, he'd cold...all the time. Our house went from a chilly 73 where he likes it to a happy 78 where I like it. I am happy.
Day 4: Still going strong. I'm tired of eating out, and eating outside. I want to COOK. I want popcorn. I want to eat as a family again. I hate this. (Oh wait, this is about Jeramy, not me). Jeramy is doing great.
Day 5: We spend a romantic evening together squeezing lemon juice. (it takes 8 Costco lemons a day to make lemon juice). Still no popcorn. Still not giving up.
Day 6: After breakfast, Jeramy says to me, "Your kids wouldn't be hungry an hour breakfast if you'd feed them something better than cereal for breakfast." I say, "So, you want me to make bacon and pancakes today??" Silence. Silence. Silence. Ummmm....bacon.....
"five days is good, right?"
"Yeah"
"I'm done."
YIPEE!!! I probably shouldn't have thrown the "Bacon Card", eh?
I really can't believe he made it this far. I'm pretty proud of him. I can't believe how hard it was for me! Us girls ate out every day and I'm sooo sick of fast food. Jeramy is a few days away from serious food, but at least we can start eating soups and such again this afternoon!
He's in the shower right now. Here's hoping he doesn't come out and change his mind again!