a short list

... of things that are currently awesome.  That I may or may not have gone all nutty on with some Picnik action.

I finally finished the chairs!  Just in time, too because it's too cold outside to spray paint until May.  GEHDHEHEERRRRRRR.  Over 30 people liked it on facebook.  I AM SO VALIDATED RIGHT NOW.

My loverly fam at the church Trunk or Treat.  The Dude doesn't have the presence of mind to leave any kind of costume on, so I had to go with this shirt, and the husband kindly obliged me by going all twinners with him.  Why yes, that is white electrical tape all over his sweater.

After working so hard on those garbage bag wings, I actually went ahead and made some out of material that worked super great.  I had some silky fabulous black jersey knit that I made into a maxi skirt for moi, and there was enough left over for 2 pairs of bat wings.  Woohoo!

That's the Dude.  If that face doesn't make you happier than anything, you probably need a cookie.

Oh, and those two are mine.  I totally dig them.

Last but not least, the husband e.mailed this to me and dared me to watch it and maintain any sort of bad mood.  He won.  It's the trailer to the new movie, The Lorax.  It also has one of my top 2 songs in it, so there was very little chance I wasn't going to adore it.  I dare YOU to not adore it.  I win!!!

GPOYW

We're bats! - edition.  I get the weirdest ideas sometimes.  She wanted to be a bat for Halloween, I had some garbage bags and... voila!  We're bats!  With tall ears that help us find where things are through echo-location.  I'm vaguely aware of what that is, but she won't stop yammering on about it.  I think either the Wild Kratts or the Cat in the Hat that taught her that one.

Old Mac

Old McDonald Tune by user9552426

This is what the husband and WonderGirl do when mommy is out for the night.

hahahaha!

Some yucks for your day:

That's from the random interwebs, but I approve it.  This next pic was an outfit WonderGirl came up with the other morning:

Um.... so I suggested she go and modify the outfit somewhat, and she came back a few minutes later telling me it was all fixed now:

 I gave up.  It gave the teachers a laugh, at least.

I adore my family.

like blogs through an hourglass

So for some reason, I've been reading through the archives of my original blog - the one I started way back in 2000 when I was a fresh-faced 20 year old.  I actually stumbled on the first year of marriage year and reread that whole year.  Can I just say I'm so thankful for all of those who still followed me after that year of mush?  I don't think there's a single entry where I didn't gush on about how the husband was the most amazing human on the planet for me and blarrrgggg.   I mean, I don't mind reminding myself, but if must have been nauseating.  For example, what about this excerpt from February 2005:

Today, we've been married a month. Best month of my life. I'm so darn lucky. He is so perfect (for me). And now I'll stop so y'all don't get sick...;)
But if you look at what happened last year, to this year..... it's amazing what a year I've had. And it's all been worth it I guess, to bring me this joy, and the best husband a girl could ask for.

And that's not even close to the mushiest stuff.  (it's all true though - I really do try to be nice and censor a little of my life.)

It has been funny, reading up to our first anniversary, knowing when I got pregnant with WonderGirl and giggling at unsuspecting 25 year old me.  Reading about the trainwreck that was my pregnancy and Brasil...  I'm so glad I kept a blog.  It's far more entertaining than my actual journal.  Heck, there are things that I blogged that I had totally forgotten about - did you know I have 2 spleens??  Yeah, they noticed that during one of my ultrasounds.  One is normal size, the other is teeny weeny but it's there.  How random is that??  And how does a person forget that sort of thing??  Wait - I know - we have kids and our brains fall out.

There have been a lot of other bloggers from back then who have left the bloggering world and only update their lives on Facebook.  That's fine and dandy, but I miss y'all.  Without blogging, I would never have remembered this gem from June 2005:

So we're sitting there in church yesterday, singing a hymn about Christ with lyrics that say "he came with no apparent beauty that man should him desire" and Jared whispers to me that he thinks that's wrong - that Christ was probably a good looking person - and I whisper no he wasn't and I was pretty sure there was some scripure about that and had to go find it it prove him wroooong. 

Found it in Isaiah 52:3 I think, where it says he was not a physically beautiful man, which makes sense, because he appeals to our spiritual sides, to our faith, not to our physical and such so I show him the scripture and say "see? now that makes me what???" (Okay, I was fishing for ths one)"right." 

Now, Jared's really smart so when we have a dispute about something, especially gospel-related, I'm usually wrong. So having him say I was right was a cheap thrill, but I wanted to dig a little deeper..."and that makes you...what?"(insert - the correct answer here would be "wrong" but his answer was infinitely funnier) 

"Um... it makes me strangely attracted to a man no one else finds attractive?" 

I tried not to laugh too loud. I like him:)

Heh.

ahhhhhhhhhh

Having dealt with another person's poo far more than seems a decent level today, the husband decided to give me a break from my housewife duties and took us out to dinner.

Eating out is a wonderful and awful experience as a parent of young children.  On on hand, you aren't making the food and you aren't serving it or cleaning up.  On the other hand, you are trying to keep your louder-than-a-fog-horn toddler who does NOT want to be strapped into a high chair from ruining the dining experience of all the other patrons.  It's relaxing and stressful all at the same time.

The Dude was in rare form when we walked into the restaurant and was sobbing actual tears of righteous indignation,  The prospect of a peaceful dinner wasn't looking so bright.  That's when I remembered the DVD player, along with the kid's DVDs - were all the van.  I ran to the parking lot and grabbed them, got back to the table and put Dora's Pirate Adventure on at a barely registered volume.

He munched and sang along with Dora, WonderGirl ate and shared her fries with him, and the husband and I breathed a sigh and actually enjoyed a dinner out.  I'm so glad I had kids in the digital age.

just in case you were in need of some perspective

 Notes from a Dragon Mom.

Being thankful for the muddle-ish life I have today.

these boots were made for gawkin'

I was a chaperone for WonderGirl's class trip to the pumpkin patch today, and the forecast called for mud, followed by showers.  So I had to wear the only shoes I had that were appropriate for the outdoors.

Really.  These were the only ones that weren't ballet flats, heels or flip flops.

As we were leaving, I caught a glimpse of my feet and thought of how ridiculous they looked, so I tried to be a fashion blogger and made Heidi take some pictures of me by the car.  Right in front of the other parents and the bus full of confused children.

I think we can all safely say that I should NOT be a fashion blogger.  Or a model.  Isn't the pigeon-toed look supposed to be hot this fall?

ONE MILLION*punchesintheface*!!!!!!

Punches in the Face Sweepstakes

Does anyone check out Homestar Runner anymore?  And if you ever did, do you remember the clip where Strong Bad calls Marzipan's answering machine and pretends she's won a big prize?  If you don't please listen to the clip I have kindly provided for you, as I reference this about 14 times a day and no one gets why I think it is so blasted funny to say I'll punch someone in the face.

one year older and wiser too....?

People, I just realized I've been making this year-in-review thing for 10 years today.  Seriously.  Was your mind just blown?  ME TOO.


I compiled this list for my mom, but you can go digging too if you want.  Especially because I'm pretty sure those lists are going to be waaayyyy more interesting than this year.
22nd birthday
23rd birthday
24th birthday
25th birthday
26th birthday
27  th  birthday
28 th birthday
29th birthday
30th birthday
31st birthday


And now, without further ado, my 31st year in review:

• Took a loverly and super awesome vacay with the family to Atlanta for no reason other than cheap tickets.
• Taught WonderGirl to read, play violin and piano.
• Got some blue hairs.
• Saw both of the Harry Potters.  Bawled and cheered both times.
• Hubs went to China for the first time and I survived.
• Spent Christmas in Wisconsin.
• Got a sewing machine and a new obsession hobby!!
• My dad beat the cancers.  (that technically wasn't me, but I did some pretty motivating cheers for the doctors)
• Celebrated 6 years of matrimony with some incredible sushi in Iowa.
• Got a flat tire on the way back from Iowa, but all was well.
• Got a fancy schmancy DSLR camera!!!
• Did a weekend of shows with the BorderCollies in Atlanta.
• Found out why the Dude chews on things to show happy, sad, tired, gassy, etc - and therefore was uninterested in speaking since his mouth was otherwise occupied.  Lotsa therapy and prayers, and our boy is a talkin' machine!!!
• Hopped in the car with 2 hours notice and drive overnight to Denver to see Lola's amazing baby and hang out with my family for a WHOLE MONTH while the husband galavanted around China.
• Got called as the president of the Young Women's organization in our ward (church thang).
• Went to Atlanta to play 2 weekends of gigs and vacationed in between.  HEAVENLY!!
• Went to Nauvoo, IL with family for a week.
• Hosted a sleepover for the teen girls at my house.
• Celebrated the Dude's 2nd birthday!!
• Sent off my firstborn to 4 year old kindergarten.  Bawled my face off.
• Went to New York City with the husband!!  No kids!!  Just us!!  Vacationed!!  Saw someone make a world record - the most cannolis eaten in 6 minutes!!  Ate seriously awesome food and took a picture of it all!!  AWESOMESAUCE!!!
• Threw a successful birthday partay for WonderGirl.  5 YEARS OLD.  SERIOUSLY.

Thanks for being awesome 31.  Much has changed in the last 10 years.  I don't think 22 year old Reva could have ever guessed what 32 would look like, but I think she'd be jealous of me.  Being me is kind of fabulous.

OH!!!'d to Jane

My bro Tarzan and his lovely wife Jane, being photobombed by Quinn and Mara - did they do that on purpose??  Because they always look that excited :)

She's the expert at these ode-things, but she deserves one (she's... OWE'd?? HAHAHA!!)  because it's Jane's birthday!!!  

(actually, her birthday was technically yesterday and I DID start this post yesterday because then my 

back started hurting so bad that I had to roll around on the floor and moan for half an hour.  So I'm finishing it now like a big cheater)

To those who might possibly have been living under a rock and NOT know Jane, she's my oldest brother's fantabulous wife of almost 11 years now.  Seriously, I can hardly believe she's been my sis for 11 years, but she has!  And she is, as we all know, fantabulous.  So, I will now attempt to sing Jane's praises through the use of poetry:

Of all the fair damsels that e're had a brain, 

there has never been quite such a lady as Jane.

She cooks in the kitchen and on the dance floor,

and spreads the bloggy-webs with witticisms galore.

 Her heart is as big as an ocean - they say,

for she gives it - and her heart all away - 

to her family, her friends, and her fluffy/lucky cats,

(not to mention at church, she runs most of that)

And not to be selfish, but her greatest benefaction

has been joining my family and springing into action

with fabulous parties, surprises and let's not forget - 

everyone EVERYONE gets a fantabulous Christmas present!!

So to our dearest Jane - I hope I can convey

that we all adore you on your birthing-est day

And thank you for being so fab and putting up with this fuss,

we're just so thankful you are ours and put up with all of us!!

I just read that to the hubs and WG and they both agree that it is VERY Seuss-ian.  But only the best for our beloved Jane!!  LOVE YOU!!!!!!

birthday party 2011

It's an art party, right?  So I taped a bunch of WG's creations all over the walls.

The calm before the storm

The ingredients of a Reva party.  The fabric glue actually melted the bottom of the plastic cups!!

Who knew little girls loved olives?? I sure didn't!

Sidenote to Jane - I went with white berets so they could draw on them.  And for some crazy reason, they loved it!

I'm totally borrowing that.

NAILED IT.

Only 364 days until the next one... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

beret. beret. beret.

WonderGirl's birthday party is tonight.  I'm only freaking out a lot.  It'll be fine, right??  It's super easy - an art theme, so the kids are wearing smocks, creating their own pizzas (picky eaters?  Food allergies?  no problem!), painting sugar cookies with food coloring instead of having a cake, and it's only an hour and a half.  Easy, right??

Except it's ME throwing it, so I had to complicate matters and add this to the mix:

Remember the "everyone should wear a beret to look all authentic!!" idea?  This is the result.  I (of course) took it a few steps further and decided to have them decorate the berets for an activity.  This is the prototype.

No one tell the girls what a shower cap is, okay?  Let's keep the magic alive.

I'm trying to convince myself this isn't a total fail idea.  So I took a ton of pictures.

If I add a paintbrush to the mix, does it start to even resemble a beret?

Sigh...

My own personal birthday is on Sunday.  This is what I've become at 31.  Poor 32, it doesn't even have a chance.

she's 5....?!?!

To everyone who has only known me as a mom - I'm sure you think, wow, that's dandy.  But to those who were there at the beginning and before, I think we can all safely say this is INSANE.  But she's every bit the same spirit as this baby burrito I held in my arms five years ago:

I, however, am not the same person in that picture.  I'm busy decorating and wrapping today so it hasn't fully hit me that I have been a mother for 5 whole years, and all that has changed.  Regardless of what has happened or has not happened in the last 5 years, the fact that this child has sprouted into the larger-than-life girl we see now - is nothing short of a miracle.

Happiest of birthdays, Sunshine dear.  Thank you for letting me test out this motherhood thing on you.  I love you all the way to moon and back, times infinity.  dangit.  now she's going to ask me what infinity means.  any suggestions?

till we meet again

I have a touch of the weepies tonight.  Partly because I just kissed my 4 year old goodnight for the last time.  Tomorrow I'll have a 5 year old.  Being overly dramatic?  Duh, it's ME, people.

Also because my dearest Danielle's little sister unexpectedly passed away last week.  And being so far from her when I desperately need to hug on her has upped my usual daily weeping levels by 11.  But I want to share what she posted on the facebooks about Natalie, and what we believe.

Natalie is not gone. She has simply left this mortal realm. “In mortality, we are like one who enters a theater just as the curtain goes up on the second act. We have missed Act 1. … ‘And they all lived happily ever after’ is never written into the second act. That line belongs in the third act when the mysteries are solved and everything is put right.”

We know “have a Father in Heaven, who knows and loves us personally and understands our suffering perfectly... His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer, whose Atonement not only provides for salvation and exaltation but also will compensate for all the unfairness of life...
The Father’s plan of happiness for His children includes not only a premortal and mortal life but also an eternal life as well, including a great and glorious reunion with those we have lost. All wrongs will be righted, and we will see with perfect clarity and faultless perspective and understanding.”

one of these girls is NOT a Kjar.  Try to guess who.

Good golly I love being a Mormon.  And those gorgeous Kjar girls.  Go love on someone, m'dears.

how to look slightly less grubby on a grubby day

You know those days where all you want to do is wear the biggest tee you have and sacrifice looking cute for absolute comfort?  I saw this tutorial on Pintrest:

 and tried it on an XL shirt.  I also did the sleeves too... I think I saw that somewhere on the webs but I don't know where.  

Result: comfortable and feeling slightly less frumpy than I am in reality.

oh so twinny

A few facts:

• I took 2 white tees,went all Frankenstein on 'em and made them into dresses.
• I found the material at a thrift store.
• I don't know how to read patterns.  I just winged it.
• We're wearing cool red shoes and red flowers.  We were rushing to church so we didn't have time for too many poses.
• This angle isn't terribly flattering for me... and perhaps the dress isn't either, but soooo comfortable.
• Also, I made WonderGirl.

Sweet, huh?  I'm a fan.

thursday!

I had a fanTAStic day!  I didn't think it would be when I woke up, and then it was!  Let's back up a few steps.

When we moved to Wisconsin, I joined a mother's group to get to know other moms in the community, not just my church-bubble. It's been nice - once a month the moms have a meeting with a speaker and activity and stuff, while the kids hang out in a nursery-thing headed by some volunteers.  Nice.

So at the end of last year, they announced the need for people to join the head commitee and take care of stuffs. I normally recognize my limitations and therefore do NOT volunteer for anything (I don't even cook meals for the sick and needy... they've suffered enough).  I think it is safe to say we are all fully aware that I am an irresponsible yet lovable space case.  But I had this strong impression that I should sign up to help organize the childcare part.  I couldn't shake it, even when the husband - rightfully so - told me that it was a terrible idea.

I signed up.   And then reality hit. We had lost a few volunteers and trying to get new ones has been ... awful.  I am on the phone all the bleeping time bothering people.  It makes me cry (it's not hard to do, I know.  But I cry nonetheless).   I would NEVER last as a missionary.  I'm ruining the nice mother's group with my scatterbrained inadequacies.  Oh... I had the best of intentions...

Ug, and then the first meeting was a complete disaster.  So many kids, all of them crying and/or kicking, I never even made it out of the kid area to meet any of the moms or hear the speakers.  I came home and cried for a few days.  The next meeting I was in New York for, but by all accounts it was still really rough.  We had a meeting today and in the last few months now I had been praying for an out so I wouldn't have to go.  A meteor, the end of the world, anything to get me out of this insane decision and stop the daily panic attacks.

But last week, I paused for a moment, and thought - I can't change this.  But I can change ME.

(also, I thought -"what would Rebecca do?" The world would be such a better place if we all did as Rebecca does...)

- so prayed for something else.  This organization aims to help moms and give them a support system. It's not about me and my pithy problems, so I prayed to help me forget myself in this and love the people I'm serving.  

Now, onto today.   I got there (panicking but determined to martyr through it)  and a volunteer lady who wasn't exactly excited about being there but was there nonetheless - came in with me into the toughest room of babies, plus the president of the organization stayed in there too.  There was crying, there was screaming, but after a few minutes, they calmed down.  I usually can't stand babies, but I actually felt love for these little ones whose moms just needed a break like me.  The 2 hours flew by!

I left floating.  It felt so good to serve and help.  And then the sweet prez sent out an email suggesting the members of the leadership committee take turns in the baby room so we can all go to the meetings and mingle with the other moms.  Win!

It's a small victory, but I'll take it.  Yay for serving!  And Thursdays!

GPOYW (a day late)

GPOYW - Polished parent? edition.  I took this while I was heading out the door yesterday to WonderGirl's first parent/teacher conference.  I wanted to look as responsible as I could.  I even wore mom capris:

I don't know if it worked.  Of course now I'm freaking out because she's too far ahead of the other kid and spends too much time making art and writing letters to people instead of playing in the dramatic play area with the other girls.  So of course the world has just come to a complete and utter stop while I panic and run around the house screaming.

Not really, but I'm still a little nervous.  This IS her third year of being in a class where they're learning the alphabet.... again... it's only a matter of time before they call me in because she's trying to hotwire the teacher's car.

toot

I can't help but share one of those sad moment where I consider myself seriously awesome for very small reasons.  We're all used to this.  I'm planning WonderGirl's birthday shindig for next week (which is a much smaller gathering than last year) and the theme is ARTIST!  There will be painting of food and paper alike.  I was contemplating things and it occurred to me that it would be sooo coool if the girls could wear berets like real French artsy stereotypes.  So after 2 seconds of looking for cheap berets online, I found some tutorials and realized this was seriously up my alley.  Check this out!!

I took a 20 inch circle of some cheap practice material and sewed a casing around the outside and slipped some elastic inside and tied it to fit her head.  A total of 4 minutes. 

Artsy and fartsy, right???

I know no one comes here for crafty stuff since this is soooo not that kind of blog, but we do come here for my blatant self promotion.  Which is kind of redundant, seeing as it IS a blog.  ANYwho, how cool is this??? I really dig my sewing machine, AND my inspiration.

5 years. Seriously?!

What a cute picture of WonderGirl.  At her 2nd birthday party.  Which was just yesterday, of course?

Um, no.

Also, this is the last week wherein WG will be 4 years old.

Excuse me while I go throw up.