Mom & Me

I am usually NOT the matchy-matchy "mommy and me" type gal.

But I saw a little girl with huge pockets on her skirt and I had to try and duplicate them.

Since Addi and I both have more skirts than you can shake a stick at I made aprons.

(Of which we also have an astounding number--but you don't really grow out of aprons-- at least that was my excuse.)

These little babies were just the ticket to brighten up our dull, wintry routine.

Yes, I made matching headbands with the scraps.

We were so inspired by our new domestic duds, we decided to make whole wheat cinnamon rolls.

Addi insisted that we wear our aprons to the store to pick up the one or two things we needed for the rolls.

This little piggy...

 

...needed some more hooded towels

And I was happy to oblige.

 Her mom picked out all the towels and cloths.

(which is the hardest part for me... because I don't know what people like...or if they'll like what I like...or if I should just go with a boring standard to be safe...or...you see what I mean)

Anyway, color choice crisis averted, little M now has 4 cozy towels ready for bath time...

...which I hear is great but I wouldn't know because I have an unfounded, irrational, yet gripping fear of baths...I don't even like to put my feet in.  Truth.

Ice Castles

For FHE this week we went up to Midway with two of my brothers to see the fancy Ice Castles.

 Even though our recent "heat wave" has diminished them a little they were still very impressive.

My brother Kris is overcome by the "Country Party Mix" CD that they were playing at the near-by ice rink.

He simply had to break into a line dance...I joined of course. 

 

I was just overcome by the spectacle.

 Our best -cousin- photo.

 

Group shot.

We all went back to the car for hot chocolate and not wanting the evening to end we drove down the canyon for some food.  We had a really great time being together.  Yay FHE.

She's 6 Folks!

 ...and I bet you can't guess how she feels about it.

 For the party we invited a house (Ashley's again) full of cousins!

 

 Blowing out the candles.

 

After the food we all headed over to a local bounce house.

We walked in and didn't see the children again for 2 hours!

My kind of party.

Here's Addi with Mr. Monkey Island himself.

Minute to Win It

We all met up at my sister's house for a New Year's Celebration.

We ate and ate and ate a terrible, decadent, sinful, glorious spread that included:

Homemade Italian sodas, shrimp, hot wings, cucumber-boursin-tomato bites, chocolate cheese ball, artichoke dip...to name a few.

All too delicious apparently, to get a picture before it disappeared

Then to put a dent in the calories we played Minute to Win It-Boys against Girls.

Where we went head to head in MTWI games.

By the end no one was keeping score we were all just having fun with the challenges.

 Here is Randall blowing Christmas cards to the end of the counter top trying to get them to land with the front flap over the edge of the counter top and the back flap resting on the top of the counter.  He went up against Rhi and neither could do it.  Randall did it once but not "on the field of competition."

 Ben and me going head to head in the stack the golf ball challenge.  

We were only stacking 2 -not 3 like the show.

 Game face.

 I really couldn't believe I did it!

 Randall tried to get three...no dice! HA!

I went up against Kris (not pictured) in the pull all the tissues out of the box with one hand.

The kids you ask?

Randall was a genius, he made up "games" of cleaning up the messes our challenges made...

And they even did it in under 1 minute!

We were all home and in bed by 9:00 watching movies.

My kind of New Year.

Pre-Comp Baby!!

Addi has worked very hard in swimming lessons since September. 

And she has now advanced to Pre-Comp!

(Pre-Comp is pre-competition swim team, where you work on your strokes and endurance in preparation for a club team)

 Happy as a clam on her first day.

 Pre-workout warm-ups and stretching.  

It is rare that she is the "little kid" in a group of other children, but yes those huge creatures are her fellows.

 Chatting at the wall.

 

Kicking drills.

She is loving it so far, despite the little difficulty of learning to read the timer.

I don't like to gush but she is quite good and has a natural feel for the water.

I am both excited and exhausted at the thought of many an hour spent at the pool and at meets.

I thought I was done with all that after going to so many of my brother and sister's meets

It's a good thing I love to read.