Happy Holidays

This is a total regurgitation of a post on my other blog, but I'm getting tired of looking at Halloween pictures. This year I feel more like the grinch - we have been so busy with family events that I haven't had time to do anything Christmas-y. With our gypsy lifestyle, 2 family vacations, a suprise 50th birthday party for my mom, a wedding, and an open house, I had decided not to do Christmas cards this year. But card after adorable card kept coming to my parents' house, and with how fast my kiddos are growing, I felt like we had to do something. With about 10 minutes of warning, I told Travis the new plan, wiped the dirt from their faces, put on a necklace and some lip gloss, and we did a 3 minute photo shoot. My grinch heart has grown 3 sizes as I finally broke out the Christmas tunes and spent the day making a palate of caramel apples. Hopefully next year it won't take me until 4 days before Christmas before I get excited about the season.

Halloween 2009

Luke was in superhero heaven this year with his pick of costumes (thanks to Grandma Bam Bam). He slept in his Wolverine costume a few nights in a row, and I was sure it was going to be the winner, but instead went for Batman, with his Spiderman costume underneath for extra warmth and muscles. Miles was an elephant with a giant rear. We headed over to Grandpa's for our Halloween tradition of the Salem Ward "Trek or Treat". Kristin & Cuba came with us and we had a great night filled with, soup, apple cider, and Amanda's homemade doughnuts. Yum Yum. It would have been a perfect night if the Yankees had only lost...

Music and Free Stuff

Here are my favorite songs that get me up & on the treadmill in the morning. In the winter months, the songs have to be really good to get me out of my snugly "Grandma Spencer blanket".

1. Time to Pretend - MGMT

2. She's Got Me Dancing - Tommy Sparks
aka, the ipod commercial song

3. I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man) - Kenny Loggins
A recent trip to Tuachann Theater in St. George with some fun and sassy ladies made me revive the Footloose soundtrack, a favorite in the Ghent household growing up

4. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - Michael Jackson
A shout out to the ever-weird and ever-talented MJ

5. Electric Feel - MGMT
Miles and Luke love this song. Thanks for finding it, Travis

6. Struttin' - 45
7. Jump Around - House of Pain
A classic

8. 20 Dollar - MIA
Still love all her songs...

9. Deny - DJ Motive
Reminiscent of George Benson or "the Demo Song" on our old keyboard, both my mom's favorites.

10. Coal War - Joshua James
Like this guy a lot. So do the people on NPR. So does John Connors, need I say more? He hails from Provo.

11. Whatcha Want - Beastie Boys
I still remember the first time I heard this song. I was very nerdy 12 year old visiting my very cool cousins who were in high school. My cousin, Adam, was a big time drummer, and he was playing this song on his stereo in his basement, drumming along to the beat. The Beastie Boys and I began a long, wonderful relationship.

12. The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
For Whitney and Stevie Nicks

13. Fall In Step - Jaydiohead
Still think Jay Z is the greatest rapper, add a little Radiohead, and you've got some cool, weird stuff.

14. Touched - Vast
A little "butt-rocker", but I have great memories of this song in college. Thank, Shar!

OK, so if you want some cool exercise tunes AND a bunch of random workout stuff from RACE TRI, leave a comment and I'll do a random pick and you'll get a sweet package in the mail (or hand delivered, perhaps?). Don't be shy, I love all commenters.

PS - Want to run less and improve your running time? A recent study found that if you do 6-12 30-second sprints 3-4 times per week AND reduce your training volume by 25%, you can run significantly faster in you next running race. Read the abstract here. I love those endurance geeks in Copenhagen.

the boys

A few pictures of the ever-growing boys...
Luke picked the location, Miles was only happy sitting in the extremely dirty tractor wheel, and I got to try out my new lens - the newest member of our family, who came weighing 2.1 lbs, and is 5 inches long. I have named him Herbert.




*In case you were curious, the name Herbert means "illustrious warrior". Very fitting, and yes I am a self proclaimed a dork.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

I started this post a while ago and forgot about it, and as you can see, Larry King looks way too old for me NOT to post, so here it is.

On our trip to LA this summer, I experienced two great American past times: baseball and eating. This was seriously better than Disneyland (and I love Disneyland). We got tickets for 2 nights, and after the first VIP trip to Chavez Ravine, I felt like a little kid the night before Christmas who can't sleep because I was excited! Before the game, we got to hang out in the dugout club, and eat. They had the best grilled eggplant. After that, you watch the game, and eat. You have a waiter who brings you whatever you want: pretzels, dodger dogs, diet cokes, bases loaded nachos, frozen yogurt, BBQ brisket Panini's (I got all of these). Needless to say, I can hold my food. I also discovered if you wear a hat really low and walk with purpose, people think you might be a celebrity, and they are really nice to you. Some of the celebs we sat near were: Larry King, Mary Hart (is she from Entertainment Tonight?) president Palmer aka, the allstate commercial guy (Travis gave him a high-5 while greating him with an "El Presidente"), and Mr. Big from Sex in the City.

Part II in the series

If you can't tell, I'm finally editing home movies for the year, so this is part 2 of the "R is for relative" series.

Rated "R" Post

This post is rated "R" for Relative. If you are not related to me, you probably don't care about what I have posted. With that said, here is Luke dancing to his favorite song. This kid can move! Next stop, a Missy Elliot music video...

An inaugural weekend

This weekend was a weekend of firsts.

1st RedRock Relay

(I'm testing out one of the 36 exchanges, and just in case you are wondering, I have been seeing those orange barricades in my sleep for the past few days)

1st energy drink...with a mountain dew chaser

1st time I slept 2 hours in 2 days. I slept from 3am-5am Thursday night, and not a wink on Friday night. I finally got some shut eye at about 3pm on Saturday.


1st In-and-Out burger in Utah. I still think their fries are gross, but it's probably because I don't like potatoes, rice, or anything starchy.

1st time in years that I saw my friend Carrie Walker. I went over to ask a running team a question, and who should turn around to answer? Carrie. Way cool girl - it made my day to see her.

1st time I was mistaken for Vince Neil. My hair was awesome.

1st time I considered a carrier in construction. I was a pro with the cordless drill.

Party Boys

That German crew sure knows how to party. Fiona worked hard for 2 days creating a treasure hunt as Luke paced the halls, barely able to contain himself. Hamilton, Luke, Miles and Linny all enjoyed their prizes, and I enjoyed my German chocolate & salad dressing (not together). Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Linnea!

Downtown, things will be great when you're...

I took a little field trip to the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market and Flower Mart this morning. Even though LA can be dirty, and sometimes a little scary, I still love it. I got up at 5am to hit the last hour of the market (it opens at 2am for all you insomniacs out there). I guess this is where grocery stores, restaurants get a lot of their produce. When I was really little, my parents were in a food co-op and used to come here to buy produce, obviously B.C. (Before Costco). I loved to watch the hustle and bustle of forklifts, people bartering and finding the best deals, and just seeing how the whole process works.

After that, we went over to the flower mart. Amazing flowers at insane prices. Orchids are my favorite, and they had row after row of huge double stemmed, potted orchids for only $9!

The other day, I went down to the fashion district and fabric district. I found a little hole in the wall place in an upstairs loft that sold fabric for $2 a pound. I got about 18 yards of different fabric for only $10. Now I only need to learn how to sew. Next time I'm taking my grandma. Beverly would have a hay day digging through barrels of fabric.

happy belated 4th

Here's one for the family journal.

4th of July fun:
Freedom Festival hot air balloons, 10K run, BBQ, fireworks with friends (almost burnt my hair off when part of a sparkler landed on my head)

Where is my mind?

I am losing my mind. Since my 29th birthday, I have begin to show signs of my designated Golden Girls character, Dorothy (may she rest in peace). Earlier in the week, I got all the way to Walmart and realized that I didn't put any pants on Miles. Needless to say, since we were at Walmart, he fit right in, possibly crossing off a square on someone's Walmart Bingo. Yesterday, I drove about 5 miles down the road on the way to the post office and realized I wasn't wearing shoes. Normally I just forget things like diapers, wipes, my phone, etc. But this was getting ridiculous. Who forgets to put on their shoes? During the drive, I was listening to NPR and a story came on keeping your brain sharp, which was very fitting. Apparently crossword puzzles don't do the trick like we thought, and exercise is the best thing for your brain. So, as soon as I got home, I went for a run AND remembered to put on my shoes.

*If you and 11 friends are looking to keep your mind from turning to mush, check out this cool race called the RedRock Relay. I'm there, hopefully wearing a tutu or some type of 80's leotard.

The Marshmallow Experiment

A few weeks ago, I was listening to my favorite "science is cool" radio show, RADIO LAB and decided to put on my lab coat and use Luke as a guinea pig. Don't worry, there were no muscle biopsies, blood samples or extremely intense bike time trials. Instead it involved cookies.

The program I listened to had an interview from Columbia University psychologist Walter Mischel. In the 1960s, Mischel tested hundreds of 4-year-olds with marshmallows and Oreo cookies and found some very interesting stuff about willpower and delayed gratification.

Mischel put a 4-year-old in a room alone with a marshmallow or a cookie on a table and told the child he was going to leave the room. He said told the child not to eat the cookie, and if they waited until he got back, they could have two cookies.

Some kids ate the cookies right away, and others waited. One day he was talking with his daughter a few years later (who was used in the study along with many of her friends) and was asking how Jenny or Bobby was doing. He noticed that the kids who resisted the treat were doing better than the kids who ate the cookie. So he did a follow up study and found that the kids who showed self control had better SAT scores, had more education, were more healthy - all kinds of crazy things.

So, with Luke being 4, I decided to give it a try. I was a little afraid - what if he ate the cookie?


I put the cookie in front of him, gave him the speech, walked away, and with a sigh of relief, heard him singing "Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?". Great strategy - distraction. After about 15 minutes, I told him he was all done, he could have an ice cream sandwich, and that I expect great things out of him.

Disclaimer: if you listen to the interview of Mischel, he will be the first to tell you that there are always outliers, and that if a child eats a cookie, it really doesn't mean that your child is doomed to a certain path. He also talks about how you can teach your children certain self control strategies. So you can tell your kids you expect great things out of them, whether or not they eat the cookie.

Happy Belated Birthday

My little Miles is 1 and full of life and mischief. I wouldn't have it any other way.

PS- Kate, thanks for the shirt. If Miles is ever being naughty, I just stick him in this shirt and it makes me smile. How can you get mad at a Hawaiian shirt Miles who points his little finger at you as if to say, "Hey, what's up, dude?"

This is your brain on chocolate cake

Warning: You are about to read about a very cool science experiment.

Do you have a hard time passing up sweets? Well, your prefrontal cortex may be the culprit.

Professor Baba Shiv from Stanford University designed a "sweet" science experiment where he had his subjects memorize a 7-digit number or a 1-digit number. Then they walked down the hall to another room, where they would tell another person their number. Along the way, a member of the research team stopped them in the hall and offered them a snack as a way of saying thanks. They could choose either a big slice of chocolate cake or a bowl of fruit salad. The majority of the people who were assigned the 7-digit numbers picked the cake over the fruit salad.

Shiv speculates that the effort required to memorize seven numbers limited cognitive resources, decreasing our ability to control our urges. This lines up with the brain's anatomy since working memory and self-control are both located in our prefrontal cortex. A high cognitive load was enough to overload the rational part of the brain and make the person go with the cake. When our mind is stressed or overloaded, it causes us to be more reliant on our impulsive emotions.

So, if you are stressed out, busy with life, or just have a lot on your plate, take a second to think before you choose what to eat.

And if you really want the chocolate cake, here is a recipe for the best chocolate cake I have ever had. I don't do the whole orange thing - the cake itself is decadent enough. Make sure you serve it with a homemade raspberry sauce. It's delicious.

Pay it forward...

I "won" a pay it forward blog post, but now have to do my part, so...

The first three people to respond to this post will get something made by me!
Made with tons of love just for you! It might be a fun sewing project, a sweet letter to you from me, or some yummy goodies, you might be surprised what you get! Give it a try!

The catch?

You must re -post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 3 people to do so and leave a comment win a lovely little treat for themselves! Have Fun!

Ready........Set............Go!

PS - I really despised the movie "Pay it Forward". I hope that doesn't make me heartless or cold. It's just that Haley Joel Osmond really creeps me out. I hope he turns out OK.

Free Quiznos

If you know me, you know that I like things that are annoying and weird. Hence, the Quiznos commercial. I'm sad they haven't brought back these very talented rodents.

Right now, Quiznos is giving away subs, maybe in retribution for these commercials. Who knows...

You can get your free sub here.

http://www.millionsubs.com/Reg.php?x=1

Vacation!!!

I would love a vacation before I turn into the crocodile bag. Here are my top 3 places I'm dreaming about right now...

1. Disneyland - always a favorite. I really want to take Luke to the Peter Pan Pool at the Disneyland Hotel. If I don't answer the phone tomorrow, you'll know I made a break for it and we're driving to LA.



2. Thailand - a recent obsession. We went out to dinner for Thai food with some friends, and they told us all about their trip to Thailand. Masman curry, pad thai, secluded beaches, and 3 cent fairy rides...Sounds amazing.



3. A cruise - I don't care where it goes. All I want to do is read, eat shrimp cocktail, and order room service. Travis and I were going to go on a cruise for our 5 year anniversary, but instead chose to do a 1/2 Ironman. I think I'd choose the cruise this time around.



*Have any other suggestions? I'm open. I know you bloggers out there are very well traveled, so throw out any of your favorite vacations. Travis and I are actually trying to take a REAL vacation this year.

Dear Ann Curry,

Dear Ann Curry,

I was amazed to discover that, in addition to being a broadcast journalist, you are also a baby whisperer. When I was watching Dateline NBC last night, and you stood up to speak for Nadya Suleman's children "who could not speak for themselves," I thought, "Wow." With a gift like that, you should expand into some sort of reality advice show where you communicate with other newborns. I am curious, what Nadya's babies said to you? "My mother is irresponsible and should not have produced me. The nerve of that woman! Who does she think she is?"

My 9 month old has recently begun been waking up & crying during the night. Could you speak for him and tell me what is wrong? Is he hungry, lonely, or just plain irritated at me? Your talent would really help me get some more sleep.

Sincerely, Heidi

PS- I am not necessarily endorsing having 14 kids as a single mom. Obviously Nadya Suleman has issues. That is an entirely different post, which I will never write, and frankly, no one cares what I think. But I do find it interesting that so many people who are pro-choice are also irate at her choice to have so many kids. So, does the "My body, my choice" only apply when disposing of a fetus?

PPS- I actually really do like Ann Curry, so if you still want to come over and chat, you are more than welcome to.

Winner

So, Miles is actually chilling out right now, so time to blog. I have so many good suggestions for blogging - I think I will take up everyone's suggestions, so no excuse for lack of blogging, right?

I decided to write about...

the crazy things Luke says. Winner, winner, chicken dinner for Whitney and Karen. It will also double up as a journal entry for Luke since I have been slacking. (And runner up is Kate, so many good ideas. Favorite things will be next, followed by an ode to my witty sister-in-law). Look for a fun mail day.

1. The other morning, he announced to me "I have a polka-dotted brain."

2. He was driving with Travis and said, "You know what, Dad? You are pretty lucky to have such a funny kid. And I am pretty lucky to have such a funny Dad. We're silly guys."

3. Luke has learned that whenever he has a problem, he can pray to Heavenly Father for help. He got a balloon, and let go of it in our living room. Since our ceilings are high, no one could get it down. He was so distraught, he went and sat on his bed, and between sobs was saying, "Heavenly Father, Heavenly Father, please help me. Please get my balloon down." He tried that for 5 minutes, then a pause. Then he started up again, "Ironman, Ironman, please help me. Please get my balloon down. Ironman can fly." Pretty good reasoning.

4. Luke gets married every Sunday to a shy little girl named Allie with cute purple glasses. When Allie got her glasses, her mom said she was afraid Luke wouldn't like them. But he does. He told her she looked beautiful. He calls her "My Allie."

5. Luke likes to perform stand up at the Post Office. Yesterday, there was a line of 15 people, one postal worker, and everyone was dead silent and cranky. He got up on a little bench and proceeded to show everyone all the various office supplies - "Here is some paper. This is tape. I like bubble wrap," etc. And then he said "And I have a MOM!" Somehow everyone was laughing, and he nodded his head like he found the best treasure in all the post office.

6. Luke likes to talk in his Yoda voice. "Mom, Master Yoda wants something to eat." "Use the forest" (aka the Force), and "Do or do not, there is no try."

7. Every time we go to Grandpa Phillip's house, he brings me the bouquet of fake red tulips and says, "You're beautiful."


PS - Matt, I can't remember all the excuses Luke gave for not being able to pick up his room. I think I just block it out. I'll have to be more observant next time.

Blogger's Block

I've got blogger's block. Any suggestions?

PS - If I write about your suggestion, I'll send you a little something in the mail as a thank you for helping me out. I feel like my brain is turning to mush...

Latest Happenings...

I've neglected the blog. Here's a quick update...

My oldest monkey turned 4. I made him a star wars cake. He got a pet fish. He named it Otto.

My littlest monkey enjoyed seeing everyone over the holidays. He especially liked snuggling Aunt Aarika. He liked the boxes and wrapping paper, and dancing to the song "Bruises" by Chairlift (that one on the ipod commercial).

I like icicles. This one was on Aunt Tracey's house. She had a great collection. When we were first married, I grew giant icicles with our leaky outside hose spigot. Then I would break them off and pretend I was a javelin thrower in the Olympics. I always won the gold.

Travis is enjoying his sweet mustache. My mom is not. She couldn't even look at him. Too bad it is forever immortalized in his Wii character...

Wii sidenote: I am a horrible bowler in real life, but I have figured out if you channel Mary-Katherine Gallagher on your release, you can get a pretty decent score.

New Year's PartA!!!

Happy New Year! We had a great time ringing in the new year. Emy won the limbo, Angela danced her way to an Olive Garden gift card, and we all got silly with some virgin mixed drinks and a booming system. I haven't danced like that for 10 years. We poured out a little Martinelli's for everyone who couldn't come.