Monday, August 31, 2009

We LOVE our zoo

The zoo on Saturday was awesome. The new Asian exhibit is HUGE and so much fun. Here are a few pictures- they really don't do the whole thing justice, though.

Look, he's waving! Mei, the baby of the group. Climb like an orangutan.The Buddha waterfall...
The bison's have a new baby. They were very protective of him and kept snorting at us and charging. It was great. Ava & Sydnee kept telling them we weren't going to steal the baby. :) We ate lunch and had ice cream after wards. Such a fun day. I can't wait to go again!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Because you might want to know...


We are officially awaiting #3. So then what will our blog title be?

Details?

Due date: March 3rd
How far: 12 weeks today
Known for: a long time
Tried for: a longer time
Excited: Absolutely!
Who have we told? Family and a few friends...and now you!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Chunky Cinnamon Rock Slugs

I wanted to make a special breakfast on a weekday for my girls as my service to all of them. Here is how it went this morning:

5:35 am - alarm goes off. I need to get up early enough to make the cinnamon rolls from scratch.
5:50 am - actually get out of bed and get ready for the day.
6:10 am - close all the bedroom doors to try to soften any sounds I might make in the kitchen.
6:12 am - Sydnee scares the snot out of me by opening the pantry door to get her cereal out. I tell her it's too early for her to get up.
6:12:05 - Sydnee starts crying because I said it was too early for her to get up.
6:13 am - pouring cereal for Sydnee while mixing yeast, sugar and salt in warm water.
6:15 am - begin kneeding the dough. Realize I picked the dough recipe that needs to rise for at least 30 minutes instead of the one that only needs 10 minutes.
6:16 am - Sydnee asks why it's so dark outside.
6:20 am - put the dough in the garage (warmest place in the house) to rise.
6:22 am - get out bread to make a sandwich for lunch. Put mustard on and think of getting the baking pan ready.
6:23 am - very carefully and slowly remove the pan on the bottom of all the other glass pans.
6:24 am - the small glass pans topple over making the loudest sound I possibly can.
6:25 am - Ava comes into the kitchen and wants breakfast.
6:27 am - finished prepping the glass pan. Sydnee asks Ava what's wrong with her nose; Ava says, "nothing."
6:28 am - get out lunch meat and cheese. Sydnee asks Ava what's wrong with her nose again. Ava says, "nothing," again.
6:30 am - decide I should make orange juice. I get out a can from the freezer and happen to look at the girls. There is something strange about Ava's nose.
6:31 am - closer inspection shows Ava's nose has been bleeding but was dry. I tell her to wash her face in the bathroom. When she gets up from her chair, I find dried blood all the way up and down her left arm.
6:32 am - passing the girls' bedroom, I check her bed and find a pool of blood about the size of a salad plate on the corner of her pillow and sheet.
6:33 am - get Ava started on cleaning herself. I remove the sheets from her bed and pillow (with the pillow case Lindsey bought last week). Ava starts crying. Sydnee asks for a drink.
6:34 am - Ava has trouble getting the blood off so I help her.
6:38 am - put bedding into washer.
6:40 am - get dough out of the garage.
6:41 am - roll out the dough, put on butter, cinnamon and sugar. Ava asks for a drink. Sydnee says I forgot to get her drink.
6:43 am - roll the dough into a log and begin slicing it. Realize I didn't make the dough thin enough.
6:45 am - put pan in oven to bake for 15 minutes (I have to leave for work at 7:00).
6:46 am - fix a bowl of cereal for myself. Realize my service would be useless if I left the kitchen a mess. Begin emptying the dishwasher. The girls ask for a drink.
6:47 am - start making orange juice. The girls ask if they can stir it. I let them stir it at the table. Eat some cereal.
6:49 am - finish the bottom rack of the dishwasher. Eat some cereal. Pour the girls some juice. Ava says she's tired. I suggest she lay down.
6:52 am - finish the top rack. Eat some cereal.
6:57 am - finish putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Eat some cereal. Turn around and find two pieces of bread on the counter with just mustard. Sydnee gets into bed with Lindsey.
7:00 am - throw my lunch together. Check on the rolls. Because the dough wasn't thin enough, they didn't roll very well. They unrolled and are shaped like giant slugs. Not ready yet.
7:01 am - go to my bedroom. I hear Ava whimpering from the living room.
7:02 am - go get Ava and bring her into the bedroom with Lindsey and Sydnee.
7:03 am - brush my teeth and put on shoes and socks.
7:05 am - family prayer together.
7:06 am - kiss everyone goodbye. Go into the kitchen.
7:08 am - pull rolls out of the oven. Check the make sure they're done. They are hard as rocks.
7:10 am - Lindsey comes in to see why I haven't left yet. I'm still putting the cream cheese icing on that I had made the night before. Now everyone has seen my surprise.
7:12 am - another quick goodbye.
7:14 am - I'm in the car and find icing on my fingers. I lick it. It's really good. Wait. I can taste chunks of cream cheese.
7:15 am - backing out of the driveway while the girls are waving good bye and blowing kisses. I wonder if I make yummy cinnamon rock slugs with chunky cream cheese icing.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

FHE Works!

Monday's FHE was on giving secret acts of service and we encouraged the girls to find ways to serve the family this week. Well, Ava has taken it on as a personal mission. Yesterday she make Sydnee's bed AND my bed! Isn't that funny? And she did a great job- shames, and pillows, and quilt and all! Since it is suppose to be a secret act, when you are finished you put a heart in the place where you did something. I accidentally walked into my room when Ava started and she was so exasperated that I caught her, so I said I would leave. She couldn't find the hearts so she drew us a picture. Funny girl- its good to know some things stick!

PS- I got the FHE at Enrichment, so add that to the things we should always do to!