Ace of Cakes?

Look out Duff Goldman!

Smitten!

When we were in California for my Grandpa's funeral, we spent the majority of our time with family. Family that lives less than thirty minutes away, but we never see. Krystal and Nick are a lot of fun, and not to mention new parents. We met their eight month old son, Wyatt, for the first time on our trip. I feel a bit ashamed that we had to make a 600+ mile drive to meet him for the first time. I guess life gets in the way...but at least now we know what we were missing out on!

Right after our trip, I ran into them at my mom's house. We've been seeing a lot more of them lately! I did mention they are fun, right?! Well, they asked me if I would mind babysitting Wyatt for at least two, occasionally three days a week. I JUMPED at the chance!

I kid you not....this is THE BEST BABY I've ever seen! I've heard him cry ONCE...he always smiles and is, quite possibly, the happiest baby born to woman-kind! The girls and I are SMITTEN with Wyatt! We look forward to him coming bright and early on Monday and Wednesday's, and are sad when we see one of his parents pull up to pick him up.

He's so happy to be here. He follows Hayden and Tay around everywhere...or just cuddles with me! We love to play games with him and get him 'talking'! My girls fight over who's going to help feed him and who gets to sit by him in the car or at the table. It's hilarious!

He has the yummiest smile and eyes that sparkle like the sun! He seems so content while he's here...it was the first time they've really left him with anyone other than his Grandma's and he seems to have taken to us really well! I must admit...when we arrived at a softball game last Thursday and he was there...his face lit up when he saw me and it melted my heart! Krystal and Nick are very lucky to have such a delicious little baby boy! Seriously, with a face like this...how could you not be SMITTEN?!!

I survived camping...may I have a cookie please?

It's no secret how much I loathe camping. I cannot keep my feelings locked up. When the talk of pitching a tent in the woods, where coyotes and bears frequent and toilets don't; arise...I try my hardest to change the subject. Find alternatives. Offer my housesitting services. Look for a job. I really, really don't like camping, and I'll look for any excuse possible to get out of it.

HOWEVER, being the good sport that I am...I took one for the team a couple of weeks ago! Conal and Bub planned a camping trip to Forest Lakes about a month prior. I knew there was no getting out of this. Especially once my sister invited my parents, and our husbands invited my cousin and her family and my uncle. Actually...that gave me a little more to look forward to. I've always heard camping is more fun with a big group.

Heather came to my rescue. She offered up their pop up trailer that they hardly use. I jumped all over that offer! And even though Conal would not let me use anything other than the beds...and only hooked up the generator for about 10 minutes of light each day, it sure as heck was better than sleeping in a tent...on the ground...where critters roam!

The kids had a blast. Hayden was disgustingly filthy and completely in her element. Taylor is just like her Mommy. She needed rescuing. She did not have fun and wasn't shy about saying so! She fell lots, cried often and did NOT enjoy the dirt under her finger nails. (Phew...that totally contributes to my game plan for next time - YAY!!)

Post Note Edit: I did forget to add.....I actually had a really fun time! AND...would do it again. Not too often, for not too long. But I would!

For more camping pics, click HERE and HERE!

Learn to Swim with Miss Jaimee

Pictures from the first day of lessons with Miss Jaimee on June 1st-ish! This is Hayden's third Summer with her, and Tay's first!

Gnocchi

From Scratch. Don't fear the potato dumpling, it's simple and delicious. Not to mention a quick 'go-to' meal if you have bare cabinets. Three ingredients, that's all! I don't use recipes all too often, so I paid close attention to how much of what I was using.

4 average size Yukon Gold Potatoes
4 Egg Yolks (no whites)
1 C Flour
Salt and Pepper

Boil potatoes with skin on. One able to pierce easily, bring one of out water at a time. They need to stay hot to keep the proper consistency. Peel potato and mash through potato ricer* into mixing bowl. Once all 4 potatoes are done, add the yokes and flour into the bowl. Stir until all ingredients are mixed then form into a ball. Take small portions off of the ball and roll out into little logs (be sure to flour the workspace). Cut into 1 inch (or whichever you prefer) pieces. Once all dough is cut, place into water, that is at a rolling boil. Once Gnocchi rise to the top, they're done. It's that easy!
Serve with your favorite type of sauce. We had a homemade marinara with shredded chicken.

*If you do not have a potato ricer, a masher will work. I have a Pamered Chef cheese grater, and I use the smallest grate and it works wonders!

Ketchup

and mustard. Blood, grass stains, chocolate. Ooh, ooh...and grease! I found this stain remover while at Hobby Lobby a couple of weeks back. It costs about $4.50 for a small bottle...but I the self proclaimed Queen of stain removal have hit an OxyClean roadblock lately. NOTHING is working. Hayden's wardrobe has been shrinking by the hour. She's a messy little girl. I get aggravated when she wears something once and it's ruined. Well Grandma's little secret is out of the bag. I've even been able to revive some old shirts that have been washed and dried several times over, setting the stains in further. Seriously....go getcha some!

Twin Haydens??

Besides begging for a baby brother named Jacob almost single day of our existence, I think we know who's fueling my baby fever fire, Hayden began asking me for "another kid" yesterday. "A twin would be fine Mommy". I didn't even figure she'd know what a twin is. Of course the thought that she has twin friends at school never dawned on me!

Anyhow. Since I told her we are not having a baby she's decided that that would be okay as long as she can have a twin, another kid. That looks like her, NOT a boy and they can play together and Taylor has to "stay out of the kids room". Oh...and she still wants to change Tay's name to Tori.

Who is this child of mine with personality plus? I just want to eat her up!!

My "Ah-Ha" Moment

**Disclaimer** Please Oprah, don't sue me for using your trademarked phrase.

Five days into our Summer break, I decided that we've had enough of HOME. After swim today, the girls and I went to Hobby Lobby to pick up some supplies for some projects I'm working on. I was dreading taking them out. They're at the stage where they just drive each other (and me) nuts. They love each other completely...enough to ask to sleep together every night; but all day long, they just pick at each other.
Hayden gets in Tay's face and antagonizes her. And Tay copies everything Hayden says, right down to the "Don't Copy Me". It's driving US ALL crazy!
Anyhow, we spent an hour and a half in Hobby Lobby today. I forced them both to sit in the cart. Taylor up top and Hayden in the basket. And of course, Hayden poked at her through the spokes and Taylor jabbed back with her infamous backswing. I kept threatening my canned...."If you cannot be good you will NEVER come back with me again". Hayden says "But Mom....I'm poking her because she's getting to help you better than me".

What??? They were fighting over who got to hold more supplies? Strange...but it prompted me to take a different approach. I divvied up the stuff so they each had the same amount and tuned in to them a bit more. Prior to that, all I could hear was "no ME.." "I wanna..." "You can't..." "my turn..." . And when I did tune it I hear "no Mommy, let ME help you", "I wanna hold that PLEASE. May I?", "You can't put everything under the cart Mommy, put some in my basket" and "Is it MY TURN yet"?
Yes, they were picking at each other, but they were vying for my attention. When in actuallity, I wasn't paying attention to either. They were using their manners and being very polite. And up until that point, I was tuning them out because it sounded like their typical sister banter.

Much to my surprise, another reveler noticed that they were very good girls. You see, it's not uncommon for older women to comment about how well behaved children are in public; or for a one of us mommies to notice the roll of their eyes when they think you're not parenting well and your kids are out of control. Because let's face it...back in the day, their kids were potty trained at 18 months and would never, ever have a tantrum in the Supermarket.
But today was different. Today it was a YOUNG MOM. Probably somewhere around my age with 2 girls also. They also looked to be about Hayden and Tay's age. And while we both waited in line for our fabric to be cut, she paid me the nicest compliment. She said "I've passed you several times through out the store and cannot get over how well behaved your girls are". I came back with "It's because I have them caged in a shopping cart"...and she said "Well, that may be true. But I've heard them speak to you and one another and they are so polite and kind. I'm not sure if I've ever witnessed two young kids so well versed in respect".
WHOA...talk about take me by surprise. Because you see, I feel like we work hard on our kids and their behavior, but I feel like we get nowhere. And for somebody else, a stranger...a mom with two girls like me, to make an observation like that, made me very proud of them.
And then, as soon as she walked away Hayden's lovely little mouth smarted off with something sarcastic and mean directed toward me.

Ah-Ha...they are just kids....and I went about my business threatening them that they'll never go shopping with me if they can't behave!

swim suit season....meh

Ugh...the dreaded swim suit season. I hate those mothers, and you know who you are, so I'm talking to YOU! I hate those mothers that have a baby, gain 30 or 40 pounds and then in 10 weeks...or 4 months...or even 2 years, have their pre-baby body back!
I know it's my own fault that I am flabby, jiggly, saggy, thumpish, rumpish and round....but seriously. I, like my full bodied counterparts, want the magic pill! Dieting is exhausting and working out is boring! Or is it dieting is boring and working out is exhausting? Excuses, excuses, I know.

I digress!

It's my own fault that I get grumpy and irritable this time of year, when all social activities revolve around a pool, a grill, a lake, or a slip n slide!
I was not going to get into a swim suit until I lost the weight that I've gained since last Summer. Because you know, that was just not huge enough! However, I find I'm missing out on all the fun! You see...the chips and dips and Margaritas are out in the pool bar...and you cannot swim up to a pool bar in your jeans and maternity...uhh...oversized t-shirts! And who wants to miss out on munchies...that is what's gotten me to where I am today, and why would I want to let them down?

So I broke down and bought a swim suit. No fun, I tell ya, no fun! However, I took some of the sting out of it by ordering online. Fitting rooms and flourescent lights play hell on a woman's body image. It shipped in a week and is really cute. Thanks to the modest mormon's for inventing a suit that I can feel so-so in...I'm ever so grateful.
http://www.modbecatalog.com/ Do it!!

Oh yah...they also have really cute shirts that fully cover our bellies so our muffin tops don't show. Damn low-rise pants. But I'll save that for a different rant in the Fall, when none of my current jeans are fitting me!

Central CA Candids

Hayden and MikinahConal and CashCooper, Hayden and Brooklyn Pam, Bub, Cooper
Krystal and Wyatt Tay and Mikinah
Tay Kacey and the girlsHayden's new BFF, Tori
Coop, Mikinah and Cash

You getta line and I'll getta pole, baby

On Memorial Day, we had to go through my Grandpa's belongings, which were taken (the day prior) to my Uncle's friends house. The Pellegrini's invited us to bring the kids out and enjoy their ranch and catfish pond. So after we spent time going through, what he considered his treasures, we enjoyed a nice picnic and partook in a bit of downhome country fun! The kids got to fish in their pond, which is stocked with really large catfish! It was so nice spending the day with our extended family. I know my Grandpa would've loved to be there. That was absolutely his kind of day!Cooper, Jordyn, Devyn, Conal, Nick and Papa watching Hayden take the pole

They think they can help her

Hayden's still not sure about doing this by herself, so Daddy gives her an extra hand

And the control freak can't just sit there and watch! I have to go and get my hands into it and show them how it should be done!

And that's exactly what we did. Showed them how it's done! And I realized that I still hate nature, but will sacrifice from time to time to show the boys up! :)

Hayden caught the trophy catfish, and Uncle Bub got the honors of de-hooking that sucka and holding it up for a picture! (See...their Daddy still has a bit of city-boy left in him!)

WAY TO GO HAYDEN!!

Lazy Sunday @ the Paulus'

Marlene and Bill had us all over for a barbecue on Sunday, May 24th. The kids had so much fun swimming together. This is the first time we've met Brooklyn and Braxton, and the first time Melinda and Melissa met Tay and Cash. Bill and Marlene have been like our second parents for my entire life. Even though we live far away, they are still such a big part of our lives. We see them a couple times a year when they come out here. I'm ever so greatful to them for the friendship and love they provide to my parents.

It was a nice and relaxing day! Eddie grilled out while the girls sat around and caught up. We realized we have a whole slew of kids! My how times have changed!

Goofy Grandma's

Carson, Brooklyn, Dustyn, Brennan, Hayden, Cooper, Taylor and Cash

A Five Night Sleepover!

Upon the passing of my Grandpa, we loaded up and trekked through a 10 hour drive to central California with kids in tow. We went to attend my grandpa's funeral, but while we were there, the doors of our very hospitable friends and family were opened to our family. And when I say "our family" that means 8 of us! Conal, the kids and I, and Pam, Bub and their boys...I know, no surprise! My sister and I sure don't seperate easily!

Anyhow, thanks to Lisa and Dale for allowing ALL of us to crash their house for FIVE nights!
They spent an entire day before we got there constructing a fort in their living room. This is where as few as 4 kids slept and as many as 6 on any given night. I don't think we have any pictures of the garage where the guys spent endless hours playing darts and drinking many, many cases of beer. Seems as though the biggest expense of our trip went to gas and beer. Yes, that's a Conal and Bub 'vacation'!

Cooper, Taylor, Hayden and Mikinah

Hayden, Jackson, Mikinah, Cooper, Taylor and Cash

My own Intervention on ME!

I'm conducting an intervention on myself! I figured this is no secret, so if I type it 'out loud' maybe it will take care of my problem.
"Baby fever, GO AWAY! Baby fever, GO AWAY! Baby fever, GO AWAY! Baby fever, GO AWAY! Baby fever, GO AWAY! Baby fever, GO AWAY! Baby fever, GO AWAY! Baby fever, GO AWAY!"


These two were very cute Bec (and very BIG), but you really, really, REALLY don't want to do it again! Psst...Remember you birth BIG babies and puke all day, every day for 9 months, EVERY time!!