April is just around the corner!

Just in case you haven't looked at the calendar lately...April is here on Friday! My kiddos are already preparing some April Fool's Day jokes! Little do they know, The Chief and I have some up our sleeves for them that day too!


I'll let you know how they go!






Just wanted to share my excitement about March being almost over, and April looks to come in nice and sunny! So happy about that!

Opening Night has arrived!

After many long days of rehearsal, and sacrificed Saturdays, Early Light Academy presents:

It will run for 5 nights, through Tuesday, dark on Sunday. McKay will be starring as part of Pharoah's and Potiphar's Entourage. And his favorite part is one of the Hairy Ishmaelites. He loves getting to wear his leather jacket and a mullet wig! So excited to see the show!

Break a leg, McKay!

We love you!

My newest Bear!

As a mom of three boys, I'm going to I do spend a lot of time with Cub Scouts! One of the joys of it is when one of the boys advances in their rank. Noah earned his Wolf in January. I just found these photos on the camera and thought I would share!
I am proud of Noah! I'm so blessed to have my three sons!

Noah pins his Wolf Pin on Mom...don't ask me whats up with my hair...it has a mind of its own at times!

In Cubscout tradition, the Cub must give mom a kiss. It looks more like he is trying to tell me a secret though!



And then a hug for mom with her newest bear cub!

 And tonight is Pack Meeting. I believe it will by my 43rd give or take a few!

I can breathe again

So, I sat down to do my taxes about a month ago, which I have done every year since I was 23. I just use TaxAct or Turbo Tax...one of those programs that help me out. Well, I entered all my info into the program, and wa-la...I discover that we are going to owe Uncle Sam $271! I freaked out! We typically get a couple grand back from taxes, and I just couldn't figure out what was different this year. I looked at it a few days later, realizing a few things that I forgot to enter, but I was really stumped. I did what I do when I get stressed...I procrastinated! Finally, the Chief and I scheduled today to sit down and review this years info with last year to see if I could find where the big difference was. So, the Chief went to change, and I pulled up tax act, and after a month of not looking at it, I decide to start from the beginning, and I immediately realized that I forgot to put in the boys' social security numbers. So, I put those digits in....and finally, I saw what I wanted to see.....a nice big return!!!!!   I yelled with excitement! The Chief came running...we all did a happy dance! And then I did what any smart woman would do....

I started to plan how we could spend that good amount of moolah!

And in the end, we're going to do the fiscally wise thing...it's going to pay off my van, and even a chunk of it will go toward the car! And a bit will be put aside for our family vacation! Happy, Happy Day!!!!

The Luck of the Irish!

Okay, so last post I complained how I don't like March very much. I'm going to amend that today and say, I don't like March very much EXCEPT for St. Patrick's Day. I have always enjoyed St. Patty's Day. I grew up in NY, and it was definitely celebrated there. I remember my mom magically turning our milk green every March 17th. I also looked forward to Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner. I definitely kept that tradition alive! Unfortunately, the Chief and the kiddos haven't really adopted a preference for corned beef or cabbage. It saddens my heart. I told the Chief he is not really Irish if he doesn't like corned beef and cabbage...even if this is more an American-Irish tradition rather than a true Irish tradition! I also make a green yummy dessert "salad", which I'm going to share the recipe too.

Here it is...

Ingredients:
1 box pistachio pudding
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
3/4 bag mini marshmallows
1 container cool whip

Easy, smeasy! So, first you mix the pistachio powder with the pineapple, then add the marshmallows and then the cool whip. Then I refridgerate it for 1-2 hours or overnight if you wish, and wa-la...a yummy dessert like concoction that most children LOVE, at least in my household! And truth be told, the Chief and I love it too! I make it for Easter too! It is light and "spring-like" to me!

We're going to the boys' school tonight for "culture night" on Ireland! Perfect way to celebrate the holiday, especially since there won't be any corned beef and cabbage this year!

After March comes...

I've never really liked March. Maybe because it is 31 days long. That means, 31 days before we can turn the calendar and welcome April. See, April is by far my favorite month of the year! It typically means that Spring is really here, as March just tends to tease us, and then dump us with massive snow, at least in New York where I grew up, and also here in Utah, where I've made my adult home. So, I don't trust March.


I've been working on letting March be less dreadful as the years go by. And today, it dawned sunny and pleasant, so I'm okay with March today. But still, it really does get in the way of the best month of the year.  April means everything starts coming out, including all the people who have been hibernating in their homes all winter long, so the world seems friendly. The flowers bloom and the trees start growing their leaves. It is a wonderful time of year. Oh yeah, one more awesome thing about April...it is the month of my birth!


So maybe that is why I've had such an adverserial relationship with March...it stands between me and my birthday!

P.S. I changed my blog background. What do you think? I'm excited for Easter (which is in April)!

Seven Likes

At work, I often advise my clients to think of positive things, rather than allow the negative thoughts to crowd one's mind. I decided to follow my own advice tonight. So, I came up with a list of seven things that I really like:

1. I like bike riding, especially with my kids. (btw, those aren't my kiddos above, but you get the idea!). I can't wait til spring is here, so we can go out riding more regularly!

2. I really like my new kitchen sink. It is an Elkay sink, in the Harmony collection. I love that the middle thingee is really short, so I can put my griddle across the whole thing. Also, it is really deep, so when I put dishes in there, you can't even see them so I don't have to worry if an unexpected neighbor drops by!

3. I like seeing the clouds up by the mountains after a rain storm. Today it rained off and on, and looking up at the mountains, and seeing the clouds just hanging there, suspended in front of the mountains was so amazing! It was reminder of the beautiful world we live in!

4. I like custard! The kind you get in New York at Abbott's Custard. One of my favorite places to go when I was a kid. I'm working on clean eating so custard is out of the question right now. Good thing I live in Utah, where they don't sell custard, at least not that I know of, and if you have other info...please do not share it with me!

5. I like climbing into my bed each night. I love my 1000 thread count sheets, and I especially love climbing into my bed, after the sheets have been freshly washed and if they were lined dried, it is even better!

6. I like being active, and having fun! Spending time outdoors with family and friends is such a great way to spend a day!

7. And I like all things romantic. Whether is a heart in the sand, or a mushy card, or a quiet dinner over candle light, or a folded basket of laundry (put away would be over the top), I just like romance!

So, if you find your mind crowded with negatives, stop and name 7 likes. It really does shove out the negatives! Happy Day!

And the reports are in...

We had parent teacher conferences tonight. I don't worry too much about them, as both of my boys are good students. They take school seriously. Of course, the older they get, the more serious it becomes. First we went to the 3rd grade, and saw Mr. G. He told us that Noah is a great student (all 4's...meaning outstanding in all his subjects). He had some issues with two other boys earlier in the year, but he has really shaped up, and shows respect and stays on task in the classroom. Yeah! So nice to hear!

Then we went upstairs to 5th grade, and visited with Mrs. O. I really like this women! She is patient with McKay, and she really is sensitive to his needs! He has a number of missing assignments, so we'll be doing homework this weekend! I love that she gives him extra time to complete things at home. I know that will not always be the case, as he gets older. Gotta help him figure out how to do it in the classroom. That's where the ADHD really affects him...so hard for him to focus with all the distraction there. Mrs. O told me that he has been assertive and let her know what he thinks will help and we came up with a few more ideas tonight! I so appreciate her willingness to help McKay come up with some solutions!

Can't wait for teacher appreciation week because it is coming up soon, and I sure do appreciate our teachers!

Congrats to my boys for doing so well!