Leapage

Tis the 29th of February!  A rare day that only comes around what, every 4 years?  I should be doing something special today.  Something to warrant this little gift of an extra day.  Nothing comes to mind just yet, but the day is young!  I can tell you that we are going to look at another house in PG this afternoon.  I'm pretty stoked!  Yesterday Cody and I spent a few glorious hours at Ikea (anyone who knows me is well aware of my devotion to this Swedish import).  We purchased some much needed items for our house and talked about what we would like to do in our next one...house talk is so much fun.  We ran into our friend Mark who practically runs the place, it was so great to see him!  Cache was more than happy to try out every chair and every mattress - but I think his favorite passtime was playing with their activity stands they have throughout the store.

If those were for sale, I would SO buy one.  

Cody is working on his gym this morning with Dave and Jason - it's really coming along and I'm very excited for them!  Cody took Cache with him a few days ago (I think most of the guys brought some of their kids) and put him to work - I'm sure Cache was  huge help.  This picture is Jason with one of his boys - so cute!  Since I have a few hours to kill,  I think I will try to get to Home Depot to buy some plants before we go see the house this afternoon.  I'll keep you posted!

Finally - beins that this is the last day in the month of amore, I need to post my final list of things I love.  Here we go!

1 - Happy Monster Band.  Those with kids may know what I'm talking about.  This fantastic animated foursome is on Playhouse Disney in the mornings and I LOVE THEM!  My sister called me about them yesterday, we are huge fans.  The band that does the music for it is called 'Tally Hall', a band that I mentioned on my fitness blog a while back.  Their voices are so cool, go download 'Haiku' and send me a thank you note.

2 - Getting popcorn and a drink at a movie theater.  I love going to movies, but I think getting a little treat at the snack bar makes the experience that much better.  I could be full from dinner and not interested in a box of milk duds, but as soon as I smell that buttery popcorn goodness I instantly have room for some snacks!

3 - Planning our Summers.  I'm one of those geeks who buys big desk calendars each January, sits down with colored markers and fills in important dates, Birthdays and vacations.  Our Summer is filling up fast, but I'm SO excited for everything we have planned!  Powell, Girls Trip, Disneyland, High School Reunion....

4 - Summer tunes.  You know those songs that just fill you with sunshine?  That make your stomach all fluttery when you listen to them?  Those songs are the best ever.  Driving around with your window down, feeling the warm breeze, listening to a great song...at that moment all is right with the world. 

5 - Adobe Illustrator.  I'm still learning how to use this wonderful program, but from what I have learned thus far?  I cannot live without it!

Sunshine!

It's amazing what a little natural light can do.  Yesterday was  a gorgeous, sunny day - absolutely mahvelous!  It's been gray and cold for so long, it was nice to have a bright blue sky and sunshine all day.  It just gives you so much energy to get things done, doesn't it?  I was even able to drive around with my window down a bit while I ran some errands.  It wasn't balmy, by any means, but certainly warmer than it's been.  I have to laugh, however - have you ever noticed those people that seem to relish in the fact that it's simply above 2o degrees?  They whip out their motorcycles and shorts, t-shirts, sandals, convertibles - all to celebrate the fact that it's not snowing.  While I admire their spirit...it's not that warm.  But hey, who am I to spoil their fun.

I am getting SO excited for Spring!  Easter decorations are everywhere and snow is melting.  I'm pretty sure that we haven't seen the last of the snow, but for now the nice weather is a grand distraction.  What are you excited for when the weather turns warm?

I also need you to tell me some great songs to listen to - tunes that evoke that summery feeling.  I know my sister will have some great suggestions because she is so music savvy (along with my brother, Rich).  Let me know some favorites so I can start listening to them tout suite!

As far as things go on the home front, I am overwhelmed with projects (as usual).  On top of little things I'm doing, I have the enormous task of organizing my home in hopes to get it on the market.  I'm pretty sure I'll need a month to go through everything and clean, but trying to do all of that with 2 little ones is tougher than I thought...so who knows how long it will take.  What I can tell you is that we will be having a ginormous yard sale before long!  Make plans, buy tickets, tell friends - it's going to be an event.

SO much more to say, but not enough time to say it.  I have lots of things on my agenda today - which reminds me...anyone want to come climb on my roof and take down my Christmas lights?  It's a nice sunny day!

Hunting

When I watch HGTV, I watch those shows that have couples looking for a new home.  They spend all day looking at houses and I can't help but think, "That actually looks sort of fun, I wish I could spend a day looking at homes".  Yeah, well - I got to do that yesterday and let me tell you something, it can wear you out!  Our dear friend Adam (who is the best Realtor ever) took us around Pleasant Grove yesterday afternoon so we could look at some homes we were interested in.  Adam was very patient since it's clear that I'm super picky.  Cody and I had chosen about 6 homes and we visited them all.  Some had some nice features, some had great kitchens, some had horrible decor and some had huge yards, but none of them really stood out as a favorite.  (Mark, are you really going to move to PG?  Lets be neighbors!).  Finally, we visited the last one on the list - and this is they one we like the best:

We both really like the layout and the basement is unfinished (something we wanted), and the best of that is it has all the electric work done and it's already been framed - sweet!  There is also a place for a wetbar, anyone want to come over for a fruit frappe'?

It is a smidge dated...lots of things have been painted forest green and the hardware is brass, but that is fixable.  It's got a nice sized yard, it's in a good area, lots of good features...I'm a fan!

  

We can't do anything too crazy since our house isn't even UP for sale yet.  Which also means I have lots of projects ahead of me to get our house ready to go on the market.  Nothing too serious, just a few things here and there.  It's still sort of weird to me that we're going to be moving - but move we must.  And until we find our dream house, the hunt is on!

The randomness that is my life

Just a few random tidbits of days gone by.  On Monday Cody went snowmobiling with our friend Jon, so I had the day to run some errands with the boys.  It was nice to take them out of the house since they've been sick forever!  We hit some local venues, then headed up to Gardner Village so I could purchase a few crafty items.  The highlight was looking at the ducks and eating some treats at the bakery -

I must say, sometimes the thought of taking my two boys out to a place like Gardner Village terrifies me!  If I'm by myself, I always get so nervous - will Cache run all over, will Cole cry the whole time, etc.  But they were great!  Cole was happy (especially after I fed him...nice milk drool). 
I was stoked as we were pulling out of the parking lot, I thought, "Hey, we did it!"  It was fun to spend time with the kids, I can't wait for Cole to start walking so we can go on more outings together.  Speaking of Cole, little dude is so close to crawling!  He rolls over like a banshee, so if I leave him alone on the floor for 2 minutes, I come back and he's made his way across the room.  My favorite is when he's on his stomach and he's high-centered with arms and legs flailing, trying to get forward and he just can't figure out how to move.  Aren't babies fun?

Then on Tuesday my Mom and I spent the day together!  We had a lovely lunch full of deep conversation, that woman is so wise - I don't know what I would do without her.  I've been going through some lame stuff lately and talking to her about it was good for me.   We did some shopping, some browsing, some purchasing, it was just so great!  We must do that again soon.  Love you, mumsy!

Now, I have to ask you something, dear BC fans.  Those of you with little boys, I pose to you this question - does your son paint his nails? Hmmm?  No?  Perhaps?  Yes, well, turns out my son is quite fascinated by it.  Before I went out with my Mom, I painted my nails.  Silly me - I left out my nail polish so this is what I came home to - 

Cody told me that at some point Cache disappeared for a few minutes and then came back with painted nails.  Now, I must admit - for doing this himself, he did a pretty good job!  Luckily, he did want me to take it off and he actually brought me a cotton ball and nail polish remover.  How cute is that?

Finally, tonight I went to my 'Thrillionaires' class with Hannah.  We were very much looking forward to tonight because we were going to work on Musical improv.  In a word - terrifying.  But guess what?  I rocked!  Oh yeah - don't you love that I have no modesty?  I'm like, "Word - I rule".  When it was my turn to get up there and sing a song on the fly, my word of inspiration was, "Give her something yellow, like a canary.."  Um, hello?  Perfect.  Then I sang a song about walking around in a towel because curtains are overrated.  Yep.

Ok, now that this is longest post ever, I'm off to bed.  Anyone doing anything fun this weekend?  Cody and I are headed to the Boat Show Friday evening...we may just come home with a yacht. 

Cullen Family

I could have posted about what I have been doing the past 2 days - outings with my boys, things that made me laugh, brilliant epiphanies...but am I posting about those? NO! Great news Twilight fans, the Cullen family has been cast for the movie!

Obviously, the faces will take some getting used to. To be honest, when I read the books I never pictured anyone's face for the characters. Now I guess I'll just have to go re-read the books and use these faces in my mind! I'm so excited, poor Edward has been getting some crap because so many people don't think he's hot enough. While it would have been easier to love a dreamboat carved out of marble (um, because Edward is), I have much hope for dear Robert Pattinson. He's quite dashing in his own right. I think when we see him on the big screen and he speaks those glorious words, we will all be swooning. So what do you think of the cinematic Cullen family?

Monday Monday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM!  My beautiful, classy, timeless Mother is celebrating a Birthday today.  The best Mom a kid could ask for, she always gave us the best Birthday parties as we were growing up.  Not sure we've ever been able to give her a sweet soiree, but I plan on taking her to lunch and shoe shopping this week in celebration.  So Happy Birthday Mom!  Thank you for everything you do for us.  You give everything you have to the family, you inspire us with your creativity and artistic mind.  I owe so much to you!  I love you so much, you are my best friend and I hope you have the best day ever!

In other news, Cody and I went to dinner at my Aunt and Uncle's (Mike and Linda) house last night.  We had the best time!  The food was so yummy and it was great just sitting around chatting.  I adore them - hopefully we can do something again soon.

And the boys are finally feeling better!  Cache has a little cough, but other than that they are doing great!  I'm so ready for Winter and the sick season to be over.  I want so badly to let my kids play in the backyard while I weed my flowerbeds.  And that itch I get every February about putting a hanging plant on my porch?  Don't even get me started - it's taking everything I have not to go out to Home Depot and find some perennial.  So!  To wallow in sadness about the fact that it isn't Summer yet, I thought I would list the things I love during Summertime - 

1 - BBQ's in our backyard with our friends

2 - The sound of lawnmowers

3 - Tanlines

4 - Driving around with the windows down

5 - It being light outside until 9:30 at night...Summer can't get here soon enough!

PS - Before I sign off, I should mention that Cody and I have seriously been looking at some homes in PG.  First and foremost - we'll have to get this house ready to sell, but with any luck we'll have a house picked out in no time!

Down with the sickness

I have sick babies.  Cole is finally getting better after his awful bronchialitis, but he still has a little cough and runny nose.  Cache was inevitably going to get sick and now he's battling a bad cold.  I woke up to the sound of little cries and coughing from both rooms.  Sick babies!  Cache is sitting on the couch with a blanket, drinking water and eating bread bits (it's all I could get him to eat...even with my best convincing and bribing, water and bread was all I could get him to agree to).  So today I will be wiping noses every few minutes, folding laundry, making sure no one is throwing up on themselves, cleaning up the house, comforting kids, making meals, distributing medicine, wiping more noses, taking temperatures and changing diapers.  I know - you so want my life right now.

Happy Valentines Day!

The day of love - full of roses and chocolate and ooey gooey goodness.  Any special plans?  A candlelight dinner perhaps?  A day of spending time with the one you love?  Matching tattoos?  Cody works today and tomorrow, so I thought I would be so stealth and surprise him at work with some yummy Valentine treats, but he beat me to it.  After he left this morning, I walked into the kitchen to get a bottle for Cole and found a dozen long-stemmed roses, chocolates and a tender note that got me all misty.  Now I'll have to up the ante when I go see him.  Hmm, maybe I should put on my cupid costume...I mean, what's hotter than a diaper and a golden harp?  "I love you truuuuuly, truuuu leeeeeee deeeear!"

I have decided that today I will devote my loving list to what I love about Cody - 

 1 - He is my best friend.  Cody knows me better than anyone else, I love that I can tell him anything and we have the tightest relationship.

2 - He made me a Mother.

3 - I love spending time with him.  Even if we're doing nothing, it's the most important time I spend because I'm with him.

4  - He makes me laugh so. hard.  Cody is quite possibly the funniest person I know!  You wouldn't guess it at first, he's pretty quiet.  But that man can make me laugh until I cry - I adore that about him.

5 - He is the best dad to our kids.  I totally lucked out in that department - Cody is so patient with our boys and is so doting.  He is the biggest help to me and I don't fear parenting at all because I get to do it with him.

6 - I love that he's a handyman.  Cody has loads of projects all the time and while it makes me crazy sometimes, I admire that he knows how to do so many things.

7 - That he is so selfless.  Anyone who knows Cody knows that he will do anything for anyone.  

8 - That he is such a good cook!  

9 - That he still opens the door for me.

10 - That he is so devoted to me and our family.  He works so hard to provide for us and I love that.  He does all that he can to make our life great.  Happy Valentines Day, sweetheart - I don't deserve you, I love you sooo much!!

Now go give your Valentine a big kiss! MMmm-waa!

7 inches

That is how much hair I lost today!  Just returned from the salon and I LOVE MY NEW HAIR!  It's been forever since I've had short hair, it is so refreshing and fun - I'm super happy.  Here's a play by play of what went down - 

Before...

After she washed my hair, she put it in a ponytail and snip snip snip - there's 7 inches!

Ta-da!  A very fabulous 'After'!

So flippy, I love it

This is my 'too cool' pic.

I so love it, it's fantastic!  I was worried that it would look too much like a 'Mom' haircut (no offense to women who have the 'mom' haircut...ahem), but I think it looks pretty hip.  Happy Valentines Day to me!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

My 'Sweet Romance' Jewelry!

So fantastic, I love these sparkly pieces.  I got them last week and have been wearing them with everything.  Aren't they great?  Not to mention that the heart-shaped earrings are a perfect accessory for the month of love.

Today I am lopping my hair...or am I?  I started to get nervous last night, wondering what in the world I was thinking.  But I know if I don't do it, I'll just regret it.  So!  I leave for the salon in an hour and I promise to post pictures when it's all done.  Wish me luck...yikes!

Here are some things I'm in love with -

1 - My sons' cheeks.  Both my boys have the chubbiest little cheeks and I just love to kiss them.  They also have the cutest little dimples...oh!  So cute!

2 - A tall, cold glass of milk.

3 - My parents and my in-laws for teaching Cody and I how great a marriage can be.  

4 - A clean house.

5 - New hair!

Weekend Update

Thanks to everyone who commented on my Blogaversary!  Quite exciting, indeed.  This weekend was a wee bit hectic, let me start with how little Cole is doing.  The poor little dude has been so sick.  On Friday I took him to the Dr. to see if she could tell me what was wrong.  I thought it might be a bad cold, but I wanted to be sure it wasn't something worse.  Um - it was.  She told me he has Bronchialitis.  Sort of like a little pneumonia.  She said that there wasn't

anything I could give him other than Tylenol to help him feel better.  He has a really bad cough, it just wears him out when he gets a coughing fit, his eyes are all watery and he's weak and tired.  You can tell just by looking at him that he feels awful.  The Dr. said that he will get worse, she just wasn't sure how much worse.  'Thanks Dr. GoodNews, we'll see you next month!'.  Luckily his fever hasn't been high, so we've been able to avoid taking him to the Hospital.  Our friends Marc and Jessica let us borrow a humidifier for his room and today he finally seems to be doing a little better.  I feel so bad, he's just so little.  Hang in there, little guy!

On Saturday I went to Shari's baby shower with Ann and Heather.  I made some onesies, here's how they turned out -

This is probably my favorite one - Paper Doll

Glammy Girl

Cup of Sugar

...with pink ribbon ruffle bum - so cute!

Shari loved them, I can't wait to see her little girl in them!  I have lots more onesies to make, so the next few days will be busy.  I'll let you know why soon!

And finally, lets talk hair.  I have long hair.  It's great, I guess.  I like it.  But I am so bored with it!  Isn't that just the way of it?  We grow out our hair so it's long and then when it reaches mid-back we're like "Hmm, now what?"  Well, that's what I do at least.  I have worn it long forever and while I like that it's all straight and thick and luscious...that's really all I do with it.  I rarely curl it or put it up all fancy (other than for all the award shows I attend), so it just hangs there.  Last night I saw a shot of Beyonce' at the Grammy's and her hair was at her collar bone - and it looked SO great!  Mmmm, me envy.  I'm getting my hair done on Wednesday and I think I will be lopping off a few inches.  I mean, why not?  It grows back, I need a change and honestly - why not.  With any luck, I'll look something like this when it's all done:Guess I'll have to find my yellow dress and pink glitter puff...

What am I in love with?

1 - Naps

2 - That the days are getting longer

3 - Lint Rollers

4 - Quoting movies

5 - The relationship I have with my brothers and sister

6 - That I just pre-ordered 'Breaking Dawn', the 4th book in the 'Twilight' series.  Oh yeah, I can't WAIT!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

BC Fans!  Today marks the one year anniversary of when I started this blog!  I can't believe it's already been a year, how crazy is that?  Much love is owed to you for humoring me by checking my blog and leaving fun comments - I know there are a lot of you out there who come by, look around, read a bit, then continue on with other blog perusals - but today I encourage you to leave a comment in honor of this special occasion!  Don't worry, I won't make you come out of hiding forever - just drop a quick line, I would love it.  Happy Anniversary, dear Blonde Canary Blog!  Here's to many more years!  

Clean

Today I am cleaning my house.  Enough is enough.  I have just organized my desk (in a word - daunting.) and now more exciting projects await.  Laundry, dusting, organizing, cleaning, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming...the weirdest part?  I'm all geared up to do it!  Lets slap on some rubber gloves and an apron and get to work!

Along with the cleaning, I have some errands to run - dry cleaners, office supply, post office.  Not super excited about that part since it is snowing outside...again.  But!  I have decided to reward myself and my family with some yummy treats, so when things are sparkling I'm going to bake some cookies or a cake, some sort of delicious dessert.  

I know what you're thinking - it's early in the day, I have lots of energy, who knows what will happen to the rest of my day, I might get as far as dusting the coffee table and then collapse from exhaustion.  Yes, yes, very probable.  Some things are working against me.  Poor little Cole has a wee cold, so he may need lots of care today.  Cody has all these appointments today for work, so he'll hardly be home, which leaves me alone to tackle the messiness.  Hey man, I can take it - bring it on!

Oh!  Here is what I'm currently loving...

1 - My LAMB perfume.  I would bathe in the stuff if I could.  Hmmm, maybe I can...

2 - Nail Polish Remover.  I had my Thrillionaires class last night and when I left, my son had clean nails.  When I woke him up this morning, one hand had blue nails.  Aww, my little princess.

3 - Snow shovels.

4 - Ibuprofen.

5 - Cleaning agents - now I better go use them to make my house pretty!

What are you going to do now?

I'm going to Disneyland!  The Jolley family is headed to the happiest place on Earth this Fall.  I know, it's forever away - trust me, I'm feeling anxious.  I haven't been since High School - our Orchestra and Choir went there on tour (oh yeah, we were big time).  I cannot wait to take little Cache and Cole, it's going to be so much fun!  Some of our friends and their kids are going, too.  Naturally, I have never been with children, so I'm open to advice.  My sister and her family went last year and had a total blast!  Along with Disneyland, we may try to hit the Zoo or Legoland.  I seriously cannot wait, it's going to rock.  Tonight I'm going to dinner with the girls that are coming to Disneyland, so we will talk about hotel details and other fun plans.  Have you been recently?  Tell me all about it!

I have to get some things done before going out tonight, but I shall post 5 things that I'm loving - 

1 - Quoting movies.

2 - imdb.com.  That silly movie website is so much fun to look at - tons of random facts about movies and actors that I love - go take a gander.

3 - Getting new calendars and filling them out.  I finally bought a new wall calendar for our kitchen and I'm so excited to go through it and mark up important days...I'm a geek.

4 - That Cache listens to me.  Cache is a great kid - so well behaved.  But like most kids, he has his moments where he won't listen to me and just makes me crazy (aren't toddlers a joy?).  Which is why I love it when he actually minds me!  I must have instilled the fear of a midnight ninja in him or something, because if he's acting up I can say his name and he stops and gives me full attention.  Love it!

5 - Supersonic car wash.  A clean car is great, getting your car cleaned at Supersonic?  Better.

Late night

It's quite late, which means that Cody is working.  I am up late trying to get my house in order - I feel sort of overwhelmed with trying to get the boys rooms finished.  We have been working on them for a few weeks and currently they both look like a bomb went off.  We are so close to being finished, I promise to post pictures when they're done (because...I just know that you are sitting on the edge of your seating...with baited breath...I know it).

However!  I am still thinking of things I love, some more random than others - here we go!

1 - Great windshield wipers.  Lets be honest - life is too short to have bad wipers, am I right?

2 - Looking through pictures from when I lived in Vegas.  I never would have thought that living in Vegas would be one of the happiest times in my life, but I really did love it and looking through pictures from that time remind me of that.

3 - The smell of coconut.  That is instant Summer to me.

4 - Sugar cookie dough.  Duh.

5 - Hearing Cody come home in the morning.

"Is it snowing in space?"

Just one of the many funny quotes from the movie 'Groundhog Day'.  Does anyone know if the little gopher saw his shadow this morning?  I have yet to hear, but judging from the crispy snow outside...I'm anticipating another 6 weeks of Winter.  I'm at peace with it, especially since I sit here in my sweats sipping hot chocolate (Um, not part of 'The Zone'...oops)!

Last night Cody and I got to go on a date and it was so nice!  We went to a Tepanyaki restaurant - the kind where they cook the food in front of you and by the time your meal is finished, your eye brows are singed.  It was so yummy and delish!  It was also nice to be able to have a conversation without having to stop every few minutes and say something like, "no, not right now" or "please don't put your finger in the socket".  After dinner we hit Blockbuster and rented some flicks.  We got 4 movies and last night we watched "Hot Rod" - have you seen it?  So funny!  Not the best movie, I must admit - but we were laughing our heads off.

Since this month is all about love (and groundhogs, but that's beside the point), I have decided to post a few things that I love each day.  I'll try to keep them ooey-gooey free, but I can't make any guarantees!

1 - Date night with Cody.  Even if it's something as simple as going to Home Depot or running a quick errand together, it's so nice to spend time with him and have him all to myself - I'm selfish like that.

2 - Motivation, ambition, what have you.  I love waking up in the morning feeling all geared up to tackle projects and get things accomplished.  Granted, I usually don't get everything done, but just that giddy feeling is priceless.

3 - Being creative.  I love that I grew up in a family full of creative influence. 

4 - Shopping at craft stores.  I'm not a crazy crafty lady, but I get so inspired walking through those aisles...perhaps I should go to one today...

5 - Sunshine on a snowy day.  Snow is beautiful, but when the sky is blue and the sun is out, it's SO cheery, I love it. 

Happy February!

Ah, the month of love.  The month of pink hearts, chocolates and roses, groundhogs and...not...very many days.  I am in the process of changing the look of my blog (like I can't embellish my banner with pink goodness during a month that calls for it!), so please be patient while I change things here and there.  I just downloaded Illustrator to my computer and my sister (who is an artistic genius) has promised to help me in little over-the-phone courses every now and then.  Hopefully I'll get savvy enough to create a dreamy little banner - stay tuned and we'll see!

Not much has been going on, other than the fact that I live in a snow globe.  Snow globe livin', that's me.  I do love how everything is frosted in white, but I am itching for Spring!  I think I am getting ready for Spring Cleaning...I would love nothing more than to take an entire day and just clean my house from top to bottom - haul out all the old stuff, bring in some new, paint rooms, vacuum floors.  Since I can't open the doors and let the lovely aroma of spring blossoms enter my house, I should probably just have some cookies and watch a movie cuddled up in a blanket.  Viva la February!