Those Meatloaf Moments

Some people start sweaters; I start stories, so here's a yarn for you...

It all began with a super sale at Macey's. (For all of you non-Utahans, this is a grocery store, not the department store). The sale on ground beef that week was so super that it was already cleared out when I got there. Luckily, they were busy packing up more in the back for the gathering crowd. When the butcher wheeled out his silver cart, I grabbed 3 family-size packs and zoomed my car cart with the kids outta there!

This was going to be great! I had enough meat on my hands to freeze Ziploc baggies full for future meals, plus make a triple batch of my mama's meatloaf--plenty for us and my friend with a new baby who had just broken her foot.

Now, you've gotta know that my mama's meatloaf isn't your ordinary-Leave-It-To-Beaver-kind of meatloaf. We're talkin' Cheese Ribbon Meatloaf with a special sauce on top.

So, a few days later, the rows of Ziploc baggies were snugly zipped in our chest freezer, and every bread pan I own came out of the oven. This was going to be the biggest Sunday meal on a weeknight we'd ever had!

Then, I took a bite.

Two words barked at me loud and clear: wet dog.

While I sat in utter disgust and disbelief, Myles, the man of solutions, brought in a different loaf for us to sample. It couldn't ALL be bad, right?

Well, we never found out. Before the next loaf even made it to the table, it slipped out of his hands and splattered ALL over the floor! That special red sauce spelled special from the highest cupboard to the lowest floorboard.

Our eyes popped like the meatloaf out of the pan.

And then the giggles came. First, a simmering from the girls, then a bubbling from me, until we boiled over into a roar. We would've fallen off our chairs and rolled on the floor, but we didn't want to get messy.

Before I could take a deep breath and exclaim, "I can't believe this!" I noticed Myles wasn't roaring.

He was Googling: "wet dog ground beef"

Turns out, it's real. Thousands of other people have complained about it. Food scientists have written dissertations about it. From what I can understand, some beef goes through a radiation process in order to kill things like E. coli. The wet dog smell and/or taste does not mean the meat is bad, but can be a side effect of the radiation process. Even though it wasn't going to hurt us, there's no way I could stomach it. I just had to persuade Myles that it was OK to throw it ALL away.

I was sad about the mess, the wasted time, the wasted money, and our lack of future meals, but sure counted my lucky stars that I hadn't shared it with my friend with the new baby and the broken foot yet!

I also smiled to myself, remembering a prequel to this Meatloaf Madness and had to call my mama...

Our Designer Girl!

This girl knows how to make what she wants! She comes up with an original idea almost every day. This is her "Book Purse." A friend of ours gave us a box of paper with holes punched out on one side. She used thick string to lace the pages together and make a handle. While I was in the shower today, she made a mini notebook, along with a Macintosh laptop for herself, Robyn, and Macy. The paper productions had keyboards and flip-up screens with an apple on the top.

She does seem to have an eye for things that I take for granted. For example, while we were driving down the road, she noticed a big, silver cattle truck and asked why it had holes in it. When I told her so the animals could breathe, she said, "It looks like a big cheese grater!"

She's definitely on top of technology. While playing with her Fisher Price dollhouse, she asked me to find the baby.
Me: She's in the bathtub!
Carly: Yeah.
Me: Where's the mom? Shouldn't she be watching her? She's pretty little.
Carly: She's watching her with a camera.

She's just always thinking...
Carly: Mom, would you rather clean up a bag of flour or a gallon of milk?
Me: Flour.
Carly: What if it was one of those BIG bags of flour?

It's Always Fun When Daddy's Home!

I came home from something to find Myles and the girls doing this fun photo shoot! We store 2 liter bottles under our kitchen sink to use for watering all of our tropical plants. (Our avocado is blooming for the first time)! We also like to put hot water in them to warm up our feet at night. Now, we know they work wonderfully as entertainment, too! Once it warms up a little more, we'll be shooting off bottle rockets at the park. Any more fun ideas of what YOU do with YOUR water bottles?!

I Wanna Go On FireFox!

Fun times staying home sick with Dad! (These were Myles' safety glasses when he worked at HP before college).

The Terrific Twos!

We often talk about The Terrible Twos. I have to admit that my two year old stretches my patience to its outer limits sometimes, but so do people who are many twos older than two! There are so many wonderful qualities of my two year old that I thought I'd capture them, as three is just around the corner.

My Two Year Old is Terrific Because She's...

10. Honest
Me: Who made this big mess?!
Macy: Me!


9. Giving
Always saves any treat she gets to share with Robyn when she gets home from school.

8. Forgiving

7. Observant
Macy: Mom, why are there only 2 sinks if there's 3 bathrooms (stalls)?

At the end of a party, we found a sippy cup. Only Macy knew the rightful owner!

6. Creative

5. Helpful
It's SO exciting for her to pour a scoop of laundry detergent into the "wetter" for me, put Robyn and Carly's "special deliveries" (clean clothes) away, or crack eggs in the kitchen with Myles. She also likes to make Myles' lunch for him while he's getting ready for work. He's had some fun surprises!

4. Original
Me: What are your babies' names?
Macy: Fluffy and Bird

3. Loving
Tells us she loves us all the time!

2. Hilarious
Me: Eat your egg, Macy
Macy: I don't want to. I'm going to put you in jail and that's your room and not let you out!
Me: Oh, good. I'd love to stay in jail and read a book all day.
Macy: Well, I'll let you out if you want to go to the mall.

Macy's 6:30 AM wake-up call: Mom, is it time for YOUR potty break?!!

1. Well Read
This girl's able to call upon her favorite authors, especially in desperate times of need, like when being held captive on Myles' lap during church.
Macy: 'Put me down!' said the fish. 'This is my wish!' (repeated every few minutes).

Macy: (While I was cleaning out under the couch) Mother Bear, Mother Bear, what do you see? I see a big hairball looking at me!

Her new nickname for me after reading The Three Bears: Oldilocks

Fancy Nancy and Mr. Branson Would Be Proud!

Here's Teacher Gram giving writing lessons moments before her departure to the airport. Robyn's really excited about learning "fancy" cursive writing, and Carly's working on her printing.

Me (after opening the girls' bedroom door when they had a friend over to play): Why is it so dark in here? Are you pretending it's night time?
Robyn: It's before Benjamin Franklin time, Mom! The lightbulb hasn't been invented yet, and all of our candles went out!

Nothing like playing house in a historical setting!

Not only is Mr. Branson big into history, he's really into geography, too. I was amazed how much he packed into the last 10 minutes of a day after a party when I was there. These kids know more geography trivia than me!

(One time at the dinner table) Myles: He's going to Spain.
Robyn: Cool! He'll get to visit Portugal while he's there!

Macy (while holding the globe): Antartica's on the bottom. That's what Robyn taught me.

So Sweet!

Catherine Shapiro: Are you OK, Carly? You seem really quiet.
Carly: Yeah.
Catherine: It's OK to be quiet sometimes and just think.
Carly: Yeah, about Jesus.

Carly is REALLY into making things! Here is our family with Gram. She designed and made a paper flower for her cousin's Bday. She used to ask me every day, "Whose Birthday is it? Is anyone sick?" Now, it's Macy who asks me. She's always making Birthday cards and "Sick Cards." She has also acquired Carly's love of creating and cutting.

Macy (After cutting up LOTS and LOTS of paper into tiny, little bits): Look, Mom! I'm making scraps for my scrapbook!
This morning, before I could even get out of bed, the sounds of, "snip, snip, snip" filled my ears. I had to smile.

We're still enjoying Valentine's candy. Macy: Mom could you put my candy back in the bag so a ghost doesn't get it? (Little does she know who those ghosts are)!

I Love My Seven-Yr-Old Sweetheart!

Robyn was so cute and had a backpack full of Valentine's decorations she made at an after-school art class to put up and surprise Carly and Macy after they were in bed. When she comes home from school, she sings Mary Poppins songs with Macy and reads Junie B. Jones books to Carly. A family friend told me that she's very friendly and polite, always saying thank you. A few of the messages in her Valentines Mailbox at school said, "I think you are very smart. You are funny. I think you run fast. You are nice to everyone." Sometimes, I can't believe she is 7. Other times, I have to remind myself that she is only 7. I love her and am so glad she's in our family!

L-I-N-C-O-L-N, One Great Man!

Happy Presidents' Day from Abe and Robyn! I have to admit that Myles forwarded me the e-vite to Abe's 200th B-day celebration as a joke, but when Robyn came home from school estatic to attend, we decided to go. My mom happened to be in town from the Great Land of Lincoln, so she was excited about the big bash, too. (She got a day off from work for Lincoln AND Presidents' Day). As a kid, I learned how to spell Lincoln's name with this wonderful song: Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln, One Great Man! L-I-N-C-O-L-N, One Great Man!

I Love My Fam!

Macy: We have arms because we can hug people and rock-a-bye babies.
Macy (to me): I love you. I want to keep you forever...I want to keep everyone forever!
Macy: I love you so much, my stomach hurts.

Carly's Christmas Cactus

Our Christmas Cactus turned 5 this year! How do I know? It was waiting for us when I came home from the hospital with Carly when she was born. Janell and Edyn had cleaned the whole house, bought a new rug for our living room and had set the cactus in the fireplace. Every time I look at this cactus, it reminds me of their thoughtful acts and Carly. This year, it didn't bloom for Christmas, but it did bloom in time for Valentine's Day!

The Beauty Salon is Open!

Macy: Why don't you wear make-up?
Me: I don't know. I have pretty light skin...it's a pain to wash off...I don't know.
Macy: Well, if you don't wear make-up, you gotta git out of the Beauty Salon!

When Gram comes, the Beauty Salon is open! She lets them put on "make-up" with her and loves to do their hair all cute. Can't she just stay as their personal assistant?

I Love My Little Sweethearts and My Mama Sweetheart!

My mom was in town for all the festivities. We loved having her! The girls were excited about their Valentine shirts from her. I love my mama and my girls!

I Love My Big Sweetheart!

I had a sweet day with my sweetheart, beginning with his tradition of pancake making and ending with a super fun time at Comedy Sportz. He also helped me set up for my Primary Activity, which is where we had our photoshoots. Myles would do anything for me, and I'm so glad he's mine!! He says he looks bald in this picture. I guess I chose to cut off his head instead of the cute heart pancake.

Livin' in an Internet World and We are Internet Girls...

Me: You can find everything online.

Robyn: No, you can't.
Me: What couldn't you find online?
Robyn: A light switch eating a hamburger.
Carly: Rows and rows of meat dancing in the moonlight.
Robyn: An eyeball collage as big as the White House.

Actually...

Sampling of our 6 AM Wake-Up Calls

Macy whips open our bedroom door and demands, "Is this the swimming pool?" She has her blanket wrapped around her waist like a towel, dives onto the floor flailing her arms and legs and belts out, "Let's go swimming, let's go swimming, yeah, let's go swimming...on the bottom of the ocean!" (A song from dance class).

Once that's over, she announces, "I am the Man with the Yellow Hat and you are Curious George, and I'm going to make you some popcorn!"

The fun just keeps on going. It's early, but at least she's happy!

Feeling Good About Myself

Macy: Mom, what are those stripes on your forehead?
Me: Wrinkles.
Macy: Do you like sprinkles?
Me: Wrinkles. No, not really.
Macy: Where did you get them from?
Me: From getting old.
Macy: Yeah, there's stripes, stripes, stripes all over!

(When we remember, we paint a special nail polish on Macy's thumbnail to help her remember not to suck her thumb).
Macy: Mom, you should paint your toenails so you don't suck them anymore.

Back to Dance!

After a winter break, Macy and Carly are happy to be dancing right next door again. We love seeing friends and cousins every week! As Macy was putting her Tinkerbell tutu on, she excitedly exclaimed, "Mom, Miss Amber knows English!" So, I guess we pay her to teach dance and to speak English!

Pasta Party!

So there's Pampered Chef parties, chocolate parties, and scrapbooking parties. Why not pasta parties?

Carly worked hard at preschool mastering her pattern-making abilities and fine-motor skills to bring home a collection of necklaces and bracelets made with brightly-colored pasta. Thanks to Carly, we're fancy now! Nancy would be proud.

Pizza, anyone?

When Macy had to stay home from dance with croup, she was sad. But, when I told her she could break out the Playdough, she was estatic. (She asks me to play with it often, but I've got to be in the right mood to say yes). She whipped me up a blueberry pizza.
Me: Wow! This is delicious! Did you make it all yourself?
Macy: Oh, no. My husband helped me.

Then, it was her idea to make a nest with little eggs in it. The eggs hatched and we morphed them into little birds. She rolled out some worms and fed them. Myles, later: Too bad you didn't get a video clip of that. It would've made a great "clay"-mation video!

PS The lovely colors are from leftover Halloween Playdough.

I wear my sunglasses...

I never knew you could need sunglasses in the winter...until I moved to Utah!

Macy's quote of the day: We need a boy kid. We don't have a boy kid. We just have a boy dad, but we definitely need a boy kid!

Robyn's Up-Do

Robyn came to the breakfast table with a new do she did all by herself! She also likes to do Macy's hair when she lets her. Robyn's really growing up this year with new glasses, new teeth, and new hair-dos!