My beef with Disney

Since my daughter is a parrot, I can always ask her "What's that from?" and she'll tell me if its from Little Einsteins, Mary Poppins, or the boy next door. Lately she's identified which phrases in Disney movies have the most attitude and will most undoubtedly push my buttons.

Here are the latest lines she adopted:

I don't care (Little Mermaid)
You wasted your time (Toy Story)
You're not listening to me (not sure)
Leave me alone (not quite sure)

and of course:
I hate you (Finding Nemo)

GRRRRRR!

Please don't lynch me...

...But I've gone and cut Leah's hair.

Before:

After:

I still have mixed feelings, looking back on the curls that will never again be. But I had good reasons...!

It was just too much work! Leah twirls her hair in her fingers when she's resting, it gets caught in toys and zippers and stuck under her coat, it gets stepped on, it gets pulled, it gets in her mouth while she's eating, she gets peanut butter and sticky candy in it at the table, it gets in her face, it gets soooo incredibly tangly that it takes 20 minutes to brush, twice a day! And Leah does not like having her hair brushed. So I've gone and done it.

Although it might not have the same explosive spontaneous ringlets that it had this morning, I think it looks good. And I think I did a pretty darn good job of getting it even and straight considering this is my first time really cutting her hair. It is sad to see the mass of crazy curls gone, but now we can look back on them as a symbol of her infancy and toddlerhood, for now she is a preschool-attending, big-sister, potty-trained Big Kid.

My New Kitchen

6 New chairs at IKEA: $120
Supplies from the paint store: $40
How mad am I that I didn't take a picture of Leah painting with me--in only a pull-up, and completely covered in stain, proudly holding up a paint brush??? REALLY MAD!



Our kitchen table seating options included two orange arm chairs (so old and ugly), three black folding chairs, a gray rolling office chair, and an ottoman. Can you see why I wanted new kitchen chairs?


I have also had the idea in the back of my mind for years to sand the sides of my kitchen table and paint them red, but I impulsively started sanding the legs too, and that was a huge project. I spent at least six hours sanding table legs, regretting it the entire time, and I'm not even sure you can tell. If I were to do it again (I wouldn't) I would definitely get an electric sander. Do I get any exercising points for doing that much sanding?





Here are some before, during, and after shots of my kitchen re-vamp project

While in paint/project/redecorating mode, I also put up my "Serve the Lord" Decor from Stampin' Up on a really neat frame. I found it at the Hallmark store, of all places, but it was the only one I could find that was the right size, and I think it is perfect! I also painted a toy box orange (IKEA said it was red--be glad I didn't make that the color of my kitchen furniture!). I think I've inhaled enough stain, polyurethane, and paint thinner for a while!

Good morning, Timpanogos

I love my back-yard view.

Let's take a vote

So you've all been wondering where I've been lately. I did not fall off the face of the planet.

In debating what to blog about, I realized there is absolutely no way to catch up on all the stuff I've missed writing down. So I'm going to leave it up to you. Here's a quick sketch of the last month--you tell me what you want to hear about.

Enjoying my new gym membership and the freedom of no longer being the Relief Society President.

Travelling to Chicago with two children in tow and a layover(and really working those baby-lifting muscles!). Actually, I think I've blocked this from my memory.

Spending a few weeks in Illinois with the Sorensons and Grandma Benac, in which Mom was hooded as a Doctor of Philosophy, Samuel learned how to walk and graduated to cow's milk (hallelujah!), we went swimming daily while it snowed outside daily and was below zero daily, Chris and I went dancing and restaurant-ing without children, Santa brough Leah a lily pads game, and I successfully made and sent out over 40 handmade Christmas cards before Christmas (I know, I keep saying I'll never do it again, but it is so much fun!). Have I missed anything (ha, ha, ha...)?

Taking Leah sledding for the first time. Oh, yeah, and I sang in a Catholic Mass.

I like jig-saw puzzles and I like Ticket to Ride (especially when I win!!!).

Being with family and friends-old and new-during the Holidays.

Spending $220 repairing the washing machine on New Years' Eve and then getting a flat tire on New Years day (that one only cost $80) after spending all your Christmas money at IKEA. Way to ring in the new year.

My busy week while Chris is in Richmond, including putting away Christmas, rearranging furniture, sanding and staining the kitchen table and 6 new chairs (don't loose a receipt from IKEA, and don't plan on returning stuff to IKEA), reclaiming my kitchen after a gigantic staining project, celebrating Samuel's first birthday (has it already been a year?), catching up on blogging, and other overly-ambitious projects. Where does sleeping fit in?