Our Little Ballerina

Our little A is such a character. At three she is so sharp and on the ball. She is ready for action and always wanting to do, go, see. We decided to put her in a Ballet class and see how she would do. We weren’t sure at three how it would go but it has been WONDERFUL! The teacher is perfect! She has stretches and warm ups that are like games, just right for a 3 year old. Our favorite is “Hello toes (flex feet), good bye toes (point feet).  She is so patient and kind with the girls. Little A loves it and asks almost every day if it is “Dance Class Day.”

 It’s also nice for her to have something that is hers. We were explaining to Big A about how he doesn’t have school on the weekends just like Mommy and daddy don’t have work and little A piped in, “Ummm, what about dance class? Do I have dance class on weekends?” So cute that she has “her thing” now too!  

 

Amazing Easy Peach Salsa

I absolutely adore peaches. They are by far my favorite fruit. Nothing is better than a fresh picked ripe peach. I typically serve them up like my Mom always has; chopped with a heavy heaping of sugar. It’s absolutely delicious but I’m sure it is probably the LEAST healthy way to eat fresh fruit imaginable. I have been thinking up fun and different ways to serve up peaches and decided to try a fresh salsa. If I do say so myself… Wowzas! It is fantastic. The spicy peppers are such a fantastic compliment to the fresh sweet peaches. To sounds like a crazy foodie, it’s a wonderful balance of flavors.

Try this Fast, delicious recipe with your harvest….

Jenn’s Fresh Peach Salsa

2 Medium Peaches (peeled)

1/2 Red Bell Pepper

¼ Red Onion

½ Jalapeno Pepper (Seeded)

1 Tbl chopped Cilantro (more or less to taste)

1 Lime

Salt & Pepper

 

Chop first 5 ingredients (Finely chop jalapeno and onion) and add to bowl

 

Squeeze juice from lime over all chopped ingredients

 Add salt and pepper to taste

Mix and enjoy!

 

 

See easy peasy!!

More Comic More Con – Salt Lake Comic Con was HUGE!

Me and Cary Elwes.... As You Wish

Salt Lake’s second comic con has drawn to a close. It truly was Huge and it truly was amazing. It’s easy to say things about an event like that. It’s easy to throw around these big meaningless adjectives. In this case however these big adjectives are actual verifiable facts.

The 2014 Salt Lake Comic Con took over all 700,000 plus square feet of the Salt Palace Convention Center. So to say it was large, big, huge in size is a fact. Attendance was at capacity. Saturday alone over 100,000 people attended, filling the Salt Palace to capacity. Droves of people were actually turned away because the building was at capacity and tickets were sold out. SO  large, big, huge in attendance is a fact.

The godfather of Comics Stan Lee proclaimed that “Salt Lake Comic Con is the BEST Comic Con in the world”!!

I have to say I agree. We had a fantastic time. We went to a few more panels, all amazing, funny, candid. We ponied up a little moolah and got a few photos with celebrities. We hung out in Artists Alley and thoroughly enjoyed all the comic and cartoon themed pieces. Jeff visited with several artists about their process; it was fun seeing art from such a different angle.

The Salt Lake Comic Con was an amazing experience. Check out some more photos from the Comic Con.

Jeff and I with Russ Adams from Jim Hensen's Creature  Shop

Jeff and Erin Grey.... Buck Rogers Geek he is

Sam Witwer

Giancarlo Esposito from Breaking Bad

Waiting in one of Many, Many Lines!!!

Jeff and Han.....

Salt Lake Comic Con Baby!!!

 

The second annual Salt Lake Comic-Con is well underway. Bigger and better than last year the “com” has something for everyone. Even my Mom, the least Sci-Fi, comic woman I think EVER (She has never seen any Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or Marvel anything if that tells you anything) was jealous that I was going because she would have loved to see Barbra Eden.

This year the Comic Con has twice the floor space, more celebrities, more venders, more art, more, more, more of everything. This is an easy thing to read and gloss over but to actually see it is pretty amazing. Over the sea of costumes (Cosplay and amateur alike) there is literally Sci-Fi, Comic, Action, horror everything as far as the eye can see.  It is pretty overwhelming.

The “Celebrity Row” offers up stars the likes of Danny Glover, Stan Lee, Barbara Eden, Ron Pearlman, Cary Elwes and many, many more all lined up to meet you, have pictures with you, and give you their autographs (for a fee of course).

Included with your entry is the opportunity to see one of the many “panels” they offer. We saw the “Ron Pearlman” panel. It was AMAZING. He was funny, witty, kinds, crass, charismatic, everything you hope a celebrity to be. I really liked him in Hellboy and Pacific Rim and thought he was awesome in Sons of Anarchy. Now though, I like him so much more. That’s what some of the panels are like, your favorite celebrities just shooting the bull, answering your questions. Other panels have “experts” delving into and discussing everything from Legos to Stephen King novels. IT’s completely cliché but there really is something for everyone.

Here is my first installment of photos from Salt Lake Comic-Con. Don’t just live vicariously, come down to the Salt Palace an check it out for yourself, you won’t be disappointed… The “Con” is still going on Friday and Saturday with tickets available HERE. (Buy your tickets in Advance it will save you LOADS of time standing in line!)

Storm Troopers from the 501

Lou Ferrigno at a Panel

"Cosplay" Princesses ... better than Disneylands!!!

HUGE "Lego world"

Ron Pearlman at his Panel discussion

More Mr. Pearlman (or as he said " The Pearl")

HUGE White Oarc

"Life Size" animates Smaug

Me and Barbara Eden... I don't have to dream of Genie!

First Day of Kindegarten

It's Official... Big A is a Kindergartner!!
Here are a few shots from his first day.

Friends From Little League in his class!

Before I woke him up for his first day of school

 

Kindergarten...A Mothers Lament

I don’t get it. I consider myself a pretty tough Mother. I kill spiders, I let my kids climb trees without wincing, I’m no sissy. However the mere mention of Big A entering kindergarten has had me in tears for the last few weeks. My sweet co-worker asked me about Big A starting school and I was reduced to tears right in the middle of the office.

Last year when he entered Pre-School I was fine; tough as nails, excited for his new adventures. The first day as I smiled and waved him on his way Jeff was wiping away tears. I have come to realize that I was tough there because of a couple of factors. First off he was only gone half a day, twice a week, no biggie. Secondly and I think more importantly It was my choice. Like signing him up for little league or soccer, I was choosing to send him on this adventure. Now kindergarten is upon us. It is still half day here in Utah (thankfully!) but every day. I really don’t even think that is the issue it’s that whether or not I like it my little boy will be in school most every day for the next 13 YEARS…until he is not a little boy any more.

I guess I have always thought of this early stage with the kids as “my” time. Ever since he was a cooing babe in my arms it was just me and him. We are best buddies, greatest pals, going on grand (and silly not so grand) adventures. I am the coolest person to him, hanging out with me is the BEST. It is the perfect time because to me hanging out with him is the BEST. I can’t think of a better day than playing Legos or “zombie hunter” or hiding “treasure “ in the yard, picnics in the tree house or endless snowball fights or watching “Scooby Doo” for the zillionth time. Sheer bliss to this mom.

Now with actually full time school starting I know that will never be the same again. He will meet the “cool” kids and not want to be seen hugging his mom. Hanging with his buddies will be way more fun than hanging with Mom. He will learn so much so fast and he won’t be coming to me for all the answers anymore. My importance will drop.

I know that we will still have great adventures and probably watch Scooby Doo another zillion times together. I know (for now at least) he wants to come snuggling in with me in the wee hours of the morning. I know that we are still best buddies. But I also know that it will never be quite the same as it was. When he was my baby this day seemed eons away. I always thought that this time, this “us” time would seem to last forever. Now it is but a moment from then and it’s over.

As I watched him line up and walk into his new class biting his inner lip like he does when he is slightly nervous all I could think was “ Buddy, this is going to be AWESOME, you are going to LOVE all your new knowledge and adventures, don’t be worried.”  I helped him settle into the classroom with all the other parents, click, clicking away until he started doing his fakey “quit taking my picture” smile. I saw him settle in on the rug with his nice new teacher and get at ease with the other weary kids surrounding him. I saw him smile a real smile as he and the other kids waved good-bye to their families as we left to let them start their day. I quickly grabbed my sunglasses to cover the tears as they ran down my cheeks as I left my “Buddy” and walked to the car.

Pardon my rant here. I have turned into one of those blubbering Moms I swore I would never be.

Tomorrow I'll post all Big A's First Day of School photos