Rabbit Food otherwise known as Lean Cuisine

A month or so ago I bought a pack of Lean Cuisine meals at Costco for pretty cheap. I eat a lot of frozen meals for lunch and I like the lean option because there's not as much fat and they're not as greasy. Before I've tried Healthy Choice steamers and Michelina's Lean Gourmet meals. I think they are both really good and the Michelina's ones are really cheap so that's a bonus. But because of the deal, I decided to try the Lean Cuisine.

However, I have to say the Lean Cuisine meals (Spa Choices) were NASTY!!!! They were probably the worst things I've eaten in a very long time. I kept eating them because I hoped a different flavor would be better, but every one of them was terrible. They had some kind of whole wheat orzo and it tasted like wet paper, mud, or what I imagine our pet rabbit's food pellets taste like. Soooo gross. The meat was good and the sauces were ok, but they just couldn't make up for the horrible texture and taste of that other stuff. I'm all for fiber and I usually love whole wheat options, but this just wasn't worth it. Maybe it was just the ones I had; I've never tried any of their other meals, but I'm not encouraged.

So if you have the choice and you want to go healthy, go for the cheap Michelina's or the tasty Healthy Choice, but skip the rabbit food.

International Hamburger and Pickle Month

(Not John's actual hamburger but close to looking as good)

I just read today that March is International Hamburger and Pickle month. Little did I know that our family was celebrating last night when we had hamburgers, Cheetos and corn for dinner. John made these great burgers that I wish I had taken a picture of. We had beautiful bakery buns from Maceys, with gourmet burgers with a little onion mix mixed in, provolone cheese, large slices of tomatos, ketchup, mustard and pickles of course. They were very tasty, so much so that Adam ate some leftovers out of the garbage later. He seems to have survived and was really mad when I made him stop. So Happy International Hamburger and Pickle Month. Enjoy, just don't get so enthusiastic that you eat them out of the garbage. There are better ways of celebrating.

"I'm a Big Girl Now!!"

I'm declaring Lily officially potty trained. She's declared herself "a big girl!"

She's almost been potty trained a few times before, but it just didn't take. My philosophy of potty-training is anti-mess. I believe in pull-ups. I told Lily that she couldn't wear underwear until she could show me that she could consistantly not go in her pull-ups. About a month ago I was at Maceys and they had their generic pull-ups on sale for $5.99 (a package that is typically about $10-15 at Wal-mart). I couldn't pass it up so I bought a few. Now the real problem with pull-ups is that they are way more expensive than diapers. This removed my problem. Every time I went and they were still on sale, I bought a few more. Then I started letting Lily wear pull-ups all the time.

Now Lily's big dream is to wear these cute pink and flowery underwear that I bought her last summer. But I have been firm that she can't wear them until she can show me she is ready. When she first started wearing the pull-ups, she did pretty good, but she was still having accidents every once in a while. I tried to remember to remind her to go potty before naps, bedtime, and bottle refills.

One day while I was changing her, Lily asked if she could wear underwear like Ruth. I told her that big girls like Ruth didn't just go potty in the potty sometimes. They went potty in the potty all the time. I guess she understood because she went about 4 days without going potty in her pull-up. So I gave in and let her wear her underwear. That was about 3 days ago and she's been doing great.

So, 5 down and 2 to go. Hurray!!! That's pretty good. And only 1 kid in diapers. That hasn't happened in years. I think I'll enjoy it while I can. By the look on his face I don't think he's ready to talk about potty training yet.

Quilt Block of the Month # 1

My mom and I found another quilt block of the month class to go to. Her ward is having one once a month. It's $5 a month (after the initial $10 I think). The lady who runs it provides the material for the block each month and even cuts out all the pieces. The cutting itself is worth the $5. Most of the ladies stay at the class each month and sew their block there. But my mom and I would rather do the sewing at home so we just color the pattern and then make sure we know what is going on. It is a fun thing to do once a month and it gets me to do at least one block a month. I also get to learn a few new techniques here and there. Plus it is fun to see some of the ladies that I grew up with. They were shocked that I had 6 kids and was pregnant with my 7th. I think it made them feel old, because they were all my young women leaders and stuff. Plus I get to do a little quilting with my mom which is always fun. So here's my January block. I sewed it while watching Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, a classic. I like how the block turned out.

Target Audience

Ruth seems to be the target audience for all kinds of advertising, not just kid stuff like toys. In the last little while she's come up with some pretty funny quotes and requests from commercials she's seen. Here's just a few:

We were watching an Air Wick commercial for their new air freshener that you can push a button and it gives a burst of air freshener. Ruth said, "I need one of those Mom, then when Lily comes into my room with a stinky diaper I could push it and it would smell a lot better!! Maybe we could get one for every room."

We were riding in the car and the I was warning the girls to be careful with the food they were eating so they wouldn't stain their clothes. Ruth's response was, "It's ok, Mom. We just need to get some Clorox 2. It gets out the tuffest stains ever!!"

And last of all, "Mom, we need some pillow pets. They are stuffed animals that bend over into pillows. They're great for traveling."

I'll let you know any other she comes up with. Ruth keeps my life interesting.

Lily's New Favorite Phrase

Lily's new favorite phrase is, "Mom, I'll tell you what. . ." Great! Just what I need, another born negotiator.

FHE Proudly Brought To You By Ruth

Somethimes I think Ruth is going be the end of me. She has more energy than I can handle at times and she always knows exactly what she wants, whether it is what I want or not. But she also is incredibly loving and funny.

Anyway, tonight was her turn to give the lesson for FHE. Yesterday I had her pick a primary song. We looked up the scriptures listed at the end of the song and she picked one. Then she picked out some of her favorite pictures from the gospel art picture book. Last we talked about what she knew about Jesus, which by that time wasn't much (her attention span had been used up by then).

So tonight at the end of dinner I had her do her lesson. She enthusiastically told everyone that we were singing "I am a child of God". We sang it. I whispered the scripture in her ear and she said it nice and loud (Ruth is not one of our shy, quiet children). I held the picture book while she explained about a few pictures. She had picked a picture of Noah's Ark, Mary with baby Jesus, Jesus on the cross, and the resurrected Jesus with Mary at the tomb.

Then I said, "Ok, Ruthie. Tell them what you know about Jesus."

Ruthie turned around and said in a clear voice, " I know that Jesus made us. I know that Jesus died for our sins. I know that as Jesus was hanging on the cross he was thinking that that was the only way we could get back to heaven."

She probably would have gone on but at this point I laughed (just one, short burst). It was mostly a laugh of shock. Instead of a 4 year-old, she sounded like a 20 year-old. I tend to laugh when I am shocked. (Once I started laughing hysterically when I slammed one of my high school friend's hands in the car door.)

I pulled myself together and asked her if she would like to say anything else. She laughed and said, "No!" I later apologized to her for laughing and told her how proud I was of her for her fine job of giving the lesson.

So I guess the moral is that Ruth listens to more than she lets on. I love her and am grateful for the energy, laughter, love and testimony that she adds to our family.

Spending Spree

Our insurance company DMBA offers you $200 every year if you participate in their wellness program. In the beginning it was only for employees, but this last year they expanded the program to include spouses as well. I was all over that. I really like to eat healthy and exercise, but I rarely make the time. But throw in a little monetary incentive, and I'm there. I love a good challenge. And if you work at BYU as John does, DMBA gives you the option to participate in BYU's wellness programs. BYU runs its own wellness challenges and gives you little prizes for completing them. So on top of the $200, you can earn a bunch of fun little gifts. So this past year, I did all the challenges. I really enjoyed doing them. And from BYU I got a mini mag flashlight, a nice BYU hoodie, a BYU beanie, a first-aid kit, and a few other things I can't remember (there are 6 programs throughout the year).

Anyway, back to the money, so I earned $200 last year from DMBA. About a month ago John asked me how I was going to spend my money. I hadn't really thought of it that way. He said that since I earned it, I could spend it anyway I wanted. I thought and thought and couldn't really think of anything I was dying to have. Now two things I love in life are books and music. Several times recently I've just wandered through the Amazon website looking at music that I'd like to download for my ipod. I've thought about maybe buying an album a month or something. So when John said I could spend it on anything, the more I thought about it , the more I really just wanted to buy a bunch of music. I know it is kind of crazy but there it is. There are few things I like better than going walking and listening to my ipod, or just driving around and listening to my ipod. It is about as relaxing as anything gets in my life. And I love to just press shuffle and know that anything that comes up I'm going to like. I love the suspense yet certainty of it all.

So, long story short, I spent my money on music. It definitely was a splurge and now I can think of a bunch of other things I could have bought, but at the same time, whenever I turn my ipod on to my new music, I am thoroughly happy. John thought I was a little crazy (he spent his money on cooking appliances). And the bank called to make sure someone hadn't stolen my card committed fraud by buying a bunch of music, but it was all me. And I actually got about $300 worth of music with my $200 because I joined emusic for a month for $12 and got 100 songs out of it.

In case the suspense is killing you, drum roll please...... here are the albums/songs I am now the proud owner of and why I chose them.

1. ABBA: Gold--I've always kind of liked ABBA and they remind me of one of my best girlfriends Kaylyn who grew up singing ABBA, so Kaylyn, it is all your fault.

2. Barbie as The Island Princess and a few other random songs from other Barbie movies-- I have 5 daughters and they all love the Barbie movies and I have to say that I really like them too. I think the music is fairly well done and clever as kids' shows go. Plus the girls get so excited when it comes on the ipod in the car that is makes it worth it.

3. Barenaked Ladies: Snacktime--I just love this band. Their lyrics crack me up so I thought kids' music put out by them would probably be pretty funny. I was not disappointed. My kids may not think it is hilarious but I do. I just laugh and laugh.

4. The Broadside Band: English Country Dances from Playford's Dancing Master, 1651-1703-- My favorite parts in all the Jane Austen movies are always the dancing scenes. I love the music and the dances. So I decided to hunt around and find some music like that. I did and I love it. This album actually has a song that was used in one of the movies. It is toe-tapping good.

5. Assorted music from Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma--Again, I love the music. These are my favorite movies by far and a big part of them is their great music. Now I have it.

6. Dan Zanes and Friends: Night Time!--This album has a lot of great folksy kids' songs. I really like good kids' music and this stuff is good. I first saw this guy on Nick Jr. and I liked his songs, so I decided to try an album. I like it a lot.

7. Imagination Movers: For Those About to Hop--I know I might be buying into a little bit of hype, but I really like these guys' style. Their music is upbeat and fun and I can't help singing along. I had to get at least one album and I'm glad I did.

8. Jack Johnson: Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies For The Film Curious George-- The music in this movie makes me smile everytime it comes on. I don't know if it is the guy's voice or his mellow rhythmic guitar or what, but I love it. So I got the album. I love all the songs. It's one of my favorite new purchases.

9. About 4 songs from various John McCutcheon albums--If you haven't heard this guy, you should. He is an amazing musician and folk artist. I first heard him in high school at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. I was entranced by his musical ability and comedy. I always buy a few of his songs when I have the chance.

10. Justin Roberts: Not Naptime, Pop Fly, and Yellow Bus--This guy is probably my favorite kids' artist of all. I just randomly checked one of his albums out from the library when Kate and Mary were little and ever since he's been a favorite. So I bought the last 3 albums of his that I don't have. His lyrics are hilarious and I love his music. Once I hear one of his songs I can't get it out of my head for the rest of the day, they're that catchy.

11. The Laurie Berkner Band: Whaddaya Think Of That? and Rocketship Run--Laurie Berkner is probably my other favorite kids' music artist. She does a lot of traditional music in new ways and has a lot of clever and funny original music. These were the last two albums of hers that I didn't have.

12. The Best of Peter Breinholt--I've really liked him since college. One of my other college roommates Sara and her husband really liked him. I just never have gotten around to buying one of his albums. The mixes on this album aren't always the best, but it was the best bang for my buck and I'm sure I'll get used to them.

13. Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband: Dream Big--This is another group that I just find hilarious and I love the rhythm and the strings. It makes me want to dance and laugh at the same time. You can't beat that.

14. Music Time with SteveSongs--This is another guy I first heard on PBS kids programming and I couldn't get the songs out of my head. I like the rhythm and the witty lyrics. And Steve kind of reminds me of a friend in high school, I'm not sure why. Love the album.

15. They Might Be Giants: Here Come the ABC's along with singles of Particle Man and Istanbul--This is another throwback to my youth. I loved this band's music back in the day. I thought they were hilarious. And their kids' music is almost as funny. It's pretty good. Plus Hot Dog! from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is on the album. Love that song!!

16. Pure '80's #1s--This is probably a silly pick, but I love 80's music. I listened to a lot of music growing up because my brother had music on 24/7 and the speakers were so loud you could hear it two blocks away. Consequently I know all the words to all the songs and the only thing I miss about not listening to the radio is hearing all these cheesy songs. Now I'm not missing them.

17. Sid the Science Kid Soundtrack--This music is reminiscent of Schoolhouse Rock for me. It is very educational but clever and has a good beat. I like it and so do the kids, and where else can 3 year olds learn about reversible change. You can't beat it.

18. Smallville Volume 2: The Metropolis Mix--This is mostly John's fault, which is kind of ironic, considering he doesn't really like the musical montages on Smallville. He thinks they're cheesy. But he got me started watching it with him, and has bought me almost all the seasons of it, and I like the music. It is a little harder than a lot of the stuff I listen to, but it brings back good memories and appeals to my wilder side. Everybody needs that sometimes.

And that's it. And that's probably enough for a good long time. But it will all make exercising this year a little more fun, which will make it easier to earn my $200 for next year so I think it was for a good cause.

Pregnancy Preferences

Every time I have been pregnant something different has bothered me. When I was pregnant with Kate, pretty much any strong smells bothered me. I couldn't open our refrigerator for months (this was before I trained John to cover things in the refrigerator). The other pregnancies all kind of blend together but these are the things that have been banned during at least one of my pregnancies: mushrooms, pork, broccoli (cooked), Italian dressing as a marinade, overly salty foods, large amounts of garlic and hot dogs with casings.

I started thinking about this because this time, oddly enough, the thing that has really been bothering me is artificial sweeteners. I was kind of in the habit of having a diet drink of some kind with my lunch. I know it isn't that healthy, but it always tasted good. Then one day, out of the blue, I had a Diet Coke and felt really sick afterwards. I wasn't sure what was the cause, but another day soon after I had a drink and felt awful again. I wasn't sure if it was the caffeine, or the Coke, or the diet. But after going a while without having any drinks, one day I really had a headache and a Coke sounded really good. I decided to risk it and had John just get me a regular Coke. It didn't bother me at all. Since then I've experimented a few times, and each time I have something that is diet, I've felt really yucky after. So I'm steering clear and going back to the real stuff for a while. I think it is really strange but I'm not going to argue. There's worse things that could bother me.

Valentine's Thursday

John and I have an unspoken agreement that whenever we can go out in the near vicinity of Valentine's Day counts as Valentine's Day. We try to avoid the actual day, or in this case, day before, because the restaurants are so crazy. This year the Thursday before was the day. We have a standing babysitter on Thursdays and there was no school the next day so it worked out well for us.

And this year John was kind enough to work hard and win an employee award for extreme "competence" which came with $100 in restaurant gift certificates. There's nothing better than getting to go out for a nice dinner without having to pay for it. John and I chose to go to Ruby River and it was really nice. We got to sit in a booth which I love and talk for a long time. Our food took a little while to come, but I got a shrimp cocktail, my favorite, so that pretty much covered any subsequent sins. When the food did come, it was really good.

One funny side note to the dinner was that while we were there, the hostess sat about 8 huge guys across from us in the same size booth that we were sitting in. I'm not sure why but I've honestly never seen that many guys sit that close together. And they looked like rugby players. Interesting.

One of the highlights of my night was my gift. John always surprises me. He had been building up his gift for about a week. It came in the mail early in the week and I was warned not to open it. I really had no idea what it was. John told me that he was inspired by his friends at work, which I wasn't too sure about. I know his friends at work and that didn't inspire me with a lot of confidence, but they did good. John got me the dvd of the new Emma that Masterpiece Theater just made. I've really wanted to see it and I didn't even know it was out on dvd. Good work, my man.

Speaking of guys at work, Thursday when I went to pick up John, a guy at his work asked me what he should get for his wife. The question caught me off guard. I know his wife but I have no idea what she wants for Valentine's Day. He said, "Do flowers and chocolates cut it? or do I need to be more creative?" I responded, "I wouldn't mind flowers and chocolate. But I'd get her something she wants." "Oh, so a gift is the expectation. I get it." I don't know, I thought. That's my expectation. John said it was tough, because I wasn't getting flowers and chocolate. I don't mind. I love my Emma dvd. And he did get me chocolates later. Anyway, I think if you have to ask some other lady what your wife wants for Valentine's, you're already in big trouble. I hope it all worked out for him.

All in all, I'd give Valentine's Day a thumbs up for the year, even if it was on Thursday.