Last week in pictures

A church Halloween activity (which is why Jayda is wearing makeup and looks like something from that show Toddlers and Tiaras!

A trip to the Washington DC Temple Visitors Center.

little Bella's first bath with her new chair. She loved it!

Good times had by all!

Flour Fun

Most of you know me well enough to know that I don't cook or bake. I warm things and order things and that about covers my cooking career.

Interestingly enough, I married into a family of cooks. My mother-in-law rocks at cooking and my sister-in-laws are equally impressive. I remember being a newlywed at a family bbq and having Renee (my sister-in-law) ask me to cut the watermelon. Total panic! How does one cut such a large piece of fruit? Then my other sister-in-law, Ronda, was putting together a killer salad with all sorts of fun things like craisins, cheese, etc. Who knew that all salads didn't come premade in a bag?

Anyway, the Roth family is very talented in the kitchen and although I have learned some tips on how to cook, I have not learned to love to cook. In fact, I hate it. Like truly hate it. I'd would honestly rather wax my armpits or wear too small stiletto heels for 3 hours walking up stairs than cook a dinner or bake something. However, I have a 3 year old who enjoys baking cookies. I blame my mother-in-law for being an amazing cook and spending sweet moments with my little Jayda in her kitchen. Now Jayda thinks that I will spend time with her making similar memories. However, last time I really cooked with Jayda it was using her easy bake oven and I burned the cake and melted the Easy Bake utensil. So, I will leave the true cooking expertise to my sweet mother-in-law, Rosemary, who puts all other cooks to shame. It's hard to compete with someone of that caliber anyway. She's pretty impressive in the kitchen...and on a sewing machine, but that's for a different post!

So Jayda wants to bake cookies one rainy day and I feel obligated. I really do want to spend time with her. She's super fun to be with. However, I don't want her to have memories of her mom burning things and tasting crap that's supposed to pass for baked goods. So, I decided to have some real fun and hope that she remembers that as opposed to my lack of culinary talent.

Besides, food fights are waaaay more fun than baking!
PS: The cookies actually ended up being really good!





(getting daddy involved without prior warning was the most fun part!)

www.Lori-Porter.Com

My mom is an artist. She's good. Really good. Not like "pretty good with a few cool pieces to look at"...more like "blow your mind, holy crud someone can paint that" good. Granted I'm biased, but she's done over 1000 projects in the past 20 years and I'd have to say that everyone agrees with me. Her God given talent to bring art to life is pretty amazing.

She has painted every room I've ever lived in---which is why as an adult I have an unnatural fear of plain white walls. So, if you too are white wall phobic, or want something special painted in your home, business, school, church, etc...then call the best...AKA: My Mom.

If you're in the giving mood during this pre-thanksgiving season, do us a favor and add my moms button, or a link to her site, on your blog. You can show all of your friends how hoity toity and artsy fartsy you are by knowing a famous Orange County artist (who is and is not famous is totally subjective, right?) Maybe if she gets a job from your blog button she can paint your face hidden in her next mural??? (Ha! Just kidding...that would be massively creepy!)


She's ready and willing to paint some killer murals or canvas pieces...so keep her in mind when you're in the mood for an interior make-over!

Love ya mom. And yes, I'm fully expecting a painting on canvas for this free advertising.

Potty Talk

When Jayda poops she always yells to me "I love you mom."

It's not just any "I love you mom." It's the grunting, breath holding, intense moan of "I love you mom" as she poops. She's always done it. She does it every single time. No matter what restroom she's in (our house, friends, stores, etc) I hear the declaration of affection while she's making her deposit.

She had some issues with her urinary tract when she was really little so it often hurt her to use the restroom. I remember holding her hand as she sat on the pot and cried and I'd cry with her and tell her "it's okay baby. I love you" as I'd try to offer up little words of encouragement as she suffered. Poor baby.

I can only imagine that those words of encouragement left a mark on her little brain and now she doesn't know she can poop without yelling that she loves me. That's okay though. I love hearing those words, even if she's sending them from her smelly, porcelain throne.

Annie are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?

I hear Jayda's feet hit the floor as she jumps out of bed in the morning. I can sense her tip toe past her sisters door so she doesn't wake her up and I finally see her walk down the stairs with droopy eyes, crazy bed-head hair, and a big yawn. My heart melts. She is sooo sweet and cute. I love this kid.

I sweep her up in my arms and I whisper in her ear, "good morning bubba. I love you."

She replies, "Michael Jackson videos please."

Yes, the first thing out of my daughters foul breathed little mouth is a request to watch more Michael Jackson on youtube. She kills me.

The above is just one example of the craziness that is Jayda's pure obsession with MJ. She loves him when he was normal, not so normal, slightly crazy, and full blown commitable.

Throughout the day I hear little Jayda singing: "Annie are you okay? Say Annie are you Okay? Are you okay, Annie? You've been hit by a smooth criminal..." Ha!!!!!Actually, she can often be heard singing the following greatest hits in her room, or while she plays, or when she's reading books...or frankly anytime she's awake: Billie Jean, Smooth Criminal, Bad, Say Say Say (duet with Paul McCartney), Remember the Time, The Way you Make Me Feel, PYT, Wanna Be Starting Something, Rock with You, Black and White, Dirty Diana, and They Don't Care About Us. Many of you may immediately notice that some major songs are missing - primarily Thriller. Come on people - there is a limit to my bad parenting...that video would scare the poop out of her!

She talks to MJ as if he's in the room with her, she bounces her ball off the back of the chair and when it comes back to her she acts as if MJ threw it, she saves him dinner, reads him books, and holds his hand when she's walking around. Creepy does not begin to cover this situation.

Russ and I are so sick of hearing about Michael Jackson. We told Jayda that he is a freak show and that she probably shouldn't talk about him all the time, but that didn't work. I heard her apologizing to MJ for her daddy and mommy calling him rude names. We told her that he is no longer with us and that he died and that he now lives in heaven. We thought maybe that would stop the obsession. Nope. Now she just tells him she'll have to wait to see him until she lives in heaven too.

She does all his dances in the living room and has now officially declared that she wants to be MJ for Halloween. Okie Dokie. I guess I just have to remember that I'd rather hear and see her sing and dance to MJ than Barney or Raffi.

Jayda also loves picking out her own clothes, cuddling with her sissy, reading books, playing with her friends, talking to her Grammy on the phone, making up stories, helping cook, eating snacks ALL DAY LONG, snapping (she's still mastering the skill), hugging her mommy, wrestling with her daddy, playing with her dolls, going to primary (church class for kids), picking up worms out in the front lawn (she totally gets this from her grammy (my mom) because I'd rather have a root canal than play with worms), putting on makeup, wearing my high-heels, and laughing. In fact, when something is really funny - she cries. She tears up and says she's crying because she's so happy she gets to laugh.

I truly - truly love this kid. I'm about as obsessed with her little face as she is with Michael Jackson... and that's saying A LOT!