The Chosen One

Elli has been waiting patiently for years to be chosen by Crush in Turtle Talk at Disneyland to ask her question.  The golden question has changed over time from "What is your favorite book?" to "Who are you going to vote for for President?" to finally "Can you name all your kids in alphabetical order?" (He has 65.)  Jason has offered to pay her to ask where baby turtles come from, but Elli does not share his 14 year old boy sense of humor.  So today she was picked.  She sat in the spot her friend Isabel had told her holds the best chance of being picked, and wildly waved her arm, and finally she was the third/last one chosen.  The rest of the day she kept saying how she couldn't believe she got picked, and likened it to the day she got her ears pierced and the day she started wearing contacts.  Crush couldn't name his offspring in ABC order, but he did name them.  Here is the best my memory can recover of his answer:

Squirt

Crush Jr.

Crush Jr.

Crush Jr.

Crush Jr.

Crush Jr.

Bill & Ted

Cheech & Chong

Spicoli

Leonardo

Raphael

Donatello

Michelangelo

Keanu

"You so totally rock, Dude!"

Check That off My List

Things to do while we live in LA:  Eat at Roscoe's Chicken 'n Waffles

I have eaten brunch plenty of times, we have brinner probably twice a month (breakfast FOR dinner) but never have I had breakfast WITH dinner. (unless you count the time I accidentally ordered steak and eggs and then cried when my food came, but I blame my parents for letting me order so poorly)  So anyway,  I wanted to experience cuisine that has stood the test of time and really be one with the people of Los Angeles so we ventured to Pasadena for the famous Roscoe's Chicken 'n Waffles.   Don't think that since we didn't go to the Los Angeles location we didn't stand out a wee bit.  Good thing I wasn't wearing my McCain/Palin t-shirt.  (don't really have one, but don't think I need one for people to assume my party affiliations)  Luckily our friends, The Shorts, were there with us for back up, safety in blonde numbers.

The waffles were really good, with a hint a cinnamon.  (Who stole my dad's secret ingredient?)

Fried chicken is always a guilty pleasure, and the girls liked it all, also.  (But really, what's not to like, it is all bad for you!) And we got mac 'n cheese, super yummy, similar to Joe's in Gilbert only better.

Check out the painting behind us, they were all over the resaurant, and for sell if interested. GOBAMA

We were hoping to see Snoop there, we hear it is his favorite, but no such luck this time, and I can't really say there will be a next time.

Come and Knock on Our Door

We want to greet you with our Martha Stewart glittered than Walmart knock-off Mr. Potato Head decorated pumpkins.

Then we will share my prettiest dessert ever, The Pumpkin Roll.  Most people know making things cute (except kids) is not my strong suit.  I do my best but my home/present wrapping/culinary dishes show how it does not come natural like it does to so many of my friends.  Oh Well, I'm cool with it.  But I rock 'n roll with pumpkin.

Here is a flashback to get you in the Halloween Spirit. 

Fairy Halloween!

This is my cute Elli as a pea in the pod but we all know it could be any one of my 3 carbon copy babies, see don't I make cute babies?

(This was supposed to be nearer the top, but like all things in my life, it isn't quite in the right spot) 

 We will spray dye you hair before the big day just to get you in the mood. (This is Elli & her friend Alli.)

Really, come see us anytime.  

Where the kisses are hers and hers and hers and hers, and finally his.

Pop Rocks!

We had a great weekend with a visit from my dad, the girls' poppa.  We got the fun times rolling right away with attempts at contacts.  Elli was talking herself into them, she is so funny how logical she tries to be to even though she was terrified.  Addie, on the other hand, saw how brave Elli had to be and decided it wasn't worth it. (That sounds very similar to her mom's assessment of life.)  Now we have only one in glasses, which according to my book, no longer make us the self-imposed "glasses family".  Last year when Addie started wearing glasses I thought is was pretty cute.  Fast forward 4 months and we come to find that Elli needs them also, and it's not that she didn't also look adorable, but it was now a bit redundant. (This is a favorite word in our house ever since Jason used it to describe his feelings upon learning baby #3 was another girl, but I digress.)

So Elli now wears contact, today was day 4.  It takes me about a minute to get them in, and she takes them out herself, not too shabby.  So how do you follow forceful insertion of plastic in your eye?  John's Incredible Pizza of course!  Amelia loves a carousel, even if it pales in comparison to Disneyland.

This is our new favorite game, the girls and I played it about 10 times, and most times we won 50 tickets, woo-hoo.

While we were off, and Jason was in charge of Amelia having fun, they both decided video poker was the game to play, and play, and play.  They are planning a Vegas Vacay together as soon as they can find a fake ID for Millie.

My little dare devils raising the roof on the fake roller coaster.

This is were the pictures end, but we continued the fun with Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Addie's soccer game, pumpkin patch with face painting, and my favorite brisket dinner.  After a day eating strawberry and whipped cream pancakes, popcorn and candy at the movies, shaved ice at the soccer game, and frozen yogurt for dessert, Elli asked in the car, "Can I have a chocolate bar when get home?" and upon my loud scoff continued "Should I not have asked that?" 

Thanks poppa, come back soon!

When Life Gives You Lemons (gray skies and drizzles)

Make lemonade! (hot chocolate)

The girls were inspired by their friends' lemonade stand they asked if they could have their own.  Plans were made, Elli had ideas of how she would decorate the sign, and then we woke up Saturday morning to weather not inducive to selling lemonade.  Plan B quickly worked itself out and luckily we had everything on hand to make yummy cocoa in our handy dandy cocomotion, our family's favorite gadget. 

Would you like hot chocolate, rice-krispie treats, brownies, or water?  

50 cents each, what a deal!

The girls loved shaking their sign for all the passerby's, but once a customer actually came, they clammed up and I had to handle the transaction which then looks like I'm pimpin' out my kids trying to make a few bucks.  We need to work on that and drinking/eating while on the job, so unprofessional!

Reunited, and it feels so good

First, big shout out to my artistic and amazing graphic designer Jenny S. for making my blog so spooktacular!  Your check's in the mail.

Secondly, I thought Facebook was for college students or single adults looking to mingle, but Jason got on because his co-workers were, then he told me how many of my friends were on it, so I joined and, wow am I popular.  I never knew I had so many friends! (Okay, you really just have to recognize someone's name from your past and they are suddenly your friend, but it still makes me feel popular.)  So I got a friend request from my Freshman year at BYU suitemate and part of our "too cool for Y school" clique, Kami.  And the great part is she lives in So Cal and loves Disney, so we met up asap to catch-up.  Here is a flashback at what looks like good clean fun times at Zion's school.

Kami was the tiny one who could crawl trough the box in our shared wall if we ever locked ourselves out so we didn't have to bother the RA who REALLY didn't like us. (Still feel guilty about that one!) (We lived in Deseret Towers, U Hall, which I hear no longer exists, except in our hearts.)

We took a road trip to Vegas with my sister and Samantha Smith.  This is in the church my parents go married. (I kick myself looking at this picture that I don't still have these awesome "mom shorts," but I am pretty sure last time I visited Andra she was still sporting the XL polo.)

Playing inner tube water polo for rec sports.  What is under the towel is too immodest to post, can you believe these suits are as high cut at the ones you see on Baywatch?

We decided if we wanted to fit in, we better dress 10 years behind the times.  This is our attempt at 80's night. (This is with my awesome roommate Syrene)

Not sure why we have cut out lips on, just thought the lighting in this picture was amazing!

Believe it or not, this is Kami 13 years later, looking exactly the same with her darling and talkative son Quinn.

And now we have a brood a kids, my girls and her boy.