Saggy baggy pants

Right now I can either wear pants that are a little bit snug or ridiculously large. Being that it's the holidays, I've chosen to wear the latter. You know what wearing saggy, baggy pants gives you? It gives you a false sense of confidence. You think, maybe I've lost some weight- I mean these pants are just falling off of me. You feel good, small even. Then, you see sweater dresses at Dillard's and you think- hey maybe, just maybe I can pull off a sweater dress because heck look how loose my pants are! Then with your new found confidence you march into the dressing room with 5 sweater dresses to try on. Let me tell you- you think you can make a sweater dress work, you CAN NOT make a sweater dress work. I will wear my snug pants from now on.

Lessons learned on the road

1. Cagey needs more fiber in his diet- stopping at a gas station for 30 minutes is not my idea of a good time.

2. Handicap stalls put the tp too far away from the toilet. Thank you Taylor for crawling under the stall and saving your brother.

3. Micky D's and Wendy's will never get your order right...never.

4. Chick-fil-a I love that you're closed on Sundays and keeping the sabbath day holy, but danguh being resigned to Micky D's breakfast 2 days in a row is just wrong.

5. When you keep seeing Arby's signs for a beef and cheddar sandwich and you're thinking Arby's you better let Jeebs know instead of trying to make it easy on him and going for Wendy's because the kids want Wendy's. Did that sentence make sense? Probably not- what I'm getting at is- I was thinking Arby's all day and the kids opted for Wendy's so I opted for Wendy's. Jeebs came back with Wendy's for the kids and salad without the chili to go on said salad and....Arby's for him.

6. Somehow the dog can do acrobatics in his little kennel and when you get him out he will have his leg so twisted in his blanket that you have to cut his leg, I mean the blanket off.

7. NEVER take Ezra into a public restroom with you. He will say out loud that "Cagey is peeing like a dog?" I don't know what that means, but maybe using the toilet instead of a diaper somehow seems beneath him, like a dog.

Stay tuned, we have more miles to go.........

Truly Jeebs' daughter

Jeebs can usually be found tangled in electrical wires (maybe not tangled, but he has a huge box of cords he's constantly digging through and I'm sure he'd enjoy rolling in them if he could) and his kids aren't any different.

Last Sunday in New Bern

Like a big bobo head I forgot my camera to take pics with all our New Bern friends, but I made the kids pose for a few. We will miss our ward!

Burka for Mooka

Jeebs went in to get Mooks out of the bed and found her preparing for life under sharia law. I have no idea how to spell sharia law and I'm not googling it because I want to live. (I don't know how to spell burka either)

My bouquet

My wedding bouquet has lasted 10 years, 4 moves, 4 children and a partridge in a pear tree. It will not be making it's way back to Utah with us. I finally bit the bullet and threw it away. I did save one of the dried out flowers. My sister made this out of the bouquet the florist made- which was so not very pretty. She used the white roses and formed them into a pretty nosegay and wrapped them in satin white ribbons accented with a couple of thin silver ribbons. Our wedding colors were blue, white and silver. I thought I would be able to keep it forever- put it in a shadow box, but it has sat in a mug in my closet the entire time we've lived in this house. I decided to snap a pic, document it and leave it behind. Ten years has gone by way too fast.

Awakenings

My piano lessons started when I was in middle school. I remember starting and being hugely excited to one day play like momma or Yang. Then as my lessons drug on and my teacher shook her head in disappointment as she thumbed through my practice log or lack of practice log I started to lose interest. I wanted to play, but I could never remember to do theory (I was usually digging through my teacher's couch cushions looking for a pencil to complete my assignments as I waited for it to be my turn) and the songs I was assigned sounded so boring and for lack of a better word rinky dink. Oh and the festivals my teacher wanted me to play in- ugh. I would always comply and immediately start a secret plot to somehow get out of it. I hated playing in front of people- and I thought I would faint dead away playing in front of judges at the hymn festival. But, I made it through 2 years. My teacher's head shaking got more annoying and her prices got more insane so I had an out and I took it. I started playing anything I wanted. Anything that sounded hard- hymns, classical pieces, pieces in the backs of all my books. I played everything and cursed my teacher behind her back. I started playing the Children's songs and then the easier pieces my sister played. I found that if I practiced enough I could play well enough to get through most accompaniment piano parts. I was eventually called as primary pianist then relief society pianist, then relief society pianist again in a different ward and then again as primary pianist in yet another ward. Eventually it gets around that I can play and then I always have a way I can help out in church meetings.

Yesterday after church my 2 years of disappointing my piano teacher helped out in a way I could have never guessed. A couple of months ago the mother of this man came to me and gave me a piece of music. It was the only piece that Brother Brown has composed and had written down. Through his different illnesses he has apparently lost the ability to read music. He didn't remember the piece and she asked if I could learn it and play it for him. Yesterday I bucked up all my courage and told him I had the piece ready to play for him. My hands shook and I played the piece as best I could with my stubby fingers as he and his parents listened in silence. I got done, looked up and asked him, "remember it?" His face lit up and, "Yes!" He sat down and played as I stood by his mother and listened to how it was supposed to be played. Both of his parents thanked me profusely- I was just so happy to be a part of awakening Brother Brown to some of his former thoughts. I'll never forget it...music is powerful.

Oh my holy big garage sale

Our yard sale was kind of ridiculous and ya know what? We could probably do another one. Dang. Mookie decided she didn't want to sleep in that morning so when Jeebs decided to get up at 5:30 she wanted up too. Which means I had to get up and try to set up everything with baby in tow. I finally got a chance to breathe and get my moby out of the car so I could have my hands free. Our first "customer" showed up at 6:40. I knew there would be early birds, but wow. I think we had made $50 before 7am.

My inner Gwen

I love Gwen Stefani. Okay- I love her style...she is probably a total skank. But, I love her bleached blonde platinum hair with tons o' makeup. I used to sing No Doubt at the top of my lungs whilst driving home from school. I think I was singing Don't Speak the same trip I tried opening a bag of sunflower seeds and slung my (parental units) car into a ditch. Easy open bag my big buttocks. Anyway, I was asked by a friend in the ward to sing one of her songs -Hollaback Girl with new lyrics for her tennis club skit. Jeebs is a genius and added all kinds of effects to make me sound ok. Ya know they recorded Annette Funicello's voice several times over and layered it so it would sound decent because she could not sang. Same kind of thing, but I think it could use another layer. Anyway if you want to laugh at me go here and give it a listen. Enjoy Glen and Page- my brothers are my biggest supporters. By supporters I mean make fun of me every chance they get. I never retaliate.

GarBAGE Sale

Anybody want some dang cute girl clothes? I have a titanic load of girl clothes that I'm selling in my garage sale tomorrow from 7-11. Everything is cute and cheap- ranging in sizes itty bitty to size 10. Most of it's gymboree. I have boy clothes from sizes itty bitty to 2T. I thought moving was gonna be hard. After this garage sale, it'll be cake! But really, I hope somebody will show up to this thing because DAngUH we are clearing it out.


Note to self: do yard sales more often.

Thanksgiving and the hog

 This is the dessert tray. Taylor was struggling to hold it up and it was just us. I had pie crust in the fridge, but after all of this I thought pie would be going just a bit over board.

 We had a yummy feast just the six of us. Well, Mookie really didn't feast. She had rice cereal that she gagged on over and over. I busted out my china. I had to get out one more plate because we are now a family of five eaters! I also busted out my red target goblets, but I only had four because last year we were a family of four eaters. I think I don't want to be an eater ever again.

After eating and digesting... Jeebs took Cagey for a ride on the hog. Then, I took Ezra for a ride on the hog. Basically, we're eaters and hog riders.

Happy eating, hog riding, wallowing on the floor Thanksgiving.

The Amazing Meny Mooks

 Mooks has been doing this for a couple of weeks. She gets here and then can't figure out what to do next so she does what any sensible baby would do...scream for someone to pick her up.

 And HOOray!! I caught her smiley face on camera!! Look at that baby! I could suck her face off.

And last, but not least, she can not ride on one's hip like a baby- she must stand and then eventually climb up your side...digging and clawing with her little toe daggers. Oh well- she can get right in my fat crevice and stand on my hip bone for a very secure ride.

Plan to fail

I am not a planner, a think ahead-er, a make a list-er. It is just beyond me. Cagey's school changes from day to day. We do what I think we should do. Have we not done geography for a while? Let's do that! Yeah somehow in spite of me my children learn. We really must be hard wired to learn because I can't even remember my children's name some days in this looney bin and Cagey completes page after page of math in his workbooks with very few mistakes. Jeebs has gotten good at stuffing diapers and wipes into the diaper bag and for me that's good enough. Need a toy to keep occupied at church? Have a pen or my keys, or how about some lip gloss? If they need a rattle, my bottle of mints will have to suffice. I know this is giving my momma a nervous breakdown as she reads this- if she actually reads it. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that I am behind. There is not turkey thawing in the fridge, cornbread mix waiting in the cupboard to make it's triumphant entry and no cranberry sauce in the shape of a can (actually Jeebs just bought some of that tonight- just for me though because no one else will eat it). Thanksgiving just snuck up on me. Wasn't it Halloween last week? I'm pretty sure it was because I can still scroll down on my blog and see pics of my super heroes and angry bird characters. So really it's not my fault. Nothing has been bought for Thanksgiving dinner...and really it doesn't matter. My kids hate Thanksgiving food. We asked them what they wanted and they all replied, "mashed potatoes." Yuck. Me? A big ol' pan of cornbread dressing. Don't even get me started on stove-top bluck. But, it will come together- it always does and I can't wait to lay down on the food and then roll around sick in our living room watching Christmas movies because Christmas is gonna sneak up on me too.

PS If you want to eat something D-Vine:
gingerbread blondies

These are the best things evAH. I made them for my final Relief Society lesson and they were GONE. I'm glad something went right with my last lesson because the lesson itself was a disaster! Ever taught a lesson when the whole class just started having their own conversations amongst themselves as you stood at the front with your hands in the air and your mouth hanging open? Yep.

6 months

What we do

1. Ezra is insane...certifiable, but sometimes he turns super sweet and says, "I wanna hug you!"
2. Mookie is figuring out the crawling thing. It makes her mad she can't get up and chase her crazy sibs. But, she has super cute boots and clothes so that makes everything better...in my mind anyway.
3. Cagey concentrates on video games mostly. He is somehow learning about the solar system and something called history.
4. Taylor is still loving eggnog...some things never change. Her shirt was bedazzled courtesy of me. I had to add a little snaz to that thing. I can't take boring outfits.

Jeebs is working and working and...working. Big shocker. I am cleaning, homeschooling and working out every day. Yeah, we're real exciting. We did start packing up closets yesterday. After one, I'm done. This move is going to kill us.

Ummm, reading???

Cagey is getting to be a really good reader. He can already read most of his first grade readers and all of the short stories in his reading lessons. The problem comes when he becomes aware of words in places we were happy he was blissfully ignorant of just a few months prior.  Last week as I walked from the kitchen to my bedroom in my 10 year old cut off sweat pants he calls to me, "Mommy, why do you have hot tie written on your bum?" Yeah they're 10 years old, it was a joke and now they are gone. Later, he read over my shoulder as I perused different websites and asked me, "Mommy what is Porn?" Okay that last sentence sounded really bad. Let me clarify- it was an advertisement for some kind of Porn blocker or something. I tried to tell him in the simplest terms possible, "it's bad things you shouldn't look at." He replied, "Like bums?" Yes, Cagey exactly like bums. I'm sick of seeing bums...especially ones with hot tie written across them.

A scooter and a letter

Several months ago our neighbors across the street came to the door with an electric scooter. They were moving out and didn't want to take it with them. It needed a new tube in one of the tires, but other than that it was in great shape. Jeebs took it and parked it on the back patio. There it sat for months and months. Several weeks ago I got it out and charged the battery just to see if it would still run. I got it charged and HOorah! it worked. There on the front porch (charging) it sat. Cagey would get it going every once in a while, sitting on it with the kickstand down revving the engine. But, that was all it was good for. So yesterday after being the evil queen to my children, we took them to the playground and then to Walmart for a tire tube (and milk). Jeebs got it fixed in about an hour or so and as I was working out I see him easing out of the driveway going for a ride. As soon as he got back I grabbed my sweater and sneaked out of the house. I jumped on and I was off, laughing like an idiot. It is the funnest thing ever. I always wanted a scooter when I was little and now I, I mean my kids have one. As I'm riding, wind in my hair, cold in my face and squirrels racing under my bum- I remembered my neighbors growing up had a scooter. Momma told us under no circumstances were we to ride, sit on or even touch their scooter. They offered many times to let us ride, but we were under strict orders. One day my friend brought her scooter down and parked it on the back patio. I stared at it, I pined for it and when she offered to let me sit on it I couldn't take it- I was tempted beyond my capacity to resist and I climbed on imagining racing down dirt roads and through woods. My next emotion was guilt, horrible horrible guilt for this unforgivable act I had committed. In the next few seconds momma swung open the glass door and my moments were over. "Nessa, get off that scooter! right now!" At least she caught me and I didn't have to live with hiding my transgression. And that's what I think about as I ride down our road, 32 years old, a thousand miles from momma, and giddy with a smile that I can't wipe off my face...especially when I pass other neighbors watching me from their driveways shaking their heads.

 Last night after my joy ride I came in to prepare my lesson for church. I am teaching the Valiant 11 class while they are looking for a new permanent teacher. The lesson was about Cornelius. He was the first gentile to join the church. The main focus was missionary work and how everybody in the world needs to hear the gospel. It was suggested to get missionary items and share them with the class. I immediately started looking for pics and letters from my sibs. Searching through my stuff I found a pic that Page sent me from Chicago and a letter that my sister sent me from Kentucky. She sent me lots of letters, but this one I kept. It makes me ache inside, but I have to share on here in case I lose it. She starts off talking about how much she's been missing me and how she hates missing all these big things in my life I've been going through- like having a baby. She goes on to say

"Maybe it's our Heavenly Father's way of making us grow by always separating us at critical times. I can see and am learning that you CAN do it just fine without me (even though it whomps and if you do anything else without me- well we gonna throw down!) And, I can see that you just keep getting stronger and more confident (in life, spiritually, everything) and just cooler all the time. I think you already passed me up, for sure.  Anyway, stop that crying, gee. I know you are. I love you and miss you. Write to me! I'll be home in a few short months.
Love, Yang"

If she only knew how right she was. Heavenly Father has separated us at this critical time in our lives and I don't know why. I just know I miss my sister every day. I hate that my kids don't know their Aunt Yang, but I know that it will all be okay. I know that all the missed opportunities in this life will be rectified in the next. I don't know how, but Heavenly Father knows and he will make it all okay, better than okay- perfect.

ps I know you're kicking missionary work in the boot-tay over there

We never got trick or treaters growing up

So we eat it up now. Just walking around trick or treating is so much more fun than riding in the car and going to a dude's house with a 3 legged dog and crazy eyes. Taylor says she doesn't like trick or treating much anymore. Is she really growing up already? I do not like it.

Tandy is dandy but liquor is quicker

I really don't know anything about liquor. BUT, I do know about a tandy cake. You make a yellow cake, frost it with peanut butter when it gets out of the oven and then place hershey bar pieces on top. Then, after they melt you spread them over the peanut butter and Ta-DA!! OH wait, then you have to chill it so it hardens like a reese's peanut butter cup, and TA-DA! It is delicious. Jeebs didn't want a lot of cake sitting around so I made a small one. It was just enough- wink wink Page.

On my BIRTH day

Jeebs' birthday is tomorrow. We "celebrated" today because Sunday birthdays aren't real fun. And, apparently Jeebs wanted a heart attack for his birthday. He chose donuts for breakfast and a bacon cheeseburger with fries from 5 guys. I am an awesome wife and mother, I know- just send awards directly to me. However, in the tradition of most birthdays, especially Jeebs', there is always a twist. Just as he brought our bag o' grease for us to devour, Ezra pukes all over himself and on the table. He was eating peanuts and I didn't notice he had just bitten the whole dang shell, in true Nicolaysen children form, he gags and upchucks donut chunks all over. I jumped up and tried to catch the last few drops with Mookie dangling on my hip. A lady popped over and immediately offered to hold her for me as we cleaned the yuck. Then after cleaning up our table for the second time (it was dirty when we sat down) we discovered that they had  put mayo, tomatoes and pickles on his burger and left them off of mine.

Our next stop was Best Buy because that's like shoe shopping for me for Jeebs. We roamed around and Jeebs lusted after the tablets- apparently they're small and sexy. Yep, my competition is a 7 inch something something tablet something. I gave in and headed for the car so he could buy happiness. After a few minutes he and Taylor came to the car with pencils for her and a stapler and new movie for me. Happy Birthday Jeebs.

Felt-tastic

Felt is a wonderful fabric. I can do so many things with it and it doesn't have to be hemmed! After this halloween I will have almost every color of the rainbow. I was so happy with Ezra and Mooky's costumes- it is a rare rare thing g for things to turn out exactly like I see them in my head. So, Yay.

The kids were really excited for the trunk or treat- can you tell? My momma made my hat so I had to add that pic of me looking freaky in my black wig. I got it for Taylor but she wouldn't wear it and I take any chance to don a wig. Any hair is better than the feathers I have growing out of my head.

Cagey's costume was way more complicated than I ever imagined, but with Jeebs' super powers he figured it out. He is supposed to be this...

Halloween, I'm gettin' there

Mooks will be a little pig and Ezra a bird. Fitting, right? I just have to make them wearable now- please let me be able to make them wearable! The skeleton cookies turned out ok, Jeebs didn't like the taste, but I did which means I can never make them again.

Ghostbusters!

Last night for family home evening we carved pumpkins and I made apple cider floats for everybody. I love fall, Halloween and all that goes with it, but I am not ready this year. Today is the 25th and I have no costumes made. The 28th is our ward's trunk or treat so I have 3 days to get 'er done. 3 days!!! I feel like I go all day and get nothing accomplished. I get up, make breakfast, workout, shower, do Cagey's school, clean house, make lunch, get kids down for naps (which is pretty much an act of congress), pick up Tates from school, finish Cagey's school or help with homework or both, figure out what to make for dinner, make dinner, clean up dinner, and then collapse on the couch waiting for bedtime. Some how I've got to squeeze in costume making...maybe instead of blogging? Well anyway...

After we carved 3 huge pumpkins, I was bound and determined to roast some dang pumpkin seeds. Soooo while Jeebs blah blah blahed on the phone and the baby screamed I rinsed pumpkin seeds, seasoned them with curry powder and roasted them in the over. Taters and I ate 2 very large helpings-- they are good and I will forever roast my pumpkin seeds. I can't believe I waited so long to do it!

I almost forgot- the reason I named this post Ghostbusters! Last night we were listening to Halloween music and Ghostbusters came on. I can't ever hear that song without thinking about the Ghostbusters game we had for our Sega. We got it for one of the Christmases we had to wake up at 3 am because daddy had to go to work and he wanted to see us open our presents before he left. We would get up at 3, open presents and usually go back to bed. It was kind of awesome because you were getting up at 3 on Christmas morning, but not awesome because you were getting up at 3 on Christmas morning. Anyway, one Christmas Glen got the Ghostbusters game we'd been wanting and he immediately put it in and started playing it. My sister and I weren't much for playing, but we liked to watch. We got tired of watching after only a little while and went back to bed. I think we woke up around 7 and he was STILL playing. I couldn't believe he hadn't gone back to sleep, but it was pretty stinkin' fun game. Okay- baby screaming, gotta remember that I'm a homeschooler and get my bum in gear. 

Can't catch it

I promise Meny mooks has the sweetest smile, but as soon as she sees the camera she's a deer in headlights. I snuck up on her while her daddy was making her laugh. Then after 2 more shots she realized I was taking her pictures and her eyes pop wide open in her Cagey stare. And yes, I stick bows on her little bald head using corn syrup. It is the best thing ever and I think bows are so much cuter than headbands, that's just me. I do try to make sure she always has something on her head because she could be in the frilliest dress or all clad in pink and people will still ask, "oh, how old is HE?" It was the same way with Taylor- everywhere, "oh, what a cute little boy!" We tried and tried to teach Taters to say in response, "I'm a girl!" All she would ever say was, "What a Q bee boy!" I should have stuck more bows in that girl's head when I had the chance.