tanks easto bunny, bok bok!

And the eating goes on. Easter was delicious. The boys and I dyed eggs with Ella and it reminded me how much I like hard-boiled eggs. I really missed the annual Ivie-Wawrzyniak Easter breakfast in St. George this year--especially my dad's creamed eggs on toast. I would've made some in his honor, but I would have been the only one eating them, and creamed-anything should not be on my menu right now. Christian missed the big egg hunt (again), and most of the candy, but he did make it to church in time to teach his lesson and then stayed awake to accompany us to Derek & Bonnie's for Easter dinner. And it did not disappoint. Bonnie is a gem--she got a real, true Honey Baked® Ham! I had forgotten how much better they really are than the Costco spiral cut honey hams which we've switched over to in hard times. There is a difference, and it's a tasty one. She also made the most fabulous cheesy potatoes, of which I ate way too many servings. We brought asparagus and Jody's famous trifle for dessert, which unfortunately did not turn out as good as Jody's. (The easily-distracted being that I am, I only added one box of white chocolate pudding to the milk measurement for two boxes. Oops--pudding soup. That's what I get for attempting to prepare food while my children are out of bed.) This, however, did not stop me from having a huge serving that night and again for the next two nights.

Bonnie was so thoughtful and bought a dinosaur floor puzzle for the boys. The little boys. I guess James wasn't in the mood to show off his puzzle skills, though. How many orthopaedic surgeons does it take to put together a children's floor puzzle?


We loved being able to spend the holiday with part of our Seattle "family." Thanks for having us over! We hope you still want your child to be born after spending three hours with ours.


P.S. I do have footage of the boys searching for eggs for the grandparents, but I need to edit for length before I post it. Watch for it soon. . .

marmaduke eats it all (happy birthday to me)

Birthday brownies. Birthday brownies with cookies n' cream ice cream. Oh, and Carly's pork burritos with LOTS of cheese and dressing. That's what we ate for my 31st birthday. After my mom and sister left I found myself standing on the scale in shock. How could I gain 7 pounds in one weekend?

I'll be honest--it wasn't just the brownies. Let's see, Thai on Thursday, big fat cheeseburgers with fries on Friday, and coconut curry mahi mahi on Saturday, followed by a medley of desserts. Plus lunches at the Nordstrom Cafe, Taco Time, and Joey's, all with a real Coke. (I am Coke deprived, and I don't like Diet Coke, so when I finally get a chance to go out, I drink at least three of the real thing in a sitting. Do not tell me how many calories that costs me. I don't want to know.) And the peanut M&Ms were flowing all weekend. Seriously, all we did all weekend was eat and shop!

At least after excess shopping you look better than you did before. I have really let myself go crazy ever since Thanksgiving, I guess. I ate whatever I wanted at Christmas, then I had my little surgery in January, after which I convinced myself that I should take a break from working out so I could heal (ha!), plus I have a permanent candy dish on my counter (bad idea). But none of the weight seemed to be catching up with me, even after all the Valentine's candy. Who says your metabolism slows down at 30? No, that's not true at all. It slows down at 31. Augh! Seriously, four days after my birthday I finally saw the scale jump. And I've got to be in a swim suit in two weeks. BOOMER!

At least I celebrated big, unlike last year when Christian was on call and I lit myself a candle on a cupcake and made the boys and some neighbor kids sing happy birthday to me. Christian was on call again this year, but my mom and sister made it a fabulous day. Thank you so much for coming to see me, and for all the amazing birthday gifts! It was one of my best birthdays on record.

It was mostly a girls weekend, with neighbors and Christian helping with the boys so we could play. I was so desperate for some girl time with no kids that I actually left the boys with Christian post call. He took James to school and put on a movie for Addy, and doesn't remember anything after that. Then on Saturday I got a call from James on my cell. From what I could understand I assessed that he hurt his ear playing Ghost Run and he didn't like when daddy had to poke him with the needle. That's right--round two of do-it-yourself stitches. While circling the kitchen, he nicked his ear on a corner, popping the skin open and exposing the cartilage. Man, I'm so glad I didn't have to see that one. Christian's description of holding James down with his knee while trying to stitch it up was enough for me. Well, they both lived, so I guess it worked out. I had a great time shopping and didn't have to deal with the drama firsthand for once. Thank you so much, Cree, for giving me that wonderful birthday gift!


The boys got in some serious snuggle time with Grandma Holly. There was, of course, the requisite trip to McDonald's, plus she took them to see Horton Hears a Who while Lind and I saw Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. And don't forget the Easter presents, just a little early. Goofballs! What a great mom and grandma we have. So thoughtful and fun. We love you!













It was so great to spend time with my sister, too. We got crafty (think fabric-covered headbands and crocheted chihuahua sweaters) and read every tabloid magazine from the last three months (she takes good care of me). I miss having her right there for style and hair advice. I'm so glad I have a sister. Thanks for coming all the way up here, and for the sweet gifts! I miss hanging out with you!



Addy was positively distraught when we dropped Grandma and "Aunt Wanda" off at the airport. He cried and yelled for me to "go back a airport, right now!" I think he thought we were getting on the plane with Grandma. Poor mister.

As much as I love my three boys, sometimes I just need to be around girls. The talk is different, the expectations are different. The shopping is definitely different than with my sweet husband. And you wouldn't believe the cleaning they did before they left. My house was cleaner than before they came! I can't tell you how much I looked forward to this weekend--it really got me through some tough days with my two crazy monkeys. And it was worth the wait. I love you two!

helper monkey

He wants to wash his hands constantly. He won't wear his shoes if he notices the bottoms are dirty. He'll be the first to dump out the basket of toys in my living room and then run off, leaving a mess, but if you ask him to clean it up he'll say, "Otay" and go to work. This kid is a clean freak. Yes, Addy is much like his daddy, too. Oh it's a good thing--I love having a "clean" kid. But for some reason I was still surprised to see how excited he was to vacuum the floor the other day. He usually runs for cover from the noise. "I try!" he said when I got the Shark out for my daily crumb clean-up. So I took the long-reach handle off and voila! It was just his size! Is 2 too young to start a job chart? I think I could delegate some serious housework to this monkey! He's just the right size for those hard-to-reach places. . .


I wish you could see his facial expression when he's really concentrating. . .


Any idea how hard it was to get him to smile for this picture?
He wanted it washed off so badly I could hardly get him to pose.