I Don't Know What to Title This Post.

when i was a kid i had toys and clothes. that's all i had that just belonged to me. the games and books and movies were for everyone to share. the toys were pretty simple. i didn't have anything that really did anything. i don't think anything needed batteries. i did have one toy that had its cheeks light up if i squeezed it. i had to use my imagination for everything.

nowadays, my kids have a ridiculous amount of toys. we really need to get rid of more than half of them. most of emmy's toys are the kind you need your imagination for. andrew mostly uses his imagination because i usually refuse to put batteries in his trains. if they are new, then i will. today he brought me an older train. i refused him the battery for it. i told him he didn't need a battery because he has his own hands to make it go.

i think the kids have so many toys because as a kid i didn't. i feel like i can give them more than i got as a kid. for one thing, i just have the two kids to get toys for. i was one of seven. my mom couldn't give us a bunch of things all the time. at halloween i can use a couple of bucks to get the pumpkin shaped candy buckets. if i had to buy for seven kids i probably wouldn't do that.

for easter we've always gotten them a new basket. maybe this year i will make their baskets and they can use those every year. i think i like that idea. i think it will be fun. afterall, i made their xmas stockings and they use those every year. yeah, the more i think about it the more i want to make easter baskets. we have very few easter traditions in our family. i think it's about high time we started some.

wow, this post ended way off where it started.

Check Up Time

i took the kids to the doctor's office today. they were just getting check ups and andrew got two shots. they said that he's done 'til he's twelve. emmy will need some before she goes to school next year. andrew stayed still on the table and didn't cry when he got the shots. he said they really hurt, but he was tough. when the two nurses left i heard the one saying to the other that she thought he did really well. i'm glad that he is brave and can handle pain well. of course, he knew what to expect. he knew that he was getting shots and he knew that they would hurt. i'd been telling him earlier. i thought that maybe they both needed them, but emmy was so glad not to.

andrew weighs 49 pounds and is 45 inches tall. emmy weighs 25 pounds and is 37 inches tall

Mission: Accomplished

i finally got the pillows done. i was having someone come over and i wanted the pillows to match. i'm really happy with how they turned out.

the kids are happy, too.

Derek Got Me a Mini Van

we got a minivan on saturday. i'm really glad that i now have a way to get around. it's so nice to not have to coordinate with derek about the car. if i need to go to the store during the day i don't have to call anybody to come and take us anywhere. i'm so happy about it. i think that derek can just call it his valentine's day gift to me. i haven't taken any pictures, yet. it's a blue 2001 dodge grand caravan. it seats 7. the middle seats are bucket seats. it has dual sliding doors, which is so nice! i enjoy driving it and it wasn't that hard to get used to. sometimes i have a really hard time getting used to vehicles. especially long ones. the van is longer than my car, but now by much. i'll post pictures as soon as i take some.

The Biggest Project I Ever Did

first of all, ignore the stains in the carpet. i have kids who like to make messes.

when derek and i moved to utah back in '04 his parents gave us this couch with a matching chair. my mom gave us the pillows. isn't this couch ugly?

i recently got rid of the chair. yeah, i hated the denim. we used a slip cover for a few years, but eventually it got bad, too. so, finally i started to do something. i finally finished the foot rest i started last year. it's made out of tin cans and foam.

don't you just love the fabric? i love swirls!

and now for the crowning jewel. my mom came over today and helped me get a lot of this done. when she left all i had left to do was cover the cushions. i love it. it looks so much better. i'm gonna re-cover all the pillows, too, but i was tired after doing the couch so they will have to wait for another day. they will be in the same blue as the foot rest.

Woo Hoo! New Project!

i'm on to a new project! i'm super excited about this one! i'll be posting before and after pictures in my next post!

Beef and Noodles with Mashed Potatoes

my friend andi said that she loves this meal, but needs a recipe for it. well, it just so happens that i used to make the beef and noodles at the essenhaus sometimes. so, this is what i remember.

make a lot of roast beef one night. make sure you have left overs. save the juice. this is the beef broth. save the meat and shred it. get some egg noodles and cook them in the beef broth. when they are done, drain them and add the beef. that's all it is. now, as far as the mashed potatoes go, i'm sure you know how, but just in case you don't: slice and boil your potatoes. drain, add milk, butter, and salt. mash. when i do potatoes i wash them, but don't peel them. i like to eat the skins because i hear they are good for you. i do the same with most vegetables. also, it saves time. now i need to make this.