Teeth!

Why is it that before a dentist visit people are "extra" diligent in flossing and brushing?! lol We don't want them to know that we didn't really do what we were supposed to! 

And why is it that when you are determined to do things properly and with more effect something goes wrong!? 

Combine these two and you have what happened to me on Saturday. :)

I had my dentist appointment coming up on Feb. 1st and made sure that I was doing everything to get my teeth ready! 

Well.... I forgot one thing. I love hard candy and now that it's coming close to Valentine's Day, I love cinnamon hearts! But I cannot suck on them, I chew everything! 

I woke up from a nap and popped a couple into my mouth to help me wake up and get dinner going. After eating dinner, we were sitting at the table chatting and I felt something sharp! 

A chunk of my back molar came out. From the cinnamon hearts! 

I luckily got an appointment for Tuesday and I am grateful that I didn't have to endure anything truly painful. The dentist had this magical little compound that he just put on the tooth and voila! 

Needless to say, it was a little reminder that I do not want to be wearing dentures by 30! 

Did I eat more cinnamon hearts today?..... Yes. But they'll be gone soon! 

Product Review: Point 'n Paint

OK - After watching the infomercials for the Point 'n Paint, I was interested! I have the top floor of the house to paint and this would definitely look like something that will help out with the task!

pointnpaint.com

Here is what the P 'n P claims to do:

• Paint an entire room in less than one hour
  
• Get perfect results every time
  
• No more paint prepping, runs or brush strokes (No taping)
  
• No more up and down ladders
• Glide along mouldings
• Zip around corners
• Paint circles around fixtures

Now, to make sure I was doing this right, I read the directions, set everything all up and watched the guy do it on the commercial.

Ask me how it went.. Come on. Ask! 

It was less than desirable let's say. Firstly, I didn't lug the ladder up from the basement because I had a pole, so I didn't need it according to the commercial! 

I got the paint going and the brush is so big that the paint leaks all over the edges of the tray and onto the floor! Good thing I *did* get out a sheet. OK, no problem, let's move on.... I put the brush on the wall attached to the pole and the brush rotates around in circles... It does not go up and down or sideways! Only in circles.

No more up and down ladders.... FAIL. I go to the basement and get the ladder. 

No more prepping, runs or brush strokes.... FAIL. There were runs as it tells you to push down on the brush and sometimes it would squish paint out. Brush strokes, there were. Still are! I would do the first coat using the Point 'n Paint, but I would not do the top coat because there are tons of marks. It was also very difficult to maneuver the pointer over the first coat of paint. The first coat was dry, I waited a few hours in between coats, but it was incredibly difficult. Also, it says you can wash and reuse the brush. I did this as well since it was the same colour so why waste 2 brushes, and I listened for the clicks to make sure it was in place, and it clicked several times so I figured it was secure. However.... It fell off 3 times as I was painting. There was paint all over the floor. Good thing it's water based! Terribly messy.

Glide along mouldings... Yes. BUT...... not to the edge. 

Zip around corners.... FAIL. If you do the first side and move to the next, the edge of the applicator will scrape the fresh paint that you just did.

Paint circles around fixtures... Pass.

Paint an entire room in less than an hour.... Pass. However, it was my bathroom, so I don't think it would do a regular room in an hour. 

All in all, I am not impressed but I would use it again for the first coat of paint because of how fast it "can" go, but I would also need to tape the borders and use a ladder.

I would not recommend it to my friends to go out and buy though! 

That went by quickly!

It has been a while - I kept thinking "What can I blog about?"... But with all the busy-ness that is our life, I couldn't think of a single thing when the opportunity arose to blog!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with their families and friends! We had a very busy time!

I hosted my 3rd Annual Cookie Exchange. It was FANTASTIC! We had such a great cookies!!! Everyone brought 14 dozen cookies and we all left with different kinds! It really does help get the baking done for the season. Unless of course your husband loves them and eats all of one kind..... Not that it happened here or anything. ;)

We went to London at the beginning of the month for a day with our friend the Williams! It was so fun to see Angela playing with Kaite and they were having fun together! She doesn't really have little friends around here to play with so that was a real treat. She woke up the next morning and said, "Can we go play with my friends now?" Jamie had a good afternoon discussing "hot" topics with Zach and Mary and I did what we always love to do.... Cook. We made rolls (her rolls and bread are the BEST I've ever had.) and helped the kids decorate a gingerbread house. We also made hot chocolate with sweet potato puree for a little kick of healthy. It was super good too!

While there for the evening, we got to go to the London 1st Ward Christmas party and see some old friends! It was a really great trip and the weather was amazing!

We had a lovely Christmas Eve hosted by my aunt at her house. It is so nice to be with all the family at this time of year!

Unfortunately, while I remembered to pack double sets of clothing for the girls, in case of any accidents... I didn't think to pack clothes for us! Let me explain.... My aunt has a boston terrier and Angela is terrified of him. So, she was being carried around and played with by my little sister Ciara who is 10. She loooves Ciara! But, the poor girl is little and had to put Ange down for a break! Ange saw the dog, and she was so scared she peed...... Everywhere. Jamie picked her up and ran to the bathroom because he thought she was done, but she wasn't and it trailed all behind him. Big. Mess. So, while we could change the kids clothes, we couldn't change Jamie's and he was soaked to the skin down the left side of his body. Gross? Yes. So that ended our night early at 9pm!

The girls came home and hung up their stockings by the bed, put out cookies and milk (chocolate milk!!) and carrots for the reindeer. They got to open 1 present and say "Merry Christmas" to Jamie's mom and then off to bed! Angela was very excited for Santa to come!

We set up all the gifts and went to bed! The kids slept in until 8 (we wake up most mornings at 7 to drive Jamie to the train so it was a nice sleep in!) and Angela came running in with her stocking! It was so cute. The presents were opened and all was well until the girls started to want each other's things. And then the morning ended in screaming. :D What else can you expect?!

We went to mom's to give everyone their gifts and spent a little time with them. Angela got "Tinkaboo" from Britt and she looooves it.

We came home and made our turkey dinner and had my family over for a fun night! We also played Pictionary and really wish I'd taken pictures of some of the drawings! They were great.

I'm so grateful for all the wonderful family we have that spoiled our kids! We are so blessed and grateful for this wonderful time of year that makes everything seem so special and life so bright!

Best wishes for 2010 to all of you!

Painting.....

Before Jamie went off to Ivey, we were painting the house. Unfortunately, I have a bad habit of starting projects and not finishing them.... Well. I painted the main floor (with help from Jamie and my parents) and we have a high ceiling going up the flight of stairs so there's no way I could do it. And at the time I was 6 or 7 months pregnant with Audrey. So. I painted to the banister and stopped. lol Now when we do paint that part, I will have to paint the whole wall along that side, which is fine because I love the paint!

Now, the problem I have is that no matter how many different types of painters tape I use, they all LEAK! I even go along the edge with my nails to make sure it's stuck down to the ground.

So tonight I painted some of the baseboards because they still had the browny paint on them from last year and oh my heck... When I ripped it all up, almost the whole way around there is paint that leaked under the edge. I am so frustrated! Luckily it's the tile, so I can just wait for it to dry and then scratch it off.

What the heck do I do in the future!?!

On another note, we are all doing well. The girls and I are healed of the 3 week cold we had! So annoying, but gratefully Jamie didn't get it. Poor guy had to sleep on the couch for a few nights!

We bought an H2O Mop as well! We have stains on the carpet like crazy. I take full responsibility for letting the girls eat their food anywhere they want... Eek! Anyhow, we spent a bit of time on one patch of bad marks where Angela had fallen over with a cup of juice and because of the impact of the fall the sippy-ness of the cup didn't work and it squirted out everywhere!! This morning I gave it a little vacuum and it was lovely! The marks are almost gone!! Quite amazing I think for something that uses no chemicals and only steam! And we did part of the tiles last night, and it took off marks that I couldn't get off on my own! So awesome.

Other than the usual, we are keeping busy with the Christmas season! Lots of planning in order! We put up the tree today and Angela was so excited to help. Audrey came down the stairs and just stood there staring. She did say "Wow" as well. So cute!

We have some new friends who moved in to the area and they came over today to play. Angela is so loud, the poor girls were probably scared for the first while!! But they had lots of fun and I'm so glad the girls love to play and their mom is wonderful too!

Well, I need to figure out how to make a big Christmas bow so I'm off to learn!!

Lessons learned: This week - Macaroni

Angela LOVES macaroni. (AKA Kraft Dinner) But, when you don't find it on sale for $0.67 a box like I did *this* week, it runs for a dollar more and I'm not always willing to pay for it now that it only lasts 1 meal with Angela and Audrey eating it as opposed to the 2 or 3 when it was only Angela. So, while I was getting some treats at Bulk Barn (Best place ever. Love it.) I saw a container of Mac and Cheese powder. I thought, this is excellent. It's KD sauce and I can buy my own macaroni and make it for cheaper!!!!

Now, in the past, I have learned that there are just certain things that you do not try to replace. Like using "no name" shortening instead of Tenderflake or Crisco... FAIL. Do not do it. When we go shopping together and I say "I wonder if I can use "such and such" instead..." Jamie usually says, "Don't do it. Just pay for it or you will regret it." And at least half the time he's right. (It's probably more, but we'll just give him the 50% so I feel better!)

Anyhow, I thought for sure the cheese sauce would be fine!! I bought "ABC" pasta's and Ange and I journeyed home to prepare our new delicious meal..........

Well. I made it. I tasted it. I hated it.

I gave it to Ange thinking she won't care and she took 1 bite and spat it out and said "Mommy, it's 'isgusting." LOL I laughed so hard. So I failed at the processed cheese powder and luckily found some KD on sale for this week to make up for the failed event.

There are just some things you cannot replace!!

Hmm...

There were 2 beautiful baby boys born last week to friends of ours. They are just perfect little babes!

We found out this week that we will be having another girl. I am glad to know that we won't have to put a boy in a pink girls room! lol I was a little worried about that..... We haven't decided on names or anything else at the moment. I don't think we can even believe this is still happening. I certainly didn't think we would be having any more children! I guess it's a reminder that our plan isn't always going to go according to "our" plan.

It's been an emotional week as well. I mean, this has been the most emotional of all my pregnancies... I get choked up during the On-Star commercial when the pregnant lady gets in an accident and her husband says "I'm on my way!!" Haha. But while these beautiful babies are being born, I have learned of a few other friends who were not as fortunate and lost their sweet babies. There are only so many words that can be said to comfort. I cannot imagine the feelings that are going through their hearts as they had to say goodbye to their sweet angels.

I am lucky enough to have two healthy girls who I get to tuck in every night. And when they are asleep, I go back in their rooms and re-cover them with blankets and watch them dream. I rub their faces and memorize the contours of their face. I always walk out of the room and say to Jamie "I love our girls". Those few simple moments to watch them peacefully and dream and hope for them are so precious. I now understand why my mom used to come in to our rooms late at night and kiss our foreheads even as we were young adults.

I am so grateful for the beautiful gospel that we have. I can only imagine how my friends are feeling, and sympathize with them as much as I can. And I know that through the gospel, and the sealing blessings that are available to us, we will see these angels again. I wish them all the strength and love that I have that they will be comforted. I do not know the answers to why but I have been reminded for the last two months of the scriptures Isaiah 41:10. "Fear not, for I am thy God. Be not dismayed for I am with you." I wake up in the mornings thinking these lines. I keep it with me and it is most cherished. I am grateful that there is someone who knows how we feel at all times and that we can go to Him and lay these feelings at His feet, and He will help us carry them. I know I cannot do it on my own.

Another day, another story...

.... Actually, that's not really accurate because my days are pretty repetitious!

Everything is coming along! Jamie is working and enjoying it. He is such a great dad and spends time with his little girls whenever he gets the chance. Some days they only get to see him on the rides to and from the train and it can be difficult on them. More so for Angela because she misses him so much! She loves when they go on walks or to the park or play soccer. She always comes home with a leaf or a rock for me! :) And she is so excited to tell me what they did. She talks so much these days and sometimes I can't figure out how she learned to say what she did! :)

Audrey is a crazy girl! Way more active than Angela ever was. She opens every drawer and pulls everything out! She constantly plays in the toilets if the doors aren't locked!! Good thing they're always flushed....... Haha! And Angela always closes them in to rooms. Like a dark closet, or their bedroom or she closes all the doors and they are stuck in the hallway! It is really funny sometimes. Every time I find them in the closet, Audrey is sitting in the wicker basket wrapped in my super fluffy and soft robe. It is really cute how she'll just sit there rubbing the softness! She looks like she will doze off even if she's just woken up. She also climbs everywhere! If she is on our bed, she'll crawl backwards until she slips off. Or if she's on the couch and the ottoman is in the way, she'll just slide backwards over the arms! She is a nut!

We find out on Thursday what the gender of the next little one will be. We've had a few friends have babies this week and it brings back all the memories and feelings of the previous ones. I start to feel anxiety! I don't like not having control and I have a hard time relieving it when it's inevitable! We are planning another home birth so we'll see how it goes.

I am very excited for Christmas!!!! I have already planned a Pampered Chef party just for fun! Woo hoo! And a friend and I have planned a cookie exchange for the last 2 years so we are on to our 3rd and I hope it's a good turn out! It's fun to hang out with friends and get a nice assortment of cookies for entertaining! I plan on making homemade fondant chocolates again this year. They will be way better than last year! Last year we didn't boil the fondant long enough, so it will be easier this year after going through the trial period last year!

Oh, and we are having Audrey's 1st birthday party, so I have to go do the invites!!!