The Breakfast Experiment

I mentioned in some recent posts that Brianna was having a very hard time adjusting to being back on track. Well, as I talked to my friends about it, and how frustrated I was getting with the situation, several different people mentioned that it might be her diet. It made me think hard about what I'm feeding her. She is pretty picky about food but I think I do a pretty good job at least for dinner. Breakfast is a different story. I was letting her eat Marshmallow Mateys every morning mainly because it was easy and I was too tired to do much more in the mornings. And not only was she eating this horrible cereal, she usually would pick out the marshmallows and just eat them. So 2 weeks ago I decided to start the Breakfast Experiment. I started waking up earlier and making her an actual breakfast. Ham and eggs, oatmeal, Any thing but cereal. And it worked! She is doing so much better. She is getting her work done at school and I'm getting very good reports back form her teacher. I'm still not total convinced that it is just the food that did the trick. I think I might have nagged her into submission. But for now it's working. And we are all much happier.

Night wanderings of a 3 year old

Last night when Jon and I finally went up to bed I checked in on the girls like I always do. Carly's room is at the top of the stairs so I looked in on her first and she wasn't in her bed.
So I looked in the bathroom, no Carly, and then in our room, no Carly. By this point I was getting a bit freaked out. I went to look in Brianna's bed and there I found Carly laying on the floor in the middle of Brianna's room on top of several toy. I picked her up and put her back in her own bed and she never woke up. I talk in my sleep (some would say I just never stop talking) and we have some great stories about my brothers night wanderings. We've known that Carly is pron to sleep walking but it hasn't happened for a while. We use to lock her in her room when she was little because of it, now I'm wondering if we need to do it again. I usually am awake before my kids feet touch the floor but when she gets out of bed and is still asleep I don't always hear her. Hopefully this won't become a usual thing.

Climbing up on my soap box

So one of the ways I know that I'm getting old is that I'm becoming more and more interested in politics. Well today I heard something that made me want to get involved and take some action. There is a bill currently before the Utah State legislature that would essentially disallow PTA involvement in our schools. I believe (as do many others) that it is pay back for the failed school voucher debate last year. So for the first time I wrote my state representatives and told them how I felt. I don't think that most people realize how much PTA adds to our children's education. I didn't, at least not until I became involved. Most parents just pay the membership fee and call it good. I Reluctantly became very involved in the PTA at my kids school this year and though it has taken up much more time and energy then I expected it has been worth every minute. Now I know that not every Mom has the time or means to volunteer hours every week. But I feel that for me, part of my job of stay at home mom is to be involved in every way I can. I'm lucky that I have the time and grateful that I get to be such a big part of the lives of all the kids at our school. I love it when little kids come up to me at the grocery store or church and want to say "Hi" to the Birthday mom.
Just imagine your child's school with out PTA. It's not good. So now I'm going to urge you (the 15 of you who read my blog) to write your representatives and tell them how you feel about HB199 Equal Recognition of Parent Groups bill.

Now I'll Climb back down.

My Valentines

I'm a lucky Girl. I have three Valentines.

My latest project

I love quilting. I think quilts are beautiful and it amazes me how they change from step to step in the process. I love picking a pattern and then the colors and seeing what will turn out. I would love to someday own a quilting machine but I do really enjoy hand quilting. it relaxes me. And it makes me feel connected to my past. (cheesy I know) My grandmothers were quilters and some of my best memories are of tying quilts with them and when I was little playing under the quilt frames as my mom and grandma quilted.

Several years ago I was given some quilt squares that my Great Grandma Ada Susanna had made. I never met this grandma, she died before I was born . I finally have made them into a quilt top.

It's so much fun to see the vintage fabrics and think about what they might have made with it.

This is the top pieced together and waiting for me to quilt. I have a small lap frame that I use and I can sit and quilt at night while I watch my shows.

It will probably be spring before I finish.

Gettin Crafty

I really enjoy getting and giving homemade gifts so when ever a holiday rolls around I'm always thinking what can I make. I got this idea for my kids to give for Valentines from Family Fun Magazine. Carly really had fun helping.

First you gather all your broken crayons. We usually have a ton and I keep a plastic cup around and start collecting them a few months in advance. It takes more than you would think. Make sure all the labels are peeled off and them break them into smallish pieces. Fill up the cups of a muffin tin or sucker mold. Hint: fill them to the top because when they melt they won't take up as much space.


Put in oven on low heat (around 200) for about 15 min. You don't want them to melt too fast or get to hot or the colors will blend completely and won't look as cute. When you take them out of the oven they won't look very cute, but don't worry.

When you pop them out of the molds the under side looks great. I usually use a knife to trim down the ridge on the other side and some of the excess wax.

They are really fun to color with and see what color shows up. I have also make a set where I just melted different shades of the same color and then gave a set of about 6 crayons.

I like this particular Valentine because my kids don't need any more candy and this is a fun alternative.

Possessed

I think my children are possessed. I'm not sure if it is going back on track or what exactly but My kids have been little demons this week. Brianna is acting like she has been brain damaged and can't remember or follow through on a single request, that is unless it involves playing or coloring. When I saw her teacher mid week she let me know that she is having a bit of an attitude problem. (my words not hers) So I spent some time in her class. But really, thoughts just go in one ear and right out the the other. I have been asking her every day this week to get her room clean and it never happened, yet she wants to go to ridding lessons. And then there is Carly. The only reason Carly has survived this long is because she is so damn cute. She has been sick this week so I have spent a good portion of the week snuggling on the couch. But when she isn't snuggling she is bossy and irritable. Last night we took them to dinner and after Carly almost kicked the table over (on purpose) for the 3 time, I took her out to the car where she screamed for the next 10 minutes till Jon could wrap things up and come out. Then we had to wrestle her in to the car seat and I had to sit on the floor in between the seats and cover the seat belt release so she wouldn't get out. Her tantrum lasted another 45 min at home as we tried to get her changed for bed.
I'm sick of being mean mommy but I feel like right now I have to lay down the law. I hope what ever bratty beings that have possessed my kids will be exercised soon.

6 going on 13

When I (on those rare occasions) put on make up, my girls sit with me and put on make-up too. I usually just let them put on moisturiser and powder and maybe a swipe of mascara. Between Halloween and ballet recitals Brianna thinks she get to wear a bit more than that. I usually don't mind the blue eye shadow on her because it's dress up, but yesterday she went a little too far with the makeup and I told her she had to take it off before church. She didn't like that and threw a little fit. Then when she got dressed she put on a summer dress with little straps. I told her she could only wear it if she put a shirt on under it, or a sweater over. She didn't like that either and threw another fit. We finally got her dressed and out the door but for the next few hours all I got from her was a scowl. When did my little girl get such an attitude? I love having 2 little girls, but I have always panicked at the thought of them turning into teenagers. I thought I had a few more years before I had to deal with this kind of stuff.