My Valley Girls

Maybe they were meant for the 80's...or perhaps they'll start a new trend.

That would be SCARY.

Joe Joe's

 Joe-Joe's & me...well, a lovely pair for the tastebuds, but I wouldn't recommend it for those trying to watch the waistline.  One turns into ten.  And ten turns into almost a whole box in a couple of days.  Harmless (I mean harmful) little critters.  They're addicting.  

Consider yourself warned.

{I love my life}

And today I'm not even being facetious.  

I DO love my life.  I love it despite what I may say sometimes or how I may feel in 'a moment'.  

I love it that I am able to stay home during this season of raising our children and experience every moment with them.  

I love the occasional 'sleep' in.  Okay, it's really not sleep, and we're still talking 6:45 am, but I can cuddle in bed with my kids without having to rush off to work.  I love that.  

I love it that I can stay in my 'lounge' clothes, aka pajamas all day if I want to.  

I love it that my little girls will come into my room and watch 'their show' and sip chocolate milk.  

I love the numerous laughs during the day like when Vivie takes her diaper off, exposing her cute bum and makes me chase her around the house.  

Or the way Izzie dances across the room while singing her made-up songs about dancing across the room.  I love her!

And the way Izzie wants not only her back tickled, but her arm, the other arm, each leg, face, and then her tummy. 

I love the way Lexie is so literal...so bright & inquisitive and asks the deepest questions about her Heavenly Mother and how 'our existence' all works.  

I love it that she cannot even think about going to sleep without having rocked with me and I love the way she gives me the best butterfly kisses.  

I love it that Monson will come and give me cuddles and still wants to sit on my lap and is not afraid to give me kisses or hold my hand.  

I love it that McKenzie has an intelligent answer to every question we ask her--even when she's faking her answer, she makes it sound good.  

I love it that Kenz will just pitch in and help when she sees a need.  

I love it that Brayden will call me on his way home from school to tell me about his day and chat with me about his friends and just life in general.  

And I love it that Curt sees when I need a break and is here to relieve me to run  away--even if for an hour.  He's truly a partner in all things.  And he's a large part of why 

{I love my life}.

Christmas Glory

Are you 'normal'?  Do you manage to shower every single day?  If not, then you and me...we'd get along.  Lazy PJ days have become a norm during homemade Christmas season.   Maybe you don't suffer from this disease known as bloggingitis.  Chances are, if you're reading this, you do. That's me today, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. {if you haven't noticed I blog several at once and schedule them to post at later dates}.  At least my bed was made--thanks to Curt.  And this is a very justifiable disease as I try to right a wrong by documenting our family's happenings since historically, I stink at scrapbooking.

We are all decked out and ready for Christmas.  Curt had all five of our huge bins down from the rafters in the garage and in the house ready for me when I returned home from a movie with the kids on Saturday.  Trying to tell me something?  Probably not...just one step ahead of me with his little service to save my back from lifting.  Thank you. We had our ceremonious twice yearly (once to put up, once to take down) 20 foot climb up the ladder to adorn the top of the turret outside with lights.  My {afraid of heights} Curt even got on the roof for the 2nd year in a row to put them around the cupola.  I handle the 20 footer though.  This year, Bray even pitched in.

The stockings are hung---and there's not room for even one more.  Good thing.  

We even brought some snowflakes back from Utah last year to hang in our windows 

(the kids wish they were real--I'm glad they're not.  hehehe)

My favorite nativity is out (just displaying one this year...simplicity.  But if anyone has spotted a wonderful pewter set, please tell me where!  I'm on a hunt...)  

The lighted garland is dressing up the stairs (and half the lights are out & waiting to be fixed which seriously--who has time for that?)

My dining room tablescape is done.  I don't have to mention how important that element is.

And the tree, in all of its fake glory {came complete with lights}  is  b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l  this year.  (I'm partial).

I relented and let the kids go for it--only directing them a little bit (okay, a lot) and I think they did a great job.  Lexie & Izzie were super excited to direct everyone else and stick random things in the tree.  

Everyone loves looking at their homemade ornaments and pictures from years' past.  Man, there's a lot of Brayden and none of the little girls... hmmm, I think I need to get on it already.

The 'Scooby candy cane' has become legend around our home.  He was our golden retriever...Santa brought him as a new pup when Brayden was just 4 years old.   Scooby liked to chew on the tree ornaments when we'd let him in at night.  He was even on a chain and could always find the candy cane ornament (wood) and somehow reach it to teeth on it.  We've kept it in remembrance of Scooby.  Brayden had the honor (with a tear in his eye) of placing it this year...silly, I know...but despite their inabilities to take care of that dog, they did love him.   

Viviana especially enjoyed being a part of this festivity because it means that everything at eye level is up for grabs.  And ornaments are just her size... no matter the shape- if she can hold it, then she can throw it and pretend it's a ball.  This bell is her favorite---good thing we have a dozen or so.

I placed the ribbon and planted the star and my spruce candle is on its way...you know, to make everything smell all nice & Christmasy with my gorgeous Costco pre-lit tree.

And new for this year?  Darling letter blocks mod podged with kids pictures.  I've always had blocks hanging from the tree...but saw this blog post and decided to copy.  It saved me from doing 3" silhouettes of the kids and framing them to hang this year.  I'm running out of time with my mongo list.  

I covered each side of the block with scrap paper and skipped the diamond glaze part. Mod podge was good enough for me!  You could add words & paste them to each side and get real creative!  I still need a 'V' and two more 'M's to finish our initial ornaments, but it was fun, easy & free.  Great combination.  

Homemade ornaments are the best.

Fishing for Toys

Us moms wear many 'hats' in the course of life:  from nurterer/caregiver, to a tutor, taxi-driver, cheerleader, even a peacemaker, electrician, or perhaps a plumber.  When I am able to do something myself and learn a new 'skill' I will at least try before calling a professional for help (I did call my mom--she wears the plumber hat too.  Maybe this means it runs in the family because we're cheapskates when it comes to that kind of thing?)  Curt loves it.  He doesn't wear that do-it-yourself hat, but sees clearly how changing brakes, tires, painting 20ft. high walls & ceilings, electrical work, furniture refinishing, etc. pays off in the end.  It may take me a couple of weeks or even a month to urge myself to try, and as in the case of the clogged downstairs toilet.  Clogged toilet? No biggie.  Think again.  

A forceful plunge wouldn't budge it; the heaviest industrial chemicals wouldn't break it apart. And to make matters worse some unnamed kids ''forgot'' that bathroom was out of service and continued to use it...#1 only, thankfully.  I used a few latex gloves and disposable bowls to empty disgusting leftovers over the course of that month.  Some of the offenders even got to join in the fun.  I was just certain it was a sponge that was flushed by my soon-to-be-fired (cause they were lying about it..I just knew!) house help.  shame on me.  

I had the pleasure of lifting the toilet from its seal and trying to see if anything was in view from the bottom (I know you want the play-by-play).  Frustrating.  Couldn't see anything---and I really didn't want to pay a couple hundred for a new toilet.  I tried a wire hanger and just left marks in the bowl.  So back to HD, one of my favorite stores.  A 'snake' auger would most certainly do the trick!  It took an hour or so and lots of force to finally see the offending problem.  

HURRICANE NODDY (aka Viviana).  She loves toilets---I've written about her obsession before.  We should have figured.  A stinkin' (literally) cell phone.  No joke.  Okay, the play kind. 

But the size & shape is not meant to go through such holes.  I took a hammer & chisel to it as much as I could to try and pry it.  No luck.  The kids thought it was hilarious--just the sight of a toilet on it's side.  A few of them even wanted to put a glove on and try to grab it.  Still nothing.  So I shoved the auger down one more time and it twisted itself out of place enough for me to grab the sucker.  Seriously...cell phone.  

We're back in service again and I'm feeling pretty resourceful.  In the end I may have saved only a

few bucks, but I learned the skill of toilet fishing...for toys.  And hey, at least Monson enjoyed the thrill.  Plus what can replace the personal satisfaction of fixing my own toilet?  Yes, I'm a little crazy.  Don't be calling me over to your homes though to fish toys and other objects from your toilets--this is not an act of service I would like to perform for others.  I swear she knows exactly what she's up to....that hurricane noddy.  Love her to pieces anyway. 

Do you S'more?

There's nothing like hot chocolate in the winter...

to accompany our S'MORES!  We have this wonderful fireplace in our courtyard that gets used maybe once a year.  We just don't spend as much time out there as we should.  So the day after Thanksgiving, we bought some wood and made ourselves a cozy fire, and then roasted marshmallows to make delicious s'mores!  I wanted to go down to the beach and do it in one of their pits, but why when we can do the same thing minus the sandy marshmallows in our own backyard?!  YUM.  The Perfect holiday treat...

I have a Thanksgiving secret

Besides the cost of living, the ONLY other bummer thing for me about living here in San Diego is that we are 6 hours away from any family.  (Which is not that bad---and my Arizona brother..hmmmm...Kevin, could have come, but failed to plan).  My other family is either in Utah or across the nation on the east coast or up in the Pacific Northwest, which...believe me, is NOT close {especially when you drive it}.  When we lived in Utah our home was holiday central since most of my brothers were either living in Utah for work or finishing up school.  Those that weren't had flight benefits.  Here, our friends all have family that live near, so community Thanksgiving doesn't happen like it would in 'the mission field.' 

So my point being that unless we travel north, we spend the holidays...just with our little {BIG} nuclear family.  I used to long for that day, and now we have it, so here's to appreciating the beauty in all things:  

I love it that we can establish our own traditions and have our own time schedule...that it is free of drama, but I do miss having my extended family gather for such wonderful occasions... drama or not--doesn't that come with every family?

I love it that there is no one around to mock me, or become jealous...  when it only takes a couple of minutes to prepare our Thanksgiving feast...

Our home still has the aroma of a cooking turkey---because it is, well, 'cooking.'

I make a double recipe of lion house yummilicious rolls (recipe below) and typically I'll make pecan pie bars and a few pies.

I love to whip out my special china, handed down to me from my dear Grandma...and remember Thanksgivings past spent at her home with the same china.

I love having my family 'dress up'--a tradition my dad used to enforce. {at my house, shoes are optional}.

...and I love sitting around ONE table so we're within earshot of all the little funnies the kids spew. 

...I love to enjoy my dining room tablescape...because Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are the only reason I have a dining room table -- I would ditch it in lieu of a library in that spot...but that's another story.

When you have picky eaters, it's tough to justify spending 4-6 hours in the kitchen slaving over the meal that will be half-eaten and picked at in 10 minutes.  I can never come away from Costco + Albertsons shopping for an occasion as this, having spent less than $200 once everything is considered.  

It all started when I was complaining of these things and so Curt's solution was this:

Can you even see it?  Mimi's Cafe.

They have a take & warm Thanksgiving feast and boy, do they know how to make a feast.  My kids adore their sweet potatoes--probably because brown sugar and marshmallows are the main ingredient.  Give Curt a leg or two and he's happy for HOURS.  The turkey is to die for--competes with the best brined turkey I've ever had.  They even give you pie, whip cream, the best cranberry sauce I've ever tasted, gravy, veggies, chunky homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, and a few loaves of their yummy gourmet breads.  Seriously, can't beat Thanksgiving in a box for $80.  It is supposed to feed 6-8, but we have leftovers for a week.

What a deal.  And that's my secret.  This is why everyone can go enjoy a movie the morning of Thanksgiving and why clean up takes 10 mintues-maybe 20.  I love our Thanksgiving tradition for my picky eaters.  It makes for a happy mommie who can enjoy the simple things on this day of gratitude, rather than being so exhausted and over-heated from the day in the kitchen.

Some tips:  When you dissolve the yeast...make sure you do it quickly after the powdered milk is dissolved so the water is still warm.  Let it sit for a minute, then add the sugar and stir and let it sit for a few minutes.  The way you can tell if the yeast is active or not is if the mixture bubbles up and grows a little bit.  

This is what I do to help my dough rise faster--I pour HOT water in a big bowl, then put my covered bowl of dough on top of it (it's not necessarily sitting in the water, just over the hot water in it's bowl).  I then turn on the dryer for 5 minutes or so, turn it off, then place the dough sitting inside the water pot for about 45 mins until it rises double.  Just make sure your kids/hubby doesn't turn on the dryer cause that wouldn't be fun mess (we haven't ventured in that direction yet).  Line your pans with parchment paper---it yields a better roll.  After placing the rolled dough on the parchment, spray one side of your plastic wrap with PAM and place wrap on top of rolls (so they don't stick).  Turn on the oven to 200...turn off, then place your rolled rolls in there and let rise as oven cools down.  They'll be ready to bake in 30 mins or less!  

Harbor Staycation

For the first time since living here, we took the kids downtown on the coaster {a commuter train that goes along...the coast from Oceanside  to downtown SD}.  We've fared subways in NYC with four of the kids, and trains going inland to NJ, so the only cool thing about this was the scenery & trying to keep six kids fairly quiet with all the other passengers listening in to patty-cake, and our HS Musical Stars, Lexie & Izzie.  

Once we got off at the last stop--the Santa Fe Depot, we walked a few blocks to the waterfront.  Destination:  The Maritime Museum which includes about 4 vessels...a 'pirate' ship, merchant ship ("The Star of India"), Soviet Spy Submarine,  and a few others {they all begin to look the same once you explore them}.  The kids thoroughly enjoyed exploring & especially experiencing a submarine.  Those Soviets were like 4 foot nothin' with how short the bunkers were on the submarine.  

Ever been on a SD Harbor cruise?  Save your $$$ and don't.  It was okay--the sea lions and seals we were supposed to see in enormity were out at sea.  The history lessons were cool and the view from the boat to the mainland was beautiful, but unless you're doing a dinner cruise or something special like that, or have never been on a boat or a ferry, save your pennies.  Nothing matches the experience we had on the gigantic ferry up in Canada that we took to Victoria Island.  Spoiled, I know.  But this day wasn't for me & Curt...it was for the kiddos and any excursion like that is fun to 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 11.  Okay, maybe not 1.    

There's nothing like a stroll along the coastline...or two sisters skipping hand in hand.  I later joined them after they asked--I love being carefree with my girls.

We strolled down to the navy memorial statue and the USS Midway...the largest aircraft carrier museum--it's pretty impressive from the ground.  We should have forked out the money for and explored.  Next time.

Lunch at the Fish House--that amazing bread....yummmm and then we were on our way.  We tried to make it in time to go to the San Diego Children's Museum--but they were closing within the hour, so we figured the mile walk would be very much in vane.  Back home on the train...with eight worn-out people is the best recipe for a good nights sleep.  

Gone Fishing?

We have learned from past vacation times throughout our school  year that if we don't plan on keeping the kids busy with new & exciting adventures that we'll pay the price with kids who like to declare their boredom when the neighborhood kids are not home...  And I have no problem with little kids washing walls, deep cleaning rooms, organizing closets to fight that boredom, but we decided to make the most of our vacation time and 'do.' 

Our big plan was to get Disney passes for the family since we live so close.  The passes pay for themselves--if you go two days in the year.  When it came down to it, we just couldn't justify with all of our 'unknowns' at the moment.

SO I had this bright idea to go fishing...in November.  Not so shabby since we live in just a tempered climate.  We don't have equipment handy for a fishing family of 8 {or even 1}, so off we went to Huckleberry fishing pond {where they're guaranteed to have a catch and all the equipment is there} up in Anaheim.  I thought I did the research.  Um, try again.  We drove up and could hardly recognize that this was a pond.  Plastic sheeting, fake rocks, a chain link fence...and not a sole to be found and of course, no fish--oh, and no water.  Talk about deflating!  Apparently it's a very man-made pond right in front of Anaheim Lakes but they're only opened on weekends in the fall.  Big bummer.  Nothing an In-n-Out burger and a trip to the LegoLand free hour can't make up for.  So off we went...again.  The kids LOVE that free hour--and so do mom and dad.  Especially when it's topped off with a trip to Costco across the street from LegoLand for dinner.  Hot dogs, pizza, polish sausages and ginormous churros. We can eat for less than $15 there--what a bargain.  We pull out all the stops, let me tell ya {haha}.

My mom reminded me of what Lexie told her on the phone when we were going fishing:  My mom asked her if she was going to have me cook the fish so she could eat it, to which she replied, "You've GOT to be kidding!"   She later tried to think this out in her head... couldn't fathom eating a little fishy.  "You mean, we're going to eat chickenfish?"  

Happy Turkey Day!

...Just in case you didn't get yours yet since I failed to drop them in the mail on Saturday, here's the Thanksgiving card we sent out this year--in lieu of a Christmas card

...because now I can cross it off my list-neener neener!

Our Gratitude Tree- the photoshop version

Good luck reading this unless you have bionic eyes or super duper bifocals.

(or just click on it to magically enlarge)

...and the outside 'envelope'--just because I {heart} photoshop.

McKenzie wanted to post her greetings...

...and Monson too:

...and this is about the only cute project Lexie's preschool did this last session

All of our little turkeys send their greetings even though some have sad faces and others no faces at all:

...and the pilgrim hats we also made were too cute to boot:

Our cutest little kid-made place cards of edible yumminess

I'm so good at copying the 'other' creative ones out there.  But I was pretty excited about my fast thinking when I couldn't find candy corn to use as feathers...Mike & Ikes and hot tamales with little toothpicks--and they taste better too:) Besides, we practiced making patterns with the colors (or Monson & Lexie did) so we're learning during our vacation too. 

...creating is only half the fun--

eating is the better half.

Happy Thanksgiving

May we remember our abundant blessings throughout the year 

(and fill our tummies with oreo turkeys & all the trimmings)!

Our Gratitude Tree

My blogroll inspired me time and again this season.  I loved all the Thanksgiving banners, decorations, uplifting thoughts and projects I saw so many crafty, creative, on-top-of-it moms blog about.  I have spent way too much time reading blogs and filling my head and 'bookmarks' with ideas and recipes...so fun!  

This week for FHE we made our gratitude tree {before the stomach bug of the YEAR hit}.  I love this representation of our blessings, a constant reminder of the reasons for the season adorning our dining room table in the center of our home.  We can add to it at will and it can never be full enough... overflowing with our many blessings.  I snapped a couple of branches from a maple tree to get us started.

I found some darling colored die cut maple leaves at our local teacher resource shop.

Each of the kids wrote or drew all the blessings they could think of to adorn our tree

We punched holes & tied with hemp string...Everyone got to hang their own

Mom...I think they really miss you.

Our Thanksgiving Table

don't you LOVE this mercury??  Thanks, Carole!