cheap thrills

How is this for a good laugh?

After choosing out Rachel's glasses today, we came home and broke it to Chris that the only pair she liked were.....Adidas. Gasp! After enjoying the reaction for a few minutes, we let him in on our joke and assured him that she chose a pair of Nike glasses. And since Chris can't stop laughing now (its a stroke thing.), we enjoyed watching him laugh for the next 5 minutes. And then we giggled about it all evening. You would think that Chris would remember my undying faith to Nike after their amazing support during his stroke, but not so. Anyhow, it was great entertainment for Rachel and me.

We will post pictures as soon as her glasses come in. In the mean time, the 12 year in me that always wanted glasses will be a little jealous that Rachel rightfully earned them with bad eyesight. Some kids get all the luck!

Keys, wherefore art thou?

ok. it is really way past my bedtime, but I am going to post a super cute funny from my day to make up for the intense neglect that my blog has been suffering.

I am trying to leave to take Rachel to her first night of YW's and cannot find my keys anywhere. We searched high and low for a good 10 minutes when I finally went to the car (where kids were waiting, nicely buckled and all.) and asked if Hannah or Chloe had seen my keys. Elise pipes up from the backseat that she had and that I should look in the coloring drawer. Since most of you have probably not seen my coloring drawer, let's suffice it to say that this clue was only slightly helpful. (It is actually a cabinet and let's just say that its cup overfloweth.) After looking with little success, I had Elise unbuckle and come show me herself. She ran in the house, reached her arm back in the cabinet and immediately returned with the keys. (She is actually pretty lucky that something wasn't lurking in there, waiting to bite off her tasty fingers. Yes. The coloring drawer IS that bad.) While she was doing this, I was grabbing a handful of Hot Tamales and little Elise pipes up. "Can I have candy for finding the keys?" Why, yes, Elise. I always give out treats to kids who hide keys and subsequently find keys. No, really. I do. Or at least I did. If they are missing again tomorrow, I guess I will pull out the Hot Tamales to reinforce Bad Parenting Lesson #1543.

Side Note: This just reminded me of the time I lost my keys when Elise was barely 2. She was learning her body parts in Korean at the time and when I finally turned to her and said "Elise, have you seen my keys?????", she pointed to her ears and said "Keys here!" (Ears in Korean is more of a Gwey, but she did find those for me!) And we did find the keys...in the trash can. (which she was probably also responsible for.)

my favorite daughter of the day

disclaimer: we have a little running joke at our house that the favorite child status is something that can change at the drop of the hate, even because of something as out of their control as if they came into this world before their due date or not. My theory is that every kid thinks one of their siblings is the favorite at some time in their life, so why not make the whole favorite kid thing sound like nonsense?

That being said, Rachel is my favorite kid today. Why? Because tomorrow is her birthday party and I woke up today unaware of it. What kind of mother would do that? The kind who has a daughter awesome enough to choose a party that requires little or no effort on my part. We did cute little invites with silly knee socks for the girls to wear to her skating party but that is where the effort ended. At some point tomorrow I am going to throw in some cupcakes and buy some ice cream, but that is ALL! Isn't that great? So today is your day, Rachel. Enjoy it because it is the only thing keeping you from being adopted out on this cranky day of yours. (another thing we joke about rather openly in this little non-pc home of ours.)

ramblings of a country bumpkin wannabe

Ok. We did go to the park, I didn't get to exercise, I didn't get to take Chloe's pictures and we didn't make it to the wetlands. Yikes! That to do list was a complete failure. And to top it off, the house is still a mess. Maybe tomorrow will be better? Nah! We did play at the park for a good 2.5 hours, soaking in the rays. And I did get a lot done Smiling Eyes wise. And I fed the kids! Beyond that? Not so hot.

Oh! I found some fabulous houses in the country that are calling for me. I e-mailed them to Chris and his response was something like: WHY are you looking at houses again?!!??!? I'll tell you why! My neighborhood has something against chickens (what is that about, huh?) *and* I will forever hear the call of the country and the ability to let your kids wander around in nature. I would live in a shack if it meant living in the country. Chris, on the other hand, would have to live in a pretty sweet house to make it worth living in the sticks. Sigh. This house was probably the closest I'll get to a compromise. (you know, living in a neighborhood that is in the sticks.) city rules (no chickens) with country perks. (close access to all things country and a beautiful drive anywhere you are headed.)

Note: this desire for chickens was only slightly hampered after hearing discussions from my 3 lovely friends about the times their chickens have had an egg stuck...and what you have to do about it. My plan if that ever happens to me when I have my own little flock of chickens? (see that optimism?) Call my dad. Or my home teacher. And get the gloves and KY for them. Yuck.

priorities

On today's schedule?

•Presidency meeting (at the park! Who could sit inside on a day like today?)

•Entice the kiddlings to plant the peas

•Take Chloe out for a shoot in her baptism dress (Yes, I have *planned* to do this with the older 2 girls and never have...so cross your fingers for me!)

•Go to the wetlands for some bird watching (although I am pretty sure our noise level will scare away any birds that we are planning on watching.)

What I should be doing today?

•laundry (lots of it)

•overseeing the cleaning of bedrooms

•vacuum

•mop

•clean my bedroom (novel concept that is unheard of in our house)

See where my priorities lie? Off to the park! We're going to get there early and try to get some mommy exercise in.

weekend wrap up

This was the big weekend for Chloe that has already ignited a count down for Hannah. Our family all gathered together for her special baptism (minus James' family...missed you guys!). I must say that I enjoyed not being 8 months pregnant this time around and am pretty sure that had a lot to do with us not being on time, but being early! No pictures of little Chloe to share on here, but I do have a picture of my nephew to share with you. I barely missed his arrival on my last trip to Snohomish so this was my first chance to shoot him. (in a photographic sense, of course.) His big blue eyes were quite spectacular, even if he is a little beyond the newborn cuddle up and sleep phase.

Chloe has been so excited for this day and you could see her sweet little spirit was just shining all day long. Her big goal was to read the Book of Mormon before her birthday, which she beat by almost a month. I love seeing her strive to choose the right and trying to help people at every turn. What a fabulous person she is! Ok. Enough bragging on my sweetness. (But she is exactly that!)

the needles and hooks are flying

Yes, the Kang house has been staying busy with all sorts of knitting and crocheting. Even our cat-dog who loves to play with the yarn-o cannot keep us away from it. I think I am up to 3 knitters and 3 crocheters, ranging from 6-11. Elise likes to knit, too, but hers is the position of assistant knitter. She loves the knitting poem (thanks, Kylene!), saying it for me as I do each stitch and her job is to "run around the back" and then get angry if anyone dares to touch her work. Hannah has become the expert knitter, but attempts to learn crocheting turned into many shed tears today. Autumn, on the other hand, loves to crochet and pretty much lacks the desire to even try knitting. Someday.

Here is the confession: (shhh) I didn't teach 2 out of 3 of my knitters how to knit because of a lack of patience with bad form and primarily because my dad was there to bail me out. He was more than happy to teach them as he definitely has the heart of a teacher, always willing to take things a little slower if it means inspiring someone to learn a new skill. (This is probably why he was the one to teach Rachel how to bake pies so deliciously, too.) Anywho, he was intrigued by this knitting poem I referred to and requested I blog it. And a picture of Hannah's first knitted goods, to celebrate. Everyday it is something new, but it is always something for Haiti. She told me today that she was so glad that she knew how to do something that could help people. Hannah, my dear, I love you.

How to Knit:
In through the front door
Run around the back
Out through the window
And off jumps Jack

How to Purl:
Under the fence
Catch the sheep
Back we come
And off we leap.

happy {heart} day to you

I am not too big on Valentine's day as I feel like it is pretty commercialized and Chris and I pretty much give keep it at giving each other a big hug and making sure we are extra nice. BUT I couldn't resist a few pieces of eye candy of the red, pink and white nature. First of all, these fabulous valentine's from my favorite antique store in town. I think they will be on each plate this Sunday night.

Then there were these simple paper chains that Hannah and Autumn have been cranking out that involved no new purchases. (see what happens when you have a year supply of paper?)

And these yummy treats for the girlies' friends, a la etsy and their many printable options. Like I said, nothing big.

We are keeping low as we prepare for a house full for Chloe's big baptism day this Saturday. Lucky for me, grandma makes the dress and costco is making the post baptism BBQ. What is left for me? Cleaning the house and....making sure I bring extra undies and towels on Saturday and getting to the church on time. (sounds simple, but I do have a record of failure.) This is the first baptism that I won't be 8 or 9 months pregnant at, so I think we're good.

a moment of relaxation {mommy style}

Today was not a day that I would like to think is typical in my life. Gosh. I really hope it isn't. There was not a lot of patience in the air and there was an abundance of trying the patience that was there. Whew. I am now glad it is over and that all of the kids are fast asleep in their nice little beds.

Chris worked a little late, which was not so welcomed on a day like today. (I mean, geesh....could we coordinate crazy days with those 5 pm arrivals?) After dinner, I got on all fours and just sat there stretching, closing my eyes and relaxing. Breathing in and breathing out. And along came Elise, putting my saddle on (remember my zig zag saddle?) and going for a ride. Lilly thought that it looked like quite a bit of fun and climbed on Elise's back and we were all ready for our meditations, dog pile style. This progressed to Elise and Lilly jumping on my back (full force, of course) and Elise telling me to hold on to the end of her stick horse as she attempted to pull me, her wagon, along. As Lilly's jumping became more vigorous, Elise chastised her while reminding her that I was trying to rest. Yep. That is how a mommy rests.

Here is to a better day tomorrow. Today reminds me of the song "A lullaby for me" by Joy Gardner. Let's hope tomorrow has less crazy kids, less crazy dogs....but most of all, less crazy moms.

thank you for waiting

I am glad I have you to remind me of projects that I never post as I have the memory of a rock! My mom was just pointing out to me that I really should blog about the things I do, showing just how little of my life I actually blog about. So here is my art wall. I love it. I would like to add the disclaimer that if I wasn't in a marriage that requires some levels of compromise, this frames would probably be painted in a much brighter hue. With that being said, I do think the white worked still. I am almost certain that I copied this idea from someone, but I can't give credit because I can't remember who the stink it was. Sorry, guys. Enjoy!

old blue

photographer's disclaimer: these pictures were taken as we were rushing out the door for a meeting. picture quality, not so high. time to make sure her shirt matched the sweater? non-existent.

Meet Lilly's newest sweater, my second sweater that I have knitted in my 5 years of knitting experience. Sweaters scare me because of the whole sewing on arms and what not that I didn't feel like I did to my satisfaction the first time around. (heck, my mother in law did most of the work!) This is why I jumped when I found this pattern that required little assembly, with most of the sweater just magically coming together. It is written by a lady in England (at least I am assuming that that is why I paid in pounds.) and so there were a few terms that I had to look up via google, but it was a pretty easy pattern. Don't be fooled by the cabled yoke. As I was explaining to Chloe, cabling is a wonderful thing in knitting because it looks super duper hard but is actually quite simple. Ah, that there were more things like that in life!

Wrap up: I love the pattern, am thinking about making it again but I do recommend making it with yarn you love simply because it is a lot of knitting for something from your stash that you feel rather indifferent to.

The big question: What color should I make my next one?