The Highlight of My Day: March 2010

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in March:

Mon 3/1/10: We went to the library today and I picked up some BBC movies to watch later. I borrowed "Bleak House," by Charles Dickens, and "Northanger Abby," by Jane Austen.

Tue 3/2/10: Today was a busy day! I drove Scott back and forth to the District Science Fair. In the evening we all went as a family to the award ceremony. Scott made it to the "Superior" group. We are so proud of him!

Wed 3/3/10: Lizzy tried strawberries for the first time today. She LOVED them. She had a fun time stuffing them in her mouth and playing with them. Now she has red stains all over her lime green outfit.

Thu 3/4/10: The sweetest moment of the day for me today was watching Emma play with her little sister. Emma had our Sol Bear and was tackling Lizzy with it. Lizzy laughed and laughed and obviously thought it was hilarious.

Fri 3/5/10: Brad and I watched more of BBC's latest version of "Bleak House," by Charles Dickens. What a great show!

Sat 3/6/10: We finished "Bleak House" today. It was really good! We also went to Sears and bought Lizzy some new dresses on sale. Very cute!

Sun 3/7/10: Lizzy was so adorable in church today. I put a bow in her hair for the first time and she was the highlight of Young Womens. Scott and Emma put up a tent in our living room today, too. They made an Igloo-style tent using chairs, pillows, and blankets.

Mon 3/8/10: Uncle Bob and Aunt Nadine stopped by to visit for a short while after FHE tonight. I wish I could have visited them more, but Emma needed homework help and Brad had to do the dishes.

Tue 3/9/10: Tonight was the Relief Society Birthday celebration at the church. I hadn't been to a Relief Society activity for a long time, so it was nice being there.

Wed 3/10/10: I went to a wonderful Youth Fireside with Scott. The speaker was President Christensen of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple presidency. He spoke about being consistent in our scripture study and prayers, and how important it is to be enthusiastic about the gospel.

Thu 3/11/10: Lizzy and I had a fun time playing the piano tonight.

Fri 3/12/10: I weighed myself this morning and found I lost a couple of pounds from the day before. NICE!

Sat 3/13/10: Brad and I ran errands today in the snow. We found some nice books at the D.I. and a beautiful purple bumper for Lizzy's crib for only $3. Later we went to the mall and Brad bought a new suit coat on sale.

Sun 3/14/10: We had a chili dinner tonight with Bruce & Loralee's family.

Mon 3/15/10: We went to the library tonight as a family and then stopped at Reams on the way home and picked up some groceries and strawberry ice cream.

Tue 3/16/10: My dad came to visit me today! YAY! He'll be here until Thursday. Tonight we all went to dinner at the ward Soup Cook-Off. I made Loralee's Savory Shell Beef Soup. It was very yummy. I also made fancy cookie dough brownies for the YW fundraiser.

Wed 3/17/10: My dad treated me to lunch at Bajo today. I LOVE Bajo! My dad also played chess with Scott today and was very impressed with how well Scott played. Scott's a smart boy.

Thu 3/18/10: I watched the BBC movie "Daniel Deronda" today. I was interrupted by the school calling to let me know Emma was sick. I picked her up from school and spent the rest of the afternoon with her.

Fri 3/19/10: I enjoy watching the newest series of Battlestar Galatica with Brad. I liked the one-on-one time with him. Tonight we have three little girl cousins spending the night.

Sat 3/20/10: We had a busy, fun day today. We ran errands this morning with 5 little girls. We stopped at Reams to get groceries and went to the mall to pick up my ring, which looks gorgeous now. After switching children at Bruce and Loralee's house, Brad and I took Scott and Emma to watch Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" together. In the evening we went to dinner at Aunt Marian's house and played Nerts and Uno with Tricky, Sara, and Marian. Emma and Scott played on the Wii.

Sun 3/21/10: Lizzy was a very creative girl early this morning. She decided to "decorate" her bedding with what she found in her diaper and then proceeded to apply the same goo to her face and PJs. Lovely! Needless to say she had a bath immediately first thing this morning and a thorough scrubbing.

Mon 3/22/10: Lizzy is standing up with support now. She knows how to grab low tables and pull herself up. She's also a very speedy crawler and loves getting into the dog's water dish and food bowl.

Tue 3/23/10: Emma is feeling much better today. She was sick for the last couple of weeks with diarrhea and today was the first day she didn't have any problems. The first thing she said when she came home today was, "I feel great, Mama!"

Wed 3/24/10: I watched "Northanger Abbey" tonight with Bradley. We also watched some "Battlestar Galatica."

Thu 3/25/10: I had some very fun moments today with Lizzy. She LOVES the giddy-up horsey game and playing with her kitty stuffed animals. I love listening to her laugh. It's the greatest sound in the whole world.

Fri 3/26/10: Brad and I went on a date (with Lizzy) to Sampan this evening. It was nice spending the time together.

Sat 3/27/10: Brad and I watched "Julie & Julia" today while eating yummy Bajo tacos and enchiladas. It was a good show, and a very nice meal!

Sun 3/28/10: Scott actually LIKED the soup I made today. :) I always consider it a victory when Scott likes the meals I make, especially when they're healthy meals and not cooked from a box.

Mon 3/29/10: This morning I found Lizzy in the kitchen with the dog. Lizzy was sitting on her bum holding Rosie's food dish with Rosie scarfing her food down as quickly as possible. I think Rosie was trying to eat it all before Lizzy could spill it or eat it herself. It was quite a hilarious sight.

Tue 3/30/10: Emma went over to Makenna's house to spend the night tonight. Scott went to Temple Square to see the Joseph Smith movie for a youth activity. That gave Brad and I some time alone to watch "Battlestar Galatica."

Wed 3/31/10: Our entire family went shopping at Walmart tonight. We got new shoes for the kids, tennis rackets for our family, Easter candy and dye, and Emma's first training bra (shocking!). Brad and I watched more "Battlestar Galactica" before going to bed.

Grandpa's Visit

My father came to visit me for a couple of days in March. I enjoyed having him stay in our home and wished he could have stayed longer. He brought a very nice sense of humor into my home while he was here. I loved it when he tried to make me and Lizzy laugh. My favorite moment was when he came gliding into my room with a pillow stuffed up his back pretending to be Eyegore from "Frankenstein." He can be quite a character sometimes.

My parents don't get to come see me or Lizzy very often due to cost of traveling and their inability to leave their home business. My visit with my father seemed very short, but it was nice spending that little amount of time with him. I loved seeing him interact with Lizzy. He's such a wonderful grandpa to Lizzy, and to Scott and Emma, too. I'm glad Scott and Emma love him as much as they do.

Lizzy loved how silly her Grandpa was. And she loved his kisses.

Let's Make a Tent!

Scott is an amazingly creative boy. I remember making tents in my room when I was a little girl, but my tents didn't look anything like Scott's. Scott and Emma made a perfectly round Igloo style tent on Sunday using dinning room chairs, pillows, and one big plush dog nicknamed "Big Boy." They used a feather duster to make a peak at the center and covered the tent will all the blankets they could find. The inside of the tent was so dark Scott grabbed Emma's bedroom lamp and stuck it inside. When they were all done they took Lizzy and brought her in the tent. I heard all three of them laughing and had to go investigate with my camera. Lizzy was talking up a storm and was completely thrilled to be playing with her brother and sister. Emma wanted me to make a "North Family News" video, so I obliged.



I'm such a lucky mama. I love my kids!

The Highlight of My Day: February 2010

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in February:

Mon 2/1/10: Tonight the kids and I went to the library alone since Brad was feeling sick. On the way home I felt spontaneous and took the kids to Petsmart to pick up a "clicker" for Scott's science fair project. While we were there we found the perfect cat calendar for Emma's room for only $3. NICE!

Tue 2/2/10: Brad completed his 2009 taxes today and he was very pleased with the results. :) But even BETTER news is that I found out today that my Aunt Laurie is a mommy!!! Her little son, Robinson was born last Friday on Jan 29th.

Wed 2/3/10: Brad and I finally had some quiet time tonight to watch a movie together. We watched "The Buddy Holly" story. Emma also began her Science Fair project tonight.

Thu 2/4/10: Scott started training his rat, Blackie, tonight for his Science Fair project. Emma has been working on painting her model of the earth.

Fri 2/5/10: We used our Carino's gift card from the Young Women leaders tonight for dinner. Brad and I ordered lasagna and David ordered spicy chicken pasta.

Sat 2/6/10: Brad and I went to Hires today for lunch. It was nice having the one-on-one time together, although both of us wished Margaret could be with us, too. The last time Brad and I went to Hires she came with us.

Sun 2/7/10: I barbecued steak for dinner tonight. For dessert, Scott, Emma, and I made caramel apples. It was fun watching "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" while eating our apples. Good stuff!

Mon 2/8/10: We got Valentines tonight for Scott and Emma to distribute at school. It was part of our FHE night.

Tue 2/9/10: Lizzy and I played on the piano today for fun. Lizzy likes to bounce her body up and down while she's banging the piano. I think that's her way of dancing as an 8-month-old.

Wed 2/10/10: Lizzy started crawling FOR REAL today! It's still "army-man" style, but she's moving pretty speedy across the carpet. Now we have to baby proof the house as soon as possible.

Thu 2/11/10: We had Valentine's Day dates with the kids tonight. Brad took the girls to Dairy Queen and had dinner and ice cream there. Scott stayed with me and we ordered a pizza and played video games. It was fun!

Fri 2/12/10: Last minute shopping before sneaking off to California tomorrow! I'm so excited!

Sat 2/13/10: My parents were totally not expecting us to show up at their doorstep today. SUCCESS!!!! We had a wonderful day visiting with my family and saying hi to neighbors. It's so good being back "home."

Sun 2/14/10: Went to my home-ward today for church. It was great seeing so many people I knew growing up, and to be back in my old building. I felt so at home. LOVED IT!!!

Mon 2/15/10: It got up to 85 decrees today! YEAH!!! I love Long Beach in the winter! Brad and I went to Trader Joe's today and got sushi and yummy snacks to eat. We stopped over at Rachel's condo and spent a few hours with her playing games and eating sushi.

Tue 2/16/10: Went back to Utah this morning. Sadness. :( It's nice being home, but I hate leaving my family and "homeland" behind. It was great seeing Scott and Emma, though. We finished Science Fair projects tonight and we gave them their Valentines.

Wed 2/17/10: I'm so glad my vacation pictures were recovered! Hooray! I had a fun time looking through them and posting them on my blog and Facebook.

Thu 2/18/10: Tonight was Scott's and Emma's Science Fair at the school. Scott won 2nd place for the 6th grade level! Hooray for Scott!

Fri 2/19/10: Brad and I started watching a really good movie called "Little Dorrit" by Charles Dickens this evening. I have a much higher appreciation for Charles Dickens' classics as an adult than I did when I was a child. 'Tis a new love of mine.

Sat 2/20/10: Rachel returned home from the hospital today. YAY! She is doing much better. I'm glad the steroids have helped her so much.

Sun 2/21/10: I made pot roast today for our Sunday dinner. We watched some Danny Kaye during dinner, and I finished crocheting the blanket I've been working on for a while.

Mon 2/22/10: We stopped by the creek in Murray to feed the ducks for FHE. There were hundreds of them! Scott got excited when he saw a river rat run on the bank. Lizzy looked like she was wondering what all the commotion was about.

Tue 2/23/10: Finished watching "Little Dorrit" today. I LOVED it!

Wed 2/24/10: I put a whole bunch of other BBC movies on hold at the library. I'm anxious to see more after "Little Dorrit."

Thu 2/25/10: Cuddling with Bradley is a lovely, lovely thing. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband.

Fri 2/26/10: Feeling quite sick today. Scott stayed home with me and then I had to pick Emma up at school because she ended up getting sick, too. But it was nice spending time with them even though we were feeling miserable. I started crocheting a new scarf while the kids were watching cartoons. It's my first time making a scarf.

Sat 2/27/10: The kids and I felt much today. Scott and Emma were well enough to spend most of the day with Melanie, which gave Brad and me a chance to have some alone time together, which was a nice treat.

Sun 2/28/10: We went over to Bruce and Loralee's house for dinner tonight. Scott and Emma were thrilled to spend time with their cousins. Loralee made a yummy rice dinner and Lindsey made chocolate pudding.

Lizzy and Scott

These two are so sweet together! Scott loves his baby sister, and Lizzy adores her big brother Scott. I love how Scott always wants to hold her and play with her. I grabbed my camera the other day and took some movies and snapshots of the two of them together. They are so cute!

Scott without any doubt will be a wonderful husband and father when he grows up, just like his daddy. He's such a sweet, goodhearted boy.

Science Fair

Scott and Emma both entered projects in their school's Science Fair this year. Scott focused his project on training rats and Emma's project was on eclipses. Scott won 2nd place and will be entering his project in the district science fair in a short while. We are very proud of his hard work.

Emma's Project
Question: How do Eclipses Happen and How can I make an Eclipse?

"Eclipses happen when the sun and moon are in a straight line and make a shadow on the Earth. I made an eclipse by making models and using a flashlight." ~Emma

Scott's Project
Question: Can a Rat be Trained to Stand on Command?

"Yes, rats can learn to stand on command by using positive reinforcement (treats) and operate conditioning (reward the rat for natural behavior)." ~Scott

Long Beach on President's Day Weekend

We went to Long Beach over President's Weekend this year, which also happened to be Valentine's Day weekend and a few days before my dad's birthday. Lizzy came with us for the first time. We had a fun time!

This was Lizzy's first airplane ride.

She loved the JetBlue pamphlets best.

The weather was perfect in Long Beach! No more Utah coats for us!

Susie picked us up at the airport. She told my parent's she was going for a very "quick errand." My parents had no idea she was coming to pick us up at the airport. I loved surprising them!

It's so nice to be home!

Rachel was still very weak from her week-long hospital stay, but she and Craig managed to come over and wait at the house to witness mom's and dad's reactions to our surprise visit.

I loved visiting with my pets! Sassy and Baby never seem to forget me when I come to visit. I'm so glad they remember me.

I love my Baby!

Grandma and Lizzy had a wonderful time bonding again.
My mom was thrilled to be reunited with her first grand-baby!

A surprise for me? No way!
Bradley had a special delivery sent to me... Valentine's Day roses. How sweet! I love my Bradley!

We went out for a walk in the evening on Saturday. It was so nice being outdoors without being cold.

Lizzy absolutely LOVED our cat Sassy. She would get excited every time she saw her.

Lizzy loved visiting with her two aunts.

We had a small birthday party for my dad at Rachel's new condo.

Lizzy had a wonderful time playing the piano with her Aunt Susie on Sunday morning.
She's our little Beethoveness.

I love going to my homeward for church on Sunday. It was great seeing so many people I've known all my life and being back in my old building. I felt so much at home.

We have to go shopping at Trader Joe's while we're in Long Beach! We make this outing during every visit. I wish there was one near our home in Utah.

It reached 85 degrees on Monday! Can you believe that?
I LOVE visiting Long Beach in the winter.

We went to visit Rachel at her new condo in Cypress on Monday. We ate sushi and played games with her. She was still feeling sick and weak.

Rachel is always pretty, even when she's under-weather and not feeling herself.

We went to Cherry Park on Monday evening to watch Lizzy swing on the swings for the first time. She went early in the day with Grandma but we missed it. She loved the swings!

It was a very short visit but a wonderful one, too! We love visiting Long Beach in the winter while the weather is so nice and warm. It was great being on my home turf again and spending time with my family.