Cromwell Diva

I can't believe I forgot to put this in my last post! As anyone who has ever been around us at home, or on the phone with me, knows, Kayli LOVES to sing. It's what she does. All day long. She sings Primary songs, pop songs, Italian songs (thanks to our friend Josh Groban), and her own made up songs. It's a good thing she has so much practice because Kayli sang "I am a Child of God" in Sacrament meeting last Sunday. As in, a solo, all by herself! If I would have explained to her that Sister Bell would be playing the piano since I was going to stand next to her, she would have done it flawlessly. But once we got that all sorted out, she got back on track and sang it so beautifully. It looks like she will be singing again in the next few months, so when we find out when, I'll let you all know and you can come hear her yourself. And it really would be foolish not to take advantage of the chance. Thank you, Deon, for giving her the opportunity to do it!

Tri-ing to Survive

I have to give a shout out to my sweetie. He has been so amazing and supportive lately. I am really busy with my triathlon training these days and he is more than picking up the slack for me. He comes home from a long day of work and feeds Bryce during dinner (quite the task, seriously), puts the kids to bed, and does the dishes. He even cooks dinner once a week! And he's very positive and reassuring about everything I get stressed over.

Kayli snuck in and took a bunch of these cute photos one morning.

Last night, I went out to dinner with some girlfriends. I really appreciate Blake leaving work early to let me get there, so I try to do as much as I can before I go. I made some yummy, healthy homemade chicken nuggets and roasted Parmesan potato fries so he wouldn't have to worry about convincing Kayli to eat. I told him he would just need to bake it all for 15 minutes when he got home. He met me halfway there and we switched cars and kiddos and I gave him the rundown of instructions but I forgot to tell him where I had put the pan of nuggets. I unintentionally hid them. So, imagine my surprise when I came home and saw a box of these sitting on the counter. So much for being healthy!

Well, you've probably noticed my not-so-lovely new addition--the Triathlon Countdown Clock. Does anyone know of a site where I can get a cuter one? The site where I got mine had several options which were amazingly unattractive. But at least it will help me see how much time I have left to train. I can't believe how quickly the time is passing. The first book I read for training tips said to seriously consider the effect that the training for a triathlon of Olympic distance or greater would have on your friends and family. At the time, I thought that was really extreme. But as I already mentioned, I've since learned the truth of it. My whole day every day is organized around getting to the gym. And the gym takes 2 or more hours alone. So, it's busy trying to fit in all the other stuff, like taking care of my family, and I've had to sacrifice more than I expected. Especially time with friends. I haven't even made it to my playgroup in nearly a month. I'm super excited about the triathlon (most of the time), but I'll be grateful when the training is over and I have time to return to the other things I love in my life. I take most Saturdays and every Sunday off, so there is a bit of time then to do other things, thankfully.

Like baking, of course! I have made a few batches of these lately. They are Boston Cream Pie Minis. They're super easy to make, and so far, a big hit with everyone we've shared them with. Does anyone know why it's "Boston cream pie" and not "cake"? Weird.

Kayli is still working on the potty training. It's going fairly well. Sometimes she lets me move the potty chair back into the bathroom. But she's still a half-nudie most of the time. She has her choice of little prizes she gets for successful attempts-- a marshmallow, a page from her paint with water My Little Pony book, or a temporary tattoo.
A couple days ago she told Blake she wanted to give him one, too. He's such a good sport, he let her put this on him shortly before leaving for work.
Bryce is cutting two teeth right now so he's kind of a sad little boy--especially at dinner. But we actually took this picture to show how skilled he is at getting messy while eating. I'm just glad I took his shirt off before feeding him this time.

No More Diapers for Me!

This is how gorgeous my sister really is. She's the pretty one.

We have some REALLY EXCITING news! Kayli is finally beginning to potty train. Thank you to Natalie and Melissa for sharing your ideas. I borrowed some of them. And we bought "Potty Power", a DVD full of great songs, like "Wipe Your Bottom", "Sittin' on the Potty" and the title of this post. We've been doing well the last three days. The only thing is, we had to move the potty chair to the living room and she has to be totally bottomless, or she forgets to use the potty. So, that's really fun. Especially in the case of the few accidents we have. But for the most part, things are going great and I am so excited/relieved!
Here is Bryce modeling one of our chairs (we have 2 and one of the little seats that go on the toilet). I recommend this chair to anyone who has yet to purchase a potty chair. It works great!
This is for those of you who were unable to see the lunar eclipse Wednesday night because your skies were cloudy. Sorry, my camera is not the best for pictures like this.
Ta-Da! Bryce has recently mastered the stairs. And then he surprised me last night while I was fixing dinner by climbing up this little step stool to see what I was doing. The stool is there because Kayli likes to do that but it was a bit of shock to look up from my recipe and see his grinning face. Notice him sucking in his gut for this pose. I don't know why but it's really funny to me.

It's snowy today. Nothing like what you Westerners have been getting hit with, but a decent amount. Enough to play in, at least.

Usually I put Bryce down for a nap before we go play in it, but today I thought I'd let him experience the fun. Not really a good idea. But he had a few happy moments that I caught on camera.
Kayli made several of these snow angels in our yard. She's a pro!
As usual, I couldn't get them to both look and smile at the same time. I couldn't figure out what they were looking at here, but they looked and even grabbed at it for a while.

Sorry, but I've been tagged yet again. Don't get me wrong--I think they are kind of fun to fill out. I just feel sorry for all you readers. But I wast tagged with this one not once, not twice, but three times! If you're tired of reading my answers to random questions, just skip the next part. But for those of you who find me absolutely riveting, read away!

I've Been Tagged!
The rules of the game are posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player tags 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they are tagged.

1) Where I was 10 years ago: A sophomore at La Cueva High School. I was just finishing up with Swim Team and starting Track. That was the year I fractured my leg during a race, then tried to run on it the next day. The doctor refused to x-ray it because "she couldn't walk on it if it was broken." 3 weeks (and several hours standing in line at my brother's wedding) later, we got a second opinion and an x-ray confirming that it was indeed broken. This doctor's memorable quote was, "Female runners are the toughest and the dumbest athletes I know." Since that wasn't the last broken leg I ran on, he may have been right.

2) 5 things on my "to do list" today: The day is mostly over, so I've already done most of the pressing things but, 1. Use the word "potty" at least 247 more times 2. Play in the snow 3. Bake some cookies 4. Watch "Stardust" 5. Finish this so I can hang out with my sweetie who just came home early due to the snow

3) Things I would do if I became a billionaire: 1.) Build our dream home 2.) Go on an exotic vacation with Blake 3.) Really get into my dream of baking and cooking up all sorts of things 4.) Save and invest the rest!

4) 3 Of my Bad Habits: 1.) Staying up to late 2.) Feeling responsible (and guilty) for anything and everything 3.) Talking too much

5) 5 places I've lived: 1.) Colorado Springs, CO. 2.) Orem, UT 3.)Albuquerque, NM 4.) Lagrangeville, NY (just one short summer) 5.) New Britain, CT

6) 5 Jobs I've had: 1.) Staff in the dining room at the Village at Alameda (assisted living) 2.) Waitress at Los Hermanos in Lindon 3.) Cashier at Capitol View Deli 4.) Cashier at BYU Bookstore. 5.) Some horrible telemarketing job

7) Something Most People Don't Know About Me: The lowest rib on my left side is actually behind/under the rib that is supposed to be above it. It juts out and looks really funny when I wear a bathing suit. Blake laughed at me when I mentioned this while we were dating but now that he's seen it, he agrees it's pretty bizarre looking.

I don't know who to tag so I tag visitors 3230, 3231, & 3232!

Why I Love Being a Mommy!

I promised Amy that I would take some pictures of my latest haircut so she could see. It's been about a month, so it's getting a little shaggy. Kayli took this shot so it's kind of fuzzy and I look a little freaky. That last part probably isn't Kayli's fault though. As I'm looking at it, my hair looks really weird in this picture. But it gives you an idea of how short it is!

I have been a birthday slacker this year, so before I go any further--HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEGARUSKI!! (and Casey, Belky, Ryan, Kevin, Scott, & Natalie--that's right, including Kayli & my dad, I have 9 family members who have already celebrated a birthday this year!) I am jealous of Megan's madly-in-love glow, so I chose this old goofy picture of her to show off to all of you. She really is absolutely gorgeous. Not that she isn't in this picture. Blake just has a nack for catching her at odd moments.

My new-ish glasses, too! My mom sewed this "prototype" dress in preparation for the dresses we are making all the little girls for Megan's wedding (I use the term "we" very loosely, since I will most likely not even be touching a sewing machine for it). It's actually not that similar since we're doing a different variation on the pattern and using very different fabric. But this dress is pretty cute. Kayli kept jumping up and down while yelling, "Cheese!" so pardon the blur.

Kayli took this!

Just imagine someone yelling "CHEESE!!!" as loudly as possible.

One of Kayli & Bryce's favorite things is to sit in the office chair and spin.
Bryce makes the funniest, most mischievous faces. Meanwhile, Kayli is doing some light Civil War reading.
Bryce has recently started playing Peek-a-boo! He's got the right idea, just working on getting the hands over the eyes.
A little closer this time!

Will You Be Mine?

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I am reminded of past Valentine's Days. I somehow managed to always break up with my high school boyfriends just before Valentine's. Well, one year I got together with a guy the day before, but it was kind of unexpected, so we still didn't really do anything special for the big day. My first Valentine's with Blake, I was really hoping he would propose. Not that I wanted it to be really cliche, or anything--I just hoped he would propose pretty much every day. You can't blame him for waiting since I still had mixed feelings everytime a letter came from my missionary. He didn't pop the question, but he did give me a hand-painted Russian jewelry box that he had bought on his mission with the specific purpose of giving it to his wife. And he gave me a super cute poem he had written for me.

Our first Valentine's Day that we were married we went to downtown Provo to go to Ottavio's. It was supposed to be such a great restaurant. I'll maybe never know because there was a 4-hour wait! Or something crazy like that. So, we walked down the street until we came to a restaurant with a much much shorter wait--Buona Vita. It was actually very cute and very delicious.

The next year we bought a couple of heart-shaped pizzas from 5-Buck Pizza and watched a romantic movie. What a date! But we had our cute little 1-month old Kayli.

Last year was probably the weirdest ever. My parents were flying out of Bradley Airport to meet their newest grandson at the time. Those of you out here may remember that we got a bit of a snow storm that day. So, I drove them to the airport then stopped to visit some friends at their deli in Hartford. We got home only to get a call from my parents saying that their flight had been cancelled. We spent the next several hours trying to find a way to get them in the air, but eventually had to concede that it was not possible. So, I drove back to the airport to pick them up. They headed home (a very very slow drive home, as I recall). Why they didn't stay, I don't remember. Blake got home from work and insisted that we could still go out to dinner inspite of the weather. He's actually pretty good at driving in the snow and enjoys it--a little too much, at times. We went to Olive Garden and had hardly any wait since not too many people were crazy enough to venture out in the weather. What a delightful holiday! I hope you enjoyed my little walk down memory lane. At least it is better than the last post!

This is one of my all-time favorite photos of us. Well, Blake really. He looks super hot! Don't you think?

These are my Valentine's flowers that Blake brought home a few days ago. He wanted to beat the rush and I get to enjoy them all day! We don't know why, but the water has since turned pink making them the perfect Valentine's flowers.
I gave up on getting smiles. Just kidding! It snowed a couple nights ago. This is a picture of the kids watching Blake clean of both of our cars. Isn't he sweet?
This is a crayon snake that Kayli made. She didn't want to get off the phone or smile for this photo. What a surprise.

Pretty Sure My Brain Died

I don't know if anyone else read the previous blog closely, but there was a HUGE error. Thanks, Jennifer! Wow. I do have 2 sisters, not 1. Although, when I tagged my sisters I was referring to sisters-in-law as well. That's why I said it was more than 3 at that part. And I thought it was bad that I forgot to do spell check. What is wrong with me?! I definitely need to take some time off, or maybe get a little more sleep, or something. Then, hopefully, I can be a functional person again, if not intelligent. One thing I do know, I LOVE both my sisters SO MUCH!!!! And my sisters-in-law too, of course!

Who Started Blog Tagging Anyway?

Well, I've been tagged with this one twice now, so I decided I better do it before I'm doomed to have bad luck for 43 years or something.

A-Z Tag
A - Attached or Single: Attached
B - Best Friends: I've never really been good at this one. I'm sort of weird about this kind of attachment. I have a lot of wonderful girlfriends these days, but I don't think I'm BF with any of them. I am pretty fond of Blake, though.
C - Cake or Pie: Mmm... Pie!
D - Day of choice: Friday
E - Essential Item: Chapstick AND lotion, there is no way I could choose between the two.
F - Favorite Color: This is kind of like the best friends question. I don't really have a favorite, but I am definitely a fan of colors.
G - Gummy Bears or Worms: Gummy worms
H - Hometown: Albuquerque, NM. But I haven't been there in 3 1/2 years, sadly.
I - Indulgence(s): Chocolate, reading when I have a good book
J - January or July: If it had to be one of the two, January. But really I prefer fall.
K - Kids: Kayli, 3 and Bryce, 11 months--Love 'em!
L - Life is incomplete without: My family and friends. And blogging, of course.
M - Marriage Date: July 10, 2003
N - Number of Siblings: 2 brothers, 1 sister
O - Oranges or Apples: Depends. Mesa oranges are divine, but we picked some sensational ginger-gold apples in a local orchard last summer that renewed my desire for apples.
P - Phobias or Fears: Bugs. And I hate reaching my hand around a corner to flick on a light switch in the dark b/c I am terrified that one of these days I will feel a creepy, clammy hand placed on top of mine. Seriously, I can even picture the hand in my head and let's just say, it isn't human. I'm pretty sure I should have gotten over this one by the time I turned 10, but no.
Q - Quotes: "Pain is weakness leaving the body"
R - Reason to smile: Looking at the flowers Blake brought home for me tonight.
S - Season: FALL
T - Tag Three Friends: My sisters. That's more than 3, but since most of you are new to the whole blogging thing, I'm sure you're dying to be tagged.
U - Unknown fact about me: I have serious commitment issues. That's probably why I struggle in picking a favorite. I was once dubbed a "black widow" in high school b/c I never stuck with one guy for long. It's truly amazing I'm married. That just shows what an awesome guy Blake is. I struggle to even order at a restaurant, or decide what to wear every morning. Whenever we plan a social event involving more than 3 people, I have a little panic attack once I've sent out invites because then I'm committed. But I have named this year "The Year of Commitment" and I am trying to overcome my issues. So far, I think I've been doing well. We'll see.
V - Very favorite store: I think I'm not good at having favorites. But for the kiddos, I do love The Children's Place.
W - Worst habit: Staying up too late
X - X-ray or Ultrasound: Who makes these up? Is that really the best 'x' question you could come up with? Honestly. X-rays freak me out b/c of the radiation but I hate the ultrasound jelly nasto stuff that they use. But, if you're getting to see a cute alien-looking baby living inside you, then I guess I choose the ultrasound.
Y - Your favorite food: What's with all the favorites? I love food, so this is difficult. I'm a big fan of (not necessarily in this order) pizza, ice cream, chocolate, paninis, popcorn, Arnold's Health Nut bread w/cottage cheese, chicken and cheese enchiladas, and so much more.
Z - Zodiac: Leo

When It's Raining on Sunday... and the Rest of the Week, Too

Kayli loves to sing. And she's pretty good for a 3-year old. She learns songs very quickly and can keep a tune pretty well. But recently, she has started singing along with the radio. I am guilty of not always paying attention to the lyrics as close as I should. So, hearing my little sweetheart singing along with the likes of Fergie and Finger Eleven has left me a little unsettled. Looks like it's time for me to start paying more attention to what is playing while we drive.

We've had a considerable amount of rain lately. I'm not necessarily complaining--it has succeeded in getting rid of almost all of the snow. I love the snow when it is fresh and white, but once it turns black, I'm not a huge fan. So, it's nice to have it gone so the next snowfall will be prettier. But rain gets a little old after a while. Going outside is wet and messy. Especially if one person feels obligated to jump in EVERY SINGLE puddle she comes across. That makes for muddy pants, which I really don't like. It (or maybe just the ETERNAL winter) has also taken a bit of a tole on our spirits, so we're being creative in thinking of things to do to remind us of warmer days. Or to just prevent boredom.

Like playing Dress-Ups!

Should I feel guilty for this? I don't.
Kayli only wanted to be a witch with the witch hat and refused to accessorize. Except of course for her doctor's kit. Making her a "witch doctor", I guess.
This probably won't get her into medical school. Not the most intelligent look, but we're still struggling in the photo department. Kayli likes to use her stethoscope and pressure cuff to take my blood "plessures".
Mmmm... beads!

Last Friday we really really got sick of the rain and cold, so we decided to have a picnic. Kayli told me we needed to get rid of the cold and the rain so we could go to the park, but that didn't work out. So, we went to the living room instead.

Poor Bryce was relegated to the high chair. He's very mobile these days and I don't think anything would have been left standing. He just learned to climb the stairs this last week and had his first tumble yesterday. No injuries, just a sad little boy. He has also taken a few successful stabs at standing. I'm sure walking is not too distant in the future.

We also broke out the tricycle.

For those of you who've never visited (shame shame!), this is one of the lovlier features of our home--the bathroom right across from the refrigerator. It's very convenient.
For the first time ever, Kayli was more cooperative with the photo than Bryce. That may have been because she was squishing him.
Look at the enthusiasm!
I discovered Bryce playing with Blake's shoes and got the idea for a really cute picture. As usual, it didn't work out like I pictured it in my head. But I thought it was still cute to see how big Blake's shoe looks next to him.

My dad shares his birthday with the groundhog, so we went to NY to celebrate this weekend.
My mom liked Kayli's cake so she made her own version. It's a "whooly bug." (Long story to explain that one). I think she did a fabulous job! Kayli especially liked what she referred to as its "crazy eyes."
The wormy balloons were also a hit. Blake and my dad decided to see how staticky (probably not a word) they could get the kids hair.
I think we should submit this to some sort of funny photo contest. You can also see those cute teeth that are finally popping through. Blake was the hot air, I mean hard work, behind the balloons.
This is a stern look probably meant to say, "You shouldn't take pictures of me!" So, I'll post it here for everyone. I love you, Dad!!!! Happy Birthday!