That's Why They Put the "Work" in Workout

I've been trying to exercise lately. Ideally this happens early in the morning, before I have to get the kids ready for school. This worked for about two weeks when Emma was waking up only twice a night. Alas, Emma has not been cooperating well with letting me get sufficient sleep at night to wake up extra early. Since the kids were home from school today for the third day in a row, I thought maybe I could exercise during Emma's nap and have Carolyn hold down the fort for a little while. Here's what happened.

Emma goes down. Gotta hurry up and get in my workout clothes. Sometimes her nap lasts only half an hour.

Phone rings. It's Greg checking to see if the kids are fighting like wild maniacs like they have been the last two days.

They're fine. Gotta go finish getting dressed.

Bang, bang, bang! A neighbor friend is at the door wanting to know if the girls can play in the snow. Carolyn wants to. Molly just started a computer game and doesn't want to.

Get Carolyn layered up and decked out in all her snow clothes. Send her out. Molly will have to hold down the fort.

Wanted to run at least 35 min. Maybe only 30 today.

Tell Molly I'll be downstairs on the treadmill. Let me know if Emma starts crying. Molly decides she wants to go outside too. Molly goes upstairs to change out of her pajamas. Wait and wait because Molly. moves. sooooo. sloooooooow. Get Molly dressed in her snow clothes and realize she hasn't been to the bathroom at all today. Take off snow clothes. Send her to the bathroom.

Maybe I'll only get to do 20 minutes on the treadmill, Body for Life style.

Molly's done in bathroom. Putting her snow clothes back on...

Drip. Dripdripdripdrip. Pourpourpourpour.

No. Nononononoooo!

The toilet is overflowing.

Run upstairs to get rags to sop up the mess. Will sanitize later.

Finish getting Molly dressed and send her out.

Tell Audrey I'll be downstairs on the treadmill. Let me know if you hear Emma crying. Audrey wants to come down with me. Okay. Hope Emma doesn't cry.

Finish 20 minutes on treadmill. Come upstairs and get a glass of water. Thank goodness. Emma's not crying. Emma crys.

My First 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Ever since I started grinding wheat I've wanted to make bread. 100% whole wheat bread. Not part wheat/part white like I've done in the past. Well, today was the day. I used this recipe and it turned out better than I was hoping for. It was so light and soft and not at all brick-like, as homemade whole wheat bread is notorious for being. And it was amazingly easy to make too. I don't know if I'll ever buy a loaf of bread again.

Emma liked it too.

Scripture Tote Pattern

Well, actually, there is no pattern. But here are some rough instructions on how I made it. Feel free to ask questions. And I'd love to see pictures if anyone makes one!

1. Cut out the pieces. The front, bottom (spine), and back are all one piece so measure your scriptures and add 1/2 inch to each side for a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Next measure the right, top, and left (the sides with the pages showing). Add 1/2 inch to your measurements. Note: I cut mine extra wide because I wanted to make it so none of the butterflies were cut off so after I put in the zipper I trimmed the sides to make it the right width.

2. Tie the bow. This is the hardest part. After you have your perfect bow, give it a few stitches in the back so it won't untie. Sew to big rectangle.

3. Cut the handle. Make one long one and then cut it in half after it's sewn. I cut mine 2 3/4 inches wide and I don't know how long. You'll be able to tell how long you should make it. Sew it right sides together with a 3/8 inch seam allowance. This gives it a little more weight. Turn right side out. Press with seam in the middle of the back. Topstitch on the right and left about 1/4 inch from the sides. Cut in half. Baste to big rectangle. Again, use your own judgment on where to put it. Just make sure each handle is in the same place.

4. Zipper. Cut long rectangle from step one in half lengthwise. Sew zipper on, press and topstitch.

5. Sew zipper piece to big piece. I found it was easier to do this without pinning it first. Otherwise those corners will give you heck. Just start at a corner, line that side up, and sew to the next corner. Pivot and repeat.

Sorry for the sketchy instructions. I really am not a good seamstress but I'd be happy to answer questions.

Under the Big Top

Here are some recent scenes from our circus:

I was feeding Emma some Cheerios but apparently not fast enough. She grabbed the bowl and started pouring them in her mouth. That girl loves to eat.


Audrey was yelling "Help!" as this picture was taken. I helped her down, but only after I snapped a picture.


Emma has finally started sitting up on her own and Carolyn, always the worrier, put pillows around her to make her safe.


Molly was putting on a puppet show for Emma. The box was the stage and Carolyn was holding a flashlight as the spotlight.

Scripture Tote

Carolyn just got her first set of scriptures (Is she really that old? Am I that old?) and she wanted me to make a cover for them. Of course she wanted the kind with a zipper instead of a bag because that would've been too easy to sew. I am so happy with how it turned out. I have a serious sewing skill deficiency and I can't believe how smoothly it went. And as a bonus, the fabric she picked out was marked down 50% plus it was on sale for 50% off and I had a coupon for 10% off. You can't beat that.

Emma's Teeth

Didn't I just give birth to this baby? Why does she have six teeth already?!

Go Ravens!

Greg and Carolyn both got their birthday presents early this year. Greg is a fan of any Mormon celebrity, so naturally he's a big Heap fan. Carolyn somehow has become a Ravens fan. They both got their jerseys in time to see the team win their second playoff game, leaving only one win between them and the Superbowl.

I bet Greg never thought he'd have a matching outfit with one of his daughters.

The Following is an Unpaid Advertisement

I am always on the lookout for recommended beauty products and I thought some of you out there might be too. So I just have to tell you about one of my must-haves, especially during this winter weather. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion is the best moisturizer I have ever used. Even better than anything I've tried from that overpriced store in the mall that sells good-smelling products for your body (sorry Teresa!). It is non-greasy, feels light, and makes my skin feel so soft. It is even strong enough to moisturize my feet. And it really does moisturize for 24 hours like the bottle says. You'll feel yourself washing it off in the shower the next day. It is on the high end of the drug store moisturizer price range but it is worth every penny.

p.s.- The local members-only warehouse store sells the big bottle in a two-pack for a reasonable price, especially if you use the coupon from their latest mailing. But be warned, that is a LOT of moisturizer.

p.p.s.- The store that represents itself with red concentric circles sells a knock-off version of this product that my sister tried and said is not as good as the real thing.

Happy 2009

I thought I'd post some Christmas pictures. Maybe someday I'll actually have time to start writing again. Things have been really busy and I've been really tired with four little kids, including a baby that's been waking up every 2-3 hours during the night for the last two months or so. But, I am happy to report, that I got a full night of sleep last night for the first time since before Emma was born (about 7 1/2 months). I went to bed at 9:00 and didn't get up until 5:30 when Emma needed me. Greg gave her a bottle some time during the night and it seemed to make her sleep longer than usual. Maybe she'll start getting a bottle every night.