Fairy Garden

My Second Fairy Garden

Breakfast of Champions

Much known fact: I start just about every day with a bowl of Wheaties. I always put honey on top. Today however, I put syrup! Yep, walked into the pantry, grabbed the cereal, grabbed the syrup, and proceeded to use both. At that point I was concerned how the rest of the day would go, but everything has been fine. Lol.

Little known fact: I've been eating Wheaties and Honey since I can remember. 4 to be exact. Although back then it was called Buckwheats. And I HAVE to have too much milk, or it's a "no thank you."

Taking Pleasure in the Small Things

May was sick yesterday and had to stay home from church. I am sick today and had to stay home from my busy life.

It's been wonderful!

• I skipped an hour with Heidi the Trainer and went back to sleep for a couple hours.
• May and I lounged in bed watching David and Goliath - a Liken movie that if you don't own, it's a MUST.
• Kitty brought me water bottles all day - and an Oreo from her Lunchable.
• I sent out a text to a group of girls and everyone got back to me right away.
• May and I read a President Monson story that had us laughing out loud for a long time!
• I ordered pizza for dinner (i.e. no cooking).
• I finished a book I've been nursing forever!
• Baden is now playing in the bathtub, talking to me under water and asking me to figure out what he's saying. Earlier I got to watch him fill his mouth with water and spit a water fountain.
• Mr. Chinn just called and is on his way home.
• And as I write, the girls are dancing and singing in the family room.

That's One Way to Kill a Spider

Kitty stumbled upon a wolf spider in the house the other day. [pictures not included. you're welcome.] She was pretty freaked out and ran off to my room to wait it out, while May May kept repeating, "Don't kill him, mommy. Don't kill him." So I grabbed Kitty's mini-broom, opened the back door, put the hairy spider in position and...SWEEP!

Ooops, he hit the rather tall threshold...

Like 15 times!

I couldn't get him over the darn thing! I just kept sweeping him back about a foot from the door and then whacking him like a golf ball. And "Shmack!" Right into the door jam again. The first few times he was knocked silly. Somewhere along the way he expired.

At least we didn't have to smell Raid for the rest of the day.

I'm Expecting. My Tight Pants Told Me So.

While waiting for each of our children to be "ours" ;-) I've added a pound or two. With May May I earned 20 of them. With Baden it was 15. I think a lot of those pounds were from the actual baby, but the rest of it was Taco Bell Burrito Supremes and Baskin Robins chocolate milkshakes.

Yes, at the same meal. Yes, almost every day.

Adoption is no exception. With Kat I gained 5 pounds. During this waiting period, I ate Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream A LOT. I would wait until the kids were asleep and Bill and I were done chatting. Then it was just me, a spoon, and the carton. Good times.

And this time around?? I'm back at Baskin Robins - and the Must Have is:

Banana Royal.

1 scoop mint chocolate chip, 1 scoop chocolate chip, 1 banana, hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream. It's yummy goodness.

The only problem is that I can't get my taste buds and my stomach to coordinate. My stomach is done WAY before my mouth. It's uncomfortable.

And yet I persist.

Thus the 5 pounds I've already put on.

It's worth it. Besides, weight gain is a natural part of expecting...

xo

My New Calling

I was released from my church calling today. And then called right back into it! I've been serving as the Second Counselor in our ward Primary since last November. Recently our President was called to serve in the Stake Primary Presidency. I've been on pins and needles waiting to find out what the Lord had in store for our Primary children.

And this morning I found out that I will be serving with BFF Jen!! She is our new President!!!! I'm so thrilled to be able to serve with someone so close to me. This is my first opportunity and I couldn't be happier. Our ward has many many outstanding women who could serve as Primary President and it doesn't surprise me a bit that the Lord called Jen. She has so much to offer. It's a privilege to serve under her. And I'm thrilled that He saw fit to let me stay!

I love all the primary children and am blessed and lucky to serve them. They are so sweet and I'm humbled to know that the Lord is trusting me with their little hearts and minds.

All three of my children are in Primary. Our new First Counselor is someone I don't know well, so I'm looking forward to getting to know her better. Our Secretary is my friend Heidi, and our Music Leader is my good friend Allison.

I can't wait for our first meeting and to begin this new endeavor!

xoxo

"Paper or Plastic?"

For the first half of my childhood the grocery clerk didn't ask this question. We had no choice. It was just paper. They would fill the paper bags with groceries and we would empty them at home. Then we folded them up along their creases, and tucked them away on the side of the refrigerator. Later we'd pull out a bag and use it as an extra trash bin, stuff it with must haves to carry to a friends', or cut one up, wrap it around a text book, and decorate it.

The 70's child was taught to conserve trees. And to try not to use so much paper. We loved our Mother Earth. Finding more uses for the grocery bag made us feel better. Like we were making a difference.

Then something HUGE happened! Along came plastic. Wonderful plastic! There were even commercials touting the virtues of plastic. This product would save us from our environment wrecking, tree killer selves. Here's a Pepsi commercial from 1978:

See?? Wasn't that great?! Can't you just feel the excitement and joy?!

A few years later Coca-Cola came out with plastic 1/2 liter bottles. The nation was thrilled! We could now drop our sodas and they wouldn't break. Over the years we went wild for plastic. One day it even showed up in the form of a grocery bag. When I heard, "paper or plastic?" at check out, boy did I feel like an A+ citizen when I boldly replied, "plastic." I was doing my part. You're welcome world.

Well that was the eighties. We did our best. The fast food industry even abolished their Styrofoam food containers. We tried.

Now it's the future, and the right answer to "paper or plastic?" is "neither, thank you. I brought my own multi-use bag constructed of recycled stuff." Unfortunately, I never have my act together enough to bring said bags with me to the grocery store. May constantly gets after me about it and wants me to leave them in the Nav. But it's hard enough to keep it picked up without leaving permanent clutter in there.

I don't know, give me time. At least I own a few. That's the first step. I must admit, I didn't actually buy them myself. I won them at a neighborhood party. They were a prize from my dear friend, Angela. She clearly loves Mother Earth way more than me. After all, I brought jewelry as my prize giveaway. Amy Chinn, Rotten Polluter!

What about you? How do you answer the question, "paper or plastic?"

PS: Here's a picture of sweet Angela and me at her baby shower last night...

Thursday Three

A Poem

This is the trainer that happened to meet me

This is the weight that tries to defeat me

These are the birds that wait to

eat me

Thursday Three

The Friend Edition

#1) Meet Marina. We have been besties since we were 21 and have gone through many-a-life changing events together. She's seen me do all those dumb things that I'd like to pretend didn't happen. She knew me "when" and still likes me! Love you, Leena!

#2) This is BFF Sharlene! She inspires the lazy part of me to Get Movin'! She was my first friend when I moved to Texas and my life vest when I needed her in Spokane. She steps in and does for me what I can't do for myself. Love you, Shar!
#3) Let me introduce you to Melanie. Every Thursday night, for the last 9 years, we've got together to watch Survivor. Yes, that show is still on and yes people still watch it. Melanie holds my hand through life and would step into the dark to save me. Luv you, Lanie!

A Day in the Life of ME

Randomly chosen day: Tuesday, March 30, 2010

We had our normal morning routine until 7:30 when I sent Baden off to school on his bike. This is a first for him. He rode around the corner picked up a friend, and they biked to school together. He loved it! Me, not so much. I'm a bundle of nerves. It'd be great if the school would send up a smoke signal when he gets there. Is that asking too much??

7:50 - May caught the bus. Mr. Chinn dropped Kitty off at school and headed to work.

9:00 - At Jens to Visit Teach. Unfortunately, I brought the April Ensign. Ugh. I stayed for an hour, which is perfectly acceptable because she's a bestie and it was just the two of us anyway. Then the RS Presidency showed up for their monthly meeting, and I stayed a few minutes to chat with them.

[Forgot to take picture with Jen & Co. Grrr.]

10:30 - Went grocery shopping and happened to run into a couple friends. I snapped this picture of Jennifer who looks good with no make up, work out clothes, and a pony tail. (She was Miss Utah; she can't help it)

12:00 - Lunch Time. Thai chicken with noodles and bell peppers.
12:30 - Unpacked my shipment from mini Boden. Super cute clothes, it was a thrill!! Tried to track down Baden's pinewood derby car, and finally got the badges onto his blasted scout shirt.
2:00 - Picked up Kat from school.

3:00 - Walked down our street, around the corner, and down that street till I ran into Baden on his bike. Ahhhh, big sigh of relief. Saw my friend, Kristy, who was doing the same thing because she knew I was terrified. We chatted and our boys decided to play over at our house.
4:00 - May May brought a friend home as well.
So poor Kitty was the only one to actually do chores. She had to put all the TP away in the bathrooms.5:00 - Off to scouts. Baden is here showing off his fine badges.
5:30 - Kitty asked if she could have a snack. I found her aproned and making her own sandwich (double fiber bread, mustard, ranch dressing, turkey, cheese).

6:00 - Back at scouts...

6:30 - Dinner. No pictures cuz it's leftovers (!).

7:30 - Finally some homework...
8:00 - Nite Nite, Kitty.

9:00 - Baden's Bedtime story. Chapter 18.

9:45 - May's reading. I'm blogging. Mr. Chinn is still working...

There's a Method to my Madness

The Chinn's had a sloooow start this morning. Which led to Baden missing the bus. Which led to me helping him get comfy on the couch and go back to sleep for a few minutes. And then a few more minutes.

Until he was late for school.

He was exceptionally tired this morning, and I just couldn't help letting him rest. And he's awfully cute when he's sleeping.

You should have seen Mr. Chinn though. His face read, "my wife is nuts." In his world, one is not late to school. School is sacred.

Mr. Chinn has an interesting motto: "If your head hurts at school, it's gonna hurt at home too, so you might as well be at school."

In my world, a morning power nap for my child [with untreated sleep apnea] makes perfect sense. Growing up, my mom-the-hippie (we had beads hanging in the doorway, no lie) would have let me sleep for hours and skip school. One time when I was in 4th grade my brother was staying home from school, for a very good reason I'm sure, so my mom let me stay home as well. This might, however, explain why grown-up Amy can't help May May with her 5th grade math. But I digress.

I'm pretty hung up on a lot of things, so I'm grateful for the part of me that is a free spirit. I don't care that Kat still sucks her thumb. If she wanted a pacifier I'd give it to her! I'm not concerned with my kids giving up their sippy cup or their special blanket. It doesn't bother me if your 3 year old wears a diaper and drinks from a bottle. I just can't get worked up over those kind of things.

I need and appreciate the balance Mr. Chinn brings to my life. I hope I help him fly. And I thank him for his tether.

xoxo

Gaining Insight

A few weeks ago I was out to lunch with a couple friends, Rebecca and Jen. Rebecca told us that she had asked her children an important question. I couldn't wait to ask my littles the same and hear what they would say. I want to keep their answers to myself, but I'll share the question:

"What is one thing I do, that tells you or makes you feel like I love you?"

Their responses were unique to each child and hearing what they had to say was special. I absolutely recommend asking your littles the same question. You'll loooove hearing their answers and feel empowered knowing how (at any given moment) to inject a little love into each of their hearts.

On the flip side of love here's a different question: May May and I were driving in the Nav when she said, "I'm so grateful that you're my mom. Ya wanna know why? Cuz [so-and-so's] mom FREAKED OUT when she got an 80 on her math test! I mean you would never get mad at me over an 80."

"Huh. So what kind of things do I get mad at??"

(Bracing myself for the answer...)

"Talking to you when you're 'done,' and not cleaning up right." ["Done" means that I've signed off for the night and it's way after the kids bedtime. I want to defend myself here, but I'll let it go.]

Later I asked Baden the same question. His answer: "When we talk back to you and when we're not looking at you and you think we're not listening, but we are."

And here's Kitty's answer: "When I tell a lie. And when I kiss Powers."

Time for reflection: Sounds like I'm staying on message with Baden and Kitty (The Kissing Bandit), but ouch, no likey May May's answers. I've got some work to do....

Thursday Three

#1) A few weeks ago Mr. Chinn and May May were invited by wonderful friends to accompany them front and center at the Mavs game. Mrs. Wonderful Friend and I were soo very envious!

#2) Baden had his school open house this week. He was suppose to show us how he could work out this math tile problem. But Mr. Chinn and I totally took over and worked it out ourselves absolutely ignoring the man cub. As soon as we finished I realized what we had done and I stood there in the middle of his second grade classroom laughing out loud at Baden's parents!
#3) Here's what BFF Melanie is up to when Heidi the Trainer isn't looking....

Wordless Wednesday

I Thought Way Too Highly of Myself

Recognize this Shirt?

The Chinn's have a cub scout! Hooray! We've had Scout Committee Meeting at our house for three years now and Young Baden has been chompin' at the bit to be involved. Every month he helps Mr. Chinn set up chairs and put out refreshments. Now that he's turned 8 the big night has arrived. We've been thrilled for Baden to start scouts! And since buying the Wolf Book, he's hardly put it down!

So I got up this morning with domestic ambitions of sewing the starter badges on Baden's new shirt. I was feeling great! After all, I have my own sewing machine - bought it 6 years ago and even made a quilt with it. A few of you have seen said quilt, so you know it's true.

I had everything ready: shirt, badges, new matching thread, machine in pretty spot by the window, 4 year old daughter waiting to see Mommy Magic -

Wah. Wah. It took me 45 minutes to dust off my old new machine, thread the machine, remember the difference between a lower foot and pressure foot, change out my needle, figure out how to lower the pressure foot, practice on paper towels, fix my thread, fix my thread again, only to wind up with thread jammed so tight it won't budge! I believe I've got to take it apart like a copy machine to search out all the strays.

Kat had long since figured out there would be no magic performed by mommy and ran off to the play room. I wish I had followed. But alas, I texted a couple girls and within 5 minutes my trusty friend and Visiting Teacher, Amy Hick, was in my house checking over the damage. Her conclusion...iron on the badges and call it a day.

After my headache subsides I'll start my new endeavor.

It can't be that hard!

xoxo

"Where Have You Been??!!"

A few years ago my friend Mike Lohner helped form a new jewelry company called Stella & Dot. When he invited me over to see the jewelry I fell in love, scooped up some bling, and started my bid for Best Customer Ever. Fast forward to June 2008 and I'm at the Lohner's house with Marcee (Mike's wife and my friend). She spent a couple hours with me showing me her personal jewelry stash. We picked out tons of julz for me to take on a two week cruise with Mr. Chinn.

On our 13 hour flight, Mr. Chinn and I discussed the Lohner's and how happy we were to have them as friends. I appreciated Marcee for her time and friendship. I was grateful to Mike for years earlier being the first on our doorstep welcoming us to the neighborhood. He was always happy to see us and took the time to chat. Who wouldn't love them?? So by August 2008 I came to the conclusion that I should show a bit of support for their business (besides being their self proclaimed best customer in the entire United States). I hosted a trunk show. I was so nervous about asking my friends to come, that I attached the show to our monthly book club meeting. The jewelry was such a hit, the girls were thanking me for inviting them! Two friends booked shows, so I attended those and had so much fun that I wanted in! Quite a turnaround!

In November I started my own Stella & Dot business! It was a blast playing with all the jewelry and meeting a ton of new people! However, it was a lot of work. I soon realized that I would need a better reason for doing said work than buying a new hand bag and the like. So I created a stuffed animal program with Mary Graham Children's Home called Fury Friends. Each year they house about 1400 of the worst cases of child abuse, neglect, and molestation in the county. The children arrive with nothing. It completely breaks my heart to picture it.

In December we were all set to welcome two little boys into our family. Baden had purchased Christmas presents for them and we totally thought it was a done deal. Then at the last minute their foster family decided to adopt them. We were devastated. I kinda went into hiding.

A few months later I picked up my business again. It was a great distraction. I can't say I was very good at it. My dedication was half hearted. I really wanted to support my stuffed animal program though, and after awhile it helped me find my desire to do well. There were plenty of long talks with Mr. Chinn and tons of guidance from Stella. Finally in August things really started to take off. I was booking 6 - 8 shows a month, building a team, earning a glam getaway, and hobnobin' with Stella's finest! I was having a blast and still able to be around every day when my kids got home from school. I loved my increased responsibility - I was even asked to speak at meetings! Before you're too impressed, you should know that it was always about how I totally blew in the beginning and then turned things around to really rock it. EVERYONE else spoke about how they were the best at (fill in the blank) from the start and "you can be too." Me: Pitfalls to Avoid. :-/

By January 2010 I have earned $$$. With the profits from my business, I am able to provide a stuffed animal for each child as they enter the facility for the next 2 years! I hope it brings them a bit of comfort as they snuggle their little friend at night and find it waiting for them after school. I'm sure it's a sad and lonely time for those children.

Mr. Chinn and I both feel strongly for children in these circumstances and have decided to pursue our adoption again. We will be adopting a little boy, aged 4 -5 through Child Protective Services (CPS). Our family is really excited, and honestly I'm a bit nervous. This may come as a shock, but I'm not Superwoman! So I've also decided to close my Stella & Dot business. This little boy will need a whole mommy, and frankly the first three will too!

So that's my scoop. I hope you made it to the end without falling asleep!

xoxo

True Story

Have you ever been at deaths door?? Or at least sounded like it? I apparently have...

Last Thursday I was working out in the backyard with Heidi the Trainer and Bill Chinn. We were doing an ab exercise where I was laid out on the ground moaning and groaning because it was so painful to complete....I'll wait while you get a tissue.....Okay, back to the pain - it was burning and aching and I was whining and complaining. Then I looked up from my death mat to see two buzzards, high in the sky, circling above me. Round and round they went waiting for me to finally croak.

It's true! I have three witnesses: Heidi the Trainer, Bill Chinn the Husband, an Me the Storyteller.

When the ab agony was over and I stood up, the vultures flew away.

Seriously.

They were waiting for me to die.

So they could eat me.

True Story. You heard it here first.

Birthday Lunch!

My friend, Paula, and I spent an afternoon in Dallas to celebrate my birthday - a bit on the belated side! I love Paula. She is fun and exciting and it's always a great time! She treated me to a yummy lunch and we did some shopping.

It's never too late to celebrate, so if you missed me last November don't fret, I'm available all year!

Thank you, Paula - You're the best!

Last month my friend, Angela, and I took a Chocolate Tasting class at SMU in Dallas. Best class I've ever taken! We are now experts. If you have any chocolate issues, please feel free to burden me.

Cooper Wellness Program

"Don't die of something stupid. You are beautifully and wonderfully made."

-Dr. Kenneth Cooper

For my Christmas present this year Bill gave me a week at Cooper Aerobics Center. I've been wanting to go again and was so excited for this opportunity! I loved the lectures and the exercise classes, especially Pilates and Spin, but I concentrated most on nutrition. I learned a ton of new things and am totally motivated to eat more healthy. It doesn't seem that difficult, not counting dessert mind you! I've used a few of the recipes this week and feel like such a good mom when I serve these healthy and yummy foods. I'd feel even better if all of my kids would eat them (!), but they don't eat the less healthy stuff either...What's a mom to do??

I met some really super people while I was there. Here I am in the Cookery (my favorite spot) with new friends Nicole and Brooke. Give us a break, we'd been working out all day (some more than others - not me!) and hadn't got to shower yet. Below is John, my new favorite 19 year old (Emma and Jenni, you guys are 20 now right??) with Chef Matt.
Here's a fab recipe for you from Kathy Duran who is the genius behind our 1400 calorie days:

Creamy Salsa Dressing

1/3 cup light sour cream

1/3 cup fat-free mayo

1/3 cup salsa

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

2 TBs fresh lime juice

I promise it's wonderful, AND only 25 calories for 2 TBs!

Your welcome.

Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.
Edward Stanley, Earl of Derby (1826-93), British Statesman.

I should etch that quote in my bathroom mirror.