Life's Cliches Coming True

B on his first day of preschool.

It's a little unnerving when the things you always hear people say actually start to happen to you.

Things like "Your kids will learn which buttons to push and then they'll smash the buttons to pieces." People say things like that when you're in your weakest moments at the grocery store and your kids are being savages and you're about to do one of two things: rip your hair out or rip open a bag of M&M's to pacify the beasts.

Tuesday another one of those things happened to me. The inevitable "They grow up so fast! One day you're changing a newborn diaper and the next you're sending them to school!"

It's insanity. Insanity I tell you. The years go by and although B is only 4, I feel like he is changing and growing without my knowledge or consent.

Tuesday was his first day of preschool, and after donning some new school clothes and his brand-new "Buzz n' Woody pack pack" he was off to un-mothered territory. Frightening and happy at the same time for his parents. Absolutely thrilling for him.

As for all those things people say, I'll take them one day at a time.

Ketchup

No no no, I'm not dead. You know how when you don't blog for a long time you just put it off more because you feel like you need to play catch-up? That's where I've been for the last few months.

So I decided I'm just not going to update extensively.

A lot less work for me, a lot less blahhhhg for you.

I am, however, going to go back to June because remember when I did this post about being a runner poser? Well guess what....

I did the Ragnasty.

(Ragnar, or the Wasatch Back Relay, for those of you who don't do the Ragnasty)

188 miles, 12 people, 29 hours of thrills. That's me, back row, far left, looking absolutely stunning after running 3 legs and not showering and sleeping in the suburban. So sexy.

I did it, I loved it, and I'm doing it again next year.

As for the half-marathon, I'm looking to do one in November. Strangely, I'm having a hard time wanting to run. Weird I know.

After the Ragnasty we had some good times in Idaho Falls and did the big fireworks show:

B decided to shake his booty in the street while we waited for the show to start.

THEN......IN MID-JULY......

We moved to Salt Lake.

Wha? Yes you read that right. We moved back to the land of my birth and said goodbye to Idaho Falls.

YAHOOOOOO!

THEN... ONE OF THE BEST WEEKENDS OF THE YEAR...

THAT FAMOUS PRESTON NIGHT RODEO! (That's really what it's called)

Hand dipped corndogs, fresh lemonade, and fab rodeo.

August took us to St. Geezy and we went to Sand Hollow and had fun with Megs.

We're hoping to squeeze the life out of the remaining warm days of Summer.

Yesterday I stepped outside and took a big sniff.

It was then that I detected it.

Yes folks, the smell of FALL is in the air.

Bring on September, the best month of the year!

You Said it Dude.

Take a breath and read this:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/01/29/notes012910.DTL

Makes you think eh?

Hello, Goodbye

Well, May came and went without so much as a hello or goodbye and now June is following suit. Things have been busy for us, and since I can't remember the details, and since that would take forever, here are the highlights since the last post:

May began with a two-week long excursion to Salt Lake. I was assigned to be with my teenage brothers while my parents took a trip to Africa. Our mornings were spent like this:

At first, we had a great time; shopping, visiting friends, and the like. Then there was the inevitable sickness. Stuffy nose and the usual. Just when that was letting up, the basement flooded. No big deal, get some fans right? I wish. The drain guys said it was a "soft clog" and that we should call disaster clean-up. When that guy came, the conversation went like this:

Me-"Yeah we sucked up as much as we could and put fan on it since it was Saturday, and I called my parents in Africa and they said to have you come give them an estimate."

Him- "Ok well what you've got here is level 3 damage. So what we're going to need to do is rip out all the carpet, cut out the baseboard and drywall 3 feet up, take out the vanity and linoleum in the bathroom and lift up the HVAC system to have it cleaned."

Me-"Uhhh... ok how many levels are there?"

Him- "Yeah, 3. This is raw sewage, I wouldn't let your kids be down here."

Me- "Holy Sh*%"

So they came and did all that and the company was great and although it was a huge mess, it's all put together now and I was a hero for being there to handle it.

I thought raw sewage in the basement would be the last speed bump of the trip. Wrong. We were scheduled to go to the zoo with some friends and family and on the way, I noticed B scratching his arms. Upon closer inspection I saw a bazillion hives all over, hot and forming sores from the scratching. YIKES! After the zoo, some benedryl, and cortisone cream, I took him to instacare. Bloodwork and steroids, unknown cause for the hives. Beauty.

In the end we had a great time and miss SLC and our peeps there like crazy. Quinn and Russ, I love you like a fat kid loves cake. Thanks for testing my vegan cooking skills.

There was a brief period of normalcy at home, then B's 4th birthday.

Whah? B is 4? Yes, it's true.

Birthdays always make me think of that Bright Eyes song. Happy birthday darling, we love you very very very very very much, do you know that one? I played it for B and we danced and sang and it was music magic.

I made an amazing cake and then destroyed it with blue jello. I salvaged it but it still looked like something crazy out of a Dr. Seuss book. Thanks to everyone who made it, I still have balloons on my ceiling.

A few days later we went to Island Park for the Memorial Day weekend. Fun had by all, especially in the tub.

Into June we have been mostly home. We spent some time in Weston on the farm, had some fun, did some training with my main runnin' woman Annette.

Last weekend I ran the Ragnar Relay, but that was so monumental it deserves it's own post.

Sunday Funday.

Sunday afternoons for our family usually involve miscellaneous clothing, baking, and the can't-go-anywhere-keep-the-sabbath-day-holy kind of fun.

I made bran muffins: I know what you're thinking, and yes, bran muffins are usually reserved for old people who are trying to stay regular by eating nasty, tasteless, fiber-filled muffins. However, these muffins are sooo good and are sweet and cake-like, but have enough fiber to be on the healthy side (provided you don't drown them in honey-butter, oops.)

The batter stays good for 6 weeks so I keep a big container of it in the fridge and make fresh ones as we eat them.

Hot baked muffins made from scratch when you wake up? Come on.

You wanna the recipe? OK! Here you go:

5 C Flour

1 t. Salt

4 C Fiber One (You know, the long skinny things that look like cat food. It come out to be one of the two packages that comes in the box)

2 C Bran Flakes

2 C Chopped Dates (I know dates are kinda gross but I promise you won't even know they're in there)

2 C Sugar

1 C Butter or Oil

4 Eggs

1 Quart Buttermilk

2 C Boiling Water

5 t. Baking Soda

Combine all the ingredients except the boiling water and soda. Boil the water and add the soda to it all at once (I like to let B do this, it's kinda like a chemistry experiment and it gets him quite excited) Add soda/water to the rest of the ingredients and stir it all up. It makes a lot so use a big bowl. You can make the muffins right away but I think it's best to let the batter sit over night and let the fiber one and bran flakes get a little soggy. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until they look done. YUM.

I think my MIL said one muffin is 2 points for weight watchers, so not bad.

Don't eat more than 4 a day or you'll be kinda sad.

Enjoy!

So Let it Be Written!

Can it just be said that you are not a monster if you feed your kids macaroni and cheese once in a while? Where is it written that a kid is going to be obese and die of cancer if he/she eats powdered cheese and noodles?

Geez.

Sometimes I read things that mothers write and I just want to tell them to get off it. Am I the only one here?

That being said.....

Today we enjoyed some delicious Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and I must say it was delightful, for both the boys and myself. I fix it once in a while and we all love it.

So there.

Doesn't this boy look like a little macaroni and cheese does a body good? I thought so.

On another note, I've been hearing a lot of this for the past week: "MOOOMMM! Wipe my nose please please wipe-a-nose please MOM!!!!!!" Followed by a shrill shriek because snot is running down his face and burning his little raw, red, Hitler-style, nose-wipe mustache.

Tissues litter my house. Snot is everywhere.

Exhibit A:

Know what that is? My couch cushion with snot wiped on it. Gross.

Please don't be jealous of how glamorous my job is.

Oatmeal Lovers

Apparently I'm breeding oatmeal lovers.

This morning Clark enjoyed his breakfast oatmeal with raspberries and honey, in his own bowl, with his own spoon. He made a bit of a mess getting the spoon from bowl to mouth, and then drank all the last bits of oatmeal.

I've been subjecting my family to all kinds of food madness lately. Tofu parmigiana, lentil soup with turkey sausage... you know, I like to experiment. The best part? Travis turns his nose up when he finds out what's in it, then they all scarf it down like they haven't eaten in days.

Hurrah!