Utah To Do List, Kerri style.

Visit Sweet's Candy Factory in Salt Lake City and feel like an Oompa Loompa as you walk the factory's floor in your hair net.  This was FASCINATING!

Check out Kennecott Copper Mine, the largest man-made object that can be seen from outer space (plus the great wall of China).  The trucks are as big as a house (a fact, not exaggeration).  See the wheel that's 25 ft tall and ways 10,000 lbs?  Oh, and sadly, intervene and get the cops involved when you see a pretty severe child abuse case in the parking lot.

Try on the "Tongue" costume from the YouTube Sensation, Orabrush:

Take the kids Glow-in-the-Dark bowling at Fat Cats.  Sign them up online first, so they bowl for free.  On yeah, and call the cops later when you discover a one-way mirror in the ladies' restroom.  Yes, this means having 2 cop-cases in one day.  (Turns out it was completely boarded up and safe, so it's all good, but better to be safe).

Hike a Water Fall. Boast that you did this in Puerto Rico so you are SO getting under it...FREEZE up like crazy once you get to the base and realize Utah mountain snow water is NOTHING like the water in Puerto Rico!

Definitely visit the Discovery Park in Pleasant Grove and the Wild West Jordan Playground in West Jordan.  hands down coolest playgrounds of the nation (ok,fine, outside of Disneyland).

Visit 5 LDS temples (Salt Lake, Provo, Mt Timpanogus, Bountiful, West Jordan).  Go see another 3 in the next week since you get home (Winter Quarters on our way home, then Nauvoo and Chicago).

Watch the BYU Accapella group Vocal Point film a music video at Temple Square.

Take your kids to the Conference Center to see where the Prophet speaks to us on General Conference.  Watch their eyes light up in recognition.

Go to your Grandparents 90th Birthday Party!  And while you're there, play Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata for the crowd.  (And don't go easy on the banana splits, either). 

The 4 Generations of Amazing Women



Let your kids use their Grandpa's Water Balloon Launcher, Potato Gun, and Rocket Launcher.

 Let them shoot mini marshmallows through Tauna's homemade guns. 

Then laugh when the 3year old cousins eat nearly all the ammunition.

Don't be astonished when on your way home you see a Hot Air Balloon land right next to you.  Utah's just like that.

If you have a trip like that, then all the way home you will hear your kids say they have the BEST grandparents and great-grandparents ever, and you'll decide this trip was totally worth it.

Funny. Ironic. And so much fun.

On Monday last week, we met up with our dear friends, Jarret & Stefani and their 3 yr old triplets :)  Tears were shed when they moved away and we've really missed them the past year.  

We arranged to meet at a park in Layton, UT, not an area I've traversed often.  No big deal.  We found it effortlessly.

The kids had a great time...WE had a great time!   Picnicking, Playgrounding, and Feeding the very-well-fed-too-stuffed-to-eat-our-bread ducks and geese.

The ironic part:  The one and only time I'd been to Layton was the day "my missionary" and I saw each other again for the first time since he came home.  I was already dating Steve, and so was facing a really hard decision...or so I thought.  On our first date back, he brought me to THIS park, and we stood on THAT bridge and while he was deciding that he would want to marry me, I made up my mind loud and clear that Steve was the one for me, not him.

I laughed when I saw the park...what were the odds.  And I kissed Steve on the bridge, and told him this was the spot I decided I was going to marry him...awwww.

Knock, Knock, Knockin on heaven's door

Society says if you want to visit someone while out of town, calling and planning ahead is the usual approach.  But not for Steve and me.  When we were in our nephew Joseph's College Town, we couldn't resist the urge to say Hello grandiose style.

We tracked down his class schedule and went from there.

Thursday morning.  8:15.  SOC 112.  Steve and I headed there and sat separately in the back row, watching the doors.  I was "reading a book"...Steve was "reading the college newspaper".  With our disguises set, we were perched like a lions ready to pounce.

The 60 person class was starting to fill up.  The teacher was getting set up and was now watching the clock to start.  Uh oh...Now the professor started to talk to the class, and here are Steve and I in the middle of the intro waiting for Joseph to show up and he's not even there!  How are we going to tactfully make our escape in the middle of the lecture???  Panic sets in, and I get up to leave, abandoning my 6th-seat-in-on-the-back-row...

Only to see within seconds, Joseph walk in from the other door, loops around the front of class, and adopts the 6th-seat-in-on-the-back-row.  Score.  Steve moves in from his side, sitting right next to Joseph.  I move in on my side, sitting 2 seats down.  We wait for him to notice.  Nothing.  Joseph was in the zone.

So Steve, with his face still buried in the newspaper tapped him on the shoulder, "Hey, do you have the notes from last week?"  "Uh, what?" was Joseph's reply, who was mostly thrown off by the dude with the newspaper in his face...Slowly Steve lowered the paper and then, well, all ___ broke and we were laughing and hugging and trying hard not to make a scene.

So much for not making a scene!  We apologized to the teacher, left his class promptly, and caught him after for a more official and less public hello with the fam. 

Of course, we didn't save all our surprises just for Joseph.  We also drove by our friend's house earlier in the day on our way to one of our sight-seeing stops.  So now, it's your turn to meet Brandi.  Ahhh...Brandi and Eric...SUCH great people!  And Brandi's now somewhat of a star...You see, a while ago, a local TV station knocked on her door and asked her to "tell her story".  She just started talking about when her 2nd kid was born, they taped it, edited it, and BAM...she was on the show!  So, to knock on her door as a complete surprise was like old-hat to her, but it was  rewarding none the less!

 So if you know we'll be in your neck of the woods, watch your front door closely!  And if you'll be in my area...Call first so I can put the dishes away :)

44 hours of strenuous Car Trip and We Survived!

This may go down in our journaled history as probably the most flawless trip we've ever had as a family.  And it all begins with the perfect road trip.

Addison, who REALLY looks like Carter in this pic!

I have never been so prepared for a trip IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!

On Monday, All the grocery shopping, laundry, and library-searching was done. 
On Tuesday, All the packing was done.
On Wednesday, We cleaned the car, inside and out. 
On Thursday, We packed the car.
On Friday, We cleaned the house.  When the kids went to sleep, I secretly packed the car with their activities.
And on Friday night, (on Road-Trip Eve), Steve and I went to bed by 10:00.

WHEN, I repeat, WHEN have I ever gone to bed at a reasonable hour before a trip?  WHEN had I ever been completely packed and ready to go, with the laundry done, floors mopped, and sills dusted?  WHEN have I ever left on a trip devoid of last-minute stress?  It was so refreshing!  I highly recommend it!

And as a tidbit--we also did fun things every day -- parks, libraries, museums, etc.  It wasn't just work, work, work all week.  It was so great to break down all the prep work into smaller steps!

Carter, the original.
And No, I would NEVER drive with my kid like this...We were stopped to switch drivers! But it sure looks crazy, doesn't it!

And speaking of breaking big jobs into smaller goals, I apply the same principle to my 22-hour drive.  We break it down into smaller reachable destinations to get out and wiggle and explore.  So Saturday's 12-hour drive to Sidney, Nebraska, where we stayed, was peppered with stops at the Train Museum in Colfax, IA and the Children's Museum in Lincoln, NE.  The BEST way to travel, I guarantee it.

Alana, the belle of the car

4 hours to the Train museum.

4 hours to the Children's museum.

Then 4 hours to the hotel.

Measured success.

Road Trip bliss.

The next day had 2 strikes against it:

1) it was Sunday, so we weren't going to visit places of recreation and

2) We were in Wyoming so there was NOTHING AT ALL anyways!

But we still had a great time with all the activities I'd packed in the car, like stringing pony beads on pipe cleaners:

 or sorting cotton balls into egg cartons:

For a more complete tutorial of our activities, see my post on fiverealmoms.com or the 101 Road Trip Tips from last year.

Laundry Day

What is worse than a crayon in the dryer?
Silly Putty.
Dang it.
Lesson learned. Unfortunately.

He's POTTY TRAIN..ed

May 23rd was an important day in history.

You didn't know it.  And I didn't know it.

Until recently.

For that was the day I bought my very last box of diapers for Addison.

I didn't know then that he would potty train himself in just a matter of days,

and I would soon be greeted with the relief of diapering only 1 child.

Aahhh...the bliss.

 

HOORAY FOR ADDISON!

My favorite part about this is his pride and excitement over his accomplishment.

He doesn't simply say, "i have to go potty."

Instead, he proclaims, "I'm on the POTTY TRAIN!"

A phrase he's coined himself, but I hope is here to stay!

To celebrate we took the family to an AMAZING toy train restaurant, set up with miles of fast electric trains, model cities, mountains, and everything!  The kids could push buttons and make the city come alive!  It was SO FUN!

The trains zoomed from state to state!

And they gave us an I SPY sheet to find fun things in each location,

like boys tipping over an outhouse

a house on fire

fireworks in the distance.

The owner of the place just has this incredible collection and hobby, and with the help of friends he built this model-train museum to share with the public.

After a fun picnic by the 83-yr old train car, we headed on our way.

We're SO PROUD of our Potty Train boy!

And for the rest of you waiting to potty train your kids,

Addison will surely encourage them to 

"GET ON THE POTTY TRAIN!"

Bless his heart...

 It's common sense to know that if your kids are quiet for too long, they're up to something.

It's a mother's instinct to know to grab her camera.

~Yours Truly

With that in mind, this was my morning last week, while Carter and I were busy with a craft:

1)  I called up to Addison (who was quiet for too long) and he said he was just combing his hair.  Ahhh...Sweet!  And see how well he styled it!  What you don't see very well in this picture was that he was also putting on my makeup powder...all over his face, and all over the bathroom counters and sink.  hmmmm...bless his heart?

2)  After cleaning that up, I heard him call, "Mom, I need help."  To my mothering horror, I walked into my bedroom and found p _ _ p on my floor, a naked baby, and a dirty diaper at my feet.  You see, Sweet Addison discovered Alana had a dirty diaper and wanting to be a big helper decided he could change it himself...bless his pea-pickin' heart?

 Not Alana--just a stock photo

As if my kids have even that much hair!

3) In the bathtub they both go!  When it's time to get out, Addison went to his room to get dressed while I got Alana taken care of.  This is not a tough task for him...he does it all the time...of course, sometimes he gets distracted by reading books, playing cars, etc., but I know he'll eventually come out fully clothed.  So, again...see the intro above...after several coaxing reminders "What kind of underwear did you choose?"  "What color shorts are you putting on?" I finally went in to discover a remix of THIS, but it's now entitled "How to Get Aquaphor off my child's ENTIRE BODY!"

See the shine?  That's not water!

Goodness gracious!  You should know three things:

1. Ever since Episode 1with the aquaphor all over his head, I DID put aquaphor securely out of reach.  How he got it down unfolds as he was helping Alana with her diaper.  Not finding a diaper in her room, Addison climbed up to the top of his dresser to get one of his diapers, where he now discovered the hidden aquaphor, and apparently couldn't resist the urge once he got out of the tub....bless his silky smooth yet-quite-sticky-and-slimy heart.
2. Ever since Episode 1, we keep our Dawn Dish Soap near the tub, not the kitchen sink.
3. Addison gratefully and wisely avoided getting aquaphor in his hair this time...Lesson learned, I guess, but had trouble translating to the rest of his body...next time I'll be more clear.

And that, my dear, is why I didn't make it to story time.

Moolicious

What we wouldn't do for free food!

When the restaurant announced we earned our free meals, the kids were convinced the workers thought they were REAL cows!

What good sports I have!

And look at THIS adorable cow!  A nice Dalmation costume put do good use.

Our Amazing Tecnhicolor Melting Pot

You and I, we have a common problem.

Let's admit it...we both have crayon nubs littering our art bins that we keep pushing aside for the bigger, better versions of themselves.

Well today, my kids and I decided to do something about it.  We reinvented the wheel, or...uh...our crayons.

First, we sorted all our crayons to find all the nubs and removed their paper.

Next we sorted them into the colors of crayons we wanted.  We kept some true to color, and made 4 crazy rainbow ones, putting some of each color in 4 piles.  We put all these into muffin tins.  (Non sprayed, non treated.  We used silicon and metal, and while both worked fine, the ones in the metal tins came out a tinsy bit easier.  Just note to self.)

Meanwhile, we had preheated the oven to 350, so when our crayon piles were ready we put them in the oven then turned the heat off to let the crayons melt.  We kept our eyes on them, and when they turned a bit soupy (15 minutes or so) we took them out...

...And immediately placed them in the freezer.  When they were completely cooled, we turned them upside down and out they fell!  (Another note to self:  do it over a towel to cushion their fall...otherwise they will crack)  And TA DA!  Our new amazing recycled crayons!