Boys haircuts

So, I took the boys to the hair salon to get their hair cut. When she asked me how short I wanted it, I said, "Not bald, but you can use the razors" She then asked me "What size?", and I said, " I don't know". She said, what about a size 2?" I said, "Whatever you say" Later I learned that a size 6 is about what I wanted, or at least a 4!

And this is how they came out of the salon:





Ken thinks they look like they've just survived Chemo, I thought of Concentration Camp Survivors. We're slowly getting used to it. I'm not worried, hair only GROWS from here....

Metropolitan Museum

This was one of my favorite NYC trips; if only our feet wouldn't have hurt so much from all of the walking around. Last time I wore tennis shoes, but this time since I was wearing a dress I didn't want to look silly. Looking back, being silly would have been better than being in pain. I'll remember that! There's Keilani, the birthday girl! This is me in the Egyptian temple area, Keilani's favorite part. They transported an entire Eygptian temple in there that was on the verge of destruction from a river. That's not the temple, just some cool rocks with heiroglyphics.




So, I think I enjoyed myself more than Keilani. She will have to go back sometime after she's studied all the famous artists that were there, as she seemed completely unimpressed when I would say, Keilani, look a Monet, Degas, Gauguin, Van Gogh......I had never been to such an impressive museum, and couldn't believe that these were the original works, not just the copies we see in print everywhere. The actual brushstrokes by Van Gogh in this Sunflowers painting struck me the most. I wanted to reach out and touch and feel the texture you could see on the painting, but of course I didn't.


Of course I had to take a picture of Picasso's Girl Reading at a table:


One I've always loved by Pierre-Auguste Cot called the Storm :


The Degas sculptures were amazing:. Did you know this is the only one that was displayed during his lifetime, the rest were found in his studio after his death?


Loved the modern art like Rothko and other fun stuff there:



The one time I saw something and thought, hey, I could do that! Snow Flowers by Matisse:


Every Tahitian loves Gauguin, right?


The Papa New Guinea masks in the Oceania exhibit were some of my favorites: They just make you smile!




One of my favorites by an artist named Joan Miro. Just love the quote! Going to have to incorporate that somewhere in my house.


And only I could find a rummage sale in NYC, so not worth the 15 minute wait to get in, it was worse than DI!


But we did hit Chinatown just as the shops were opening up. Had to try the pork sticky buns (Polynesians call them manapua, Filipinos siapao) and of course Chinese donuts. We stumbled upon Columbus Park where the Chinese were outside all over the park doing their morning tai chi exercises. I love how the restrooms are called Comfort Stations. Reminds me of the Philippines.




I'll have to go back to the Museum next time I'm there, because there's so much more, but we just got so tired of walking we couldn't do anymore, lol!

How was your Mothers Day?

I had the best Mothers Day ever. You know why? As a child growing up my mother always said that for her gift, she would like a clean house. She never recieved that without having to do it herself. Neither have I.....until now!

While Keilani and I were in New York City, Ken cleaned the whole house, even the garage! I should have taken a before and after picture of the garage! It was wonderful, and totally unexpected. I mean, I had asked for that, but I wasn't expecting so much to be done, because after all, how much can he do when he still had 4 kids to watch that day. Apparently more than I can, lol!

Anyways, so there were no material gifts given.....unless you count this Wall Word that Keilani gave me when she received one from a friend's Mom that was giving them away...



I haven't installed mine in my living room yet, but that's basically how it looks like!

Flower Pens the girls made for me, they're sitting in a little vase at my work desk, lovely!



Then, there's all the great little "promises" my kids have made in school and church. So that I remember them, I am documenting them here on my blog.

Natasha:
Quiet Time (yes!)
Make breakfast for boys
Clean boys room
Fold laundry
Movie Night
Room Service
Mop kitchen (got this one twice)
Make Dinner
Make Dessert
Make bed (got this one twice)
Clean room (another one twice)
Watch younger siblings (got this one twice)
Watch for AVTO (that means sit at my computer and call me fast when my work offers time off for the next day, lol)

Vivian:
Read to Kalel and Zane at night
Help take care of Bro/Sis
Do the Dishes
Do Homework First Day I get it
Make my Bed
Breakfast in Bed
I will do my chores
I will obey you
I will not fight with brothers
I will tell the truth
I will pray
I will cook breakfast
I will clean the backyard
I will not disturb you (I like this one, lol)
I will do extra chores (again, good one Vivian)

Kalel: (His teacher wrote these for him)
Be nice
Clean the table
Eat all my food
Say my prayers
Be Honest
Don't Hit
Clean Toys
Put shoes away (I know he came up with this one himself, I'm always asking him to put his shoes away in the closet where they belong)




And last but not least, look at this picture Zane made in church. It touches my heart, because this is the VERY last little hands gift I will receive. Zane is 3 now, and next year he'll be out of the Nursery at church and out with the big kids in Primary. By the way, did I mention, I've been called to teach the 10 year olds in Primary at church?



So, I've come to learn, that material gifts come and go, but those gifts of service stay with you forever, and you remember them more, because they touch you more deeply. I think I'm going to have to take off for the day EVERY day before Mothers Day to allow Ken and the kids to clean the house! SERIOUS! What could be better!

So, how about you? How was your Mothers Day, did anything special happen that touched your heart? It started out well for me when I started the day by reading THIS blog post. Check it out, read it, it was wonderful to read on Mothers Day!

The "BEST" Chicken Curry Salad recipe, EVER!

I had to order the cookbook from Amazon just to get the recipe, so here I go sharing again with you! I love this on top of lettuce as a salad or on a roll as a sandwich. I never knew the secret ingredient was APRICOT PRESERVES!

If you have the ward cookbook, substitute this one for the one I put in there! That was only a substitute until I found the "REAL" thing, and this is it!

Cucina's Curried Chicken Salad

2 pounds boneless, skinless, cold poached chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch dice
4 ribs celery, thinly sliced on diagonal
2 cups red grapes
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins

In a large mixing bowl, combine the poached chicken, sliced celery, red grapes, walnuts, and raisins.

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for dressing. Gently fold the dressing into the salad. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

The author of the cookbook says the apricot preserves gives the salad a sweet, tangy edge, and I agree. It also always sells out at the Deli. If you want to try it out Cucina's is located in the Avenues in Salt Lake City.

The cookbook is called Savor the Memories by Marguerite Marceau Henderson with several other recipes from her deli and cooking classes. Gourmet cooking made easy! You can find the book on amazon.com

NYC

I said I would never do a day trip again, and for Ken's birthday, we did it again! It was much better this time without the kids. Tip #1: Don't sleep before the trip. Last time I took a nap before hand, thinking I would need the extra sleep. Then I couldn't sleep on the plane, not good! Tip #2: Don't go on a rainy day!

So, it was all about trying the pizza this time around. We also went to Central Park, which was cold and wet. Had to buy umbrellas just to walk around there. OF course, Ken gave his away to some lady he saw that needed one, so he ended up more soaked than I did.

We went to the World Trade Center Museum. I didn't see the sign until I was on my way out NOT to take pictures inside there. No wonder I was the only one snapping pictures! They should have told me upon entering, lol! So, you get to see some of the pictures I posted, why not share them?

First off, Trinity Church, from the back side:



Images from the museum:







This last one was my favorite, the buildings were made of hearts!



Ken eating some gelato, notice how wet he is!



Me, in the car, at the airport in SLC, happy to be WARM again! And going home, even though it was 1 am in the morning!



I'm going back again this weekend with Keilani for her birthday!Places to hit: Metropolitan Museum, and maybe Central Park and World Trade Center for her too. She didn't get pizza there before, so we'll make sure to get some of that too!

My father doesn't understand why I would want to go to NYC for just a day! Well, because it's cheap! No hotel, so just the cost of transportation and food once you get there. Plus, even though I'm NOT a city girl, there's so much history there, and to have been there and seen the city in person, there is no substitute!

At the end of the museum visit, they had these postcards that visitors could journal their feelings of how Sept. 11th has affected them. I still remember I was up at 6 am that morning, helping Ken get ready for work. We didn't turn on the tv, but if we had, we would have seen the planes hit the towers. Later, a few hours later my father called to ask if I was watching the tv. Um....sort of, I was watching the movie An Affair to Remember. You know, the old one where they meet on top of the Empire State Building?



I turned the channel to the News, and there witnessed both of the towers falling down. Keilani didn't go to school that day. I still remember watching a woman news anchor talking with a mother that had her baby in the stroller. The towers started to fall, and the reporter yelled to the mother, "RUN!" Get to safey. You could see the dust clouds coming, and I've always wondered what happened to that mother and child. Where did they find safety?

My heart broke as I realized all the people that had been taken in an instant, and then hearing the firemens alarms ringing and ringing afterwards, buried under the rubble, the men who tried to save the people inside, and gave their own lives in return.

The days later...the posters of missing people everywhere. I wanted everyone one of them to be found. For the pain in their families eyes to go away. But that wasn't to happen. I remember the feeling that the end of the world was coming for us here too. I had a dream that night that helicopters were hovering over Utah Lake, about to attack us, and we were trying to find a safe place to hide. I know.....I know....crazy, but it felt real at the time. I remember reading the obituaries every day, and thinking lucky them, they don't have to live in this world today, and how it is. It took a good 6 months to a year to feel like life was normal again, and we would truly survive this.

Now it's been 7 years now....let us not forget....Where were you? What was going through your heart?