Caroline's Ride

On the way to Rexburg from the Fred and Della Barker reunion in Nampa, ID, Randy and I stopped off to visit some of my family that I hadn't seen in ages; Aunt Lenore, cousins Bonnie, Kathleen and Levi. We also got to meet Levi's wife Minda and his kids April and Hunter. Family is so nice to have! Aunt Lenore was nice enough to treat us to lunch and Bonnie was nice enough to take us to her house so that the kids to see some horses

Caroline's Plea

She's been saying this over and over again. HELP, Autumn, HELP!

This kind of goes along with "YOU DID THIS TO ME YOU --BLEEP--BLEEP--" in the delivery room. :) Babies: They're Evil

Thoughts...

One of the best parts of being a SAHM is the cute pics you collect on the camera phone.

Getting ready for the pool.

Trying on goggles
Make me melt!

Sunday fun

Oh what wonderful times at church. Randy's usually out the door between 6:30 and 7:00 leaving me to get the kids ready on my own. Grandma Pete has been helping whenver possible, but in general Sunday mornings are exciting than they used to be. Because I was in Cali when Randy was called to be second counselor in the branch presidency, I missed the "privilege" of speaking in front of the branch that one Sunday. Today, however, we were a speaker short and Randy "volunteered" me to bear my testimony. Oh, I just love my part in all of this! :) We got home today at 3:00 making my trip 6 hrs and Randy's 8 hrs. That puts an end to the common notion of "day of rest."

Bye Bye Bee Bee

I am SO sad! I bought this beautiful flowering tree for my yard. It's a purple locust tree which handles both drought and freezing. I thought that I had finally hit the jackpot as far as pretty desert trees go. This morning, in my attempt at a normal life as a SAHM, I thought that I would go outside. I saw my little treeling, ready to be planted... with big chunks cut of the leaves. I looked for the caterpillar culprits, all the while shewing away the pesky bees that were buzzing near my ear. Low and behold.... IT WAS THE DARNED BEES (which also happened to be Africanized honey bees aka killer bees)! They were chewing my beautiful tree leaves! Luckily the girls didn't bother the bees into a frenzy.

I wonder....

What does it feel like to be my cell phone?

Nasty Case of Lazy Bumitis

I'm trying to kick my rear into gear. After two weeks of either being ill, or caring for the 4 ill kids (Randy is a big kid) I've totally lost my umph that I brought back with me from Cali.

The girls had their first trip to the dentist yestderday. Kimmee cried. They ended up polishing her teeth while I held her. I'm beginning to think that this "recommend the dentist visit at two years old" is a pot shot from the M.D.'s to the D.D.S.'s. Caroline rather, was very tense throughout the visit, but actually did very well. No crying. Lot's of four-year-old bravery. Afterwards the doc gave the girls a coin purse, a sticker, an award for no cavities, a kid-sized spin brush, and a t-shirt (with his advertisement on the back, of course). The office was also nicely equipped with brand new toys, a video game system, a t.v., rocking horse, kid castle and dora and princess lounge chairs. Looks like I picked the right dentist the first time :)

Equine Fever

One of the fringe benefits of living in a hick town

Move Over Riley

Oh Yes. Kimmee turned two on Sunday and she's living up to the reputation of a two-year-old. Monday morning I woke up to Caroline informing me that Kimmee got poop all over the bedroom. Not an entirely new experience (unfortunately) but definately not something you want to start off your day. After the survey of the room, I decided that I would move the girls to the kitchen table for Kix and milk. Kimmee then proceeded to pour the milk on the table and help it to seep into the hymnal that was left there after our Sunday trek to church. Seeing that breakfast was out... I moved the girls into the living room for coloring. While I finished cleaning the mess on the table and steam cleaned the carpet in the girls room, I returned to a sleeper sofa stuffed with broken crayons.

KIMMEE - YOU'RE FIRED, I texted to Randy.

To help me not committ a crime that would involve jail time, I removed Kim to her bedroom. Once I finished removing 129 or so little pieces of crayon out of my decrepit couch I peeked in the bedroom. I'll give you one guess what Kimmee was doing; Getting into trouble AGAIN! All of the Pull-ups that were stacked neatly on the shelf (a shelf that she had to climb 3 feet to get to) were unceremoniously thrown down on the ground.

Tonight Randy saw something on our DirecTV guide that concisely describes Kim to a "T."

The best part of my Disneyland trip? Small World. Caroline ducked down in the bottom of the boat, Kimmee cried and Andrew spit-up all within a minute. SO WORTH IT!

What a couple of weeks. We went, we came back, I felt like garbage, and then I remembered.... I HAVE A BLOG! Randy, the kids, and I went to visit mis padres en California for a weekend. While we were down there, we also went to Disneyland, but the absence of any parades and the unwanted presence of a certain sinus virus made our fun day a not so fun day. Since we've been back I've battled a back strain, this virus (that has robbed me of my voice) and the dreaded visit from Aunt Flo, from Redlands.

(Gary the Snail)

THE HIGHLIGHT my sick week? Kimmee learned how to sing the final part of the SpongeBob Squarepants theme. She can say very few things clearly, but the week that Nickelodeon chose to program back to back SB episodes rather than the girl's favorite Nick Jr. inadvertantly taught my impressionable two-year-old a theme song that I had rather not have had her learn for another few years. Oh Well - At least she's not singing "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails.

Can I recommend (oh wait.. I can.. this is my blog) a product to my fellow mothers? The Leapfrog Tag Reader. It's a little spendy in the beginning, but the benefits of having technology to supplement (certainly not replace) your reading to your little ones... WOW. If you haven't seen the reviews, go onto amazon.com, target or walmart.com. If you can round up the money, it's a worthwhile toy for your little ones. There is also a money saving coupon on the leapfrog website.

Where to be found....

I know how you feel. Maybe this will help :)

It's surprising, the answers you can find when you just look.

Food Storage; It's Not Just for Your Hips!

Yes, we are heeding the prophets' council on food storage; Just do it! One last Christmas present to ourselves, Randy and I decided it would be greatly beneficial to acquire a can rotation rack. We picked ours up at shelfreliance.com, a company that specializes in long term food and storage equipment and offers a lot more variety than the church distribution center. Now when Randy and I decided to get one of these, it was for the purpose of organizing our food storage. Little did we know that it was really a elaborate plan by the church to keep little children from getting bored during the day.

Wee! Let's roll the can of baby formula down again!

Burger Princesses

The best thing about Burger King: The free crowns.

Family Search

Yeah! The church FINALLY opened up new.familysearch.org to the Las Vegas temple district, of which we are in, and the rest of the membership in the U.S. (from my understanding). Ever since Aunt Lynette showed me the benefits of this program the Thanksgiving before last, I have been drooling, chomping at the bit, and driving the branch familyhistory lady bonkers (which is nice for a change). But I digress.... I am so excited about this program because it helps me, and countless others, do exactly what I have been doing for the last 4 years; checking and cross-checking names, dates, and ordinances so that duplicate temple work is not done. Thank you President Hinkley! :)

Mommy, More Veggables

Who would have thought, in this era of fast paced food and sugar salt and fat filled yum-yums that my kids would ask for more broccoli and skip over Randy's delectable BBQ pork ribs. Actually this is a common occurrance. If it's green, the girls prefer it. Avacados, canned peas, snap peas, green beans and aforementioned broccoli. We have to tell the girls, you can't have any more broccoli until you finish your succulent hickory smoked tangy brown sugar and mollases laden pig butt! YUM! Maybe they're on to something :)

Desperate Domestic Housewife

On Thursday, my visiting creatures came over. Lorna, a grandmother of 6 and Ardee a great-grandmother of 50 know the challenges that face a mother of 3. My sweet little girls, during our visit, discovered some bags of dry beans that mom had left out. After a while they come into the living room and discover that it is fun to throw the surprisingly fragile plastic bags of beans. It only took 5 or 6 throws before the beans started spilling.

To solve the problem, I broke out the new sewing machine, sitting in the kitchen corner collecting dust, and learned how to thread the darned thing. WHY OH WHY do they have to make threading a sewing machine so gosh darned difficult? Now I understand why the Amish do everything by hand. They're not trying to cling to the simpler code of living, they're just frustrated with the freakin' machines!

So after 2 hours of much frustration, I finally get the machine going. I went to Grandma Pete's to steal some remnants for some bean bags, which she had, and then proceeded to lesson one of sewing in home-ec. I finished two bags, one just wouldn't work; the girls would fight over it and break the homely sack of legumes.

Now I think that my bean bags are just adorable and should be sold at some high priced retail establishment like Gymboree or Pottery Barn. Well it just so happens there is a asthetic requirement that my bags did not fill. I guess my girls will have to play with my designer remnant bean bags instead. Eat your heart out Versace.

Gratitude

Despair.com is one of my favorite websites because of their stark and witty humor. Well, now there is a application on the site to make your own demotivational posters. Here's one that I made from one of Kimmee's baby pictures:

To Be a Barker

To me, one of the defining characteristics of being a "Barker" is being able to french braid. These were my 2nd and 3rd of 3. Not bad, eh? Thank goodness for some teenie boppers on You Tube who taught me a good technique. Someday, I hope that I'm as good as Mel :)

Angels

The BEST part of my day is to see my sleeping angles; sleeping quietly

Big Week

Well, I lost 2 lbs (Yeah), gained a shed in my "back yard" and saw my bumpy dirt "front yard" turned into a flat graded pad ready for a cement foundation.

Kimmee is progressing on her potty training, but not at the speed at which I would like (duh). She went no.2 on the potty chair on Tuesday and got so excited while doing it, she jumped up to see what was in the pot before she finished. It was gross, but I had to laugh. I gave her a pez dispenser for the effort.

Caroline is spending the weekend at Grandma Barker's. It's good for her and wonderful for me. I love her so much, but 3 years is just not my favorite age. I wonder how I'll feel about 3 when she's sixteen :).

Andrew is rolling over in his crib now. Just today, he rolled on his back after he woke up and called me into the bedroom to play peek-a-boo with him. When I looked at him in the crib, he was pulling a blanket over his face and then removing it to giggle at me.

If you haven't had a chance to check out my new recipe, look in the upper right hand corner above the picture of Lily. It'll make you laugh.

What Are Wii Doing?

I have found a new vice to vex my peaceful existence in Meadview. Randy insisted that I try Grandma's Wii Fit, but at first I was not impressed with what the game looked as if it did. I'm now a believer. This thing kicked my trash round and around again! I had too much fun Tuesday and Wednesday, and now I am sore beyond my expectation! Well, I'm off to torture myself again at Grandma Pete's. Oh, what a mother will do to get a few minutes of peace :)

Andrew Bundles Up

The kids and I bundled up, unnecessarily, for a little family walk today. Andrew, for some reason thought the "warmie" I put on him was the best thing since peanut butter and jelly.

That's my happy boy.

Girls and Curls

Caroline and Kimmee loved "girling" up on Saturday. When I finally took her hair out, it reminded me of the permed pyramid do that was popular in the early 90's. Actually it screams TIFFANY! When all was said and done, Caroline wanted to give me a kiss for all the hard work that went into her hair-do. This pic is set as the coveted main screen spot on my cell phone :)

Caroline, Kimmee and I had a fun girlie morning. Caroline insisted that she wanted curls, but having no curlers, I did this:
What a patient almost 4-year-old. I just love her!

Good and Bad for Kimmee

I was reminded of a funny thing that Caroline had done for Grandma. She had evidently been pointing at Kimmee with her middle finger. Iit was not a constant thing that she had done, but apparently it was done enough at Mom's house because it caught her attention. Mom told her that we don't point with our middle fingers; that's it's a bad thing to do. She also taught her that we point with our index finger at which point Caroline juxtaposed both her index and middle finger. She then replied to Grandma with her index finger "This is good for Kimmee" and with her middle finger "and this is bad for Kimmee." Kids do the darndest things!

Domestic Goddess Failed

After a wonderful morning including Kimmee running around naked and Caroline waking me up to tell me so, I ventured into my journey to domestic godliness. Randy bought me a Rotisserie/Convection oven for Christmas because we both have become big fans of the yummy chicken that they sell at supermarket delis. Sufficeth to say that using a new piece of equipment, let alone one with a spit with sharp spikes. It took me two hours of trying and failing to balance the chicken on the spit before I pleaded for Randy's help. While he was returning home from work I proceded to burn my left thumb and cut a chunk of skin out of my left pointer knuckle when my hand slipped on the bathroom faucet.

Grandma Pete came to the house to help with the chicken. It took both her and Randy's hands to tie the bird and pin it to the spit. Two hours later.... My kids were so understanding with my culinary dilemma. Caroline said that a funny face would make me feel betterKimmee said ya ya ya ya ya
And little Andrew just wiggled and giggled

I've been tinkering with different free blog layouts but ended up choosing a background from the cutestblog website that y'all are choosing from. I'll be uploading more things soon so that you can peer into my tiny home and laugh and coo at my family :).

Both Grandma Pete and Mom and have been bugging me to get my blog up. It's quite hard when I'm cleaning up the contents of Kimmee's diaper smear this morning. I'm working on it rather than numbing the brain with various anesthetics such as Final Fantasy or Pogo :). Andrew has learned how to roll over and kick off the covers in his crib so that he doesn't remain asleep for very long (again). It's exciting to see his motor improvement, but It's EXTREMELY tiring. Caroline reads with her leapfrog Tag reader now. She can also recognize all of the family's names including Grandma and Grandpa.