Yo Gabba Gabba!

Yo Gabba Gabba! For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, this is a show that is on Nickelodeon. My kids absolutely love it! DJ Lance, the crazy looking guy in the orange, is the host of the show. That boom box (or, ghetto blaster, if you will) is the case that holds all the little Yo Gabba Gabba friends.

Now, I know it's strange, but Yo Gabba Gabba doesn't even annoy me all that much. Maybe it's because it keeps my kids' attention. Or, maybe it's because it doesn't involve a big, purple dinosaur. (lol) At any rate, it is a very strange show. It's totally 70's, which is part of its charm. And, the songs on the show crack me up. One day it was on, and I heard a song called "Don't bite your friends." I was laughing so hard! Then, I started thinking that the song might actually be putting bad ideas into kids' heads. (Hmmm, maybe that's why Hannah is a biter.) ;) Another song that gave me quite the chuckle was saying something about not eating stuff off the floor, and not putting stuff from the ground in your mouth. See, it's really quite funny.

So, if you haven't watched Yo Gabba Gabba, you should give it a whirl. It's a little bizarre, but kids love it, which gives you more time to blog. Now, does it get much better than that?

Hi, my name is Brandi

and I'm addicted to Facebook. (hiding under computer desk)

I know what you're thinking: You're too old for Facebook; you're a dork; you haven't blogged in ages, you loser. Okay, I'm sorry for the lack of blogging lately. I have been a slacker. I apologize profusely, and will try to do better.

But, while we're on the subject, I have joined Facebook. I didn't really know a whole lot about it until recently. I got on there with some people I know, and I've found a bunch more people from high school and other places. It's been fun seeing what random people from high school are doing these days. If you haven't got a Facebook account yet, I highly recommend it. And, I will be your friend on Facebook, too. ;)

So, I'm sure you're just dying to know what's been going on with us lately. Well, let me see. The girls are just cracking us up lately (and making us a little crazy, too). They love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Yo, Gabba Gabba (but, that's a whole other post). They are talking like crazy and learning more and more new words all the time. Best of all, they will now tell me they love me. It totally melts my heart, which wasn't even cold to begin with. (lol) My girls can be the sweetest and naughtiest kids all in the same day. Take today, for instance. I was in the shower while Greg was finishing up the yardwork. When Greg came inside, the girls had pushed a little chair from the living room into the kitchen. They had gotten into a drawer, took out my gum, and chewed and spit out a bunch of pieces of gum onto the floor. I actually got quite a chuckle out of it, especially since I didn't have to clean it up. (hehehehehe) I guess I wouldn't have thought it was quite so funny if one of the girls had gotten gum in her hair, but it didn't happen this time. (knock on wood)

Last weekend, Greg and I finished planting the flower beds, pots, and garden. This year's garden consists of: zucchini, crookneck squash, eggplant, red peppers, green peppers, jalepeno peppers, Better Boy tomatoes, Celebrity tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and spaghetti squash. I'm excited to see the plants all come along and start producing veggies. I'm even more excited to eat them. So, if anyone needs tomatoes once they come on, just give me a call or come on down to my house and get some. We can grow some pretty good ones. Yum!

Dammit!

Uhm, did I just say that? No, it was my beautiful daughter, Hannah. Oh, I'm not kidding. Now, I know what you're thinking: it's my fault because I must have said "dammit" in front of her on occasion. Okay, you caught me. (head hung down) However, I have really tried hard lately to NOT say anything like that around the girls because they are like sponges and will repeat ANYTHING these days. This is really quite funny when the "Expedia.com" commercials come on because at the end they sing, "Expedia. Dot com." My girls are usually singing, "Dot com." It's really quite darling, if I do say so myself. (lol)

So, most kids at the age of 2 don't like getting their diapers changed. I get that. Trying to crawl, wiggle, or roll away are all normal things a 2 year-old does during a routine diaper change. However, Hannah has taken it to a new level. When I open up her diaper, she repeatedly says, "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" I try so hard not to laugh at her. The other day, I was changing her diaper at my mom's house, and Hannah said, "Dammit! I can't poop." I'm so ashamed of myself.

Speaking of singing songs, my girls have already figured out that "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and the ABC song have the same tune. It took me YEARS to figure that one out. Just yesterday, I heard Hannah singing, "Twinkle, twinkle little star, next time won't you sing with me?" See, she's not saying expletives all the time.

Honk your horn! (blog topic courtesy of Bree's imagination)

Ah, the car horn. The most under-used and under-appreciated part of the entire car. The car horn is there for a purpose. So, why do so many people shy away from using it? Are they afraid of bringing unnecessary attention to themselves? Are they afraid of being rude? Are they afraid of noise pollution? Or, are they simply forgetting about this wonderful accessory in their cars? The horn is meant to be used. Use it.

Let me just preface this post by saying that I have thought this for a long time. When someone pulls out in front of you or cuts you off, they need to be made aware that they wronged you. If I pull out in front of someone, I deserve a honk. I may or may not have even honked from the passenger side while Greg or my mom were driving. (Ooops!)

So, the other day, I was driving through an intersection in Riverdale. I had the right of way; the other street has to stop. As I was pulling through the intersection, a lady starts her left-hand turn right in front of me. Not to let her get off so easily, I give her a friendly HONK. She immediately stops her car before completing her turn to let me go. As I'm giving her a crusty look, she looks over at me all bothered looking, and waves her hand forward and backward as if to tell me where she's going. Do I really care? No. I just wanted her to know that it was my turn first. She needs to learn the rules of the road before getting behind the wheel.

Okay. So, maybe I OVER-use my horn. But, I don't enjoy flipping people "the bird," so I'd rather give a friendly (or not so friendly) honk.

Speaking of honks, don't you think that horns should have different settings on them? For example, if you see a friend on the road, the honk to get their attention should be all friendly and happy like a bike horn. But, the disgruntled honk you give to idiotic driving practices should be all rude and angry like a fog horn. What about when you see someone pulled over on the side of the road all handcuffed? Shouldn't their be a honk that would sound like "Ooooooh, you're in trouble now!"

My point is, if you're not using your horn for anything other than picking up your friends, you should become more aware of its many uses. If you are using your horn, kudos to you! And, just remember, the next honk you get could be from me. (lol)

Honk your horn

Nap time

All right. Lately, nap time around here leaves something to be desired. I would say that something would be a nap. (rolling eyes)

I'll put the girls in their room in their cribs. Then, Hannah will inevitably get out of her crib and refuse to lay down. I have tried so many times to get her to lay down that I have no more energy for it. If it's not that, the girls will sit in there and be singing some freaky song they heard on "Yo Gabba Gabba" about nap time. They know the words to the song, they just don't know how to apply them in their lives. (lol)

So, yesterday, I decided to try a different approach. We all went in and laid down on my bed while I watched a show I had on DVR. I figured it would be a good way to get them sleepy and ready for a nap. Well, they both fell sound asleep on my bed. I decided to try leaving them there to see how long they would stay asleep. They actually slept for 2 FULL HOURS! I was ecstatic! I guess nap time will be on Mommy's bed from now on.

Speaking of naps, I could go for one about now.

Totally rejuvenated!

Well, I have been absent a few days this week. The first of the week started off a little rough. The girls still had their coughs, so I ended up taking them in to the doctor. Poor Brooklyn had a double ear infection, and sounded pretty crackly in her left lung. She got antibiotics for the ear infections and cough, and was put on nebulizer treatments for a couple days. Hannah had the same cough, and got antibiotics as well. Both girls are feeling much better now, and I'm so glad. (Yay!)

So, I got a call from my mom on Sunday or Monday night. She said that her sister was going to be unable to attend the BYU LDS Women's Conference (from here on out, we'll call it the WC). She asked if I would like to go in her place. Having never been to the WC before, I was a little apprehensive, but decided to go anyway. What could it hurt? I mean, I'd been having a really rough time these past couple weeks anyway. Greg kindly offered to stay home with the girls on Thursday and Friday while I was at the WC. Thanks, Greg! (kiss)

Wednesday night, we left for Provo. We stopped off at IKEA on the way down (which is a whole other post). We went and ate at Macaroni Grill, and headed on down to get our dorm rooms. We got all checked in, and prepared for the WC to start the next morning.

For those of you who have never been before, WC runs pretty much like this: opening session 9-10:15, session #1 from 11-12, session #2 from 12:30-1:30, session #3 from 2-3, followed by a closing session from 3:45-5 PM. It's a really busy day. You get to choose the topics and classes you attend. It was nice because I was able to gain a better perspective on the importance and hardships of motherhood. It makes me appreciate my role as a mother much more.

Then, for Friday's closing session, we were privileged to hear from President Thomas S. Monson. The spirit was so strong there. It was my first time being in the same room where a prophet was speaking, and it was an incredible experience. What a wonderful and righteous man President Monson is. I am so grateful that I was able to listen to our prophet in person. It was an experience I will never forget.

So, I would really like to go to WC again next year. Not only did I get away from the "everyday" for a couple days, but I also learned a lot and feel ready to face life again with a whole new outlook. Plus, it doesn't hurt that BYU's bakery makes some of the BEST mint brownies I've ever tasted. (LOL)