My Laugh Yesterday

Jaxon was so excited for his brother's birthday that he asked to call his friend, Lyda, to tell her about it.
After a minute on the phone talking to Lyda, I hear Jaxon saying, "Hello? Lyda, are you there? Hello?"
Uncertainly, he looks up at me and shrugs,

"I guess she logged off."

Oh (Birthday) Boy!

Lucky me. Today was Finley's first birthday.
He started out with smiles first thing in the morning. (After I decided to rescue him from crying in his crib just because it was his birthday. Nice, I know.)

A check-up at the doctors (no shots, because who wants shots on their birthday?), then a party at the park, then naps, a quick photo shoot (difficult with two babies and one adult), and a party at home.

Finn wasn't quite sure about the cake. He did end up throwing a piece of cake at my mom. It landed on her cleavage. Awesome.

He loved the book, magnets, shopping cart, bull dozer, and swing he got for his birthday. And he liked the 10 dollar bill Aunt Amy shoved in his sticky little fist. :)

It was fun to see the friends and family who came by to visit. Our love and well wishes go to George who got hurt after falling out of the high chair. Ouch! We hope you feel better soon, George!

A little sad to say goodnight while the party was still rockin', our little Twinkie was pretty tired, so he waved to the crowd.

Overall, a pretty fun birthday for Fin-Fin. Both mommy and Asher got a little carried away with the camera, though.

Oh well, what can you expect from two budding photographers on a really fantastic occasion?

Photography Blog

As if I don't have enough blogs: Sheesh.

But, I've been looking for a photographer, and thinking about how much I love photography, so my new blog is just for my pics.

Shoot the Waves

Our Soccer Star

Number 50 on the Giants Soccer team is our very own little Jaxon.
He's had two games now, and he's had a chance to play goalee at both of them. It's his favorite position, although he's a fast runner, too.

The first two pictures are of Jaxon running down the field, and the last two are when he was goalee. He stopped the ball a few times, and let it through a few times, but that's why they don't keep score :)

Mark and I love going to the games and practices, but it was a little embarassing last week because we didn't know it was our turn to bring the snack and so the kids left empty-handed. Oops.

Maybe we should bring the snack to this weeks practice? What do you think?

So, I guess I'm a soccer mom, complete with the mini-van. But, the only thing I'm yelling at my son during the game is, "Wrong way! Turn around and go the other way!"

The best part of the game was when a ilttle guy with an orange jersey (obviously not on either team) ran into the field and started playing. His dad was yelling and running after him, but he had no clue. His dad had to pick him up and haul him away.

Hillarious.

Motherhood Summed up in a Morning

*Warning. Potentially Disturbing Images Below.*
This morning was a bit of a rollercoaster, the exact kind that motherhood is every day, week, and month.

The kids were cuter than usual, snuggling in my bed and sharing toys (gasp!).

Mark cuddled with Finley, breathing in his soft hair and drinking in his sweet babyness. While holding Finn, Mark says, "This is like recharing a battery, my battery."
Indeed. Baby love is the best recharger I know.

Then, I changed Finn's diaper to discover a terrible diaper rash. After rinsing him in the tub, I let him play naked for a while, so it could air-out.

I did the boys' infusions, then started to get Jaxon ready for school when I walked by the train table and saw . . .
Finley standing in his own POOP!

Seriously, so disturbing. I went into poop emergency 911 mode. I stuck him in the shower, then the bath again, the dressed him and put him in his crib so I could clean up the mess.

In the midst of this, I let Jaxon head to school without knowing if he had shoes on or had even brushed his teeth. I'm sure his hair was not styled. Asher, meanwhile kept screaming for me to put a movie on, so I pushed play with my knuckle in between scrubbing the carpet.

Anyway, it was totally disgusting. I haven't had to do this in quite a while, and it seems rather ironic that I shampooed the carpet 2 weeks ago.

Oh well. This is the life of motherhood. Cuteness, love, and poop.
And it all happened before 8:15 AM.

A Rose by Any Other Name . . .

When we named Finley, almost a year ago, we knew that it was rare, but ranked higher for boys than for girls. (If you haven't checked out Name Voyager, you should, it tracks the popularity of names back to the 1800's).

So, we went with the fun name, Finley, because it makes us smile, and so does our little Twinkie.

However, since his birth, we keep hearing about people naming their little GIRLS Finley. First, a girl in the newspaper, then a girl at the gym childcare. Now, Lisa Marie Presley makes it famous by naming her daughter Finley.

For us, we're starting to call him Finn sometimes. It's a cute nickname, not unlike Brad for Bradley or Stan for Stanley. But Finn is a little tricky because it's so short, people don't understand it the first time I say it.

It seems to me that Finley is going the way of Whitney, Courtney, and Leslie: and probably many others. These were boy names that later became girl names so that now only the nickname is masculine. For example, our HS student body president was named Whitney, but he went by "Whit."

Finley's other choice is his middle name, I guess, Cannon. That's a nice name, too.

As a feminist, I'm trying to kick the idea that boys doing "girly" things is somehow bad. It's a misogyny that runs deep in our culture, and it's hard to break. That's why I'm a little conflicted about changing the way we refer to our child based solely on the fact that girls share his name.

What do you think about gendered names?
What do you think this little guy looks like? Finley? Finn? Cannon? Something else?

On to Savings! Tips from the Queen of Thrift

Here is my brother, David, pulling the boys in a wagon from a garage sale.

Our ward's Enrichment meeting last night was about being frugal.
We had women model outfits they had purchased at a thrift store (D.I. or Goodwill) or at a comparable price somewhere else.
Then, the women went around the room giving their tips on saving money.

I was excited to learn new tips, but from 30+ women, I only learned _one_ new thing.
The rest of them I already knew (and mostly practice). Thus, I am the self-appointed Thrift Queen.

So, for those of you who missed it, or want the details, here is some advice for money saving. If you are a Thrift Queen (or King, of course), feel free to add your ideas. I'll update this as people add items or as I remember more from the discussion.

Overall
-Don't Go Shopping, "The heart cannot covet what the eye hath not seen"
-Live simply, only buy things you really need. Get out of the consuming craze.

Clothes-Houseware-Furniture
-Ross often has clothes on sale that are comparable or less than many thrift stores.

- Department stores: Macy's, Dillards, Kohl's, JC Penney, Meryn's (going out of business soon), have great end of season clearance. In AZ, we wear summer clothes for 3/4 of the year, so August and September are good times to look for summer clothes. For any kind of clothing purchase, shop the clearance rack first.
However, don't buy something just because it's a good deal. Wise advice from a fashion book, "If you wouldn't buy it at full price, don't think of buying it on clearance."

Also, buy online, some stores (Gap, Children's Place, Old Navy, and many others have sales online before they do in the stores, and offer greater selection and you can sometimes get free shipping, depending on how much you order.) Overstock has great prices on everything from electronics to jewelry and bedding.

- Goodwill, Deseret Industries, Savers and other thrift stores and be good places to find clothes. I wait until the 50% off days to get the best deal.

-Resale/consignment stores: Once Upon a Child, Plato's Closet, Name Brand Exchange, and Buffalo Exchange are good places to find higher quality/label apparel.
Last Chance, in Phoenix, is not resale, but it is usually returned items from Nordstroms or other high-end retailers. Great deals there, especially on shoes.

-Garage sales, I cruise garage sales most Saturday mornings especially for holiday decorations, housewares, and toys. Sometimes I will find such amazing deals that I can resell them on Craigslist (a Potterybarn girl's crib bumper $1 at a garage sale, I sold when I found out I was having a boy. I made $25)

-Craigslist, I like to look for a long time before I buy, to make sure I know what reasonable prices are. I always try to bargain down and see if we can meet somewhere to buy it. We got our Wii on Craigslist and a cabinet in our office. I also got Jaxon's boot for Halloween last year that he ended up wearing every day.
There's also a free section.
You can buy or sell items on craigslist, it's a great site.

-freecycle is a yahoo group that you can subscribe to and post things you'd like to get rid of to see if anyone needs them. You can also request things (Looking for a scout uniform) or offer your own items (offered: baby bath tub).

-Swap or hand-me-down. The girls in our ward are going to have a clothing swap, to get trade out clothes that we're a little tired of for something that is new, to us!

Food
-Bread: Alpine Valley Bakery on Southern just east of Extension
They sells day-old bread, rolls, buns, breadsticks, granola, pastries, for a very low price.
Their bread is very good, I prefer the organic multigrain or oat because sometimes the honey whole wheat is too sticky. The prices range from 3 loaves for $1 to $.99 a loaf. It can be hit or miss with variety or quantity on sale. I usually buy 8 loaves or so and freeze them so I don't have to go back very often.

-Bulk food: American Discount Food: on Extension north of Broadway.
They sell restaurant quality/size food and a low price. They have frozen meat, #10 cans of sauces, mandarin oranges, pumpkin, etc. Other products include: produce, dry mixes, dairy, and cleaning personal.
The most EXCITING discovery for me at this store was a generic brand of butter flavored Crisco in a #10 can with a HARD METAL TOP. I wouldn't be excited about this except Crisco only comes with foil lids now and they don't last very long. So, grab them while you can, they are great for food storage.

-Produce: Superstition Ranch Market on Main between Greenfield and Higley
This place is amazing. It's been around forever, I remember going their with my mom as a child. They have the most variety of everything and the best prices. Today pears were $.25/lb and a pint of raspberries $.50. You can also buy cases for wholesale prices. I usually get boxes of peaches and raspberries to make jam.

-Fresh and Easy
Use their $5 off $20 coupons multiple times, just split up your orders! (The staff there will give you more coupons). They also have food at half price that expires the next day, if you want to use or freeze it soon.

-Fry's is accepting competitor coupons and always honors the Fresh and Easy $5 off coupons (I've heard this but never tried it).
Fry's Marketplace also has killer sales on toys, sometimes 75% off or more. I buy toys that are my kids age and gender and have them ready for when my kids get invited to parties.

-Wal-Mart does ad-matching which means you shop all the ads at one store then tell the clerk which items are advertised for how much as he scans them in. It takes a while, but it saves a lot of money. Using the ads to plan your menu can also help you save money.

-Clipless Coupons: THE NEW SAVINGS TIP!
In addition to using paper coupons, Kate told us about a new paper-less coupons system. I couldn't find it last night when I googled for it, but apparently you can go to website, enter your Fry's (Kroger) card number and load coupons onto your account which will be deducted automatically when you use your card at the register. SO COOL!
The online clip-less coupons I have "loaded" onto my Fry's card can be found at:
www.pgesaver.com
and
www.shortcuts.com

-Couponsense is great if you are organized and willing to go to many stores.

Voting for FHE

For Family Home Evening last night Mark and I filled out our Early Voting Ballots.
(FYI, FHE is always easier without the kids)

We got our ballots out, lounged on the couch, read about the propositions, debated, researched online using the laptop, and felt really confident with our selections.

This is our first time using Early Voting and I LOVE IT!

Election day is usually stressful for me, trying to find a time to go down and vote, and then I'm in a hurry, did I forget my ID? Am I at the wrong polling place?

Not this time. I slid the sealed and signed envelopes in the mailbox and WE'RE DONE!

Happy voting in 2 weeks for the rest of you. :)
(nah, nah, na nah, nah.)

I'm really not that mean. If you're in AZ here are the Early Voting locations. Better yet, go here and submit your request online before October 24 and they'll send your ballot in the mail, like mine!

My Multi-Tasking Obsession

From Blogger Pictures

Like most women, I multi-task. This is not a new thing, women for thousands of years have planted and harvested while keeping track of a dozen children, including one strapped to their back.

But, I'm starting to think I'm going over the top with this multi-tasking, so here's a few things that may or may not surprise you about my efficiency, such as it is.

I clean the house, especially loading the dishes while I'm talking on the phone
I brush my teeth while putting on my shoes
While carrying baby (or anything) I pick up clutter with my feet.
I scrub the shower while showering
I apply make-up in the car (as a passenger, or at stop lights or in the parking lot, NOT while driving)
I read a book on the elliptical at the gym
I teach Jaxon phonics while cooking dinner
Sometimes I hold my baby while blogging
Occasionally, I use the toilet while talking on the phone (yes, this is slightly embarrassing, but I'm betting I'm not the only one)
I clean the sinks and mirror while my children are in the bathtub

There are probably more, but I just can't think of them.

How do you multi-task?

Three: Too Many Today

Three children was too many for me today.

At the zoo with two close friends and our eight combined children, I enjoyed visiting, snacking, walking, and oh, looking at the animals.
Today was the first day of the Sting Ray exhibit at the Phoenix Zoo. We became members for a very reasonable price.
Then, with my arm shoulder-deep in the Sting Ray Bay, Leslie asks me, "Where is Asher?"

Uh, oh. No idea. So I grab Finn and we walk outside the exhibit, calling for Asher. Leslie and Amy start to look around, but in a minute I find him, 100 yards away, near the tree-house we were playing in earlier.

He was a little nervous, but not crying, not really scared, and he probably hadn't seen me in 5+ minutes.

So, perhaps it will surprise you that 15 minutes later I lost him, again. (or, rather, he lost me)
He wasn't far this time, just out of sight, up in the lookout by the giraffes.

Needless to say, I'm going to pull out my leash and strap it on him next time we go to the zoo.
He needs more looking after than the animals, apparently.

Food Storage

Not my typical topic, BUT . . . the stars are aligning for preparedness and I decided I'd better listen.

First, I'm getting emails from friends indicating that since the prophets have been warning us for years to have our food storage, with the financial crisis, this is an example of how they were right. I'm calling it the Seven Skinny Cows period.

Second, my cousin, Michelle, linked me to a blog of a woman in Utah who has been having dreams about being prepared with 3 months of food storage. She's even gone around to all of her neighbors committing them to getting water and food. Also, Michelle says that other people who have premonitions (or prophesy, perhaps?) are on the same wavelength of preparation.

Third, more emails about food storage, why it's important, what the prophets say, how to do it, etc.

Fourth, Fry's (Kroger) is having their big sale of basic foods by the case. So, tonight I went and picked up a case of each:
Flour
Sugar
Green Beans
Corn
Black Beans
Mac N Cheese (1/2 case)
Water (X 2)

and some of these: oil, Spaghettios, soup, juice

I made sure that I thought it was reasonable for us to use these things by the expiration date (which is why I didn't get an entire case of Mac N Cheese b/c we'd have to eat it weekly to use 48 by next August. Other items had longer shelf lives)

It was a pretty reasonable price, too. I was very surprised. I stocked up on all of these things (I could hardly see over my cart) and spent less than I usually do at Costco.

We have some other supplies, and 3 kits from the church food storage. We also have 3 big blue barrels of water in our backyard.

My next project is to get the 72 hour kits together. Here's a basic list if you're looking for one.

[As a note, I have a family member who scoffs at the 72 hour kit. He says that his 72 hour kit is his Visa card. :) I say, suit yourself.]

Message to the Aliens: Start with Facebook

Perhaps it's reading Stephanie Meyer's The Host, or Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, (loved this, btw) or watching the new Indiana Jones flick, but I've been thinking about aliens taking over our planet lately (as if I don't already have enough to think about).

If aliens come to take over our planet, I think they should start with Facebook. All they have to do is become one of those silly applications that asks, "Do you give (aliens masquerading as harmless application) permission to access your information, your files, your friends, you medical records, you tax records and you DNA sequence?"

By the next day, everybody and their dog will have clicked "YES! SIGN ME UP FOR CRAZY ALIEN GAME!" and then

ZAP.

The whole world's gone to the aliens. annihilation

But hey, if they can figure out how to penetrate Facebook, maybe they deserve this planet anyway.

Super Fun at Rail Fair!

We had a great time at Rail Fair on Saturday. This is the fourth year we've attended, and we always have a great time. (Yes, it is more work with three boys, but it's worth it.)
Here's the webalbum, if you'd like to see all of the pics.
My favorite parts were getting to see Les and her family, as well as going through the obstacle course bouncer with Asher. I forgot how wobbly and crazy those things are. We did it twice, but would have done it a dozen times if it was up to Asher.

I think Mark liked the train the best (because all of our kids were contained :).
Jaxon liked looking at all of the trains and getting to ride the big train.
Finley just loves being around his brothers, so he was a happy guy.

We were lucky to have great (read cool) weather for Rail Fair. It was awesome!

This is Me

This is me. It's one day last week, in the afternoon, around 4. Jaxon just got home from school, and the boys just woke up from their naps. Everyone needs attention, NOW! And, there's dinner to be cooked, toys to pick up, and a few blogs I've been tracking that I want to comment on.

But really, I just need to hold my babies. So, I do. Then I look up when Jaxon snaps the picture (he's my little photographer).

I try to remind myself that babies just don't last. They grow up so fast.
(sounds like a song, doesn't it?)

My little boys with the fat thighs. They whimper and whine, and cuddle and climb- all over me.
Some moments I love it, some moments I just shut myself in my room and take a breather.

This day, I love it. I don't remember what I served for dinner. I don't remember what blog posts I was following. I don't remember if I worked out at the gym or styled my hair (surely not!), I don't even remember if I got the kids dressed all the way.

But, I did spend a little time with them. A little time holding and snuggling and making things better.

That's really what's important to me right now.

Lunch, To Go

Instead of peanut butter and jelly, or ham and cheese, Asher prefers fruits and vegetables for lunch (or any meal, really). Here's his lunch, on the go. A cucumber, whole.
As you can see, it makes playing at the train table much easier.

How They Play

Jaxon really loves to play with Finn. Here's a clip of them playing together. (You'll hear Asher in the background singing the Green Jellybean song from the last video post.)




Next is our little family Ring Around the Rosies. Asher thinks he's the camera crew, so watch out.)

Feeling Sorry for Sarah Palin

I NEVER expected I would say this, but I feel sorry for Sarah Palin.
Although I love the humor that I find in her interviews and in the mocking of her interviews. (I especially love the SNL bits, her address with Hilary, and her interview with Katie Couric. The real newspaper clip from the interview question is here.)
Joking aside, there's part of me that squirms each time she is criticized in a harsher way than another politician. Although her gaffs have made me smile, and her ill-prepared responses have made me cringe, I do feel her pain.

Sometimes I have the same pain.
Sometimes when I speak during a board meeting for the AZ Hemophilia Association, and I become self conscious, remembering that I'm the youngest person there, without an advanced degree or a career. As I start to doubt myself, I begin to falter. Instead of focusing on what I'm saying I begin to think, "Don't mess up. Don't sound like an idiot." But, of course, like someone suggesting, "Don't think of a pink elephant." I do. I mess up and sound like an idiot. I can tell that I've done this when the pause at the end of my comment is longer than necessary.

For me, however, the mistakes are local, the conversation moves on, and no one, politely, says anything about my lack of eloquence.
Not so for Palin. And perhaps, rightly so. She is campaigning for the second highest office in the land. An office, we have been continuously reminded, that is one 72 year old's heartbeat away from the President of the United States. Subjected to scrutiny and criticism, she seems determined to be tough and on-message. (I can almost hear her chanting to herself in her head, "Stay on message, stay on message.")

This leaves me torn. I don't want to see her bashed up and down with lines like this, "We are all stupider now for having heard [her answer to an energy question]." Perhaps I'm misremembering, but I don't think Bush was treated like this when made equal, if not bigger campaigning mistakes. "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family." —Greater Nashua, N.H., Jan. 27, 2000 (Listen to audio clip). While he was the butt of jokes, I don't remember any malice in the words, tone, or facial expressions of TV personalities (Note the look of utter disgust on Cafferty's face at the end of that clip). I see it more with responses to Palin. Perhaps it really is misogyny. Or, perhaps she's treated the same and I'm perceiving it differently because she's a woman.

Either way, I have softened my stance on Palin. While I don't not want to see her in office because I disagree with her politics and worldview, think she lacks experience and judgment, I do want her to be treated decently in spite of her seriously flawed interviewing skills. It's not that much to ask.

Addendum:
After more reading, I've realized how ridiculous it is that she hasn't had ANY press conferences, only 3 interviews (and we can see how poorly those went) and she's possibly going to be the VP? It's a little outrageous. Perhaps that is why the media is so upset, because she's being so cloistered.

Strange Happenings

A number of strange things have happened around the house lately. I'm trying to see if these are all pieces to the same puzzle.


Clue #1. I found this pan on my kitchen floor. Upon closer inspection, I discovered an Asher footprint in the bottom.







Clue #2. Jaxon has begun eating hard-boiled eggs and nutella (Sandrine, I'm sure you'll love this!)
















Clue #3. Finley has begun styling his own hair with peach juice. It appears to work as well as gel or hairspray. Perhaps he knows something that I don't. . .



So far I have not put these clues together in any meaningful way to solve the mysteries around my house.
*How can Asher live off nothing but peaches and milk?
* Why do I have random cooking tools lying around my house?
* Why is the kitchen only popular when Mom is trying to cook?

Let me know if you have any ideas on how to solve my mysteries . . .

Finally . . . Fall!

After running a boatload of errands during Asher's mommy school (thank heavens for the mommy school!) I stopped by Wildflower Bread Company and had a little snack with baby Finn.

A Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin.

Delicious!

Oh, and I just put in a pumkin/cinnamon car scent from Bath and Body Works.
So, despite the triple digit reading on my car external thermometer, it still feels a little like fall.

I LOVE FALL!