Flashback Friday

I think my first love may have been at age 8 or 9 - Davy Jones from The Monkees (he's the bottom one).

To say I was obsessed with The Monkees would be an understatement. I remember......it was 1986 and I watched every single re-run episode of The Monkees TV series. I had every song and episode memorized. And I thought Davy Jones was the cutest thing in the world.

One of my happiest memories was when I got home from school one day (maybe 3rd grade?) and my mom handed me a tape. She had a friend with the Monkees LP (record album, remember those?) and she had dubbed it onto a cassette tape for me. ARE YOU SERIOUS? I felt like she had handed me the world. I guarded that tape with my life. I would carry a boom-box around with that tape in it, even to my friends house. I was such a rocker.

I distinctly remember the day I heard they were touring in concert. My heart almost burst with excitement. And then......this is when it gets a little blurry......I remember being told that the shows I was watching were actually RE-RUNS.....from 20 years ago. "What?" my head was spinning. That would make Davy Jones like 40 years old? Oh no! It's not possible!

Eventually I got over it, but that was a sad day for me.

I still have a special place in my heart for all of The Monkees songs, and you know what? A few years ago, which was 20 years after my mom handed me that special tape....she was shopping and happened across The Monkees Greatest Hits CD and bought it for me. Full circle moment, I tell ya.

Oh, and speaking of cassette tapes. About a year after this Monkees phase, I became obsessed with Tiffany (you know, singer, redhead, i think we're alone now...) and my sister Carly was 8. Probably thought I was cool or something. So, for Christmas that year (this is what a nice sister I was) I dubbed HER a copy of my Tiffany cassette tape. Wrapped it up and gave it to her under the tree. And as funny as it sounds, she was THRILLED! I get a kick out of that memory.

Spewing

Some days I have a fun picture or creative topic to post about. And other days I just need to spew at the mouth a bit. Why? I don't know. Does it help me a little? Yes. It does. But just a little. So here goes today's spewing.

Lately life has felt a little bit more complicated than normal....for mostly non-bloggable reasons. (by the way, Tucker is trying to talk to me right now....he doesn't realize that when I'm posting, it's like I'm on the other line and can't talk right now).

So, today was a crazy day. Let me re-cap. Today was hotter than hell. I'm serious. Speaking of humidity a few posts ago, I felt like I was in the Phillipines today. It rained all day and was 105, no exaggeration. Come to find out that Jordyn's school's air conditioning is BROKEN. What? Are you serious? I think school should have been canceled. 250 five year olds running around in HOT monsoon weather with no A/C....."now kids lets write a capital A"........is strange to me.

Speaking of Jordyn's school, they are extending school a little. Instead of 8 am to 1:00 pm, it will go to 1:40. Wow, she is getting no 'easing into' school. There is no snack time, no nap time, nothing. Just a full day of work at the ripe ol' age of 5. She seems to be handling it fairly well, I do have to say. But it still seems like a lot all at once.

I sang at a funeral today for a woman I didn't know (with other women, just in case you were picturing me doing a solo - NEVER). I hope someone would do the same for my Grandma. It was quite last minute.......thanks Lindy for watching the girls. It comes in quite handy, for many reasons, to have a sister nearby.

Then we started dance class again today. If the heat today was hell, then dance class was hell times 100. Not only was it hot, but there were like 30 people in this small waiting area with all their kids. And Peyton, a normal 10 month old, did NOT like this whole scene after about 25 minutes. Too bad we still had 95 minutes to go. She wanted to crawl around.....and explore everyones purses, drinks and crayons. Her arching back, screaming and clawing at my face made me feel beyond crazy. I need to figure out solution or will need to be heavily medicated each Thursday if this is a weekly experience. I'll keep you posted.

I was nearing home at 5pm after dance with all three girls when I had a brilliant idea. I called my trusty babysitters and asked if they could babysit RIGHT NOW (I would have paid $100 if that's what it took, but luckily it didn't). "Sure!" they said. So within 15 minutes, Tucker was meeting me - ALL ALONE - at our local chinese joint for a quick dinner. We talked for 90 straight minutes with no interruption (that is equivalent to approx 2 weeks of unfinished conversations with the kids around). It was great.

By 9:30pm, when (2 hours later than I'd hoped and prayed for) all three kids were asleep....it is time for my alone time. Unfortunately, the night owl in me is on vacation and all I want is my pillow. So good night and here's to a brighter & lighter day tomorrow!

Try This!

On occasion, I feel inclined to share with you something that I love (whether it be old, new, borrowed or blue) OR perhaps a member of my family loves. Going forward, I may decide to entitle these posts "Try This!".

Today's "Try This!" happens to be new. I grabbed these baked chip things the other day because Save Mart convinced me they were on sale (their prices are NOT lowest, liars) and I admit I was pleasantly surprised!

These toasted chips are not only tasty, but healthy! I prefer to healthy-them-up by dipping them in ranch (homemade with sour cream) but they are also good alone. I've tried the Garden Harvest and Tomato Basil flavors...they also have Banana but....those sound scary.

So, have YOU tried these?

I *Thought* I Was Smart

Okay, so I am starting to work my way toward getting my teaching credential......just so I can have that as an option in the future. But in CA, there are lots of preliminary state tests you have to complete.

I recently took the CBEST (CA Basic Educational Skills Test), which was pretty basic and I passed w/o much struggle. Now I am preparing to take another, the CSET (CA Subject Examination for Teachers). These tests are good ol' fashioned #2 pencil and fill in the bubble, same as 20 years ago. It was so hard for me to hand write an essay! Do I ever handwrite anything these days?

Oh my gosh. I really did think I was fairly smart. But apparently I don't retain as much as I thought I did (or did I even learn this stuff EVER?). I am doing a practice test today and here are two questions that I have encountered so far (like 75% of the questions I had to look up the answer on the internet!). I want to know if I'm the only one who struggled with these.....do you know the answers off the top of your head? (can you even read it?)

My Blog-Sided Life

Isn't it interesting how one-dimensional these blogs can paint one's life to be? Almost idealistic? I always think about this. I definitely think my blog reflects my life....but only a small portion of it. There is so much that is NOT blogged about. Which is perfectly okay and good and right....because, even in blogland, we all deserve at least SOME privacy, right?


Like, for example, I could blog and tell you about my day: I made Jordyn's school lunch, went on a walk with Pey and Lex, researched teaching credential programs, danced to some music with Lexi, watched Lyric for Lindy, had a playdate for Jordyn, hung out with Lindy, made a yummy dinner with dessert, picked up the living room 100 times, and did homework with Jordyn. And you might be like, "wow, she has a lot of energy" and maybe you even pictured me in cute high heels with lipstick and a smile all day long.


But what I DIDN'T tell you is: that it's 8 pm and I haven't showered yet today and I look like death. I have had cramps all day, felt crappy and ate half (yes, half) a pan of a Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake that I made. I didn't do a stitch of the laundry piled all over and I haven't unpacked from my trip a week ago yet. I had to put Jordyn in like 3 time-outs for hitting. We DIDN'T do family home evening like I'd hoped, and by 7:30 I told Tucker I was done being a mom for the night and he could finish it all because I felt "CRAZY". See, now doesn't that make it all a little more real? I LOVE real.



And on a side note, Jordyn took the bus home from school today! She has been begging, but I just wanted to give it a few days. Luckily, the bus ride home is JUST Kindergarteners, so she's not on the bus with lots of big kids. She LOVED it! She got off with a huge grin and said "the bus is so much fun Mom!". Its nice for me because I can keep the other kids in the air-conditioned car while waiting....and when I was getting her from school, we had to park far and trek to get her in the scorching heat. It works out great! Here she is fresh off the bus...

G'Morning!

No matter how tired I feel in the morning....how can I help but SMILE waking up to see this little stinker every day?

Neverending Green Things

If you recall, I spent 4 hours at the dentist - 10 days ago. What keeps it so fresh in my mind is this lovely green thing....

And, these bananas have been in our house for 7 days now, from Costco. I had no idea I needed to plan three weeks in advance to use these green things....

Lexi Lou

1st day of Pre-school for my little 2nd child!

What a cute and happy girl Lexi is!

She was a willing and excited participant. She also gets to go to Pre-school with her best little friend, Jacob. Even more special!

Now.........if someone can just help me out with the after school-tired-hot-sibling-rivalry issue.....all will be well.

Flashback Friday

When visiting with my cousin Michael, we saw this picture on my Gma's fridge. We thought we'd re-create it. Here's my flashback....

Michael and Jamie 1998

Michael and Jamie 2007

Speaking of Hot...

Since I felt like I was dripping sweat all day today and I felt like I HAD to be living in the Southern US as far as humidity goes, I thought I'd do a little research (I am sort of obsessed with the weather updates/info/etc). Here's a little trivia for you:

(sorted by humidity)
Slc, UT .................23%................90°
Visalia, CA .........46%............99°
Louisville, KY .........46%...............100°
Honolulu, HI ...........59%................87°
Tampa, FL ..............69%................92°
New York, NY ........76%................84°
Nauvoo, IL ..............85%...............78°
Manila, Phillipines...85%.............92°

This n That

Today was Jordyn's first full day of school. She did great! She goes from 8-1, which is considered "full day" kindergarten. It's the first year our district has done this. The first thing she said to me when I hugged her "hi" is "I want WATER mom!". Confirming my fear - in the 105 degree weather, she was crazy THRISTY! I don't think she's used to finding a drinking fountain when she's thirsty. She downed like 3 cups right away. She's funny because when I ask her how her day was (and if you know me, then you know its like 100 questions)...she will hardly answer any of them and then say "I'll tell you later mom". I should just attach a camera to her so I can watch a replay of the day. I'm not worried at all, but I'm so curious of her interactions in class, the playground and the cafeteria.

Lexi starts pre-school tomorrow! She is going two days per week and she is so excited. She's got a pretty pink dress with a necklace (from Grandma) all ready to go. What will I do with all this free time? I'll be a taxi, that's what!

I am so sick of this hotter-than-heck heat. I feel hatred toward it now. And we still have at least two months of it here. At least I'm not pregnant like last summer!! All of this in-and-out of the car stuff is killing me!!!

I'm starting to feel fear of my structured schedule this year. I have a fear of commitment, I think. Seriously! I have pre-school, kindergarten, Harmony, 2 dance classes, 2 piano lessons, primary presidency meeting, volunteering in the classroom, homework.......scary stuff. I guess this is life, though. As scared as I feel, I'm happy and feel blessed as well. Its fun to see my kids grow and learn and unfold in their talents and personality. Love it.

I just need to find a magic energy pill.....

She's Initiated

Jordyn LAST year starting preschool......age 4


Jordyn THIS year starting Kindergarten......age 5

(check it out.....there was a special visitor in Jordyn's classroom today. A little hummingbird! I think it was stuck!)

-Yep, Jordyn is now initiated into Kindergarten.

-No tears, no sadness, all smiles and excitement (for all of us). Whew.

-She saw lots of girls from Dance Class at school today. How fun!

-Mom and Dad were orientated and met the principal, saw the school and love her teacher.

-Aside from our own selfish trepidation at the thought of being out the door at 7:35 am, we are ready for this adventure and couldn't have asked for a better start!

We love you Jordyn and are so proud of the beautiful, polite, teachable and smart little girl you are!

Extended, Extended Family

As a kid, we never lived close to any extended family. It was always a 3 or more hour drive and it was always VERY special to visit them or have them visit us. Those are precious memories to me. As life goes on, and my own personal life expands with my own little family....it seems that now this could be called my extended, extended family! And the visits are MUCH too few and far between.


So, my sis Lindy and I did a quick, crazy and whirlwind trip (we're getting quite good at these) to visit some family. There have been lots of babies born in the past year, and we wanted to catch up with all the kids!


In a little more than 24 hours, we were able to see my cousin Mike and Aracely and their two cute little ones, cousin Matt and Katie (in a non-blog-real-life fashion), along with my Aunt Kelly with her three cute kids and finally a short stop at my precious Grandma's. It was even crazier than it sounds, believe me. At one point, we had 10 kids ages 6 and under playing at our heels! But memories are worth every bit of it.

Strategically placing 5 car seats in just the right spot takes talent

My Cousin Michael is one year older than me. He whipped us up a traditional spaghetti dinner!

Told ya! Here is the 10 kids 6 and under crowd (with Lindy, Aracely and Kelly)

Fun in the sun with cousins!

Lauren and Lyric are 6 months apart....and you can tell they're family!

Ummmm....mommy?

Our last stop was Grandma NaDeane's. I sure love my little (shrinking) 78 year old Grandma!

We just love hangin' out at Grandma's!

Grandma was so fascinated by all these cute kids....she couldn't even look at the camera!

Grandma sure had flashbacks of me as a little girl with red-headed Jordyn around!

Lexi LOVED all of Grandma's glass figurines. She's always had these sprinkled throughout her house.

FAMILY~ memories ~ WHAT MATTERS ~ special ~ FOREVER ~ priceless ~ GRATEFUL

I Really AM Too Tired

Do you see the two cans that are very similarly sized in my cupboard? [it may seem a little 'where's waldo-ish'].

Believe it or not, I have made my older girls a cup of "formula milk" instead of the requested "chocolate milk" on more than one tired-occasion.

Sad (and gross) isn't it?

I really should learn to go to bed earlier.

High School Musical 2

The High School Musical movie has been "THE thing" around here for the past 8+ months. I have to limit how often they watch it because they request it multiple times per day (it's recorded on our DVR....if you don't know what that is, it's like a TiVo....if you don't have one, you aren't really living).


Tonight was the BIG, HUGE, CAN'T-MISS-IT premiere of High School Musical 2 on the Disney Channel. Jordyn and Lexi were thrilled and we invited friends Ashlyn and Lindsay over for a little "party". Pizza, my homemade cookies, pillows, blankets....the whole sha-bang.


Tucker and I even participated (although, that's not saying much....Tucker can get glued to Clifford cartoons). It was a cute, 'bubble-gum' movie. Good sequel. The girls loved it.

Ashlyn, Jordyn, Lindsay and Lexi

See, here's Tucker.....totally glued.

Peyton joined in......pulled the girls' hair....squealed a little

She especially wanted to bug Ashlyn

Tis her latest trick. Carrying toys around "puppy dog" style. I just LOVE to photograph this kid!

Flashback Friday....and a special feature

In light of my soon-to-be Kindergartener, here is MY kindergarten photo. I attended a bi-lingual kindergarten class in Oxnard, CA where I learned the Pledge of Allegiance, the months of the year, the days of the week, the colors....all in Spanish! I loved it. (by the way, I remember all of it except the Pledge of Allegiance....I only remember the English version of that!).

Jamie '82

Jordyn 2007

So, Jordyn starts on Wednesday. The good news is I feel like she's completely ready for this experience. I think she'll just eat it up and love it.

It's just hard to believe this is the beginning of like 20 years of me being a mother to school-aged children. Strange.



Admittedly, I did shed a few tears yesterday when we got a letter in the mail from her Teacher, Ms. Man______. It was so cute, written directly to Jordyn....and that's when it really hit me that this is the woman I will turn my daughter over to for like 5 hours a day. Wow!



And, in case you're wondering.....the answer is YES, even with a little sadness comes some secret excitement that I will have a little "break" (from fighting) for a few hours per day. Ya gotta look at the bright side, right?







Oh, and if you want to know more about me than you need to......I was fortunate enough to be interviewed and featured here on the fabulous blog of CJane (of whom I've never met, but secretly admire).

Here is the post from her blog:

Jamie: The Sweet Toothed Devil's Advocate

This feature is my attempt at the "Pay It Forward Craft Exchange" for more information, click here. Look forward to two more interviews that will also be posted today!

Have you heard the good news about my friend Karli? Karli, and her husband Chris just brought home a bundle of adopted love, daughter Kaiya.

Do you want to know some more good news about my friend Karli? She has a very good friend named Jamie Maxfield. That is right, the Jamie Maxfield born in Hawaii in 1977. Which means that contrary to popular belief, I wasn't the only one who turned thirty this year. I am also not the only thirty-year old who hates the phone.

"I hate the phone." explains Jamie.

But her husband Tucker doesn't.

"He has not one single aversion to the phone." and, adds Jamie "He's also really cute."

Jamie the self-proclaimed "devil's advocate" met Tucker in 1999 when he was a server at the Hard Rock Cafe in Salt Lake City. She exclaims that it was love at first sight when she couldn't help but feel appreciation for his lips and. . . buttocks. He returned the love by falling for her natural red hair.

"My husband prefers for me to keep it completely red. He loves it." Tucker's love affair with red heads may have stemmed from his own dark red-headed mother who passed away when he was thirteen. While Jamie may have to wait to meet Tucker's mother, she absolutely loves the rest of his family. The red headedness is spanning the generations as two out of their three children have red locks. Yes, and Tucker loves the color red for another reason.

"He says he 'bleeds red' because he is a die-hard Ute fan."

Jamie is also a Ute and earned a bachelors degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Utah. (This came after she moved to Hawaii at twenty-one and had to ride her bike to a job at McDonald's to pay the bills.) She'd hopes to continue her schooling "further down the road" in getting a masters in counseling MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist.)

Jamie learned effective parenting skills from her mother and father.

"I love that my parents introduced me to the Gospel- they taught me to be grounded and open-minded simultaneously."

Jamie's mother was inactive in the LDS church for most of her life. After Jamie was born (the oldest) she decided to give church another try. This "full force ahead" life change initiated a devotion to the LDS church. Jamie's father, who was not a member, took three years to investigate.

"He had to know everything before he joined."

Jamie's father also knows everything about math.

"[He] constantly did math with me-it taught me to love numbers."

Meanwhile, Jamie's mother had an equal important lesson to teach her daughter.

"My mom has a sweet tooth and treats weren't scarce-it taught me that a sweet tooth is okay . . .in moderation."

Now she has her own family, a nest of daughters. And given her ability to use unique adjectives I asked her to describe each daughter. Jordyn (5) is fiery, spunky and in-charge. Lexi (3) is soft, quiet and imaginative. Peyton (10 months) is still coming into her personality, but so far she is happy, observant and (best of all) cuddly.

And then the inevitable question: is there a son in your future?

"[Tucker] loves his girls so much, but he desparately wants a son. I get deathly sick during pregnancy, so we are strongly considering adopting a fourth and final child . . . possibly we'll get our boy."

With an adoption possibly in her future, Jamie will most-likely rely on her friend Karli for advice. This I can speculate for a couple reasons, one being that Karli knows Jamie very well. Of her friend she says "You will find her madly interesting and pretty much amazing!"


So true. Red head, freckles, sweet tooth and all.

9 1/2 Months

Thought I'd do a little Peyton update. Pey is definitely leaving the passive phase and moving on to a more opinionated one (ie a REALLY high pitched squeal all day long). She is cuter than ever, and I'm not the only one who thinks so! I never imagined the girls being so fascinated with her. Just today, Lexi said "Mom, it's time for Peyton to wake up from her nap". I sad "why, do you need something out of your room?". She was like "no, I just want to talk to her". How sweet, huh?

• Peyton says Hi, Da da & Ma ma (appropriately, not just babble), Ba Ba (like bottle) and then she does a few signs like "more" and "all done".


• Crawling around ALL over now. My carpet must be dirtier than it looks because at the end of each day, her feet and knees are so dirty! Sick!


• She will NOT eat anything unless she can feed herself. Makes it tricky, but she loves eggs, ham, cheese, nuggets, fish crackers, noodles, plums, peaches, green beans. No baby food here!


• She has the most passionate love for her baby cousin Paxton. I can't explain the hysteria that happens when she sees him. It is so cute


• She wants to keep up with her older sisters SO bad. Today they were playing with Polly Pockets, so they closed the bedroom door and she got extremely upset!


• She is trying to pull herself up on the couch or side of the tub, but can't quite do it. Gets very frustrated.


• Still loves baby Einstein and Signing Time, but I think i need some new ones because the magic has lessened slightly.


• Peyton goes to bed around 8 and gets up around 7 (or 5:45 like today). But she does wake up like 3-4 times in between and wants some bottle. I need to do something about that!

Teeth

In some ways, I am pretty lucky in the teeth category. The main way being that they are near perfect in straightness - with no braces, ever. [Although I have to admit I ALWAYS wanted a retainer and would make them out of paper clips to convince my friends I had one. Did you ever do that?]

But in other ways, I am not so lucky with my teeth. For example, it is not unusual after a checkup to hear the dentist say "well, it looks like you have about 8 cavities". YES, I said EIGHT!

Today was one of those "not so lucky" days. He didn't say I had 8 cavities. He did say "It looks like I need to scrape out your old fillings, give you two crowns and possibly a root canal. Then we will schedule you for 4-5 other fillings with possible crowns in a couple other teeth".

He may as well have said "Hand me your next few paychecks and we'll call it even".

So, my wonderful friends babysat my kids today while I had four wonderful hours of quiet time....well, with the dentist and his drill that is.

Oh, and I even got to see my beautiful mom leaving the dentist as I was arriving. She also had three crowns today. Wait a minute......speaking of that......mom.....I think I have found the ONE thing I am NOT glad I inherited from you. Love you anyway!

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

Maybe you've heard this and maybe you haven't. My cousin Kelly emailed this to me. I hadn't heard it and really like this analogy (but then again, I'm really "into" analogies). Enjoy!


When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee:

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.

He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your houseand your car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you."Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

Then, one of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee (or some ice cream!) with a good friend."

My Early Risers

Even at the [undesireable to me] early hour of 6:30 am, as we slowly lounge in our pajamas watching cartoons and playing with toys, I wonder......

How can I love something THIS MUCH?

and THIS MUCH?

and THIS MUCH?

I'm definitely a lucky girl.

Something [Non-Edible] I Love...

I'm a make-up girl. My friends and family have always known this and even teased me for it. I remember back in Jr. High, we became obsessed with Lancome makeup - no kidding. My friends and I would literally go to the department store and buy lipstick for like $20 or something ridiculous, esp at such a young age! That was nice of our moms to endulge us.

Anyway, as life goes, my makeup typically comes from Target now, Loreal is prob my fav. But a while back at Costco they had a triple pack of this Cover Girl mascara - so I grabbed it. It's called "VolumeExact".

And I LOVE it!!!

To me, it is perfect. Not too thin, not too clumpy, lasts forever. You should try it!

*by the way, thanks for the comments on my "personal" post. Nice to know I'm not so strange in my thoughts :-)

4 Things I (shouldn't) LOVE

I want to talk about 4 things that I absolutely LOVE. 4 things that are completely bad for my health and will proably take years off my life....or at least add unwanted inches to my waist-line. But does this stop me from loving, and wanting and eating these 4 things? Nope!

To my credit, I would say I'm semi health conscious. Like today, for instance. It was noon.....I was on my way home from taking the CBEST test (a California state test, but that's another topic) and I was starving. All sorts of yummy things ran through my mind, but I chose to stop by Subway.....wheat bun, no mayo, the whole bit. I also try to drink a TON of water.

But, true to my nature, I dabble in a bit of everything. I like to wash down my healthy meals with a cookie or soda or SOMEthing bad. It's like I can't get myself to be TOTALLY good in any area. That's the rebel in me, right?

So back to my 4 things. These are probably the top four things I would choose as a bad treat any time, any day, for any reason. Ready? Here goes:

#1: Brownies. Ah, brownies. What more needs to be said? They are heaven. Chewy, frosting-less, preferrably the edges for me.


#2: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. Straight from my oven. I have a recipe that, to me, is perfect. I resist the urge to make them almost on a daily basis. I try not to let myself make them more than every other week (because inevitably I eat 10 right out of the oven). Lindy has introduced me to McDonald's fresh baked cookies, which are quite an acceptable alternative to my quadruple batch. Try 'em if you haven't.

#3: Fries! Ah, I love fries. Salty, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. MMMM mmmm. And personally I think McDonald's skinny fries are the best. I also grew to love fry sauce during my years in Utah. Sad that its NO WHERE in Cali has it (except Sonic, and I don't want raw chicken).

#4: Soda. I love soda. I know it's not good for me, I know that sugar turns into fat, I know that carbonation has all sorts of bad effects, caffeine isn't good for you, whatever whatever. But I love it. Any kind, preferrably brown and preferrably Pepsi. Ahhh, any meal washed down with a soda tastes better. My siblings feel the same way and on both sides of our family (mine and Tucker's) there is plenty of soda at our family gatherings. Funny thing is I wasn't raised that way. We never had soda in the house, just wasn't healthy. Sorry mom ;-)