Mommy Tag

What time do your kids wake up? Munchkin-6:45; Monkey-7:00

On a good night, what time do your kids go to sleep? Munchkin-8:30; Monkey-Between 7:30 & 8:00, but occasionally has a 10:00 feeding, but that’s ok with me.

How long have you been a mom? Almost 4 years

How old were you when you became a mom? 22

What is your favorite kid show? Signing Time

Least favorite kid TV show? Most Saturday Morning stuff. It’s all very “Teeny Bopper” stuff.

Favorite meal to cook? German Pancakes or Shepherd’s Pie

What is the meal cooked most often? Rice with some sort of sauce

What is the kids favorite meal? Spaghetti

What are your favorite things that Husband does with the kids? I love when he tickles them so much that just their laughter can make you laugh!

What are 5 things that make you smile while being a mom?
When I can hear her playing house or school all by herself.
When Monkey looks at me and smiles.
When Munchkin wants to snuggle “for two minutes” every night before she goes to sleep.
When Munchkin says the prayer all by herself and is so excited when she does!
When I sit on the rocker chair and I have both children on my lap hugging each other.

Where do you want to take your kids someday? Disneyland! Of, course!

When was the last time you and your husband went out without the kids? In August, our Stake hosted a multi-stake dance, and since Hikari is in the Stake YM, we chaperoned for it. Does that count? Before then, I think when we went to dinner and a movie for our Anniversary in June.

One thing you said you'd never do as a mom? I would never “give in” to their whining. This one is actually a lot harder than I ever thought. I have always felt so guilty for working and being away as much as I do, that it’s hard to draw the line. But I’m doing a lot better since I’ve been home more.

Favorite past time with your kids? Going to the library, and making Projects at home

Advice for a new mom: Sit back and watch. Enjoy each moment, because if you worry about the future, you miss it. It goes by way to fast.

When was the last time your kids said "I love you"? This morning before I left.

I really needed this post today. It was one of those weekends where patience was running very thin, and I almost forgot how much I love my children, and how much I love being a mom! Thanks for the reminder, Chrissy!

Donut Recipe

I had a few requests, so here it is. (Next time I post a yummy picture of food, I'll be sure to post the recipe, too!) I think this makes 48 donuts, and I only did a half a batch, so I think it's pretty accurate, because we had about 2 dozen.

Doughnuts
2 (1/4 ounce) packages yeast
1/4 cup water (105-115)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk (scalded, then cooled)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup shortening
5 cups all-purpose flour
canola oil

Creamy Glaze
1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4-6 tablespoons hot water

Chocolate frosting
1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4-6 tablespoons hot water
4 ounces milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Dissolve yeast in warm water in 2 1/2-quart bowl.
Add milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and 2 cups flour.
Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly.
Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
Stir in remaining flour until smooth.
Cover and let rise until double, 50-60 minutes.
(Dough is ready when indentation remains when touched.) Turn dough onto floured surface; roll around lightly to coat with flour.
Gently roll dough 1/2-inch thick with floured rolling pin.
Cut with floured doughnut cutter.
Cover and let rise until double, 30-40 minutes.
Heat vegetable oil in deep fryer to 350°.
Slide doughnuts into hot oil with wide spatula.
Turn doughnuts as they rise to the surface.
Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side.
Remove carefully from oil (do not prick surface); drain.
Dip the doughnuts into creamy glaze set on rack then when slightly cooled spread chocolate frosting on top.
Dip in sprinkles or other toppings after chocolate if desired.

Creamy Glaze: Heat butter until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.

Chocolate Frosting: Heat butter and chocolate over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.

Mmmm...Doughnuts!!

Isn't it great when a mess like this...
Gives us such yummy goodness as these...

Gotta love Sunday afternoons with a three year old a hungry mom!!!

My Big Girl...or is she?

This may be a TMI post, so I'm just warning you now! I get so wrapped up in all the Munchkin is doing and being that I think, "Wow! She is So big and grown up!" that I forget that she is still only 3. She is still a little one. And everyone makes mistakes...even 3 year olds who seem so big.


Sunday was one of those days. Back up a little-Friday night we got a call from the Bishop asking Hikari to speak on Sunday. His speakers had called and were unable, so he had to find someone in two days. Then, Hikari and I had to chaperone the Stake Youth Dance (as he is in the Stake Young Men's) and didn't get to bed till WAAYYY past bed time!! I was exahusted and so was he. Now to Sunday. We go into Sacrament Meeting and Hikari walks to the front, and she already starts to lose it a bit. "I want to sit with Daddy!" I told her that after Daddy talked, she could go and sit with him. Shortly after, she requested to use the bathroom. Of course I can't deny her, as potty requests at this age result in disasters if ignored. (You think I would have thought of that yesterday!) So I packaged up the baby, and the three of us went to the potty only to have her sit there and say..."Oh, there's nothing there," she announced. Within 10 minutes of returning, we went through the same thing. I didn't want to deny her, because I thought maybe the first was a false alarm. We came back with the same result of "nothing is in there."
Then right as Hikari gets up to talk, Munchkin got very excited that he was now talking, and when he was done, she could sit with him. But then turns around and says, "Mommy, I need to go potty!" I asked if she was sure and she thought about it for a minute and said, "No, I don't." And I asked again are you sure you don't need to go?" Her response, "No, I'm fine." I left it at that. I was tired, and if she said she was okay, I wasn't going to push the issue. Boy, was I wrong! During his talk, Chunky Monkey began getting very fussy. I fed him and he quickly fell asleep after only a few sips. He was tired, too. Then just at the part where a husband talks about how much he loves his wife and family is, (am I horrible for really liking that part?) Munchkin looks up at me and with pain in her eyes and a hand on her behind. She strains to say, "Mommy...do you have any new panties for me??" She was trying to hold back but she couldn't keep it in. I stand up with the baby, and we make a dash for the bathroom her hand holding her panties, all the time, knowing I'll need both arms to take care of this, but not knowing what to do with my baby! Upon reaching the foyer, the sweet wife of the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric was in there and saw my panic and offered to take my perfect sleeping child.
We rushed into the bathroom, and lucky us, I had packed an emergency pair of underwear for her for a long day we had several weeks ago, that we never had used, and I had not yet taken out of the diaper bag. I helped remove the offending underwear and associated nuggets, and she sat on the toilet to finish while I pulled out a clean pair of underwear. She saw it, and my half naked child leaped off the toilet into my arms and said "Oh Mommy!! I love you! Thank you so much!"
You'd have thought I pulled out a giant lollipop! We get everyone and everything cleaned up and walked back to the chapel during the closing song. We walked past the 2nd couselor's wife, who had returned to her seat and was more than happy to keep him till the end of the meeting, and Munchkin walked up to daddy on the stand in a new pair of underwear. And I sat by myself in our pew... next to a diaper bag... and a sunday activity bag and no children to interupt me while I sang. At first I breathed a sigh and thought.. finally...a few minutes. But very quickly that few minutes got very boring, very fast. I missed the chaos sitting next to me. Who would have thought!

DANCING!

Well, it's official! I have a dancing princess! We went to her first dance class this last tuesday. After ho humming about cost and time, and came across a 3-5 year old dance class that through the city rec (Yeah on cost) and it's only once a week (yeah on time!) rather than two or three times a week. She wanted to look just like a ballerina, but she didn't want to wear any tights, and so this is what it came out as:


She was so excited. There were 6 little 3 and 4 year olds, and they all had a blast. She's been practicing her "First Position" and "Plie" and such all week. The teacher is so cute, too. Munckin had a blast!

Mommy Daughter Princess Tea Party

I was invited to a tea party. A PRINCESS tea party! Munchkin was really struggling with having to share Mommy. So one afternoon, Chunky Monkey laid down for a great long nap. And I showed her how to have a princess tea party. We set the table just right with Mommy's special China, made some "tea" (Lemonade with sugar and ice), Made sliced tomatoes and mozzerella, and made cucumber sandwiches. Then we dressedup in our very best dresses and heels and wore as much princess jewelry as we could. It's so fun to play with her. It's hard sometimes with the baby, but when we get a chance, I love it! And I know she does, too.

Princess Munchkin and Princess Mommy sitting down for afternoon tea.

Who doesn't LOVE a good cucumber sandwich?

Our Harvest

Now, this is a few weeks late, but I just was slow to get the pictures uploaded from my camera. In July, right after we returned from our Family Reunion in Canada, we came home to our wonderful Harvest!! I do NOT have a green thumb.

In fact, when I had Chunky Monkey in the hospital, my sweet mother brought me flowers. They were not cut flowers, it was a potted plant. A week or two after we got home from the hospital, I cried because I had let the plant die, then tried to overwater it to bring it back. It looked sad...very, very sad. I felt such guilt I just wanted to cry. I tried for over a month to revive it, but my efforts were not good enough. My mom came over, and I showed her the mess I had made. I told her I didn't know what to do, and I'm sorry that I let her plant die. She started laughing and siad it was fine and just to throw it out. I still bad.

Anyway, back to the garden. I really was hoping for maybe one tomato, and one cucumer. Just something...anything to show that I had tried. And in June we had out first Cucumber. We also had a few cherry tomatoes.

When we got home from our trip, we had a whole bowl!!! Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Zuchinni!!!

We now have Green Peppers and Jalapenos, too. I love eating our fresh vegetables every day! I made stir fry last night with a little of everything and a little chicken and it was WONDERFUL! I love it!. Next year, we'll be a bit more daring a plant a few more things.