Clawson Clan

Drum Roll Please...

2012-01-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

Nothing to blog...

2012-01-15T14:00:00.000-08:00

We haven't been up to much lately. Just getting back in the swing of things after being off of school for Christmas. Here are a few quotes of Addi's lately. She never ceases to crack us up!

At the doctor's office...
Addi while sitting on my lap says to the doctor, "I'm half boy/half girl." The doctor looks at me.

I look at Addi and say, "What?"

She says, "Tell him mom."

"Tell him what?" I ask.

"Tell him I like boy things, like video games and Star Wars."

"Oh, your a tomboy." I say.

"No, half boy/half girl."

To make matters worse, Von was on the examine table with pink toenails courtesy of Addi.

In the car...
"Mom, I'm good at three things--singing, making music, making stories and drawing pictures."

She's loves everything her dad loves and is creative just like him.

Yesterday, also in the car...
"The kids at school call me teenage girl because they think I'm a teenager."

"Why do they think you are a teenager?" I ask. I know why I think she acts like a teenager. Please tell me she doesn't have that attitude at school, I'm thinking.

"Because I'm six," she says. "And only two other boys in my class are six like me." I was glad that was the only qualifying factor.

Merry Christmas!

2012-01-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

The kids were up bright and early at 4:10 am! They were so excited. Unfortunately, this was the best picture I got of the two of them together. It's pretty typical though.

This is Addi giving a card she made for Von to him. He wasn't that interested, but it was so sweet of her. He is holding his "Special" Lightning McQueen. He had one that got lost at month or so ago, and was so sad about it. He has several Lightning McQueens, and to him, they are all different and they all have different names, even though they are all pretty much the same toy. This one, however is actually a deeper shade of red and of course, the only place I could find it was on Amazon. It was so worth it, though. He is still carrying it around with him where ever he goes. Had I only thought ahead and order several of them, for the next time it gets lost.

Addi in her new pajamas.

Von with "Special" Lightinging.

Addi decorated these cookies all by herself Christmas Eve. I was busy preparing food for Christmas day, so she went to town all on her own. I think just as much frosting ended up in her stomach as did on the cookies.

So happy.

The aftermath. After presents, the kids let us go back to bed for a couple of hours while they watched one of their new movies. And then we headed up to Ian's parents for more presents and food. The kids had a great holiday, I was sad to have school start again. It was so nice to be lazy and not have a schedule. Till next year...

And then Von had a birthday...

2012-01-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

Von at The Mormon Battalion Museum during Thanksgiving

Von's 3rd birthday was December 12th. We kept it mellow too. All he wanted was to go to Chick-Fil-A and Chuck-e-Cheese, so Ian took off work early and we were off.

He is still so sweet mixed with toddler craziness. He is my little BFF. We hang out all day everyday while Addi is in full day kindergarden. He still takes 3 hour naps everyday and sleeps from about 6:30 pm to 6:30 am every night. I know, we are so lucky to have such great sleepers. It is such a blessing that we are fully aware of. He is still not potty trained. We tried the entire month of October, but he could not, not pee and poop everywhere at all times! Seriously, He would pee in the potty and then within five minutes pee all over my floor, or in a store, or at school. You name it, he probably peed on it. We were over it. So once we move (we are relocating to the Bay Area within the next month or two) I will try again.

He is a great little talker and adores his sister. Every morning when the school bell rings, he has to find her on the playground to give her a big hug and kiss before we go or he has a major meltdown. He loves going to the gym with me. It's our little routine every morning after we drop Addi off at school. Everyone at the gym knows him by name and greets him (not me) as we come and go. The girls there love him and he loves them. Since moving, he doesn't really have any friends, so they and the kids there are his friends. One day I walked in to pick him up and I caught him hugging and planting a big kiss on a little girl's lips. Both kids have their yearly check ups today. I'll have to update his stats after. He is still huge, as tall as a couple of kids in Addi's Kindergarden class.

Here are a few of his favorite things...
Movie
1. Cars (although for some reason he calls it "Cars 2," but he is terrified of "Cars 2")

TV Show
1. Team Umizoomi

Food
1. cheese
2. applesauce
3. milkshakes

Drinks
Apple Juice
Chocolate milk

Toys
1. Any of his "Cars" toys
2. Books
3. His boo boo

Phrase he says
1. "It's morning time!"

Places to go
1. Chick-Fil-A
2. Nickel City
3. Legoland

Happy Birthday Addi!

2012-01-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

I wrote this post a few weeks ago and never posted it, so here it is...

We celebrated Addi's 6th birthday last week. I can't believe she is six already. We kept it simple this year. We celebrated the weekend prior to her birthday with Ian's family at Chuck-e-Cheese and on her birthday, I took the kids to Nickel City after school and then for some ice cream. We ended her day with dinner at Olive Garden per her request. Here are some of Addi's favorites according to her these days...
Movies:
1. Beauty and the Beast
2. Harry Potter
3. Anything made in the 80s
TV Shows:
1. Captain Planet
2. He-Man
3. She-Ra
4. Spongebob
Food:
1. Ice Cream
2. Pepperoni Pizza
3. Mac & Cheese
Drinks:
1. Chocolate Milk
2. Lemonade
3. Peach Juice
4. Orange Juice
Places to go:
1. Chuck-e-Cheese
2. Legoland
3. Nickel City
Phrases:
1. OMG!
2. Got it!
Things to do:
1. Play with my Mama
2. Go online to gap.com (I swear she said this)
3. Play soccer
4. Play video games
Toys:
1. Brown Boo Boo
2. Littlest Pet Shop
3. Barbies
Things she's afraid of:
1. The dark
2. Sharks
3. Spiders
Songs to sing:
1. Any song by Adele
2. BFF by the Aquabats
3. All My Money by the Aquabats

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-14T13:44:00.001-08:00

Cutest Santa pic ever. Right?

Thanksgiving

2011-12-06T10:06:00.000-08:00

As I said earlier, this was the first time I hosted Thanksgiving. We used our clubhouse for the day. The kids had a great time. The day was spent watching movies in the movie theater, swimming and playing pool.

My sister and I spent two whole days preparing the food. My brother said it was the best Thanksgiving food he had ever had. So, I guess it was a success.

The movie theater and the pies...

We made pumpkin, strawberry/rhubarb, banana cream, lemon cream cupcakes, chocolate mousse and apple. All from scratch. Yum-O. We ended the night with a talent show. The kids really got into it.

Addi's new favorite band is the Aquabats. She walks around with her iPod blaring it all day.

I'm pretty sure Von is going to hate this video when he is older. Especially because he is running around so happy in his leotard.

La Jolla Cove

2011-11-30T12:29:00.000-08:00

My sister and her kids came out for the week of Thanksgiving. It was a full house to say the least, my brother also tagged along. We had a great week. The kids had so much fun and it was the first time I had ever hosted Thanksgiving. Luckily I had my sister to help, especially with the turkey. I have a little aversion to raw poultry, so you can imagine how I felt about digging inside of a big turkey for all of the stuff that wasn't supposed to be there.

We went down to the beach one of the days there were here. It wasn't an especially hot day, in the 60s, so I did not plan for the kids to hop right into the ocean.

They had so much fun. I swear, kids don't feel the cold. They were so carefree, up to their waist in I'm sure freezing water.

BFFs.

The clothes finally came off. They were only dragging them down.

Happy as a clam :)

Addi. My kids have crazy a crazy amount of hair. So when they get sand in it, it's there for weeks. We are still digging it out.

And then Von became completely white trash and joined all of the other fully clothed children on the playground. He's leaning out a little wouldn't you say?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-29T15:25:00.000-08:00

Addi's class had a Thanksgiving "feast." Von and I were able to join her. She makes a pretty cute pilgrim.

Von was not too happy about the singing that the kids did. He had his ears covered the whole time. And of course Boo Boo had to come with us.

Utah

2011-11-14T15:22:00.001-08:00

The day after Halloween, the kids and I flew out to Utah to hang out with Katie, Brad and the cousins as well as to celebrate Ian's grandpa's 90th birthday. The first day we were there, we went to "Smash Bash," which was dedicated to destroying all of the left over pumpkins in anyway possible. The first thing we did was drop the pumpkin from this lift. We though it was pretty cool...until we saw the crane that raised people up 150 feet to throw pumpkins off of.

Surprisingly, with the exception of Beckham, the kids were not scared at all. It probably was not the safest thing we could have been doing with our children, but it was pretty fun.

Next, the kids got to shoot pumpkins with paintball guns.

They were pretty excited about it.

McKinley and Von. They are almost four years apart in age, but just about the same size. I think Von actually weighs more than her.

Addi and the poor kangaroo at the petting zoo they had there.

It snowed off and on when we were there. On Saturday, there was enough for the kids to play in. Katie's kids were at their dad's and so Addi and Von made fast friends with the neighborhood kids. We didn't see Addi for at least an hour. She had so much fun with the kids and the snow. Von, on the other hand, came in after about 10 minutes, saying, "I don't like it! I so cold." He is so cute, regardless.

Ian and the rest of his family flew in Friday night. The kids were so happy to see him.

Before our flight on Sunday, we were all killing time at the mall. Just as we were about to leave for the airport, we passed Claire's and Ian's sister Chelcie, asked Addi if she wanted to get her ears pierced. Addi, without hesitation said yes. So next thing I know Addi is in the chair, picking out her first pair of earrings and I am signing waivers. After a few minutes of waiting, the fear began to set in. She was pretty terrified before they even brought the guns out.

This video makes us look like abusive parents. It is so sad.

Aren't they pretty? She was really traumatized. Luckily, we have had no problems with them, and they haven't caused her any pain since. I am glad that milestone is over with. Little does she know, on Thursday of this week, she is having her first wart removed. Not looking forward to that. Can you imagine how she is going to be screaming then? The worst part about it is it is on her chin. Poor thing. I feel so bad for her :(

Trick or Treat!

2011-11-14T15:12:00.000-08:00

On Halloween, we joined Jaime and Dan in Del Mar to trick or treat. The neighborhood we went to was all decked out. It was great. This is Jaime's little Chewbacca, AKA Lainey.

Me in my predictable cheer outfit and Ian as Marty McFly.

Every house we went to, Von would get so scared. "Can we go home now?" was his most common comment of the night :)

Our little Mario.

Princess Leia meets Spartan Cheerleader. Crazy that it been 12 years since we first met!
Addi and Luke giving their best "Angry Birds" faces.

Disneyland

2011-10-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

Because we hadn't been to enough theme parks this month, the kids and I made a trip up to Disneyland with Ian's sisters and parents since his sister Shandra was in town from Hawaii.

The kids all did so well, we lasted all day.

When Addi was a baby, Aunt Chelcie was always her favorite. She would not to to anyone, myself included, if Chelcie was in the room.

Bubba enjoying "It's A Small World."

All five Clawson cousins. Addison, Betsy, Joaquin, Tristan & Von.

They were more interested in the car than taking pictures.

The past few months, Von has been obsessed with anything "Cars." Everywhere we go, he has at least one Lightning McQueen with him. To us they are all the same, but to him, each one is different and has it's own nickname. He was in Heaven seeing the life-size Mater and Lightning.

Addi posing with Mater.

He was so happy. There was no turning around for me to get a decent picture of him with the Car.

Meeting Minnie

The kids.

Addi was too scared to see "Bug's Life," so I took her out and tried to take Von with us, but as we were leaving, he said, "No! It's showtime!" and insisted on staying. He came out crying. Poor thing!

Tom's Farm

2011-10-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

We also made a trip up to Tom's farms last weekend. We love any excuse to dress up.

Addi the cowgirl and Von, the farmer/train conductor. Tristan is only two months younger than Von, it was fun to see them interact now that both of them can talk.

We had never been up to Tom's Farms. It's in Corona. They had lots of fun stuff for the kids.

Waiting for her turn.

You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. It reminded me of back home.

So fun.

Bubba and Daddy watching Addi.

Addi is such a good cousin. She always keeps the kids entertained.

Train ride.

Addi is growing up so fast. I can't believe she will be six in a couple of months.

After the train ride, we went to pick out pumpkins.

Addi of course had to tell Tristan what to do.

We have yet to carve ours. Maybe tonight. She is so excited.

Tristan.

Our little farmer.

Another Legoland post...

2011-10-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were supposed to head up to the cabin with Ian's family, but when several people ended up with the flu, the trip got cancelled. So we made another trip to Legoland with Jaime and Dan and the kids to do their trick-or-treating.

Addi's costume is a unicorn. Last summer when we were up at my parent's, I took Addi and my grandpa garage saling. I gave Addi $2 and told her she could buy whatever she wanted. The very first house we went to she found this costume and before I knew it, she was handing her $2 over to the lady.

The costume is really big, I had to hem the arms and legs, but she loves it.

The unicorn and Darth Vader.

Is he not the cutest Mario you have ever seen?

I love their shadows.

Fairytale Brook with Dad.

Von was terrified of this guy. Addi of course was not.

Trick-or-treat!

Bubba <3

Legoland

2011-10-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

My parent's came out to San Diego on Monday and they spent most of the week, helping me around the house with random projects. They even cleaned out and organized my garage for me. We can now park in it, it's so great. I felt kind of bad, being that it was their vacation and they were spending it working, but they insisted. The last day they were here, we hit up Legoland. Addi played hooky and we had a great time.

Bubba on the boat cruise.

Miniland. He still takes his "boo boo" everywhere. It's like a third arm. I just hope he doesn't lose it someday, as there are no more anywhere to be found on the internet.

Panning for gold is always one of Addi's favorite things at Legoland.

Because it is usually just me with the kids when we go, there are a lot of rides we aren't able to do because Von is too small or you need one adult per kid on a ride, so it was nice for Addi to be able to do more of the big kid rides with my dad while I took Von on the little rides.

Shark Bait.

Times 2.

This ride is for 3-5 year olds. Von can pass as a three year old right? That is until you put him behind the wheel of a vehicle and all he wants to do is drive into the walls.

Addi, showing him how it's done.

The kids with Nana and Papa H.

Palm Springs

2011-10-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the beginning of a crazy, busy month. We met my parents in Palm Springs for the weekend. It was still 100+ degrees there, which I love, so there was lots of water time. The best part of the weekend, however was the first date night Ian and I had had in months, complete with the kids spending the night in my parent's condo. We slept in until 8:30 am! Being that our usual wake up time is 6:30 everyday, it was so nice. I felt like a whole new person. It had been months since either of us had slept in that long, I was surprised we were capable of it.

We hit up a splash park after exhausting the pool and went and saw Cars 2. It made Von's day. It's his latest obsession.

And stopped to take pictures with the dinosaurs on the way home. That's Addi down there by Rex's foot.

Season Champs!

2011-10-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

Addi's first experience with soccer was awesome. Her coaches were so nice and the kids she played with were great little athletes. Her team, The Ravens were the season champs after beating an undefeated team in the final game. It was intense! This particular team had beat us twice already and the other coach was not the nicest, so the win was especially sweet. See the little kid in the glasses, he was our team's biggest surprise. The best little goalie I have ever seen. My parent's were in Palm Springs that day and drove all the way out for the game. I think we had all lost our voices by the end of the game, it was so exciting.

Addi's first medal! We were so sad the season ended. She started a new season last week on a different team, but it's just not the same. Most of the kids on her last team moved onto basketball, so she is with all new kids and I have to say, she's probably the best one on the team (which isn't really saying much, because she is so new at this). She's still fun to watch as she is the queen bee on the field, bossing all of the boys around. It's pretty hilarious.

Wild Animal Park

2011-09-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

Ian's parents were in town last weekend for the Padre game so we tagged up with them at the Wild Animal Park.

I love giraffes. They are so pretty.

Addi and the elephants.

In a nest of some sort.

She was all about posing that day.

This gorilla was so sweet. If you look closely, it is carrying it's baby in it's arms.

Crazy kids.

Bubba. Obviously, this was pre-haircut. He had quite the chops going on.

Bubba

2011-09-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

Two things...

Bubba finally got a haircut! It was LONG overdue. And there wasn't one tear. It was a major accomplishment. The girl I took him to, asked me to leave the room. Apparently that's the trick. I wonder if she cuts nails?

Von put himself down for a nap today while I was getting ready. He got his blankets and took his own shoes off and even put his empty sippy in the sink before he settled down for a little snooze. Love him.

Padre Game

2011-09-18T19:59:00.001-07:00

We went to the Padre game last night with the kids. It was free t-shirt night, the kids insisted on wearing theirs. The were a bit big :)

We only lasted until the third inning. Von kept yelling, "when is it time to go?!!!" Addi enjoyed it, especially the cotton candy.

Love this picture.

First Day of Kindergarten!

2011-09-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

So because I had made all of our travel arrangements to Washington before I knew we were moving, Addi ended up missing her whole first week of kindergarten. I tried to change the tickets, but it would have cost me an extra $600! So, oh well, right? I figured Addi wouldn't know the difference. So we flew in at eight o'clock at night to Long Beach (a two hour drive from San Diego). It was already going to be a long day and Addi was scheduled to be at school at 8 am the next morning. While I was gone my brother, who we won't name, took my car to San Francisco while I was in Washington (I'm the best sister ever, right?). Well, he's not exactly known for being on time and he was running 2+ hours late to pick me up from the airport. So a late night turned into an even later night. We got home at 12:30 am. So these pictures were taken after little sleep. Here are the bloopers...

I love them though, it totally shows her crazy personality. In having a conversation with Katie once about Addison's craziness and the possibility of having ADD or ADHD, she bluntly said, "How else would you explain her behavior?!" We love her nonetheless. Of the 20+ pictures I took, there were some keepers. It's a good thing I have a fast shutter speed on my camera!

Ian and I took her to school early on her first day to meet her teacher, Mrs. Tebbetts.

Luckily, Addi loves school and was so excited.

Finding her cubby.

Our big Kindergartener! After she finished her second day of I asked her, "Have you made any friends?" To which she replied, "Oh Mom, I have tons of friends already!" Ironically, none of which she could remember their names :)

A Visit from Erin

2011-09-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

One of my very best friends, Erin, came up to visit for a couple of days while we were in Washington. She has three kids, three years old and younger. So it was crazy.

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

We went down to the beach with the kids. The girls collected a bunch of rocks.

Remember the 13 pound baby I posted about awhile back. Well, this is him. His name is Ty and he's about 25 pounds now at seven months.

Eliza and Addi became quick friends.

Justin, possibly the sweetest little boy I have ever met. He's right up there with Von.

As we were walking home, I looked down at Von's foot and it was covered in blood! When we got back to the house I looked underneath his foot and there was a big slice on his big toe. There were no tears. I would have never known if it weren't for the large amount of blood.

Toys

2011-09-09T13:22:00.001-07:00

I love that my kids love each other so much (in between punching each other and fighting a lot of the time). Everyday when we pick Addi up from school, Von runs up to her as soon as she gets out of her classroom door and they give each other hugs and then hold hands as they walk out to the car.

My dad and the kids on the four wheeler.

Back in the orchard.

Von riding solo.

My grandpa has all sorts of motorized vehicles in his garage. Since he can't legally drive, he has bought other mode of transportation which he drives all over the island. He has his four wheeler, motorized scooter, motorize bicycle, and has bought the kids a Hot Wheels Jeep and four wheeler of their own.

Crazy kids

Love them.

Addi going crazy on her four wheeler.

After a while, Von finally got the hang of it.

Here's Addi going crazy. Check out her tricks! She's so funny.

Utsalady Bay

2011-09-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

This is the beach the house I grew up in looked at. We went to a barbecue at a classmate's of my dad's house.

Mt. Baker

Sand Angels?

She had sand in her hair for days.

Peek-a-boo!

The weather was not really warm, I didn't think they would be getting in the water, so I didn't bring any swim suits. That didn't stop them.

Little by little they got further and further in.

Bubba HATES anything on his hands, especially hair or sand.

Addi girl

I love how Addi loves life!

And then the clothes came off. There was no stopping them.

Looking out to sea.

The house I grew up in is in the left hand side of the picture. We had such a great view, but my parent's traded up for a house on the beach on the other side of the island.

It's Crabbin' Time!

2011-09-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

We took the kids out to drop off the crab pots.

I tried keeping Von up above. But he would not have it. He had to be with his sister.

He thinks he's so strong.

Addi and her sassy face.

He was so excited to be out in the water. I wasn't so much, it's a really small boat.

Driving the boat.

BFF

Bubba's turn

Sorry so many pictures. I have the bad habit of blogging like I would scrapbook!

Legoland

2011-09-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

And then the day before we flew out, we went to Legoland on our way up to Huntington Beach. We stayed the night there because we had an early morning flight and our flights were planned before we knew we were moving.

They have a new Star Wars Miniland. If you like Star Wars, it is really cool.

And since I am married to Ian I am required to like Star Wars.

And instgram makes it so much cooler.

San Diego Zoo

2011-09-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

We also hit up the zoo with Jaime and the kids.

Love them.

Von is always trying to keep up with the two big kids.

I'm not sure what this animal is, but he was out taking a walk while we were there.

Mission Bay Park

2011-09-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

Before we left for Washington, I wanted to take the kids out to do a few different things because the day after we flew back Addi started school. We went out to Mission Bay Park and took their scooters.

Von desperately tried to keep up with Addi. It didn't really happen.

He eventually ended up chasing her.

Love the tattoos.

It was a great putting made even greater by stopping at Yogurtland on the way home. That is something I have missed since moving. There is Yogurtland down here, but it's to close, so our weekly trips (or two or three times a week) has changed to about once a month.

VBS

2011-08-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the kids attended Vacation Bible School at the church where Luke goes to preschool. It was awesome. Not only were both of the kids able to go, but they had it at night from 5-8. Which meant Ian and I got to go out sans kids and I got to run errands without two fighting children in my cart! I was a little hesitant to leave Von in a new place without either of us, but he did great! Every night he would get in the car and ramble on, "bible school fun!" or "it was awesome!" or "I love bible school!" He was so cute. According to both of them he cried the first night after I left, he told me, "I cry bible school." And then when I proceeded to ask him about it he got mad and yelled several times, "NO! I FINE!" Presumably afraid that I wouldn't let him go back.

He sat so well with all of the kids. He is such a big boy now. He's not my baby anymore :(

Here's a video of him I took with my phone. Sorry it's a little long. And don't you just want to fix his sweatshirt?

La Jolla Cove

2011-08-15T11:21:00.001-07:00

I took the kids to La Jolla today in hopes to see the seals. They were their usual crazy selves.

There were no seals out, but plenty of birds to chase and trees to climb.

Addi wanted to catch a bird so we could eat it for dinner.

Up to no good :)

Addi's first game

2011-08-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

She was so excited her team color was purple. Excuse the Hello Kitty shorts. The kids were supposed to wear black shorts, but the thought of dragging both of my kids to Target yesterday just did not sound fun. The only problem is now Addi wants to wear her Hello Kitty shorts every week.

She has no fear. We were early, so she got to warm up on the field with her coach and one other player. She loved being able to kick the ball as hard as she could.

These pictures are so funny to me because she really looks like she knows what she is doing. And on the field, she looked good too. We have never really played soccer with her or taught her anything about it. I think the most exposure she's had to the game is the Dora episode where they are at a soccer game.

This field that the kids play on is great because there is no out of bounds and so the only time the game stops is when a goal is made. Which means lots of running and a tired Addi.

When the game began, Addi was put as goalie. I can only imagine how this conversation went with her coach.

Ready to go.

Her first save of the game.

The whole time she was in the goal, she could not stop jumping up and down. I don't think she is meant to stay in one place.

She was soon moved up to forward. How cute is she in her ready position?

She went for the ball every chance she had.

Even if it was a bit of a battle.

She was so happy the entire game.

Look at those legs. I can't wait for next week! I think I am enjoying this just as much as she is. The only bummer about it is Von wants to play so badly now. So sitting through a whole game watching from the sidelines is tough on him. He wants to be just like his big sister.

Warm ups

2011-08-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

Addi had her first soccer game last night. She was so excited all day leading up to it.

When Addi is really excited about something, she talks to herself in a low whisper. The entire afternoon and car ride to soccer she had this quiet dialogue going on to herself.

All of these pictures were so funny, it shows her personality.

So tough.

And weird.

Ready for action.

Finally she stood still for me.

Our pretty girl. She did so great in her game. She has no fear! More pictures to come of her in her "Ravens" uniform.

Just to let you know...

2011-08-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

"I not Bubba, I Von."

He will correct you if you make the mistake.

thepinmakers.com

2011-08-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

My sister Katie and I started a new blog...thepinmakers.com. It's a blog of all things Pinterest. So far, it is a lot of food. So, for more food reviews head over there and check it out and see what we've been up too. This week my sister is refinishing a piano from the early 1900s. Good luck to her with that! Here's the work in progress...

Bowling

2011-08-04T14:09:00.000-07:00

There is a bowling alley down here that has free bowling for kids. Jaime and I took the kids for an afternoon of hilarity. These two seriously love each other. Back when we were still looking for a place to live down here and crashing at Jaime and Dan's for a weekend, Addi told me that Luke told her that he loved her and wanted to marry her. They have so much fun together and when we are out together people always ask if they are twins. Lately, because Von is SO big, people have been asking if Von and Addi are twins too. They are always surprised to hear that Addi is three years older.

Jaime and I just happened to show up to bowling in matching outfits.

Best Friends.

Jaime e-mailed me this with the caption,"The one of Addi blurry is like a metaphor for their behavior. CONSTANT motion and craziness." So true. There is never a dull moment.

Instagram

2011-08-02T17:06:00.001-07:00

Last week, my brother and sister came to visit and got me hooked on the instagram app on my phone. Here are a few pics. It's funny, I find myself taking pictures mostly of food.

Taco Pizza.

Bubba and my recovered ottoman. I put my sister to work when she was here. She came up with this!

My favorite dessert ever. The Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake. It looks pretty here, but within minutes the whole thing broke in half. It was delicious, however.

Strawberry Rhubarb Batter Cake. Here's the recipe, it's one of my grandma's.

3 cups of berries

3 tbsp. of butter

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 cup of flour

1 tsp. of baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup of milk

1 tbsp. corn starch

1 cup of water

Rinse berries and put in 8 x 8 baking dish. Cream butter and 3/4 cup of sugar. Sift together flour, baking powder and 1/4 tsp. of salt and add to butter and sugar. Add creamed mixture alternately with 1/2 cup of milk. Pour over berries. Combine 3/4 cup of sugar, 1tbsp. of starch, 1/4 tsp. of salt and sprinkle over batter, then pour 1 cup of boiling water over all of it. Place pan on top of cookie sheet when baking. Bake and 375 degrees for 1 hour.

We usually use boysenberries or blackberries, but it was just as good with the strawberry/rhubarb mixture.

This is Addi today at the pool :)

And Bubba.

Joe Dirt. We put one of my extensions in Von's hair. It blended perfectly.

Food Reviews

2011-07-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Asian Coleslaw

Really good. I added chicken and mandarin oranges and I left the noodles crunchy. I've been buying rotisserie chickens at Costco about once a week. It makes making chicken dishes so easy and I can get three meals from one chicken, which for $4.99 is a great deal AND I don't have to deal with raw chicken, which I hate.

Baked Southwest Eggrolls with a Chipotle Dipping sauce
I didn't really follow this recipe at all, but I used the idea of it to make my own baked egg rolls. Definite success. Here's what I did:

First, I sauteed a white onion with garlic, a little butter, lemon juice, cumin and chili powder. I added some black beans, shredded rotisserie chicken, shredded cheese, fresh corn which I cooked and then cut off of the cob. And then I baked it according to the kitchencafe.com directions. I make the dipping sauce with sour cream, a little salsa and cumin. And then I make fresh guacamole to go with it.

It was a hit. All four members of my family ate it. Hallelujah. It is so rare I cook anything that Ian and the kids with eat.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake
I really loved it, but if you don't like cottage cheese than it is not for you (which unfortunately Ian is not).

White Chicken Enchilladas
So good and so easy. And very few ingredients which I love about any dish.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodles
It was just okay. I didn't use cream, which may have been my problem. I used milk and made a roux. I have more new recipes in my queue for the next week, so more reviews to come.

BTW...The links for the other recipes are two posts down. Also, when I make any recipe, I always half it. It usually works out to be just enough for Ian and I.

Happenings

2011-07-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

I haven't taken my camera out since we moved, but here are some pics from my phone.
Lazy pool day with Choobie. It's been so nice having Jaime and her family so close!

Sealife Aquarium with the kids today
We been trying to go up to Legoland once a week or so. It's nice they have three different parks up there with the aquarium and water park.
Bubba. The kids are such troopers these days. Lately, when we have been going to Legoland, just the three of us, I have not been taking a stroller. So, by the time we leave, they have each walked around the whole park with their little legs. They are so tired by the time we are done. And they actually stay by me AND hold my hand most of the time (which both of them usually hate to do).
I was telling Ian the other day that our lives revolve around legos. Legoland, Lego video games, and actual Legos. This one in particular, the kids refer to as "Papa H," aka my dad, which gets fought over it seems like daily. I often hear them yelling at each other, "I want Papa H!" "No, I want Papa H!" It's pretty funny. Whenever anything needs fixing around our house, Addi always says, "Papa H needs to come visit so he can fix that." He is our handyman every time they make a trip out. Can't you see the resemblance?

SAHM

2011-07-12T14:52:00.001-07:00

Stay at home mom. That is what I am now. It's crazy. I don't quite know what to do with myself. Aside from not working, we moved far enough away that I have no other obligations other than keeping my kid entertained. Seriously, I have nothing to do, it is so weird. I have never not worked, and I have always been the type to have way too much on my plate. When I worked, I was gone a solid 12 hours out of the day. I would leave the house at 7 am and not get home until 7 pm. So those days were shot when it came to running errands or getting things done around the house. Which meant the rest of my week was filled with Costco runs, getting Addi to and from school, working out, the kids random activities and any other errand that needed to be done. We were lucky to get home in time for Von's afternoon nap with all that I had to accomplish.

So, we've been going to the gym a lot. I think Addi likes the gym better than me. When I came to pick her up today, she cried because she wanted to stay longer. And luckily our new place has a really nice pool. So after the gym, we hit up the pool. Pretty much everyday. I also made myself a chore list, which I have printed out and hanging in my laundry room. And I've been cooking nice meals and baking. I asked Ian yesterday, "So is this what people do when they don't have to work?" He assured me, "yes." I have become obsessed with couponing. I saved over $50 last weekend between my Ralph's and Target shopping trip. It's kind of addicting and probably a good thing since we have just lost my income and we are paying MORE in rent. Not a good combination. I even found a coupon for a free training session at my gym which I used today. It was really informative, and so hard. Also, Legoland is on the agenda this week. We went on the 4th when Ian was able to go with us, the kids had so much fun. We went to the water park and Ian convinced Addi to go on all of the big kid rides with him. She was so stoked she told every lifeguard she came into contact with. And I turned 30 last week. Can we say making for a 1/3 life crisis?

So my house is cleaner that than it has ever been and I've been trying new recipes and have plans (because I have time to meal plan, thus our dinners are already planned and shopping list made for the next two weeks) for many more. Here are a few of them thanks to pinterest.com:

White Chicken Enchilladas

Baked Southwest Egg Rolls with a Creamy Chipotle Dipping Sauce

Oven Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Grilled Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodles
Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

Broccoli and White Cheddar Mac & Cheese
Pizza Balls in a Skillet

Thank goodness for the gym! After eating all of this I will need it.

Last day of swim

2011-06-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

The kids had their last day of swim lessons yesterday :( We have been going to Watersafe Swim School for almost 3 years now and our kids have learned so much there. And the staff is so great. Von and Addi crash their office every time we go. They hang out with "the girls" as Addi calls them and raid their drawers for stickers and treats. I am already on the hunt for a new swim school in San Diego, but I don't think anything with compare to our experience with the people at Watersafe.
Before their lessons now, the kids are allowed to play in a roped off section in the pool. Von has gotten brave lately and will jump from the castle to the stairs. And on top of other kids. Oops.
Addi.
Addi's breast stroke. She also does the back stroke and has been working on putting together the arms and legs of the butterfly.
My kids can seriously hold their breaths longer than I can. And I'm sure Addi can technically swim better than I can. At 5 years old we are so impressed.

Here's a little clip of Bubba and his kicking skills.

Disneyland and Club 33

2011-06-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

Last week, the San Diego administrators from Ian's work all got invited to bring their families to Disneyland and have lunch at Club 33.
We hit up the Jungle Cruise first. It was Von's first time he had been to Disneyland since he was a baby, he was genuinely so scared of all of the fake animals along the shore of the cruise.
Another scared face. He was so scared, he was shaking.
Club 33 is an exclusive restaurant where you have to be a member or invited by one. There are rules you have to follow and they have a dress code. All of the artwork in the restaurant are originals from Walt Disney's home. The food was really good, Ian and I both had the filet mignon. Yum, but a little weird to be eating it at 11 am. And they had a buffet, that you ate before your main entree came.
Von was particularly crabby that day. Thank goodness for the chocolate straws from the buffet and Netflix on my phone. He was on the verge of being disastrous. He kept drumming his silverware on the fine china. The wait staff was not to happy with us.
Addi and her Buzz light the kids got with their drinks.
The chocolate straw. AKA lifesaver.
Addi in the entrance.
After lunch, we hit up some rides at Disneyland and then headed over to California Adventure.
So pretty.
The new Little Mermaid ride was really well done, and luckily the wait was only about 20 minutes.
Don't you love his hair? I do.
The only picture of me from the whole day, taken by myself. Excuse the greasy face, it was hot that day!
I love this picture of Addi with Stitch. She just looks so unsure. It was a great day!

One thing I will miss...

2011-06-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

My friend Erin, blogged about one of our Turbo Kick instructors, Nolan. He just happened to be subbing this morning for my last class before we move. He is fabulously intense. I love it.

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad

2011-06-07T22:11:00.001-07:00

Saturday it rained ALL DAY. So we hit up the spa, took the kids to the pool and arcade, played cards and watched some TV. Luckily, Sunday cleared up and one our way out of town we were able to take a little train ride.
Von for some reason was so crabby. He kept yelling at us every time we tried taking pictures of him, "NO. MORE. PICTURES!!!" Can you tell it was still really cold (according to my standards).
Waiting for the train. When the conductor boarded, Von yelled, "All aboard!" His language is so extensive these days, he is able to express his needs, but doesn't understand quite yet why he doesn't always get what he is asking for. I.E. last night it was, "I. WANT. DONUTS!!!" which we did not have on hand, nor would I have given him right before bed. He is such a yeller though, Ian eventually asked, "do I need to go to the store?" No. Have you seen this kid's thighs? He does not need any donuts anytime soon.
Addi and Daddy.

*Did I mention we are moving to San Diego within the next month??? It was a surprise to us yesterday when we got the news Ian needed to report to the La Mesa facility next Tuesday. That's right one week. So, this weekend we are heading down to try to find a place to live. Crazy. And sad. But it really is not that far. That is what I keep telling myself anyways.

Just some deer...

2011-06-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

We were driving and saw three deer grazing so we stopped to get a closer look.

They let us get so close.
When we were getting back in the cars, there was a sign on the side of the road, warning of wild animals with a picture of a deer attacking a person. Maybe not the smartest idea.They are so cute though, right?

Bridalveil Falls & El Capitan

2011-06-06T21:51:00.001-07:00

View of El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls.Next we went to Bridalveil Falls. There was so much water.
All of that white in the background is mist from the falls.
Checking it out.

Part 2

2011-06-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

Our second stop was at Glacier Point.
With great views of Half Dome and Nevada and Vernal Falls.
Checking out the squirrels.
The squirrel. He came right up to us.
Us.
Nama and Papa.
Great shot.
Checking out the waterfalls.

Yosemite Part 1

2011-06-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we flew up to Yosemite for a quick family vacation with Ian's family. We stayed at Tenaya Lodge right outside the park.
Von got a little frisky with the deer...
Our little mountain man went in for the kiss...
and proceeded to lick the poor deer.
Our first stop was Mariposa Grove. We hiked up to the Grizzy Giant.
It was so cold for June, in the 50s.
Pretty trees.
Like father, like son.
Bronson took Addi off of the path, Von slowly followed behind...
And then had to be carried down the hill.
One big tree.
The whole family.
Excuse his hair/mullet. He is not a fan of getting his haircut.
Pretty moss.
Bubba
Pretty Addi with the waterfall. Pretty much everything was really pretty.

Spring Sing 2011

2011-06-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, Addi had her "Spring Sing." She is growning up so fast. The last 5 months she has been going to school at Moffett Elementary School in their Preppy K program and she has done so great. She has far exceeded our expectations and has learned so much.
She looks forward to school everyday. The last month or so, she has also been attending the YMCA program after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I am at work. She wants everyday to be a "daycare" day now. She comes home everyday absolutely filthy from all of the art projects and playing.
After she sang, Von had to go join her class.
They love each other so much (most of the time)

Memorial Day

2011-06-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

Our ward had it's annual Memorial Day picnic last Monday. And of course it wouldn't be complete without ponies...

Jaoquin's Birthday

2011-06-06T16:03:00.001-07:00

Joaquin turned one last week and Brooke and Armando had a big party to celebrate! It was a Yo Gabba Gabba theme. The kids had such a great time! Von kept sneaking away to the presents, trying to unwrap them without getting caught. Here are some pictures of the festivities...

Night out on the town

2011-06-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy couple of weekends! Last weekend, on Friday, we pawned the kids off on Ian's parents for the night and went out with Jason and Kelly. I met Kelly more than eight years ago going to school in Hawaii. Little did I know then, I would marry Ian, who had grown up with Kelly since they were little kids. If you look really close, you can see the famous HOLLYWOOD sign on the right.
We took advantage of not having to be back at a certain time and hit up the Griffeth Observatory in LA first. We were able to see out of their giant telescope, Saturn, even it's rings and moons. It was really amazing.
After that, we went to sushi, which again was amazing. And you would think we would end our night there...oh no, after that we saw an 11:15 (that's right, 11:15 at night) viewing of The Tree of Life at the Arc Light theater. Which was probably one of the weirdest movies I have ever seen, I didn't get it. It was such a struggle to keep my eyes open, being that my bed time is usually 10pm. And it was two and a half hours long. I'm glad I saw it, I actually would like to see it again, just to try to figure it out. I felt like I was back in college trying to figure out the hidden meaning of the whole thing with the anticipation of having to write a paper of take a test on it.
When we finally got home at 3 am, we crashed. I haven't been out that late in years. I felt like I had been hit by a truck the next day, because of course my body was wide awake at 7:30 am, which by the way is actually sleeping in for us.
It was a great night! I'm glad we were more adventurous than usual. It is rare we have such an opportunity!

Delish

2011-05-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been a bit obsessed with pinterest.com, it's a way to catalogue all the things online that I like. Recipes being one of them. I found this recipe for S'mores cookies and they are delish.

They are from lovintheoven.com
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

*I doubled the batch, and made them on a cookie sheet. I also only cooked them for 25 minutes. I'm not sure if because I doubled it and used a bigger pan it cooked faster, or what. But they were GOOD! For doubling the batch, I bought 2 jars of marshmallow creme, and use 9 regular size candy bars.

Granola Bars

2011-05-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

I work in an autism class and we do cooking every week. A few weeks ago we made homemade granola bars and they were so good! I add a few things to mine, some flax seed in the mix and then I drizzled melting chocolate, because I know my kids would not think it was a granola bar without chocolate. The dried fruit I added was currants. As a kid, my grandma would put on tea parties for myself and my cousins and we would always have currants. They bring back so many memories.

Ingredients

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, about 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, about 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, about 1 cup
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, about 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, about 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, about 1/4 cup packed
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

Directions

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

*The next time I make them, I think I would toast the oat mix for a less amount of time and cook them less in the end. They came out pretty firm.

Bring Your Pirate to Work Day

2011-05-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

Ian's work has been celebrating their nursing staff all week with different theme days and activities. Today was "pirate day," so we thought we'd make an appearance. Addi's best "arghh!"
Bubbs. They kids have been looking forward to this for the past week as I have been putting together their costumes. I made two pirate costumes for $7. Not bad! I found the pattern for the vest on dana-made-it.com. I simplified the vest, it's just made out of felt, I didn't even finish the edges. And the hats and eye patch are made out of craft foam.
The kids love the gardens, probably because we don't have a yard. It's one of their favorite parts of going to daddy's work.

Lipstick Jungle

2011-05-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

I put Von down for a nap on Monday. He decided instead to take everything out from under the vanity in their room and give himself a makeover.
He was so embarrassed when I caught him, these were the best pictures I could get.

Mother's Day

2011-05-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day, Ian gave me a kid free day! On Saturday, we drove down to Carlsbad and met up with Jaime and Dan and the kids. The guys took all four kids ages 5, 4, 2, and 6 months to Legoland ALL DAY. They were there when it opened at 10 and didn't leave until it closed at 5 and said the kids did great. Jaime and I had a fabulous day shopping sans kids. Thank you thank you Ian for a great day. So, on Sunday we had a mellow day. We went to church and ended our day going to the beach to watch the sunset. It was SO windy. We actually didn't make it all the way until the sunset, but watched it as we drove down PCH. I love living by the beach.

Easter Morning

2011-05-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

I know the lighting in this picture is horrible, but this is such a typical sight we see I had to post it. Von and his Boo Boo. He is either chewing on it, smelling it, or dragging it from room to room all day long.
Addi and her basket. The kids were so excited, it was like Christmas morning all over again (not quite). Ian actually did all of the shopping for their baskets. He did a great job picking out special things he knew they would each love. Von got stuffed Mario and Luigi dolls. Ian and the kids at night will play video games together, one of which is some sort of Super Mario game, which is Von's favorite. He constantly asks for, "Mario! Mario, Daddy!"
The hunt.
And the loot...again.
I only managed to get a picture of Addi in her easter attire. Our pretty girl.

Twins?

2011-05-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

Egg Hunt #1

2011-04-23T14:04:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Ian's work had an Easter egg hunt. Which was kind of funny, because it was just our kids who were there hunting. The residents sat and watched our kids run around screaming in delight of all of their finds. Von wanted to climb in this fountain. He tried, but luckily the bushes were to high.
Yay! One picture of two kids smiling and looking at the camera at the same time!
Bubba!
Addi!
Looking for eggs...
Daddy helping them.
Addi was at a mad dash the whole time, trying to beat Von to all of the eggs.
The loot.
Von and Addi both shared their eggs and candy with the people watching. The kids did so great interacting with all of the residents. It's always a little anxiety inducing bringing them into Ian's work. You never know what may come out of their mouths :) After we left, many of the residents told Ian how the kids made their day!

Jog-a-thon

2011-04-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Because Addi is now in a district Preppy-K, she just participated in her first jog-a-thon. The morning started out rough, however, because I forgot to have her wear her official Moffett Jog-A-Thon t-shirt (okay, maybe I intentionally dressed her in something else that morning thinking she wouldn't care/notice that other kids had theirs on). She was so sad when she got to school and saw the other kids (only about half) of them all dressed alike. So, I had to run right home and right back to get it their before her 8:30 run time.
To top it off, when I got their I noticed that Addi (who had put her clothes on by herself that morning) had put her pants on backwards! Oh well.
It was the hottest day of the week and she did great at first...but then the tears came. They had to run/walk for 25 minutes straight in 80+ degree weather. I ended up walking the last couple of laps with her because she was so "tired." In between every lap she stopped at me to have a drink of water/kill as much time as she possibly could.
Almost done...
The kids enjoyed their otter pops and the shade after. Her class also had a party which all of the parents were invited. Addi is always asking me to come help out in her class like the other moms and dads, but with Von, I don't have that opportunity. So, I got a babysitter that day so I could be there to help out. She was so happy, talked about it all week. I was glad I could make her day.

More Pics...

2011-04-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

My cousin Chelsey, of my sister and I and our kids when we were out. Taking pictures of five kids that do not want to get their pictures taken was a CHALLENGE. But the results were worth it! We went to her house first where she has a studio in her basement and then to an apple orchard that was just starting to bloom.

Addi 5.3 years old
McKinley 6 years old
Beckham 11 months
We won't talk about how old Katie and I are.

Carson 10.5 years old

Von 2.3 years old

Check out this sequence of Von. Every time we tried to take a picture of all five kids he took off. Over and over again. And that's me trying to catch him.

This was the best one we could get thanks to him!

Jamberry

2011-04-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry...this is a little more long winded than I originally intended.

So, I'm not usually one to fall for magic beauty products and the idea of their fabulous results, but I had a weak moment when I was in Utah and ended up buying three sheets of these nail shields from Jamberry nails. My sister was showing her skirt line (crisandkates.com) and at big Women's expo and so we met up with three of my cousins and aunt and shopped away. I have to say it was a good purchase. I am a once a year pedicure type of person. With two little ones there is just not enough time in the day and extra cash lying around to spend on the regular mani-pedi. So my nails either have nothing on them or look totally WT half polished, half chipped color. The girls in the booth promised easy application and that they would last 3-4 weeks. I was skeptical because I work out a lot and usually the tips of my nails are the first to wear away from rubbing against my running shoes. They have been on over a week and show no signs of falling off or wearing down. And they come in all sorts of cute patterns. Check it out, it's worth the investment. I barely used a quarter of one sheet to cover all of my nails. Anyways, I thought I'd just pass along my latest find!

Utah

2011-04-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Last week, the kids and I took off for Utah for some much needed cousin/sister/Nana & Papa H. time. The kids had so much fun. It was non-stop activity, from bowling, to the movies, to laser tag, mini golf, etc., etc. These pics are all from my iphone, as I never took my camera out of my bag. It was a great trip, more pictures to come of the kiddos that my photographer cousin Chelsey took. I'm crossing my fingers we got a few good ones of my disobedient children.
It snowed a ton the first few days we were there. Quite a change from our 80 degree beach day the week before. Another reminder why I love California.
Of course we couldn't get through the week without a little Dora...and the monkey backpack.
I decided not to take a stroller with me, and without the monkey leash I would have for sure had a missing 2 year old by the time we got to Salt Lake. Don't judge, if you would have seen him trying to constantly run away from me while I was juggling three pieces of luggage and two large carseats by myself, you would have completely understood the need.

WOW

2011-04-01T17:53:00.001-07:00

My grandpa has always been an artist. As a kid, I have fond memories of him teaching me watercolor techniques and making lots of messes doing all things creative. I credit him for any creative talents I may have. The man is a jack of all trades, and when he had his eye sight, he was quite the artist. He has always been known for his greeting cards. He will paint something, or create something on the computer and have them printed at the local copy store. Cute, right? Ian received this one for his birthday. Could it get any better? In his 90s, he still knows how to make us smile!

First Beach Day!

2011-04-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

Can you tell we're excited?

Roller skating

2011-03-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for new activities for the kids to keep them entertained. At the gym a few weeks ago, another mom told me about skating lessons at the Fountain Valley skating rink and I thought we'd give them a try. They do a half hour of "free skate," and then a structured 30 minute lesson. I went into it knowing it could turn out great or completely tragic. Luckily, it was a little of both. This is obviously before any skating began. Don't they look so grown up?
So, Von's problem was that he wanted to RUN. And running led to falling. We eventually switched his skates to the Fisher Price ones. They were great, he could run without falling much. Although, about half way through the hour, he just decided that he was done. He sat by the front door and tantrumed until we were ready to go.
The lesson part of it was really great. By the end, and after the teacher had tightened Addi's wheels, she was able to skate without holding on to me. She ended up loving it, even though her many falls, led to many tears. We will be going back soon, once we all recuperate from a month of sickness. It seems every year we are plagued with it. We all have had a variety of the flu, sore throats, colds, coughs, pink eye, etc. I am crossing my fingers we are nearing the end of it.

First day of school

2011-03-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

These pictures are a little belated. My friend Kayla, was kind enough to send me these that she took of Addi and her daughter, Meredith. I took pictures before we left for school, but when I went to upload them, they were all black.

Addi & Meredith

Addi's teacher Mrs. Elliot. After the first week of school, I approached her after school to see how Addi was doing. She said she was doing great, really social and that she was listening and following directions? I was surprised and told her that she is kind of a handful at home, to which she responded, "Ya, I can tell." This week, on Monday, I got a call from Addi's school. It was an office lady. She explained to me that Addi had told her that I had forgotten to pack her lunch and that she was supposed to buy hot lunch. Evidently, Addi had told her teacher the same thing. So when lunchtime came, Addi got into the hot lunch line, but when she got to the cash register, she had no cash or money in her account. She explained again to the lunch lady again her "situation," so the lunch lady sent her to the office to borrow some money. Which is when I got the phone call. At first, I frantically looked all over the kitchen thinking I really did forget to put her lunch in her backpack. I knew I had packed a lunch. And it all became very clear...Addi had had a plan. Lied to three adults to try to accomplish her plan. I could hear Addi in the back ground still trying to convince the office lady she was supposed to buy hot lunch! Once we figured it out, she sent Addi back to her class to get her real lunch. Are we in for it or what?

And then there is Von. This is why I didn't even attempt to take a camera to school. This is a daily occurrence. Von thinks that he is a big kid and kicks and screams when he has to leave his sister at school. Did I mention he is 35 plus pounds? I carry him back to the car, hitting, kicking and screaming. I am counting the months until he turns three and gets over these tantrums.

"It's cute."

2011-03-05T13:58:00.001-08:00

About a week ago, Addi got a hold of a pair of scissors and decided it would be a good idea to cut herself bangs and layers in the front of her hair. Lucky for her, she did not cut it too short! Although, she is still banned from any scissor use at home for quite some time. I had to post his picture among the others. This girl is so funny. Notice the orange stripes on her face? She drew them. They are her "Indian marks," because she "wanted to look like an Indian." What? They were in the fading stage by the time we got to the salon.
Look at this mischievous face! This week has actually been an awful one in the Clawson house. Addi, Von and I all had the flu. The puking until you have nothing left to puke and then puke some more flu. It was not fun. And now both kids have a cough. Addi only went to school one day this week and I did not make it to work at all. Let's hope for better luck next week!
The final product. It turned out great. She is so cute. Still our little handful (more like 18 handfuls), but she never ceases to make us laugh. Yesterday, she picked out a movie to watch during Von's nap. Naturally it was Batteries Not Included. I am pretty sure she is the only five year old that even knows what that movie is and knows the premise of it. I said, "Addi, that is so weird!" To which she quickly replies, "No Mom, it's cute. The two spaceships make babies. It's cute Mom." And so is she.

Just in case you were wondering...

2011-03-01T15:41:00.001-08:00

This is what a 13 pound baby looks like. My best friend Erin had a baby recently, and no joke, he was 13 pounds!
This is Erin's sister Amy, who was also one of my roommates at Ricks. Love her.
Another fave roommate, Jen. She was kind enough to take pictures to document this kid. Love her too.
Roomies. I wish I could have been there! They are lucky to all live in Washington and be able to see each other frequently. Oh the memories and good times we had together! It seems like yesterday...

New Dresses!

2011-03-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

So cute, right? Check them out at shabbyapple.com!

And the pictures were taken by my fabulous cousin Chelsey who you can find here.

Obsessed

2011-02-27T06:52:00.000-08:00

With two things right now...

I ate an entire 10 pound bag from Costco in a week.
At the gym, I've given up the elliptical for kickboxing. Not just regular kickboxing, Turbo Kickboxing. Everything is done at a super fast speed, where you don't have time to think about how hard it is or how tired you are. I actually look forward to going to the gym now. Maybe, I should start taking pictures of my kids again, it's been awhile since I've posted about them!

food.

2011-01-29T20:45:00.000-08:00

Life has been business as usual here in the Clawson household. Busy with work, school, church and family. The biggest excitement in the Clawson household is that Addi started a Pre-K program this week--five days a week. Our mornings are bound to be a little more peaceful. Instead of taking pictures this month, I have been cooking and baking. For Christmas, Barb Davis gave us her cookbook, AKA, the Bible of all things food. I have gone through and marked the whole book with post-it. Here are a few I thought I'd share...

Steak & Noodles

1 lb. of steak, cut into small strips

1/2 lb. chopped mushrooms

3 T. chopped onion

Dash of salt and pepper

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 can cream of mushroom soup

8 oz. sour cream

1 tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt

1 T. parsley

Saute' steak, mushrooms and onion in 1/4 cup of butter. Cook until steak is done and tender. Stir in rest of ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over noodles. Yum and yum.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

4 chicken breasts

1 doz. corn tortillas

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 c. milk

1 onion, chopped

1 can green chili sauce

1 1/2 lbs. shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 lbs. shredded jack cheese

Wrap chicken breasts in foil; bake 400 degrees for 1 hour. Bone and slice. Cut tortillas in 1-inch strips. Mix soups, onion, chili salsa and milk in bowl. Butter casserole dish. Layer tortillas, chicken soup mix and cheese. Repeat, ending with cheese. Refridgerate 24 hours. Bake at 300 for 1 hour (longer for deep dish).

Now, I have a problem following directions. And because I didn't want many leftovers, I cut the recipe in half, only using 1 can of cream of chicken soup, instead of the mushroom and chicken. I also used flour tortillas instead of corn, just for personal preference. It turned out great. I will definitely make it again.

And to the baking...Martha Stewart does it again. I made a double batch of these Snickerdoodles...

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening

1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus more if needed

2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper; set aside. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, shortening, and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small (1 1/4-ounce) ice-cream scoop to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after 5 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack.

I actually found her recipe on bakerella.com, where I found this fabulous picture.

And lastly, after baking 37 bunt cakes for a Young Women's fundraiser, I make a triple batch of oreo balls for Ian's work. These are so easy and so good. And I did actually take this picture myself.

Oreo Balls

1 (16 ounce) package OREOS
1 (8 ounce) package Cream Cheese, softened
2 (8 ounce) packages of melting chocolate
Mix the oreos with cream cheese (I use my Kitchenaid, it makes it quick and easy). Make 1 inch balls, put in freezer to harden. Dip in melted chocolate. I buy chocolate from Classic Cake off of Valley View. It is by far the best chocolate you can buy here locally.

I don't know why some of the font is green and some of it is black, I tried to fix it. Oh well.

A 2011 Must Have

2011-01-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

If you've never tried these, go to the store NOW! We have gone through three bags in the last week. They were an impulse buy last week at Albertson's, one I did not regret. Seriously. So. Good.

The handyman came to visit...

2011-01-03T17:30:00.001-08:00

Our kids are growing so fast! Addi has been long overdue to go into a twin bed, but because of the lack of space we have, it took a while to figure out the best solution for the kids. I saw this idea on designmom.com months ago and love it, so when my parents came last month, I put my dad to work. We modified it from her version, putting wheels underneath it.
The twin bed was a hand-me-down, originally painted white. We (my dad, I mean) slapped a fresh coat of paint on it and then we bought a low mattress at Ikea. There were so many nights we would check on the kids and part or all of her body would be on the floor. She won't fall out of it now!

The kids would not leave me alone when I was taking the pictures. Last night was the first night we attempted having Von sleep in it. We wanted to get through the holidays without having to sleep train. He did great. He went right to sleep, but at 1 am he came wandering into our room crying. After he calmed down, Ian put him back in it and we didn't hear from him again until the morning.
Underneath view. A big thanks to my dad! We had him busy the whole time he was here doing repairs. Some vacation!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-29T21:02:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve we had a mellow evening at home with Ian's parents. After dinner we decorated ginger bread men and watched Despicable Me. Bubba didn't understand decorating before eating.
Sprinkles!
Addi's final product.
Diving in.
Christmas morning, the kids were up by 6 and so excited.
Bubba checking out the merchandise.
He just couldn't resist the gingerbread man from the night before.
We headed over to Ian's parent's for the Laker game for more presents, food and the Laker game. Von got a new scooter. He's still trying to figure it out.
Addi was mad he wouldn't let her ride his! Little did she know, she had one coming too. Thanks to everyone who made our Christmas so amazing! It was a great holiday and year and we are looking forward to what 2011 will bring!

Holiday Happenings

2010-12-29T20:42:00.000-08:00

December flew for us. Life was so busy! We started the month out with Ian's first work Christmas party, followed by three more parties and my parent's visiting.
Addi's preschool class had a little party. On the first of December, I went at 5:30 in the morning and waited with a bunch of other crazy moms to secure a spot for her in a pre-k program through the district that will start January 31st. It is five days a week and FREE! I am really excited to get her into a more academic program and see if she is as smart as we think she is (and also to see if she is going to have as hard of I time sitting still as we think she will).
Ian's work party was at the St. Regis and they provided us a room for the night. I want to live there, it was so nice. We took the kids with us and had a hotel babysitter. All hotels need to have babysitters. Best idea ever.
The next morning we took them to Roger's Gardens to check out the decorations. Bubba was in love with the "choo choo train!"
Our big girl.

Family Pics

2010-12-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

Back in October, we had family pictures taken. Taking pictures with an almost 2 year old was a complete nightmare. Here are a few...with more to come later.

Photos by Jenn King. jennkingphoto.com

Palm Desert Thanksgiving

2010-12-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

After having such a good time last year in Palm Desert for Thanksgiving, back in June, Ian and I decided it was a must again this year.
We stayed and had our Thanksgiving meal at the JW Marriott. The meal was amazing as expected. They have everything from the traditional Thanskgiving buffet, to crab legs, a crepe bar, to prime rib, to mac and cheese and uncrustables for the kids. Plus an amazing array of desserts. Amazing.
Addi being Addi.
Don't mind the chocolate on her pretty little face.
One of my helpings of dessert.
Bubba devoring a PBJ. He and the tablecloth were covered in so much food by the time we were done.
After lunch, we went on the gondola they have in the hotel.
They gave the kids sailor hats. It took us a little while before we figured out we were supposed to fold the brim up.
Addi's favorite cousin Carson.
Our not-so-little anymore Bubba. The kid is a moose, we go to his 2 year well baby next week and I wouldn't be surprised if he was off of the charts.
Kinsers.
And the fun never ended. After the boat ride, they had crafts for the kids. The hotel was amazing. I want to live there. It was non-stop entertainment for the kids.
And then, of course there was swimming at least twice a day.
And mini golf on a real "mini golf" course, with sand traps and ponds. And I forgot to mention the shopping...we went at about 10 pm on Thursday to the outlets. We didn't stay for long, but got some great deals.
On our way home we stopped at Oak Glen. It was quite a contrast to go from sun to snow. The kids had mixed feelings about it. Bubba fell face first into an icy puddle and wasn't too happy, but enjoyed exploring it prior to that.
This is a typical picture of us these days, trying to contain this child. He now has a mind of his own and doesn't want to hold our hand or have help in any way.
Addi looked mad in every picture I took that day. Kind of funny.

Gymnastics

2010-12-01T15:26:00.000-08:00

Addi just finished up a gymnastics class through the city. It was great for her and me, as it gave me an extra hour a week with only one kiddo to run errands with.
Jumping jacks, I think?

Addi and the beam.

Trunk or Treat!

2010-10-31T20:21:00.000-07:00

Last night we celebrated Halloween at our ward's "trunk or treat." Von made the perfect cowboy. I dug out Addi's old skinny jeans, my mom found the leather vest which was my little brother's when he was a toddler, and the boots were borrowed from Jaime. It was a bit of a group effort! But it paid off.
These were the only picture I got with the hat on. Giddy up.
And our little mermaid. She actually let me put my hair extensions in her hair (just brushing it is a nightmare). It looked so real and pretty.Our attempt at a family picture. My costume is self-explanatory and Ian is a tourist.

Addi hitting her dad up for some candy.

Addi and her friend Jane. They had an impromptu dance party and showed off their "moves."

Addi rocking out.

Round two. I love this picture of Von and Addi. Ian reported that Von was perfect all night, handing out candy to all of the kids. It was such a great time, Addi this morning said, "it was the most awesome trick or treating ever!"

Knott's

2010-10-31T20:16:00.001-07:00

My sister and her family were in town last week so we hit up Knott's together on Saturday. We just had Von with us as Addi went to Utah last week with Ian's mom and sisters. There was hardly anyone there, we walked on every ride. One ride, my nephew Carson and my sister stayed on a ride 5 times in a row without getting off. It was a great day!
My sister and her baby Beckham.
Von and McKinley.

Early Birthday!

2010-10-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

So, both of our kids are born in December. Addi is the 9th and Von is the 12th. Instead of celebrating during all of the Holiday chaos, we decided to throw a duel birthday bash for the both of them last weekend.
Ian grew up with a guy that is an actual magician. He has a membership to The Magic Castle in LA, so we hired him, hence the magic themed everything. It was quite the preparation. I made all of the desserts and food (110 enchiladas plus Spanish rice, salad, etc., etc.), magicians capes for all of the kids (I scored fabric for $1 a yard!), and all of the decorations. Looking at the rather large pictures of them I asked, "and I wonder why our children think the world revolves around them?" Maybe because it does. We love them though and were so excited to celebrate them!
I was the total party Nazi. I made everyone pose for pictures as they walked in.
The birthday girl.
The birthday boy!
Addi's BFF Luke.
Family pic.
Jones family minus Max.
Jason and Richelle.
Leckey family.
Jaime is going to kill me for posting this picture. She is due any day, so why wouldn't she have a plate of food in the picture?
Stephanie is also due any day. That is the third pregnant person. There must be something in the water.
Morphys
Jacobs family.
Beutler kids.
Hexburg fam.
Bunnells.
Brad, Koko and Tanman.
Ian's sister Shandra and Tristan.
Nama and Papa, Shandra and Tristan
My cousin Mikelle, Blake and Scarlet.
Kate with the magician, Seth.
My little Bubba.
Charlie, magician in the making.Addi was so cute. After every trick, she would yell, "Wow! That was so magical!"
Pure magic!
My babies.
Von still doesn't get the whole blowing out the candles thing.
Love him.
The kids got so many nice gifts! They were so happy.
Until Ian tried on this gift...
and Von got a little upset.
The aftermath. Addi was asleep on the couch by 9. It was a great party. I am so glad it is over with.

Utah

2010-10-04T16:29:00.001-07:00

After a very busy week last week, Ian and I hopped on a plane on Friday and made a quick trip to Utah for Ian's mission reunion. We were exhausted by the time we got there, but made the most of it. On Friday night we went to his reunion mainly to see his best friend Chris who he lived with in the MTC and then lived together going to school in Hawaii and his Mission President and his wife the Crayks. Saturday we were up early for Carson's soccer game and then we headed out to Riverton to see Ian's grandparents.

Saturday night we met up with Heidi and Ben for dinner and a movie. We showed up in matching outfits unplanned.
Sunday my cousin Mikelle blessed her beautiful baby girl, Scarlet. She was angelic all day. I was so glad we could be there, it was a very special day!
All of my grandma's granddaughters. My sister Katie, Me, Mikelle, Kim and Chelsey.
Us with our 92 year old grandma.
The Nyborg women. Chelsey, my aunt Kathryn and Mikelle.

First day of school

2010-09-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

Addi started he second year of preschool today. Finally. She has been looking forward to it all summer and so have I! When we got to school, I asked her to sit on the bench so I could take a picture. This girl knows how to pose.
One more year until Kindergarten. She is just a week too young to go this year which is a blessing and a curse. It would be awesome to have her in school all day, five days a week, but I know she will be even more prepared after this year. She makes friends so easily, but sitting still is much of a challenge. Within five minutes of being there, she had a new friend named Max who she was paling around with. I also signed her up for a gymnastics class that starts this week in an effort to wear this girl out!

Murder Mystery

2010-09-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Brad and Kori hosted a murder mystery party. It was a 20s theme and a lot of fun. The guys got really into it, surprisingly, talking like mobsters all night. It was hilarious.
Jenny and Susie.
The girls: Susie, Kay, Nora, Jenny, Me and Kori. The cigarets are fake by the way. We were all just playing our part.
The guys: Jim, Baker, Adam, Brad, Ian and Matt.
Brad and Kori, the hostess with the mostess.
Kay and Matt, the bouncer.
We were Vicki and Big Jim Ravioli. Ian got the award for being the best actor at the end. He can pull off quite the mobster accent.
Jenny and Baker. It was a fabulous evening with good friends, good food and good entertainment.

Sun Diego

2010-09-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

We went and stayed with Jaime and Dan last weekend in their brand new house. Yay for them and entering the world of being a homeowner!
We christened their grass with a little slip and sliding.
It was really funny, the kids did not understand how to actually use the slip and slide. I guess that is what happens when you grow up in a concrete jungle as we do.
So, Dan literally threw the kids down the slide. They loved it.
All smiles!
The weather was perfect. Not too hot at all, so we decided to hit up the San Diego Zoo.
Addi and the snakes.
Addi and Luke doing their best poses.
Von was such a good boy in his stroller as usual.
They really love each other. They held hands voluntarily.
And probably the coolest animal ever, the black panther.

Swim Lessons

2010-08-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

Addi and Bubba have both been doing great this summer in swim lessons. Von has finally gotten past the crying stage and has been improving so much lately. Here is a little video taken with my phone...