We’ve been eating spoons.

And playing by doors.

And exploring water.

And sorting markers.

We’ve had a very important birthday.

After the celebration we tried to snag a photo of me and John. Alone.

But that didn’t last long.

My Christmas wish list has a new entry on top: “Personal chef.” Right under it is still “Once-a-week maid service” and “Personal masseuse” and “Shopping time without children whining.”

But tonight “Personal chef” is number one.

I sometimes use this space to vent about my self-perceived lack of cooking skills. But, as John always reminds me, it’s not that I lack talent; I lack practice. Talents can be developed.

So I guess tonight I was practicing again.

I should point out that my two least favorite parts about cooking are 1) the huge amount of time and prep work it takes, and 2) after all that amount of time and prep work (and blood and sweat and tears), finding that my family doesn’t actually enjoy what I spent 20% of my day working on. Which, it seems, happens often.

But tonight I really thought I would hit a home run. Last week we went grocery shopping together (rare) and John picked out two fine pieces of ribeye steak. I looked up a cooking method for the steak online provided on FoodNetwork.com by Alton Brown, a super swanky star chef.

I made rolls from a Lion House mix, which I’d never done before. I was super excited to sort of make from scratch rolls that might actually taste really good.

And then I made sweet potato chips by slicing a sweet potato thin, brushing the slices with oil, sprinkling with salt, and baking for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

I thought with steak John picked out himself and a recipe from a TV star chef to cook it with, and rolls with the brand name “Lion House” on them, I couldn’t go wrong. I knew the sweet potato chips were a wild card, but I knew I, at least, would like them.

After three-and-a-half hours of cooking, it was a total flop. Everything. Nobody, except for me, liked anything.

A Groupon came out recently with a discount on cooking classes in Salt Lake City. It’s far away, and still costs a bit, but I paid for two of them. Talents can be developed. This is my mantra. I might start chanting it for encouragement the next time I attempt dinner.

And now on to some things that actually make me happy…

Carissa greeting me after a night’s sleep.

Carissa showing how tall she is under the table.

And Wesley’s latest love:

This is his Uncle Jon pitching:

And his dad helping him out:

One day this week the kids and I started an afternoon in Salt Lake City by going here for lunch (with a coupon).

It was bustling. And oh-so-tasty looking.

We got our food to go and ate in the car. I pulled Wes into the front seat (such a special occasion for him) while Carissa snoozed in the back. Wes helped eat the salad.

I ate this gourmet grilled cheese.

After feeding the parking meter we walked to Temple Square.

We paused at the fountains across the street.

Once in Temple Square we talked to many sister missionaries. One from Belgium in particular liked meeting Wesley. She said she has a 10-year-old sister like Wes back home. She and her companion kept trying to give Wes high-fives, but since he was running on a short nap his response was consistent and loud: “No!”

The feeling on Temple Square is extremely peaceful and relaxing. I didn’t want to leave.

I took the kids to an outdoor mall called The Gateway. We went to Old Navy (a special occasion for me). I planned ahead and brought a change of clothes for Wes in case he wanted to play in the dancing water fountains in the plaza, but he wouldn’t budge past the edge.

I was about to head home when I remembered one place I’ve always meant to visit: Tony Caputo’s Food Market and Deli. It’s just north of Pioneer Park as you come off the freeway, tucked away into this lovely little alcove.

They specialize in Italian and southern European foods. They have over 100 kinds of oils, a bunch of mustards and vinegars, plus a terrific selection of fresh meat and cheese. Oh, and did I mention the 325 varieties of chocolate bars? Between the chocolate and the cheese, this place was made for me. I got John some smoked Gouda and a little chocolate to taste.

As we came out I noticed another place next door:

We enjoyed some of this:

And some of this:

And then we came home. A nice day with the kids in the city.

Mornings are the freshest time, and there is always a ton of things to get done from the get-go.

But sometimes it’s better to pause and snatch a few memories with camera instead. Bed head and all.

The thing with having kids and no (other) full-time job is that you really can make your day what you want, but you have to be willing to do it more patiently and usually at a slower pace, accepting that you’ll probably accomplish a smaller portion than you would if you were on your own, when you have your kids in tow.

I’ve decided that it’s silly to wait around until my kids have had all their naps and it’s convenient to go someplace, because by then the day is better than half gone. So we go when I’m ready to go and take things as they come.

This week we spent a long afternoon visiting Parade of Homes houses. Wes took a nap in the car (within close sight) while Carissa and I ate a rather leisurely lunch at My Dear Lizzie. We (I) had a nice salad and croissant sandwich while Carissa played on the floor.

I didn’t buy any sweets here, but don’t they look good?

Today I took the kids out for lunch and a stroll in the Riverwoods shopping area.

And I discovered the best-kept secret of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory. John never wants to go in when we’re in the area together, but since he wasn’t there I figured I’d do what I wanted for once.

Did you know they sell this?

Chocolate dipped frozen cheesecake.

No, I am not making this up. Such heavenly dessert fare actually exists here on Earth. They fresh-dip the frozen slice in melted chocolate so when they hand it to you it’s still wet and takes a few minutes to harden.

It was so yummy.

Wes is 3 1/2 (quickly approaching 4), and Carissa is almost 10 months. She has two bottom front teeth and is getting a new tooth on top in front.

Wes likes to help Carissa play–mostly by dumping as many toys in her lap as he can find.

Carissa takes it in stride.

Carissa isn’t crawling yet but getting close. She likes to stand. If your fingers are within reach she’ll grab on and pull herself up. Today we found her standing up in her crib for the first time, clinging to the side.

The Parade of Homes is happening, which is a great excuse to walk through multi-million-dollar homes, admire the finery, and think about how much work it’d be to keep it clean. I start looking forward to Parade of Homes every year in January, so not much can keep me away. But it is a lot more effort to go with two little kids.

This year Wes gets to wear the blue booties.