New Blog

I started a new blog called "Cooking with Kate"!!!! I wanted a place to share some of my favorite recipes and experiments in the kitchen! So if you like to cook, come check it out!!!
http://cookinwithkate.blogspot.com/

Trend Setters

I have recently come to the conclusion that my children are going to be trend setters. Why? Because lately, they have been insisting on picking their own outfits...and this is the result:

There's nothing like a a layered light up monkey shirt, paired with flashy Elmo panties worn over purple stretch pants. And to accessorize, a neckalace a bracelet and a headband that is too small! LOVE IT!!!!!!

(posing)


Getting ready for church? Yes indeedy!!!!A black hat with red flowers on it! PLUS as much jewelry as she could get her hands on!! (she is mad at me because she wanted to hold the camera)

Same outfit with the substitute of a witches hat!

We went into the girls room one morning and found Lucy with a cloth bag on her head. She reminds me of a Smirf! Like I said... Trend setters....


Of course, it may just run in the family....

TANTRUMS!!!!!!!

I am sitting here eating a well deserved bowl of ice cream, feeling very annoyed with a bunch of strangers who happen to shop at Wal-Mart. (Is it just me, or do the meaniest people in the world shop there?)

My oldest, Lucy (3), for the most part is a well mannered, sweet little girl! She is usually very happy. But when she wants to be, she is also VERY stubborn. I love her dearly, but sometimes (especially lately) I feel like everything has been a battle, even if it's something she actually wants to do!!!!!

Today has been one of those days. She has had 4 meltdowns today and it's only 3:30!!!....Sigh.

I think I do pretty well during her tantrums. I never let her see that it upsets me. If we are at home I give her a warning and if the behavior continues then I put her in the "naughty chair." When she stops, I get down to her level and explain why she was put there and have her apologize to me and anyone else it affected. If she throws things they go in "time out" too (which is located on the top shelf of the closet) for a full 24 hours.
If we are in public I take her to a place where no one is ans wait it out either holding her or I have her sit in a chair/bench/cart. And then do the same thing. Tell her why and have her say "Sorry".

(Eric and I decided that we will NEVER spank our kids. I'm not judging anyone who does, after all my mom spanked me. However, we both feel that it is too easy to lose control and spank out of anger. We feel that spanking may stop the behavior temporarily but in the long run is ineffective)

Sooooo.....
Today, in Wal-Mart Lucy had a HUGE meltdown. She wanted to walk and I told her that she needed to get in the cart. I gave her a choice between the basket or the seat, but she wouldn't have it! It was "Walk" or "Whine"!!!! So I told her, "I'm sorry that it makes you angry, but now is a time when mommy needs you to sit in the cart" and I picked her up and put her in! We walked for about 30 seconds as she took it all in and then BOOOOM!!!!! She started kicking and screaming at the top of her lungs. Grabbing my shirt, hair, face, anything that she was in arms reach of!!! Well, all you moms of toddlers knows how that goes. I quickly picked up my pace making sure that I didn't make eye contact with anyone, as she wailed past the aisles. As I passed I heard gasps like " Sheesh", "Wow" and "Oh my Gosh!!!!" But I just focused on not turning red, and not reacting while I searched for a less populated area. As I was speed-walking, I heard one lady actually say, "Would someone shut that BRAT up?!!!" I did make eye contact with that women and glarred at her for a moment. But I wanted so badly say something like "What would you suggest?? A sock???" It hurt me so much that anyone would say something like that about my precious little girl. She's only 3 for heavens sake!!! Another old lady kept saying "Hey You, Hey You, BE QUIET!!!" My friend Joanna, who was with me, actually turned around and shushed her. Then the lady mumbled something that I didn't hear, but after a moment I heard Joanna say "Mind your own business!!!" I was soo mortified and thankful at the same time that my friend would stand up for me in that way. (Thanks Jo! It really did help me feel better!) Anyway, I finally found a place that had no one around and waited it out. Breathing heavily, but doing my very best to look calm. The whole ordeal was about 5 mins. But it was the longest 5 minites that I've felt in a long time. During those 5 min I had to keep my mind completely blank, which was sooo hard, because I knew if I thought about the things those people said I would start to cry. It was soo difficult to fight back the tears. It was soo hard to keep Lucy from seeing how much it affected me! Sometimes being a mom is soo hard!!!! It would have been so easy for me to lose my temper and chew out all those people who truly deserved it. It would have been so easy for me to give in and let Lucy walk after I had told her "No." All the screaming and kicking, staring, and rude comments would have stopped had I just givin Lucy what she wanted. But no, deep down I knew that it wasn't right. So I kept walking letting those painful comments pierce me like arrows. One by one for the sake of raising my daughter correctly!

Anyway, I just needed to get that off my chest. It totally brought me back to the days when Lucy had colic. There was nothing I could do but endure through it, as insensitive people glarred at me and made comments. There was hardly a shopping trip that went by that I didn't come home with tears rolling down my cheeks.

Any comments or suggestions??? I could definitly use a helping hand or some encoruagement right now.

Wishing My Two Toddler's a Very Happy Birthday!

Oh passing years, will you never cease???!!!!

It's that dreaded time of year!!!! My kids are a year older! And I'm coming to the realization that we no longer have a baby in our home.

It's so weird to think that Lucy is 3. This happened 3 years ago!!!! Screaming her little heart out for that first 6 months of her life!
(Feb 1st, 2006)

And now look at her!!! Gorgeous Big eyes, and dark golden curls to her shoulders!!! Too cute for her own good, I think! And well worth all that screaming.....But no longer my baby!!!! What can a mother do on a day like this, but to go through baby pictures and well up as she thinks how within a year she won't even be a toddler anymore!!!! :( Oh the bittersweet mommy moments!

And Evey too!!!! Growing too fast for comfort! Today she is 2, which makes her Officially a toddler! I cringe to think that we could have lost her that very first hour of life. I owe that nurse everything I have.

(Feb. 2nd, 2007)

Every morning Evey looks ever so slightly different! She's losing her baby chub, getting taller and leaner. Her hair is finally coming in too. It nearly breaks my heart and yet at the same time, I'm sooo excited to see how she'll look as she changes throughout this coming year!!!!!


I'm so grateful to my Father in Heaven for trusting me to be the mother of these Amazing little girls! They are my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way!!!!!

Oh, being a mother is sooo bittersweet!

Happy Birthday my Little Ones! Mommy loves you sooo much!!!!!!

Monster Jam!!!!!

I've been meaning to this blog for a LONG time!!!!!!!! So FINALLY here it is!!!

A few weeks ago some friends of ours, Sarah and Bryan, invited us to go to MONSTER JAM! Having never been to a Monster Truck Rally before, neither Eric or I knew what to expect!!!!


It was AWESOME!!!!!! Wheels flying, Trucks spinning, smashing, and smoking!!!!!! Watching HUGE trucks get TOTALED is really so much more fun than you'd think! I just have to say that the pictures really DON'T do it justice! I have never seen anything like it!


This guy was my favorite!!! El Torro Loco!!!! He was psycho!!!!! He did sooo many jumps!!! After one jump he flipped and one of his horns came off!!!! SOOOO COOOL!!!!!! I don't know how they score these things, but I think he did the best!!! EL TORRROOOO!!!!!!!!! WOOOT!!!!!!

This guy was pretty crazy too! In the middle of this jump his tire flew off and he ended up flying into the blue Semi on the right!!!!!
They had to bring out a tractor to get him out!
....and then another one!!! It was pretty cool!!!!


Ok so, I'm pretty sure this guy is supposedly the world champ... but I wasn't all that impressed! He mostly drove around doing little jumps and then finally when he did a big jump, he landed wrong and broke his tire off. There was smoke EVERYWHERE (which I have to admit was pretty cool). So for the remaining time he just drove around in circles. He was good, but certainly not cool enough to be a world champion, in my opinion!

Thanks SOOO much for inviting us, Bryan and Sarah!!!! You guys are soo cute!!!!! We had such a great time!!!!

Kiss, Kiss!

We definitely are going to go again!!!! (Eric, you're such a dork, love ya!!!! )

Happy 28th Birthday Honey

Today is Eric's 28th Birthday. SO.... in honor of my hubby's BIG DAY here are

"28 Reasons Why I Can't Live Without My Honey!"

(FUN FACT: I met Eric 5 years ago on his birthday!)

1. He's HOT!!! (I just had to get that one out right up front)"blue steel!!!"

2. He is adorable when He sleeps!

3. He is a complete Star Wars GEEK!!YES, we DO have life size cutouts of Han and Leah!!!
The large R2D2 is a Pepper Grinder which, believe it or not, we DO use!!!
And of course, we've got "Darth Tater" and his faithful "Spud Trooper"

4. He likes to play with his sword(s)!!! (tehehe)

5. He plays with the girls when he gets home from work!!!

6. He randomly brings me flowers for no reason at all (still!!! after being together for 5 years!!!!)

7. He snuggles me every night (even when I know he'd much rather sleep) , for as long as I want. NO COMPLAINTS!!!

8. He does the dishes without being asked (and sings Beck songs while doing it)

9. He's a great dancer...10....and shares that enthusiasm with our girls

11. He absorbs useless knowledge like a spongecake!

12. He can quote tons of lines from any movie or show he's seen, word for word. (it's the same with most songs)

13. During my time of month, he gets me chocolate and red meat. (Chocolate to cheer me up and red meat to, "of course," replenish the iron count in my blood!!!! And no, I don't eat them together)


14. He loves Pizza like a little kid!!!


15. He writes me poetry! (I have a whole box full of cards like this. Each poem wonderfully unique)
16. He's a big goofball.

17. He doesn't pretend to be someone he's not. He's not into brand names and doesn't need a big truck to make him feel like a "MAN." I LOVE that about him!

18. He looks like a vampire

19. He is a great student!!!

20. The crazy man eats salad with NO salad dressing! In fact, he LOVES veggies!!!

21. His pet peeves are: gulping water next to him in bed in the middle of the night. (still working on that one) He hates towels left on the floor. He hates it when I poke or tickle him with my toes! (But I like to do that to him anyway.HEHEHE!!!) Oh ya... and he hates it when pens are missing their caps!!!! (???)

22. He likes Hiking!

23. He plays board games with me, like Scrabble and Rummikub.

24. He folds the laundry and puts it away (without me asking him to)

25. He gives me free reign of our bank account!

26. He is a worthy priesthood holder and gives me and the girls blessings whenever we need or want them.He reminds me to read the scriptures and pray regularly (what a guy!)
27. He tells me numerous times during the day how much he loves me!!!

28. And lastly....He's my Best Friend!!!


Happy Birthday Sweety!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!

Eric In El Salvador
(this picture always makes me smile)

Utah!!!!

So this post is mostly gonna be pictures cuz it's almost midnight and I can't think straight anymore!

We were up, rarin' and excited to go at about 2ish (in the afternoon of course) the day after Christmas !

....but after a few hours that wore off!!!! I think that I was the only one who was up for the whole drive. We arrived at about 5 am (Utah time, 3 am CA time) on the 27th.
Eric and I decided to go to Utah for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons was to see some of my extended family on my birth dad's side. I hadn't seen my Grandma Olpin or my uncle Tyler since my wedding (4 1/2 years ago) and the rest (my Grandpa Olpin and uncle Kit) I hadn't seen since I was 13. None of them had ever met the girls before, So we were due for a visit!

We also went so we could visit my brother Collin and his pregnant wife Karen.

And lastly, we went for the snow!

This was the girls first snow experience!

They liked the snow alright just as long as they were inside. They didn't like it too much when they were outside. But Lucy did like to poke at it. So all in all it was a success!
Eric on the other hand... Well lets just say you don't want to mess with Eric when he's got a snowball in his hand.

hahaha!!! I love this picture of Tim.

The only time Emily is an angel is when she is in the snow.

Tim made himself a friend!

(I love this picture)

Ok !!!! I couldn't believe this, BUT...... this was the first time Eric had ever gone sledding!!!! Desite the fact that he was deprived of this as a kid, I am so glad that I got to witness this first hand! He was just like a school boy!!!! I love my hubby!!!!

WEEEE!!!!!!

Emily and I tried to go down together on one sled. But since she is a good deal smaller than me, we ended up going down most of the hill like this! But it was so fun!

She looks like a penguin!

Emily, Dad, and Tim!

Eric and Me after sledding our little hearts out!

Sistahs!!!!