Hey, I Got Some New Shoes On

Do you guys know that song "New Shoes?"  You probably don't.  It is by Paulo Nutini, whoever that is.  It from a few years back and was never on any of the charts really, but I love it.  Find it and download it.  The lyrics talk about how if you are having a blah day, some new shoes can turn it around.  You know, "Hello new shoes, bye bye blues!"  (You can also insert "Boots" into the song and it works just as well in the fall and winter.)

Cora knows what I am talking about.  She got a pair of pink sparkly sneakers today.  After she finished turning her feet this way and that and admiring them, she started doing laps around the kitchen.  Around and around she went, giggling hysterically.  She couldn't stop.  She kept saying, "Mom, look how fast I can run in these shoes!"  

She was so fast that she was blurry in most of the pictures I was trying to snap.  She helpfully sat down and switched out of running mode into supermodel mode so that you could see her shoes better:

Then back into running/giggling mode she went.  "Hey, I got some new shoes on and suddenly everything's right!  Hey, I got some new shoes on and everybody's smiling."  Truer words were never said.

It got me thinking....I want some new shoes too!  Maybe some springy shoes to make me smile.  Any suggestions?  I do love new shoes, but I do NOT love shoe shopping.  The problem I have with shoe shopping (other than I hate bringing a bunch of kids with me) is this:  I go into a shoe store, and see an adorable pair of shoes!  The cutest shoes ever!  I must find them in my size!  However....once I do find them in my size (9), they are somehow not as cute as the size 6 on display.  Hmmmmm....

I did get some shoes a few weeks back.  I ordered them online, thus avoiding the above problem(s) (and also I got them for $48 and free shipping!) .  Here they are, Ta-da!

These little babies are my newest running friends.  They have been helping me to try and get back in half-marathon shape.  Less than 2 months until the Ogden Half Marathon!  

I think that it is important to have a fun pair of shoes to run in because, let's face it, sometimes the only fun thing about running is the brightly colored shoes.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes when you are having a great run and feeling good, everything about running is awesome.  Last week I had to do a long run on the treadmill, but it was okay because I was going fast and watching "Austenland" from the Red Box (which is pretty good, but not as good as the book).  It was actually a fun time!  But some days...like today for instance...the body is just not in the mood to cooperate.  The legs are jelly and the miles seem loooong.  But at least my shoes look fast, even if the rest of me doesn't!  

Maybe I should try and find some pink sparkly sneakers... 

Springing Forward

Even though the calendar still says its winter, it seems like, for once, spring has sprung just a little early!!  (I know that I totally and completely jinxed spring just now. Now you have someone to blame when it snows all through April and into May.  Sorry!!!  To make up for it I will promise not to put all of the snow gear away until June because last year, the day after I deemed it safe to put the snow gear away...it snowed.  So maybe if my entryway is cluttered with boots and snow pants on hooks, the snow will stay away despite the huge jinx above.  I'm rambling....aren't I....anyways.....)

But LOOK guys!  Crocuses!

Crocuses seem like the most stunningly beautiful flowers ever, don't they?  They are smart to be the first ones up each spring because if you think about it, they are actually kind of short little stubby things.  If they came up in June, they would probably be overshadowed by the roses and daisies and other flashier, taller flowers.  But smart little flowers that they are, they poke their little purple and yellow heads up before any other flower, and after a long, gray winter, my eyes are dazzled and I bow down in amazement at their impossible beauty.  I love them.

Speaking of beautiful things that I love, here is a picture of Cora and one of her butterflies.  Cora loves to draw butterflies, and I wish I could keep them all in a Mason jar.  They are all just so dang cute and so dang happy and just so...Cora.  Adorable.

 Can you believe that my littlest baby is almost five?  She is one month away and is counting down the days.  She can't wait to be five, so she can be "Just as big as Dax."  Sorry babe, you might be the same age as Dax, but you are never, ever EVER going to be as big as Dax.  Maybe if you climb a tree:

So this week has been spring forward week.  I never much minded the whole "spring forward" thing until I had kids.  Kids just don't get it, and we have spent all week trying to recover from that one lost hour.  I can't seem to convince the kids that it really, truly is bedtime even though it isn't pitch black dark outside.  And another hard time trying to convince them that it really, truly is time to GET UP even though the sun is still sleeping.  But lucky for me, at the end of this rough week is 3-14...otherwise known as Pi Day.  Where you have to eat PIE.  I am going to go get a slice of this little beauty that I just pulled out of the oven:

If it snows in May, come on over and I will bake you a pie to make up for jinxing Spring.  

Arden's 8th Birthday Party

So, it happened again.  My oldest baby got older again.  Good thing that she is the only one who keeps doing that, right?  ;-)

As mentioned in a previous post, Arden decided months ago that she wanted to have a "Frozen" party for her birthday, with a "Frozen" birthday cake.  I went to where every red-blooded American mom heads when she has to come up with some party ideas.  Pinterest!

I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest.  I love looking at the creative stuff that everyone has come up with, and I love that other people have such great ideas so that I don't have to come up with any myself!  I hate it that the things I copy from Pinterest don't usually look quite as good as the pictures.  I also hate it that I never get around to actually attempting to make most of the things I pin.  :-) I found an idea for a Frozen cake with "ice" candy.  Didn't look too  hard.   I was worried for a bit because Target was all sold out of small Frozen toys that would fit on a cake.   Lucky for me, I tracked down some down on the inter-webs, because there was no way I was going to be able to create an Elsa from frosting or fondant.  Here is the finished product...ta-da!

 We also had jello "ice cubes" (also found on Pinterest but not pictured), which were totally easy and a big hit.  But for lunch, we went with good ol' pizza.  Another break for us is that Frozen was released digitally the week before Arden's party, so our main entertainment was just watching the movie!  The girls also tied together some fleece pillows (not pictured...I know, I stink).

The party was fairly low-key, which worked great for me.  Here is Arden, getting ready to blow out her candles!

 Make a wish!

 Arden let Dax keep the Olaf figure.  Dax only wanted ice cream, and it was vanilla.  Dax quickly noticed that it looked like snow, and soon Olaf was standing in his bowl:

 After the party, Arden got to choose a place for dinner.  She chose Texas Roadhouse (a.k.a. "the Rolls Place") and my parents, MandaMatt, and Val and Josh came up to help us celebrate.  Arden was just a little excited to have everyone come up for her birthday dinner:

 Arden's birthday was actually on a Sunday, so we didn't do much except go to church.  Later in the day, Preston's mom came up and the kids all snuggled in to watch Frozen again (what a pretty Grandma):

 I almost totally forgot to get Arden to pose for some traditional "bunny" pictures until just before bedtime, and her hair was a little messy by then, but oh well.  Maybe I will get some better ones later, but for now here they are:

 Here are some things about Arden, the 8-year old!

Favorite color:  Red
Favorite breakfast:  Chocolate Mini-Wheats
Favorite lunch:  Pizza crunchers at school lunch!
Favorite dinner:  Salmon
Favorite movie:  Frozen (duh!)
Favorite thing to do:  Play with friends
Favorite song:  "Let It Go" from Frozen
Favorite animal:  Cheetah
What she wants to be when she grows up:  A mom
What would you buy if you had a million dollars:   My own TV and movies to watch on it.
Favorite treat:  Cake
What will you be doing in 10 years:  driving and going to High School!  (gaaah!)

Happy Birthday my sweet Arden!