blasphemy.

I can't even believe I'm about to say this. Uh, type this.

Have I talked about how much I love the book Pride and Prejudice? Or Jane Austen in general? (minus Mansfield Park. I kind of hate that one.) And I love Jane Austen movies.

The A&E version of Pride and Prejudice is just so good. Like it's in a class all of its own.

Until now.

The PBS Masterpiece Classic version of Sense and Sensibility is at least as good. I promise.

I've rented it from Netflix a few times now, and this last time sealed the deal. I'm ready to put it on the same level as P&P.

And I may even like it more.

If you're thinking, "I've already watched the Emma Thompson version of Sense and Sensibility, why would I watch this one, too?", here's a few good reasons:

1. I love me some Emma Thompson. As an actress, I really like her and all of her wackiness (I need to rent Stranger than Fiction again). I like that she wrote the screenplay for her version of S&S, and I think she did a really wonderful job. I just think she was a good 10 years too old to play Elinor. It shows. Elinor is like 19 or something, and I'll bet that Emma Thompson was in her mid to upper thirties. Not that that's a bad age, just not right for a 19 year old character. The new version's Elinor is much more fitting.

2. Another mis-cast in the 1995 version is of Colonel Brandon. He's played by Creepy McCreepers, Alan Rickman. Who is also too old for his character. The new version's Brandon is much, MUCH better.

3. The setting of Barton Cottage is pure magic. I would die to live in that cottage by the sea. Seriously, it's worth renting just for the scenes of green rolling hills by the rocky sea.

4. You still get all of your favorite wacky characters. Sir John Middleton is great, as is Mrs. Jennings. The guy who plays Edward Ferrars is no Hugh Grant, but still very likable as Edward. Oh, and Fanny is even better in this version. She was great in the older one, but even better this time around. Deliciously nasty.

So have I convinced you? It's worth it, I promise. Even for those of you who detest these kind of period films. Matt.

And while you're at it, watch some P&P, too. Because, why not?

we're that family.

You know, that family.

The family that manages, by the end of Sacrament Meeting, to all be out in the foyer. Trying to be quiet. Unsuccessfully.

The family that inspires people to talk to us like this (with concerned faces), "How are you doing?"

and we're the family that is so deep in the depths of little children-ness that a lady in the ward saw these comics and thought of me and so she saved them for me. (one strip was featured each day in the week and she saved them all, compiled them, and then made a copy for me. Which she put in a page protector. I inspire that kind of dedication. I love it.)

The funniest part? It's so true. All of it. The day before she gave this too me, Reid was in the bathroom with me and dropped my deodorant in the toilet. Luckily there was only water in there at the time, but still. It's toilet water. And not the french perfumey kind. What did I do? I fished it out, washed it off, washed my hands...and back to normal. Gross? Yeah, probably. But, eh. What are you going to do?

How about you? I know you've got stories like the ones in the cartoon.

(click on it to get a larger picture)

Two very gross stories.

Okay, I really want to make sure that you understand that these stories are very gross.

I mean it.

Gross.

If you're not into that, then click out of here, fast!

Because here goes...

2nd place gross:

Erik and I were sick this week and I got it first. On Monday I pretty much puked my guts out. It was really bad. I haven't been sick like that in a long time. It was violent. The peak of the puking violence came when the babies were in bed napping (a tender mercy), but Reid wasn't. Unfortunately. He was happily playing while I was in the bathroom, puking, and then came in to see what I was up to. The poor thing came in to see me retching into the toilet and started exclaiming, "Momma! Doing? Momma! Doing?"

His way of saying, "mom, what the heck are you doing?, and stop it right now!"

So cute.

Then, when that round was finished and I was kind of cleaning up in the sink, he stood up on the toilet seat next to the sink and put his hand on my shoulder and as I was rinsing and wiping my mouth said, "Okay now momma? Okay now? Momma, okay now?"

He is such a treasure.

And I hate throwing up.

1st place gross:

Dane has trouble pooping sometimes. Every now and then he'll go a few days without a decent poop and I can tell he gets uncomfortable, and that's when it's time to give him a suppository.

I know, this is gross. But I warned you. You still have time to get out now if you need to.

A few days ago I gave him a suppository. Usually what happens is he first poops a "plug" kind of poop and then once that's out he's able to poop the rest like normal. That's what happened this time also, except that when the firmer poop came out he pooped it out with such force that it flew out! No lie. It was like in the movies when someone pops a bottle of Champagne or something and it goes flying. Like on Dumb and Dumber when Lloyd kills the owl. I literally saw poop fly through the air, then land on my carpet.

It was completely disgusting, and so surprising that I didn't quite know what to do. Dane was still on the changing table, finishing his business, and I now had poop on the floor. Crazy.

Okay, so I know that story was really gross, but I hope the funniness of it makes up for the grossness.

And that is my life. I never my life could be filled with so much poop.

And so many sweet babies.

I just can't take it.

Okay, for real, it's not like I'm trying to be braggy.

I know that I'm always like, "my boys are so cute", and...well, they are...but I'm not trying to brag or act like I'm the magic that made them so wonderful.

They are their own magic. They are pure heaven.

I'm just trying to report on the cuteness and send some your way.

See, I'm not being braggy. I'm sharing, and that's nice. So, you're welcome.

This is Reid's favorite hide-out spot and he'll giggle and giggle and wait for me to say, "where did Reid go? I just saw him around here somewhere..."

Then he pops out and says, "Hi Momma!"

Over and over again.

He's so into this particular cupboard that he kind of gets ticked when I ask him to move so that I can get a pot out or put one back in. Like I'm crimping his style.

Blurry action shot.
Oh, I love this dog. Or, Reid calls it his "goggy".

We got it in a little baby boutique back in Fairbanks and when he was about a year old and as I was browsing the store he was walking about checking out the scooters and toys. Then he came up to me holding this dog and chewing on the dog's nose. He loved it so much, and he had put it in his mouth, so I figured we'd better buy it. Even though it is a poodle with pink bows on the ears. He still loves it and the other day he came up to me and lifted up the dog's tail, sniffed the bum area, and said "oooh, goggy poopy. Goggy diaper." I found a leftover size one diaper and we put it on the dog. Reid was satisfied.

He is so funny these days. I love that little Reid.
And the Oscar for Best Pooping Performance by a Lead Male goes to....

Alec!

On Tuesday the group and I went to Costco (we now have a Costco membership. I'm still kind of weirded out by it. It's just too...grown-up for me) and when we were all done and loading the group back into the car, Alec was a little distraught. After some investigating we discovered that he had completely pooped out of his clothes. Poop was everywhere. It was the kind of blow-out where you look at the clothes with poop all over them and you're like, "no way, it's not even worth trying to keep these." I seriously just threw them away. Like an idiot, I didn't have any extra clothes with me so Alec got to ride home in the buff. He did have a nice, snuggly blanket on him, though.

Some poop encounters are just too overwhelming at the beginning and it takes me a full thirty seconds just to figure out what to do.

This was one of those times.
Cute pictures of the babies. Dane is on the left and Alec is on the right.
Alec.
Dane. I love his bright eyes.
Check out Alec on the left. He almost always has this face like, "Hey! Where's the party?!"

Such a spunky kid. I love that little Alec.
The boys are all over each other lately. They wiggle over and then clobber each other.
They must have bumped heads because Alec has a little red mark on his forehead.

Dane grabbing Alec's face.


Dane can grab his foot and steam roll his brother at the same time.
Alec doesn't seem to mind.
I saved my favorite for last. You know how I told you that Dane likes to roll over to the window and look out to the backyard? Look how I found him the other day.
Isn't that the most precious thing you've ever seen? Oh, I just love this picture so much. I love that little Dane.

The Emily craziness as promised.

Okay, so I say Emily craziness but I mostly mean Emily nonsense. The silly stuff that floats around my head. Now you get to read some of it, hot dang!

You know, I think everyone out there thinks that they are a little nuts. Right? But I think that most of us are nuts in a pretty normal way. I think I'm a normal amount of crazy. The good kind of crazy.

Although, do you know who is weird in a perfectly honest way?

Regina Spektor.

Seriously, could someone be any cooler? She seems weird in a very genuine way, as opposed to like, say...the weird dude from the Black Eyed Peas that has the long crazy hair and he's just weird all the time. Do you know who I mean? He seems to put a lot of effort into being weird. And it's just dumb. Regina seems weird in a lovely, natural way and I can't get enough of it. Check out this song, and if you don't love it then I think that we shouldn't be friends anymore.

Harsh, I know, but you just don't "get" me if you don't see the awesomeness and attractiveness of Regina's weirdness.

And because one good video deserves another, here's a Regina classic. Oh, and by the way, I'm on this Regina kick because she has a new album this week and you need to buy it. It will make you happy. I promise.

Check out these rad boots! I love them. I've never seen anything like this and I just love them.

Then, as if the cool boots weren't cool enough, read about the company and you'll be sold. Let's all get some wacky ACE bandage boots and help some kids get a new pair of kicks, too. Huh? How 'bout it?

I saw this the other day and thought it was crazy. We were talking with the Heaths the other night about how people just don't build "starter homes" anymore. They're all McMansion ginormonsters. I love our mid-century house with it's mid-century flow and mid-century style. Just not the mid-century plumbing. Okay, one point for the McMansions.
This was in my saved pictures and I just liked it. When you come to visit we'll take wacky pictures like this. That'll be fun.
Have you seen this photo series? So interesting.

Snow White, I know the feeling. I have had those days.

True business.

(via Swiss Miss)
I love this a hundred million. I like people who think of something to do in their home, maybe a little bold or off the beaten path, and just go for it. And I like the bike in the hallway.

I don't remember where I found this picture, I'm sure some design site, most likely designsponge, but I better start being better at showing where I get pictures from. I guess sometimes people get pretty cranky about that. I get it, but I don't really get it.

I guess I kind of get it.
Come on, did you think we could go a whole Emily crazy post and not talk about hair? Get real.

In August Erik's sister Dana is getting married (Yeah!) and we're going to Denver for about 10 days. I'm totally looking forward to the wedding and the week afterwards playing with Erik's awesome family.

And shopping for a dress for the wedding.

And getting my hair done by the awesome Natalie.

She's like the Bobby Fisher of hair. I think I know what that means. I mean to say that she has a gift and it is hair. She's amazing. Do you live in Denver? Or within a 500 mile radius? Why aren't you going to Natalie, then? You should. And you could play with her cute baby while you're there.

So, when I get the chance to have Natalie do my hair, I'm going to go big. I'm going to lighten my hair. To me, in my hair weirdness, this is a big deal. I'm thinking something like this shade.
Or this-ish.
Oh, and I'm loving braids lately. I used to braid my hair all the time in funky ways like this, and I think it's long enough to give it a go again.

This is a fun picture I found that just makes me smile. I actually like graffiti most of the time, and this I really like. It's kind of sweet, right? Besides the fact that it looks like it's on someone's fence.

The defacement of private property isn't the part I think is sweet. To clarify.
And lastly, my feelings about macarons. This is important.

They seem to be everywhere lately, you know? Like it's the hip sweet thing to eat. You know how cupcakes kind of blew up a few years ago and seem to be holding on strong? I think that macarons are going to continue to be a trendy thing to eat. Weird how even desserts are hip or not hip, huh?

A few weeks ago we were in LA so that I could go to the temple and afterwards we stopped by Paulette's. I was excited to give them a try, mostly because they are so beautiful. Take a moment to look at the world's prettiest cookie before I give my review.
This kind was Violet Cassis.
Sweet Wedding Almond
Rose
Okay, and now for the review. First of all, the ones with names that are flowers...they mean it. The rose and violet ones taste like you're eating perfume. Kind of gross. The wedding almond one was, however, perfectly wonderful.

The bottom line, though, is that it's a lot prettier of a cookie than it is a yummy cookie. I would rather have a sugar cookie any day. Please make this recipe. Today. You will love it, I promise. I guess if I'm going to have a treat, I'd like it to be yummier for my mouth than it is for my eyes. Even though my eyes think these are spectacularly yummy.

That's all the nonsense for today. Hope you enjoyed it.

Keeping watch.

That's Dane you see there. Couldn't you just die? He does it all the time. He manages to squiggle his way (for rolling, non-crawlers, these babies can get just about anywhere they want to go these days) over to the window and just watches. Waiting for something to come by. Actually, here's a funny story. One time I was on the floor in this room with the babies and the curtains were open and I was talking to my dad on the phone, and I saw a turtle walking across the backyard. Seriously. Isn't that so weird? We haven't seen him since and I was busy with babies and then when I had a chance to get a picture he was gone. So Erik doesn't believe me that there really was a turtle. But I'm sure Dane does, and that's probably why he's always keeping watch on the backyard. For the turtle.

Or maybe he's keeping watch for you. For when you come to visit. And decide to come through the backyard instead of the front door. Yeah, maybe that.

(cute Alec is saying hi in the foreground)

We are currently babysitting a drum set. Erik works with the Young Men in our ward and for an activity last week they wanted to "jam". Awesome. One of the kids in the teacher's quorum has this set and I think he didn't use it frequently enough for his parents to want to put it up when they moved here. Actually, I don't think he used it ever. (His dad said the kids used the stool to step up onto the trampoline outside. I just typed "outside" and as I typed it I thought, "duh, of course outside. Where else would a trampoline be?" But actually, my brother knew a family that had one in their living room. Rad, right? Instead of watching TV because you're bored, why not jump because you're bored? I like it.) He asked if he could set it up at our house and I've been not so secretly wanting a drum set for the longest time. So far it's a hit. Reid hops on and jams and Erik and I like to put on the DVD of the Foo Fighters concert and try to follow along. I'm shamefully bad, of course, but it's fun to be loud. Oh, and the kid hasn't even asked yet to come over to play his set. So we pretty much got the sweet end of this deal. I think his parents did, too.

Another cute thing about this jam session with the teacher's quorum...they had Erik's electric guitar and an amp with a microphone and when it was Reid's turn to sing he would put the microphone right to his mouth and sing (over and over and over and over and over again), "Reid song. Reid song. Reid song." Oh, it was the kind of cute that makes your insides hurt. Like you have to hold onto the back of a chair or something. You know what I mean.

(that's Reid on the lap of our friend Jeff, the other YM leader. I cropped out your head Jeff because I don't really know if people are weird about being on other's blogs. But then I thought, well, he's on his family's blog. But that's probably different. Anyway, not Erik. It's Jeff.)

A series of babies clobbering each other with brotherly love.

(Alec is in the blue shirt and Dane is in the red shirt)



Okay, seriously, did you see this on Bakerella? Be real, I know you did.

What? You don't pounce on her site at the slightest whiff of a new post? Come on people, she's way rad and you need more sugar in your life. I'm sure of it. Especially sugar in fun ways, like mini dessert hamburgers and fries!

We had our friends the Heaths over for dinner on Saturday (I made my version of Chipotle's barbacoa beef burritos and picked up some chips and salsa from our local favorite (aka the only place in town we've liked enough to go back to a second time) Burrito Loco. Pretty dumb name, but the salsa is amazing. We'll get some when you come to visit.

Am I subtly mentioning that enough? That we love visitors?

Back to the point. Burritos. Chips and salsa. And a fun project for dessert. We all assembled our burger and munched on sugar cookie fries. It was fun. And Erik is killer handsome. I mean, come on...those blue eyes! Perfection.

(a small detour, and I'll try to keep it short. Have you heard of the 3/50 project? I think it's an important concept because as much as our lives are lived online these days, we still actually live in a community. No matter how involved we are in a local community, we are still a part of one and as our lives all become more and more twitter and facebook and Walmart and amazon, it seems that the health of our local economy suffers. I've been thinking about this a lot, and thinking about my 3 businesses that I want to help succeed. One of them is totally Burrito Loco. The salsa is really that good. I would honestly be sad if they closed their doors. I was talking to Erik about this the other day and he was like, "yeah, and then they'd have to call themselves 'Burrito Muerto'." I've been giggling about that for a few days now. He's totally funny. In a perfect underplayed kind of way. Like he just throws the joke away, just kind of says it under his breath. Love it.)
Angel face Reid playing in the bathtub. He's playing with some sweet bath toys that Uncle Brian and Aunt Stamatia gave him, but they were cropped out for modesty's sake. Oh, look at that face. And how did he get such golden hair? It's the most wonderful flaxen gold color and his eyes are goldish with a little brown. Our golden boy.

There's the latest. Next post will be a jumble of Emily crazy. But unless you read this post like the second I post it, then you've probably already read the Emily crazy because it is on top of this cute kid post, so...

Thanks for reading the crazy, and I hope you enjoyed the cute kids.

Dane's still keeping watch for you (or the turtle) so I hope you're coming. Do you want to disappoint children this cute? I didn't think so.

trust me.

green bean spit-up is disgusting.

oh, for heaven's sake.

I don't think I'm fashionable enough to say I'm into fashion.  I mean seriously.  Sir Spits-A-Lot and Sir Squawks-A-Lot pretty much dictate my clothing choices right now.  Indirectly, of course, but still.  

(Although, Reid is a dream to have around when I'm getting dressed.  Besides the fact that yesterday as I was dressing he was running circles around me like I was an orange cone or something, he makes me feel good when I'm all done getting ready.  I always hear, "oh, momma pity (pretty)."  Then he says, "Reid pity."  He's all about his sense of self.  More about that later.)

So, back to the subject.  I'm totally not an authority on fashion, but I'm seeing a lot of crazy things out there lately.  Harem pants?  Seriously?  Because it looked so good on MC Hammer?  Or Mr. Naugle? (for you Emily Gray JHS alums out there.  Mr. Naugle was rad, huh?)

There's a blog I like (no, not just like it.  I love it.  She's cool, a graphic designer, a mom, and Mormon!  I love me a cool Mormon mom.) with a post about ugly boots.  I've been seeing a LOT of ugly boots lately.  I don't get it.  I saved these pictures in iphoto just in case I felt like blogging about ugly boots someday.  Today is that day.

Believe me, they are ugly.

What?  A horrible color, studded, and toeless?  I think they were trying to make the world's ugliest shoe.  I can't remember where I found this gem.
I do remember where I found this one, however, and it's going to hurt your feelings when I say where.  You ready?

Anthropologie.

I know...what?  Certainly not my Anthropologie?!  Not my heaven on earth?!

It's true.  While Anthropologie has amazing clothes, accessories, and home decor...it has just about the ugliest selection of shoes out there.  Every now and then there's something cute, but for the most part...ugly.  Look at these, for example.  Crinkled leather, fringed, toeless, and HEEL-less!  Oh, it's just so bad.

I feel bad calling something ugly, even inanimate objects (or animate objects like hippos, even though they are like the ugliest animal ever) but for these boots, it had to be said.

I feel better now.

seriously.

To the future moms of many kids:

No one will tell you that you will spend the rest of your life cutting fingernails and toenails.  With our three little guys, it seriously is like a full-time job.  Their darn nails grow so fast, and between them all, that's 60 fingers and toes.

60!

Add that to the list of things that you'll only hear from me, because I'm honest.

Sure, the rest of the stuff is true, too.  Stuff like how you never knew you could be so happy and so tired at the same time.  You know, the sappy stuff.

But the fingernail thing is true, too.  True business.

You heard it here first.

Can I get an amen?  

Moms, what else could we add to the list of things no one tells you before you have kids?

We're six months old and cuter than ever!

We've made it.  Six months.  

The babies are just heavenly.  They sleep well at night, I think we've finally merged to our two naps a day schedule, and they're getting better at solid foods.  We've found a medication/dosage/schedule that works well for Alec's acid reflux and that has made life a million times better.  For everyone.  A miracle, perhaps?  Definitely.

The babies being cute after church.  I love overalls on a little boy baby.  Both of these ones are shorts overalls, which is even better.  They both looked like Huckleberry Finn yesterday.
Sorry, that one didn't rotate for some reason.  But there you see it, Baby Huck Finn times two.
Look at how grown up!  They really are so strong and solid now.  That's Alec grinning at you and Dane is chewing his hand on the right.
Dane's sweet smile (they just had rice cereal and sweet potatoes).
Alec saying hi.
Happy babies.
This is how we found Reid last night when we gave the babies their last feeding at 9:30.  I had to adjust the levels so that you could see him, and the picture below is with the flash (thank goodness it didn't wake up any of the boys!)  We find him in the funniest positions.  He wasn't very sure about his big boy bed until we moved the rail all the way up towards the top.  Now he has a little cave from the wall/headboard/rail and he sleeps any which way in that cozy little spot.

That's the latest with my three sons.  

On Saturday we went to the beach for the first time with all three boys and it was so fun.  Everything went surprisingly well (except for Reid trying to taste sand a few times).  We're still getting sand out of carseats, carpet, clothes, ears, the car, etc., but it was definitely worth it.  Erik set up a tent-ish kind of thing and the babies and I hung out on a sheet underneath it in the shade.  Erik and Reid dug a hole, played with shovels and pails, splashed in the water and waved hi to momma and the babies.  Dane and Alec fell asleep in their carseats halfway through, so I laid out and kept guard of my sleeping babes while relaxing and listening to the crashing waves and the giggling Reid.  It was so nice.  Can you believe we live 15 from the beach?  Seriously, when are you coming to visit?

We have a guest room with your name on it.  I'll even make you breakfast.