but add this...
and this...
and these...
and these...
and you'll see why I've already gained 10 pounds. Yikes!
DISCLAIMER: In college, I took a folklore class and we had a discussion on this very thing. Many students volunteered the myriad ways their families predict the gender/number of babies and I heard all sorts of hooey. At first, I thought this needle trick was all the same and paid absolutely no attention to it. I didn't even want to try it. Now, I'm a believer, he he.
Would you like to know how to play the game? Here it is:
Thread a needle with about 18" of thread.
Put the ends of the thread together and let the needle fall to the middle so it hangs straight down.
Place the tester's hand flat on a surface (book, table, etc.) with the palm downward.
Hold the ends of the thread in one hand and lower the needle to tap it on one side of the tester's hand, then the other, and then the first side to make three taps.
Hold the needle directly above the tester's hand (about 2 inches from surface of skin).
If the needle swings back and forth in a straight line, it's a boy.
If the needle swings around in a circle, it's a girl.
Repeat the three taps and hold the needle above the tester's hand until the needle neither swings straight or circularly; this means the tester won't have any more children.
The needle should accurately depict all the children in a family, so it will first show the firstborn (even if he/she was born ages ago) and go all the way through the family.
As much as I hate to say it, this test may drive me to believe in Voodoo! It is beyond strange that no matter how many times I try it, or when I do it, I get the same result. Personally, I think it has something to do with the energy fields our bodies produce, but still...FREAKY!
The ultrasound went very well and we are thrilled that Rex has a little brother on the way! We know that this is a Clark baby because he was sucking his fingers through the whole episode. We can't wait to meet the little guy!
One thing we have LOVED this summer is having 24/7 access to a pool that contains only our germs. Grandma and Grandpa opened it up and we've been taking full advantage of the refreshing, clean water as well as the fun slide and diving board. My kids love it because they don't have to fight for swimming space like they do at public pools and I love it because my kids get so worn out that they beg to go to bed every night.
Amber suddenly became an amazing swimmer and doffed her water wings. She cruises all around the pool with her head under, her nose unplugged, and her eyes open, all of which make me proud because I was such a pansy when it came to swimming as a child. She loves to swim "like a dolphin" with her arms back by her sides, and she has an astonishing lung capacity.
The culmination of her aquatic prowess happened on Saturday when she jumped off the diving board and swam the length of the pool to the shallow end all by herself. Adam and I couldn't believe our eyes. Upon emerging, she yelled out, "Merrick (her cousin) will be so proud of me!"
Karli is slowly, and I mean s-l-o-w-l-y, mustering some courage and jumped off the side of the pool to me twice today. She is not a fan of the water (she hates having her hands wet after she washes them, for crying out loud), so I am thrilled that she now will walk around on the steps, put her face in, and kick her legs. She even floated all by herself while wearing water wings in the hot tub last week, and that nearly brought tears to my eyes. Her favorite pool activity is blowing water out the wrong end of a snorkel so it splashes her face. It's hilarious!
Rex is now the proud owner of a pair of Diego water wings, which he loves. He floats all around the pool and kicks his feet and chases his football. Most of all, though, he adores drinking the water and trying to eat the dead bugs who float at the surface. Disgusting...he's such a boy...yet despite the illnesses he may contract, he looks absolutely darling scooting around the pool and gets so proud of himself! He even jumps off the side and doesn't mind going all the way under the water, which might explain the five ear infections he's had since springtime.
Today we journeyed to Salt Lake to visit Radio Disney Days at the Gallivan Center. Yesterday, when I told Amber that we would go after she went to bed and woke up, she ran upstairs and laid out her Belle dress, her black shoes, her rose purse, and her fancy white gloves. Then, she found Karli's Aurora dress, the fancy plastic shoes that go with it, the Aurora crown, and a pink purse to match. Moments later, she came back downstairs and proudly announced, "Mom, I have everything all situated for tomorrow!" I had to check it out and I was thoroughly impressed when I saw the array of dresses and accessories.
Finally, Tuesday morning arrived and after much ado regarding whose crown matched which dress, and a generous donation of a "Cinderella tiara" from Grandma Shelley, we were on the road. We had a great time listening to the bluegrass band play one of my favorites, "Orange Blossom Special", and the kids loved the instrument petting zoo. Amber played a trumpet and managed a squeak, but Karli couldn't muster enough air to play anything on that horn. She opted for a tiny violin and it was adorable to see them try out some little instruments. Then, we waited in line for 30 minutes in 100-degree weather for a ride on the Copper Mountain Express. Rex loved the bell on the train, so I thought he'd be excited to go for a ride on it. To my chagrin, though, he threw a massive fit upon being seated. Amber and Karli climbed right in and had a delightful tour of the plaza.
After the kids each earned a cute but annoying train whistle, I had reached my temperature threshold and dragged them all into the bank for some refreshing air conditioning and some cash for the parking attendant. To my delight, the bank validated my parking slip and we made it to the car just in time to see the sweetest, loudest, black Lamborghini I've ever seen. The guy driving it sat idling, waiting for me to finish the process of buckling all three kids and collapsing the stroller, heaving it into the trunk, and making sure I hadn't left one of the many requisite sundries behind, but soon realized I would be a while and drove off with a loud zoom.
Have you ever been to the USANA Ampitheater? If you haven't and you plan to go sometime soon, beware. It's past Kearns, which is in the 60000 West area in the Salt Lake Valley. I didn't even know there were streets out that far west, but apparently, someone thought it was brilliant to build a huge concert venue in the middle of nowhere with terrible, one-laned street access. Nice.
After two hours of sitting in a stifling hot car in a pair of my sister's very-hot-but-very-sexy Hudson jeans, I was ready to call off the whole show for which I'd been so excited for the past 48 hours. Fortunately, though, Adam kept his cool and even shared some with me and we made it to the venue just in time. Once we found our seats, which were remarkably good, the sun disappeared behind the mountain and we reveled in the cool evening air. As long as I'm complaining about the venue (which turned out to be not-so-bad in the end), may I add that after charging $4 per 20-ounce bottle of soda, the staff there had the audacity to place a tip jar right in our faces? Are you kidding me? Okay...enough ranting and on to the George!
Julianne Hough was the opening act and she was so much better than I expected her to be. I love her on "Dancing with the Stars" but was suspicious of her crossover into music. I hate it when the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Demi Lovato think that just because they're good at one thing, they're good at everything. After a few numbers, though, I was convinced that Hough really does have some pipes. Her stage presence was obviously fabulous, and she is just so tiny and cute. I even think I'd buy a few of her songs.
Only nine more days of these in my life...poor Adam can't get a break from studying for the Bar Exam!
Adam and I both noticed how fantastic it was to be kid-free (thanks, Leslie!)...especially from one 14-month-old little boy who loves to run away and climb on everything. We had a grand evening and finished it all off with a dip in the hot tub (not a skinny one, but it was fun nonetheless). What a delightful night!
Joe Johnson is the fat one...he he he.Eventually, they asked me "How overweight is Joe Johnson?" (he's one of the DJs). My options were a)82 lbs. b)53 lbs. c)3 lbs. I had seen a picture of him years ago on T.V. and he was fairly portly, so first I thought the answer must be A. However, they quickly blurted out that he's only 5'6", so I guessed B. It was the right answer and I went crazy! When Joe said, "Yeah, I really do need to loose some weight," I responded, "Well, if your being overweight comes at the expense of me winning these tickets, be as fat as you want to be!" Now that I think about it, that was a pretty mean thing to say, but...oops! I was too excited to think straight, and now we're on our way to see Mr. Strait. Hooray!
At 3:00 on Thursday afternoon, as we swam in our backyard, my mom called to see if we wanted to go to Rexburg in 15 minutes. We agreed, jumped out and dried off as fast as we could, threw some stuff into a suitcase, and before I knew it, my kids and I were strapped in her Suburban and on our way to the land of my childhood. I was excited to see my grandparents, the Liljenquists and Rydalches, to eat frozen yogurt at Millhollow, and to show my kids all my favorite places from when I was younger.
Angela and Courtney saved the day; they took Amber down the slide at least a dozen times!
The cold pool was still just as cold as ever...but it felt great on a 90-degree day. Rex liked having his feet in the water, but not much else.
Karli wasn't really interested in swimming that day, so she hung out by my mom and worked on her tan.
Karli prefers the stationary benches, but Amber and Rex liked the tiny horses that moved up and down.
Rex made a new best friend: my Grandpa Vern. Every time Grandpa walked into the room, Rex ran to him and tried to climb up his legs to be held. It was adorable! Grandpa took Rex on the deck to swing, played hide and seek with the coasters, and offered about a million hugs to my little boy. They were darling together!
Ebelskivers...the best breakfast I'll ever eat.I can't believe it's been almost a month since I posted last; I completely feel like an old lady when I say, "Time is going by too quickly!", but it really is. We've had a fun summer so far with visits from Adam's sister and her delightful family, Adam's parents, my sister and her cute family, and lots of swimming. All this, plus lessons, birthdays, doctor visits and the like have left me reeling but having a great time. Hopefully I'll be more devoted to documenting these events for my posterity's sake!
Things have been crazy around our house. Between a bun in the oven, an almost-three-year-old with feet into which she hasn't yet grown, and another toddler who climbs on EVERYthing, we've had our share of visits to the doctor's office and bloody paper towels. Yikes.
Never have I experienced a full-on case of acne until now. How I pine for those poor junior high students who have cystic acne! It is terrible! I'm discovering huge cysts all over myself, including the dreaded back-ne (although that is easier to cover than facial acne), zits on my legs (it's as gross as it sounds) and all over my face. Additionally, I have just begun the wonderful sciatic-nerve-irritation phase, which will likely last for at least 39 more weeks. I can't wait to have this baby and be done with pregnancy forever!
A week ago, Karli rolled off her bed and hit her eyebrow on the edge of the dresser. She sustained a very impressive black eye (fortunately, no stitches, phew!), after which she tripped in the family room and knocked her cheek on the corner of the coffee table. The poor child looks like an abuse victim, and I think all of our neighbors are wondering. She just needs to grow into those beautiful, ballerina feet.
As I've mentioned before, Rex is part-primate. He has further convinced me of his primal/ancestral awareness by climbing up anything and everything. Sunday night, he climbed up the outside of the staircase and did a wonderful swan dive off the edge. He knocked one of his front teeth straight back into his mouth, bruised his whole upper lip and gums, and bit a huge chunk out of his bottom lip. Even worse, though, was that he bled all over his darling, white, U of M jammies! The nerve.
Fortunately, none of us has contracted H1N1 flu and we are all surviving the rigors of life with kids under age 5. Let's hope these phases fly by.
Here are ten things that make me happy in life:
1. Adam. He's funny, smart, brutally handsome, helpful, and balances me out in ways I never thought possible. He's the best husband I could ever ask for, and I'm thrilled to have him for a best friend. He's awesome!
2. Amber, Karli, and Rex. They are hilarious and mischievous and adorable. Even when they do naughty things, I have to secretly laugh inside because they think things through with magnificent, childlike logic.
3. Great food. Salmon grilled on a cedar plank, taco salad, fresh blue cheese dressing, strawberries, ice water, good steak cooked just right, home-baked carb-laden items, homemade jam. I could go on and on.
4. Excellent music. Symphonic to acoustic guitar and across all genres, I love my music and relish the way a certain song can evoke so many memories, smells, tastes, and feelings in my mind.
5. Nature. I love to be outside, off roads and in the mountains especially. Fresh air is something I always took for granted until I lived in Michigan, and now I value every breath of crisp, mountain air I can gulp. I love the colors in nature and the peace of being away from everything.
6. Art. Any genre, any medium...I love it. I could saunter through museums and county fairs all day, just taking in the glory of something made by another human.
7. Painted toenails. I have to have my toenails painted in a bright, fun color at all times. Lately I've been really into glitter toes; it's a great way to add some bling without having to add weight to my body (that's the last thing I need!).
8. Attending concerts. There's nothing like live music, especially when the band is actually good and I get to see the effort that goes into producing a song that is radio-quality.
9. My testimony. Knowing that Heavenly Father loves me and is looking out for me just makes life so much better.
10. My friends. It's great to have wonderful people in my life who encourage me, entertain me, and educate me. Thanks, everyone!
"If you have any poo, throw it now."One of the reasons I was sad to leave Michigan was that Jeanette couldn't take our pictures any more, but I was thrilled to find out that my friend, Trina, is branching out into family photography. She came to our house and did the best photo shoot! I am thrilled with the result and will give anyone my highest recommendation of her talent. She is amazing and I can't believe how awesomely everything turned out. She has a blog at http://trinaharrisphotography.blogspot.com, so give it a look.
It's one of the best movies I've ever seen, and I highly recommend it (especially this weekend). Beware, though: this movie is a tear-jerker! With Adam's brother, Dave, arriving in Iraq this week (he's a Marine), the movie really moved me. I was touched to see the portrayal of honor, humility, gratitude, and respect by every person involved in the process of getting PFC Chance Phelps' body from Iraq to Wyoming. I definitely give this movie five stars!
I love that doctors in Utah do an 8-week ultrasound...it makes the beginning of pregnancy a little more exciting and offers some kind of pay off for all the sickness. Isn't our little peanut cute?Adam's youngest brother, Dave, is a Marine who just deployed to Iraq. All of the Clark families gathered for a week or so to hang out together before Dave left. It was riotous and cacophonous and delightful. We especially loved seeing the results of cramming six under-three-year-old children together without naps; I've never heard so much screaming/whining/crying/yelling/swearing (that would be my kids)/playing/laughing in my life! It was great fun to play Guitar Hero Metallica and horseshoes together, as well as catch up on every one's happenings and see how all of my cute nieces and nephews have grown. The "older girls", meaning the first four nieces born in the Clark family, were so amazing to help with all of the little kids (thanks, gals!). I need them to move in with me!
Among the highlights of the reunion were a family picture that actually turned out really well, Ashley's Hannah Montana/Jonas Brothers birthday party (Rob obviously really enjoyed the premiere of the T.V. show "Jonas"), 
Last year, Kinzie wrote a song for him entitled "My Marine". Kinz, Brooklyn, Alyssa, and Ashley secretly put it to music (my sisters helped) and sang it for him during family home evening. There was not a dry eye in the house and it was so sweet!
"My faith in you is always strong and always true
When you go out there, I have faith in you!
Every once in a while, I drop a tear when I think of you
Not knowing what you're going through, all those miles
But I know Heavenly Father will keep you safe
You are my uncle, Marine and my hero
Fighting for what we believe
We will miss you so much, Uncle Dave
You're in our prayers, be safe out there
Time will go by fast
And you'll be home at last!"
All in all, it was a wonderful week full of fun, hilarity, delicious food, and great company. Let's do it again next year!
We didn't have much of a party for Rex on his first birthday (gotta love the pre-memory stage), but I did make him a cute T-Rex/volcano cake and Amy kindly let us crash Ashley's birthday party (Ash and Rex's birthdays are May 1st and 2nd, respectively). It turned out to be great fun and Rex seemed like he understood that it was his special day.
The birthday boy in his sweet shades, courtesy of Elton John.
Rexy loved his cake! His reaction to the steam from the dry ice and the candle and the dinosaurs was the biggest baking pay-off I've ever received. It was adorable.
He couldn't stop squealing during "Happy Birthday." He kicked both legs and flailed his arms with delight!
Rex loved his balloons more than anything else.Adam and I celebrated our seventh anniversary on Saturday. Where does time go? I still remember exactly what I did every day for the week leading up to our wedding and I can't believe we've now had three kids, a law degree, eight different domiciles, and so many other fantastic adventures together.
We took the kids to Niel's (a.k.a. Nemo's House) for lunch so we could enjoy those wonderful beer-battered fries and gigantic, homemade buns. Add the delicious fry sauce and it was a delightful way to fill up. We came home, put the kids down for naps, and watched "Quantum of Solace", which I've rented three times but hadn't ever seen. Promptly, we left the kids with Leslie (THANK YOU!) and headed to Costa Vida for dinner. Then, we hit the theatre for "State of Play" which was better than I anticipated. We returned just as it was time for our kids to go to bed. We had a marvelous day with only a little of the usual kid-related stress and it was great!
I feel very lucky to have such a great husband. He makes me laugh, keeps me in line, supports me, and takes great care of me. I love you, Adam!
This lovely creation is my mother-in-law's recipe for taco salad which has now become my favorite meal. I serve mine with Santita's chips (the best!), pineapple, carrots, lettuce, cilantro, cheddar cheese or queso fresco, tomato, avocado, and a squeeze of lime juice. It's muy sabroso, so here's the recipe:
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 T. chopped and dried onion
8 oz. tomato sauce
6 oz. tomato paste
3 c. water
2-3 T. chili powder, depending on taste
1/2 c. Minute rice (I use brown, but you can use white)
salt and lots of black pepper
Brown beef, stir in onion. Add remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes (stir occasionally). Serve over crushed tortilla chips, topped with salad fixings of your choice.
By now, you're all terribly familiar with my obsessive habits. Laundry is most definitely at the top of my list, and I recently put my foot down and asked Adam to refrain from folding any of my or the kids' clothes (clearly, I have problems!). Today as I was preparing a batch of dirty things for the washing machine, I performed my ritualistic sorting of blacks, warm colors, cool colors, and whites and thought to myself, "I must be the craziest person on the planet!" So here's my question: Which is worse...having enough dirty laundry in the basket to constitute a separate batch for each segment of the color spectrum, or actually washing loads in separate batches for each segment of the color spectrum. Either way, my practical side (Schizo, anyone?) is screaming to me to get a grip, while my Martha side is saying, "Excellent work. You're maintaining the vibrancy of that orange shirt so nicely!"
5, 6, 7, 8. That is the mantra of my life. I've been hearing it since I was en utero and now my children are garnering the same exposure. It's paying off, though. Recently, I took my girls to an open gym class at The Factory where I coach cheerleading. Amber saw and heard my mom teaching the older girls how to do a back handspring, so she's been imitating Miss Shelley by yelling, "5, 6, 7, 8. Sit back, swing up!" and flailing her arms about like a prep for a back handspring. She's never dared to do it--not that she could...she's progressing well in tumbling but not that well--until today.
I put her down for a nap and went next door into my room to fold some laundry. I heard the familiar count-off and smiled to myself. Then, I heard a bounce on the bed. I couldn't resist, so I sneaked around the corner and saw Amber do a back handspring all by herself! I couldn't believe my eyes. I'm proud of (and terrified by) her for having the courage to try something like that and for knowing all the steps simply from observing other kids do it. She had such a serious look on her face and (this is ridiculous) it brought tears to my eyes! Adorable! Like, totally YAY for cheer!
There's nothing like a blizzard in the middle of April!
The lighting of the "Flaming Turtle" fondue was my favorite part of the class.
Adam liked it too, and the movie was so good that I stayed awake until 4:05 a.m. to finish it. I also almost considered trying the novels (only for a moment, though!). Perhaps I still may, but my burgeoning ADD seems to prohibit any action that requires my full attention. I'd much rather scrapbook and enjoy Twilight, so I think for now, I'm stuck in wonder and addiction until the next installment comes out on film. Becky, I'll definitely go with you to see #2 in the theatre!
This video is about a month and a half overdue, but since it takes a year to upload videos on this computer, I'm just now finding time to do it. Rex is walking all over the place now, and it's so cute to see how proud of himself he becomes when he gets to where he wants to go.
I've been trying to teach him words, signs, actions like blowing kisses or waving, actually anything that seems intelligent, but he is not interested at all! Instead, he just screams when he sees something he wants. It's adorable (can you sense the sarcasm?). I think he's beginning to know to say "dee" for drink, but it's only once in a while that he actually communicates it in a civil manner.
I can't believe how quickly this little, darling guy is growing! He gets a forward-facing car seat next month, and he climbs on everything. He is such a sweetie and loves to snuggle. I was excited for my girls to grow up, but I'm kind of sad that Rex's infancy has flown by so fast. Oh well...I'm stoked to watch him play tee ball and soccer and do all that rolicking boy stuff. Time really flies when we're having fun!
