Rolling her eyes

About a year ago, Tim's cousin Rachel taught Quinn to roll her eyes. Quinn never forgot, but sometimes has a hard time making it look real.

Best Friends at the Zoo

Eggs 2010

I was really proud of our (my) Easter eggs this year. It has been a few months now, but we are kind of on a hard-boiled egg kick at our house. Quinn says, "Mom, can you get the yellow parts so I can eat the white parts." She is very health conscious, and Tim and I end up eating lots of egg yolks.

Kenna and her bananas

McKenna loves bananas. For the last few months, we just had her the whole banana, and she goes to town. She eats about 2 to 3 whole banana a day, and she gets gitty and excited every time. So cute.

Maybe still a little messed up

So, McKenna can finally crawl, but she still won't stand up. She is 10 and half months and look what she did with her feet when I put her in her exersauser for a little physical therapy. Totally airborne.

I pledge ...

Kenna Crawls

So, Kenna learned to crawl a little late. Turns out she is quite inventive. Check out her most original and slightly spider-man crawl.

I want to Paint

It takes me a year or longer to gear up to ANY kind of home improvement project. The problem is 2-fold. First, I am either lazy, scared or unsure. And second, Tim is usually against it. Tim's resistance is just what I need to push me off the cliff of "I'll do it later." It is hard to defend something you're not that sure about in the first place.

But I really want to paint. Last time I wanted to paint, the project involved our 1/2 finished basement. I wanted to paint Quinn's soon-to-be new bedroom. Tim didn't want me to. He said the walls were not ready, and we should wait until we had enough money to do everything right. I was pretty ticked about this because I did not want to put our 2 year old all the way downstairs into a room with just dry wall and Spackle between her and depression.

Eventually I traded the painted walls for McKenna's name. (Remember that? It was beautiful.) Turns out Tim cared -- in that moment -- as strongly about unpainted walls as I did about the name McKenna. It was a win, win. But then it turned into a win, lose ... for him, because I painted the walls in Quinn's room anyway. He, he.

So, now I want to paint the wall that connects our closet to our master bathroom blue. I want to get new brown towels, and have a master bath paradise. Tim is anti. His quote that does not make sense is, "I just don't want our house to be any darker. I like it light." FYI: it is a light blue.

I also want to paint a new piece of furniture we got at a garage sale bright pink and put it in Quinn's closet. He wants it white, of course.

I'd also like to paint all the molding and doors in my house -- I think he'd go for this one because it is mostly about me on my hands and knees working my butt off, and everything stays white.

So, now I just have to find out what he really wants this time around. Let's negotiate. Maybe he wants a cruise. No, that's me. Maybe he wants to go back to school. No, that's me. Maybe he wants to eat only grains and things that taste like dirt. Crap, that is me again. Exercise more? Move to Chile? Have more babies? Crap! All me.

Perhaps this would work: If you let me paint the bathroom, I will make one meal a week that does not have dirt in it.

Eureka!

Let's Paint.

"Web site" vs. "website"

Hey, Writers,

The Associated Press announced today that they have officiall changed the spelling of "Web site" to "website."

I like the old way better, but I'll adapt.

Yay for the AP to tell us what to do.

Love,

Jill

Walking "with" my Dad

I walked my first 1/2 Marathon today. My dad came up to Utah so we could do it together. When you're dad walks fast, and you walk slow, walking becomes a solo project. But I loved it. I had to much fun planning and getting ready, and it was nice to have someone to text along the route that knew what I was going through. I have a lot of other happy thoughts about this experience, but I am going to keep them to myself, which I never do. Anyway, it was great, and I loved spending this time with my dad. We have a date to do the Utah Valley Marathon in June 2011 (the half for me, of course.)

The other man that made today great was Tim. Out of nowhere he mentioned that he was bringing the girls to the finish line. I never expected that. He got the right stroller and all the car seats in the car, remembered the bag I packed and asked him to bring, and was even early! He was so good to me after I crossed the finish line. He didn't make me lift a finger. He even took Quinn to a port-a-potty. We had a very mellow time relaxing and waiting for my dad to roll in. It was really nice and really peaceful, and although I walked for me, it meant a lot to share it with my little clan. I loved it.

No blisters and no flip flops. I am moving up in the world!!

First 1/2 Marathon -- 3 hours and 34 minutes (almost NO running at all)

From Quinn

This is what Quinn has been saying these days:

I going to put it right her so I won't lost it, OK?

She has a curry hair just like I have a curry hair. It's a match. (Curly)

Mommy, I need a paper wipe. (Toilet paper)

I can't find my princess shoes. We can look forgether! (Together)

You're right. (Mimicking the way I say it, of course.)

Can I have hot reg milk, please?

I want to watch dancing boys. (Newsies)

But this is almost over. (When asked to do anything while watching a show) (It is normally not even close to being over.)

BE - NICE - TO - MY - DAD!! (Yelling at me if it even sounds like I am disagreeing with Tim.)

Dancing boys is not a movie. A movie and a show are not the same. A movie has girls in it.

Mommy, I have a hungry tummy! (screaming from her bed at bed time)

Who we missing for? (when counting everyone in the family to make sure we are all there)

Can I have hot chocolate milk?

I going to call Missa. I got to talk to Asher's mommy. (Melissa)

I want "What was that? in the darkness." (Her favorite book is "What was that?" She added some words to the title.)

I want my pink-doggy-green-paci. (In a moment of distress)

Daddy, I so proud of you. (While giving him a big hug.)

Open the gates, and seize the day.

I go bed. (When asked, what is going to happen after lunch. Long face. Think Eeyore)

I tooted!

Mommy, I need paper wipe cause I have poop - Cause I don't have poop - I need paper wipe cause I cause I have my dress on, mom. I HAVE MY DRESS ON. (All in one loud breath from the pot.)

I wash my hands first. (When asked to brush her teeth. Washing hands takes 20 minutes.)

Hold on. Let me get my stool. (When she wants to help in the kitchen.)

Quinn: What's her name, Mom?
Mom: Mae
Quinn: What's her first name?
Mom: It Mae, baby.
Quinn: No, mom!!! WHAT IS HER FIRST NAME?
Mom: Her name is Mae Edwards. Those are all her names. That's it, baby.
Quinn: No!!! I said, WHAT IS HER FIRST NAME?
(Apparently she is a little confused about names. We messed her up good.)

Ouchy, Cha, Cha.

Mom, can I watch "Chuck"? (No) Why, Mom, Why?

"I a child of God." (Singing at me when I get frustrated with her about something. Very loud singing voice!)

The Bee Keeper's Brain

I am a woman of many, many words. This I know. But lately I just have not had a lot to say. Maybe I am having a Mary moment and just pondering all these things in my heart, but for the "record," here it is:

I am starting a new job. It's a good job, but I don't have any feelings about it. I'm a driven woman. But I just don't care. Am I suddenly dead inside?

I had to hire a new nanny because Shelly is having a baby soon, and once my job starts, I am going to be in training for 40 hours a week for a few weeks. Not great timing. So, I sent an ad to the only place I trust ... my relief society sisters, and within a few hours I had a new nanny. She's great, but I'll miss Shelly. And I'll hate missing 4 weeks of my girls' lives while I am up in Salt Lake from 9 to 5. Maybe that is what is making me feel dead inside. It is better to just not feel it. That is one of my main day care philosophies ... don't think to hard about it, or it will sting you.

But deep down I know Kenna will walk when I am not there to see it, and that makes me want to sit here and ponder these things in my heart... with a dagger. It also makes me want to eat fresh honey, so I can have something special in my life or something that makes me feel different or special or happy.

So, I want to be a bee keeper. I want honey in my backyard. I want to be able to add honey to my oatmeal every morning without worrying about it being on sale. I think being a bee keeper would be a great way to combine my passion for honey as a sugar substitute, my passion for working and eating close to the earth, and my unbridled passion for free stuff. Buzz, buzz let's do it. We'll have to see what Tim says. When I asked him for a piglet, he was not so keen.

And if he says, "No, thank you," I'll still have Lindsay and Lizza and our new bond over essential oils. Tim calls them the crazy oils, and Lindsay's man jokes, "She's in the oil business." But we ladies love them. They make us feel healthy and whole and hopeful and happy to find new truth and care about something together. Buzz, buzz, pass the lavender and peppermint, it is going to be a long month.

Video Games, Blogging and Mystery Shopping

We don't play video games in our house. Well, that is the official party line anyway. However, Tim does occasionally play a computer game, but our vice is our "made up" video games.

Tim has had his own video game for quite some time. He spends several hours a day on the USAA Web site. USAA is our bank that we use for everything -- loans, insurance, credit cards, investments, retirement accounts -- Everything. Tim loves to move our money around, create new budgets, accounts and future plans. He's a bit crazy about it. This is his video game. He sees every penny I spend from "my" accounts, and I actually love it, because since I started let him watch my money, I have not overdrawn once. (That is my vice.)

My video game has always been blogging. I have several blogs. This one for me. One for McKenna. A recipe blog. A blog for DJ's recipes. A blog to record answers to big questions. A blog to help infertile women, and a blog to help me learn about essential oils. I love writing, and so blogging is my video game.

Until now ...

For the last few weeks the laundry doesn't get folded, the bread can't get baked, and the papers can't get graded because my new video game is mystery shopping. This would really be a fun video game if I was actually out shopping and getting paid for it. However, what I am doing is spending hours a day applying to mystery shopping companies in hopes of finding the jackpot.

A friend told me about a company she shops for. She goes out to dinner with her husband once a month. Then she fills out a survey, and they give her a gift card for the next visit. Sounded great. So I signed up. On the first shop I accepted, they gave me $20 to spend at the Disney Store. It rocked. Then we started going out to dinner, and I got hooked.

So, I searched for another company to join. I had no idea that there are hundreds of these companies out there. The second one I found is basically the coolest one there is. This company reviews hospitality for really high end hotels and restaurants. They pay you and reimburse you 100% of your costs. (We've got a dinner scheduled this weekend that reimburses up to to $160 for one meal.)

I figured I could sign up for a few more of these awesome companies that then start shopping and eating for free.

Not so fast. The next several companies didn't have anything available in Utah. Then I found a bunch, and after the application process, I realized they only review crappy places and don't reimburse you. I am not in this for a job, so I am not going to sign up to earn $5 to drive up to Sandy, buy a shirt at Wal-mart and return it. Please.

But I know that there are awesome companies out there that pay a ton and let you keep the stuff you buy. I have found a few. The trick is to find the best companies that have the best clients that have shops available in Utah that don't make you work so hard that it is not worth it. Some companies recommend spending 5 hours to write your shopping report. (I couldn't make a lot of money if I just went to my job for 5 hours.)

So, I have this massive document with all these companies, hundreds of logins, passwords and notes. My video game has me hooked. It kills me. I can't stop.

It all comes down to my passion for free stuff. I can't resist it. I just can't. I love it. Free stuff rocks. Companies have their logos printed on crappy toys and office supply items because of people like me.

I have made a lot of head way in my game over the last few days that I have been home sick. I would a list of companies that have clients in Utah. And I found the company that mystery shops for Ikea. That was like finding a warp. (All hail to the original 8 bit Nintendo.)

I guess my goal is to finally apply to a company, log in, and see a big sign that says, "Available -- Shop Gap in Orem Utah!) Ahh, saving the princess. There is nothing like it.

Until then I will just sit here with laundry piling up and dishes starting to stink.