A few life lessons

My head is spinning with my crazy schedule right now (things will be better after next week, right?) but I wanted to document a few things I've learned recently so I can remind myself later on.

-drying 400 orange slices takes more time than you thought it would
-online shopping is one of the greatest inventions ever
-don't make invitations to do things with friends when you're going crazy- no one really wants to be around you when you're like that, but they're too nice to say anything (and my apologies to my recent lunch guest and even more recent breakfast date, I wasn't nearly as hospitable or fun as I'm used to being, and I'm sorry!)
-parenting just seems to get harder- does this continue for the duration?
-running is a good thing for me and much cheaper than therapy
-don't make the bed with the pillows still on because you're in a hurry and too lazy to remove them- you end up feeling short-sheeted
-I have a lot to be grateful for

Weekend wishes

Hope yours is happy happy! I'm planning on the following:

-a date with Pat, hopefully wrapping up a little more Christmas shopping and eating somewhere delicious but yet to be determined
-working on some decor for the upcoming RS Christmas party, along with delivering fliers, and purchasing supplies to assemble gifts for all of the women
-digging out of my house- my laundry room (aka catch-all) is overflowing all over the kitchen with the current pace of Christmas shopping, so I've got to find new places for some things
-bathing my kids and hopefully spending some good one-on-one time with each of them. I need a little loving on these two since they've been pushing me to my limits on a daily basis.
-doing some thorough menu planning, making a grocery list for first thing Monday, and drooling over Thursday's meal
-cheering on my mighty Cougars, and hoping they don't let me down
-soaking in the beauty of fall- the last few leaves, the chill in the air despite the sunshine, the gratitude filling my thoughts, and the anticipation building for the kickoff of the holiday season this week

Thanksgiving Warm-ups

This weekend we had an early Thanksgiving with my side of the family since my brothers were in town. Addie and Sam were crazy about their uncles, and this morning Addie even asked when she could see Uncle Joe again because she already missed him. Sam was Ben's biggest fan, so it worked out that they both had a favorite. ;) Just for the record, dinner was delicious. I brined our turkey for about 24 hours before it was cooked, and it was so moist and flavorful. I made the rolls, stuffing, a sweet potato and apple dish, sauteed green beans, and caramel apple pie cheesecake for dessert. My mom brought mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry jello salad (I know, jello is not usually something I even remotely love, but for some reason I love this!), and broccoli-rice casserole. I ate way too much and have got to get back in the running groove this week. I've felt so busy lately it's been hard to find a night that work, but I'm sure I can always find an excuse not to go, so I need to get on it. Last week was the first week I haven't run at all for a few months, and I can really tell a difference.

I hope to get back in the blogging groove soon, too!

Ten for Tuesday

- I went to Kneader's 3 times last week. Once for breakfast. Once for dessert. Once for soup. Don't judge.
-Twin fever is still hitting hard around here. I can't stop thinking about it, and I'm not even the one who's pregnant!
-Today I took my kids to story time at the library for the first time ever. Addie was timid but enjoying it. Sam was just as rambunctious as I thought he'd be, making me wish we'd never entered the story time area. Hopefully I'll have another brave day and decide to return.
-My jury is still out on Sesame Street's attempts to freshen things up. Bert and Ernie in claymation is just weird to me.
-Addie has been obsessed with saying "Barack Obama" since I tried to explain to her that he's the new president. She thinks it's hilarious to call him Barack O Pumpkin. Now she's started praying for him in her prayers, and I love that great example that she is- praying for our leaders is always a good thing to do, whether or not we agree with them.
-Addie is also cracking me up with her tales of her preschool friends. I need to branch out and get to know the moms so she can play with these girls she can't quit talking about. It is hilarious to hear her talk about "Lex and Soph", no longer Lexi and Sophie, I guess they're on the shortened name level of friendship.
-Motherhood has been really tough for me lately. I've been way too reactionary as a parent, and it's left me feeling worn out. I'm really grateful for great examples that surround me, great music to listen to, and scriptures and prayer. They're the things that help me refocus. Today has been a good day, and I'm so glad.
-I'm so excited for this weekend's pre-Thanksgiving dinner. Since my brothers will be in town, my mom decided it would be a good idea to celebrate with them, so my step-dad's kids are coming too, and it should be a great time! I need to decide on this year's turkey prep. Last year I brined for a day before baking and while it was good, I'm not sure if I'll do the same or try something new.
-I greatly enjoyed some girl time over the weekend. It's amazing how recharged I can feel after a little time with friends. Love it!
-Happy Veteran's Day! I am proud of the veterans in my family and Pat's family (his grandpa was a WWII pilot) and am so grateful for their sacrifices. I love our country!

Off to a Rocking Start

Reasons my weekend has already been fabulous (in no certain order)

-the running shoes I've been waiting to buy went on sale from $90 to $55 (it's Nordstrom's half-yearly, FYI, and there are some great deals to be had), and I had a $50 gift certificate. Nothing like some new shoes for $6!

-we've been way productive! Yesterday we cleaned out the garage, got a new shelving unit for food storage in our basement (for a rocking deal thanks to my mom's work closing) and got it all set up, caulked all of our windows upstairs for our date last night- we're trying to winterize our home a little better this year, and put in some CFL bulbs that we purchased for about $.50 each. Even better- while purchasing some of our supplies for our home improvement projects, we used a gift certificate and only ended up spending about $7 on about $50 worth of stuff! I love that great feeling of getting things done.

-the best news of all is that my sister-in-law is having twins!!! She had her ultrasound yesterday and found out this news already half way into her pregnancy. I can't get over the excitement and can't wait to be a doting aunt to this new sweet boy and girl!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for...

-the new Kneader's location even closer to my home. Baked goods, delicious sandwiches, fantastic breads, I love everything about it- and love enjoying it with friends and family even more.
-Addie's pre-school. It's so nice to have a place where she loves to go and learn and make new friends. Hearing her say the Pledge of Allegiance cracks me up- I especially love "indirisible". I need to record her saying it soon so the cuteness is preserved for posterity- her expressiveness is hilarious.
-Pat's new car! After over a month of searching, he found a car that's the perfect fit for us (an '02 Toyota Corolla with pretty low miles) and we're excited that it will take him back and forth to work with such great gas mileage. Speaking of which- hooray that he can now fill his tank for less than $25 and I can fill mine for less than $30!
-planning ahead. There are so many things coming up that I'm excited about. My brothers just called to let me know that they're coming to visit in a few weeks. I haven't seen them for a long time- one of them for over a year, so I can't wait! I'm excited to do Thanksgiving warm-ups with them. I'm excited for a huge Thanksgiving feast with family and friends. I'm excited about the holiday shopping I've already begun and for decorating for Christmas and for holiday baking. I can't believe Addie's almost 4! And shortly after that, Sam will be 2. There's a lot to get me through the next few months. Most of all, I'm excited to get as much done now as I can so I can truly enjoy the abundance of love and joy and peace that come as we celebrate the birth of the Savior.
-the beauty of democracy. If nothing else this election year, it was inspiring to see people care again and be passionate and get wrapped up in political fervor. I still don't love either candidate. But I am joyful at the significance of the first black president. And I'm hopeful that our country can feel more unified again.

Elections and Emotions

Take a stop over to this awesome thing the NY Times has put together. It's a word train showing the current emotions, and you can see how they trend based on which candidate they support. I'm yet to make it to the local elementary school, but I'm sure I will before the day is out. I think I've decided. Oh, the anxiety!

Some ramblings...

Let me just say...

-I'm so happy Halloween is over! It is by far not my favorite holiday, and I can't wait for the candy to all disappear. Addie was a princess. Sam was a frog. I couldn't find my camera and didn't take one pic, although I think a few were captured during the night. We had a fun night of trick-or-treating, but I'm glad it's over.

-Now that Halloween is over, we can move on to the holidays I really enjoy! I'm in full swing Christmas shopping mode and I'm loving it! Online shopping is bliss! Homemade gifts are inspiring! Hooray!

-The colder part of fall really blew in this weekend, and I think it's here to stay. And surprisingly, I feel kind of ok about it. It puts me more in the holiday mood.

-Sam's having rough luck in nursery. Last week he was clocked with a frying pan. This week he's sporting a bruise from quite a bite. Yet he happily goes back.

-Addie flip-flops daily (hourly?) between being completely delightful and completely exhausting. It's so fun to watch her thought processes develop and hear all the clever things she has to say. The sassy things she has to say I could live without. But most days clever outweighs sassy and all is well.

-The time change is no fun when you have kids. Scheduling is crucial with small children. I don't think the government takes that into account with day light savings time.

-I'm still an undecided voter. Awesome....not. I hate them both. Really. Ok, maybe hate is strong, but I really dislike them both. I don't feel like I can trust Obama. I don't feel like I can trust McCain-especially after he picked Sarah Palin for his vp. Although I love SNL right now. I know you may not agree with my opinions. I'm not asking for opinions. I'm just saying...

-I finally freed myself from great blogger guilt by sending out the gifts to my obviously not very lucky blogiversary winners (you know, since my blogiversary was in JULY!). I love choosing the prizes just for the winners. However, I take way too much time shopping and then let it all sit until I finally package and ship it. Punctuality in these kinds of situations is not my strong suit. Next time I won't do a giveaway unless it's something I've already purchased- if you love it, you'll comment, right? Custom prizes only when I feel oodles of time on my hands. I hope my winners enjoy (are they even still reading? Is anyone? This blog is oh so neglected as of late...).