Kiersten’s Blog

It’s a good thing I’m sure that the church I belong to is true, because today might have been one of those days that would make me decide to not go anymore.  Wow.  Now that I see that in writing it looks kind of harsh.  Let’s just say that I was really annoyed at church today.  That shouldn’t be how I feel while I’m there.  I’m pretty sure I go to feel the Spirit and be uplifted.  I’m sure it was partly my attitude and my choosing to be annoyed, but that’s how I felt today.  Plus, if any of you have ever gone to church with a crazy 11 month old and an emotional 4 year old, you might have some sort of idea what I’m talking about.  But that’s just part of the problem.  My main annoyance is our new ward (congregation).  I really like everybody I have met, as individuals, but as a whole, I’m kind of struggling with the ward.  The main reason is, it’s SO big.  I don’t think we’ve ever been late, but every week, it’s a fight to find a seat.  We sat down on the back row today because that’s what was left, and an old man walked in and said, halfway joking, “Don’t you know that you have to be older than 70 to sit on the back row?”  I told him that we would be happy to move if he could find us another place to sit.  We moved anyway.  I also noticed a pew closer to the front that was empty.  I walked up there and, of course, somebody had left their jackets and scriptures there to save the seat.  It was still empty when the meeting started.  It bothers me that people do that.  If they want that seat, they need to be there, keeping it warm.  These scenarios happen week after week.  I know I need an attitude adjustment and none of these things are what the gospel is about at all.  They’re just small things that make this already difficult transition a little bit harder.

I don’t nap.  I don’t like the way I feel after a nap.  I’m always groggy and yucky feeling.  It’s especially bad if I decided to fall asleep with my contacts in.  Then my eyes are dry and irritated.  Furthermore, I feel like napping is a waste of precious daytime hours.  Today was different.  We got home mid-afternoon.  I put Ashton to bed.  Quiet time for London was a necessity, especially in light of the way she was acting all day.  Once the kids were down, I decided to lie down for a bit.  I took my contacts out because they were really bothering me and I just planned on resting for a minute.  I woke up a half hour later, rolled over, and fell asleep for another half hour!  It’s a good thing we had leftovers that we could have for dinner.  I was awakened by a baby, ready to eat.  It was nice to sleep, but I’ll have to say, that I’m still tired.  I can’t imagine I would be any more tired if I hadn’t slept.  The good news is, London slept too!  And she napped yesterday!  One day of napping for her is a miracle, but 2 days in a row?  I don’t even know how to explain how lucky I am!  Both days we have had to wake her up because we want her to go to bed at night.  And right now it’s 9:30 and she’s still not asleep, but she’s been in bed for an hour.  The bad news is, she wakes up from her naps really cranky.  Once she’s totally awake, she’s great, but by that time, it’s bed time again!  Then we start over with the grump in the morning.  Here’s to hoping tomorrow will be a better day.

On another sleep note, last Monday I woke up too late to go jogging before I took London to school, so I dropped her off and came home to go on my morning jog.  Of course, I had to push Ashton along in the stroller.  He had fallen asleep in the car on the way home from dropping off London, so I wasn’t sure how the jog would be.  On top of that, just as I was about to leave, it started to drizzle.  I grabbed a blanket to use to cover him so he wouldn’t get wet (if needed) and headed out anyway.  It drizzled a bit, the wind blew, then the sun poked through.  Through it all, Ashton slept.  Once we got home an hour later, I pushed the stroller into the house and showered and got ready, while he kept sleeping.  Amazingly enough, he woke up just in time to eat and get back in the car to go pick up London.  Somehow the stars were all aligned and I was able to make sleeping work in my favor that one morning.  It’s the little things that make me happy.

Last week I went to a Relief Society activity where they talked about couponing.  A couple of women were there to show us some of the tricks of the trade.  I’m definitely a bargain shopper.  I get really excited when I find really good deals.  For this reason, I can see myself getting really excited about saving a lot of money by couponing, but I won’t do it.  Sure, I use coupons when I can find one for something I usually buy, but I don’t go out of my way to find coupons or deals on everything I go grocery shopping for every week.  And I’m not willing to buy 20 jars of peanut butter just to get $10 back.  This new-to-me idea of couponing also seems WAY too time consuming!  I can’t imagine trying to sort through all of those coupons, as well as taking so much time at the store, just so I could save a few bucks.  And the multiple transactions?  It reminds me of being on WIC and I would rather not go back there.  I was finished with that when Taylor got a real job.  So in case you were wondering, I won’t be clipping an outrageous amount of coupons any time soon.  And I won’t be taking pictures of the 20 jars of peanut butter I just bought for 50 cents.

I bought a new stroller on Tuesday. It’s not just any stroller. It’s a Phil and Ted. I was planning on buying one long ago. When we lived in Pomona, I had a really good group of friends who I walked with every morning. People in town called us the stroller brigade. We all pushed a stroller. Eventually, we all got pregnant again, and were in the market for buying new strollers. Amanda settled on the Phil and Ted. Rachel already had one and we were all envious. She was smart enough to buy it as her first stroller. Sarah went with the B.O.B. Revolution Duallie. She had just given birth to her second child and wanted to start jogging again. I had just started jogging and wanted to keep it up. I did a lot of research on the stroller that I would buy. It was kind of a big investment (on a small budget) and I wanted to make sure I was buying the perfect stroller. I finally settled on the Phil and Ted. Then, after a bit more research and field tests, I decided the Valco Runabout Tri-Mode would be the best option for me. It is meant for jogging and the Phil and Ted is not. Plus, when I tried out the Phil and Ted with the doubles seat attached, my knees hit the seat as I walked. Soon I miscarried and didn’t need an expandable stroller, but I bought the Valco anyway, knowing that I would use it, and someday be able to add a toddler seat to it, if needed.

The Valco served me well for almost four years. After I had Ashton, though, it became a lot more difficult to push. The added weight, along with the placement of the toddler seat right over the front wheel made it really difficult to turn, unless I was going fast. I got used to it, though. Then recently, the bar in the back that goes between the two wheels to make it more stable, broke. Now it’s near impossible to turn if I’m pushing two kids, not to mention unsafe. I did, however, take it on my jog on Monday, while pushing just Ashton in it, and it worked like a charm. I loved it! I called the company to see what it would take to repair, and I would have to buy a whole new back end frame, which would cost $7o. I’ve also been looking into getting it welded, but haven’t found anybody that can do it yet. Apparently welding aluminum is kind of a difficult task and there’s not much market for stroller repair. In the mean time, I found a Phil and Ted on Craigslist for $60. How could I pass that up? It’s an older model. I’m guessing it’s about the same age as my Valco. Recently I’ve been wondering if I should have gone the Phil and Ted route in the beginning. Now I have them both and I can compare them side by side. I really like the design of the Phil and Ted, but my initial suspicions proved true when I took her out on her maiden voyage today. I kept hitting my knees against the back seat. It’s not a big deal when I’m walking, but if I was jogging, I think it would really bug me. I do like, however, that the Phil and Ted is much easier than the Valco to maneuver around a store. It’s narrower and easier to turn with two kids riding along. Have I found the perfect stroller? No. But I have two really good ones and I’m thinking that the perfect stroller doesn’t really exist.

Anybody know how I can become a stroller critic?

We’ve been really busy lately. I guess I could probably say that at any time in my life and it would be relevant, but I feel it more so now. We had a small housewarming party on Saturday for just a few friends and right after that was over, I headed out to the airport to pick up my grandma who’s visiting from Alberta. We don’t see her often because she lives so far away, so we’re really excited to have her for a week. Because of these two things, we have really wanted to finish up on our projects with our new home. I am blessed to have a husband who’s a hard worker. He’s been working like crazy to get things done. He goes to work every day and comes home just to do manual labor for the rest of the day. Today he finished the baseboards. They look really good. I still have pictures to hang and decorating to do, but for the most part, we’re done, at least with the worst of it. It’s nice to see such a beautiful finished product. I’ll post pictures one of these days. I lost the charger for my camera battery, so once my new one comes in the mail, I’ll take lots of pictures to show off.
As I mentioned before, my grandma is visiting. It’s fun to have her around. She keeps the kids entertained, which is always a nice thing. London always has someone to chat with or sing to or play games with or read books with. Tonight we put the kids to bed and then Taylor and I were able to go out and run some errands all alone. It was great! I can’t believe how much easier it is to get things done when you’re not toting two kids along. And now for a funny story. Yesterday, my grandma told London that she had to go wash her face. When she came back, London said, “Grandma, you forgot to wash the wrinkles off!” That girl is hilarious.

I can’t remember the last time (if ever) I have done one of these so I thought I would, just for fun today.
A-Age: 31
B-Bed size: Queen
C- Chore you hate: dishes
D- Dog’s name: I’m thinking we won’t have pets. Ever. But my dog’s name as a child was Sasha.
E- Essential start your day item: getting out of bed. That’s the hard part
F- Favorite color: Green, sometimes Blue
G- Gold or silver: Silver
H- Height: 5’3”
I- I am: tired
J- Job: Wife, Mother, Cook, house keeper, Preschool Volunteer (wow, I didn’t have to change any of Christina’s answers!)
K- Kids: 2, a girl and a boy
L- Living arrangements: newly renovated town home with my husband and two adorable children
M- Mom’s name: Marilyn
N- Nickname: Kierst
O- Overnight hospital stay other than birth: None for me, but I stayed with London when she had her cleft palate repaired.
P- Pet peeve: I have a lot so I won’t even start.
Q- Quote from a movie: “Spit spot.” –Mary Poppins
R- Right or left handed: Right
S- Siblings: 2 brothers and 2 brothers in law, and 2 sisters and 2 sisters in law
T- Time you wake up: 6 if I want to exercise, but later if I don’t.
U- Unique thing about your car: My daughter named it Commancho
V- Vegetable you hate: mushrooms and olives
W- Ways you run late: getting kids ready
X- X-rays you’ve had: wrist
Y- Yummy food you make: cookies
Z- Zoo favorite: San Diego
Don’t worry, I won’t tag any of you.

I recently listed an old toilet of ours for free on Craigslist. We got a new one. This one leaks and it’s pretty gross. I’m fairly sure we’ll have to try other means of disposing it, but in the mean time I’m getting some great spam. Here’s the one I got this morning. Now remember, I listed the toilet for free.

Hello,

Why are you selling your toilet?

Are you getting rid of it because you need cash?

You do not need to do that! I am going to show you how I went from making absolutely zero to making a lot of money from the convenience of my own home!

Now you can keep your toilet!

Check it out here

To your success!

-Jose

I’m thinking that if I really needed cash, I would not have put the toilet up for free. But more than that, I think that my toilet would be the last thing I would sell if I was really strapped. I mean, I would have sold my computer long before my toilet so I wouldn’t be able to post things on Craigslist.

I took the kids to Babies R Us today.  Of course London had to go potty while we were there.  I always find it annoying to take her to the bathroom while we’re out if it’s just me and them because it’s hard to help her while I hold Ashton.  Plus, it seems like every time she uses the bathroom, for some reason I also need to go, which I really don’t like to do.  You try holding a monster child while trying to pee and entertain a 4 year old long enough for you to do your business before she opens the stall door for everybody to see.  And washing hands after use of the bathroom?  Yeah right.  That’s why hand sanitizer was invented, I’m sure.  Today was a different experience, though.  Babies R Us knows their customers and right in the stall, there’s this adorable little chair to strap the baby into while you wrestle with the other kid’s snap on her pants.

But it doesn’t stop there.  They also have another little seat outside the stalls so that you can actually wash your hands.  Plus, there’s a sink short enough for the little ones to reach and wash their hands on their own.  Really, it’s virtually impossible to hold a baby while holding up a small child to wash her hands without dropping something or someone.  I tell you, I love this bathroom.  Now if every public restroom would catch on to this fabulous invention, the world would definitely be a better place.

Four years ago, we spent a week and a half at my parents house for Christmas.  It was London’s first.  We had a good time, but decided after that, that from then on, we would have Christmas at our own house, with our own little family.  I was excited this year to get a house for Christmas.  The problem was, it wasn’t done in time.  So Christmas was a little crazy for us this year.  We were staying with Taylor’s parents and driving back and forth from their place to our new place (close to 100 miles each way) daily, as we worked on the house.  Luckily for us, the kids were able to stay with them, which was a huge help for us in getting work done.  Because of all the craziness, I wasn’t even able to do my Christmas shopping until Christmas eve.  Even so, we had a nice time.  It was fun to spend time with family.  The kids had a great time.  London loved the advent calendars at Granny’s house, and she even remembered that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday.

On Christmas eve, Santa (Papa) showed up and brought the kids their traditional Christmas eve books (which I bought earlier that day because the ones I bought on the after Christmas clearance last year are still packed away in some unknown place).  Miraculously, neither of the kids were afraid of the bearded man.  Ashton just couldn’t stop looking at him, and London was excited to get her present.

The next morning, Santa left them a wagon, amongst other things.  Ashton’s favorite gift was his little pair of Crocs.  He likes how they squeak when he gnaws on them.  London’s favorite gift, by far, was the princess treasure chest filled with princess costumes.  For the first week or so, she changed her clothes no less than 50 times a day.  My favorite part of Christmas this year was taking London to the 99 cent store, where she picked out gifts for everybody and then wrapped them herself.  She was really excited about that part.  All in all, we had a nice time and I’m glad we got to spend it with family.  I am excited for next year when I can decorate my own house.

What a difference two weeks makes.  And what a crazy two weeks it has been.  Thanks to Taylor’s family, we were able to move our stuff in a couple of days ago.  His mom stayed the night to help with the kids and she also organized London’s room, which was a huge task.  That girl has way too many toys!  We cleaned and cleaned and cleaned.  Have I mentioned how gross this place was?  I can’t mention it enough.  It was DISGUSTING!!!!  I spent a lot of time chipping off dried on food and who knows what else from cabinets and toilets.  I did a lot of scrubbing.  My fingertips were so sore I couldn’t use them anymore.  For some reason, they’re also swollen.  We’re still living in a bit of a mess, but I do feel accomplished.  I LOVE what we’ve done with the place, but I will say that I NEVER want to have to move anywhere else that I have to do so much work to make it live-able.  That said, I’m glad we could make it our own and choose exactly what we want.  So, without further ado, here are some pictures.  I’ll post more later when we’re more done.  We’re still living in a work in progress.

Dining room