Sweet

Mason's class did candy-free valentines this year, so here's what we sent.
However, at home, things were definitely not candy-free. I used this recipe (cut down by 1/3) to make a copy of the Cheesecake Factory's Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple cheesecake. It turned out pretty awesome, even if, as the boys suggested, it looked like it had sausage baked on top. They each took one bite and said, "I don't really like it." And for the first time ever, I used the phrase "Good, now there's more for me" literally instead of as a lame attempt at reverse psychology.
It is quite astonishing how quickly you can eat an entire cheesecake by simply stopping for one bite every time you pass the refrigerator.

More things that made me laugh

Last week we made hamburgers for dinner. When I squirted the ketchup on for Mason, the bottle made a funny noise.

Mason: Heh, heh. It tooted.

Sarah: Alec, do you want ketchup or mustard?

Mason: Alec, you should get the ketchup. It toots.

Alec: Ok, ketchup. (It goes on quietly.)

Mason & Alec: Awww! No toots!

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Mason: (eating his second hamburger in just a few bites) There's a long line of food in my mouth, and they're waiting their turn to go down.

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Yesterday we drove past the preschool where I want to send Alec next year. It's not the same place he attended this year, and he is not happy about the change.

Sarah (with all the enthusiasm I can muster): Hey guys, look out the window; it's Alec's new preschool.

Mason: Where is it?...Oh, yeah, I see it. What's it called, Alec?

Alec: I'm not planning on going there. The boys labeled this cloud a fire-breathing dragon. Pretty good, right?

How much?

My boys are still working on units of measurement. For example, someone asked me once about some ice, "Will it be like 100 pounds of cold in my mouth?" But quantifying love is tough even for the best of us. Here are a few of my faves that Mason and Alec have come up with.

Mommy, I love you 160 pounds.

I love you an extra point. (It's possible that Matt was watching football in the background.)

My heart is burning with love.

Sarah: Do you know how much I love you?

Alec: So much that I want to die.

And of course, my favorite: Mommy, I love you a thousand, million love hearts.

One morning, Mason was snuggling in bed with me, and he said, "Awww! We're havin' a love party!" (But of course it sounded like "wuv pawty" and was therefore twice as cute.)

Hope you are all having a fantastic love party today.

The poor guy never had a chance

About a year ago, we had a super fun snow day. Ok, it was more of a snow morning, since it was mostly melted by lunch time. I wish we could have a few days like that each winter (even though I am enjoying this week's mid-70s).

Here's a video of Mason that makes me laugh every single time I watch it. It's three minutes long, which I realize is a bit of a time commitment by internet standards. But around the 1 minute mark, when he is kicking the guy in the stomach and then pauses to attempt to replace his arm, I hope you will consider it time well spent.


When was the last time you smashed something into smithereens? I feel like I'm long overdue.

Sunday highlights

Yesterday was a busy one. Because of my job working with the youth, I visited two other wards (congregations) in addition to my own.

In one ward, I heard Taylor Swift quoted in a sacrament meeting talk for the first time ever. It was a teenage girl speaking, and I'm not making fun, just stating a fact. I once quoted some Doors lyrics in a philosophy paper in college. You use what's relevant to you, right?

In another ward, a man approached me in the hallway, shook my hand, and asked if I was new. When I said that I was just visiting, he proceeded to quite obviously look me up and down (the full elevator eyes!) and ask, "Are you spoken for?" I smiled and said yes, but thanked him for the ego boost (even though he was roughly my dad's age).

And of course my own children provided plenty of entertainment as usual. When we received the sacrament tray with little cups of water, Mason took one and then asked me, "Is it half full or half empty?"

Sunday is the day for pondering life's deep questions.

Trash to treasure

A couple weeks ago, the boys and I went to a puppet show at the library. The two ladies who did the show talked about how they had made most of their set and puppets from recycled items. For example, the turtle was a paper bowl flipped over, covered with bottle caps, and painted. So last night I piled the table with recyclables, markers, and a few other craft supplies and told the boys to make anything they wanted. When I had described my idea to them earlier in the day, they were less than enthused. However, it must have been a hit, because this morning they were asking to "make more stuff out of garbage".

Our assorted creatures, along with the Wonder Pets fly boat (front left), and an advent calendar (front right).

I highly recommend this family activity that really lets the kids (and parents) express their creativity. You can use any supples you want, but I specifically suggest having a glue gun and some wiggly eyes. Almost anything can become a charming little creature if you stick on some wiggly eyes.

No holds barred