It's Lincoln's turn to be...

Lincoln was chosen as February "Trrfcc" Student of the Month, so this morning we all headed off to the big school assembly.

Luckily we were able to catch Laura's name getting called out at the very start. (During the assembly, they randomly draw names previously submitted by their teachers for "trrfc" acts during the month, and those children get to come up and sit next to the special guest.) Here she is sitting next to some guy who now plays for the Denver Broncos who grew up in Iowa. Too bad she has no clue who the "Denver Broncos" are. However, this satiated Laura's award-hoarding appetite so that she would be less jealous when Lincoln was recognized.

A few minutes into the assembly, Noelle started having a difficult time.

Here's Isaac trying to hush her:


I had to take her out because she started wailing. We decided to have a little tour of the school before Lincoln was given his award. Here she is looking at the bird cage by the front office:

We found this hanging in the hallway:
("If I ran the school" By Lincoln Fletcher)

Here's Noelle sitting at Lincoln's desk. (This picture is for Lincoln. He'll get a kick out of it.)

But soon we needed to go back to the gym. Noelle freaked out as we neared it, so this nice lady TOOK Noelle from my arms and CARTED her away from me! I just stood there. Someone had just taken my baby and I didn't know how to respond!

A half minute later she returned with a bunch of treats in her hand for Noelle.

So with our sugary snacks, we got through the rest of the assembly just fine after that.

Here's Lincoln just after they called his name--a total surprise to him:

Here he is just after receiving the coveted dog tags:

Noelle congratulating him:

Same thing.

Isaac: "Is Grandpa a liar?"

Dad: "Um, I think you mean lawyer."

Pizza Pix

About every four months or so, I decide to make something from scratch. This time it was pizza. (Last time if you'll remember, which you probably won't, it was Steve's birthday cake.)

My first time EVER using yeast:

Waiting for the dough to rise:

Rolling the dough out (and reminding myself that I really ought to start some mild form of weight training because this step was much more difficult than it ought to have been):

The kids enjoying their meal. Notice they don't even have drinks or utensils. I was too tired at this point to do much else besides slice up their pieces.

The final product:

Quote of the day.

Laura: "Goodness me, I've read too many alien novels!"

The View Out My Window (Part 2)

Literally, this used to be:When Steve and I lived in Las Vegas seven years ago, this lake was just across the street.

(We lived in an apartment complex named "La Tierra", affectionately nick-named "The Dirt" by its tenants...the same apartment complex that Dana Plato (?)--child star of the show "Different Strokes"--resided when she famously robbed a store and was arrested.)

I used to take Laura and Lincoln for walks along this lake everyday. Everyday it looked just like this. Blue skies. Sparkling blue water. Warm. Sometimes too warm.

Why am I blogging about this? Because the gray, drizzly skies of Iowa are getting me down today, and I am REALLY missing the constant sunshine that Las Vegas offers year-round.

However...

Since I have recently committed myself to live permanently in Iowa, perhaps for the rest of my life, I must remind myself of the many charming things that Iowa has to offer, namely, the good schools, the great neighbors, and the equally striking views such as this:
(Just not in February.)

Views from my window (I wish).

These are of Greece, Turkey, Israel, and Morocco. The real view from my window is dreary and not worth wasting the camera battery. Blech!

(I wish I could make these pictures bigger. Does anyone know how to do that?)

I was sick of the cow...

So I changed templates.

Some good Valentine date suggestions.

For all of you clueless date-planners, Steve and I discovered this sweet website called http://www.coolestdates.com/. Here are some of our favorite suggestions:

1. Watch Monday night football. (Always a favorite with the ladies.)

2. Have a family sing-along. (Can that be considered a date?)

3. Create play dough figures and allow them to harden. Then give your creation to each other. Don't forget to take pictures!

4. Play computer games. (Steve knows I can't get enough of Lego Star Wars.)

And our favorite:

5. Spend the evening showing your coin or stamp collection.


We really loved those ideas. In fact, we really loved reading those ideas. We thought that might have made a great Valentine date in and of itself.

Here's what we're doing instead.

We are making these:

Chocolate Truffles (gluten-free):
Scald heavy cream gently in a saucepan. Just before it boils, remove from heat and add chocolate chips, stirring until they are completely melted. Put pot in fridge, stirring occasionally, until a spoonful can be turned upside down and remain intact. Then form chocolate mixture into 1-inch balls and roll in cocoa. Chill for an hour before eating.

Then we thought it would be humorous to go to http://www.designyourownhome.com/ and see what we could come up with. My dream home would look something like this:

Only in English.

The Terrible Twos

Terrible temper. Terrible fashion sense.

Unpaid Advertisement

...for Nauvoo Log Cabins. Here are some of the amenities:

Stairs. (Kids not included.)

Lots of logs, if you like that sort of thing.

Priceless moments, like this first-time viewing of "The Brady Bunch". Laura's now a fan.

History Lessons ("What is this thing, Mom?)

Top-bunk TV viewing (which is why, I suppose, they felt no need to include couches).


A new-found appreciation for the board games left at home.


A full kitchen, complete with crockpot and seasoning salt. (Sorry, Laura. I don't think you have a future on "The Price is Right".)



Rickety wooden things set out for those great photo-ops. (Contrary to what we had thought, color-coordinated clothing and cooperative kids are NOT provided.)

Multi-leveled exploration that will get you nearly as good a reaction from the kids as Disneyland ("Cool! A loft!), at least for the first hour of your stay.

Enticing sleeping quarters away from the parents.

More wierd photo opportunities.

Other photos to help you get a better picture, in case you really are interested.

Looking down from the stairs:

What you see when you walk in the front door:

The front door:

The bathroom:

One of the beds:

A picture of one of the smaller cabins. They come in all shapes and sizes.

Remember to mention the Fletchers if you stay there, and that you found out about the cabins on our blog! Thanks!

(Don't really. Not unless you find out we can get a discount the next time. Then that'd be cool.)

Tagged

Sorry, Carli, it took so long for me to get around to this. I hope it lives up to all of your expectations.
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No. No one. My name has absolutely no significance whatsoever.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Hmm, about a month ago at the funeral of my friend's baby.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Hate it. It gets worse with every passing day.
4. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes. Four.
5. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes, because I enjoy it when someone tells the same stories over and over again, and complains about her life like it is going out of style.
6. DO YOU USE SARCASM? Refer to question #5
7. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.
8. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Not if my children's lives depended on it.
9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Koala Krisps (kinda like Cocoa Crispies, only gluten-free).
10. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.
11. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Coffee ("Sinner!!!" That was Steve's voice screaming in my head.)
12. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Whether they are judgemental or accepting.
13. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My laziness.
14. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My husband when he is on a bad rotation.
15. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Brown pants, brown slippers.
16. FAVORITE SOUNDS: The absence of them.
17. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Nothing. My ipod is dead.
18. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Brown, just like my wardrobe. (Apparently, brown is very flattering to my skin tone).
19. FAVORITE SMELLS? Lavender and orange, but not combined.
20. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Heidi Goodson (my neighbor)
21. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes. I wish we lived closer and could hang out some time.
FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Ugh. What a waste of time! (No offense to those of you who like sports.)
23. HAIR COLOR? Brown (as anyone could see from my really bad roots).
24. EYE COLOR? Grayish-blueish Blah
25. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No. 20/20 vision baby!
26. FAVORITE FOOD? Cheese and chocolate and fresh fruit
27. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings.
28. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
29. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Dare I say it? Brown.
30. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
31. HUGS OR KISSES? Kisses
32. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Just finished Sarah's Quilt.
33. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Don't have one.
34. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Nada
35. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
36. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Calgary, Canada
37. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I am super good at remembering to feed my kids and change their diapers. All else falls by the wayside. I have actually become LESS talented with each passing year.
38. WHERE WERE U BORN? Tacoma, WA
39. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER? BYU Student ward (How original!)
40. WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU? My family. Becomming a better person.
41. FAVORITE SAYINGS: "Come what may and love it."

What the hecky-becky?

It's been a teensy while since I blogged, so I decided to browse my computer for pictures. For some unknown reason, this was among them:

It was probably put there by the same person who taught my kids to do this:

Changing the topic...

A shout out to Mr. President and his show of bipartisonship. (Is that a word?) I really enjoyed watching the news this morning.