Locked

I think we have another Conference Weekend project--as though there is ever time for projects during Conference Weekend. We knew this doorknob on the kids' room would be a problem. They don't make them like this anymore. A simple push and twist locks it from the inside, but there is no way to open it from the outside. We meant to switch it with one of the bathroom doors, since there are two bathroom doors and no one could lock themselves in. Somehow the door got locked with only Sarah asleep in her crib. She had stripped, which she does when she decides she needs her diaper changed, and was holding her wet diaper. After asking for me to Please get her out of her crib! she just started singing and laughed when I used the hammer on the door. This is a contrast to the time when Anna was 18 months and was stuck in a similar situation. Anna had been screaming on the other side of the door for over an hour when our landlord finally put his fist through the door of our Sacramento apartment. After that experience, I knew what I had to do. I just used a hammer instead. Michael was home sick (105.5 temp) and had been watching Myth Busters Explosions. He was completely on board with the rescue.

I thought I was being a good mom today . . .

I know these should be beautifully plated and then photographed in natural light, but this baker and her little Canon PowerShot don't have what it takes to photograph food. The stove top is where food goes in my kitchen because I barely have any counter space. I thought I was making a special treat for my kids when they got home from school. I spent yesterday canning tomatoes and making recipes with homegrown tomatoes from Travis's parents. That combined with an intense Power Pump class made me feel like I deserved a cinnamon roll today. Just as I popped them in the oven, thinking of how excited my kids would be when they came home and smelled them, the phone rang. It was Michael at school. "Mom! It was a 1/2 day. School got out at 12:40 (an hour and fifteen minutes ago). I've been waiting in the office and I'm so bored!" He had been calling on my cell phone, which I left in the car, and finally the school looked up our home number, which he didn't have memorized. He does now. Anna and Michael go to different schools and I have to drive them both ways. It's a lot of schedules for this brain of mine. Michael said there were 50 kids in the office whose parents also forgot. I felt a little better, but the truth is, I had no idea there was a 1/2 day! There wasn't a reminder and Michael switched to this school two weeks into the school year. Michael had to wait while the cinnamon rolls cooked, plus another fifteen minutes for me to drive to his school. I can't say it's the first time I've forgotten about an early-out day, and I bet it won't be the last, but maybe my kids will remember that their mom made them cinnamon rolls.

Treehouse Museum with Grandma Thompson, Elisa, and Cousins

After living in so many cities with fabulous children's museums, we were excited to find that Ogden also boasts an amazing children's museum called The Treehouse Museum. It's located right next to the Ogden LDS Temple, and close to both Anna and Michael's schools. Today Mom and Elisa and her girls, Mia and Samantha, came up to Ogden for the first time since our move-in. We're excited that they now know Ogden really isn't that far away. (Mom needs official credit here for many trips up here to help us paint the condo, along with a lot of other family who helped with our painting and move-in. And Grandma and Grandpa Dastrup--three times, but who's keeping score?--and Annie and Jed and Adam have all visited. I just wasn't taking pictures or blogging yet!) This museum is charming, and I know we will spend many happy hours here. Everyone is invited to join us! We have two complimentary adult passes with our membership and we'll go with you if you come to Ogden!

Bear Lake August 2010

I haven't posted a blog in a few months, but I figure it's like starting to exercise--again--you have to start somewhere. We missed the official Holdaway Family Bear Lake, which was earlier in the summer, but several members of Travis's family went to Bear Lake for a weekend at his grandparents' time share condo. Living in Ogden we're closer than when we lived in Orem, but it still always takes some doing to get there. Even the shorter 2-hour drive feels longer than it should. Lucky for us we had our little songbird Sarah with us. She sang for most of the drive, and we were greeted with a gorgeous double rainbow over Bear Lake. My candid pictures of our group weren't great, but I'm glad I took a few to remember our happy weekend with. It was great to be with Liz and Andrew before their wedding; Annie and April, visiting from their recent move to Boston; Brigham and Christa and their three wonderful boys, Benjamin, Jacob, and Ty; and of course, Mom and Dad Dastrup. Dad planned and cooked all of the food! He swears it's easy for him, and he always makes it look easy, but I'm still impressed. I've been in on many of these vacations to Bear Lake over my almost-twelve years as a Dastrup, and this place holds many dear memories. I love to think of Grandma and Grandpa Holdaway who are so much a part of Bear Lake. They're no longer with us, but they don't feel very far away.