You Know You've Got a Couple of 3-Year-Olds in the House...

...if your Kitchenaid beater serves more than one purpose...

...if your blinds double as a super-cool hangout for every available Incredible...

...if your computer regularly features the Youtube versions of awesome Fantasyland rides at Disneyland...

...if your lunchtime includes Mickey waffles, mandarin oranges, 2 different Mac trucks, 1 piggy car...

...if the back of your couch is slathered in Desitin...


Now normally, I like our home to smell warm and inviting, like winter candy apple, or cinnamon, or something tasty baking in the oven--generally, something in the family of pleasant fragrances. But for the next little bit, (to escape the mudanity of an olfactory rut) why not mix things up with a distinctive aromatic cocktail of zinc oxide and cod liver oil?! Wow. But on the bright side, no diper rash for the back of the couch...

Adventures in Up-Chucking...

So this past Thursday, I dropped off my girls for their dance class with the lovely, gracious, and talented Aunt Tera. Cael and I, actually completely I with Cael tagging along because he is 3 and I am his mom and he pretty much goes where I go, headed to the semi-nearby Albertson's for a (supposed-to-be) quick and coupon-filled grocery run.

Cael had nodded off while in the car and was so mellow and pleasant when I undid his carseat. He wanted to just sit in the cart and take it easy, which was fine by me. I meticulously went through my coupons, gathering the precise amounts of Quaker oats and Campbells soup--these things must be counted very specifically, you know.

While winding through the frozen foods, Cael got this very, very sad look on his face, and then so rudely, every item that the poor child had consumed (from what seemed like the beginning of time) violently came out-- all over him, the cart, the case of soup underneath the cart, wow. I attempted to use his green corduroy jacket as a mop; Cael just asked if we could go home now.

What to do with a sicky boy and a cart with puked-on soup cans?? I couldn't/ shouldn't really abandon it, especially after the meticulous coupon clipping... I opted to head to the nearest check-out stand, and calmly and rationally (thanks Hayley Mills) fill in my check-out stand guy on the state of affairs in my cart (and also see if they had a water source in which to hose down said cart). Two- thumbs up to the Albertson's crew, who not only were very nice, but they put my stuff in another cart and brought it out to the car.

Situations like this--yes, I've had more than one, always remind me of my lovely and beloved 5th grade teacher, Ms. Renberg. (She actually was a model on the weekends, and taught elementary school Monday- Friday, but that's for another post...) Way back in 5th grade in Washington (State, not DC), Ms. Renberg shared a story on "maturation" day (oh boy, and back then, it was none of this "have a health specialist come in and speak in terms that neither 5th graders nor their parents can understand"- it was have 2 of the 5th grade teachers go in and chat with the boys and the other 2 5th grade teachers go in with the girls and field whatever anonymous questions they can think of. (Who wouldn't want to be a 5th grade teacher??) Ms. Renberg told us about a lady who was out and about one day in white pants, unprepared for the "natural phenomenon" that happens each and every month for the female species. Anyway, the white-panted gal had to walk by a guy outside on her way to her car, and so instead of freaking out (like she wanted to) and making a big deal out of things, she played it cool and normal and said "hi" like no big deal, and he never even noticed that anything wasn't quite right with her wardrobe.

Great story to think of (that's just how my mind works), and hey, maybe no one did notice the vomit dripping from the cart as we rolled out into the parking lot?? I think Ms. Renberg would at least hane given me and Cael some "completely capable" points for composure...

**good news--no more puking for any of the Goff boys for 3 whole days now!! We'll keep our fingers crossed, and try to remain calm and rational...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CURTIS!!

This is what my very precious and handsome firstborn looked like after a few weeks with his new and learning parents...

This is what my still precious and handsome firstborn looked like this very morning, eating his ultimate birthday breakfast--leftover bacon fried rice and wontons from his special request pre-birthday dinner yesterday. He just loves it when I break out the camera, putting out that "more pictures, mom, PLEASE" vibe...

This is my precious and handsome Curtis, being the very fun/ good sport big bro and cousin who totally still brings it when it comes to the Lego table...

What can I say--Curtis is no longer our 1-week overdue, 8 lb. little teensy-tiny, non-sleeping, perpetually starving newborn. He's fun, funny, handsome, only semi-sleepy, still pretty hungry, a great big brother to 3 little sisters and 1 little brother, a great son to his thankful parents. Thanks for coming, Curtis!! We love you!! Happy 14th Birthday!!

Snowy, Icy, and a Bummer...

Fun times were had this week with lots of sledding for the Goff "yes we are still off-track" Crew! It turns out that Cael is a big fan of sleds, tubes, hills, snow; by himself, with someone else, he wants to go again...

Uncle Allen and Aunt Jessica are also big fans of sledding and introduced us to a great park by their house with a seriously just-right hill--big, but not too big. Big enough though, that if there is, say a guy walking his dog across the snow at the bottom of the hill, that guy may need to seriously speed up before his pooch is pummeled by an oncoming sled carrying 2 adults (perhaps the two that are pictured here) that may or may not be out of control...

We had so much fun sledding with the cousins, that we had to go again the next day, because guess what? More fresh snow for us!! It does come in handy to have a strong and helpful teenager that can give a good push-start...

Kylie, Morgan, Cael, Kendell, and Curtis--sure they look cheery enough, but behind those smiles, their eye are chanting "we need snow pants, we need snow pants..."

So here's me and Kylie on a pleasant, non-icy day. I do love a softly falling snow, but I am not a fan of a non-softly falling me. (I spent 2 long winters in less-than-balmy Rexburg, Idaho, my point being that I do have some experience with icy conditions and I should know better than to slip and fall!) Paul and I were on a hot Saturday night date at Sam's Club, unloading the stuff into the trunk. As gallant Paul took the cart back (and the temperature read 4 degrees), I attempted to enter the car and start the engine, only instead, I completely lost my footing and hit my left shin on the underside of the passenger side door, as I landed less-than-gracefully and extremely HARD on my rear end. I would not recommend this activity to anyone, although, thanks to my good pal Ibuprofin and numerous ice packs, not to mention the love and support of a helpful fam (from a distance, mom can't take any sudden movements for the time being), I will pull through. I may, however, start wearing spikey golf shoes outside, or perhaps I will just stay in...