4.29.2015

What's Up Wednesday

Today, I'm linking up with my friends who don't know me aka my stalkees for What's Up Wednesday!
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What we're eating this week: 
Chicken Souvlaki 
Cobb Salad
Sweet and sour chicken
Pork Chops with Apples
Breakfast for dinner (these are the best pancakes ever!)

We are also eating way too many of these chocolate chip cookies. I thought I had found the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in the world (here) but I think my cousin's recipe that my mom made while I was visiting during Christmas takes the cake! This recipe makes a huge batch so we keep the dough in the freezer for quick cookies or pizookies. We eat them way too often but I don't wanna stop!
(I took a picture of the recipe at my parent's house and I think that's my sister's doodling and math homework all over it. hahaha)
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Jack's food therapy has been a game changer! I am amazed that in just two months, he is doing so much better at trying and eating different foods. Last week, he tried every single food presented to him at food therapy (a ritz cracker, a chicken nugget, a fish stick, canned carrots, canned pineapple, kraft singles, apple sauce, and a sour candy) which is pretty miraculous to me! His food therapist told me as they were finishing last week (she spends about 45 minutes with him and then I spend about 15 minutes after asking questions about my parenting) "Jack is exceptionally bright and knows how to control his environment to get the food that he prefers." I'm pretty sure that was the nice way of saying - he's totally playing you! Whether it's food therapy or parenting therapy disguised as food therapy, I'm so grateful for it and grateful that our insurance covers it! :) I also love having someone else to blame when we're eating - "Sorry, Jack, we have to do it this way because Miss Trisha said so" and then he cries and says that he doesn't like what Miss Trisha said but I'm not the bad guy anymore and he doesn't fight it as much :) 
Jack ate an entire bowl of oatmeal (I changed the color of the oatmeal with food coloring a few times to keep him motivated and by the end it looked like barf! hahaha)
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What I'm reminiscing about:
High school track. I joined the Cornbelt Running Club (of course that's what our local Iowan running club is called ;) and I go to track workouts every Tuesday evening and it has been so hard and so fun and it reminds me of the glory days in high school running in 100 plus degree weather in Arizona :)
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What I'm loving:
I'm loving that Jack and David are really starting to play with each other now! One of my friends told me that life starts getting a whole lot easier when your youngest can hold his own in a wrestling match and we are almost there! This is my view most days while I do the dishes - they spend a lot of time together digging in the dirt and playing with rocks:
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They are also getting into trouble together:
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What we've been up to:
We are enjoying being outside as much as possible! Jack can't stop talking about our visit to our friend's farm last week. He got to ride a horse and gather all of the eggs from the chicken coop.
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David didn't know what to think
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Iowa is pretty beautiful.
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What I'm dreading:
Five of my good Iowa friends are moving this month. FIVE! It was so easy meeting friends in Iowa when we moved last summer thanks to these ladies and I'm going to miss them so much!
What I'm working on:
Our basement - we moved all of our storage to one side of the basement so that the other side is a bit more open and livable. We still want to set up a bed and buy or make a room divider but I am amazed at how much more we play down here now that it doesn't look like a huge disorganized mess. I can't believe we didn't do this before the winter when we really needed it!
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Their favorite part of the basement is this ugly little nook. Jack likes to pretend he is working at a drive-thru and cooks up whatever imaginary food I ask for :)
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What I'm excited about:
My piranha and doctor who loving sister is on Instagram!!!! She's the best and always keeps life interesting :)
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What I'm watching/reading:
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GILMORE GIRLS!!!! I had no desire to ever watch this show because when I lived in China, my roommates watched it and all of the fast-talking annoying voices drove me crazy! (Michel, Emily, Sookie, Paris, Jackson, Taylor ----------> all super annoying voices!) but I gave it a shot since it is on Netflix and I love it and think it's hilarious.
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I watched Ashlee Birk on Dr Phil last week and I HATED IT!!! Dr. Phil totally set it up to be a face off and it was awful but somehow Ashlee held herself together quite well considering the circumstances. You should read her blog and follow her story - she is amazing!
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I am going to start going to book club so that I am more motivated to read and so that I can talk to more adult humans :) This month we are reading Ghost Boy and it's really good so far.
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Spencer got this book as a gift from one of his professors at UAB (only in the South! haha) and I started reading it last month. I read the devotional for the day and then the scriptures it references and it has been a great way to start off my days. It's a little different than how I've studied the scriptures in the past and I usually only spend 3-5 minutes reading but it's the most consistent I have been at reading scriptures in a very long time and I'm really enjoying this way of studying!
What I'm listening to:
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I am pretty clueless about music but I heard Fight Song for the first time last week and it's my new favorite!
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This American Life. I bought the app for $2.99 so that I could listen to all of the archives (my friend recommended a bunch for me to listen to) Some episodes that I really like:
352 - The Ghost of Bobby Dunbar
360 - Switched at Birth
490 - Trends with Benefits
444 - Gossip
What I'm wearing: 
I think this is the part of the post where I am supposed to post a cute outfit selfie, but chances are when you read this, I am wearing sweats, sweaty workout clothes, or pajama bottoms (because when I actually wear jeans in the morning, 90 percent of the time I take a pajama break during David's nap time because skinny jeans = misery)
What I'm doing this weekend:
It's a pretty busy weekend - two birthday parties, a baby shower, Jack's soccer game, and a girls night out.
What I'm looking forward to next month:
My mom coming to visit!!!!
What's up with you?!
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4.26.2015

Perfect Saturday

We worked hard and played hard this weekend. Spencer and I both got a long run in, we went to our local gym's health event with a bounce house and petting zoo (and a simulated a fire drill with actual smoke and a loud fire alarm where they told us to all drop to the ground and crawl out of the room so I think Jack is going to have nightmares for the rest of his life), we spent hours cleaning out our basement, we ate at Steak N' Shake (the midwest's version of In-N-Out), we watched Big Hero 6, and then after the boys went to bed we organized/purged toys while watching Gilmore Girls.
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P.S. On Wednesday, I'm linking up with my friends who don't know me aka my stalkees (stalkee is a word! I looked it up!) for What's Up Wednesday. Do it with me!
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4.19.2015

Spring things


Things I loved so much that I took a screen shot:
  • It's been consistently beautiful outside for a few weeks now but the last few days we've been able to wear SHORT SLEEVES and SHORTS!!!! When I'm outside, the sun feels warm on my skin and I'm like, "Oh ya! This is what it feels like to be happy!" I forget during those horrible winters :)
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  • My best friend is having another boy!!!!
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  • Hungry Runner Girl posted this on her blog and it's so ridiculous but so awesome also.
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  • My cousin, Hannah, is the second Smith grandchild who is smart enough to choose to go to Utah State ;) I'm so excited for her!!!! 
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  • It's my mom's birthday today!!!! My grandma's birthday shoutout was pretty awesome #herhashtagsarealwayshilarious
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I told Jack that Nana's birthday was today and he said, "Take a picture of these flowers for Nana." He really loves his Nana :)
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Before church today - Is it horrible to still dress my three-year-old in a romper? I love it.
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Soccer was barely better this week :) Jack kicked the ball into the goal two times during practice, played in the dirt for the majority of the game, and then cried the rest saying, "Soccer is too hard! My friends are too big! I want my soccer game to be over!!!" I'm proud of Jack for doing hard things :)
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 My kids watching the lawn mower :)
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The key to Jack and David's hearts - bring worms home from your morning run (that was Spencer, not me!!!)
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Dirt face in the morning and chocolate face in the afternoon!
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My grandma's instagram comment was the best: "Is this dirt on his face or was he fighting with the groundhog? #survivalofthefittest"
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We rode bikes back from the park one day this week and Jack randomly yelled to me, "MOM! I don't want another brother. And I don't want a sister. I like just David!!!!" #gladweareonthesamepagefornowbuddy :)
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I hope one day when I look back on these days in our tiny two bedroom town house (with the tiny kitchen with no storage space and just the one tiny bathroom that is annoyingly on the top floor) that I remember the good stuff -  the bunny chasing and the popsicle eating and the dirt digging in the warm sunshine with my boys - it's so simple and so beautiful. Life is good!
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4.12.2015

Things I'm Loving

  • Free zoo days! I was convinced after going that I was going to get a membership (even though it is quite a drive and not as cool as Birmingham's zoo) because David was OBSESSED with every single animal and his reactions were hilarious. Then I realized that he is just as obsessed with the birds and bunnies out in our yard so now I'm not so sure :)
(Jack was mad that he didn't get to ride in front)
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  • Jack's food therapy! I finally took him to get an evaluation and there were things that I was obviously doing to enable his picky behaviors that they coached me on but they also noticed some sensory issues with food that they want to work on with him. He has been going once a week and he loves it and I'm noticing progress! Yay!
  • My free parenting class at the local community college. It is just once a month and they feed us dinner and pay our babysitters $25 bucks (that's Spencer) while we are at the class. So basically I get paid $25 bucks for a night out with friends, free dinner, and a free class that only sometimes makes me feel like a bad parent :) It's awesome! 
  • Our groundhog that lives under our house finally got trapped! I'm surprised at how much I miss him - he provided a lot of entertainment to my kids.  
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  • Jack's first soccer game! Kind of. He had fun for about two seconds until he realized that other kids were going to beat him to the ball. Then there were tears. And then some more tears. It's hard being the little guy. 
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David, on the other hand, had a blast. He kicked every single ball in sight or would cry and cry until he got his way. (His way was having Spencer hold him out on the field while he coached. David is such a good manipulator :)
I love this picture of Spencer - David perfectly content in Spencer's arms and Jack crying hysterically at his leg all while trying to coach. And I just kicked back and took pictures :)
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  • Our road biking day date down the Mississippi River. I love Iowa*!!!
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*for six months of the year :)
  • Jack and David's Easter present/outfits from my mom. The only reason I got Jack to smile was to bribe him with an airplane ticket to Nana's house. The airplane ticket bribe is working wonders and I can still use it for two more months! hahaha
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  • Sunday walks - even in the cold rain. By April, the only thing that is going to stop us from going outside is 0 degrees. 
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