End of the year already?

Wow. 2007 has flown by. I can't believe January is right around the corner. Time keeps moving much faster than I would like it to. We've been in St. Louis for a week now, but it feels like just a day or two. We get caught up in some sort of time-continuum vortex thing (think Star Trek here) every time we visit. The hours feel like minutes, the days like hours. We always have a great time, but somehow we never have enough time for all the things we'd like to do. One thing that always suffers is sleep, but that's to be expected. Kyle's family loves to stay up late talking, debating, and playing games.

Yesterday we went to one of my favorite St. Louis attractions. It is called City Museum. It is hard to describe, but slightly organized chaos is the vibe there. City Museum is definitely one of the most unique places I've ever been. Here's a description from the website, since I can't quite put into words what you find there:

"Housed in the 600,000 square-foot former International Shoe Company, the museum is an eclectic mixture of children's playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel made out of unique, found objects. The brainchild of internationally acclaimed artist Bob Cassilly, a classically trained sculptor and serial entrepreneur, the museum opened for visitors in 1997 to the riotous approval of young and old alike.

Cassilly and his longtime crew of 20 artisans have constructed the museum from the very stuff of the city; and, as a result, it has urban roots deeper than any other institutions'. Reaching no farther than municipal borders for its reclaimed building materials, CITY MUSEUM boasts features such as old chimneys, salvaged bridges, construction cranes, miles of tile, and even two abandoned planes!"

Me again. Outside is the biggest, most unique climbing structure ever, called MonstroCity. Inside you can enjoy a circus, create fun things at Art City, watch old machines make fun shoelaces, play on an indoor skate park - minus the skates - and explore enchanted caves. I love that much of the museum is made of found items from throughout the city, architecture abounds. If you're even in St. Louis, City Museum is one of my top picks.

And after you hit City Museum, or anytime you can, stop by Ted Drewes for the best frozen custard in the country. I always love the raspberry oreo mini concrete, but Kyle swears by the banana tedad (oatmeal cookie). A longtime stop on Route 66, Ted Drewes has been serving up custard in St. Louis since 1929.

Well, I'm babysitting niece, nephew, and Kara now, so my tour of the city ends. Hope you're having fun wherever you are on vacation!

Amy

Blogging on vacation

is hard to do, because my mind has turned to mush. Little KJ, so sweet and easy at home, has decided to become a fussy and difficult baby. Well, not too bad, but she's having a hard time settling in. I've been up with her several times a night, and she doesn't nap for very long either. She did finally sleep better last night, so things might be better. Or we might be headed home sooner than we thought!

On Saturday we woke up bright and early -- a little too early if you ask me -- and headed to the St. Louis zoo before the rain hit. It was nice to get out. The penguins gave us lots of happy splashes and two young gorillas put on a chasing show for us. Yesterday was church, naps, lots of present wrapping, singing Christmas songs, and playing games. A fun day! H is in heaven because his 23 year-old cousin Justin is playing Nintendo with him. J wants to stay in her pajamas all day so she's ready for Christmas morning. Kyle's editing his dissertation. I thought he'd take a break for a few days, but I was wrong. I went for a run this morning. It was nice to be somewhere different. I got to look over the Mississippi River and see the sun dancing off the water. I heard Michigan got pummeled with bad storm, so I'm happy to be elsewhere. Later today we're going to decorate cookies to leave out for Santa, have a dance party, watch Claymation Christmas (a video from 1983 and a family classic), have our traditional hors d'oeuvres buffet, and usher in another Christmas. Its hard to believe another Christmas is here. I used to be excited for my presents, but now that I have kids my excitement is for them. I can't wait!

Sorry for the long convoluted paragraph. Brain mush. I hope to be cured of it soon.

Amy

PS -- Finished New Moon and started on Eclipse. I'm still so-so, but definitely willing to finish. We'll see if Bella redeems herself as a character after all. Somehow I doubt it.

A Christmas Gift For You

Round 2 of Hayden's dancing. I think this is actually a better version. Notice the same song. Don't notice the clutter in my house. : )

How big is Kara? Sooo big.

I took Kara to the doctor today for her 4 month check up. I knew she'd grown a lot, since I'm the one that bathes and dresses and holds her, but I was hoping she'd still fit into her infant car seat. Nope. She's 27 inches long and weighs 17 pounds, 13 ounces. Yep, those are accurate numbers. Jillian didn't hit 20 pounds until after her first birthday. Kara will probably hit 20 pounds before her 6 month check up. The doctor tells me not to worry, she's very proportional. I just laughed and said "This child has no chance of being overweight. You haven't seen her father." So I am the proud mother of a bouncing, chub-a-wubba baby girl. And I love her. Now if she'd just learn to carry some of her own weight.

A run of bad luck

On Sunday I thought it would be fun to sit down together and watch the videos we've taken since we got our camera -- right before Kara's birth. I rewound the tape to start from the beginning, which I thought was the night before I went into the hospital to be induced. But, nope, that's not what was at the beginning of the tape. Kara was home from the hospital, 4 days old. It seems we recorded over the joyous moment of her birth, the kids visiting her in the hospital, and who knows what other irreplaceable moments. Sigh.

Today Hayden got a chair to reach the top of the entertainment center. He wanted to get his advent calendar and eat his chocolate for the day. He pulled his calendar up at just the right angle to knock poor Joseph from my BRAND NEW Willow Tree nativity set to the ground. Joseph is now decapitated. Sigh again.

I was checking my email and found a new bill from Old Navy. The amount seemed high, so I looked it up. Turns out I forgot to pay the bill last week (the downside to online banking is no paper to remind you) and have a $25 late fee. Sigh again.

There is no ice cream in my freezer to save me. Triple sigh.

Where's all that good Karma I deserve from handing out goodies to every person I know? I hope it shows up soon.

A blustery December day

We woke up to 6 inches of snow, and now we have about 10. School is canceled tomorrow due to the fact that our fair city does not clear snow in a timely manner. I'm not thrilled about school being canceled right before Christmas -- er, Winter -- vacation, but what can a Mom do? Plead with her kids to sleep in, that's what!

I had a blissful moment this afternoon. Handel's Messiah was playing softly. Gingerbread cookies were baking. I glanced out the window at J and H playing in the snow -- two bundles falling into the drifts with glee. The baby was sound asleep upstairs and Kyle was reading. It was a little bit of Christmas heaven right in our house.

Due to the weather, we just had the first hour of church today. We trudged out in our snow boots and made the half mile journey. Hayden was supposed to give a talk today in primary. Since he didn't get to give it, I thought I'd post it here.

On Christmas we celebrate Jesus’ birth. I like that we give presents to other people, like the wise men gave presents to Jesus. I picked out a present for Rianna, my cousin. I picked out a present for Kara, my sister. I feel warm in my heart when I give people presents. I also like that we get presents at Christmas. I hope I get some Hot Wheels, Legos, and Knex. Heavenly Father gave us the gift of his Son. That is the best gift of Christmas. I like Christmas music too. I like to sing carols and wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I love Jesus and I’m glad to celebrate His birth.

Tomorrow I'm going to get those dang Christmas cards done. If you get one, I hope you like it! I'm really enjoying all the Christmas cards I've received. Only a few more days . . . We leave for St. Louis on Friday. Lots to do before then!

Amy

PS -- Went on a run in the cold on Saturday. I enjoyed it so much! I went with some friends who are training for a marathon. I only lasted for about 6 of their 12 miles, but ended up running almost 7. I'm going to try for 8 on Friday. I am so grateful to be healthy.

A Book Review - Do I love it or hate it?

Many of you have read, I am sure, the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. An alum from my university, and a fellow English department grad, Ms. Meyer has written a trilogy of books that center around the misadventures of Bella Swan as she interacts with vampires and werewolves in the modern day world.

I read the first one (Twilight) with a bit of trepidation, wondering if I could really believe in vampires that attended high school. An avid reader of Young Adult literature, I do not consider myself above stories that take place in high school (read every Sweet Valley High written back in the day), but I admit, I was skeptical. And the first book was just so-so for me. I tired of the lengthy descriptions of Edward's marble beauty, his kisses literally stealing Bella's breath, his sparkly skin dazzling her again and again. I was kind of creeped out by how needy Bella seemed, how caught up she was in Edward and his life. I know that teenage girls can get obsessed with their current crushes from experience, but her obsession seems unhealthy, too much. I questioned whether or not I'd finish the trilogy. But since I didn't have anything better to read, and the story was somewhat engaging, at least different then my usual read, I picked up New Moon.

This book seemed a cut above the first. Her use of literary devices is masterful. The blank chapters were surprising, appropriate, and bold. The juxtaposition of Jacob Black against Edward (who is absent in the first two-thirds of New Moon) is perfect. Meyer brought in new monsters -- not only werewolves, but also, in a clever twist, a "zombie." I thought of a few critical analysis papers I could write about this book. But now I'm about 75% done, Bella's off to some fake vampire city in Italy to save Edward, and I'm losing it. Sigh. I hope this seemingly "good" book hasn't gone bad on me. Maybe I just can't stand seeing her fall all over Edward and obsess in what seems to be a very unhealthy way. I realize I may not be the intended audience for this series (just read there's going to be a 4th), but I think every author can handle a few critics. I have to say Stephenie has lots to be proud of. She's a mother of three who's about to have her first novel made into a motion picture. I am a wee bit envious of people like her and Shannon Hale, LDS mothers who happen to be darn good writers and make a living off of their books. I hope someday I can realize some of my writing ambition. But back to New Moon. Don't spoil the ending for me, but I am interested to see how those of you who have read the trilogy rate it. I'll post my concluding thoughts when I finish the book.

Amy

Making my own happiness

My college roommate Angie and I were having a philosophical discussion one day. During our conversation she gave me a priceless piece of advice that has guided me countless times in the past 10 years. She said something like this: "You can be happy wherever you are if you decide to be. You just have to make your own happiness."

Lately the stress level at our house has been sky high. Kyle is busy perfecting his dissertation, getting job applications ready, working on two or three other research projects, and helping with tithing settlement at church. That leaves everything else, including my own emotional health, to me. My sister I talk to most regularly is building a house right now and is really busy, another sister just moved and is really busy, and all of my friends seem really busy too. Life has been a bit lonely around here. The phone doesn't ring, we don't go on dates, and I spend lots of time with just me and the kids.

So, what have I done to be happy? Yesterday I exercised, but when that didn't seem to be working as well as I'd hoped, I kicked things up a notch. I went to visit my friend Emily, who has a Happy Light. It's a special light used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder. 20 minutes in front of that and I was feeling pretty good. A few hours later the blahs returned, and my phone still hadn't rung, so I went to Target, finished up some Christmas shopping, and enjoyed the popcorn/soda special for $1.06.

Maybe I'm ready for vacation. Maybe I know the stress isn't going to end and my mind is trying to figure out how to cope. Maybe I'm getting anxious for all the change that's coming next year. Maybe I'm tired from four months of feeding a baby at all hours of the night. Maybe the daily sugar rush from Christmas treats is actually working as a depressant. Whatever it is, I'm in a little funk. I'm hoping the New Year brings lots of good things for me, including a fresh outlook.

Today I made a little bit of my own happiness when I went for an early morning run with my friend Anna. She's coming back from an injury, and I'm still testing the waters after pneumonia, so we were set to run just two miles and then do some walking. When we met up it was lightly snowing. It was still dark, and it was beautiful. The run wasn't fast due to slippery patches, but we enjoyed talking and getting back out there.

You know, you do have to make your own happiness. But if that's not working, you can also contribute to the happiness of others. I guess I'll try to do that too. Kyle certainly needs all the love and support I can muster. Kara's pretty easy to please, she just needs some attention and eye contact. Jillian and Hayden enjoy anything new or fun. I took them out to breakfast for dinner last night while Kyle stayed late at school. They ordered pancakes and I shared my waffle with them. They also love it when I have time to do art projects or throw dance parties with them. We've been doing a lot of both lately. And when I get burnt out and can't quite seem to make my own happiness, Emily's always willing to share her Happy Light.

Amy

Book suggestions?

I'm short on books right now. I like to have about 5 lined up to be read. Right now I'm down to 2 or 3, so let me know if there's a good book out there I should be reading. I love snuggling up on cold days and getting lost in the world of a good book. So maybe suggest a book that takes place on a tropical island. Just kidding.

Amy the voracious reader

Just a nibble . . .

Today I made a big batch of fudge. Next time I make fudge I am not starting until late in the day. Then I will not have eight hours to nibble the fudge while I package it up, bit by bit. I'm not sure how much fudge I ate, but I'm pretty sure it was too much. And the measly 3 miles I did on the treadmill barely made a dent in my fudge calories. Oh well! 'Tis the season. I heard a few weeks a go that the average American gains 7 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. I've already proved I'm not average by losing 2 pounds since Thanksgiving. I guess there's still time to gain seven, though. Nah, I think I'll skip it this year.

The fudge turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. I got the recipe from my neighbor Amanda. I think it's her dad's recipe. She was more than willing to share it with me, so I will share it with you. Since I can't deliver fudge to most of you, and shipping anything costs an arm and a leg these days, you will have to make your own fudge and pretend it is from me. I did plain with walnuts and mint. But I thought of a great idea I might try next: almond joy fudge. Dark chocolate with coconut and almonds. Some people I was making the fudge for have a strong dislike for coconut, so I couldn't try it with this batch, but I might try it with my next batch. I'm definitely going to make it a darker fudge. I love dark chocolate. LOVE it. And Kara seems to be tolerating it better too; she's not spitting up when I eat it. That, my friends, is a Christmas miracle!

Next on my Christmas goodie list is gingerbread cutouts. They are less time-consuming than sugar cookies because you can skip most of the decorating. But you can do some. The kids are going to help me make them for their primary teachers and bus drivers.

Please vote in my poll and help me decide what to do about my Christmas card dilemma. Enjoy the recipe!

***Fudge

4 ½ cups of sugar

1 can of evaporated milk

½ lb of butter

3 cups chocolate chips

1 pint of marshmallow cream or 20 large marshmallows

1 c of chopped walnuts (optional)

1 t of vanilla

Melt butter in heavy bottomed kettle. Add milk and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat. Boil over low heat, stirring constantly, for 10 min. (I don’t do any temperature test – I really just do 10 minutes. ) Pour into mixer, add chocolate chips and marshmallows, and beat until creamy. (10 minutes?) Add vanilla and nuts. Makes about 5 lb. Spread in a smaller sized cookie sheet (or larger to use cookie cutters –makes fudge shallower).

Note: for darker fudge, use some bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao or higher) in place of some of the semi-sweet chocolate chips. I packaged the fudge in little boxes that look like Chinese takeout boxes. So cute!

Wanted: hip hop dance teacher for jammin' four year old

This week Hayden discovered Michael Jackson. He likes the song "Jam," which took me a while to find for him since he kept calling it "the jelly song." I thought he was talking about some Wiggles song or something, but I should have known better. His tastes are a little more mature than that. I was trying to show him how to do the moonwalk. My attempt was rather pathetic, and, no, there is no video of that for your viewing pleasure. I hope I can find him a dance class, but if not, he doesn't seem to be doing too poorly on his own.

Amy

Ta da!

Here's my new 'do. I really like it. It's fun to have a change. Kyle's not so sure. I can tell this because the comments I've received are "it's kind of Asian" and "the bangs sure are short." What do you think?

Amy

Snip Snip

I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow. I have to admit, I'm a little nervous. I want to go short, but I am apprehensive about going too short. This is funny to me, because I'm always the person encouraging other people to cut their hair. I really think most women look better with shorter hair (i.e. not down to their waists). I gave Jillian, Kyle, and Hayden haircuts this week. It was so fun to snip three inches off of Jillian's hair. I may have to go to hair school just so I can feel that satisfying snip more often. But when it's three or four inches coming off of MY hair tomorrow, I might cringe. Wish me luck! I'll post a picture tomorrow of the results. I hope I'll be smiling. It may be dangerous to get my hair cut hours before we take our Christmas card pictures, but I like living on the edge on occasion. Look at me, so risky!

Amy

Dear Santa,

I have been a very good girl this year. I haven't yelled at my kids nearly as much as I did in 2006. I didn't get ANY cavities and I was really nice to everyone around me, even when they were annoying. I drink 8 glasses of water a day, and I only indulge in a Diet Coke every once in a while. I'm sure I donated to some charities along the way, and I always pick up my husband's socks. So for Christmas I am asking for this:

A brownie edge pan! I've been thinking about inventing this, but someone already did. Kyle and I both love the corners and edges of brownies, and this one has 8 corners instead of the usual four. I know I'm getting that Garmin GPS personal training watch I asked for, but since I've been SOOOO good, and I promise to be SOOOO good in 2008, will you please also bring me the edge brownie pan? I love you very much.

Amy

PS -- Don't send this to the Dukes. They don't like the edges.

And so it begins . . .

Today I am making a spreadsheet of all the places Kyle is going to apply for jobs. For those of you who may be unaware, my husband has been working on his Ph.D. in Accounting for the past 3.5 years. In June, he'll be done! That means the first part of next year will be spent finding a job. There are many available all over the world - including Korea, Hong Kong, Canada, and London -- and a plethora here in the States. Several schools in North Carolina top our list of desirable jobs, and there are a few in Boston luring us back, despite our desire for a warmer climate. Decidedly few on the list are good jobs in the West. There are several, but not at the schools Kyle aspires to. So it will be an interesting new year. And we may just end up relocating somewhere in the Midwest, since there are many jobs available. Unfortunately, states like Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin don't sound as interesting to live in. But Kyle promises we'll travel. We'll have to, because I don't know many people who will be dying to come visit us in Iowa City. I'll keep you updated on the hunt. We are hoping for the best possible school, since it is almost impossible to move up to the next tier later in your career, if that makes sense. Generally you can move across or down. I'm not sure I understand the whole process yet, but I'm sure I'll be well-informed since I'm Kyle's new job search personal assistant. The pay is not great.

In other news, the pneumonia is lingering. I have a new prescription to try and clear it out. My body is wondering why I'm not exercising. This is a bad time of year not to be exercising. Too many goodies!

Speaking of goodies, after I made my list of friends and neighbors we need to give treats to and found it to be topping 25, I have to scale back my fudge production plans. Today I dipped over 100 butter cookies in chocolate. Those will go to some, but I still have aspirations in the fudge-making department. We'll see if I can get some cranked out later this week.

Amy

Some Christmas Cheer!

I succumbed. I let my children sit on Santa's lap at the mall. It doesn't end there. I purchased a picture. A low-quality picture. I had to purchase a picture in order to use my own camera to take this picture:


And it's worth it, I suppose. They were happy and we passed two-and-a-half hours at the mall (a record!) while Kyle was out of town. Santa seemed like a very nice man, and he had an authentic beard -- always a bonus. I also managed (just barely) to purchase holiday clothes for the kids. Who knew that most holiday clothes are gone by December 1st? I wouldn't be surprised to find swimsuits and shorts in the stores by January 1st. So if you need any sweaters, pants, gloves, socks, and other winter wear, stock up now!

More Christmas cheer at this link. See most of our family do a really cool elf dance. Then you can elf yourself. Good for a laugh or two. Almost as fun as monkey mails. You should try that too. Since Kyle didn't get to be an elf, he's going to Scrooge himself (that doesn't sound good, but it's what it is). Watch for that link coming soon.

I was also so happy that Jillian finally convinced us to put up the tree. It's always beautiful when it's done, and I love our ornaments. We collect them from places we travel as a family. I also get each child one every year that relates somehow to something they are interested in that year (I try, anyway). We tell stories and memories as we decorate the tree. I love it. This 4 foot high tree is not my ideal, but I do enjoy it and think it looks pretty good.


Ahh, makes me want to snuggle up with a good book and a cup of cocoa. Or that plate of treats that arrived not long ago . . . Merry Christmas!

Amy