Kids Say the Darndest Things - Dec. '13 Edition

Taken from the sidebar....

I was helping Brookelle write her letter to Santa, and after she finished her wish list, we were trying to figure out how to close it.....Me: "What do you want to say to Santa now?"
Brookelle: "Like what?"
Me: "Well, have you been good or have you been bad?"
(pause to think)
Brookelle: "Well......I've been BOTH....but mostly nice. Can you put that? Yeah, mostly nice." 12/13

We were showing Miss B her cousin's wedding announcement that was hanging on our fridge....Ryan: "Who's that?" (pointing to her cousin)
Brookelle: "Maddie!"
Ryan: "Who's that?" (pointing to Maddie's fiance)
Brookelle: "Hmm." (thinking, trying to remember) "F Bomb!" 12/13
(She'd obviously heard us talking previously that when her cousin got married, her new name would be, "Maddie F. Baum")  ;)

This Weekend:

It has been a tradition of Matt & mine, over the last several years, to go on a "recovery" overnighter at a hotel sometime between Christmas and New Year's.  We usually have our niece stay with our kiddos, but this year she is on an LDS mission in the Canary Islands.  And my other niece (the sister to the above mentioned niece) is getting married on New Year's Eve this year, and she planned her pre-wedding temple day on the Friday evening that we would've gone on the overnighter.....so, it didn't work out this year.  We decided to substitute an "all day date" instead.  Matt took the day off work on Friday.

* Breakfast at Ruth's Diner up Emigration Canyon

(No outdoor seating this morning in the frigid temps where the sun was blocked by the mountain the patio backs up to!)

* Then we looked at some cars at about 4 different dealerships in Salt Lake & Davis County.

Can I just say that some car salesmen are in the wrong job!  They're really bad!  NO people skills!

(One really good car had been sold just 20 minutes before we arrived and the buyer was still there 

doing paperwork and the car was, too, getting detailed!  Miss!)

* We went to this movie matinee:

(It was interesting.  Walter is quite a delightful geek. ;)  We liked it.  Very clean (PG).
We got good seats this time, unlike my last experience at a movie. 

Spoiler Alert:  Matt's favorite part was when I screamed out loud and grabbed his arm,
practically jumping into his lap, when a shark came out of the ocean!)

* We had "linner" at Costa Vida afterwards.

We got the usual:  sweet pork for Matt, grilled steak for me.  (Salad, that is.)

* We went home and changed into our dress clothes, then went up to the Bountiful Temple

to attend a session with our niece, Maddie, and her fiance, Josh - and a lot of my 

extended family.

{Interesting note about Maddie's maiden name/married name:  Currently, her last name is Fowers (same as my maiden name)
and her fiance's last name is Baum (pronounced, "bomb").  So, when she gets married, she will be known as "Maddie F. Baum."}  haha!  ;)

* We went to my brother's house for dessert following the temple session.

There were a few choices, but I had peppermint ice cream pie with Oreo crust - YUM!

* Everyone (except exhausted me) did their Saturday jobs in the morning...which drug into

the afternoon for "some" (who shall remain nameless).

* Matt took the girls sledding

* The boys went to the movie, "The Hobbit: The desolation of Smaug"

* Which meant I had the [quiet] house all to myself!!!!  And I read some more

from my book, A girl name Zippy: growing up small in Mooreland, Indiana

And then I fell asleep while reading, for about 1 1/2 hrs., until the troops [noisily] came home.

* We got together with some of the Brenchley adults for

Dickey's BBQ for dinner, card games, and visiting.

* Church on Sunday

I taught the Young Women two lessons:

This one and This one. 

As far as establishing a Christ-centered home, I found this helpful chart on Pinterest recently: 

{It's hanging on my fridge now, ready to go for 2014}

* Sunday afternoon was spent with a visit from my Visiting Teacher,

more reading, and a nap!

* We had a non-traditional Sunday dinner for Sunday dinner

(Creamy Black Bean Salsa Chicken), but it was

easy and allowed me to have a leisurely afternoon while

I am still recovering from the post-Christmas-run-over-by-a-truck feeling.   

* We never got to watch "A Christmas Story" during the month,

so we actually finished off the night watching it, even though it's after Christmas - that's OK, isn't it?

With the magic of Wikepedia and imdb, we discovered those "kids" (Ralphie & Scut Farkus) 

in the movie are like MY AGE! ~ weird.  

(the actors who play them, that is.)

Why Didn't I Think of That?

This is how I found my daughter, in bed, on a Sunday morning...

THAT is her church dress underneath her pajamas!

That girl is THINKING!  (I surely can't take credit for the idea.)

Because 9:00a.m. church is VERY early!

It's one less thing she has to do to get ready on Sunday morning!  (AND she wanted to be the 1st One dressed for Sunday - the little competitor!)

What a clever child.

Maybe I should try it?  The reason I say that is this summer up at Youth Conference, a bunch of us adult leaders, including our current Bishop and one of our past Bishops, were sitting around talking and we got on the subject of what the Bishop sees going on in his congregation from the stand up front where he sits during Sacrament meeting.  There were a lot of funny stories shared, but our Bishop was serious when he told us that he can TOTALLY tell a difference in the families/people who are in the chapel ON TIME vs. the ones who come in LATE.  He says it TOTALLY shows in their countenances and in their attitudes and affects their ability to be in the right spirit to receive the full message of Sacrament meeting from beginning to end.  Uh Oh. 
It got me thinking......then I actually confirmed with him that he HAS known many times that just minutes before entering the chapel [late], I had been very cross with my children (and their inability to understand what, "Get dressed,"  "Brush your hair," and "Get in the car" means.)  Ever since that enlightening conversation four months ago, I have been even more ambitious to get us there on time -- even if it means driving off without some [unnamed] members of my family, who are then left to walk to church (it's not far at all - it's Utah, after all!)

So, back to my daughter's genius.....maybe her tactic WILL help.

(Nice that this "inspiration" came up in DECEMBER, the last of our 9:00a.m. church for this year - we'll be moving to 11:00a.m. the first of the new year.)  ;)

A Taste of Christmas

What would Christmas be if not for the food?

We have some recipes/dishes that we have but once a year.  They are reserved for Christmas.  They are practically sacred.  They are anticipated.  They make our mouths water the day of preparation.  Then they are savored - or devoured, depending on WHO you are in our family.  ;)

Do you want to know what they are?

Here's some of the cast of characters:

Christmas Eve Dinner:

Jello Slush
2 sm. (3 oz.) pkgs. jello - any RED flavor dissolved in 2 cups boiling water
5 c. sugar dissolved in 3 more cups boiling water
1 lg. (46 oz.) can pineapple juice
8 more cups water

Mix together and freeze.  Remove from freezer 1 - 2 hours before serving.
Place in punch bowl and mix with 2 liters "7-up" type soda.
Serves 50  (or less if you're like my family and keep going back for more & more & more....)

Ruth's Chris Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Mixture:
3 c. cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 c. (1 cube) butter, melted
splash of milk (if needed)

To cook sweet potatoes, boil them for 30 minutes.
Combine all ingredients together in the order listed.  Beat thoroughly for about 3-4 minutes to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture.  Add a splash of milk if too stiff.  Put mixture into a [sprayed with nonstick spray], medium-sized casserole dish.  Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees.  *At this point, dish can be covered and refrigerated for a couple of days.
Crust:
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1 c. chopped pecans
1/3 cube butter, melted

Mix together and sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture with the crust mixture and return to oven for 15 minutes.  Allow to set at least 30 min. before serving.
The brown sugar/pecan crust should be slightly browned and crunchy.  
Makes 12 servings.

And this year, for the ones who turn their noses up on sweet potatoes, I added an "alternative."

"Boat" Potatoes
(more commonly known to the outside world as "twice-baked potatoes")
4 baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
Canola oil
4+ T.  prepared bacon crumbles (conveniently found at Costco) - or you could fry up actual slices of thick-cut bacon
1/4 lb. (1 cube) butter, cut into slices 
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. milk
1/4 t. seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
1/4 t. black pepper
1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 gr. onion, sliced

Preheat over to 400 degrees.  With a paper towl, rub the outside of the potatoes with canol oil.  Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked inside and the skins are slightly crisp.  Turn the oven down to 300 degrees.
Put the butter, sour cream, bacon, milk, seasoned salt, and pepper into a large bowl.  Cut each potato in half lengthwise.  With a large spoon, scrape out the insides into the bowl with the other ingredients.  Reserve the potato shells on a large baking sheet.  Use a potato masher to mix the ingredients together.  Stir in half (1/2 c.) the grated cheese and add the gr. onions to the bowl.  Stir.  
Fill each potato half shell with the mashed potato mixture and return to the baking sheet.  Top with the remaining (1/2 c.) cheese.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot.  
Makes 8 "boat" potatoes.  Double the recipe if you need to serve more.


Potato Rolls
This is actually a "top secret" recipe of my friend's mother that I do not have the rights to put out there in blogosphere.
BUT, luckily, you can get it in her [published] cookbook found at:
www.idocook.com

We also have vanilla pudding as a "starter" (following a "Nut in the Pudding" Danish tradition that has been in my family for 4+ generations.  The REAL Danish way is to use rice pudding, but no one likes that, so vanilla it is!  Everyone is served a bowl of pudding, but only ONE has a nut hidden in it - secretly put in by the chef, who then mixes up the bowls, and then has a third party set them at the table, so it is totally fair.  The person who discovers the nut in THEIR bowl, wins a present right there on the spot!  :)

{Katelyn had the nut this year!}

The rest of the dinner is steak, green salad with [good] Ranch (ONLY Hidden Valley from a packet mix), and fresh
fruit - but no recipes are needed for that, just prepare it!

Christmas Day Appetizers:
I usually mix up the menu here from year to year, with a total of 4-5 dishes, but there's a couple of "constants."

Sweet & Sour Meatballs or Li'l Smokies (or both!)
This one is very difficult, but if you're extra talented, I think you can handle it!  ;)

1 (12 oz.) jar chili sauce
1 (18+ oz.) jar grape jelly 
2 lb. frozen meatballs or 2-3 packages Li'l Smokies, or a combo of both!

Combine jelly and chili sauce in a crock pot and stir until smooth.  Add meatballs or Li'l Smokies and set temperature to low.  Cook for 2-4 hours on low.  Serve with toothpicks.

 Vegetable Dip
(My food snobbery causes me to think the store bought ones are BLEH!  Note: I don't JUST make this at Christmas, I make it whenever I need veggie dip.)

1 c. sour cream
1 c. mayonnaise
2 t. onion powder
2 t. Bon Appetit seasoning salt
2 t. dill weed

Mix all together.  Chill overnight until ready to serve with any fresh cut raw veggies.


Christmas Treats/Dessert:

Homemade Pepperment "Oreo" Cookies
Cookies:
2 Devil's Food Cake Mixes
2 cubes butter
1/2 c. flour
4 eggs

Mix all ingredients together (Beware!  It is a stiff dough, it could mangle wimpy beaters).  Roll into walnut-sized balls  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
little milk, if needed to thin 
Beat together.
Then add:
little peppermint extract
ground up candy canes (fresh ones, do not use year-old ones - I KNOW from experience!)

(I always have too much filling left over - can reduce measurements to make less!)

Use filling between 2 chocolate cookies = "Oreo"
Then roll edges of "Oreos" into crushed up candy canes before it dries, so it sticks.

Santa Claus Cookies
2 (6 oz.) pkgs. while baking chocolate, shopped
1 pkg. Nutter Butter cookies
red colored sugar sprinkles
vanilla or white chocolate chips
miniature chocolate ships
red-hot candies 

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt white chocoate, stirring occasionally.  Dip one end of each Nutter Butter cookie into melted chocolate.  Place on wire racks.  For "Santa's hat," springle red sugar on top part of white chocolate.  Press on vanilla chip off center on hat for "pom-pom."  Let stand until set.  Dip other end of cookie into melted white chocolate for "Santa's beard", leaving center of cookie uncovered.  Place on wire racks.  With a dab of melted white chocolate, attach mini chocolate chips for his eyes and a red-hot for his nose.  Place on waxed paper until everything sets.
 
Homemade "Magic Shell"
(I found this on Pinterest and now I'm never buying the $3-4 bottle at the store again!) 

It's REALLY hard, are you ready for this?  ;)
1 c. chocolate chips
2 T. coconut oil

Place in microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 15 second intervals until all of the chocolate is melted.

Serve over Peppermint ice cream (only comes out at Christmastime, which is now 3 months out of the year!)
 


I also make my MIL's sugar cookie recipe, cut out into Christmas shapes, for everyone to frost & decorate and leave for Santa, but it's not my recipe to share, so ask her!  ;)

There you have it.

Until next year.......Good Bye.  Sayonara.  Adieu.  Adios.   Auf Wiedersehen.  Ciao.  Farewell to all our yummy Christmas food.

All it Takes is 1 Song to Bring Back 1,000 Memories

There was once a magical time, when no one knew what song they would be listening to next. We got our music from the radio.  (I still do!)  Songs are like sign posts in our memory. They point us back to particular points in our lives.  When I tune into "80's night" on the radio, within the first strain of the song, I think of, or remember, a specific time/place/person associated with that song.  And in that spirit, with a Christmas twist, I'm going to fire up FM100 this afternoon and play you the next ten songs (so to speak).  There used to be a time when this station played Christmas songs sporadically in between their regular music in December, and it was just  the 100 hours (get it?  FM100) leading up to Christmas that they played continuous Christmas songs, NOT the TWO MONTHS leading up to it.  (My pet peeve.  It's not allowed until after Thanksgiving in my home/car.)  But, I digress.  Back to my experiment: listen while I spin the Christmas hits....and I'll see what comes to mind.

1.  Angels Among Us

I first heard this song performed at a Homemaking Night I attended in my ward when I lived in North Salt Lake.  (1995-96)  A lady who lived in my same apartment complex was one of the singers, along with a bunch of kids singing with her.  I can still see them standing together on the stage.  It wasn't at Christmastime, but the message of that evening was, "THERE ARE ANGELS AMONG US" helping us, serving us, being [sometimes unknown] answers to our prayers - which is a wonderful Christmas message, too.

2.  Frosty the Snowman

This takes me back to another magical time when all the Christmas TV specials were actually on NETWORK TV (as opposed to cable).  At the beginning of the season, the TV schedule would be printed in the newspaper and we would cut it out and hang it on our fridge, underlining the "must sees" in our opinion.  Frosty the Snowman came on every year - it was one of those underlined ones we made sure to watch.

3.  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

This has "Elementary School" written all over it.  I sang this during music time at school.  It's where I learned all the great "echos" such as:
"Like a light bulb"
"Like a flash light"
"Like Pinocchio"
"Like Monopoly"
"Ho Ho Ho"
"Yippee"
"Like Columbus"
How FUN it was to sing it with all my other classmates!

4.  Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

I'm sitting in the multi-purpose room, as a 3rd Grader, at Valley View Elementary watching the 6th Grade Christmas program. (1978)  With Dr. Tak (pronounced "talk") at the piano, the [big, cool, head-honchos-of-the-school] 6th graders started singing this song.....AND THEN started "rockin' out" up on stage, too, while they acted out the song.  And I sit there thinking, They are SOOO cool!

5.  You Make it Feel Like Christmas by Neil Diamond

Honestly, I don't know if I've ever heard this song, but I HAVE heard Neil Diamond.  And whenever I hear ANY Neil Diamond song, I'm taken back to my childhood home.  My dad was a fan of Neil Diamond and we for sure played his cassette tapes (remember those?) on our family room stereo.  The most well-loved song of Neil's (we're on a first name basis!) has to be "America" which leads me to remember my first nephew.  Nick was just a tot - maybe 2 yrs. old - and we'd give him all these miniature American flags to hold in his hands, then turn on "America."  He would just stand there waving the flags enthusiastically the whole song through, with a smile on his face.  "Nick-a-roonie" is now 22 yrs. old.  My dad also gave me two tickets to a Neil Diamond concert after my mission - in hopes that I would invite a date, and get onto the next step in life, but I was too chicken to ask anyone out, so I took my brother, Mike.  Other songs I can't forget are, "Forever in Blue Jeans," "Heartlight," "Love on the Rocks," "September Morn," and "Sweet Caroline" which I saw him perform at a real baseball game this summer -- and it was AWESOME!!!

 6.  Sleigh Ride

I did hear this song when I was younger, but a more recent memory has taken over whenever I hear this song.  Ryan played percussion in the Jr. High band for three years (2008-11) and they would perform this song for their Christmas concert.  The percussion section worked extra hard adding all the special sound effects with their various instruments (glockenspeil, sleigh bells, xylophone, temple blocks, triangle, slap stick, timpani, snare drum).  Whenever I hear the "horse whinny" (courtesy of a solo trumpet player) and the "whip cracks" part of the song now, I think of Ryan's band group at FJH and I can see the view I saw from my seat in the venue of their performance.

7.  Have Yourself a Merry Christmas

For some reason, my oldest brother, David, sang this around the house.....not in a festive kind of way, but an "In-Your-Face, invasion-of-your-space" kind of way - just to bug us, and provoke us to start swinging punches at or shoving him.

8.  Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella

I think of the Kurt Bestor.  Back when I was pregnant with Haylee, my OB asked me if we had any Christmas traditions at one of my monthly appointments.  He shared with me that his family always went to the Kurt Bestor Christmas concert - and he raved about it.  From that moment on, I wanted to go, also.  It took several years, but one December, Matt informed me to "clear my schedule" one Saturday.  I didn't know what we were doing, but he arranged a babysitter for our kids, I got in the car and he just started driving me somewhere.  We ended up at Abravanal Hall in Salt Lake City for the Kurt Bestor Christmas concert -- it did NOT disappoint!  (Why my husband is awesome reason #148).  Kurt Bestor's percussion group were amazing!  During the concert, I remember thinking I hoped Ryan would continue on to that level, but then it turns out, he quit after Jr. High.

9.  Let it Snow

When I heard this song as a boy-crazy teenager (1982-1989), my daydreaming would kick in.  How could it not with lyrics that conjure up images of delightful fires, lights being turned down low, and being "stuck" inside with that special someone?!?  I would fantasize about whichever boy was on the top of my list at the moment and picture me in an actual future scene with him that involved "As long as you love me so" and "When we finally kiss goodnight" and "If you'll really hold me tight."  How romantic?  No?

10.  Up on the Housetop

Back in the day, as part of our family Christmas Eve traditions, we had a talent show.  One year (1978), my little sister, Michelle, and I made up a dance to perform to this song.  I dressed in a red leotard and we wore matching Christmas aprons and tights.  As part of our dance routine, we'd snap our fingers to the "click, click, click" part, and we'd "shimmy" on down to the "down through the chimney" part of the song.  We played the song on a RECORD PLAYER - yes, as in a vinyl record, on a turntable, and a stylus with a needle on it to run around the grooves.  (Any other "mature" adults know what I'm talking/writing about?)

I think I may have a photo in my archives......of us AND the record player......

 {Hey!  I want that red rocking chair in my home, now!}

So Generous.....???

I sent in my order for Christmas photo cards and they were bragging advertising that they would include FOUR PHOTO CALENDARS FOR FREE with my purchase.

Wow.  What a selling point!  It was an offer I couldn't refuse.
(Actually, I was going to order whether they offered me any "extras" or not.)

They just used the same photo I had submitted for my cards, which was this one:

(Take note: count the number of people in the photo)

And true to their claim (and generous offer), I had FOUR FREE CALENDARS tucked inside my order envelope, as well, when I received them.

I was just quite surprised when they looked like this:

 (Take note now: count the number of people in the photo)

2 1/2 people from my family have disappeared!

Is it like the McFly family photograph in Back to the Future?

Do Matt & I need to kiss at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance to make them reappear, or something?

This makes me SO glad I took advantage of this deal!

Seriously, WHY even print and send me these defective calendars?!?

OBVIOUSLY, they don't have a "Quality Control" team/person inspecting their products before sending them out this busy-Christmas-card-printing-time of the year!

Instead of  "generous" now, I believe the word, "ridiculous" is what is coming to mind!

On second thought, I think this IS an offer I CAN refuse!

This Weekend:

* All my sister-in-laws (minus 5 SILs) and I went on our annual Christmas shopping excursion with my MIL

to help her get Christmas presents for her grandkids (my children & nieces/nephews) at Station Park.

We also had dinner at Zupas together.  We were able to crank it out in 5 hours this year!

* Since the night was still "young," (by Matt & I's defintion) we went out for a mini-date to 

get a treat.  Ice cream was OUT since it was SO COLD (it was in the teens!), so we

went to Bowman's for half-price doughnuts (after 7 PM) & chocolate milk.

* Matt & Ryan went to the "basketball draft" on Saturday morning for our Jr. Jazz city basketball league.
Matt is going to be Kyle's head coach, and Ryan will be his "assistant."
Kyle was "protected" due to being a coach's son, so he didn't even have to try out.
They watched the boys run through some dribbling, shooting, passing, etc. drills and were able to take notes/rate them,
then they went into the "Situation Room" and drew numbers to see who'd go first in the draft.
Since Ryan remembers everything sports/stats related, he was good eyes & brain to assist Matt in his draft picks.

* Meanwhile, I picked up my Bountiful Basket - included this time was everything to make guacomole.  Yum!

* Saturday Jobs and I started to make the stew for our ward Christmas party.

* We had told all the kids that IF they were perfect on their check marks for the week,

that we would go to the movies on Saturday.  The boys would go to Thor, and the girls

would go to Frozen.  Well, they did it! 

So, we went!
{Our ONE movie of the year.} 

Although, we arrived at the theater about 20 min. before showtime, all the good seats (by my definition)

for Frozen were taken, so we ended up on Row 3!  

(I guess everyone reserves online ahead of time these days because they definitely weren't sitting in the theater, yet, when we entered.)

It was hard for my eyes to digest everything happening on the big screen so close up.  

Needless to say, I came out with a headache.  

When I announced this to the boys, they started laughing because apparently, Matt had already "called it."
 He had just told them, "Watch, Mom's going to come out and say she has a headache."

* The boys then went over to Matt's brother's house to watch the MLS Championship game.....

only to see ReAL Salt Lake lose in a shoot out!  

{Matt was much displeased.}

* We had our ward Christmas party tonight.

It was an "Ugly Christmas Sweater" themed party, so I had gone to Deseret Industries earlier in the week to

get some for my family.  I only found some for the girls.  They didn't even have any for the boys.  

BUT, the thing was, my daughters DID NOT EVEN THINK THEY WERE UGLY! 

They WANT to wear them to school!  WHAT?!?!

Should I allow it?  

I'm hearing my mother's voice in my head, "Don't represent our family THAT WAY!"

We got to the party and realized that there were rolls and baked goodies GALORE - ALL of which

Haylee can't eat anymore as a Celiac.  Her face immediately fell - it was sad.

We didn't even think of that.....there's definitely a learning curve with this new lifestyle....we need to get used to bringing our own things to parties now.

Luckily, they had a soft serve ice cream machine there, also - she just put hers in a cup instead of a cone!  ;)
Santa Claus also came, but Brookelle was a bit nervous and "forgot" to tell him what she wanted!

 So, I helped her write an "official" list when she got home.  ;)

* I helped Ryan get the stuff to answer to Christmas Dance, and then drop it off at the girls house.

* And then he begged me to go do "donuts" and slip/slide around in the church parking lot on our way home since it had been snowing most of the day!
{I obliged}

* Churchey-church and meetings on Sunday.

My Mia Maid adviser taught this lesson.  She had asked the young women's

parents & friends about what each of their spiritual gifts were and

then shared them with the class.  It was cool because some of 

the girls didn't even realize they had those!

* In the afternoon, some of the kids watched, "Miracle of 34th Street" and then in the evening,

the family watched, "The Polar Express." 

We're trying to knock off a couple for our Family Christmas movie tradition on a 

day that everyone is home, instead of running a million different directions!
We remembered about the First Presidency's Christmas devotional at 6:45 PM - woops!
We "dropped the ball" this year - only caught the last 15 min.

* I also spent a bunch of time on the library website selecting Christmas

storybooks that I can read to my family each night this year. (another

family tradition).  The Christmas Train by President Thomas S. Monson

has a long waiting list again this year, so we're probably not going to get it!  Dang!

But, I'm excited about some of the other titles we can hopefully get to.

* We put all the ornaments on our Christmas tree (just the tree with lights had been 

up for for a couple of days) and I finished the last decorating touches in our home.

* I gave both the boys haircuts, but they both had strict instructions for me to 

leave their "wings" and their "Jedi braid" alone.

{They are totally replaying their father's adolescence.}

* One of our friends delivered one of those Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory-esque

caramel apples....that SHE made!!  It had been dipped in Oreo crumbs and

had white chocolate drizzled on the top of that!  Oh. My. YUM!

The family gobbled it down in NO TIME at all.

Seriously, I cut it up, walked out of the kitchen, and came back and it was GONE!
(Thus, no photo.)

But, the little bit I did taste, was just the right "night cap" (at least our version of one!)  ;)

The Dance Phase

After spending Thanksgiving with my extended family, and visiting with my niece from TEXAS (a freshman at BYU now), I realized that not ALL High School teenagers ask one another to the school dances in the "creative ways" I was accustomed to growing up in UTAH. (and that my own son and Young Women are also doing now, in UTAH.)

That's kind of sad - and BORING - for my niece not to have had that experience.  I think, the asking and the answering was sometimes MORE FUN than the actual dance!  Sssshhhh - don't tell any of my old dates that!  ;)  But, having a son, I have also realized that maybe the GIRLS enjoy this zany tradition more than the BOYS.  Ryan says he can't ever think of any good ideas, and that it's stressful (what?!?).....let's just say that at dance asking/answering times, he comes to me [repeatedly] for advise more than at any other time!!  ;)

So, which parts of the country DO ask creatively, and which parts just get straight to the point and ask face to face, or over the phone (but hopefully not via text!)?  Based on an Arizona-based blog I read out there in blogosphere, I know they ask creatively.  But, my SIL grew up in a teeny, tiny town in southeastern Idaho, and she says they did not.  I even saw some of it happening in Disney's movie, "PROM."  
Everyone who lives somewhere other than Utah, give a shout out and let me know what happens where you live.  I'm curious!

My children are each 3 years apart in school, so after Ryan graduates High School this year, then Kyle will enter High School next year.  And then when he graduates, Haylee will start.....on down the line to Brookelle.  (Hopefully, they let me out of the nursing home to attend her graduation in 2026!)  So, we are definitely in "The Dance Phase" now - and for the next 13 years.  Yea!

I went through my photos to see what I had taken of  "the dance phase."   I realized I only have photos of all the creativity that has happened at OUR home, but not when he has taken it to the girl's house.

{Which is a shame since all my "advise" that magically turned into his ideas, and he actually executed. were really great!} ;)

VALENTINE'S DANCE
Although, I had warned him that girls will sometimes do something to their bedrooms in the asking/answering, and that it would be a WISE CHOICE to keep it clean for about a month before the dances, he chose not comply with THAT particular advise.

And then he came home to his pig pen bedroom with an unmade bed, complete with covers wadded in a heap in the middle, to find THIS on his bed. 

He was horrified, "This is embarrassing!  Why did you let her see my room like this?"
To which I replied, "Why did you leave it like this?"

(There was a "Y", an "E" and an "S" written on three different strips of paper somewhere in that pile.)

PROM
Another time, Ryan had asked a girl during The Masters, so in honor of that, he used golf balls and wrote an invitation using a bunch of golf terms.  It also worked out nicely that she lived on Fairway Circle!

So, then she played off of that golf theme and answered him like this.

And then on our front "lawn"  (this was pre-sod days), she used golf balls to spell out her answer. 
(I found out from her mom that she kept having to chase the balls that kept rolling away on the dirt since there was no grass to hold them in place!)

A funny story about this answer was that one night the girl Ryan had asked to the dance texted him, "I have a feeling you should go look out front."
So, Ryan went and looked out front.
NOTHING.
And then he had the thought, Oh no!  She went to our old house!  (We weren't in the current phone book, yet.)

So we got in the car and started driving up there - just 3 blocks away, hoping to get to it before the new owners.
In the meantime, he texted her, "I don't see anything."
She texted, "What's your address?"
He texted, "We moved" and added our new address.
She texted, "Woops!"

At about that time, we got to our old house and we saw a car parked across the street, and a person moving around the front yard, picking things up......I just drove on by while Ryan ducked down in his seat.  :)
The next evening, she came back to our real home, and left the answer again.



HOMECOMING
The girl had called me and asked if she could come decorate his room.  She only had time to do it when I wasn't going to be home, so I told my daughters that she'd be coming and to let her in.  THEY were nice enough (or stressed about the state of his room) to at least make his bed for him before she came.

She left a bunch of starbursts and this note on his bed.  When I was on my way home with Ryan in my car, Haylee called and told me the girl was late coming and she wasn't done, so don't come home, yet!

So, what should I do?

I remembered my friend had texted me earlier, so I called her and asked, "Did you need me?"
She was like, "Not anymore."
And I said, "OK, I'll be right over."
And then I went over there, while Ryan waited in the car, and "bought us some time."
When Matt texted me, "The coast is clear", I returned home with Ryan.
He entered his pig pen bedroom, and even from upstairs, I heard him exclaim, "Oh No!"
Later he asked me why they always come when he has a messy room.
Uhhhhh.......because he ALWAYS has a messy room?!?

He first looked at all the starburst wrappers to see if her answer was written on any of them.
NOTHING.
So, then he unwrapped most of them looking for any writing on the insides.
NOTHING.

Exhausted, he fell backward onto his bed, and declared, "I'm never going to find it!  
And then he looked UP.

On the ceiling, he saw his answer written in glow-in-the-dark STARS.
(his family was IN on the location of this answer!)  tee hee ;)



HARVEST DANCE

He found this on our front porch one day. 

No "adventures" accompanied this one, but in the weeks leading up to the dance, as the kids were texting each other and they discovered that I grew up in the same home ward (church congregation) with this girl's mom!  (small world!)

The girl texted Ryan, "Ask your mom about the time she stopped to see a boy on the way back from Girl's Camp."  So he did.

She would have to remember me for that incidence!

(Hey, I was VERY fond of this boy who lived in Cache Valley, and we were "in the area" on the way back from church Girl's Camp, so it would be a waste if I didn't have THE BISHOP stop by his work, wouldn't it?!?  The bishop obliged, and I had the boy paged to the front and he unsuspectingly came out to see a dozen or so [un-primped, post-camp] girls waiting for him in the lobby.  Well, I was waiting, the rest were standing behind me spying.  After we "visited," we went on our way.  Makes total sense, doesn't it?  At least to my 16/17 yr. old self it did.  I guess it was so surprising to this girl's mom, she hasn't forgotten it after 26 years!)  :)

CHRISTMAS DANCE

Ryan was actually studying in our front office  one evening, and he got a text from his friend, "I think you should go downstairs and look at your baseball trophies."  Ryan thought it was a weird request, but he went downstairs, anyway.
Meanwhile, Matt came into the kitchen where I was and told me he thought Ryan was getting asked to the dance right then - he'd seen a car and someone out the front windows when he was carrying Brookelle up to bed.  When the doorbell actually rang, I purposely left some "getaway" time, but it happened to be a snowy night, which made it so she wasn't able to run very quickly, so they hadn't driven away, yet, when I opened the door.  Woops!

There was a couple of weird things about this.  

1st - Ryan didn't even know this girl who had asked him.  In fact, her friends had done the actual asking for her. 

2nd - a day or two later, she actually texted him that her mom said she couldn't go anymore.  

So, he got "unasked."   
That stinks!

That's OK - the girl doesn't even know how to spell our last name anyway!  I've written about that before.  (And my hang up with other misuses of the English language.)  ;)

CHRISTMAS DANCE - part 2
We got the "Cookies for Santa" Encore on our front porch a few days after the "unasking."
Uh Oh - was that a bad omen?
But all I had to do was look at the adorable details:  a real RED platter, a glass milk bottle with a straw, Christmas Oreo cookies with red filling, a letter tied up with green string, and baby carrots, too!  I was feeling better about this one, already!

AND THEN I SAW THAT SHE KNEW HOW TO SPELL OUR LAST NAME, AND I WAS SOLD!  ;)

You're So Smart vs. Your So Dumb

Despite Kyle's tendency to lose things; his jersey, his wallet, MY nail clippers, his iPod, etc., he did FINALLY get a [flip] cell phone.

DID YOU KNOW HE WAS THE LAST TEENAGER ON EARTH WITHOUT A CELL PHONE?!?

CAN YOU BELIEVE HE GOT STUCK WITH SUCH HEARTLESS, DORKY, BAD PARENTS?!?

{at least that was the hogwash he's been trying to feed us for the last few years}

Anyway, one of the rules that comes with the privilege of having a cell phone is that I can read their texts at ANY TIME.  No questions asked.  We, their parents, pay for these things.  We are merely loaning them to our sons with the understanding that they will act responsibly......and censor themselves when it comes to texting.  (Even though it is easier to text things that you would not normally say out loud, in person, or in front of your/your friends' parents!)

So, on THE FIRST DAY that Kyle had his phone, I asked if he'd been able to figure out how it worked yet.

Yep.  He informed me he already had 68 texts!

68 TEXTS?!?

OK.  Hand over the phone.

I started to scroll through the "conversation" he'd had with the girl he is quite fond of [who shall remain nameless.]

It started out like this:

Him:  Guess who?

Her:  Who?

Him:  Guess.

Her:  Just tell me.

Him:  Giving up so easy?

Her:  K at least give me a clue.  Boy or girl?

Him:  Which do you hope it is?

(Really!?  Are these guys 14 yrs. old, or something?  Why, YES, they are, as a matter of fact!  I'm cracking up, so of course, I had to read on!)

{14 more texts like that with vague clues and unsuccessful pleadings}

Then it continued:

Her:  Is it Colby?

Him:  Nope.

Her:  Tony?

Him:  No.

Her:  Russell?

Him:  Wrong again.

Her:  Just tell me!

Him:  How bad do you want to know?

(This is RIVETING dialogue, I tell ya!)  ;)   

{14 more texts of back & forth, her exasperation and his smugness growing}

Then it continued:

Her:  Do we have any classes together?

Him:  Good question!

Her:  Well......what's the answer?

Him:  I can't believe you haven't guessed it yet.

Her:  Aaaugh!  Just tell me who you are?

Him:  Maybe you don't want to know.

Her:  I DO!

Him:  We talked today.

Her:  When?  About what?

Him:  Yada, Yada, Yada.

Her:  Blah, Blah, Blah 

(This Jr. High "flirting" has CAPTIVATED the audience [me] - how about you?)  ;)

AT LAST, the girl guesses that it is Kyle.

In conclusion:

Her:  Ohhhhh.  Duh.  You must think I'm so dumb!

Him:  Nope.

Her:  Well I am.  It took me FOREVER!

Him:  No worries.  :)

Her:  Your just being nice.

OK.  That was a romance killer.  Now I think you're dumb!

Because....it's YOU'RE not YOUR.  

It's a CONTRACTION of the words YOU and ARE.  

It involves the elision of a vowel (in this case, the "A") which is replaced by an apostrophe in writing.  

When in doubt, just do the "test," people.  Can you substitute "you are" in your sentence with it still making sense?  If yes, use, "you're" not "your".  

THANK YOU.

And......You're Welcome for the nerdy grammar lesson.

This little ecard describes me: 

And just so we can further get my nerdiness out in the open - and you can consider yourself WARNED -  here's another caption that screams, "THIS IS ME!"