Top 5: Things I learned today

Isn't is sad how slow the blogosphere gets on the weekends?  It's like all the 'professional' bloggers think it's like a real job and take the weekend off.

I'm sorry.  I didn't mean it.  It's just that, I'm so addicted and realize I wouldn't want to live my life with out the Pioneer Woman, The Possesionista, YHL, et al.

Well, seems like P-Dub wanted to prove me wrong and posted on a Sunday, but I swear, that never happens!

Anyway, I didn't want to disappoint (Hmm, I guess that would be a fail, since it's now 10:17 on Sunday night) and I will still be here FISRT thing Monday morning ; )  OH, and sometimes I like to show you how brilliant I am, so today I tell you about 5 things I learned, in order from least important to earth shattering:

5.  I threw up all over my bed, wall and floor when I was a child.  Thanks for that, dad.  My visions of me being a perfect child (ha!) went out the window.  I guess he felt the need to share that with me after I told the story of Kyla's poop birthday party.

4.  I talked about Disneyland as a child, a lot, and wanted to go there, all the time.  Funny, I know another little girl that talks about Disneyland, A LOT, and wants to go there, ALL THE TIME  : )

Photo by Kimberly Althausen

And it warmed my heart.

3.  La Baguette Bakery Cafe is the closest place to Europe I have been in Colorado Springs (that I can recall at the moment).  Kyla, Colby and I popped in to Old Colorado City to pick up some lunch to take to Stephen, who was working in the area.  I had to do 3 things I generally dislike to get it.  1.  Drive south of Woodmen.  This is only partially a joke.  2. Park alongside the road and walk to restaurant.  Something I would normally love, alone with 2 kids, generally not worth it.  3.  Receive my lunch without it being passed through the drive thru window, ie. waiting for food to 'take away'.

But no!  The cafe was cute and they had fun pastries and lots of loafs of bread and the kids meal?  Tortellini in swiss cheese sauce with a french roll and grapes, delish!!  If I ever had to go back to OCC, I'd go there ; )

2.  The Hershey Company has a section on their website where you can locate hard to find products!

  How fun is that??

Bonus!  I also learned how to take a screen shot on my computer :)  Welcome to 2011, Liz.

And lastly and most earth shattering...

1.  Colby lip-syncs, and it may be the most hilarious thing I have seen either of my kids do.  We were driving down the highway and I look back, cause they are being soooo quiet.  Kyla is sleeping and Colby is tapping his fingers on his leg, eyes closed, head tilted back, mouthing... words, SO passionately to the music on the radio.  Absolute.  Preciousness.  Amen.

Super Bonus:  I leaned that the image in my head of the Cotton Gin was neither correct nor totally incorrect.  Click HERE to see if the image in your head was accurate!

Picking up a Pineapple

Have you ever asked a four year old to pick up a pineapple! It's funny stuff like this that I just don't think about. Kyla has eaten pineapple many times, he knows what Spongebob's house looks like, she's even seen them in real life!!! But I guess I never thought to hand one over to her to explore it. No, I'm not a creative genius... Why do you ask?

But I did today :)

How do you pick this thing up?

Here? It's too heavy!

Got it! (With 4 fingers)

It was too spiny to hold it on the bottom ; )

But she got it... Kinda ; )

It's cool though, Colby plays with pine cones like they're nurf balls.  So at least one of my children tangibly knows what 'spikey' and 'sharp' means.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Aaaaand that was about as excited about V Day as I am going to get.

I think spending many a Valentines Day alone, going to school or heaven forbid, school dances ALONE on this special day, year after year pretty much did me in for the rest of my life.  And why did I continue to go to dances alone, err... with my friends, anyway??  I mean, I look back and they were fun, but definitely not something I would ever torture myself with now a days... ya know, if I got the chance.

Anyway, that's not what I came here to talk about, my lonely days ; )

Did you know that Stephen and I have been 'together' for almost 8 years?  Did you know that a few days ago we learned something new about each other?  Neither one of us likes Valentine's Day and could care less if we celebrate it, after all, it's just a dumb 'Hallmark Holiday'.
Then he went shopping yesterday and got me something... from Tiffany's.  Stupid Valentine's Day.

Fine.  I accept gifts.  But you wanna know something?  I don't ever, like ever, want to go out to dinner with my 'valentine' on Valentine's Day.  I've only done it once before, the first year Stephen and I were married.  We stayed at the Broadmoor hotel (thanks sister in law discount!) and went out to eat at a nearby restaurant.  Can we say awkward??  Every table is a 2 top and you know everyone is there only because Valentine's Day told them to do so.  And everyone is trying so hard to be romantic, because they don't want to be outdone by someone else.  The restaurants are all. packed. With a million reservations and still wait times of 10 minutes or more.  I'm fine with going on dates with my husband, love it!  But on Valentine's Day?  It seems forced.  Pressure cooker!  I know, I kinda have strong opinions for only having gone on a Vday date... ONE time, but it was enough to know I don't need to do it anytime soon.  Maybe I'll give it a try once the kids are older.  Right now I judge most of my activities on a 'is it worth it to find a babysitter' basis.  Vday?  Not so much :)

OH, I guess I should add that I'm not a total grinch.  Seeing everything, including Valentine's Day, through the eyes of a child is more fun, more exciting and wonderful and amazing blah blah blah...

But it really is special (hearts hearts hearts)

; )

Okay, for serious.  The best thing this year:  My sister Sara came over to watch the kids while I went to a salon to get my hair done (first time in yyeeeearrrs!!) and when I came home she and Kyla had made heart shaped sugar cookies!!!  TOO CUTE!  And I got home in time to help decorate the different sized hearts with pink, bright pink and white frosting and sprinkles.  And they were DELISH!

*Note to reader* Sugar cookies are the thorn in my side.  I have given up and don't even attempt.  So to have them in my house all heartsy and pinky and cutesy was SO FUN!

See??  I'm lovey!!

Super Twice

Just now, sitting down to lunch at home, Kyla mentions that she has never seen the Red Robin robin walking around at Red Robin. "I've never seen him once, I've never seen him twice, I've never even seen him super twice... What's super twice?" Me: "um, I think you just made that one up." Kyla: "maybe like 100... Or something?"

If you dare...

Click HERE

Please don't ask how I found this, that's why they call it a WEB, people.
A World Wide Web.

jeepers creepers... *shudder*

I just needed to share that with someone before I could sleep tonight.  Thank You.

I take requests!

Aaaand I deliver :)

 Kyla's birthday dinner

(after ballet, note the leotard ; )

 Colby man digs in.  One of his few (discernible) words... cake.

 Poor girl, got christmas paper.  I feel your pain Kyla.  I mean, it was either that or wrap them in a towel... which I was all about, haha!

Don't mess with tradition!

 The next morning we had a small party with 3 of Kyla's friends (and their siblings)

The big girls sat at the table together and had a 'tea' party.

 Then made a craft

 Kyla's says: Mom S. and Kyla.  Oh, and 4, because she turned 4 ; )

 Sweet Lily

 Cuteness, this is.

 Happy Birthday, Kyla!!

So... any other requests??  I may or may not provide 1,000 pictures :)

And the winner...

For most useless kitchen gadget

AND

LEAST bang for your buck...

The Nordic Ware Egg Waffle Pan!!!

I can't say that the second I saw this I didn't gasp and say, "awwwesome" 

You can ROLL 'em!

 You can put STRAWBERRIES on 'em!

 And you can STACK 'em with powdered sugar!

 Now, I love kitchen gadgets as much as Rachel Ray and have stuffed my drawers and cabinets with about as much as they can hold, I even love waffles, I even want to eat THESE waffles...but this is ridiculous.

 For $49.99

• Durable cast-aluminum distributes heat quickly so the waffles cook evenly.
• Nonstick coated interior for flawless release and convenient cleanup.
• Rugged stainless-steel handles.
• Hinged, interlocking pans separate for easy washing.
• Recipe included. (!!!)
• A Williams-Sonoma exclusive. 
• YOU get to clean all the batter that squishes out and burns onto your stove-top or drips down into the burners!
• But you'll probably only use it once a year, so cleaning up won't be that bad!

Here's a review!

Crazyforwaffle gave it 1 star out of 5

Disapppointed

Originally I was so excited to see this product available as we love this delicious snack from home (Hong Kong), but I was really disappointed after the first try. The mix didn't taste good at all and the waffle came out either overdone on the outside crust or undercook in the inside.
Very disappointed!

Um... I didn't even have to try out the pan to tell you the thin parts would be well done and the bubbles would be undercooked!  Refund!