What's Up Wednesday

It's been a few months since I did a What's Up Wednesday post - I totally quit linking up with the bloggers a while ago, but I like the prompts so I'm going to keep doing it ;)

What we're eating: 

We've been eating a lot of steak kabobs, beef bulgogi, and Thai Chili 2 Go take out lately - so yummy!

What I'm reminiscing about:

It was my dad's birthday this week and I had fun looking at old pictures with him - face recognition is the most amazing thing ever and makes digging though old pictures so easy!







My dad loves politics, skiing, hiking, gardening, biking and camping. His favorite holiday is the 4th of July and his favorite color is red. He is good at working, helping, yard work, jr high and high school math homework, writing, baking brownies, cooking spaghetti carbonara, and pushing grandkids on his swing. He never complains and he's the best dad ever!!!
What I'm loving:  

• Kate in superhero costumes - I hope this phase lasts for a while because I LOVE IT! haha

• This! haha

What we've been up to:

• Spencer and I got a babysitter on Saturday and we got bobas, hiked Camelback mountain, went to Last Chance, and got Thai food. It was SO FUN!

• Sunday walks at the Riparian.

Somebody's whipped! haha

• The kids jump on the trampoline every single day :)Somehow these little girls managed to make David cry! haha

• They also dance every single day :)

• Kate plays with her stuffed animals, sleeps with her stuffed animals, and drags her puppy, kitty, and baby with her almost everywhere we go. I know that stuffed animals are commonly the least played with toys, but not in our house! All of my kids play with stuffed animals! (David does mostly because he's outnumbered and that's what Kate and Jack always want to do ;)

What I'm working on:
I have really been enjoying running Facebook ads for my client - it's so nice that for the most part, I can just do it while Kate is napping in the afternoon.

What I'm excited about:
I called my grandma on FaceTime and she figured out how to call me back on her Ipad!

What I'm watching:

We are loving New Girl!

What I'm reading:
I haven't read a book in a very long time - it's very sad!
What I've been listening to:
I binge-listened to Sold in America in about a day! It's about sex trafficking and sex work in the United States.

I also really liked Dr. Death, about a Doctor in Texas so botched 38 surgeries in a short amount of time.

I LOVED this specific podcast episode of this podcast - I think it was the second episode.

What I'm wearing: 
I went to Last Chance two times this month, which is the first time I've been since I moved here! I scored some jeans, yoga sweats, shorts, shirts, and a pair of shoes! I love looking up the clothes I bought at Nordstrom after I leave Last Chance to see how much I saved!
What I'm doing this weekend: 
Celebrating David! He's turning five tomorrow!
What I'm looking forward to next month:
DISNEYLAND!!!!

Things I'm Loving

• Fresh citrus and fresh squeezed orange juice! David always loves to help out in the kitchen and had so much fun juicing the oranges.

This is my go-to winter breakfast - so yummy!!!

• Girl's nights with friends - last week we celebrated Caitlin's birthday at Texas Roadhouse, Nordstrom Rack, and Top Golf and this week we are going rollerblading!!! (Three of my friend's got rollerblades for Christmas this year - I would like to think I had a little influence over that ;)

• Babysitting trades! I have a business meeting over Skype once a week and used to be able to schedule them during Kate's nap time, but then she turned on me and quit napping consistently and I've had to schedule them in the morning and find someone to watch her. I always grateful when friends want to trade! There are sooo many girls Kate's age in our neighborhood and ward and I love it!

• This girl!!! She has been killing me lately! I never understood the “terrible two” phase until now (because Jack was always an angel and David was always not-as-much-of-an-angel 😜) My angel baby is now bossy, picky, clingy, and tantrum-y. She takes forever to put to sleep and is quickly phasing out of her nap time. During her “nap time” a few days ago when I was hoping to get a million things done and after laying by her for over 30 minutes, I ended up drawing puppies for her over and over again at her demand, and chasing her on the tractor that she learned to drive today (if only she could steer!!!). As I laid by her that night - drained, agitated and overwhelmed - I remembered the small moments of joy I experienced with her that day. Watching the pride and excitement on her face when she figured out how to press the gas on the tractor, mentally accepting that my afternoon was going to be spent coloring with Kate instead of cleaning (which was actually kind of therapeutic 😆), and feeling her squirmy little body finally relax into a deep sleep with her chubby little hand on me. How does this little one who seems to suck the very life out of me also give me so much life and love and light? ♥️ 

• Disney on Ice! We got free tickets by donating to a toy drive back in December and our seats were amazing! The boys loved it and Kate loved it until she saw the "horsie" (the horse on Tangled - I don't even know his name!) which she loved, but then HATED when it left the stage. She said, "Horsie! Horsie! Horsie!" over and over again and didn't forget about it, even after intermission. Luckily the horsie came back for the grand finale later on in the show! haha

• The fixed wheel on our single jogging stroller! I haven't used it since Jack was a toddler and it is a million times lighter than our double jogger! Kate is my first baby who LOVES stroller rides - she hardly ever wants to get out. I remember when Jack and David were her age I kept a stash of dumdums in the stroller to keep them happy and sitting! haha

• These two playing super heroes on the trampoline! (Always David's activity of choice!)

• This old soccer picture that my friend texted me the other day! Good times!

• Soda Rush's anniversary sale! They had all of their cookies, including seasonal flavors discounted - there were over 20 flavors to choose from! My favorites were the coconut lime and crazy for coconut cookies - I like coconut :)

• No school today! (For Jack, David had a make up preschool class) It's not very often I have just Jack and Kate - we went to the new park in Queen Creek with friends, then picked up David and went to the mall to play on the play structure and see the puppies!

The rest of Christmas break and getting back into the swing of things

When we got back from Utah, we still had another week off of school to play!
Highlights included:

• Going to lunch with elementary school friends that I have known since I was four!

• Having my cousin, Hannah, and her husband, Jack, over to stay with us for a night while they were in Arizona for a friend's wedding 

• lots of play dates and playing outside

• A trip to Uptown Jungle (which is a highlight for Jack and David - it's their favorite play - and not so much of a highlight for me - I hate indoor play places! haha)

David insisted on wearing size 3T pants and ended up ripping them! haha

On the way out he said he would just put his hands in the hole so it looked like a pocket... mmmm....

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It was nice getting back into the swing of things last week. My photo dump with descriptions: 

• A picture of Spencer and his new Christmas present - Santa left him wood to make a box jump for working out and he finished it on Saturday! haha

      

• Kate's annoying new phase of wanting to take her "mee meek" (blanket) and "bee bees" (every single stuffed animal she owns) with her in the car.

      

• Jack and David's first experience with an ice cream truck. They now know it comes to our neighborhood every Wednesday afternoon so this could become quite the habit :)

• Picking citrus at a ward member's house - they said that we can come every week for the rest of the season - I am so excited! 

• Jack was Student of the Month this month. Last year, I totally forgot to show up for the award ceremony when he got it last year, so I think they should have recognized me too for getting a legit "Mother of the Month" award for remembering!!!