11 Things I Don't Need in 2011

Here is my unconventional list of New Years Resolutions. Since I seem to over-plan and over-goal myself each year, maybe by doing the opposite- coming up with things to eliminate rather than add- will bring me better luck. Also, I really like the idea of it- it feels a little like de-cluttering the junk drawer or cleaning out the crisper- getting rid of a few things makes everything better! Here goes--

1. Being Too Busy To Play - Maybe its the fact that Reese is a new Sunbeam, but I'm suddenly realizing that if I close my eyes too long my family will be all grown up before I know it. Nothing on my to-do list is more important than hanging out and spending time with my hubby and our kids. So this year I'm going to let 'the list' slide more often and be spontaneous instead.

2. Stress - I guess this goes along with the first one, but I definitely want a year filled with less stress. Some things can't be helped, and I'm going to ignore my instinct to stew over those, but I'm also going to find more humor in the stresses I do have a say over, and then let them go.

3. Clutter - Everything has a place, and yet, somehow, tiny gremlins come out at night to create all sorts of piles throughout my house! :) Seriously, though. I love organization, so my goal is to find a system that actually works with a crazy lifestyle and kids. (Any who are reading this and have something that works, I would LOVE your input!)

4. Judging Before I Know Someone - Over the last few years I seem to be learning the same lesson over and over and over and. . . well, you get the idea. Despite the old adage, I am almost always wrong in my first impressions of people, so this year I am going to avoid jumping to conclusions before I really get to know someone.

5. Skipping Reading the Scriptures - This is one of those things I know I need to do, I know it makes my day better, strengthens my testimony, and improves my relationship both with my Heavenly Father and everyone else in my life, yet I still put it off. No more!

6. Emotional Eating - Who doesn't do this at one time or another? I blame my days as a missionary in Paris (bad day= patisserie). :) But if I want to lose this baby weight I need to learn some self control- parenthood offers way too many 'deserved' pastries! ;)

7. Sugar - Now, being the baking/pastry-loving girl that I am, there is no way I will be banishing sugar completely. However, I definitely need to cut back on the sweets we keep at our house. If I get the itch to bake, I'm plating it up and making a visit to the neighbors.

8. Waiting for the Bluebird of Happiness - We all know what this is, even if we call it by a different name. I'm tired of telling myself, "I'll be happy when. . . Ryan's out of school. . . we have a house. . . I fit into that size, etc." I'm going to make an active effort to live in the now and LOVE it- every day!

9. Unnecessary Debt - Being that we're still students and will be for a while longer in order to get a good job, we won't be completely debt-free for a little while. But this year we're going to make every effort to get out of all the debt we can, and avoid adding more for things we really don't need.

10. Saying No - There are lots of things that are great to say no to (drugs come to mind), but far too often I find myself declining or not going to something because I get scared and shy. But I end up missing out on so much- new friends, fun times, etc. I want to get out of my comfort zone more this year.

11. Store-bought Bread - Over the last few months I've found several awesome bread recipes- wheat, multi-grain, white. The fact that they taste so much better than store-bought, are healthier, and cost pennies to make myself has inspired me to set aside time each week to bake our own bread this year.

Potato, po-tah-to.

Most of you who know me, know that I am total nerd when it comes to food. That being said, after a quick Google search, I found this completely interesting and enlightening article. Read on and, for those of you who suffer from a confusion akin to my own, learn the fascinating difference between Yams and Sweet Potatoes so that you too can join the throng of consumers out to "rid the world of yam ignorance." :) Enjoy!

*I personally got a huge kick out of the serious, life-or-death-ness of the article--

Informative AND funny- what a culinary bonus!

The Difference Between A Sweet Potato And A Yam Is No Joke!

Some people think they’re the same thing. Even producers stencil both names on the same box, since the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that the label “yam” always be accompanied with the words “sweet potato” when referring to a sweet potato. No wonder the poor consumer is confused. Hasn’t anyone told the USDA that these are separate vegetables that are not in the least related? Why should “yam” be on a sweet potato box in the first place.

The confusion began in the Antebellum era. The African slaves called the softer sweet potatoes cultivated in America “yams” because they resembled the nyami they knew from home. There were no nyami in America at the time: African and Caribbean immigrants wouldn’t cause import of real nyami, the white-fleshed African yam, to America until the latter 20th century, when they would appear in international grocery stores. By that time, most of America had only known “yams” as yellow-fleshed potatoes that weren’t particularly sweet. Some myths went so far as to say that yams were older sweet potatoes, after the sugar had converted to starch and the more colorful flesh had faded.

The Confusion Continues

Those encountering the long, rough, brown tubers called yams in international markets–or ordering yams in Caribbean restaurants and getting something white and starchy—have every right to be thoroughly confused. We are living in a multi-yam society. Perhaps it‘s time to go back to the terms sweet potato (domestic) and yam (African); or at least, domestic yam (sweet potato) and African yam (true yam).

The Final Word Here’s a comparison to master; then you can help rid the world of yam ignorance. Sweet Potato & Domestic Yam True Yam Scientific Name Ipomoea batatas Dioscorea Species Plant Family Morning Glory (Convolvulaceae) Yam (Dioscoreaceae) Origin South America (Peru, Ecuador) West Africa, Asia Age Prehistoric 50,000 B.C.E. Skin Smooth and thin; yellow/tan to darker orange/tan, red and purple Rough and scaly; the color is brown or brownish-black Flesh The color can range from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red Generally white, although some varieties can have purple or red flesh Shape Short, blocky, tapered ends Long, cylindrical, some with “toes”; often sold in chunks, since they can grow to 7 feet in length Mouthfeel Moist* Dry Taste Sweet* Starchy Calories, ½ Cup 103 79 Provenance United States Caribbean Varieties Sweet potatoes: Jersey, Kotobuki (Japanese), Okinawan (Purple), Papa Doc Yams: Beauregard, Covington, Garnet, Jewel There are about 500 species of the genus Dioscorea of the Dioscoreaceae family *Most varieties grown in the U.S. © Copyright 2005- 2010 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their respective owners. Taken from thenibble.com

The Book Club

ATTENTION ALL READERS! Molly and I have decided to start off this new year by creating a book club. Those of you that know us are aware that we cannot get enough books and we thought it was time that we read some of them. This is mostly a project to justify our book buying binges, but we thought it would be fun to invite our friends and family to join with us and incite discussion. So, you are all cordially invited to the Badger Book Club. We will begin with one of my personal favorites Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. We will begin the first day of January and have the book finished by the 24th and hold an online forum through the end of the month. Leave your review in the "comments" area and be sure to check the box to receive follow-up comments.

We hope to hear from you all come the 25th. Happy Reading!

Who doesn't love a little Christmas poetry?!

T'was the week before Christmas

and despite skills adept,

Badger parents were busy-

still so much to be prepped!

"How December flew by,"

frazzled Molly declared,

"It's practically here now,

and we're not prepared!

"There are presents to wrap,

all those treats to bake, too!

Not to mention the yule-cards,

Oh dear, what shall we do?!

"The yule-cards, the yule-cards!"

her voice moaned with regret.

"It's a family tradition

that we've never missed yet!"

"I've a thought," quipped her husband,

"since we can't make the Post,

we could write them on Blogger-

they'll be read coast to coast!"

Blog our card? Molly wondered,

The idea was so new.

Still, she found herself smiling.

"Yes! Now that's what we'll do!"

So they sat themselves down,

Jotted notes in the "Den"

Reminiscing on mem'ries

of Two-Thousand and Ten:

Ry graduated from Brigham,

with a Bachelor's degree,

only just a few months

before Reesey turned three!

Then dear Ryan went scruffy

in those months b'fore the snow--

He rode horses, made teepees,

threw tomahawks like a pro.

Molly rounded out nicely

as she neared the big day

that sweet Sam came to join them,

Now two kids laugh and play!

What a year we have had,

filled with blessings and cheer.

But this poem's long-winded,

so we'll sum it up here--

We're happy, healthy, and thriving

Now bring on the New Year!

Wishing you love, peace, and happiness this Christmas Season!

All our Love,

Ryan, Molly, Reese, & Sam

Reese's Letter to Santa. . .

. . . as dictated to Ryan

Dear Santa,

I would like a candy cane and chocolate,

some princess dress-ups,

some dolls,

and some flowers (so I can get married).

Thank you for the presents and

Merry Christmas!!!

-Reese

Heaven help me, it happened again. . .

To those of you who were here for the Poopy Picasso chronicle you can breath a sigh of relief. Fortunately, today's headliner has nothing to do with poop or art. Phew. (Lol- The things you find yourself saying as a parent!) But I will tell you it's not the first time the following scenario has transpired--

While shopping in the produce aisle at our local grocery store, a sweet old woman squeezed passed us to scoop up a handful of green beans and plop them into her plastic sack. She was a little hunched, her features defined and pointed from age, and there may or may not have been a large mole dangling from her chin. I won't comment on the likelyhood of hairs sprouting from the alleged mole, but sufficeth to say I can understand where Reese was coming from when she screamed, in a voice of sheer delight the whole world could hear,

"Mommy, it's a WITCH!"

What to do, what to do.

How was I going to explain to this poor woman that in Reese-speak this was the ultimate compliment?! We watch Sleeping Beauty and the Frog Princess not for pretty girls and dresses, but the dragon and a freaky voodoo man! Despite my repeated attempts to change her mind, Disney villains remain the folks she loves and looks up to the very most; they laugh so much and seem to be having such a great time, how could anyone not want to hang with them? They're the real popular crowd, though momentarily misunderstood. I think she's decided that what they really need is a good friend. I know, I know. Very foreboding for the teenage years.

Anyway, maybe it's because this has happened before and I try to learn from my mistakes, but I could see just how badly this explanation could go and decided it was far better to back away from the spinach and make a run for it. Even if the poor woman did buy it, managing to not take offense at being mistaken for an evil hag, I didn't want to be that mom, the one who fed her child a steady diet of cackles and deception. So I ran away- I'm not really the confrontational type.

Besides, I'd rather eat frozen peas for dinner anyway.

A Blessing

Sammy was blessed by his daddy on November 21st,
the day after one of the men he was named for,
his Great Grandpa Badger
passed away.
It was a beautiful blessing, and a very special day.

Thank you again to all of the family that was able to join us,
and also to Grandma Badger for letting us have it in her home in the midst of having lost Grandpa.

I hope you like pictures, because I'm just going to let them tell the story.

So Happy Together!

Reese loves Sam. . .

Sam loves Reese. . .

Sounds like the beginning of a primary song, right? Well, it's true. On the days that we're not

chasing a giggling, naked three-year-old through the house,

saving Sam from being smothered with love,

searching for earplugs to drown out the 69th encore performance of Hairspray that morning

or

giving up and deciding that Reese actually will end up the only teen wearing pull-ups at the prom. . .

We are, indeed, a happy fam-i-ly!

And here's the proof:

Though Sam looks a little stunned in this pic, he is seriously in love with Reese. As soon as he hears her voice he grins.

You know what they say, the family that naps together, er. . . stays together.

Shoot.

Yep. We like sleep around here.

Hangin' out on the 'green bed' as Reese has affectionately dubbed it. Are we all seeing just how chunky Sam has gotten?! 14 lb 5 oz at his 2 month appointment, people.

How could I not include this shot- it's just so Reese!

And finally, here we are at what is possibly my FAVORITE shot of the two of them. Sam's face just totally cracks me up- if he were older, and knew how, I'd say he was mocking Reese's forced 'picture smiles'.

Oh how I love these two little munchkins- even though I feel like pulling my hair out or leaving the country at the moment. We're making our way through that charming time inevitably following a family visit when life gets back to normal and the kids realize the scads of people waiting in line to cuddle them and tell them they're cute every minute of every day are gone. Chez nous, we call it De-tox Week.

I love my children, I love my children, I love my children. . . ;)

Thanksgiving Snippets

We spent Thanksgiving in Pocatello this year with Grandma Badger and all of Ryan's family. It was an interesting week with Sam's blessing, Grandpa Badger's funeral, and Thanksgiving all rolled into one, but we had a great time with family and it was so fun to have everyone all together!

I know I already posted on Sam's blessing, but I just found this pic, and had thought we didn't have any with Grandma Badger in them. Fun four generation!

These two were completely inseparable- that is, when Reese didn't do something to Meleka that required a time out. But even when that happened, 'Meka' was there waiting when the timer sounded and Reese could resume their games.

Such cuties!

Giggles, princess movies, and snacks- a good time had by all!

I don't know if Sam ever actually woke up the whole trip- he was SO happy to be passed from person to person and just be cuddled.

Meleka was SO excited about Sam. She really liked holding him, and asked to do it pretty much every chance she got. :)

And, er, unfortunately, I have no real pics of Thanksgiving dinner, the turkey, or any of the rest of the festivities, but rest assured that the food was amazing (loved Erin's southern sweetpotatoes!), and a good time was had by all!

Miss Toddler Hairspray!!!

Hairspray has become THE favorite movie for our little three-year-old; singing and dancing with reckless abandon-- what's not to like?

We thought it was adorable to watch her dance right along with Tracy, Seaweed and the others until we found ourselves in Old Navy a few weeks ago. Before we knew it she ran to a stack of green tank tops, pulled them off the shelf, and started swinging them around like a feather boa- belting at the top of her lungs,

"Hey Mama, welcome to the Sixties!!! Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh-oh!"

Tank tops flew, Reese busted a move, and we ran to pick up the mess, weeping tears of laughter.

Here she is (much more shy than normal, being in front of the camera) performing

'Good Morning Baltimore'. . .

*Excuse the nakedness- the only time we could get her to do it was straight out of the bathtub. :)

Oh so Reese!

It seems like everyday for the last few weeks Reese has done something hilarious or way cute that we've promised to ourselves to document. Here goes--

She's all about the getting married lately, and came into our room last week in this getup. She informed us that the striped shirt was her bouquet of flowers.

While out on a Daddy/Daughter date last week she told Ryan all about her wedding:

Booo-tiful flowers, a long veil, Prince Charming, the works. Then she said, "Daddy, can I pleeeeease get married in the temple?"

Oh, alright.

Rolling out molasses cookies with Mommy

It's a serious business.

Reese has become quite the Bugs Bunny fan- something we're a little unsure of since the characters tend to smack each other around, and we now have a defenseless newborn baby to think of.

Anyway, this was the treat she picked out for being good at the grocery store the other day, and ate the whole thing!

What's up Doc?

While I was getting ready the other morning, Reese came running into the bathroom like this,

"I'm just like Mommy!" she cried, and modeled her fat little belly from side to side.

I laughed SO hard!

A day or two before this Reese came in, again while I was getting ready, and said,

"Oh Mommy, you're so boo-ti-ful. Just like Reesey!"