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Hey all!
I know that I've been horrible at posting, and I probably still will be, but right now I am chronically my 30-day juice fast.  Check it out here:
www.highfructosedeathsyrup.blogspot.com

We Should Know Better By Now

Yesterday was a good day for me. Even though Ryan had worked a double shift and I had hit a couple of almost-mental-breakdown moments with the kids, by the end of the day I was still feeling pretty good. We had gotten quite a few apples this week from a fruit/vegetable co-op thing that we do, so I decided (after the kids had gone to sleep) that I would make apple crisp for Ryan (which is one of his favorite desserts). When Ryan got home at 9:30ish, he excitedly went to get ice cream from our chest freezer to go with his fresh-out-of-the-oven apple crisp. And before I continue on with my riviting story you must know 2 facts:
1. Although it is almost October, good ole AZ is still producing over 100 degree weather.
2. Next to me and the kids, ice cream could be Ryan's true love. During the summer we stock up everytime there is a sale. Ryan enjoys a bowl almost daily and still (heaven only knows how) maintains his 150-160lbs. status (but that's getting off topic).
So yes, back to the story. When Ryan went out to our garage to get some ice cream he became suddenly aware that one of our kids (we still don't know which one) turned our chest freezer completely off. All of Ryan's 15 ice creams (yes, I said 15!) were totally melted. He was super bummed. [Although we're trying to re-freeze the ice cream, Ryan know it just won't taste the same]. Luckily our meat (the little amount we had) was in the bottom, so it survived. Ryan fit as much in our freezer above our fridge as he could and then patched up the dial on the side of the freezer so the kids can't touch it anymore. Here's what we want to know though: why would a company make a freezer dial with an off option? If one wanted to defrost a freezer, wouldn't one just unplug it? Food for thought.

P.S. We will be taking ice cream replinishing donations.

What goes through her head???

You're going to say to yourself, "wow, this is a really long post. Do I really want to read the whole thing?" But let me tell you, if you have children, or ever plan on having children, or are done with children and you want to laugh at someone going through parenting now, this post is well worth your time.

So, yesterday I was at my friend Aggie's house. Ag happens to have a little girl who is a few months older than Sydney and as it turns out they are best friends. Oh, and Ag lives next door to me. Any parent out there knows that if two little girls are missing and silent for over 5 minutes, one is bound to find some sort of mischief. As soon as Ag and I realized the lack of ruckus (which is the norm. with those two together) we went on the hunt for a couple of 3-year-olds. We found them giggling in Ag's room sitting on her bed. Why were they giggling you ask? Because they had plastered their hair with Vaseline. That's right, I said petroleum-based-gross-greasy Vaseline. Admittedly, when Agnes and I found the girls we couldn't help by chuckle a little ourselves wondering what in the world would make them think it's fun, or even OK to slather 3/4 of a big Vaseline container in your hair.

Not great pictures, but you'll get the point:

Let me tell you though, neither Sydney nor I were giggling or chuckling at the end of the night, 15 hair washes later. *side note: Sydney detests having her hair washed.

When we got home I first tried using dish soap twice to see if it would "cut the grease" as dish soap claims. No dice. I shampooed and washed 3 times after that. Imagine my surprise when it looked like I hadn't tried a thing to get the Vaseline out. (This puts the hair washings total to 5 so far). After this I gave Sydney her dinner to get her energy up and decided to google how to get Vaseline out of hair. Several people suggested using corn starch claiming that it would clump up and absorb the Vaseline. I tried this twice and then followed up with another 3 shampooings (Hair washings total: 10).

One seriously depleted shampoo, box of corn starch, parent losing faith in google, and unhappy child later, Syd's hair was still saturated. AHHHH!!!!

A bunch of other people on the Internet said that baby oil works. I thought to myself, "how could putting something oily on top of something greasy help?" But honestly, it couldn't have gotten any worse, so I let Sydney take another breather while I called around to find some baby oil. Luckily my sister-in-law Crystal had some (she only lives 2 1/2 blocks from us). By the time I told Sydney she had to get in the bath again so we could try one more thing to get the "yucky stuff" out of her hair, Sydney was saying in almost-tears, "Mommy, my no want another bath. My all done." I explained gently that no, she wasn't done because she put Vaseline in her hair, which she shouldn't have done. To which she replied, "I NEVER going to do that again". (Even though you know 6 months down the line, she's gonna forget that promise).

After 2 baby oil applications, one more dish soap washing, and 2 more shampooings, Sydney's hair resembled somewhat close to normal... (really, baby oil?). Oh, and that reaches the total 15 washings.
After I got her out and dried her off I spent at least 15 minutes with a fine toothed comb, combing out chunks of Vaseline. I thought her hair looked pretty good when I was done.....

And then this morning when Sydney woke up and came out of her room I noticed home homeless she looked with stringy, still greasy hair that never looks fully dry. I pulled her hair in a tight braid for church and hoped everyone thought I'd put product in it or something. I seriously think it's going to take a month for her hair to get back to normal.

Moral of the story: don't leave Vaseline around where kids can get it, because you will spend your night wishing that the person who invented Vaseline would have never been born.

These are a Few of her Favorite Things

I had a bunch of pictures on my phone from this month showing how Sydney occupies her time.


1. Biting Jasper

2. Play in the mud during Arizona monsoon season (this actually happens to be at a Brinkerhoff [Ryan's mom's side of the family] reunion in Heber, AZ [white mountains]).

3. Playing Scrabble-Upwords (without actually spelling any real words) with Jasper while wearing her Cinderella dress.






4. Dancing around like a fool but feeling like it's OK as long as she's wearing her Snow White dress.












5. Climbing Trees

*And let me finish this post by saying that I think no matter what kind of job you do, any parent of a "spirited child", as we like to call it, should have a place in heaven waiting for them when they die.

I am truly going to try to start bloggin more-- My life as of late

Yesterday when I got home from my run (while pushing Jasper and Sydney in my double stroller), Sydney says, “I smell something”. And the I asked, “what?....me?” She nodded her head and then said, “you stinky mommy”. Gee, thanks Syd. That makes me feel real pretty. I mean I know I STINK when I exercise, but it's a total kick when my almost-3-year-old who will sit in the bathroom while someone's going poo and not say anything tells me I'm stinky. Nice.

Also, earlier in the week we were on our daily afternoon walk and I was telling Sydney that before the mother-daughter activity that night we needed to wash off the pen she had drawn all over her arms and legs. She said, “No Mommy, we don't (need to )". I replied that we did need to. She then said, “but it's pretty though”. She's gonna have tatoos by 16, I just know it.

The mother-daughter activity on Thursday was amazing. We made flower clips (which Sydney totally painted by herself—so what if it was sopping wet and took overnight to dry—and picked out the gaudy jewel to go in the middle), picture frames, and after Sydney scarfed down her ice cream she grabbed my hand and said, “Mommy, we need go make bracelets now”. So that's what we did. Sydney was so cute gluing things on the picture frame and helping me get the beads on the bracelet. It is so fun (and at times frustrating) to have such and independent girl.

If you're into baby laughter....

If you like watching babies laugh, this video is for you:

Also, here is Sydney singing part of Les Miserables:

I am a horrible person

So I already am aware that I'm a horrible person for NEVER BLOGGING. Now that's out in the open, I'll go ahead and give a very brief update. Jasper is 7 1/2 months old now, and Sydney is 2+ a few months. They are my greatest joy and my greatest stress. Sydney is SO ACTIVE. We like to call it "spirited". Some of her favorite activities include breaking things, pulling things out of cupboards/ off shelves, terrorizing Jasper, stealing toys/books from anyone and everyone, and insisting that anything within a 20 foot perimeter of her is hers, or as she likes to say, "miiiiiine". Although Syd is only 23 lbs, she can tackle kids that are roughly double her size (just ask her church nursery leaders). Jasper is my angel child. He is always SO HAPPY. His current favorite activities are smiling, laughing, saying da da da da, and watching Sydney do crazy things. Although I rag on Sydney, she has actually become quite affectionate. She gives me lots of hugs and kisses, and constantly tells me, "Mommy, I love you". And I love her too. Here are a few recent pictures:


Sydney loves to read in her free time:

Jasper's cousin, Kennedy, put this on him:



Jasper especially loves his baths:

Jasper and daddy:




Jasper in grandma Dawnita's laudry basket:


Syd's a little obsessed with stickers:




Sydney in some dress up clothes at a friend's house: