Really Magical

I have a confession. I recently lied.
Oh. Not to any of you. No. No. No. It was just my kids. Sorry if I caused you ANY worry.

I used my forked tongue the night before Utah's last snowfall, and told the Entourage they needed to make paper snowflakes; tape them to a bedroom window and that simple act will make magic snow fall. Surprise, surprise...It worked.

Remember folks, Kris is fanatical about weather updates. I check online constantly...

that's how I won my trip to NY.

Two nights ago, while checking email, I was informed by Sterling Poulson (isn't that a great name?!?) snow would fall and fall hard Saturday morning. I asked my Entourage, already tucked in, if I could just move the snowflakes around.

Give the snow fairy a tease, just to see if it worked.

Ta-da!!!

If you live in the Wasatch Front area, we had quite the dusting, didn't we? It's my fam's fault. Magic paper snowflakes.

Last night, I wanted to make my own snowflake. Channel my inner elf.

No elf appeared. Not for me.

Enter and welcome, Mr. Edward Scissorhands.

I think my single flake could be considered a work of art.

(not my flake, I'm too tired to take a pic. but this one almost competes)

Kate grabbed it; quickly taping it to the front window.

Well, it's Sunday and globs of sky icing are falling to frost the earth.

If you drive by Monday morning and every window at the Hideout (our humble home) is covered from casing to casing in printer paper flakes- know this, we are not trying to weather proof our home inventively. My kids, in actuality, are praying for a Snow Day.

At least give it a try...

I've been saying this more often than not as of late.

"At least give it a try.... You may like it"

For Kate and Luke: It's with food.

For Wil: It's being Home. (honey, I know how hard you're working.)

For Jack: It's listening and not having to be told something over and over

For Me: it's completing a task quickly

For Jack and Luke: Um.... playing WITH their toys. HELLO!?!?!?!? I actually have to tell them to play with the items they begged, cried and stomped to have purchased. I have been known to send them to a toy timeout. "You guys HAVE to play with toys for 15 minutes!!!" Yesterday, Wil was a workin' at the office and being a single parent for the umpteenth day in a row, sent me into borderline depression. I asked the kids to find something to do other then the noisy video games and watching the same episodes of Spongebob we watched the day before. Please please please please please.... find something to do...

They grabbed these

and this

Along with various household items.

VHS cases, baskets, cardboard tubing, chairs,

yoyo's (the pendulum effect) cups, stools,

Six hours later, tv silenced and baby sister included...Wil returns to find the family room turned into a concocted track and our kids wildly proud to have perfected a super sweet system.

I LOVE watching them really play.

Do you have to practically pay your kiddos to use up the toys in your home?

Is it just mine?

extra curricular activities

Went up to Kate's room because the giggles were just, you know, too happy.

Feather's.

Flying~ floating~freely falling.

WHY? I asked.

Because they had seen this:

on TV.

Where did the feathers come from? I queried.

From here:

On Kate's Bed. But only four squares. Not all of it.

Why didn't you guys do the whole thing?

You always tell us to save some fun for later.

I asked.

I had told them to FIND something to do while my attention was occupied in business junk. I didn't expect them to try their hands at redecorating~ My bar is lowered. Maybe too low.

Reality in an Air-Band

So~ it's summer and my kids are in a band. They meet at the park @ noon. Jack is a back up singer and pounding out the beat. And Luke. Luke is the dancer. I didn't know he could get his groove on... Looks like their band is out for a Mighty Might Bosstones feel.

I told my brood I thought practice might be called on account of the nip in the air and the pouring rain~ but they are bound and determined to be famous and like the mail- come rain, sleet or snow the music must get through. I told them again in a firmer Mom-voice that I did not want them at the park today. Pouting and Faux-hawked to the max, they gloomed at the front windows, wishing the drops to stop. I went upstairs.

Well, I just came back down. The front door is wide open and this is what I see:



My children fleeing the confines of home in search of their destiny. A destiny which they believe can be found at the park down the street in the form of an Air-Band.

Have I mentioned that Katey escaped as well? I think she's the costume/set designer. She wants everyone in the band to have blue hair.

Can I complain? They did wriggle from my authoritative grip, yet my house stands silently blissful. Rock on, Little Tones.

Making Homemade fun

I am currently searching for some good ideas. Please HELP!!! I need to come up with something for my kids to do that they can accomplish with little or no help from me. I desperately need them to be busy so I can make this home sanitary. (I have been terribly neglectful to home tasks. )

I am going to make Jack, Luke and Katey a pair of these:
in hopes they will allow their imaginations to take them to a place where Mom does not need to be for fun.

Any other bright ideas that will carry my offspring into another dimension will be gratefully received. GRACIAS!!!

Picture and idea found on www.marthastewart.com

What?

The boys are done with school. How is that possible? As we left the building both boys started singing at the top of their lungs,
"School's out for summer! School's out forever!" Both of their teachers have led me to believe they are going on to the next grade. Mission accomplished.

Jack and Luke have grandiose summer plans:

1. A clubhouse ~ I see blanket forts
   
2. 4 trips~ Minnesota, St. George, Southern California and some crazy Indiana Jones adventure. I hope we can make it the park 8 houses away.
3. Parties~ plural. Where we decorate the yard and house; invite the city and give away prizes
4. Start up a business. I believe it involves EBAY and selling things that belong to me
5. Finishing digging a hole for the in ground pool. They don't realize that the hole was started by a leak in the sprinklers
6. A farmers market in our backyard. I'd like to make a single batch of salsa.
7. Girls. Over heard them talking one night about each trying to get 2 girlfriends... a backup in case the first fails. WHAT?
8. Super Hero Powers~ yeah. Captain Insane-OH and his sidekicks, Double Trouble.

Please let this summer pass us by quickly!

Lookey Lookey

Remember these?

MonChiChi, Monchichi...oh so soft and cuddle-E. Crazy that I actually found a website selling them. No. I did not place my order. However, I might. I think I always wanted one. The memory for longed after items has faded yet for some crazy reason, I can sing the song. (I can also sing HeMan, Transformers, My Little Pony, Gummi Bears, The New Zoo Review, My Buddy, Kids Inc.; the list goes on and on...) The fact that I know the song so well makes me think I must have yearned for the little monkey children.

So, my question to you: is there a treasure out there that you NEVER received that you would have loved to death or until the fur fell off? I mean, you wanted to hug them and love them and squeeeeeeeeeeze them and call them George? I can only guess that my Mom must have dispised the Monkey Children to not fulfill my dream... I know there are more than a few things I REFUSE to have in MY HIDEOUT that MY kids beg for.

A flat "nope" is all I'll say. My house. My clutter. Dang. I am my mother. (actually, i love saying to myself throughout the day, "Oh. I so just sounded like my mom.")