Twona Family Blog

Sledding Day

2011-02-11T21:25:00.000-08:00

Spent the afternoon sledding with family and extended family. My parents' first time!

Epic Snow!

2011-02-09T18:39:00.000-08:00

OK, slightly exaggerated, but for where we live, this is pretty massive! Benji's on his knees here, which gives the illusion that it's REALLY deep snow. It's about 12-14 inches:Better representation of the snow:

Goody bags rule

2010-10-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

We had Zac's 4th birthday party today (though his actual birthday is not until this Tuesday). We were blessed to have lots of friends join us to celebrate a special boy. Part of the entertainment was a scavenger hunt for the goody bags at the end of the party. I think Zac might sort of, kind of be happy to have found his goody bag.

Look Ma, no training wheels

2010-09-27T22:01:00.000-07:00

We have no more little boys with training wheels. Shearn Yoong taught Zac to ride sans training wheels yesterday. I wasn't there to see that, but I got to see him action this morning while we took Benji to school. I have to give props out to Benji for being such an encouraging big brother today, telling his brother he was doing "awesome," helping him up when he fell, and also helping him get

How can BP executives be so nonchalant in their response to the oil spill?

2010-06-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Looking at these pictures just breaks my heart.http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/caught_in_the_oil.htmlBy the way, stop calling it an oil leak. This is NO leak. It's a spill, a gush. Call it for what it is.

Bread recipe

2010-04-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my dear hubby's birthday gift of a mixer two years ago, I have enjoyed making homemade bread. Here's the recipe I use (sometimes I substitute a few cups of white flour, if I'm feeling generous to my husband - he prefers some white flour in the mix).Wheat bread 7 cups whole wheat flour2/3 cup gluten2 1/2 Tbsp. yeast5 cups hot water (I use tap water turned up as hot as it goes)2 Tbsp.

Snow??!! In March??!! Are You Kidding Me??!!

2010-03-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Not that I'm complaining - I love playing in the snow (making up for lost years here, as my wife would say). Benji enjoys the snow too. Zac, he does but not for long. He doesn't stay too active out in the snow, therefore gets cold. Laurel...... sigh....... It's end of March and here we are, getting a really good snow dump (I don't see it as snow fall). At the time of writing, it's still coming

Interview with Desmond Tutu

2010-03-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

Renee Montagne of NPR's Morning Edition interviewed Archbishop Desmond Tutu this morning, and I caught the interview on my way in to work. When asked if he found his relationship to God changed as he's grown older, I thought his reflection on that question quite profound. He said, "Yes. I am learning to shut up more in the presence of God (laughter)". Then he went on and admitted that he still

Great, Great Commercial

2010-02-25T19:27:00.000-08:00

I love it. Simple concept yet powerful message:

A Tinkle and Three-Phrase Morning Routine

2010-02-18T03:39:00.000-08:00

We've weaned Zac off diapers for a while now, but we're getting somewhat regular bed-wetting accidents that we decided we just need to wake Zac up ourselves to go to the bathroom.Since I get up very early for work, part of my morning routine now would be to carry a sleepy little boy to the bathroom, let him empty his bladder, and carry him back. After laying him down, I would always hear these

Happy Chinese New Year!!!!

2010-02-16T19:52:00.000-08:00

The university's Chinese Students and Scholars Association had their annual CNY gala and this year, Benji participated in a dance. Their dance was the opening act! It was really cute to see Benji on stage. Proud of the little guy! He's on the far left.Though this video was recorded in HD, I didn't have the right software to deal with HD clips yet. Sorry! Tell Apple to quickly release iLife '10.

What is Chinese New Year?

2010-02-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

At Chinese class today:Teacher: What is Chinese New Year?Benji: A party with Chinese.

Creamy chicken vegetable soup

2010-01-09T22:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, here is recipe number two. The recipe called for turkey but I used chicken and it was just fine.Ingredients 1 large onion, finely chopped2 tablespoons butter3 cups diced small red potatoes2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth2 cups cooked cubed turkey breast2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon white pepper1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning2 cups heavy

Beef and cabbage soup recipe

2010-01-09T22:11:00.000-08:00

It's been super cold here lately, so this has been the week of soups. A friend asked me to post my recipes... so here is recipe number one.Beef and cabbage soup1 lb ground beef1 medium onion1 cup diced celery1/2 green pepper chopped2 tablespoons canola oil2 teaspoons salt2 tablespoons sugar1/4 teaspoons pepper1/2 teaspoon paprika1 28 oz can whole tomatoes chopped1 5 1/2 oz can tomato paste4 cups

SNOW

2010-01-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

The last few winters here in Arkansas we have not had good snows. This year seems to be making up for it! We had a white Christmas and now another snow last night. The boys had a blast this morning - sledding down our steep driveway, having a snowball fight with Daddy, and attempting to make a snow man. The snow was a little dry for building a snow man, but I managed to get a tiny one made. It

King of the jungle

2009-12-29T21:12:00.000-08:00

We were packing up Christmas decorations this morning, including the Adorenaments (ornaments representing different names of Jesus). I thought it'd be a good time to review some of the names. When we got to "Lion of the tribe of Judah," Benji said, "Lion of the tribe of jungle."

A good cookie recipe to try

2009-12-21T04:34:00.000-08:00

The boys and I made these cookies last Friday and we have all really enjoyed them. I needed to type up the recipe for a friend, so I thought I'd share with everyone.Chewy Chocolate-Raisin cookies1 c. golden raisins, coarsely chopped1/2 c. brandy (I didn't have any on hand so I just used water)1 1/2 c. flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour but all-purpose would be fine too)3 Tbsp. cocoa powder1 1

My beautiful new quilt

2009-12-19T21:36:00.001-08:00

I mentioned on Facebook a few weeks ago that I like this quilt but was unqualified to make it. To my utter surprise, my friend Ruth presented it to me this evening for my Christmas gift. I am so grateful for her hard work and her sweet gift. It just might be the sweetest gift I've ever received. Here are two photos of her handiwork.

one word tag

2009-12-01T21:08:00.000-08:00

1. Where is your cell phone? purse2. Your hair? curly3. Your mother? down-to-earth4. Your father? handy5. Your favorite food? sugar6. Your dream last night? unknown7. Your favorite drink? coffee8. Your dream/goal? shine9. What room are you in? living10. Your hobby? knitting11. Your fear? failure12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? clueless13. Where were you last night? home14. Something that

Cranberry coffeecake recipe

2009-11-03T12:28:00.001-08:00

My friend asked for this recipe so I thought I'd share with everyone.Cranberry coffeecake (from The Joy of Cooking)Preheat oven to 350. Prepare streusel and set aside.Streusel: Blend with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs:2/3 cup all-purpose flour2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans2/3 cup sugar or brown sugar5 Tbsp. melted butter1 tsp. gr. cinnamon1/4 tsp. saltWhisk together:2

Corn maze

2009-10-30T13:35:00.001-07:00

This morning we woke up early, had breakfast and were dressed by 7:30 a.m. - which is nothing short of a miracle in our household. The reason - we were heading with our homeschool group up to a Corn Maze in southern Missouri. At first the weather was looking suspicious... but the sun ended up coming out for our trip up north. We got to shoot corn cobs out of "guns," ride a cow train, find our way

Smart, very smart

2009-10-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

We could just remove escalators, or just make stairs more fun!Update: Looks like there are more than one experiment to this "fun theory". Follow them at this site: http://www.rolighetsteorin.se/en/

Happy birthday Zac

2009-10-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

Zac turned 3 on Monday. We had a family dinner that evening but the kid party this morning. We are so proud of our little guy who isn't so little anymore. He is a good sharer, loves his big brother and parents, and is one of the sweetest 3 year olds I know (yes, I am biased of course).

Build-A-Bear - What a Concept

2009-09-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

As most of you have known, Laurel posted on Facebook that Benji finally got his very own Build-A-Bear. To those who doesn't Facebook (like yours truly), yes, Benji has a Build-A-Bear after seeing his good friend strutting around with one. No, we didn't just say, "OK. Let's go get you one". Instead, we took the opportunity to challenge him to a money-saving initiative, teaching him to value saving

Ramblings of a Tech Geek

2009-09-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

My decision is cemented.After weeks of watching, I finally saw a good deal last weekend on a Windows laptop for my mom-in-law, so I ran to my local Office Depot store and grabbed one. The laptop itself is pretty decent - more than sufficient for her need and hardware-wise, ready for Windows 7 whenever it's released and should last her for the next 5 years. But man oh man, after working on

The strange place called the county fair

2009-09-02T21:54:00.001-07:00

A county fair is a strange occurrence, if you really think about it. If it was just Shearn Yoong and me, we would have let this week pass in normal fashion and no special trips to fields in the middle of nowhere. But it is not just Shearn Yoong and me. There are two small boys who absolute DELIGHT in the county fair. Benji asks about it every couple of months and looks forward to it all year long

Don't worry

2009-08-24T12:28:00.001-07:00

Two nights ago I was late coming home for dinner because I spent the afternoon with my mom. The boys went ahead and ate without me. So I sat down to eat by myself once I arrived home, asking if either of the kids wanted to join me to keep me company. Zac was too busy playing with toys, but Benji said he'd come sit with me. But after a few minutes, he thought of some pressing concern that he

The bare necessities

2009-08-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon was less than perfect - for a variety of reasons which don't need to be re-hashed here. However, it got me thinking... what are "essential" for me to have a "good day?" Of course, I realize that I live in a first world country, which means my day is filled with luxury, so I really should just shut up and be grateful... that being said....Essentials that I need in my day to

California 2009 Vacation

2009-08-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo slideshow of our recent (by that I meant one month ago!) trip to Cali. As always, it was fun to see old friends and families. We had a great time!!!!

Observations from the mall

2009-08-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

My lovely mother took care of the boys this morning to let me get a run in and also do some errands by myself. Lots of in and out, which is just more fun without two kids in tow. (Plus I'm sure they had more fun swimming and going to the park than getting in and out of the car with me.) One of the stops was the mall. It's been awhile since I've been to the mall and several things stuck out to me:

Zac the camera man

2009-07-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

We bought ourselves a new camera "for Christmas" (an excuse to buy ourselves a camera, right?). I don't really want the boys to use the new one, but I'm fine with them using the older one, which is still in perfect working order (just less pixels per inch and all that stuff). Here are two shots from Zac from yesterday. There were lots of others not worth posting here, but I thought these two were

Swim lessons for Benji

2009-06-22T12:10:00.001-07:00

The teachers let the kids jump off the diving board or go down the slide at the end of every lesson. It was definitely the highlight for Benji. He is one fearless boy.

Future graduates?

2009-06-08T04:07:00.000-07:00

The reason why I need to wear foundation everyday

2009-06-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

Recently Benji was coloring during his "rest time" (what he does instead of "nap time" since he has gotten too old for naps) and he came to ask me what color he should use to color the astronaut's face. I suggested yellow since we have no cream colored markers - just the typical Crayola colors. He said, "No, it should be red since you have a red face." Great! Even my kid thinks my face is red.

Yummy recipe

2009-06-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

Benji and I cooked this for dinner tonight, and it was enjoyed by all.Crispy Zucchini and Potato Pancakes Ingredients Vegetable cooking spray2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and grated2 medium zucchini, grated3 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus leaves, for garnish1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1 tablespoon1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs2

Dress-up birthday party

2009-05-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

We attended a friend's 4th birthday party this afternoon. The birthday girl enjoys dressing up, so everybody was asked to come in costume. A very fun idea for a party! (And the goody-bags were decorated with a mask to take home as well.) Here are a few pictures of our boys from the host.Dr. Zac is bringing a wooden cake to the birthday girlMommy had to check the doctor's heart beat as wellFire

My mom is famous

2009-05-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

I was on the Fayetteville library website and accidentally found this page honoring my momhere

The highlight of Benji's summer is....

2009-05-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

...mowing the lawn with Daddy. He is so happy to finally be old enough to help.Hopefully his enthusiasm will not wane with the years... that way one day he can do it all by himself and give Daddy a break!

Big apple

2009-05-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

Shearn Yoong and I went on a 5 day trip to New York City, arriving back home yesterday evening. My mom graciously watched our two little guys while we were gone. This was the first time we ever left them for more than a night. They didn't seem to miss us, though it seems that one of them gave Nona a run for her money in the attitude department. We were sad to hear the attitude problems and plan

Moroccan chicken recipe

2009-04-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

We had this for dinner tonight (grilled not baked though). Though it sounds somewhat spicy, it was not, which is good because our two boys are sissies when it comes to spicy food - something we're trying to work on since they are half Malaysian afterall! Ingredients Serves 4 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4

Gone with the Wind

2009-04-15T12:53:00.001-07:00

Our book club decided to read it this month, and though I knew it was a classic, I was unsure how much I'd actually like it, thinking it might be dull and antiquated. Oh... my... word.... it is a beautiful book. If you have not read, go to the library RIGHT NOW and start reading. I have not enjoyed a book this much in ages.I started it last Monday and finished all 1,000+ pages by Saturday night.

What's a girl to do

2009-04-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

I am going to the Walton Arts Center with my dear hubby tonight and spent the morning rummaging through my closet to see what still fits, what looks good, etc. I found several nicer dresses that both fit and look good (yipee)... but the problem is that I am ALWAYS cold - especially inside where people seem to love to blast the A/C (even if it's 100 degrees outside in August). So often I just opt

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T12:51:00.001-07:00

A few pictures from our family egg hunt in our yard. We decided to do it a day early because of the weather forecast. It was beautiful yesterday for the hunt ... and today is rainy and cold, so I am glad we listened to the weatherman!Zac: "See my amazing stretching ability... I'll do anything for chocolate!"Benji: "I'm so glad Daddy told Mommy that they should buy M&M's this year instead of all

Check Out My Woman - The Half Marathon Runner

2009-04-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

So all the training over the last 3/4 months came to this - Laurel's inaugural half marathon, together with good friends Kristin and Britni. They finished the race!!!! Yay!!!!Here's me and the boys cheering them on. Look at them go. Hardly breaking a sweat.Tackling one of 'em killer hills. No problemo.(Rocky soundtrack as the background) The triumph of finishing the run!Laurel did it, and I'm

Recent pictures

2009-04-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

The boys climbing a tree that fell from the ice stormBenjiHere are my serious boysHere are my normal boisterous boys :)

Sweaty Samson

2009-03-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

This morning during our Bible time we were reading about Samson in the Old Testament. The picture showed how he had long hair. Out of nowhere, Benji said, "He must have been hot with that long hair. He would need to take lots of showers." Benji is a very clean boy if you did not know. :)

I need to do more ab exercises

2009-02-12T17:29:00.000-08:00

I was doing some crunches this afternoon, so of course both of my children were trying to get on top of me and all over my bended legs, making it very difficult to complete any actual exercise. But I did get two more reasons to keep up the work...Zachary felt my tummy and said, "Your tummy is really soft."Benji didn't even have to touch it to say, "Your tummy is also really wrinkly."I felt

Vegan cake recipe

2009-02-12T17:27:00.000-08:00

This recipe is for Heather but I thought others might like it too. My dad is a vegan so this is my go-to recipe for birthday cakes for him. And I swear, it tastes good! I once served the chocolate version at a church picnic and no one knew the wiser.Vegan cakeDry ingredients:1 ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour1 cup sugar1 tsp. baking soda½ tsp. saltWet ingredients:1 cup cold water1 Tbsp. vinegar¼

Comments that make it all worthwhile

2009-02-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

The process of getting a child to go to sleep by themselves in their own bed AND stay there all night is a very long process. Benji is there and has been for awhile. Zachary not so much.Currently one of us (normally Mommy) lies down with Zac until he's asleep - occasionally he is fine with me sitting in the hallway and knitting or reading (that way he can still see me). Since Zac and Benji now

Pictures from the Ice Storm

2009-01-28T08:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics and a video of our house and around the neighborhood:From the driveway - the entire neighborhood has a new treeline now!Hello tree. This limb is from a tree that my dad has been bugging me to get cut down every time he sees it. I suppose now he's saying, "I told you so".Some closeups. Though the ice brought lots of damage, I have to say it's quite pretty to look at. Can't tell

Quote from Eudora Welty

2009-01-25T18:54:00.001-08:00

I finished Eudora Welty's book "The Optimist's Daughter" tonight and loved this small section concerning memory:"It is memory that is the somnambulist. It will come back in its wounds from across the world... It will never be impervious. The memory can be hurt, time and again - but in that may lie its final mercy. As long as it's vulnerable to the living moment, it lives for us, and while it

Poor Arkansan boys have to make do with such a pitiful snow offering

2009-01-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

We got a slight dusting of snow today... but that did not deter us from heading out to play in it! Zac only stayed out for about 15 minutes before heading inside to drink hot cocoa and watch us from the window. But Benji and I played outside for quite awhile, having a great time together.This picture is misleading - no actual sledding occurred.We were able to make 3 whole snow balls - one of them

Ouchie healed

2009-01-14T12:09:00.001-08:00

Zachary noticed that his ouchie on his hand was all better, so I told him he should thank God for healing his ouchie. He said his version of "thank you" (which is only understood by our family because it does not resemble "thank you" whatsoever at all). Then he said, "God not home" (as if he called God and He wasn't home so Zac was leaving a message) - hope God got the message!

Benji's ideas about worms

2009-01-08T12:57:00.001-08:00

"God didn’t make worms really good. Because if you pull on them, they will break in two. So God did not make them really good."(said at lunch, when for some odd reason, we were talking about worms)

Facebook

2009-01-02T12:40:00.001-08:00

I joined Facebook a few months ago and have been spending more time over there than here. If anybody is on Facebook and hasn't added me as a friend, I'm more likely to communicate with you there. I'll still put things up here from time to time but not as much as before.Happy new year!

Welcome home Henry Paul

2008-12-27T12:42:00.001-08:00

I asked for prayer back in September for my friend who gave birth at 26 weeks... well, after a long road down in Little Rock, they're heading home today!!! We want to welcome you home Henry Paul. We know we probably won't get to meet you for awhile, until RSV season is over, but we can't wait until we see you for the first time!

Lights on the square

2008-12-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

Future make-up artists

2008-12-12T11:28:00.001-08:00

Benji with two of his friends (each of them did their own face paint, if you couldn't guess)

Benji's priorities

2008-12-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

Today I asked Benji on the way home from gymnastics if he wants to stick with gymnastics next semester or switch back to the music class. He told me, "Gymnastics has suckers. I'll stay with gymnastics." Great - sugar is the motivational point of gymnastics for him. (They give them suckers at the end of each class, which I don't even understand since gymnastics is fun in its' own right - no need

So you think kids aren't observant?

2008-12-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

Here's the extent of the conversation:(Scene: Benji running around the house)Shearn: Benji, what are you doing?Benji: I'm running.S: Running? What's that on your ears?B: It's the white thingS: White thing?B: Yeah. I see people running with white thingWhite thing. The ubiquitous iPod earphones! I was flabbergasted. Never has he mentioned anything about the "white thing" until yesterday. That just

Back to two piercings

2008-11-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

Last night, out of the blue, my nose ring stud just fell out and got lost somewhere in my house. For those who have never had one, it's really strange that it suddenly fell out. They are designed so such a thing wouldn't happen. But what can I say, I'm special. It's kind of sad looking at my nose - it looks so naked now. I think I'll try again in a few months, maybe on the other side, hoping that

Some Thanksgiving pictures

2008-11-28T12:05:00.001-08:00

Benji with his cousin Eli (too bad Benji isn't smiling as cutely as his cousin is!)ZacRow, row, row your boatZac had to recruit Nathan's help in pushing big ol' Benji

Thanksgiving is over...

2008-11-28T11:58:00.001-08:00

...which means it's time for Christmas. Well, most of the retailers thought the Christmas season began on November 1st, though I think the season officially begins TODAY. Benji got in the spirit of the season by announcing today, out of the blue: "Mommy, don't fill my stocking this year because I want Santa to come down the chimney and fill it up." I guess he thinks Santa will give better loot

A first that I wasn't ready for

2008-11-20T12:35:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was the last warm day for awhile, so after nap we headed to the local park. Benji needed to go to the bathroom soon after arriving, so we headed toward the less-than-pristine-clean bathrooms. I began heading into the women's side, but out of nowhere Benji said he wanted to go to the men's bathroom alone. I hadn't thought he'd want to do this for a long time to come so I didn't have a

Trip to California

2008-11-19T13:00:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we had a girl's weekend - my first trip away from my kids in 4 years. We had a wonderful time. The other three friends who came are all friends from elementary school, and whenever we get together, there's no lag time but we're immediately back to where we last left off. There are not many friends like that in life and I love you girls so much!Brunch in San FranciscoLinda and

Playing doctor

2008-11-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

Our kids' latest favorite game to play is doctor. One of them is sick, and the other one repairs him with our play tools (do you see the wooden hammer in this shot?). They can play this game for an hour.

If your kid is talking too much...

2008-11-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

I swear that Benji asked me to tape this paper over his mouth. He thought it would look neat (he had decorated the paper with markers). You know what, I was fine with it because I needed a break anyway!

Our poor deprived children

2008-11-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

It's true. We have no T.V. Does this mean we are anti-media? No. In fact, we adults watch a very healthy amount of movies on our computer, but we do limit our children quite a bit. And it seems that Benji is starting to catch on.A few days ago Benji told me that for his 3rd birthday Zac wanted a T.V. and that for his 5th birthday he wanted a T.V. too. Then yesterday he got to watch a T.V. program

Have you canoed yet today?

2008-11-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

The boys and I went to vote on the way to Bible study this morning. I tried to talk it up and explain how important it is to vote as an American. Once we pulled up to the parking lot, Benji wanted to know where the canoe was. He thought we were going BOATING. Voting isn't nearly as fun as boating - but they did have free candy so all was not lost.

No more training wheels

2008-11-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

Where did my baby go?

Ditto

2008-10-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

People always ask me how I'm doing, what's new in my life. This is a hard question for a SAHM (stay-at-home mom). I could say a million tiny things or nothing at all. I tend to opt for the second answer. But here is the answer. This is the answer I didn't write but it still expresses myself 100%. My friend Hannah sent this blog post, so I thank her for giving me the words that expresses the

Bible reader

2008-10-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

I do read the Bible regularly - I really do. I find much encouragement, wisdom, and insight from its' pages. However, I also enjoy novels immensely.This afternoon I picked up my current novel "The Septembers of Shiraz" by Dalia Sofer to take outside with me to read while the boys enjoyed playing in the warmth of a fall afternoon. Zac and Benji wanted to move to the backyard, so Zachary asked me

Congratulations and Argh - all in 5 minutes

2008-10-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

I was disciplining Benji in his room today while Zachary, completely on his own, went to the bathroom, took off his pants and his diaper, scooted the stool to the toilet to sit down without the potty seat (because he is a big boy now and he just can't stand that baby potty seat anymore) and proceeded to poop in the potty all by himself. Pretty impressive for someone who just turned two a few

Big mistake

2008-10-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

Benji intercepted the "One Step Ahead" kids' catalog in today's mail. Big mistake. He now is in full-swing coveting mode and has about 100 things he wants for Christmas. It's better to not even know that so many toys exist in this world. Oh well, I guess he's going to be one disappointed little boy on Christmas day.

The power of cheese

2008-10-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

If you want to win the hearts of our sons, give them a piece of cheese and they will love you forever.(Kristin is currently number one on their food list since she gave them cheese on Thursday.)

Benji with his block creation

2008-10-24T05:17:00.000-07:00

These are the same blocks my brother and I played with as a kid. My mom doesn't throw much away, which is lots of fun for me because all my old toys are re-visited.

Sweet brothers

2008-10-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

Benji's plans

2008-10-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

Benji just told Shearn Yoong on the phone that his plans for the afternoon are to go to Barnes and Noble, kill deer, and ride bikes at Mud Creek. Too bad for him that none of those three things are on MY to-do list ... especially not the killing deer part.At least he provided me with comic relief.

Clothing woes

2008-10-17T12:07:00.001-07:00

Basically I feel like complaining so that is what this post will be about.It is getting colder here in NWA so I went through my long pants. What a depressing event. I knew I had put on a few pounds, but I didn't think it would be that bad. It is. Unless I am looking for the skin-tight look with fat hanging over the waistline. I am not looking forward to 1) wearing the same 2-3 pairs of pants all

Deer hunting

2008-10-12T09:18:00.001-07:00

We saw a car today with a deer strapped onto the top. We couldn't tell if the deer was killed from hunting or from a car accident. But whatever the cause, this gave Benji the idea for him to get his gun (which he has none) and go kill some deer to eat the meat. Here's what my 3 guys are doing in the back yard right now.Now, I'm not against hunting. I know that I have friends whose husbands hunt.

Why is it...

2008-10-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

Why is it that Sunday is the only day of the week that the boys consistently sleep past 7 a.m.? And today is the only day of the week where we have to be somewhere (church) at 9 a.m. on the other side of town. We had muffins in the car for breakfast today. Maybe we need to switch to the later service.

Cutest frog I know

2008-10-09T11:53:00.001-07:00

Zac

Least likely

2008-10-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

If there had been a poll in high school as to who would be the least likely to get a nose ring (like all those polls that go in the year book), I would definitely have been one of the top 3 choices.But my friend Britni and I went to get a nose ring (actually, a stud) yesterday evening. As two SAHMs, we stood out just a bit from the other folks going in for piercings and tattoos. I had gone to

Snuggle time at the park

2008-10-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

Water anyone?

2008-10-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

We came home from Bible study this morning and when I went to fill up our water cups for lunch, I realized that we had NO WATER. Yikes! [There is a busted pipe - the City is working on it.] We drink a lot of water around here. What to do? Thankfully Shearn Yoong had accidentally left our sports water container full of water from the weekend. Of course, I'm sure the boys would have been just fine

CD Player troubles?

2008-10-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

We've been having issues with our CD player in the Civic off and on for a while now where the CD just won't eject. Lately, we can't even insert a disc nor play the CD. The kids ended up having to listen to NPR or Family Life or whatever Laurel may be in the mood for. Not too shabby in my opinion, but Laurel finally said that she would like the player fixed or replaced. I finally was able to carve

Happy birthday Zac

2008-10-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Dreds like Hannah

2008-10-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

got me in stitches

2008-09-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

A friend and her friend started the blog got me in stitches to share crochet and knitting projects, hints, advice, etc. I am now a moderator as well (which lets me put pictures and posts up). Come on over if you crochet or knit ... or if you're interested in starting. It's lots of fun!

Prayer

2008-09-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

My friend Nikki gave birth to their son Henry Paul at 26 weeks gestation yesterday. He is in the Little Rock NICU and will be there for a very long time. Even if you don't know this lovely family, I know they (and I) would appreciate any prayers you can offer up on their behalf.

Much more comfortable than jeans

2008-09-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

Since I am renouncing jeans, I have a new pair of pants to choose from:For people who are real sewers, they know that a pair of pajama bottoms is just about the easiest thing to sew. However, since I am NOT a sewer, I am very proud of myself and my pants!

Spider lily

2008-09-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

Is this not the most beautiful and interesting flower you've ever seen? They are similar to the surprise lily (they suddenly pop up in mid- to late-summer, normally after a large rain), but they are very rare in this part of the country. I never saw one until last year when my mom's neighbor gave her some, and she passed a few along to me. This is one of six that are currently blooming in our

Jeans

2008-09-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

The favorite American attire - good ol' jeans.Well, not for me.I have finally decided to quit trying. I have been trying to find a pair of jeans that fit well for YEARS and have never been able to find even one. And folks, this week I tried on some that cost over $100... and they STILL didn't fit well.I am now officially a khaki-wearing person. I am tired of wasting my time on this illusive dream.

Fall

2008-09-17T12:15:00.001-07:00

This week I have been wearing socks. This means it's official, folks - summer in Fayetteville is winding down.I can't wait to see the leaves changing color soon.

Appreciation for toilet paper

2008-09-12T12:18:00.001-07:00

Even if my sons bicker (see yesterday's post), at least Benji appreciates bathroom products.A few minutes ago Benji asked me, "Mommy, who gave you fancy toilet paper and fancy wipes?"I normally buy the most expensive paper products (Cottonelle toilet paper, Viva paper towels, etc.) but decided to give the cheap stuff a try in order to be a little more thrifty. Obviously, Benji thought the new

Bicker, bicker, bicker

2008-09-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

Lately all my kids seem to be doing is bicker, bicker, bicker. And the crazy thing is that Zachary hardly uses his words, but they can still annoy each other all day long. I'm seriously worried about when he actually starts doing more talking - then I can only imagine the escalation. :(Can you tell it's been a rough day so far???Any advice on bickering children? Except banish them to different

Gift from Nona

2008-09-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here is the cute baker's hat that my mom sewed for Benji for his birthday (along with the mini bread pan).

Hope or hopeless

2008-09-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

Monday and Tuesday this week were very discouraging for me in the mothering department. Benji seemed to relapse into some old behavior that I thought we were done with. The endless repetition of discipline [otherwise known as normal-life-with-two-young-children] was getting extremely tiresome. I woke up this morning feeling little hope for my 4 year old son who can be such a handful at times.Then

Finger knitting

2008-09-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

Benji and Zac both enjoy seeing me knit (for about 5 minutes and then they want me to stop and play with them). So I though Benji might like to learn to do a modified knitting called "finger knitting" which is basically using your fingers in lieu of needles. He caught on pretty well and made the necklace for his giraffe (well, he made about 1/3 and I did the other 2/3 because he got tired).

More sugar?

2008-09-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Benji told me, very scientifically, as if he had recently read the research in the most up-to-date scientific journal, "Mom, did you know that kids need to eat more sugar?"Nice try.But I'm not falling for it.