Why we don't walk around with blankets over our head and other stories

WHY WE DON'T WALK AROUND WITH BLANKETS OVER OUR HEADS

The end.

JUNE PERFORMS AND DOES A GOOD JOB

The end.

TYLER AND MALEEN PLAY WITH THE CAMERA AT NIGHT

The end.


MULTI-TASKING AT ITS BEST

The end.

MALEEN DOES NOT KNOW WHAT TO PHOTOGRAPH FOR THE THEME OF ANGER

The end.

Vanity, Thy Name is Maleen

It was a beautiful day today.

I was outside for an hour or so.

Yes, I got sunburned.

Sadly, I think it makes me look healthier than my normal pasty complexion.

It's the End of an Era

Pearl is the last baby. So, as she gets older, I have been shuffling off baby clothes here, there, and everywhere. We have gotten rid of our baby carseat, and lots of toys. The bouncer is gone, along with the bumbo. And yes, if we end up with a 'bonus' child, I will laugh right along with you as I buy or borrow all these things again. But, since we are not planning on more, I thought it was time to free up some space.

Most stuff I am happy to get rid of, some stuff is more sentimental and harder to part with, and then there are the things that I don't think anyone would want, and yet they were invaluable at the time. Like my collection of burb cloths.

I say collection, because we have enough that people might think we attempted cloth diapering at one point. As if. I hate laundry enough without loads of...well, you know. I am pretty sure that up in heaven I said, "Oh, you can send me down whenever, as long as they have disposable diapers." Okay, maybe that is a little far-fetched. I'm sure I would have survived in the dark ages before washing machines, but trust me, I am not above enjoying my technological advances now.

When I was pregnant with June, I got some of those cute, fancy, burb cloths. And for those of you who crochet around the edges, I still think they are adorable, but that kind of fabric was not made to soak up the loads of liquid that can come forth from a small body. June broke us in the hard way. Sometimes I wondered if she was gaining any weight, since she seemed to spit EVERYTHING up. Grandma mentioned that she changed her shirt every time she held June. That is just the way June came. And so I stocked up on burb cloths. They were the friend you took everywhere. We put several in the baby bag and cursed ourselves when we forgot them.

So we ordered a different model the second time around. Robyn was not a spitter...Hallelujah. But for some reason she had trouble figuring out the whole nursing thing. She drooled, to put it mildly. So, the burb cloths saw plenty of action, since I always had a few tucked underneath me while I fed her.

Ivory was probably the only one who didn't need the armada of burb cloths, but it was short lived since both Pearl and Daisy were terrible spitters. (Three out of five kids—not the best odds.) There were times that I would look around for a burb cloth and they were all in the wash. That tells you how many we went through, almost daily. I would often do a load of only burb cloths so I could catch up and stem the tide of spit up.

And lucky us, Pearl lasted the longest, well past a year, spitting up. But recently, I found that I don't use the burb cloths anymore. I am not constantly scrubbing the carpet, or changing outifts. So, I guess it is time for them to go. But oddly, it is very hard to part with them. They have been my close companions these eight years. How do I tell them thank you? And will the next person to see them realize their value or just see a bunch of useless white rags. I know, it is strange thing to get emotional about, but I think I will miss all my burb cloths.

p.s. This is my 800th post. Just thought you'd want to know.

Who Needs Ridges

I am a little behind in blogger land. I don't even have a good post ready for you. But I feel the need to stay current, so you get something regardless. And actually, what I have to give you is quite fabulous.

Check out these babies:

So tasty. So easy. So mostly guilt free. (Although, really people, I don't have much guilt to begin with when it comes to eating.)


Here is the recipe:


Microwave Potato Chips

Scrub potatoes, leaving skins on and slice potatoes as thinly as possible into even slices. No slice should be more than 1/16 inch thick (less than 1.5mm). Lightly oil a pyrex baking dish with cooking spray and place potato slices in a single layer. You will probably have to cook the potato in batches. Evenly salt or season potatoes as desired. 
Microwave, on high, for 3-6 minutes.
Most batches took me about 4 minutes, but it is best to watch (just like popcorn) to prevent burning.
Remove from dish and repeat with remaining slices until all the potato has been cooked.

I got this recipe quite a while ago. I found the post here which links back to the recipe above (thank you sister of my kindred spirit sister.) I tried it and it was okay because I didn't have a slicer and I can't cut thin, even, potatoes to save my life. But they weren't terrible even with the different thicknesses. BUT...I bought myself this green slicer at Wal-mart for less than $20 that has three slicer settings. I used the thinnest, and Zow Wee Mama. They were perfect!

I got into a groove. We had two pyrex dishes going and we just switched them out every four minutes. I say 'we' because Daisy was helping and she was feeling very helpful. Although please watch little fingers when you are putting potato slices into the dish that just came out of the microwave, because it is HOT! We could have done a billion, but sadly, my old microwave is good for about five batches (20 minutes) and then it is done. Like, turns itself off for about an hour, done. That is not helpful for the potatoes that are already sliced and ready to go. (Or for a lasagna for that matter. I haven't cooked a lasagna in the microwave for about a decade, but don't they take about thirty minutes?) Anyway, we did two different shifts of chips, with microwave giving out each time, but we ate every chip we made. They were great.

So, if your microwave is not as old as your marriage, like mine is, I recommend you try these.

My Songbird

Robyn is beautiful both inside and out. She has a stubborn streak that I am positive she gets from me. She also has the most tender heart and cries when she feels others' emotions. (She may get that from me too.) Sometimes I feel it is hard to capture these little spirits on film (yes, I know it is not really film, but what else do you call it?) but I love to try. Robyn and I had a good time taking these pictures. And yes, she may have been slightly zapped by the electric fence, but I am not a country girl, and I didn't know it was charged. I know enough to stay away from barbed wire. Anyway, no serious damage occurred, unless you count adding to my permanent guilt. Enjoy.

Up

Yes, I know a house with balloons would have been perfect, but I like these images too.

Photos of the week:

I heard that the steeple on the church near our house is the tallest LDS church steeple there is. Interesting trivia.

I get a kick out of watching June haul Pearl around. Especially when they go up the stairs.

And how can you not love this photo?

If You Ask, Mom Will Do It (Most of the time)

You gotta feel sorry for kids who spend hours creating something only to have parents say, "Okay, time to put that stuff away." My kids have learned not only the regular comment of, "Mom, come see what I made..." but also, "Mom, come take a picture...and then put it on your blog."

It's hard to say no to that. So, here is the castle that June and Anna made the other day.

The 'L' stands for Leana Rella, and I am impressed by all the people who came to the princess' party. (I believe the royalty are in blue, naturally.)

While we are showing off art and childrens' creativity, here is one that I have to take my hat off to. You might have seen the Little Miss books before.

But I am pretty sure you haven't met these characters. Little Miss Dangerous (June's):

Little Miss Talented (Robyn's):

And Little Miss Fancy (Ivory):

And finally, a conversation that makes me laugh. Robyn likes to take things literally to be funny. (It is only funny sometimes.)

Robyn: (reading in a book) Rhinoceroses' eyesight is so poor they sometimes charge at trees.

Me: Do you know what charge means?

Robyn: Yeah, like when you take someone's money.

Me: Funny, I can just see the rhinos now. Hey trees, give me your money...now.

Later in the book Robyn read this: The Indian rhinoceros is killed for its horn, as some people think it can be used for medicines.

Me: Poor rhinoceros.

Robyn: A rhinoceros can't be poor. (See, so literal.)

Me: I guess you're right, especially if he is charging all the trees.

I don't know why, but some of these little conversations really tickle my fancy. I like watching my girls' sense of humor develop. I hope we can always sit and laugh together.