31 January 2012

Update!

So...

Research paper...

DONE!

Twenty.Five.Pages.

Can't decide if that's because I am thorough, or just long winded.

Next up: Research paper number two,

Suggested length: 1-2 pages.

That's more my style...

Also, I think it is safe to say that Jesse has a much keener appreciation for all the home related responsibilities that he doesn't notice most of the time because he's at work...

I'm ok with that.

29 January 2012

So...this week I've been working on a research paper...like, 12 hours per day

(except yesterday when I went to Logan to play with Becca, which was a welcome relief!)

Anyway, just so you'll feel bad for me, I thought I would share our dinner menu for the past few days:

Thursday: leftovers
Friday: Bread with butter and Jam...multiple slices
Saturday: Cereal
Sunday: I'm hoping that I thought ahead a long time ago and hid something in freezer to warm up...if that's not the case...Cereal it is!

You're jealous right now aren't you...

I'm looking forward to the next three days when Jesse is in charge. He is off work until Thursday, which I'm hoping means real food, completed housework, and a chance to finish this nasty paper and the one in line right after it.

Wish us luck! And if you don't hear from us sometime in the near future...someone please check to make sure we are still alive.

26 January 2012

Today I Was a Domestic Goddess!


Last night I served stuffed peppers and noodles with tomato sauce for dinner.

Usually this is my favorite meal, but there was something about it that I did not love.

Therefore, I was dreading lunch today when leftovers were on the menu...

As I sat at the computer, trying to write a research paper but thinking about food instead (which happens far too often) an idea popped right into my head...

And right then and there, I made up a new recipe!!!

Well...it's not really a recipe. It's just a list of instructions...(that's me channeling my inner Mrs. Alger).

Isn't it crazy that three and half years ago I could barely cook a packet of ramen, and now I'm whipping up my own stuff.

YIKES I'm amazing!

Here it is!

Pour two cans condensed tomato soup and two cans milk into a saucepan and whip them up. Take your leftover stuffed pepper halves (2), dice them up and throw them in. Add your leftover tomato sauced noodles (about 1 1/2 cups). Salt and Pepper to taste. Heat through and serve it up! Maybe next time I'll add some corn?

Yes my darlings, inventing new recipes, no matter how simple, is a characteristic of a domestic goddess

25 January 2012

Wednesday @ 3:21 PM

Jesse is at work.

I'm doing homework while simultaneously eating a whole package of EL Fudge cookies learning not to absent mindedly eat while I study.

And Ollie is watching "dabba dabba" (Yo Gabba Gabba...he's been begging to watch it lately...I mean BEGGING. Anytime the tv is on). and checking out all the doggies that walk by.


"Ruff Ruff Ruff"

That's what the doggies say...in case you forget, you can always ask Oliver J. He's got it down.

This picture makes me excited for the coming days of spying lawn mowers, garbage trucks, and the mailman with my son.

24 January 2012

This Day of Firsts

Today, for the first time since I came to Malad, I was up and showered with make up on and hair done before eight. Yeah, I'm lazy like that.
We revisited our dentist in Downey (who ROCKS) and I had my first experience with "Happy Gas"...NO BUENO.

Since we were already a third of the way there and had a gift certificate to a restaurant, we vacationed in Pocatello for a few hours...

Our first time there! It is nothing like Salt Lake...Brigham Young did NOT design their roadways. Round a bouts, intersections defined by humongous triangular cement islands, and diagonal roads galore! I'm glad we had our trusty GPS or else we would have been L-O-S-T.

And you wouldn't believe the awesome mirror that I left at DI. I kind of can't either, but part of the frame was broken, not to mention they still wanted $35 and wouldn't budge. Hmm.

This sounds a little like I'm complaining...I'm not.

Actually, I liked every minute of it.


It just is what it is.


21 January 2012

Olivander's Hair and a Little Bit of Whimsy I Wish I Could Call My Own...

One thing I have always loved about Oliver J. is his hair.

Remember when he had those two strands poking up that were longer than all the rest? Like they had been hangin' on since the day he was born?

Today, like most other days, he woke up from his nap sporting a new do.


Happens to be one of my favorites so far.

...And now for something completely different...

So...

Now that we are trying to save a TON of money for Maryland, I am finding more and more superfluous items that I wish to spend money on. That's always the way it goes right?

Now, I know it doesn't make any sense...but I really love the felt taxidermy from SquackDoodle. I mean A LOT.





In fact...I have it in my head that I need them...in my living room...

I think my favorites are the bunny and the moose. I love the fun fabrics on their ears.

All images from SquackDoodle's shop.


18 January 2012

Tonight's Table Talk with the Mosai

Here's an example of the sort of riveting dinner conversations that take place at our house:

Jesse: "If you had to pick only 3 foods to eat for the rest of your life, what would you choose?"

Me: "......um......maybe broccoli?....and milk?....and beef, does that count? What would you pick?"

Jesse: "bread, lightly seasoned meat, and milk. I'm thinking bland foods would be tolerable for a longer time. Right?"

Then he continued with a bunch of "which would you pick for the rest of your life" questions like,

chicken or beef?
seafood or beef?
vegetables or beef?

my answers: beef, beef, vegetables

Jesse: "What about pasta? Would you ever consider only pasta for the rest of your life? Or would you pick bread instead?"

Me: "Neither. But I know what Ollie would choose....Oatmeal, bananas, and apple juice"

Oliver, sitting forward very suddenly with eyes WIDE open, "Juice???..................Please?"

Captivating, isn't it?


16 January 2012

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was Jesse's birthday!

He is now 27!

Celebrations and gifts were minimal because we are trying really, REALLY hard to exhibit self control and stash away as much money as possible while we are still making some.

But we still managed to have some fun.

Chili cheese ham puffs for dinner, chocolate (frosting) on chocolate (cake) for dessert, and a few rousing rounds of Fruit Ninja on the Kinect with the little boys from next door.

Hopefully he found it to be his best birthday yet!

14 January 2012

Oliver J.

It's sort of crazy that just a few short weeks ago my son was still a baby...

Now, all of the sudden, he's a little boy who beeps noses, knows all the functions of the bus and its passengers, cleans up his own toys, and alerts me when his daiper needs a change.


I kind of can't believe it...

13 January 2012

The Mosai Are Moving...Again

Would you like to know where???

Then, tell me this:

What did Idaho?

Correctomundo!

She hoed her Maryland!

We will be headed east in May.

Destination: Annapolis, Maryland (or somewhere close to it).

I'm excited, but mostly terrified...like this:

Photo by Cherish at the 2010 Snow College Housing Super Bowl Party

Jesse doesn't worry like I do, so he's just excited.

He's been waiting for this for three years. I've sorta been dreading it.

But I know we can do hard things, and we have supportive family and friends who care. That will make all the difference.

We're pretty lucky that way...

12 January 2012

Just so you know...

I went north to the dentist in Downey today...and I liked it!

For real!

My chair was purple...there was a huge vintage beach mural on the wall...my hygienist's name was Spring...her gloves were mint flavored...and she did not give me any guilt trips because I really hate flossing...didn't even hint at it.

The only downside was that I didn't think ahead and burn a copy of Florence and the Machine to listen to loudly on this rare occasion that I had 40 minutes in the car by myself.

Do you know how good Florence sounds in the car?

You might if you have spent any time with me in my car in the past year...

ANYWAY

Because I didn't have Florence, I found NPR and listened to a riveting interview about the future of YouTube...

And for the cherry on top:

They played "I Love Cats

(click the link! You'll be so glad you did!)

10 January 2012

Today's Ollie Conundrum

Oliver J. has repeated the same conversation over and over...and over and over and over and over today.

Oliver: "Please?"

Me: "Please what, sir?"

Oliver: (tugging at some invisible train cable) "Toot toot!"

We've tried everything we can think to try...

Which mostly only amounts to,
  •  "A Peanut Sat on a Railroad Track,"
  •  the train set,
  • and "Choo Choo the Big Train is Coming Down the Track."
Wrong! All of them...

Our poor efforts are met with a tantrum...so we walk away.

It's a vicious cycle...

08 January 2012

Unexciting Sunday Ramblings

After trying a new bench opposite our normal Sacrament Meeting seating choice, I think we'll be making a permanent move. I used to think Ollie was being way too loud...turns out I was wrong by a long shot...we were just on the quiet side of the chapel.

But I bet you are just dying to know the best part of our day, so here it is:

Would you believe that Jesse's World Famous Fast Sunday Scones happened today...with raspberry jam! And I didn't even have to ask.

Yeah, Olivander and I are pretty lucky like that.

05 January 2012

SO happy to have seen this little gem on Facebook today!


I love hearing stories about the Grandpa I never met.

Don't get me wrong though...the Grandpa I do know has done a pretty fantastic job at filling his role and making up the difference...

(Elaine is my aunt)

04 January 2012

What Winter Looks Like This Year


Fresh air coming through open windows


And afternoon walks in the sun.

03 January 2012

The Price of Milk in Malad

The price of milk in Malad is my number one biggest (and only real) complaint about this beautiful town.

So far this week (Saturday to Tuesday) we have forked over $13 for four gallons of milk...(ok, you got me...we really love milk...our toddler loves it more)

But it isn't fancy organic milk...it isn't the best brand of milk on the planet...

No...it's WESTERN FAMILY!

We pay more for milk here than my mother in law Jacque pays in Blanding...and that's a big deal because everything is more expensive in Blanding.

WHAT.THE.HECK.

That's all.

Here's Hoping Today is as Much Fun as Yesterday...






And for heaven's sake, let's hope I get some make up on...and *wear real shoes when I leave the house!

*That means my new slippers are super comfy...thanks mom for gifting them to me and Colleen for helping me pick 'em!

02 January 2012

The Culprit

This little Ollie sock was the cause of all my washing machine drama...


looks kinda like it got what it deserved, huh...

After I washed three loads of laundry in the kitchen sink, Jesse found the solution and he fixed the washing machine. Hooray!


He's handy like that.

01 January 2012

Today is Sunday, the first day of the year...

That means I should be writing about my resolutions...

To use less butter and cream when I cook, and write a love note to my husband every day, and fill up my fancy journal so I won't forget all the grand adventures coming my way (and so I can have new fancy journal next year).

That also means I could tell you about how I led the music in Primary today and I'm wishing it was my job every Sunday.

It could indicate that you might read a fun post about my New Years Eve party with Becca, Chance, four cheese fettuccine alfredo, the smurfs, and yogurt covered pretzels (which they gifted to me on their way out the door...I love them for that).

But my brain is too jumbled up with "All This and Heaven Too" from Florence + the Machine, and imagining what sort of scenario it would take to get my antique dining table from Wales to Malad because I really want its beauty to enhance my newly decorated dining room to tell you very much about those other things.

So I'll post an adorable picture of Olivander instead.