St. Paddy's Day

So we were down at Gary's parents' house last weekend and they were saying that they wished they could remember how they celebrated the holidays with their kids when they were young. To avoid that fate, and to remind my dear offspring of the good times we have together, and to prove to myself that sometimes I DO get it right, here's how we celebrated St. Patrick's Day 2010:

1. The night before I stayed up late making crepes with green food coloring for a nice, easy, verdant breakfast the next day. Then I decked the house with large, sparkly dollar store paper shamrocks to surprise them when they woke up.

2. Maggie's lunch box contained green gatorade, green M&Ms and a note on a green shamrock telling her how much I love her and wish her the top o' the morning. If I was a really cool mom I would have cut her peanut butter sandwich into the shape of a shamrock, but, I just didn't get there. And that's okay!

3. Soph and Spence played with green play dough while having a green smoothie as a mid-morning snack.

4. We invited friends over for a green taffy pull... only I accidently undercooked the taffy and it turned into a green goo fest instead! The good-natured guests didn't seem to mind though, as everyone just grabbed fists of the thick sugary syrup and shoved it into their mouths. I'm still finding traces of it on my tablecloth and on the floor... and behind Spencer's ears...

5. At dinner we went around the table and talked about the things we are lucky to have in our lives. We did drink green gatorade for the bevy but we did not have corned beef and cabbage for dinner, although my family always did growing up and I like the dish myself. I just didn't think I could push the non-adventurous natives' appetites that far, so we had spinach couscous and parmsan chicken instead. Someday...

Tidbits

Just a few snapshots of life in the Larsen household:


This is how we survive and thrive on Saturday mornings. The kids get to watch a movie while Gary and I sleep in, and this chart (which I post the night before on the fridge) lets them know exactly what their chores are. Each has a box so they get checked off as they are done, and they all have to be completed by noon to earn participation in the afternoon's fun activity. Works like a CHARM!

Spencer was running a fever this morning, so while I made food for a friend's birthday party, I let him and Sophie sit on their bean bags and watch a movie. This is how you really know your kid's sick:

Spencer doesn't take naps any more, so when he fell asleep this morning at 10:30 AM, I knew I was in for it. Wish me luck tonight - he's got the barky cough as well. Rats!

Good morning goats: this is the sight I saw on our back patio when I woke up this morning. The neighbor's goats busted out and joined us for a cuppa before returning to their abode. Only in the country...I'm just really glad they didn't poop before they left! As it is, my cats are leaving me "offerings" on the back doorstep (various mouse parts) and that's plenty gross. At least they're ridding us of vermin and earning their keep!

Sophie and Spencer got to go to the fire station on a field trip with Sophie's preschool - she is always so obedient and attentive, a great little student! And a potential fire fighter as well! :-)

QOTD

"Perhaps you and I have lived with this miracle too long to be properly appreciative. Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again. Knowing this, it is hard to explain those who even today would question the people's capacity for self-rule. Will they answer this: if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?"
- Ronald Reagan

Spencer's Prayers

When Spencer starts his prayers, it often sounds like he's saying "dear Harry Potter" instead of "dear Heavenly Father." I think we need to work on his enunciation, unless he really is praying for a Nimbus 2010. Which he might be. He can forget the Firebolt though because it ain't gonna happen - we don't have that kind of gold...

Why I Love Winter

10. I don't have to shave regularly!

9. Staying inside had been key to potty training Spencer. Since we rarely willingly go anywhere in this weather (thank goodness we're all homebodies!) he's been running around the house naked and amazingly, that's done the trick! Well, that, and the Halloween candy I give him after every successful attempt...is it really this easy? I think we all find comfort in routine; there's plenty of time in the summer to break all schedules and try new things!

8. Staying home also makes me want to organize, so I get all my closets and pantries cleaned out! Very satisfying.

7. Waking up to the miracle of a new snow glittering across the fields. Occasionally our back balcony "grows" snow crystals overnight (because it's so bloody cold here) and the effect is dazzling!

6. Snow days! I love keeping my little sweeties home; we have impromptu parties with the neighborhood kids and make crepes or Lion House salt water taffy.

5. Experimenting with my fav brands and flavors of hot chocolate, yogi teas and creamers

4. Discovering fun new hobbies like ice skating and snow cave making with the kids

3. Sledding at Rigby lake

2. Craving yummy, stick-to-you-ribs comfort food like turkey dinners, apple crisps, baked potato soup, cheeses and breads, and anything with bacon and bleu cheese.

1. Playing in the snow with the kids, and watching them discover what I once knew and then forgot - that a mountain of snow is a world of possibilities.

So, in fairness, here is what I don't like about winter:

4. Driving in the snow. Nuff said.

3.Being cold. :-) I microwave these rice-filled bag thingies, like portable hot pads, which I take around the house and to bed to get my feet warm enough so I can fall asleep. I don't mind getting bundled up, but I don't like it when I can't get warm.

2.Gary's inevitable, 2-month period of constant illness. What is with that, anyway??? In spite of all our best efforts, it always hits like a brick wall. And doesn't go away for weeks.

1. The fact that it takes 45 minutes to get all the kids snow stuff on every time they want to go outside. And what happens to all those gloves we had? The snow monster must eat them because darned if I know where they went! Maybe it was Talullah...

Update email to my family...

I guess it's my turn for cousin's corner: Spencer continues to run around the house naked, doing very well on the toilet until we put clothes on him. Haven't figured out what to do with that one yet, but at least we've made it this far. When he's tired or hyper he starts hopping around the room kicking his knees up and dancing to "steppin' time" from Mary Poppins. We call it the Spencer Show, and he's been known to perform it at grocery stores and Pizza Hut as well. Sometimes people even throw money. Just kidding. But it would be nice if they did!

Sophie is currently playing "littlest pet shops" with her two best friends - a daily occurence. We have nicknamed her "Molasses" lately because she is so very sweet and moves at her own sweet pace. She does a great job but it takes her 45 minutes to make her bed, 15 minutes to put on some socks, and ... you get the picture. She's just very deliberate and careful, with her cute little pudgy fingers and rosy face. She continues to grow out of her baby fat, and is my best helper at home.

Maggie, oh Maggie. She's doing what she always does. Alternately torments and protects her siblings, receives glowing reports from her teachers and various student of the month awards, is finally thriving on clogging (we got her a new teacher - not me) and piano, and is learning to cook. Sort of. It's more of a survival thing because as my pickiest eater she has to make her own dinner if she doesn't like what the family is having. She's always fun to be around though and is the energizer bunny of our family.

If you've checked our blog, you'll see that I'm back on a caramel popcorn kick. Also valentine's day sugar cookies, the kind like Lindsey Torgeson makes. YUM. To counter that, I found a Zumba teacher to teach at our studio so I get to take her class! It's very dance based, which I like. And I have to do something to work off those cookies. I didn't let myself read much over the holidays - too much to do - but am back to my bookish ways. Am discovering Shannon Hale (just finished the Goose Girl and loved it) - always love the young adult lit. No swearing and sex - it's the only genre now that isn't flagrantly disgusting/morally loose/full of smut. I'm enjoying taking my self defence class on Wednesday nights (you guys really should look up RAD/RAD Kids classes - they're taught everywhere and are SO important) and can almost throw a punch without breaking my wrist. It's never too late to learn!

Gary is, what is Gary doing? We don't see him much, relatively speaking, because he teaches clogging on Monday afternoons and Thursday nights, has Scouts on Tuesday, usually choreographs for someone over the weekend, and is madly laying the tracks for his academic classes as his syllabus chugs up behind him every other second of the week. (sorry - bad metaphor but I'm tired.) But he always takes time to wrestle, play blanket tag, perform his Saturday honey-do list, and chat with me and the kids over dinners - we can't do without him and will be grateful when this semester ends! He is an ace dad and we are doing fairly well at increasing our dates to the temple - and elsewhere (saw Avatar in 3D last month) - to keep the love alive! :-)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! We're doing a service project tonight with said cookies so I'd better go finish frosting them. Wish you were all here to eat one!!!! Anyone wanna come to Yellowstone/Jackson Hole this summer?

love, Mindy

It was just one of those Must-Watch-6-Hours-of-Pride-and-Prejudice-with-a-large-bowl-of-caramel-popcorn type of days.

My interest in Colin Firth and sweetened condensed milk have been rekindled. I feel much better now.