I am getting OLD! Old I say!!!

OK, it's not my birthday QUITE yet (*july 16*). But, in light of the fact that I will be spending my birthday camping in a field in the wilderness of UT, and then driving 8 hours in the car with a whiny three-year old, I've decided to start my celebrating early. As in right now.
So, HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! To ME! In 7 short days, I will be 33. Incidentally, it is my Mom's actual birthday today. Happy birthday Mom! Speaking of old...(*cough* 65).


I went and got birthday present #1 today, which was a lovely pedicure. Birthday present #2 will be riding the alpine slides at Park City on Sat, and birthday present #3 will be consuming as much Cafe Rio as is humanly possible in a 48 hour time period.
The only other thing that I covet and just cannot justify anymore now that I am not working, is this:



The most blessed mascara ever created. I am absolutely certain that angels mixed the mysterious ebony goop this is made of. Sadly, it is not to be. Since I am officially banned (by myself, NOT the authorities. Sheesh! Who do you think I am?) from setting foot in Nordstrom's, I can only dream of having eyelashes like Cher in her "If I Could Turn Back Time" video. Someday I'll be able to afford ridiculously expensive makeup again. Does that sound bad? Bah.

Nostalgia

I am having the WORST attack of nostalgia tonight!! I don't know where this is coming from - the fact that I'm still getting very little sleep (see previous post), or that it's summer, or what, but all of the sudden, I REALLY miss my college life. Does anyone else go through this, or is it just me? Don't get me wrong - I LOVE my family and my life. But you know. It's just different.

So, humor me and read my list of things I miss most about college life:

1. I miss sleeping in and missing my 8, or 9, or 10 o'clock class.
2. I miss eating in the cafeteria and watching my friend Amber laugh so hard that pudding came out of her nose.
3. I miss walking across campus, feeling so awesome and cool because I am a COLLEGE student and I have places to be and things to do.
4. I miss having Cassy have to walk 3 miles to my boyfriend's house at 2am because she was locked out.
5. I miss rollerblading in Provo Canyon.
6. I miss Janiece yelling at me to get off the phone.
7. I miss Janiece and Jessica fighting.
8. I miss singing at the top of my lungs in a car full of girls.
9. I miss hiking Orderville Canyon with Janiece and Jamie, and sleeping on the church lawn, and getting the sprinklers turned on at 4 am.
10. I miss rolling out of bed at noon to find Diana in the kitchen, having just rolled out of bed too.
11. I miss watering our garden in the middle of the night.
12. I miss that Outdoor Rec class I took during winter where I puked on a hike.
13. I miss getting asked out on a date by PETE my super duper dream guy.
14. I miss fighting and making up with my BFF Steve Bugby.
15. I miss spending the night outside temple square to get tickets for the solemn assembly.
16. I miss having our own Academy Awards with Brigham.
17. I miss lipstick wars with Jeff and Shannon in the day room.
18. Sorry, Ammon - but I also miss first kisses. Especially ones that happened unexpectedly, or in odd places.
19. I miss Diana's couch.
20. I miss going to classes and being SO excited by something I was learning.
21. I miss all the great spiritual experiences I had in college.
22. I miss running around the HFAC after it had closed.
23. I miss BYU mint brownies.
24. I miss Movies 8.
25. I miss cramming for a test hours before and then getting an A anyway.
26. I miss having my sister as my roommate and having her laugh at all the little daily things.
27. I miss falling asleep in the library.
28. I miss Janiece and Jessica's cooking.
29. I miss running into people I knew on campus.
30. I miss yelling at my roommates upstairs to shut up.
31. I miss awesome Utah snow.
32. I miss all the freaking delicious food there was to eat around campus.
33. I miss coming home from class, popping in a movie for 20 mins and eating cottage cheese with saltines.
34. I miss cute old Dr. Scoresby and Dr. Robinson's classes.
35. I miss talking all night with friends and wondering if we'll ever get married. =)

I'M FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, I didn't want to do this post prematurely, lest you all witness "Falling Off the Wagon - Part Deux", but I think we've passed the danger zone...

You read right...I am free from drugs!!! I have officially gone 11 days with no Ambien!!!! Eleven!! I'M CURED!!!! I know this may seem like no big thang, but this is HUGE for me, and I must say, I am a proud little chicken right now. After having had to take a sleeping pill every night for just over three years now, I am mightily impressed with myself at being able to quit.

Amidst all my self congratulations, I must, however, be honest and admit that the impetus for this decision was not exclusively due to on my own indomitable self will. More like, the will of my doctor not being willing to refill my prescription and not being able to go back and see said doctor for a new one. But WHO CARES??? I am free, I am free and I don't care who knows it!!!!

Of course, I have been really tired and have been consuming vast (even for me) quantities of the DC - but all before 3pm.

***Brief but necessary shout out to DC: I love you. I could not live without you. You are my rock and my sweet, sweet nectar. You give me strength when I want to hide under the couch cushions. You give me tantalizing deliciousness when I need something to keep me from the brownies. And thank you, Ronald McDonald, for making the most mouth watering blend of Diet Coke known to man or beast.

Moving on. Sleep-wise, it's been a rough 11 days. Some nights I've not gotten to sleep until 4 or 5 am - last night it was about 1am which is a very big improvement. It's been challenging to say the least, but I'm really relieved. I starting to feel like a real person again.

Here are some of the Pro's of being off the goods:

1. I've learned that I can actually deal with less sleep than I thought I could (good to know if I ever have a baby that only nurses).
2. What they say about exercise really is true - it makes you sleep better. So hopefully one of the pro's will be a butt like Jessica Biel's. Or not.
3. Ability to remember the next day what happened on that show we watched the previous night. And to remember fact that I actually did watch said show. Or even remember that I watched TV.
4. No more random orders of Super Slim Shapers showing up in my mailbox from too much late night drugged up infomercial watching. Although - that was only in the beginning (see #2 below - the fun stuff wears off), and it was kind of fun anyway. And I LOVE my Super Slim Shaper.
5. No more nighttime Nutella binges.

Cons of being off the goods:

1. No more nighttime Nutella binges, or at least no legitimate excuses for having nighttime Nutella binges.
2. Less nighttime fun for Ammon. The goods made me slightly more....amorous. Although that was really just in the beginning (see: Addy).
3. No more using the "I can't get up in the night with Addy because I'll fall down the stairs" excuse. I actually did that once - it was only 2 stairs, but still.

Wow - I'm surprised those are the only cons I can think of. I sure loved my time on the drugs. Those were goooood times. But, it's time to move on. *Sniff*. So long, dear friend. You were a party in a pill and I will miss you and the delicious sleep I had while you were with me. Good heavens - isn't it a good thing I was raised LDS and never got into recreational drugs? That would not have been good.

Happy Birthday Armon!

It's Ammon's 32nd birthday today (NOT 33rd like I told some of our friends - I am trying to prematurely age him)!!! So, in honor of Ammon, and because I didn't get the cute little book done I am still planning on making for him, I put together a little slideshow of Ammon's formative years. Enjoy!!!



I love you, my Mythical Unicorn (don't be alarmed...it's an inside joke)! Weeee! Happy Birthday!

Babies and Babies and Babies (and licenses)

So, I don't know what in the sam blazes has been happening fertility-wise around here, but I swear to the high heavens I know 1100 babies born in the last several months, and at least another 746 on the way. It's amazing, in a good way, but in also a slightly disconcerting way. On the plus side: babies! Duh. So many yummy delicious baby rolls to squish! On the other hand, I'm not sure I want to think about either the really large coincidence it is that everyone I know seems to have kids at once, or the bizarre coordination effort that must have taken place to make this happen.
And, as you might expect, this makes my biological ticker (round 2) feel like one of those really annoying alarm clocks that just keep getting louder and louder until you get up, or throw it against the wall. No, not pregnant. Still in mortal terror of the idea, but REALLY starting to want a squishy little chunk of my own again. NOT a happy combo.

Anyway, I just wanted to give a Super Shout Out to all my new mom and expecting friends who had, or are having the following kidlets. In no particular order (thank you Samantha Harris for officially making that the most boring line ever read from a teleprompter):

Caroline Eleanor

Sophie Jaelyn

Avery Jolyne

Katherine Claire

Kaden H.

Baby Boy Peterson (on the way)

Baby Girl Savage (on the way)

Elisabeth Louise

**Edited Baby BOY Siders (on the way)

Everett Roe

Baby ??? Lay

Rhys Vezzani (Ammon's sis)

Benji Gould (Ammon's other sis)

Baby Boy Johnson (Cousin Misty)

I just have to say how utterly baffling/amazing/insane/wonderful/(insert adjective of your choice here) the things that we go through to become mothers are. Stumpy toes, cankles, fickle birth moms, lame doctors, barfing, itching, heart burn, pant wetting, and excessive belly fat to name a few. And yet, we do it! The things that motherhood inspires you to do and to become are truly incredible. So good job moms!!!

And a little side note to end this post on....I am officially a LEGAL DRIVER AGAIN!!!! Hurrah!!! My suspended (NOT revoked) license was reinstated today, so now I can drive to Rock Springs at 2am if I so choose. Aaaaaaah the freedom.

CWAZY

Oh sweet sanity. My lovely friend Anya let me dump Addy off about an hour ago before I went completely B-A-N-A-N-A-S. Poor kid. I've been saying a lot lately: "You are making me CRAZY!" (don't think I'm terrible - we are in potty training hell. I'm allowed to feel crazy), and she finally said "I so sorry Mommy. I sorry you cwazy". Oh precious little peanut.

So, I thought I'd use this blissful moment of peace and no pee messes to catch up a titch. As ever, I have way too much to say! Must compress.

First off - this was from today and was too cute. This kid wants to go to school so bad! She loves her "pack-pack" and insists on wearing it even though it's at least 11 sizes too big. Also note the fab shoes - Addy had a right of passage last week and got her feet measured at Nordstrom's where we bought her first "real" pair of athletic shoes.

Oh heck. It's 5pm and I really should go pick Addy up. Poor Anya has probably locked her in the closet by now. I'll have to continue later.

Booty

Yes, yes, I know. It's been ages since I've blogged and I have way more important things to post, BUT. I just couldn't resist telling you about this little nugget first:

A few days ago, I bought the ever so delicious treat of the double bag of Pirate's Booty at Costco (if you haven't tried this yet, you must RUN out and get some post-haste). I've been slowly enjoying a few (or maybe 26) handfuls each evening as my little nighttime snack, which considering the temptation, is pretty restrained. I've known many a health nut to consume an entire Costco size bag in one sitting.

Anyway. I've been doing pretty good on rationing my PB out, when I noticed today the bag, entirely empty, lying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh CRAP", was my eloquent first thought. And then: "I've done it again. Another Ambien-addled brain run amok. I wonder if I ate the ham too...?".

Thankfully, I ate neither the bag of PB or the ham. It turns out Addy decided she needed some food storage in her room, consisting solely of Booty:

As you can see, she is extremely proud of her ingenuity, as am I. Providentliving.org would be so impressed.

I knew it.

Your Personality Is Like Alcohol

You're the life of the party, a total flirt, and probably a pretty big jokester. Sometimes your behavior gets you in trouble, but you still remain socially acceptable. You're a pretty bad driver, and you're dancing could also use a little work! At your best: You are uninhibited, funny, and relaxed. What people like about being around you: You're friendly, welcoming, and easy to talk to. What people dislike about being around you: You're a little sloppy and careless. How addicted people get to you: A fair amount, though they tend to deny it.

What Drug Is Your Personality Like?

It's Saturday Night Liiiiiiiiiiiive! With your host, Adeline Reese Crapo!!

I put Addy down for bed about 45 minutes ago, and everything was silent until the last 20 minutes or so when she apparently found her microphone and decided to express her feelings about bedtime over loudspeaker. So I'm sitting here surfing Craigslist, and this is the live feed of what I'm hearing:

8:41pm: "I am not going to bed anymoooooooooore!!! No more!! I won't do iiiiiiiiiiit!" sung to what sounds like the tune of Mamma Mia.
8:44pm: Yes, I was right. It was Mamma Mia. Now she is singing Mamma Mia. Not the correct lyrics of course, just the phrase over and over again in various pitches.
8:46pm: "Mommmmy. Micaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeela..."
8:47pm: Humming interrupted with violent (she's been sick all week) hacking and coughing directly into the mic. I almost wet my pants.
8:49pm: Muttering. Something about books and possibly pantyhose?
8:51pm: Strange banging. It's got to be either the microphone or her head against the bed. Hard to say.
8:56pm: Tuneless whining. Althought it does tend to go up and then back down in pitch, like a bell curve.
9:02pm: "neh neh neh neh. A BUG!!!!!!!!"
9:05pm: More bell curve whining.
9:09pm: It's been silent for 4 minutes....
9:11pm: Dang. Hacking followed by irritated mumbling. SO close.
9:13pm: Oh GADS. I think she's jumping on the bed. ******INTERVENTION FORTHCOMING. Daddy is listening at the door. Hold on - the jumping stops; Daddy moves away.
9:14pm: Silence. Perhaps Ammon's shadow was enough to quiet her down. Ah the power of intimidation.
9:15pm: Wrong again. "Mommmmy. Mommy. Mommy. Mommmmmmmy. Mommy".
9:16pm: Feet kicking. "BLEH" (hey I'm just recording what I hear).
9:21pm: Sad moaning. "Mommy!" Plaintive wailing. "Mama mommy mama!" I will be strong.
9:30pm: I caved. However, this turns out to have been the right move and she had (surprise) become uncovered from her blankets and was just too darn pooped to do anything about it. Hence the low grade whine. Anyway, she seems fine now.
9:39pm: Awwwww, sweet peace.

Addy's Room Redesign - HELP PLEASE!!

Addy's 3rd birthday is coming up on April 3 (How did this kid make it to THREE??), and for her present, we are going to upgrade her into a "Big Girl" bed and room. Here's the pickle: she is certainly an opinionated kid, but she has no idea what she wants, so she's been completely useless in helping me figure out bedding/paint/etc. This is a plus of course because I get to pick whatever I want, but...I don't know what I want either!! I want to be sure it's cute and age appropriate, but something that will also last awhile - i.e. no Hannah Montana/Disney Princesses.

I'm posting below a few ideas I've had and I'm going to open up a voting poll. PLEASE VOTE!! I need other opinions!! I mostly looked at kids stores, so if you've seen bedding somewhere else that would be cute for a little toddler muffin, PLEASE send me a pic. I'm not totally in love with anything yet, so any new ideas would be most welcome. THANKS!!!! How about for the person that manages to find me the perfect bedding, I will bake some fab cupcakes of your choice...unless you live out of state.....then you just get my air kisses. Loves!

1. OWL #1 (drawback - this one is muy expensive so I could probably only get 1 piece - probably the quilt)

2. HAWAIIAN HIBISCUS (Ammon thinks this one would be ridiculous since we live in a land locked state. Eh??? Silly man.)

3. OWL #2 (cute, but not sure I'm in love with the color palette)

4. RED HAWAIIAN (fun, but what in the heck color do you paint a room to match this???)

5. FUNKY FLOWERS (certainly intersting, but too much?)

6. BASIC POLKA DOTS (either pink or green -no more purple allowed. Too boring?)

7. GREEN STITCHING (also maybe a little dull?)