HECM ~ Join Now!

I am simply in shock. I only get the newspaper on Fridays and weekends so I don't really stay completely up on the news. I was reading the paper this morning while I ate my breakfast and I lost my appetite.

I read about this.

I tend to think the PETA people are a little wacky. They are one of many groups of people that seem a bit extreme, that I don't see eye to eye with. I understand that these folks want to protect animals but they have taken it way too far now.

Breast Milk Ice Cream? Seriously?

Here is a quote from PETA

But it's not all about us humans. Animals will also benefit from the switch to breast milk. Because, like all mammals, cows only give milk during or after pregnancy, in order for humans to constantly milk them, they are forcefully impregnated every nine months. Many live in filthy conditions and are forced to give 10 times more milk than they would naturally. It's truly an awful life.

Last time I checked, Mothers are the only PEOPLE that produce breast milk. Mothers would need to be forcefully impregnated for nine months to supply milk to Ben & Jerry's. They sell tons of ice cream. That is a lot of milk people.

Where are Alicia Silverstone and Pam Anderson? Why aren't they rushing forward to offer to be forcefully impregnated and donate their milk?



That is why I am forming a new group. HECM! Humans for the Ethical Care of Mothers! We must stop PETA before there are warehouses full of Mothers lined up with breast pumps attached to their chests. What about the poor Mothers?

PETA....you can SUCK IT!

Take the poll at the top right of the page please!

Christmas In September

I am getting so excited! During our quick trip to Denver last weekend we went Christmas Shopping at Kazoo Toys. We had the best time picking out gifts for the kids' based on their interests and favorite things. Mallory is very artistic and loves to read. Alex is enthralled with Thomas.

I wanted to share some of the great items we found:

Calvin is currently working very closely on a top secret mission for the space program so we got Alex this really cool rocket. I love that this toy is headed to the Moon! We also got him some new Thomas train cars. Arthur and Annie & Clarabel.

Because of Mallory's artistic abilities we decided to get the Lace Em Up Dragon, Wooden Animal Nesting Boxes, The Big Fun Activity Barn and a couple books.

We also got them some poster paints, giant paint brushes and the spill proof paint cups. We are still trying to decide if Alex is going to get a Train Table....the boy has lots of stuff and nowhere to put it!

Because of my cyber friend Jessica, I discovered the best blog in the world! It is called 100 days to Christmas and it is perfect for anyone that likes to plan or can't get enough of Christmas. You will find more ideas and things to do to get ready for the holiday. Go check it out!

Edited to Add:
I just found this great craft project! It is a Cookie Sheet Advent Calendar! What a great project to make with the kids.

Christmas in September List of Things To Do:

1. Make a list of ingredients for bath salts and add them to my iPhone list app.

2. Go over gift list and order at least one present.

3. Go through Holiday Recipe Book....decide on treats to be made.

4. Make a list of people to make treats for. (neighbor's, Calvin's co-workers, Mommy Friends)

5. Figure out a time to visit Micheals for decorating ideas.

6. Sew cutecrows for front porch. (like a scarecrow but not scary)


Halloween Update:

Alex is going to be a Train Engineer. I know, you are totally shocked! I want Mallory to be something cute...but I know what October in Utah is like and it will be chilly. I'm looking for a cute cat costume because she recently got her temper in and she growls like an angry kittie!

I am also looking for a bread recipe to make for my neighbors. Something fall like and yummy. Anyone have a great recipe they would like to share?

Prayers Needed

Our friend Tracey needs prayer.

She is the woman who took such wonderful care of Alex while I was having Mallory.

Tracey and Alex...look how white Sam was!

She is in the ICU here in Utah because of a bowel obstruction. She has had two surgeries and has some tissue damage. They are saying that she could be in hospital for 6 weeks or more.

Please pray for Tracey that she gets better and there isn't any long term damage!

Thanks everyone! I told her husband Brian that Bloggers are miracle workers!

For The Love of Thomas

You know Thomas don't you? If you have a toddler you know that Thomas is a Tank Engine. Our little boy, Alex....loves Thomas. He could sit and play with his trains all day long and sometimes....he does.

Earlier in the summer I heard about Day out with Thomas and when I checked on it, discovered that Thomas had just been to Utah the weekend before. We were bummed.

On Wednesday, I checked the Thomas schedule to see if he would be in Denver when Alex is scheduled to go to there with his Dad. This is when I discovered that Thomas was going to be in Denver in three days. I told Calvin. I tell Calvin lots of things and I really never know if he hears me or not, so I was extremely surprised when he said we should go.

I am not a spontaneous person. I need to plan things and pack a week before I take a trip. I decided that making a memory with our son was more important than my need to plan. So, Thursday afternoon, I bought our tickets and Friday morning we left for Denver.

The kids did great on the 10 hour drive and were so happy to see their grandparents and uncles.


Saturday, we left the kids' with Nana and we escaped for some couple time! And what do you do when you are parents and you have someone to watch your kids for a few hours? We went to Cherry Creek and shopped for Christmas presents for the kids at Kazoo & Company Toy Store. This store is amazing! Then we went to TOTT's in Lakewood for a yummy lunch.

In the afternoon, we went to Day out with Thomas! It was at the Colorado Train Museum so there were many trains to see and climb on. Alex was getting pretty irritated with us because we kept showing him all of these little trains but we wouldn't let him touch them. We finally came across the tent with the train tables and he had a ball...until a kid stole his train and he dissolved into a puddle of tears. We took him to the GIFT SHOP to cheer him up and bought a bunch of stuff...some will be for Christmas.

See how happy he is!

Finally it was time for our ride on Thomas and then he was happy and excited. We had such a great time and we were so happy that we could do this with him.



We dropped Alex off with the Grandparents and we went on a date. To our favorite restaurant....Maharaha in Boulder! The food was fabulous, the company was wonderful and we got to be alone again! You may remember that I was devastated a few months ago when I thought this restaurant had closed. Denise at Eat,Play,Love told me that Maharaja was alive and well in Boulder. Thanks Denise!

Bright and early Sunday morning, we headed for home! We stopped in Loveland to visit with my best friend Anne and her family. Her boys are growing so fast!

Here is the tired little boy, all tuckered out after a busy weekend.

We finally arrived back home around 7 pm and we were exhausted. But it was the good kind of exhausted because we were so happy. We are so glad that we took this little trip and that the kids' did so well. We are completely homesick for Denver now. Colorado feels like home to us and we hope someday....we will move back!

By the way, we purchased a portable bed/tent for the kids to use when they visit Nana and Poopa and it has worked out great! Alex loves sleeping in it. It is called the Pea Pod Plus and you can find it here!

To my Denver friends: I am so sorry that we didn't have time to see you. It really was a whirl wind trip....37 hours!

Daddy's Little Girl

My baby girl went on vacation last weekend.

Her Daddy has season tickets to the Denver Broncos and he took her to Denver with him. She had a lovely time.....visiting with Nana, Poopa, Drew and Rob. She ate grapes and blueberries and spanish rice. She watched Bunnytown and colored.

And she missed her Mama.

Mama (that would be me) had serious separation anxiety. I had the hardest time letting her go and being without her. I don't know if it is because she is my baby....or because she is a joy to be around.

Erick, on the other hand was pleased that she was gone. He played so hard and with so much concentration that he did not want to take breaks for meals or to go to Target to buy a new train. He reminded me so much of his father......

Can you find Sam the lamb in this picture?

But venture to Target we did. We bought a Thomas the Train treat bucket for Halloween and an orange VW bug matchbox car (he couldn't decide on a train). I made a big deal about buying Thomas the Train underwear for him since he pooped and peed on the potty on my Birthday but alas....he is again, not interested in Potty Learning.

Sunday, was Calvin's 45th Birthday. We got him a new Bronco jacket and the 2008 players hat. His family got him a Bronco watch so he looked like a big ol dorky fan at the game. He went to the game and had a great time with his childhood friend Alan. The Broncos won in the last two minutes! He says it was one of the best birthday's he's had in a long time.

Mallory and Calvin flew home that night and I couldn't sleep until my girl was home. Calvin brought her in from the car and I hugged her, kissed her and put her to bed.

You're the end of the rainbow,
My pot of gold,
You're daddy's little girl
To have and hold.
A precious gem
Is what you are,
You're mommy's bright
And shining star.

You're the spirit of Christmas,
My star on the tree,
You're the Easter bunny
To mommy and me.
You're sugar you're spice,
You're everything nice,
And you're daddy's little girl.

So Nervous!

I feel like a teenager this morning. I feel just like I did when I was in my teens and I wanted to see Rick Springfield or Michael Jackson in concert. My stomach is in a big knot and I am feeling very anxious and nervous.

All of this is because I am going to try to purchase some tickets.

At 10 am.

I really hope I get some good seats and that it doesn't sell out. I wonder if I should use the computer or call? Oh man!

So...what fabulous show am I so excited about? You will probably laugh when I tell you.

BACKYARDIGAN'S LIVE!

You see....our family LOVES The Backyardigan's. We know all the songs and we watch every episode. Mallory could identify the characters when she was a year old! I am so excited that we are going to TRY to take them to this.

Daddy and I love live theater so this will be a great introduction for the kids. To share something we love with them. I'm about to cry...I am so happy!

Now....if I can just get some great tickets! Wish me luck!

UPDATE:

I am so excited! I got front row orchestra! Row A! We will be able to smell the Backyardigans!

The Day My Oprah Dream Died

Oprah is largely responsible for my move to Denver to start my new life. I had watched her show religiously when I was in my abusive marriage and she gave me the tools I needed to get out of a bad relationship and make it on my own. My dream was to someday be in the audience for one of her shows.

yep...I used to be a blonde.

After moving, I made some wonderful friends at work. Misty ended up being one of my best friends because we had so much in common. We were young, single, beer drinking ladies! As I got to know her better, I realized that she was super high maintenance. She refused to sit in the backseat of a car...ever! She carried Kate Spade Handbags that cost more than my rent. She was addicted to buying department store make-up and had all of these storage containers on wheels to store it in. She would only drink Starbucks Coffee and she had fake nails, a fake tan and fake hair color. Then something happened that just floored me. She agreed to dog/house sit for a family but she had demands! First of all, $50...Cash. Then she had to have 3 bags of Cool Ranch Dorito's, 1 1/2 lbs of Smoked Deli Turkey and Baby Swiss (it had to be from the deli), 12 pk of Diet Coke, 12 pk of Coors Light and a loaf of Honey Wheat Bread.

The end of August 2001, the new season of Oprah was getting ready to tape and I was checking her website for the upcoming shows. They were going to do a show about High Maintenance Women and wanted viewers to write in about people they know. I told Misty that I was going to write a letter about her and she just laughed.

On Labor Day, we went to The Taste of Colorado in downtown Denver and I missed a call on my cell phone. I didn't recognize the number and there wasn't a message. A short time later....that number called again and it was a producer from The Oprah Winfrey Show! She loved my letter and they were considering us for the show. I couldn't believe it! I was beyond excited! We would both be on the show...me as the long suffering friend of a High Maintenance Woman! They asked us to send a photo and to be expecting the call about our travel arrangements. The show was scheduled to be taped on September 13th!

I thought this had to be the most amazing birthday present of my entire life. I was going to meet Oprah. I was going to be ON my favorite show. How did I ever get so lucky!

And then on my birthday, September 11th, I drove to work listening to the horrific tragedy that was taking place in New York City. All day we listened to the radio at work and the phone that I answered 500 times a day was oddly silent. And then when it did ring, it was the producer from The Oprah Show. They were canceling our show and didn't plan to tape it at all because it was no longer appropriate. Sorry.

I was crushed. The 9-11 terrorists not only killed all of these people but they prevented my dream from coming true. And then I felt terrible for being so upset about my little dream when the dreams of thousands of people where ending. Their lives cut short and the lives of their loved ones ripped apart. I guess this is why I take 9-11 so personally.

A few weeks later, we finally went out to celebrate my birthday. I got on stage at Sing Sing in Denver and sang head, shoulders, knees and toes (not knowing that someday I would sing it to my children) and I met some Colorado Avalanche players at a bar and Misty would ask them to sign her ample bosom with a sharpie marker. What kind of high maintenance woman does that?



The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. ~ Benjamin E. Mays

And so I have a new dream....of seeing the Oprah Show, from the audience, with my husband. I dream of going to Chicago and enjoying the city with him. Anyone want to babysit?

Being friends with Misty taught me many things. How to feather my nest, how to pour the perfect beer, that I deserved the best, some friends are really enemies in disguise and that sometimes...people pretty up their outsides to try to cover up an ugly inside.

Super Yummy Donuts!

It is a well known fact that I love donuts. Donuts hold amazing memories from my past. When I was a kid, I would help my Dad on the weekends. It always included starting the day off at Daylight Donuts and a carton of Chocolate Milk. Then years later, another family bought Daylight Donuts and they had a Chocolate Covered Long John with a cream cheese filling. Oh my goodness....I loved those!

Note to self: try to make those someday...they can't be that hard!

Now days, I love a Raspberry Jelly filled Bismark. What is your favorite donut?

I decided to make donuts for the kids this morning and they were a huge hit! They got lots fo NUM NUM's from the children. These are so easy and so yummy! I could have eaten all of them...but I am a good Mommy, I shared.

Homemade Fabulous Donuts...and Holes

Tube of Biscuit Dough
1 cup (or more, depending on your pan) Vegetable or Canola Oil
Cinnamon and sugar mix or frosting of your choice

Very carefully open the biscuit can and lay out the biscuit dough. Flatten each one with your hand and using a small cutter, press a hole in the center of each biscuit. Make a pile of donuts and holes.

Heat a pan over low/medium heat and add 1 cup of oil. You may need more, at least enough to cover half of the donuts while cooking.

Start with the holes and cook them for about one minute. The bottom will be golden brown when it is ready to turn. Cook for another minute on the other side. These cook very fast....so pay close attention. Use tongs to remove them from the pan to a paper towel to drain and cool slightly. Repeat with the donuts, 3 at a time until donuts are all done.

Put the donuts on a plate and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture or frost and sprinkle.

Enjoy!

My Bum is Broken

It has been a rough 6 days....

On Thursday afternoon, I fell down the basement stairs while carrying my Dyson. Don't worry the Dyson is fine. My poor rear end, however, is not. It is broken and has a crack in it.

I have bruised my tailbone and I can't sit for very long. It has made blogging nearly impossible. Thank goodness I have my iPhone so that I can keep in touch with the outside world while not sitting directly on my bum.

The reason I was carrying my Dyson down the stairs was because I had company coming. Imagine how upset I was that I couldn't finish getting my house ready because I couldn't bend over and walking was rather painful.

Note to my in-laws: If my house was not as clean or organized as usual, it is not my fault.

Thursday night, Calvin took over. He went to the store, cooked dinner, cleaned up dinner, got the kids out of the water outside (dang puddle) and then got them ready for bed. At 8pm, he collapsed on the couch and asked....How do women that work outside the home do that?

Mom's are awesome! What can I say?

So....our visit with the family went great. We ate well and had a nice time.

Alex thinks Poopa's beard is scatchy!

Nana wishes she had a sippy cup!

Uncle Robert loves his Mally Moo!

Those are some mighty big shoes to fill Alex!

Poopa bought the kids' a bench!

Three generations of Fred!