What A Day...

First, I have to tell you one little thing that will come into play later. Last week, I accidentally bought an air freshener. I usually get this awesome apple-cinnamon one but I grabbed a country berry one by accident. And now every time I walk into my house, it reminds me of my Great-Aunt Eunie's house. It's not a bad thing by any means. It's very nostalgic and happy. It's just not my apple cinnamon. So...


Logan and I had a really good day today! Nothing super special, just all-in-all a good day. We played outside in the morning like usual and on our way in for lunch/nap time, we ran into our neighbor who was headed to the pool and asked if we wanted to come. I told her no because Logan needed to nap and we went in. So for the two hours he was down, I just thought about what a perfect day it was to go to the pool. Not too hot, not too cold. Just right at a wonderful 85 degrees. So when he woke up, we got changed, slathered on the sunscreen, grabbed our pool pass, and headed down.

When we first got there, we went straight to the kiddie pool. It's 6 inches deep on one side, then gradually gets deeper to a foot and a half. I thought this would be fun. And I was wrong. Logan was NOT a fan. He just whined and cried unless I was holding him. So after about ten minutes of that, I was starting to get really hot and I wanted to go in the real pool. So I scooped him up and we went to cool off. is response wasn't much different at first, but after a few minutes of walking back and forth he got the idea that the pool was, in fact, quite nice. He even started letting me toss him in the air and catch him half in the water and cracked up every time I did it.

When I had sufficiently cooled off and had adequate pool time, we got out and went back to the kiddie pool. This time, Logan had a ball. He started playing with another boy who was about two (and his mom kept calling him "Relish" which I'm not sure if that was a nickname or a horrible real name...) and he even walked all the way to the "deep end" and back. It was so much fun to watch! So when it hit 4:00 I decided it was time to head back. And on the 20 minute walk back home, I was thinking to myself, "Self, this is such a perfect summer day. It reminds me of when I was young." Which led me on a bunch of other tangents, but ultimately brought me back to summers of my childhood that usually involved swimming for countless hours at my Great-Aunt Eunie's with my cousins.

Just as I was thinking about all of those great times, I opened the door to my house and BAM- the air freshener!!! All of a sudden, I was 10 years old walking into Aunt Eunie's kitchen, wrapped up in a towel after swimming, and hoping there were Triscuit Pizzas waiting for Mark, Melanie, and me on the table before we headed to the living room to watch Ghostbusters. Boy did that leave me longing. It's funny how one little thing like a random air freshener can trigger such strong memories!

So as Logan and I got dry clothes on, I decided to sink into my memories and relive some of the glory days with my son. I went to the kitchen and you'll never guess what we had all of the ingredients for...TRISCUIT PIZZAS!!! So I popped those suckers in the microwave, poured some sprite into A STYROFOAM CUP (if you don't know my Aunt Eunie, you won't get that), and put in, you guessed it, our recently purchased Ghostbusters DVD! And to top it all off, I put Logan in this AWESOME lime green and blue 80's-looking Reebok romper. Then the two of us hung out in the living room eating Triscuit pizzas, drinking pop/apple juice, and watching Ghostbusters. Seriously, it was the best afternoon I could have asked for. Holy Nostalgia!

What In The World...

So I don't bake, right? I mean I can cook, but baking is just too much for me. I mean, all of the measuring and the combining dry ingredients in separate bowls and the dishes...oh my! So I really hardly ever bake. However, tonight I made an exception because peaches were on sale and I wanted peach cobbler. But as I was looking for my pastry cutter thingy (that I have now used all of 2 times!) I came across a second pair of beaters for my electric hand mixer. They are a lot thinner and almost more delicate than the standard ones I use more frequently. SO I am posing a question to the blogging world...what in the world are these supposed to be used for?

The Weekend In Review...

It was a good one. So Friday, Zac's brother Jon (who is staying with us until he can move into his dorm on Wednesday) mentioned that he only brought one pair of jeans with him to college. Translation: "Hey sister-in-law Sarah, could we go shopping so I don't have to do laundry every other day?" So naturally, being the savvy shopper that I am, I knew Old Navy was having a HUGE denim sale on Saturday and we planned to go. I also mentioned the sale to my neighbor, Rachel, who was just as thrilled as I was with the prospect of starting my weekend out by shopping.

Well, we decided to go early-ish...at 9 when the store opened. Boy are we glad we got there when we did. The place was a madhouse. So my shopping tactics kicked in and I decided to make a sacrifice for the good of the team. I went and held a spot in the checkout line instead of *gasp* buying anything. So we split up...Jon to the men's department and Rachel to get her take (3 pairs for her which she tried on, one pair for her husband and one for her daughter). And Logan and I just stood in line. For like a half an hour. But like I said, a sacrifice for the good of the team. And I was rewarded.

So on our way home, we passed this new frozen yogurt place called Red Mango. Apparently it was their grand opening and they were giving away free yogurt from 10-5. And it just so happened it was 9:59. So we flipped a u-turn and headed back to see what they meant by "free." I was thinking like one of those paper ketchup-cup sized samples. WRONG! It was like a full portion with a topping and everything. I had to get the Mango, naturally. And it was DE-LISH! So if you ever have the opportunity to try Red Mango, do it. I highly recommend it.

Well, after all that excitement, I think I was on some type of adrenaline high. I got the bright idea that I wanted to go on a bike ride with Zac and Logan. So we borrowed some bikes from our other neighbors and snagged their baby bike trailer, too. OF COURSE it hooked onto the bike I was riding and not Zac's but whatever. What's another 50 lbs, right? Haha...well, it was a hilly ride, but all-in-all, we had a really good (albeit sweaty) time. I really do love that we get to spend Saturdays together as a family and I hope Logan learns to appreciate it someday, too!

Little Logan Tales (Part II)...

Yes, part II of the cuteness of this past week. Remember the fire truck that Logan got from his Uncle Mat and Aunt Dani for his birthday? Well he figured out that he can sit on it and can drive it around by moving his legs. Funny, huh? It's not just for pushing the buttons...




The only problem is getting off. He hasn't quite figured that out. His feet usually end up tangled somewhere around the steering wheel and he biffs it. But he'll get it eventually!

Little Logan Tales (Part I)...

Of a three part series. Just some cute things Logan has done the past few days that have made me laugh...like Logan trying to put Zac's HUGE shoes on before telling me he wanted to go outside :-)

Family Foto Friday...

So a girl from my Freshman dorm does a "Favorite Photo Friday" but I think I may start doing "Family Foto Friday." You know, my own creative knock-off. So this Friday's dedication goes to the Grandparents Thomas!

Finally, Pictures!!!

So at the advice (or was it persistent nagging?) from my very best friend Dani, I took the memory card from the camera and took it to the bookstore to just have a cd made of all the pictures that were residing on our camera. Yep, all 412 of them! So here are some of my favs from our New York trip! Also, I added some to older posts so if you have time, feel free to go back and check them out, too. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

That's right, my mommy is another year older! Or is it wiser? Well, whatever. She's 48 and still lookin' good (please don't kill me for announcing your age...I think 48 is still young enough to disclose). And to celebrate, I'd love to put up a picture of her and her grandson from a few weeks ago but alas, still no card reader. It's starting to drive me nuts.

You know what else drives me nuts? REALLY INCONSIDERATE PEOPLE. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for another installment of "things that tick Sarah off so she is going to blog about it because she tends to be passive-aggressive." So if you don't feel like listening to my ramblings of rage, feel free to check back tomorrow when I may finally post some pictures. And if you're interested in why I'm so annoyed, feel free to read on.

I love my sweet boy, right? Like, more than anything in the world, basically, right? So you can conclude that I hate seeing him get hurt and it makes me a little upset when something happens to him, especially something that can easily be prevented. Take, for example, this particular situation: It is a nice, warm, sunny day so we venture outside. Logan is sitting on the sidewalk, playing with a ball, minding his own business, when a bigger kid (a year older) just walks up to him, pushes him over, and steals the ball. Ok, kids take toys from other kids. I get that. But what I'm upset about is when Logan smacks his head on the concrete and is screaming bloody murder because it hurts so bad and the mother of the other child says NOTHING as I rush over to comfort him. SAYS NOTHING. Not to me, not to my son, not to her child.

So Sarah, what's the big deal? It happened once, it's over with. Calm down.

Wrong. This happens practically on a daily basis. Logan has been pushed down stairs, slides, off the jungle gym, and onto the concrete sidewalk countless times. And more often than not, nothing is said. No apologies, no discipline, no remorse, nothing. And it's not that I don't keep an eye on Logan, I do. But I hate having to hover over him and protect him constantly...he should be able to enjoy the playground and explore by himself, without the threat of a concussion. Which is why I have basically confined us to our apartment when the other child is outside. But I can only take 600 tiny square feet of cinder block so long.

Which brings me to my next bit of beef. After dinner, I decided that we needed to go out and get some energy out of our systems before bath/bed time. The child that beats up on Logan happened to be out, but I really needed some fresh air and sunshine, so I went out anyways, keeping a close eye on Logan. Well, he wasn't touched by the other kid. Why? Well, the other mother informed me that her child has HAND, FOOT, AND MOUTH DISEASE and is HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS. Seriously!!! So why is this child out playing with all of the community toys and possibly infecting all the other children in the quad? YOU'VE GOT ME!!! Apparently this particular child is not the only one who is sick, but does happen to be the only one still contagious and playing outside with the not-sick kids and all of the toys. I just don't get it. And I'm a little frustrated. I don't want my child getting sick and I don't think we should have to stay inside to prevent it. IMHO, those with sick/contagious children that should be quarantined PER DOCTOR'S ORDERS should stay inside so the rest of us don't have to worry about it! UGH!!!!

So...that is my rant. Illness Etiquette. Read it. AND STOP SPREADING INFECTIOUS DISEASES!!!

My 100th Post...

Wow...post #100! Go me!! And for my milestone post, sadly, I will not be putting up pictures of that darling baby boy you are all eager to see. Sorry. But we still cannot find the card reader. With any luck, I'll find it tonight and be able to post a photo recap of our trip. But until then, I'm going to enlighten you with my views of the last book of the Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn.

The reason I waited so long is to give all of the diehard Twilight readers a chance to read the book and form their own opinions. So if you haven't read it yet, you are not a diehard and probably won't mind the spoilers. And if you haven't read it yet but intend to, I'm letting you know now that I'm going to bring up some serious plot spoilers. You have been forewarned.

Let's just start out by saying that a lot of people (bloggers, Amazon reviewers, angry Twilight haters in my ward) have bashed on this book and have really killed my Breaking Dawn buzz. I was completely thrilled with the way the series went and 100% satisfied with the way it ended. I can't help it...I'm a sucker for happy endings. So for those of you that didn't like it in any degree, you can shut up and post about it on your own blogs. This is MY post!!!

Bella's "happily ever after" is a perfect ending to the intense fairy tale that Stephanie Meyers gave us from the beginning, albeit with quite a bit more blood and (tastefully described) sex. Many negative reviews criticize the happy ending, the early marriage, and motherhood in place of a college education, among various other complaints. I'm suspecting these reviewers would be much happier with an independent Bella who marches off in her human form to get a Masters degree in Psychology before marrying Edward. Or heck, not marrying Edward at all, and eschewing the idea of something so base and demeaning as becoming a wife or parent. Though perhaps it's more the youth of the heroine that causes their lament.

I, however, like happy endings and am thrilled she gets to be a mother. Yes, GETS to be a mother. Many people I spoke to who were on "Team Jacob" expressed their reason: "Because she could have a family with Jacob". Well surprise, she had a family with Edward. And then Meyers, aiming to please everyone, doesn't leave Jacob to wallow in his misery for eternity, but gives him a love of his own. Yes, Jacob imprints on Bella's daughter (Which Dani and I totally called about 150 pages before it even happened!!!!), but because imprinting on babies/children had previously been introduced in the series, I didn't find this at all unsettling. All this shouting about pedophilia is a little...intense for what really happens. Jacob makes it clear that it isn't a sexual thing at all while the object of affection is still so young. Jacob imprinting on "Nessie" means they all stay a family, which is what Bella wanted all along.

Which brings me to another common complaint: Bella gets everything. Well it's about freaking time! After fighting for it, tooth and nail, yes, she does. Isn't that what makes most of us smile at the end of any other fairy tale? And speaking of fairy tales, to those critics that have a problem with the relationships, the technicalities of vampire life (special abilities for some, sex, conception of children, the Volturi empire), etc, keep in mind that, like a fairy tale, THIS IS FICTION. OF COURSE IT ISN'T ALL GOING TO BE FLAWLESS...SO STOP OVER-THINKING IT! IT'S NOT REAL! IT DOESN'T HAVE TO MAKE SENSE!!!!

Hmm, what else? Ah, yes. The sex. News flash: that's what people do when they get married. I thought it was awesome that Meyers gave Edward a strong opinion on pre-marital sex and made it known in Eclipse. And then for tastefully writing about it after the wedding, props. It wasn't explicit ...heck, it wasn't even descriptive. She left it up to the imagination of the reader and if people think it was distasteful, then it was their own imagination filling in the gaps. If anything, I found the "morning after" scenes funny. Come on, broken headboards, destroyed down pillows, and shredded lingerie? I want vampire sex!!!

So now that I've defended what I needed to, I do have some complaints. First of all, Renesmee. Ugh. What a hideous name. Sure it's cute combining their moms names, but EEWWW. Thank goodness for Jacob's nick name and the fact that Bella finally embraces it at the end. I'm also not sure how I felt about the "battle" scene. I was kind of hoping for a little bit of fighting, at least. But I'm glad it gave Bella a chance to shine and be helpful, instead of a hindrance like she so often was in the past. And let's see...oh. I hated how Edward kept calling Bella "love." It just seemed so...forced and fake. Meh.

That being said, I liked Breaking Dawn. I still think New Moon is my favorite of the four books, but all in all, the series is probably my favorite series of all time. I love how real the characters are (and have been throughout), I love how each of them has changed and progressed through the series and how real they feel to me. The storyline throughout both this book and the series has had my rapt attention from page one. I don't feel the story was lacking in any way and I'm so thankful for the way Meyers presented her creativity and shared it with the literary world.

Oh, and I feel really lucky to be in the exact same program as she was in at the exact same university she attended. Perhaps I will have the exact same luck with my personal writing career? I can only hope...