Valentine's Day

Jack had requested sugar cookies for Valentine's Day, so on Monday night I whipped up a batch. I've never actually made them before, but I must say that I totally nailed it. They were perfect! And I put almond extract in the frosting, just like Jack likes it. Also, I usually frost at least three ugly ones before I start making pretty ones, but my first three were beautiful this time!

Of course Jack broke the rule that we wouldn't get anything for each other, since we had a little getaway to Balboa Island last weekend. And I did not break the rule, and I got nothing for him. How embarrassing. The same thing happened two years ago. What a naughty boy. 

We used our Cheesecake Factory gift cards that we got from Mom and Dad Taggart for Christmas. So I showed up to the restaurant and there he was with a bouquet of stock! I had just given a lecture in the car earlier this week (morning driving time is prime lecture time for me) about how over-rated roses are, and that nobody appreciates the simpler flowers, and so on. And he got me stock! What a sweet boy.

Griffith Observatory

I drove up to the Griffith Observatory after my morning job yesterday. It was sunny and warm, even at 8:30 in the morning. The view was spectacular! I stood there and thought to myself, I could totally live here. And then I remembered that I do live here! I've got to go back at sunset for the view, and I obviously need to look through the giant telescope, and I should also see the planetarium show about the aurora borealis. I realized the other day that I have no idea what causes the northern lights. Isn't that something I should know?

In my groove

Phoebe in her groove

Today was just one of those days where nothing could throw off my groove. Not traffic, or crying kids, or messed up recipes, or even a bad hair day! 

First, driving down the road, I realized that I had left my current favorite mix CD in the other car. (Since we are a two-car family this week!) Drat! What's a girl supposed to do without her favorite mix CD and nary an ipod hookup to be found? Trust the radio? So I turned on the radio, and lo and behold - the first track on my CD was playing! But it wasn't my CD - it was the radio! What? The radio is smart enough to play the Black Keys? No Rihanna up in here? When the song was over, that Cranberries song from You've Got Mail played! Which is also on that blasted CD! And then, yet another! The best Killers song, forgot what it's called, but the I got soul but I'm not a soldier one, that song played next! And that one is also on my CD! So, it turns out that 98.7 Jack FM is the radio station for me. Since when am I an alternative rocker?

But the day kept on giving. The children threw fits, I forgot things at the grocery store, and still, I managed to make a dang good quinoa casserole for my work family, then came home and made some perfect tilapia and sweet potato fries for my real family, plus some glorious homemade oreos. Such stamina! My energy knows no bounds today. 

Also, I totally nailed it with my Target gift card and bought some purplish pants and a two great v-necks ($8 each! Score!). The pressure of a Target gift card is usually too much for me to bear. I tend to make poor decisions when I'm torn so many different ways and everything in sight appeals to me. It's like how I always order the wrong thing at restaurants - too many good options makes me think funny and even as I'm telling the waitress what I want, I already know I made the wrong choice but I still don't know what the right choice is. Anyways, I definitely made good choices at Target, and I wasn't even offended when I did a fashion show for Jack and he told me that these are the types of clothes our children will make fun of me for when they look at old pictures of us. But today I was feeling too good to retort! I just said, Jackie boy, you're so right! But choosing not to wear purple skinny jeans would totally throw off my groove! 

An average week so far

A portrait of a palm tree, aka lone reed

-I'm sick and have no energy, but I went to work anyways because life goes on and children still need to be picked up from school! It resulted in a messy house, unbathed children, and chicken nuggets for dinner. It was a one-time thing. Back to being a good nanny today!
-I used a neti pot for the first time. It's a little teapot thing, and I used it to pour saltwater into one nostril and it drained out the other....not sure of my opinion yet, I just can't believe I actually did it. I was desperate.

-Jack, eating leftover Christmas candy. I hear him conversing politely with himself: "Is it a junior? Is it a mint? I don't know what it is."

-I saw an old high school pal at the grocery for the second time. Weird, because my hometown is 5 hours away and also, LA is a big old place. Strange that our paths have crossed twice! 

-We're borrowing my employer's car for the week. That means I don't have to drive to Beverly Hills twice a day to drop off/pick up Jack from work!

-Oh yes, Jack has a job! For one month, as a receptionist. At Samuel Goldwyn Films. Hallelujah! You go Jackie boy!

I wish today could be last Friday

Last Friday was probably my favorite day of 2012 so far. How can you beat watching the World of Color show at California Adventure with all your sisters there? Sunday was my least favorite day of 2012 so far. We had a yummy lunch after church, and then they all got into cars and drove up to Modesto to party until Matt and Ness go home this weekend. Come back to us! We're trying to justify driving up there on Friday night after work to join the last couple days of the party. The Disneyland trip just went waaaaay too fast. But like Jack always says, it's so much easier to say goodbye to family when you're married! Because your best pal gets to stay with you. 

2012 already gave us a new car

Our new car looks like this one, but our neighborhood has less green and more...grunge.

 Last week we said goodbye to our little white Jetta, also known as little white devil, or little white piece of garbage. Okay, that's a bit harsh, but we were not sad to see it go. I feel like we've spent more money fixing that car than we have on rent since we've been married! (That's a huge lie.) But who knew it would be so unreliable?

So last week when the transmission died, the first thing we did was panic. Actually, first it was anger and pounding on the steering wheel (by Jack, I'm too much of a lady to do that) and then it was panic, mostly on my part. And then things seemed so bad that it just got funny. "Ha, remember the time when our car died and we had no money for a new one? Oh, actually that was yesterday! Haha! Our life is so great!" And then we got it together. We got a rental car and researched and called and ran around town and decided on a price range and we knew our new one had to be a Japanese car, no more of this VW nonsense, and we ended up with a beautiful 2003 Honda Civic! A hybrid!

I know that everyone buys cars, and that this is really not such a big deal, but I feel like I am a real adult now! We bought a car and we aren't going to be homeless! One thing I've noticed is that our problems have always worked themselves out, even though we probably don't deserve it...I'm not sure if I should let this new car experience reinforce our somewhat reckless and unplanned style of life by saying "See? Everything works out, even though we're barely hanging on!" or if I should say "Woah, that was a close one, we should really buckle down and figure life out ASAP." Our 2011 motto was "We'll be fine!" but I think our 2012 motto is going to be "Let's be rational!" As rational as we can be living in LA and chasing dreams, right? For some reason, living life unreasonably just suits me better.

Taggart Family Christmas

Look at them all lined up on Christmas morning! So cute! I miss those people. Here were the highlights:

cute baby Alina

cute baby Emmett

all the other kids too

...

okay, there were other highlights besides the kids:

pretzel rolo treats

daily walks with the ladies

playing in the creek

small boys sitting on my lap at all times

the Christmas Eve pillow pet frenzy

Meredith's egg rolls

the present-wrapping girl party

seeing cousins: Melyn, Kyler, and Travis

going running in the rain

Nick's magic show

cooking hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire pit

going to the used bookstore

 going out to a fancy dinner with all the adults

receiving a kettle with which to make endless amounts of hot chocolate! (thanks Nikole!)

trips to Goodberry's

Nick's horse head and the ensuing chaos

playing at the bounce house place

being in a constant state of shock over how perfect Raleigh is

the traditional world cuisine dinner on Christmas Eve

glitter toes by Miriam

...but most of all, just being with family! Can't wait for the reunion this summer!