The Griswalds go on "vacation"

I've had an itchy trigger finger for a while. Haven't been anywhere for months.

The last place I "traveled" to was a hosptial, to have a baby. Not much of a vacation there.

Before that? Casper, Wyoming.

Like I said, not much for vacations.

We had the opportunity to spend the weekend in Park City. We jumped at the chance (thanks Ross' parents) to stay in a nice, spacious, little condo-ish thing on Main Street.

Only problem? We already had a busy weekend scheduled.

No worries, right? We're the Griswalds, we make it happen.

The place was ours on Thursday night, but we couldn't go because of prior commitments.

After running a butt-load of errands on Friday, we finally got to PC around 4 - settled in and wandered around, looking for some place good to eat.

The Monkey discovered tetherball and that it is important to watch where he's walking - in order to prevent falling.

And guess what - there are grasshoppers and flys in Park City.

Who knew?

So, we spent the night and the Squirt slept like a champ. In a port-a-crib. In the hallway.

The MOnkey woke up several times and I didn't get much sleep. The bed was too soft, the pillows to squishy and we had some temperature issues the entire night.

That morning, in typical fashion, The Squirt, well, squirt some of the contents of his diaper up his back and I didn't know it until I got him undressed for the bathtub. Good thing I had him on the white duvet cover on the hotel bed. Green poop everywhere.

Oops. Then, while trying to clean him up a bit, I lifted his legs a little too high in the air and he peed all over his face.

Sorry little chickermunker.

The Squirt does however like baths in the sink.

With that glorious start, we had a pretty lazy morning with all the other lazy people strolling mainstreet, riding bikes on mainstreet, along with a lot of strange men, "Free balling" on main street. Then we headed down into the valley to pick up Ross' new toy, his bumpy truck, go to a wedding, and see my brothers football game.

We made it to all of our commitments and criss crossed the valley several times in a few short hours.

Then, back to Park City for the night.

We got there at 11:30 - with both boys asleep.

Thing One made it the entire night, only falling out of the bed once.

Thing Two woke up several times.

I finally fell asleep at 5:00 am. Insomnia is not my friend - especially in a hotel room with three sleeping boys.

I'm exhausted.

We're home.

No pictures.

Okay, one picture. As proof that we really did go somewhere.

I couldn't resist

we took pictures today, the boys and I.

Time is flying by.

bullets

• School started this week. I'm sad. No more fun with Uncle Willie. He's a big 9th grader this year. *Sigh* He's so cute and so big and such a good uncle. Football games start this week too. Exciting times.

• I've officially lost 10 lbs (I think) on weight watchers. It's taken me the whole summer, without exercise, but I've done it. Now, I'm back to where I started last summer when I joined WW. The goal was 30 lbs by the end of the year...not sure that I'll make it to 30, but 20 lbs is definitely on the horizon, and maybe a tad bit more.

• We closed up Shavy Jones Locker for the summer last Saturday. It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be to run a small business with a new baby. I'm happy we did it. Hopefully, next summer we'll learn from our mistakes, get open a wee bit earlier in the season and make a profit. We did make enough money all summer though to pay the wages of the kids that worked for us. We really couldn't ask for more than that. We've got one more event, on Saturday, September 19 as a fundraiser for St. Andrew's Catholic school by our house. Come on by, support the school, and get your last shaved ice of the year. Unless of course, you convince us to make you one...we're keeping the machine in the garage all winter.

• Bees! We have a lot of them.

• I've temporarily hired my sweet cousin Maddie a couple days a week to help me with my boys. It's temporary until she finds a real job or gets sick of us, or both. She's been helping me for two weeks now and it's just awesome. Thank you Maddie. Elliott LOVES her, calls her Aunt Maddie, and yesterday they made delicious chocolate cupcakes. The boys were in heaven and I get some much needed work done. It's awesome.

a long goodbye

There comes a time in everyone's life when they must say goodbye to dear friends.

Alas, my time has come.

To say goodbye to my dear friend.




We sold my sweet little golf yesterday. Oh, how I love this car. Ross put the add up on craigslist on Friday and we sold her yesterday. For full asking price.

I'm sad.

Especially because she's being replaced with a truck.

I guess when you live by people with horse property you must do as they do.

I bought my sweet little ride in the Winter of 2000. I had been looking for a black golf for months, checking dealership inventory online weekly. I found it, wrote down the VIN number and the day after Christmas my dad and I drove to the dealership. They didn't even know that the car was on the lot.

The salesman found it in the back. I knew the second it pulled around that I wanted the car, and didn't even want to drive it.

My dad insisted on a test drive so I made him do it. I sat in the passenger seat and let him drive her up and down State Street.

We came back in, signed paperwork and she was mine.

The car had 6 miles on it the day we took it for a test drive.

I felt so cool, and so fast and so grown up. I had my first real job and my first real car.

Right now it has a little over 94,000 pretty low miles for such an old girl.

My sweet little ride has driven all over the world, well all over the US. To New Jersey and back in the summer of 2001 and then the next weekend to Denver....all for a couple of concerts.

Oh the memories.

I love that car.

But, she isn't a family wagon, cannot actually fit people in the back seat, and belongs to a single gal, not a "soccer mom".

So, she's going. To a girl named Mikele.

She isn't quite cute enough, but she'll do.

Goodbye sweet car.

Oh, how I loved you.

BUGS!

In our house, we're afraid of bugs.

Two weeks ago, the Monkey and I were going to get a "bug juice" (Ironic, yes) at the gas station because he sat on the toilet with the lid up and a bare bum (it was a big deal, worthy of a special blue drink). I got said Monkey buckled into the car, walked to my side and got in.

The boy started screaming, begging, pleading to get out of the car.

Why?

There was a gnat flying around my head.

yes.

a gnat.

I rolled down the window and ushered the minuscule flying creature outside, comforted the boy and then we were on our way.

Last week I put this same boy to bed with books and his reading light on. (funny, he reads himself to sleep, isn't it?)

I went downstairs, barely got into the kitchen and bolted back up to find out what the blood curdling scream was about.

Honestly, I thought he'd puked in bed.

Nope.

A fly flew into his room.

Egad!

This morning, we went out to get the mail.

barefoot.

barefoot is always a bit scary.

especially when there are ants.

The first question when i opened the door, "Mama, are there grasshoppers today?"

I said no, equally concerned about those icky creeping things.

We got to the mail box safely, my boys and I, and decided to hang out on the porch for a while.

That's when I saw it.

A katy-did. (no idea how to spell it, sorry).

Internal debate.

Tell the Monkey about the cool leaf bug that won't hurt him like gnats and grasshoppers or pretend it wasn't there.

You don't see katy-dids every day.

I told him.

He thought it was a leaf and didn't believe me that it was a bug.

Then it moved.

oops.

"should we go inside mama?"

panic.

tears.

big tears.

even though the leaf bug was walking away from us in it's cute little scooty gecko type walk, we bolted for the safety of the house.

the long way.

big giant steps around the front door and a leap of faith into the house.

Like I said...

in our house, we're afraid of bugs.

My Boys Friday: People say we look alike

brothers at 3 months, originally uploaded by bookemdano1978.

Pretty self explanatory. Each of my boys at three months, wearing the same outfit with similar expressions on their faces.

Same nose.

Same mouth.

Same wrinkles under the eyes.

Same chubby cheeks.

How about that?

The Squirt:: 3 months

The Squirt turned three months old on the 12th and I'm just getting around to his big post today. Sorry little guy.

I'm not even sure where to begin talking about such a special and happy little baby. Everyone who meets my Squirt tells me how good he is, how cute he is, how cuddly he is. People always want to hold him and talk to him. Maybe that's because they are almost certain that he'll talk back.

This boy can definitely turn on the charm, smile on cue, and giggle until everyone else in the room is laughing along with him. He is ticklish on those super chubby legs of his and right under his chin. He's trying to sit up all on his own and just gets bigger and bigger every single day.



The Squirt is a creature of routine and habit. He sleeps hardly at all during the day - not so much by choice as by life. With a big brother like he's got around, he really doesn't stand a chance to get any peace and quiet. At night time he sleeps like a champ though, putting himself to sleep to Beethoven and Mozart around 9:00 and sleeping until 6:00 in the morning without fail.

Heaven on Earth I tell you.

At three months old, he's wearing 9 month clothes and they are starting to get a bit snug. Aunt Haley did the scale trick today and this kid of mine came in right around 18 pounds. He's truly growing like a weed, drinking 8 oz bottles and patiently waiting pediatrician permission for some cereal, fruit, and french fries.



Today we went to the aquarium and this little guy was not content to ride in a stroller. Oh no, he wanted to look at and talk to all the fish. They got him excited and he kicked and laughed and yelled.

Sweet baby, you are prone to nick names, as I'm sure most second children are. You are Squirt, Buddy, Wittle Bruder, Fred, and Elliott calls you his little chickermunker. And for some reason, when we do use your name, it's always in double form. You are never Wyatt it's always Wyatt Wyatt.



You love to talk to ceiling fans and the angels who come to check on you every day and your best friend is your big brother - that crazy monkey who lives in our house. You could stare and laugh at him for hours, even if he pokes you in the face and nearly squashes you like a bug on the bed, when we're just hanging out after bath time.

Every morning you pee on me in the bathtub and last Sunday you had your first diaper explosion...on Grandpa. Glad it wasn't me, even though I had to clean it up.

Your bright eyes, even temperament, infectious laughter, and snuggle bug nature have endeared you to me forever. I love your smile, the fact that you keep your fists tight when drinking a bottle, watching you play with blankets, and that you know a bink isn't going to solve your problems.



Every day with you little buddy is new and exciting - and I can hardly wait to see what the next day will bring.

Hopefully one of those things is less puke.

Could you work on that?

I think that I only have self confidence when I get a new haircut...

Not really, but sometimes, it feels that way.

Today was a big day....mini makeover day. I have been trying for so long to be so blond that my hair was fried. Add some extra baby hormones to my system and it was time for a change.



This is what my hair looked like before entering the salon today. Blond and brassy on top, dark and healthy underneath. I don't know what I'd been doing over the last few months but the last time I colored my hair myself was a disaster and I needed to get it fixed.

My roots were coming in so dark that I decided to bite the bullet and go closer to my natural color. Now, this isn't the golden blond I was born with, or grew up with, but whatever dark color was lurking underneath I decided to let it see the light.

I walked in, sat down, and let Romela work her magic. It took about 10 min. to decide just what to do to the damaged mess on my head but it was decided to try and bring it back from the dead, and avoid color for a while, thus....

darker.

and boy is it darker.

see


bye bye blond. I'll miss you

SIDE NOTE:
When I sat down in the chair, Romela told me that she'd double booked my appointment for a client with a crazy schedule and knew I wouldn't mind.

She told me that the client was a big wig in my church, and then told me her name.

While my hair was processing, I googled the client. Her name is Elaine Dalton - she is the general president of the Young Women's for the LDS church.

She's up there.

She probably kicks it with the prophet.

She was getting her hair colored, too.

When it was time for my cut and her color to process, we switched seats again and she said, "Annie, let me show you something." She had an iphone with the identical pink case as mine. I thought that was pretty funny.

A little bit later my phone rang. She got hers out of her purse - she has the same ring tone as me, too.

Why is this interesting - because yesterday I got a new calling in the ward, Young Women's Presidency -secretary. And today I met the head honcho, with foils in her hair.

And I didn't know who she was.

Good lesson.

My boys Friday: a little bit of chaos

enjoy! the boys are already competing for attention.

please ignore my messy house.

please.

I heart jake ryan forever!

Sad day.

John Hughes died.

I read about it on twitter.

Then I tweeted.

Then I started thinking.

Thinking about how for me, like a lot of people, this guys movies defined a huge part of my life, and some of my most quotable lines.

Recently, I had a conversation with my mom - to paraphrase:

Me: How come you never let me watch dirty dancing when I was a kid.

Mom: Because it had adult themes.

Me: What adult themes? You let us watch 16 Candles every single day.

Mom: Dirty Dancing talked about abortion.

Me: I wasn't smart enough to know it was about abortion. 16 Candles had full frontal boobies and f-bombs!

Mom: It did?

Oh, the memories....

I DESPERATELY wanted to be Samantha Baker so I could fall in love with Jake Ryan.

Every time my mom ever gave us perms as kids, inevitably, the breakfast club was on tv somewhere....and we'd find it.

Ferris Beuhler? My mom took us to see it at the theater at Valley Fair Mall during the summer and I fell in love - with everything about the film. And that scene in the art museum where Cameron was staring at the Seurat painting and it got closer and closer and closer......

Who can forget Duckie, and that dramatic scene between Andy and Blane, "What about prom Blane, what about prom?!

And National Lampoon's Vacation? Hello - we call ourselves the Griswalds for crying out loud.

I've seen each of these movies hundreds of times. For me, they never get old, they never get any less quotable, and they never fail to amuse.

Like I said, defined my childhood, and part of my adulthood, too.

I mean, the kid in "Weird Science" was named Wyatt. And out of the Monkey's mouth every single day spews, "What's a happenin' hotstuff?"

Cross your fingers

I went shopping last night.

On the internet.

I spent a lot of money that I'd been setting aside for a while to buy some desperately needed new clothes.

To help me feel more like a grown-up this fall. Instead of a sweat pant wearing mama.

Real shirts and sweaters and pants.

No stretchy pants.

Well, one pair of stretchy pants.

I'd been scouring and saving catalogs for the last little while. I even made a list of some of the "must have" staples I needed back in my "wardrobe".

Ross gave me full support except for one admonition - "NO OLD NAVY"

I easily obliged.

Now comes the hard part.

Anxiously waiting

the arrival

of the new clothes

only to try them all on

have none of them fit

and send them back on their merry way.

Pure Decadence

We had a little family party yesterday.

I was asked to bring a delicious cake.

I couldn't let anyone down so this is what I brought.



Things started off with a triple chocolate cake mix. I baked, cooled and then put the cake in the freezer for a few hours.

Then, it got sliced into four layers and each layer was lovingly glued together with a homemade chocolate icing.


Then the cake went into the fridge while I made a chocolate ganache - the most simple and delightful chocolate treat ever.

Combine 16 oz of chocolate


with 16 oz of heavy cream that has come to a boil on the stove top


mix the two together

and then drizzle over your cake adding layer upon layer of chocolately goodness.



then

enjoy!