Our New Christmas Tradition

I've been wanting to do a Christmas post all week, but have had trouble deciding just WHAT to write about and WHICH pictures to share. I didn't want to bore anybody with the endless pictures of kids unwrapping gifts or holding up their newly-acquired toy (which-let's be honest-look EXACTLY like the pictures you took Christmas morning, just subsitite a different child and a different gift.) I was actually kind of bored looking through these photos, and they were of MY kids!!! So, instead, I'll share something we did before Christmas, which we have decided will definitely become a Christmas tradition for our family.

This was our first Christmas spent in our own home with just our kids, and we set out at the beginning of December wanting to create some traditions that were just our family's. We decided we wanted to go to Temple Square and see the lights, and after some more talk, we decided to make a mini-vacation out of it. So we got a hotel downtown using priceline.com (I would definitely recommend this, as we got a really nice room at the Sheraton for only $35! I should get a free room for this kind of advertising, don't you think?) We checked in around 4:00 in the afternoon and explored the hotel while the kids kept ogling over everything and how fancy and nice it all was. I think they would have been satisfied with the trip if all we did was stay in the hotel! Around 5:00, we headed to the Mayan for dinner. For those of you who have never eaten there, you've got to take your kids! It was SO much fun. The restaurant is decorated to make you feel like you're eating your dinner in a rainforest. And every half hour, they have a show with cliff divers dressed like ancient jungle people. The kids (and I, I'll admit) loved it! Next, back to the hotel to park the van, pull out the stroller and walk the six blocks to Temple Square. The temple and the lights were beautiful, and it was a nice night, so nobody got too cold. Then back to the hotel to play in the hot tub, since --bummer--they only had an outdoor pool there. While at the hot tub, a nice old man that worked at the hotel came in and started talking to the kids. He then pulled some balloons out of his fanny-pack and tied them each a balloon animal. Then up to the room to go to bed. The next morning, we just slept in, ate the breakfast we had packed and headed home. It was so much fun! We plan to do it just the same next year, with one addition. I was bothered by the two men that asked us for money and the fact that we turned them down, not having any idea what their situation might be or how badly they may have needed it. I think next year, we can help our kids learn to think of others by baking bread together before we go down, then loading it in the bottom of the stroller and walking around the outside of temple square distributing it to those in need before we go and enjoy the lights. I think this one addition will really make this new family tradition complete!

Connor and Mylie at the Mayan. They thought it was SO cool, but didn't touch their food. Note to self: Only buy one plate of food for the kids next year and let them share.

The temple looked so beautiful all lit up!

Since Mariah slept through most of our family outing, we didn't get any pics of her. So, I thought I'd just throw this one in for fun. Here she is looking adorable on Christmas Eve.

Parents in Training

So, today my kids have been trying out parenting . . . first on me, then on some of their dolls. Here's how it's gone.

Connor hit Mylie this morning, and I sent him to timeout. On the way, he reminded me (for about the hundredth time) about the time a couple weeks ago when I lost my temper with him, and that I still had not served a timeout for that offense. So, thinking that maybe he'll be able to forgive and forget if I just serve my sentence, I agreed. He then proceeded to tell my that since he and Mylie had to do the number of minutes of their age, that I had to do the same--a 28-minute timeout. I started to protest, arguing that there was no way he would leave me alone in my room for that long. And surely Mylie wouldn't. He then promised me that if I did my timeout, he would leave me alone and if Mylie needed anything, he would help her. Now, this timeout idea started to sound pretty good. Maybe I really could use a timeout. I began dreaming of just lying there on my bed for a full 28 minutes, maybe reading my book or even falling asleep for a quick nap. But, just as I had imagined, after about five minutes, Connor came to inform me that he was going downstairs to do his basketball work. Immediately after that, Mylie came in asking for a drink. Timeout was over. Although this one didn't work out as well as I had starting hoping it would, I still might try this again sometime. Connor will think he is in charge, and maybe I can get a little peace and quiet. . . maybe a whole 28 minutes!

Now, I have been getting a kick out of the kids' last half hour or so of playing. They are playing babies, and are doing a great job of mimicking what they've been seeing for the last five weeks. Here's Mylie feeding the baby.

Connor, of course, can't feed babies (at least not in the way Mylie likes to do it), so he is burping each one after Mylie finishes feeding.

Finally, here's a picture of them taking the babies to their new apartment. Notice the safety, with each one buckled in her "car seat."

They're doing their best, but have already interrupted my blogging session about five times with, "Neighbor, we need some help with . . . (buckling, unbluckling, diapering, etc.) Was anybody else tempted to do this exact same thing as first-time parents?

And now my baby is crying, so off I go for some more mothering, and mentoring these young future parents, I guess.

Candy Stripes and Reindeer

I wish I could find an outfit like this in my size. If I could, I'd be sure to win the prize at my sister-in-law's annual "Ugly Christmas Sweater" party. But somehow, on a baby, this is SOOOO cute! Check out the awsome little booties! Thanks to Tony's Aunt Marcia for this adorable get-up. Merry Christmas from Mariah.

Out With The Old

Out with the old . . .

(I don't know what happened in this picture, but it's terrible, I know.)

. . . and in with the (almost) new.

(Again, horrid photo.)

Yeah! Tony and I decided that this year for Christmas, we would skip the surprise factor and just choose some furniture together. We got a sweet deal on this leather couch and chair set shopping on ksl.com. We found this from a couple who must have needed some cash in a hurry, because they took a $1000 loss on it after only having it for less than two months. So last Tuesday after Tony's basketball practice (after 6pm) we loaded up the kids and headed to Logan, UT to pick it up. We got home about 12:30am, but it was worth the trip!

The funny part about it is that this is by far the nicest furniture we've ever had, which has me pretty paranoid (I wouldn't sit on it for the whole first day for fear I might somehow RUIN it), and it's used. As I look through our house, I realize that every piece of furniture we own was either bought used or given to us. It's as if we're still college students even though Tony is in his fourth year of teaching, and we've been in a house of our own for three years! Maybe someday we'll have something new, but for now, we're loving our (almost) new couch and chair!

Here are some of the stains I WON'T be missing!

Here are my little elves being so obedient and NOT eating on the new furniture.

Brief This Time

So, after looking at my last post, I realized that only novel-lovers are going to view my blog if I keep up my rantings. So here's something much more brief this time.

Sweet dreams . . .

. . .and the total opposite!

Sibling Love

My new life as a mother of three

Since Mariah was born nearly three weeks ago, I've beeen asked (SEVERAL times) how I'm doing with three now. I had heard from plenty of moms before that three is the absolute hardest because you don't have three arms. I've heard that that's when moms lose their minds . . . when the third child is born. All of this has had me quite nervous about this new adventure I have chosen. But I can report that so far, I'm surviving. I don't know if there's really any other word for it, however. I used to make to-do lists a week at a time. Now it's just one goal each day and don't look any further than that. If I don't set my expectations too high and just focus on being a mom to three kids, I can do okay. However, I know that as soon as I start focusing on all the things that really need to be done, I might have a breakdown. But I'll get to them all, just not ALL today.

A few things that have helped me get through the first 18 days: My mom took Connor and Mylie for 4 days, and then I went there to visit for 2 more. That was great and right at the right time when I needed some rest and recovery time. Secondly, Thanksgiving Break was nice. I just didn't worry about my house because I wasn't in it much. We had a great time with Tony's family! Third, Connor and Mylie have been as helpful as a 5 and almost-3 year old can be. Connor loves holding Mariah and Mylie helps get things for me all the time. They've also been playing really well together the past few days, and just 5 seconds ago, Mariah started crying and it was a sprint by those two to go "help her be happy." They're so cute with her, but a little too "in her face" at times. Finally, I think perspective helps me out a lot. For example, I don't worry too much about every cry anymore. I feel like I have better instincts now about when something is wrong and when she's okay. I know that when Connor was a baby, I was so uptight about every little thing, which made mothering difficult. Also, my perspective about nursing has changed a lot! I remember over the holidays when Connor was a new baby, I really resented the time I spent away from the action when I had to go feed him. This Thanksgiving, however, I welcomed the opportunity every couple or few hours to get away from the madness and enjoy a little peace, quiet, and one-on-one time with my sweet baby. Even at home, it's nice to have a good excuse to close myself in her room and just feed her.

Anyway, enough rambling. Since I am a mother of THREE, I'll give a quick update on each.

Connor: Connor loves basketball, building, and MORE basketball! He's a basketball junkie and doesn't understand why none of the friends he invites over don't want to play basketball for three hours straight, and then watch NBA highlight videos for another hour after that. He's very excited now that he can go with his dad to basketball practice and work on his "skills" on a ten-foot hoop. He also has two hoops and a floor with lines made of duck-tape in the basement, so he has spent hours down there. He tells me, "Mom, I've got to go do my basketball work. I'm going to be a basketball player when I grow up, so I have to practice every day." Then he comes upstairs periodically to tell me about a great move he did, and to have me feel how sweaty his armpits are and say, "I'm working TOO hard." Then he goes right back down, while I try not to let him hear me chuckling about how intense and cute he is. He wears basketball clothes (shorts and jersy sets with numbers) nearly every day.

Last Saturday, we went to Ogden and watched a Weber State basketball game. A former Mountain View player that played with Tony's brother, Frank, in high school is starting for them. Connor had a great time cheering for the Wildcats and especially Kyle Bullinger. He really loved this claw he got at the game as well as the poster of the team, which they all signed after the game. So cool!

Here is an example of the things Connor likes to build. He's AMAZING with lincoln logs. I sure couldn't come up with this design, and then building it is another thing!

Connor's Grandma Micheli had a bucket of dress-ups over Thanksgiving for all the kids to play with. Connor especially liked this wig. Here he is posing with his cousins, Caden and Jaxon.

Mylie loves everything GIRL! Pink, babies, barbies, and just this morning I heard her say something about Hannah Montana. I didn't think she knew about her yet. It's amazing what she knows without ME teaching any of it to her. She loves to dress up and is very dramatic about everything. When Mylie is hurt, you'll know it. If someone is mean to her, you'll hear about it at a high volume! The other day, she said to me, "Mom, when you're angry, you break my heart." I think that about broke MY heart! She's also VERY cute and talks so much. She keeps us all very entertained and we love her a ton.

Mylie dressing up at Grandma's house. She loves anything with frills!

Mylie had fun at the Weber state game, too. She always tells me, "Mom, I don't like basketball. I like volleyball." But there were cheerleaders, dancers, their mascot, and Mariah at the game as well, so she stayed entertained.

Here are a couple pictures of Mylie's latest haircut. I was worried that she would protest, because she'd been telling me that her hair was getting so long, all the way to her shoulders. But she sat still and told me she loved the haircut when she was done. I love it, too! I only do it about once a week, but the other six days, it's at least out of her eyes, and it doesn't look too bad either after just spraying, combing, and air-drying.

Mariah: She is such a sweetie, like newborns are! I suppose she's not strong enough to have a choice, but she just melts right into you and cuddles and cuddles. I love it! She's starting to be alert a lot more and look around and make eye contact. That's fun. She sometimes smiles, but it still seems pretty spontaneous. She reminds me a little of each of my other two kids, but I think she's a little more like Connor in her looks. In her young life, she's already been to two college basketball games. And with Tony's basketball season starting, I think gyms will be her second home for the next few months, and probably most of her growing up years. She may as well get used to it now. She's got a cold right now. But with the other four people in the house all having one, did she even have a chance? So far just a gross nose, which I have to suction out frequently. We had a rough night two nights ago, but last night, we put a humidifier in her room, and she slept 6 hours straight! Thank heavens! We both needed it. I just pray she'll get better and not worse.

Mariah's first basketball game was BYU vs. UCONN women's basketball. It was fun to see UCONN live. I've always loved their coach and they are amazing every year. This year is no exception, as they beat the Cougars by 50 points. Here's Mariah with her aunt Tessa, a basketball junkie and major BYU fan.

Mariah is growing really well. At 11 days old, she had gained 10 oz. already! I can see her growing and changing every day. Babies really are miracles! Here's a sweet sleeping picture.

Tony stays very busy teaching, coaching, and ranching when he can. He's also started another project: framing our basement. He's never done it before, but he's had some good help to get him started, and he hopes to spend most of his free time working on that. He's also a GREAT dad, and should have been mentioned above in my list of things that are helping me survive this new adventure.

As for me, I'm trying to be a good mom without forgetting who Taffy is. Here's what I mean. I've seen a lot of moms who when their kids are grown don't have any identity anymore. They're just Mom, and not Cindy or Suzie, or whatever their name may be. So they either become depressed, have a major mid-life crisis, or drive their adult children crazy by continuing to mother them since that's all they know anymore. So I want to make sure I do things that aren't mom things, they're Taffy things. That's why I'm making this post even though my bathrooms need to be washed. It's why I went to the BYU-UConn game even though I had to take a little baby with me. Now I understand that you have to make sacrifices as a mother, and I do, but you don't have to sacrifice yourself and who YOU are. My mom tells me that hobbies are the only way for mothers to keep their sanity. I believe this completely, both during the mothering years, and once the mothering years are over. So I'm trying to do my best at both . . . and survive in my new life as a mother of three.

Little Angel

A couple days ago, I overheard my sister (who is expecting her second baby next month) talking with my mom. She was wondering how she'll have enough love for two children when she already loves her son so much. I remember asking my mom the same exact question when I was pregnant with my second. She also wondered if she would feel guilty that she couldn't spend as much one on one time with the second that she could with the first. But I didn't wonder or worry about these things this time around. I already knew the answer. Somehow Heavenly Father just gives mothers more love with each child. You don't have more time, but you have enough love for them all. You don't have a certain quantity of love to give children that has to be divided every time you add another. He just gives you more. I think it's kind of a miracle. So, just like I did with Connor and Mylie, I already love Mariah SOOOO much. She's such an angel. Here are a few pictures!

Ahh . . . contentment.

BIG yawn!

Mariah's first trip to church. Nine days old.

*How embarrassing! I just had to edit this because I noticed that I had called Mariah Mylie in this last picture. I can't believe how often I have done this, but on the blog?!?

Welcome, Baby Girl!

Well, she's finally here!

Mariah Kristine Micheli

Born Nov. 14, 2008 3:09pm

8lb. 20.5 in.

BEAUTIFUL!

Proud siblings, Connor and Mylie Jo

Of course, I have to include the newborn picture where she is all swollen and looks like she's been through the worst, since she probably just has. Already, she looks so much better. More to come soon!

Nesting?

There's this instinct that pregnant ladies supposedly get just before they go into labor--an urge to clean house, prepare for a baby, and do all sorts of domestic things. So, I'm wondering when this baby is going to come, because I've been "nesting" for 10 days now! Here are a few of the things that have kept me busy while anxiously awaiting our new arrival:

1. Cooking super-duper-bad-for-you desserts. Here are a couple awesome recipes for those of you who don't think you're getting enough calories per bite from your regular brownies or pumpkin pie.

LAYERS OF LOVE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. baking cocoa

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter, cut in pieces

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

3 large eggs, divided

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. chopped pecans

3/4 c. white chocolate chips

1/2 c. caramel ice cream topping

3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

PREHEAT oven to 350 F. Grease 8-inch-square baking pan.
COMBINE flour, cocoa and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until creamy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Reserve 3/4 c. batter. Spread remaining batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle nuts and white chips over batter. Drizzle caramel topping over top. Beat remaining egg and reserved batter in same large bowl until light in color Stir in chocolate chips. Spread evenly over caramel topping.

BAKE 30-35 mins. or until center is set. Cool completely and cut into squares.

TURTLE PUMPKIN PIE

1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping, divided

1 graham cracker pie crust

1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. pecan pieces, divided

1 c. cold milk

2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) Vanilla instant pudding

1 c. canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tub (8 0z.) cool whip, thawed, divided

POUR 1/4 c. caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 c. pecans.

BEAT milk, pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices with whisk until blended. Stil in 1 1/2 c. cool whip. Spread into crust.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Top with remaining cool whip, caramel topping and pecans just before serving.

2. Cleaning house. My house is CLEAN right now, and I really don't want it to get dirty before I leave. Also, I cleaned my entire basement, which was a wreck, pulled up all my dead flowers outside AND hauled them away in a wheelbarrow (shouldn't this put me into labor?!?), and did little things like dusting ceiling fans and light fixtures.

3. Preparing baby room. I've cleaned all gender-neutral clothes and have them in the dresser, I have diapers and wipes set out on the changing table, and have moved my rocking chair back into the baby room. Tony isn't real thrilled about this since he has used it in the family room since I finished nursing Mylie Jo over 2 years ago.

4. Quilting. Actually, I don't know how to quilt. I just know how to make this one type of baby blanket with a sewing machine--no tying or handstitching or anything like that. But I made two of them, one for a boy and one for a girl! They turned out so cute, I'll be a little disappointed that I only get to use one.

5. I read a book last week. It was the newest by Richard Paul Evans, my ABSOLUTE favorite author! Reading his books is like Christmas for me. I even had the library call me as soon as this book arrived so I could have it first. But, as soon as I'm done reading, I have this huge let-down knowing that I'll have to wait an entire year to read the next one since I've already read all the rest.

So, now I really don't have much to do but wait. But I won't have to wait too much longer. If I haven't gone in to labor by Friday, I'll be induced that morning. I'm a little nervous about the whole labor and delivery part of this, especially if I'm induced. I've gone into labor naturally with the other two, and really want to do it that way again, but we have some conflicts next week, so we've decided to have the baby this week one way or another. I know I've done this twice already. Maybe that's why I'm so nervous. Who really wants to do it all AGAIN!?! Anyway, wish me luck!

Odds 'n' Ends

So, I haven't updated my blog for awhile, and I have a few odd and ends to post. First of all, the second to last Wednesday in October was the Micheli Bull Sale. The kids love to get all dressed up for this every year. I thought they looked so cute this year!

Connor really wanted me to post this random picture of a toy he really loves playing with! These are called Balance Buddies, and they are wooden guys that you can put together in all sorts of balancing stunts. Connor loves to use the diagram (map, as he calls it) to make all types of formations. Tons of fun!

Finally, I wasn't going to post these, because it's about all I've seen on everybody's blogs lately, but here are some of our Halloween pictures. Yes, the pictures of the kids in costume are in a hotel. We were in Casper at state volleyball. They didn't seem to mind, though. They got to wear their costumes to our game that night, then went trick-or-treating to a neighborhood as well as all our volleyball players' rooms in the hotel.

Is this a problem?!?

Yesterday morning, while watching the Today show in a hotel room in Lander, I caught a clip about the "soft" addiction of shopping, and the damage it is doing to thousands of people who struggle with it. It was both interesting and sad. I left my hotel room about ten minutes later and walked across the street to Alco and Family Dollar . . .

. . . less than an hour later, I was headed back to the hotel with three sacks of "stuff" that I had purchased. Now, I'm beginning to think that I may have a problem as well. However, my problem is a little different. Let me explain.

Where I live, it's pretty difficult to be addicted to shopping. It would be like saying that someone who drank once a month, if that, was an alcoholic. But I have to admit that I really get a buzz from finding a great deal. Here's where it gets a little weird. As I've listened to other people talk about "deals" they've gotten on things, I realize that I've taken the idea of a good deal a little too far. For example, if a shirt is over $5, it is not a good deal in my book, and not worthy of my $5. So here's the short list of what I purchased yesterday:

1 pair of jeans: clearance price $4.50
3 shirts for me: all under $3.00
2 dresses for Mylie: $3.00 each
Halloween costume: $5.00 (this was definitely a splurge!)

And I felt just a little guilty about the money spent on me. I haven't always been this way. I have always been a fan of D.I., but back in my college days when money grew on trees (at least for those with great scholarships at UW), I once bought a pair of jeans for $50!!! The thought of it nearly makes me sick to my stomach. I've kept myself in jeans for the last 3 or 4 years for that price, I'm sure. But slowly, over time, the problem has gotten worse.

One of my "low moments" came just a few years ago, when I wore a pair of ugly brown shoes for about a year and a half, just waiting for the right shoes at the right price so I could have a decent pair. But, I was rewarded for my wait, finally finding a pair of like-new leather shoes that were oh-so-cute at a yard sale for $3.00 Just the price I was willing to pay!

Another confession: I often go into a dressing room at DI or a department store with very low prices with a stack of things to try on. I honestly hope that some of them won't fit so I won't have to decided if those cute $7.00 jeans are just a little too expensive.

Finally: I think it has been at least three years since I have even looked at a rack of clothes that doesn't have a CLEARANCE sign on it.

So, decide for yourself: Am I just a cheap tight-wad, a frugal Mormon mom, or a hopeless bargain addict? I don't know. But I can't wait until this next weekend since I'm going to Casper and am bound to find an amazing deal on something!

First Snow

So, I'm a little late with this post, but last weekend, we had our first snow. I was babysitting two of my nephews on Saturday, and so the four kids went outside for quite awhile and had a blast in the new snow! Mylie was especially excited and antsy to get outside since she doesn't remember last winter very well and was just so curious about the snow. It wasn't too cold, so they had a great time doing all the snow stuff:

SNOW ANGELS,

SNOWBALL FIGHTS,

SNOWMEN, and of course . . .

SLEDDING!!!

And then if that wasn't fun enough, Connor asked his dad to bury him in the snow. Yes, that hat is really on his head. Breaking out was pretty exciting for him, too.

P.S. If this snow was still on the ground, I'd probably be bitter enough about it that I wouldn't find any joy in posting these fun pictures. However, it has long since melted, and we've had a beautiful week! Fall in Wyoming!