An Afternoon Swimming--and Jumping

We headed to the West Millard Pool today to escape some of the winter cold. It turned out to be a snowy drive with roads full of drifting snow, but once we got into the warm and humid environment at the pool, it was all worth it. We went with friends, which made it even more fun.

The water slide was soon a favorite attraction. Here's Charlie making a grand entrance into the water.

Ava had fun paddling all over.

Here goes Evan!

I was hanging out with Desert Girl, and next thing I know, Desert Boy was up on the high dive, aka the high "jumping board." I wasn't too sure how this was going to turn out.

I remember being so scared going up on the high dive when I was a little girl on the summer swim team. I tiptoed to the edge and looked down and the water seemed so far away. Eventually I gathered up my nerve and jumped off--and survived.

Desert Boy didn't feel any of my fear. He just went to the end of the board and jumped.

Yikes!

Then I was wondering if he would be composed enough to swim to the wall. He's not a great swimmer, and after all, he's just 5. But he made it. Not only that...

...he did it again and again.

All the kids did so well in the water. It's hard to believe they live in the desert and only visit a pool a few times a year.

Desert Boy found some diving rings and had fun going after them, as did the other kids.

One of the things that surprised us was how few other people were at the pool. For us, it was a wonderful excuse to escape the house on a frigid day when we would be stuck inside due to the cold. Maybe the locals have other ways to deal with getting cabin fever!

Desert Girl mastered propelling herself where she wanted in her floatie. She also loved jumping in from the side of the pool. She wanted to go off the jumping boards, but I told her no way.

It was great fun, plus some really nice exercise. I think all the kids will sleep well tonight! (And maybe the parents, too!)

Yummy Homemade Granola!

I've found my new favorite granola recipe, and it is so delicious! Plus, since it's homemade you know everything that's going into it (yep, I am reducing my processed food intake as per my New Year's resolutions!). Even better, you can tweak it as you like.

Want to try it?

Here's the recipe:
Adapted from 100DaysofRealFood.com

BEST GRANOLA
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Put a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat (or parchment paper) on a large cookie sheet.

Combine:
3.5 cups oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup pecans (or walnuts or cashews)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds (or substitute your favorite)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

In a small saucepan, heat:
6 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup honey
When the butter melts, add:
2 tsp vanilla extract.

Pour the hot liquids onto the dry. Stir together, then spread on the prepared sheet.
Bake for 65-70 minutes. Cool, break apart, and eat within 2 weeks.
Yum! It's a flexible recipe, so try adding your favorite nuts, seeds, and dry fruits (after cooking) to make it perfect for you.

Even Desert Boy recommends this granola, and he is not much into granola.

New Wheels

We've got some new wheels at our house.

They even have racing stripes. In fact, they're yellow flames. Very cool looking.

Better yet, these new wheels are energy efficient.

Are you ready to take a peek?

Here are those new wheels! This is Desert Boy's new solar-powered car. If you're wondering if the frame really is cardboard, the answer is yes. It can make it tricky for assembly.

We needed some sun and a relatively flat, snow-free, and smooth place to give the car a try. So we headed to the post office parking lot. It was still cold enough that we bundled Desert Girl up in her snow pants, but after all the extremely cold temperatures lately, it felt sort of warm.

The kids gave the car a good workout. It turned out it would only run when it had gravity helping a little. The cracks in the concrete were often too big an obstacle. That just made it more fun, as the kids got to interact with the car more, "helping" it along.

Desert Girl even got to try. (Don't you love her owl hat? My sister-in-law made it and I've gotten so many comments about it. Desert Girl doesn't want to go out of the house without it.)

It might be awhile before solar cars become practical, but for now, they are fun and a good excuse to get out of the house!

BYU's Museum of Paleontology

 We had to go to Provo recently to do some errands, and we thought that we'd try to find something fun for the kids to do. We decided to go visit the BYU Museum of Paleontology, which is open Monday through Friday from 9-5.

 Desert Boy was delighted as soon as we stepped in the door. We could see dinosaur skeletons everywhere!

 I was impressed with the Icthyosaur fossil, which is the state fossil for Nevada.

 I had never seen fossilized dinosaur eggs before, so that was really cool.

 The Dimetrodon looked really neat.

 The kids could identify this fossil as a pterodactyl, stars of the PBS show Dinosaur Train.

 The scutes on this dinosaur were impressive.

 I couldn't resist getting the kids to pose for a photo with the T-rex skull. Yummy!

 The Allosaurus, the state fossil of Utah, towered over the exhibit hall.

The museum isn't huge, but there was hardly anyone in it, so we got to take our time and enjoy it. We even went through the museum twice to make sure we hadn't missed anything. (Ha! We go through museums at a rapid speed, so I was able to read a few more signs on the second trip through. We'll still need a few more trips to see it all.)

 Although the trilobite display might not have been as dramatic, I was fascinated by all the localities where the trilobites, corals, and other smaller invertebrate fossils had been found. Some were virtually in our backyard (as long as you consider our backyard has about a 100-mile radius).

 The museum is free, but does accept donations--if you're willing to stick your hand into the skull!

This was a really great museum experience for all of us. I am looking forward to going back some day soon.

And if you're interested in paleontology, don't forget to put National Fossil Day, October 13, 2013 on your calendar!

2013 New Year's Resolutions

I usually don't make New Year's Resolutions, as I don't think I'll be able to stick to them anyway. This year I do have some, along with ways to actually stick to them. I'll share mine--will you share yours in the comments?

1. Play more music.
Details: Rock and roll all night long. Nah, not really. Specifically, I want to play a musical instrument for an hour a week. That breaks down to 10 minutes 6 days a week.

Why: Several years ago I started playing piano, but I got frustrated after a couple years by my lack of progress. I have to remind myself that when I started learning trumpet in sixth grade, we had 45-minute band class every day, plus we had to practice at least 30 minutes every day at home. I did that practice for years and turned into a quite decent trumpet player. I can sight read music easily, which makes me forget that it took me many years to get to that point.

Goal: To be able to play through the piano kids' song book and actually make the songs sound like they are supposed to. And to do a trumpet solo at some event this year.

Bonus: My kids love music, so when I play they often sing along or dance. It's fun for everyone. (Although I still recall my mother telling me that I sounded like a wounded buffalo when I tried to learn French horn.)

2. Exercise regularly.
Details: Exercise at least 20 minutes a day. This is an easy resolution for me when the weather is good. I love getting outside and having some quiet time during a run. With the cold winter months it can be so much challenging, but I've found a new weapon to add to my arsenal of workout tapes: You Tube. I can't believe how many different workouts are on You Tube, and they are already helping me keep exercising.

Why: It feels good.

Goal: Enjoy movement. Do a few races.

Bonus: I may learn to dance better if I keep doing the Zumba workouts!

3. Organize my house.
Details: Housework almost always falls to the bottom of my priority list. I'd rather spend time with my kids, exercise, blog, cook, or do about anything than housework.

Why: I hate looking for something I can't find, knowing that I'm wasting time.

Goal: Start becoming a minimalist. Donate things that I'm not using, recycle paper I no longer need, make spaces in my house more useable. I've already started, thanks to my friend Jenny. Here's a photo of our new entryway organizer. We've had it for a couple weeks and it is working great!

Bonus: Maybe the kids will learn to be more organized and won't have to go through a mid-life organizing crisis like me.

4. Eat healthier.
Details: We already eat healthy, with balanced meals and lots of fruits and vegetables. But we could do better. One way is to cut out more processed foods. I've learned a lot in the last few days from 100daysofrealfood.com. The concept isn't radical--we can still eat meat (good thing since we live on a cattle ranch!), fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and more. The main thing is that we know what we're eating and don't consume junk food. The funniest thing to me about all this is that we're really getting back to the roots of how the pioneers lived--making food from scratch. Even though we're so technologically advanced, the best food is still the simplest food.

Why: Eating healthier will give us more energy and make us feel better.

Goal: Eat very little artificially processed food (good bye store-bought cookies). I have thought about trying to participate in  the 7 Day Real Food Challenge, but since I won't be able to get to a grocery store before it starts, I think I better wait a little. But I did find delicious looking meal plans at https://www.facebook.com/100daysofrealfood (if you Like the page you can see the meal plans up at the top).

Bonus: Maybe my clothes will fit better?

5. Give more.
Details: I haven't entirely fleshed out this resolution, but I do know that I want to give more this year. I've been finding stories of inspiring people who have done so much with their lives. I've also found some really neat ways to give that I'll be highlighting in future posts.

Why: Giving really does feel great.

Goal: Give. One way I've found recently that is a win-win for everyone is We Give Books. I read books to the kids (with difficulty accessing a library, I sure appreciate this resource!), and they give books to kids in need. I'll be looking for more goals, so if you have ideas, let me know!

Bonus: Maybe the kids will learn something from this!


Well, I have plenty of other things I need to do this 2013 (read more, write more, be more patient), but I think I'll stick to five main goals. Don't want to get too over ambitious!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful New Year!