We went to see Ryan's band play tonight. It was fun.

The recording from my Blackberry isn't good. It sounded much better live.

Sigh.

Dinner turned out disgusting tonight. Soggy egg noodles topped with uncooked oniony runny stroganoff. Even I was disgusted. And I'm not a picky eater. Especially if I take the time to make the food. On a good night dinner is mediocre at best. I didn't really start cooking until I got married seven and a half years ago. Improvement-wise, I cook about four times a week instead twice a month. (On a good month). Yet the quality of edible tastiness is about the same.

In our last fourplex everyone else's stove (except ours) was replaced because they wore out. In our last ward (aka church group) I was one of a few people that would sign up to bring people meals when they were having surgery, babies, etc. And there used to be a lot of surgeries, babies, etc. And did you know they eventually stopped asking me to bring people free food? That was even after I gave up and just started buying pizza for everyone.

Ammon says cooking is like algebra because you do things in a certain order. I despise algebra. Also, I am perfectly happy eating cereal and frozen popsicles for dinner every night. There are about two thousand different kinds of cereal --- and that's enough variety for me. Salad is good too. I think I make a decent salad. Or maybe it's just the salad dressing that makes it bearable.

Once I was so mad that dinner didn't turn out (again), I made an entire bag of spaghetti and meatballs. And we ate that every night for dinner for a week. Mom's theory is if you have a bad dinner, you should have an extra yummy dessert. Thank goodness for ice cream.

Ammon suggested I learn how to cook. Acutally, his exact words were, "You tube isn't just for funny videos," to which I responded, "That's blasphemy!"  Maybe this is a self-fulfilling prophecy, but I don't think I'll ever sorta kinda possibly enjoy cooking no matter how long I try or attempt to learn.

Motley Thoughts

My blogging mojo comes and goes.  Mostly goes.  So I compiled drafts from over the last few months I never finished into one big, happy, post.

• Last night India was hit by a car.  Good thing it was parked.  Those darn side mirrors will always jump out at you.
• The girls were shot by the nurse yesterday.  India survived.  But Maya's feelings were critically wounded for the rest of the day.
• I forgot to send Valentine's Day cards with India to preschool.  Man I felt like a really big loser.
• When I got out of the shower, Maya was dancing with to the radio with her stuffed Tinkerbell.  It was so sweet.  She could dance for hours with anyone and anything.

And some more cute expressions from the girlies:

"My brain is telling me I don't like raisins." ~India

India: "I'm going live in a castle and be Rapunzel  and save all the people!"

Katie Bangeter: "Rapunzel doesn't kill bad guys though."

India: "Well, THIS Rapunzel does!"

Me: "No. Please don't kill people even for pretend."

India: "What can we do then?"

Me:  "Put them in jail or be tricky and teach them a lesson!"

Katie Bangeter: "And we can use our princess swords and then put the bad guys in a secret princess garbage can."

India:  As I'm turning lights out for bed:  "Where's my freaking cup?"

Erin:  Deck the halls with balls of holly . . .
Ammon:  Really?  Holly balls?
Erin: Ummm, yeah.  Those little red things are balls.
Ammon:  No.  It's bows of holly.

Maya:  "Hold you?"

India:  "Stop freaking out Mom."

Maya: Pointing at the stamps on our hands when we went iceskating - "Hand beautiful."

India:  "I can't go to sleep.  There's something going on with my body, and I just don't know what it is."

India:  Before entering the ice rink, she gave herself a pep talk, "Don't give up! Don't give up! Don't give up!"

India:  First time around the ice rink:  "I am NEVER going to do that again."

Guess What?

Rhino Butt. 

India redeemed her birthday coupon - a sleepover with Aunt Brittany.  As she left, India gave me advice on how to care for Maya while she was gone:  "Give Maya a big hug and kiss for me and let her watch a little cartoonie when she wakes up."

Maya was very upset when India left.  She sobbed, "Dida . . . Dida . . . Dida!" over and over and over.  We made it up to Maya by letting her wear India's Tinkerbell shirt and sleeping in India's bed.  Then she had a whole night of Mommy and Daddy time.

The next morning we met up with India and Brittany at the nearly-empty zoo.

Baby Zuri would roll snow into little snowballs with her trunk and eat them!

 This is George. The rhino up top is Princess.

 We saw lots of these up close.  Even fed one a cheese cracker.  Shhhhh.

Brittany told the girls this peacock was showing off for them because he thought they were cute.

More backporch views.

I named this camel Prince Humperdinck.

The gorillas were showing off too.  

We saw one of these big guys POOP into his own HAND then EAT it.  

It was so National Geographic disgusting.

This guy was trying to catch some zzz's despite my obnoxious camera flashing.

It's too dark to see the gorilla.  Maya is putting her hand on top of the gorilla's. 

 She may have been a little scared.  But I couldn't lose this cool photo opportunity.

Isn't this picture cool?  I love India's beautiful reflection.  So sweet and innocent and Fern Gullyish.

Both girls cheesing by the gorilla again.

So basically, Brittany and I go nuts over the animals at the zoo.  

And then the girls finally get to have fun when we take them to play at the zoo park afterwards.

Random fact:  Maya's favorite song is 5 Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree.  

She likes to change up who the Mr. Crocodiles snatches out of the tree though.

Sometimes it's Ariel.  Or Prince Eric.  Or Mommy Elephant.

Mookie Maya.

India, Maya, and Brittany on seesaw.

Elephant slide.

Though there was snow on the ground, it wasn't terribly cold.

Sweet Maya.  She's addicted to slides.

Last time.  Then it was time to go.

I liked the white outlines on this duck.

My favorite bird.  So elegant.

I'm an Aunt - for the Second Time This Year!

Bryce and Josie had a baby boy 19 days early (lucky!)  When Bryce was getting ready to go to the hospital, I had to hold back the tears because my little brother was about to become a daddy!  Wesley looks exactly like Bryce when Bryce was a baby.  Parents are tired but doing well.

I couldn't decide on one, or two, or even three favorite pictures.

 Wesley Conner Garey

February 28, 2011

6 lbs 12 oz

19 1/2 inches 

Perfect.

He's so tiny.  My babies were this small once - in utero.  

Wesley was not quite 24 hours old yet.  

Maya especially LOVES Wesley.

Collin and baby Wesley.

 Showing off his long, ET fingers.  

He recently decided he doesn't like his hands bundled up, so he can suck on his fingers.

 India and Maya have been diligent about washing their hands, so they can hold Wesley.

 

I had to save my favorite picture for last.  Sweet Wesley boy.