best secret keeper i know {thursdays}

on thursdays, while max and brennan are in school,

chase and i get all of our MOST SECRET shopping done.

because he is my very best secret keeper:)

target clearance is my favorite way to christmas shop.

$50 switch and go dinos for $7.54.

i was jumping up and down and screaming in the aisle next to the bikes where we found them.

good thing chase was the only one that saw.

like i said,

BEST 

secret keeper:)

refridgerator shopping looks like...

this is what refrigerator shopping looks like.

find brennan.

such a funny dude.

max screamed a lot.

{it is my life goal to train her to not scream}

chase never made a peep,

not even when we forgot him 

sitting right there 

when we went to see the fridges in white.

not to fret,

we remembered him in a jiffy.

no harm done.

and brennan only spilled my water once on the floor.

note to self: 

when hot dogs are for dinner, 

bring drinks for everyone when you go refrigerator shopping.

i am so glad we eat meat:)

i just am.

{do hot dogs really count as meat???}

city creek {a photo gallery}

it was now or never for my grand tour of the new mall in downtown salt lake city.

calling it a mall seems to feel like an injustice though.

it is a shopper's dreamland.

a spectacle of architectural bliss.

with a fountain made by the bellagio creators themselves.

{i've heard the fire/water/music show at night is quite the treat}.

every store you could ever want in one location.

fish, a creek running through, live plants and trees.

and an outdoor/indoor roof for any weather the state might experience.

and in utah,

we can experience all 4 seasons in the same day.

genius.

nordstrom kid's had us at hello.

we had to bribe them with balloons and chocolates to get them out.

and then we were really in trouble.

b/c max found the shoes.

first the steve madden sandals.

with sparkles.

she would pat her chest saying "me, me, me,"

and then hand you the shoe while she took off her own to try them on. 

 then she found rows upon rows of more shoes.

and ran her fingers delicately across them all.

so so so

cute.

and then she found the pink sparkle toms.

we have a serious problem on our hands here.

a shoe girl.

and

i ADORE her for it.

for now...

note to self:

must bring children in swim suits.

or bring extra clothes.

he left with dripping pants.

but said he didn't care.

and

if he's good with it,

i'm good with it:)

but i think the weather was what really made it work out ok.

or maybe it was the carmel/chocolate apples

we used to bribe them away from the fountains.

whichever.

 STILL PREGNANT.

in case you were wondering.

and i think i got another sunburn.

pity.

the security guards did not like that i was letting my kids put their feet in the creek.

and shooed us away right after i took this.

party poopers.

the popcorn is popping downtown too.

i just can't get enough.

 everyone should have a baby in the spring,

when the blossoms are popping.

there's nothing that could make the waiting anymore worth waiting for.

i'm in love with everything around me.

it's just all so romantic.

and breathtakingly beautiful.

i love my kids.

i love my husband.

i love my life.

remind me of this when i'm sleep deprived and having a complete meltdown in 3 weeks.

with poo up to my elbows.
spit up on the shoulder of every shirt in my closet,

and have cranky kids with a super impatient mom {me} that can't handle the smallest of catastrophes.

thanks:)

may the odds be ever in my favor,

bahahahahaha!!!

jeans {just as satisfying}

i love that brennan will still let me do this in a store.
he is two pairs of jeans richer this afternoon.
thank you H&M.
we barely survived the check out lines,
but the prices were worth the wait.
three cheers for no holes in the knees.
although that only seems to last a couple of months anyway.
and while i love the holes in the jeans,
there comes a point where the man needed to not have 22* air going right through his jeans.
b/c all 4 of his other pairs of jeans have holes in the knees.
along with his brown cargos.
oh how i love this little boy.
i'm so happy about his new pants,
i feel like i bought something for myself.
weird.
but so true.
and just as satisfying.
max picked out a princess tiara.
and brennan a spiderman beanie.
which he used his "christmas money" to buy.
he told the cashier all about it.
she loved him.
me too:)

the scream costume scared max.

wake up.
feed everyone.
eat banana.
shower BEFORE i get max out of her crib even though she is awake.
get dressed.
halfway.
feed max.
feed myself.
get dressed the rest of the way.
dress brennan.
change max's diaper.
chase max around trying to get her dressed.
lately she'd rather just be naked.
and has learned how to take her clothes off if you don't get things fastened and buttoned quickly enough.
brush teeth.
brush kids' teeth.
change my shirt b/c i've decided i don't like the one i put on first.
tell everyone to get in the car.
5 times.
remember everyone needs shoes.
find shoes in the shoe basket.
a dreaded task each day.
find everyone's shoes, except one of brennan's flip flops.
dump out basket to find it.
no flip flop anywhere.
put all shoes back in basket.
find missing flip flop was behind the basket on the floor the entire time.
find brennan in his car seat.
max crawling around the back seat.
coax her to the front.
she screamed the entire time.
arched her back while i put her in her car seat.
gave her binky and blankie.
and brennan his movie head phones.
peace restored.
go back for wallet and car keys.
get in car.
then go back for phone.
get in car.
consider going back for snacks.
decide we will just buy snacks.
it is now 11am.
or something.
drive to walmart.
buy spiderman rain boots for brennan.
spiderman underwear for brennan.
tinkerbell and tangled underwear for max.
b/c she saw them and was screaming in a really cute excited way.
and explained the underwear/big girl potty rule.
1 green and 1 blue trick or treat bucket for $1 a piece.
some tights i've been needing to get max.
the cold is coming.
and her little legs will need them for church.
and furnace filters.
b/c we never buy them when we should.
we now have 4.
that will last us 2 years,
even though they say it should only last 1 month.
i will try to be better.
go to halloween city.
find a "respectable" halloween costume for sean.
as he declared last year's fire hydrant was just as low as he was going to go.
i explained he'd better wear this one every year for the rest of his life b/c i hate spending money on halloween costumes.
bought myself a halloween costume b/c i realized i don't have the energy to make anything for myself either, and it would match max and sean.
and i could wear it every year.
if i wanted.
brennan doesn't fit in our theme this year.
but man he is excited.
max got scared at the checkout register when a kid came up to us in his scream costume and pushed the scream button.
she cried really loud and shook.
it was sad.
and she wouldn't let me put her down until we got to the car.
poor thing.
then we met bree and her people for sweet potato fries.
b/c i couldn't stop thinking about them.
the fries.
salt city burger sweet potato fries.
there are none better.
we all declared we ate too much.
and now we are home.
with everyone's underwear sorted into their green and blue halloween pumpkin buckets.
T.G.I.F.:)
a really really good friday.

this isn't really for men...maybe a little, but not like that.

weening max means mama needs a new bra.
actually, i got two.
one always needs to rest.
ladies,
i'm a NEW woman.
seriously,
make it a yearly ritual.
it's been mine since puberty.
thanks to mama sandie.
nordi's will treat you AND your ladies right.
trust me,
you're probably not wearing the right size.
treat yourself to a little valentine's day luster.
you can thank me later.
a new bra always feels so great.
and you lose at least 5lbs on the spot.
maybe 10.
no joke.
...
speaking of weight,
max weighed in at a whopping 18lbs. 15oz this morning for her one year old check.
we're up to the 15th percentile now.
and still in the infant seat turned backwards.
brennan weight 19.1lbs at 6 months.
and 25lbs at a year.
just to put things into persepctive.
oh, little pork loin,
how you've thinned out.
maybe little miss max will pork out?
she was definitely no loinette.
or maybe she was.
if loin means lean.
b/c lean she is.

i love these kids.