Busy Girl

Lucy is turning into quite the adventurous little lady. She loves to be outside and explore. She gets upset when I won't let her out in the front yard when the boys are playing with friends across the street. She loves to climb. She laughs a lot and makes us laugh too. She is as much a sweetheart as ever.

Cow Eater

One of Rhett's favorite creations lately is this thing that he calls a "cow eater." I'm not sure why other than that his 3-year-old brain things it's funny. He builds a new one almost every day and carries it around. Such a funny kid.

Follow-up to the last post

In reference to the last post, I wanted to add a few words. It was not supposed to turn into a pity-post, but I appreciate those kind comments that were left.

I was reading through the latest BYU Magazine last night and this article summed up nicely what I was really trying to get at with that last post.

Some snippets that stand out to me:

"Satan’s deceptive and cunning approach is to convince us that if we want God’s [or, in my case, other people's] approval, we must do more than we know how or are prepared to do. That naturally sets the stage for developing feelings of being overwhelmed and discouraged—by ourselves and often by those around us. In this and other areas, Satan’s strategy does not require that we commit great sins. He just needs to keep us distracted from things of eternal consequence."

That was my point, in a nutshell.

Things worth remembering

 Looking around my house right now, I wouldn't say it's a picture of domestic bliss. The computer desk in front of me is littered (as always) with an assortment of things that I suppose, if you look at them individually, tell you a lot about our lives (but really it just looks messy). There's a booklet of Lego building instructions. A colorful picture of Diego that Rhett brought home from the Fred Meyer playland, on which he has written "RHTT," insisting that there is no "E" in his name. A shopping list. An envelope from the bank that had our car title in it, which we received last week after paying off our van. The newest Ensign magazine. A DVD from the library. A box of blank note cards intended as "thank you" cards, but which are getting more and more dusty. A baby gift that I finished a week or two ago but still have not mailed. They Might Be Giants CDs (Benjamin loves the science songs). Registration card for Rhett's new booster seat. Toys. The Stake directory. Etc.

There are toys all over the floor that I can't seem to get my kids to clean up. The (pitiful) birthday decor from three days ago is still on the walls. On our mantel are the following: a frosting-container piggy bank, a plastic cup containing bits of chalk that Lucy will eat if she can reach them, Easter stuff, a bottle of gorilla glue, three wooden reindeer, a few bouncy balls, the puzzle blocks Paul made me last Christmas, a small notebook, and an air freshener that needs to be refilled.

And I won't bother describing the state of my kitchen floor, or any other floor in the house for that matter.

Plus, I've been cranky at my kids today. (Though, in everyone's defense, we've all got colds so we're all cranky.)

Does anyone feel better about their own house now? I hope so. You're welcome.

So. I am not a good decorator. (We have one picture hanging in our living room that was not created using construction paper, glue, or Q-tips.) I am not so good at cleaning everything that needs it. And I'm not the best mom in the world.

But, I look at pictures like these from a Tuesday evening early in April and I am reminded that housekeeping isn't everything. Home decor isn't everything. Picture-perfect isn't real, so I shouldn't compare myself to everyone else's blog life, or even to anyone else's real life. (I've have to remind myself again and again about that message from Elder Holland. I've needed it more than usual lately.)

A long time ago my mom gave me some advice that I continue to appreciate, which her mom gave to her. I don't remember the exact words, but it basically goes like this: Let your house get dusty. Play with your kids. My house is often very dusty. And too often I don't play with my kids when they ask me to. But I'm trying. And I'm trying to remember what's important, and what will matter in 10 years, when my boys are in the middle of their teens, and what will matter in twenty years, when my kids have left home. I don't think it will matter that our computer desk is cluttered. I do think it will matter that I hung their preschool art on the walls, and that we played Legos together, and that Paul and I like to talk with each other and laugh together and that our kids see that.

This was not supposed to turn into an essay about how messy my house is. My point is that I wish I could capture the feeling I get from these pictures every day. Because this is what matters.

Helping Dada mow the lawn

 Little Lucy in a ruffly dress and pigtails

Boys who I hope grow up to be just like their dada

 

 Sidewalk chalk, and Rhett spontaneously starting to draw the alphabet all by himself

 Evidence of one of many bouquets of dandelions I have received from my boys

And a few other things that maybe don't matter so much, but that are still memorable.

 Paul's homemade greenhouse, ready to grow more tomatoes

The parsley I planted last year that, amazingly, withstood the winter and is now growing profusely

I'm thankful this view is from our back yard and not the front, because that would just look tacky. :)

Thursday

Silly boys love to be upside-down (and Benjamin is often shirtless for some reason...); Rhett has been really into coloring in this coloring book lately. He cuts each picture out after coloring and wants me to hang them all on the wall.

Just finished this book

Getting dressed

This is probably the least stupid-looking self portrait I took. I had my hair cut the day before, which is why I include it.

New hair-do for Lucy, too. (She doesn't love it.)

Driving down the Guide by Z's Recycling, on our way to play group

Lucy exploring during play group, with Chase

I don't know if you can see them in this picture, but my boys are up there somewhere

 So I didn't take 12 pictures on the 12th, but here are a few from the 13th to make up the difference.

Beginning to caramelize sugar... (apparently I should have wiped off the stove before I took the picture)

...to which I added these things to make this salted caramel sauce (the ward Boy Scouts were coming over that night to aerate and thatch our lawn in practice for their upcoming fundraiser, followed by pizza and ice cream)

Lucy loves going outside and that day she was picking dandelions (of which we have plenty)

 

The boys have turned this bed by the drain pipe into a sandbox of sorts, resulting in lots of muddy fingers and shoes coming into the house... (Notice our dandelion garden in the background?)

Easter

 Saturday morning egg hunt...

Sunday morning Easter baskets...

Sock bunny

Also...

I pulled a 25-pound turkey out of the freezer to cook for our Easter dinner, and I am now completely sold on the practice of brining poultry. I've been brining our roasting chickens for a little while now, but it was just amazing with the turkey. Totally worth the trouble.

In a couple of pictures you can see some little crocheted chickens. They fit around plastic eggs and I bought them at a fundraiser for our local library (after the boys begged and begged) for what seemed at the time to be a good deal, but five crocheted chickens later I wonder if it was the smartest investment...

Fall has always been my favorite holiday, but Spring is starting to edge it out. I think after these past few years living in the pacific northwest I have come to look forward to spring more since it (hopefully) means an end to the rainy doldrums of winter around here. I have loved planting tulips and snapdragons, and watching our apple trees blossom, and have been generally in awe lately of the beautiful tokens of springtime all around me, symbols of what Easter is really all about.

Pizza Night

Friday nights are typically pizza nights at our house. This is the recipe I've been using lately because it's so quick and easy (and tasty!). (Adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

Crust:

2 1/3 c. all-purpose four (or a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flours)

½ t. salt

1 pkg. instant yeast (2 ¼ t.)

¾ c. warm skim milk

2 T. olive oil

2 t. sugar

Heat oven to 200 degrees F, then turn off.

Mix flour, salt, and yeast in bowl of mixer.  Combine warm milk, olive oil, and sugar and add to dry ingredients with mixer on low speed.   Increase speed to medium-slow and knead till smooth and shiny.  Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl.  Cover and proof in warm oven (turned off) for 30 minutes.

When dough has risen 30 minutes, remove from oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Sauce:

1 T. olive (or canola) oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

While dough is rising, add minced garlic to olive oil in cold pan.  Cook on low 2 minutes.  Stir in crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 15-30 minutes, until thickened.

Pizza:

4-6 T. olive oil, for pans

4 oz. pepperoni

3 c. mozzarella cheese

Place 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil in each of two 9” round cake pans with 2” sides.  Divide dough in two.  Roll a piece of dough into a 7” circle.  Drape on knuckles and gently pull into a bigger circle of dough that is thinner in the center than the edges, about 9 ½ “.  Place in one oiled pan.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Cover pans and let dough rise a bit.

Working in batches if necessary, pre-cook about 4 oz. pepperoni (20-25 slices per pizza) in microwave, placing slices on a plate between paper towels, for 30 seconds.

For each pizza, spread 2/3 c. sauce within ½” of edge of crust (freeze leftover sauce for later).  Top sauce with 1 ½ c. mozzarella cheese and half of the pepperoni.

Bake  in preheated oven for 20 minutes.  (Bake on bottom rack for a darker, crispier crust.)  Cool in pan 1 minute then remove pizzas to a wire rack to cool further.  Slice and serve.