Upstill Updates

Anywhere but Hufflepuff

2011-12-12T22:50:00.001-08:00

I finally saw part II of the final Harry Potter movie tonight, and I'm not sure which is more awkward: Lord Voldemort hugging Draco or Harry and Hermione dancing in part I. Honestly, it's a toss-up.

This Year's Family Pics

2011-11-05T15:04:00.001-07:00

The Sweetest Thing

2011-10-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

I have been to Heaven and it tastes like Yum Yum donuts. Pennsylvania just earned itself a place in my heart. And I guess also because my parents live there now.

So Good, It's Evil

2011-09-30T12:07:00.001-07:00

You know how sometimes you anticipate something and build it up in your mind so much that the real experience can't possibly live up to it? Seeing Wicked on Broadway a couple of weeks ago was the complete opposite of that: it was awe-maz-some-ing! It actually surpassed my highest of high expectations. So next time you're in NYC, stop by the Gershwin Theatre. Best 100 bucks a ticket you'll ever spend.

She's Been Smurfed!

2011-08-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

Cute Faces

2011-08-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

"Mom, Take a Picture of Me 'Cause I'm Mad"

2011-08-21T12:58:00.001-07:00

Death of an Old School Boombox

2011-08-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

Kincade's old stereo, purchased in about 1994, finally wheezed it's last wheeze. Farewell, loyal friend. You're off to that giant beach party in the sky.

To commemorate, we played Duck Hunt. Stella now likes to "shoot those ducks" as well as "hit those birds."

We've Been Phineas and Ferberized!

2011-08-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Stella (she chose pink hair of course)

Macy (purple hair on Stella's insistence)

Paige

Kincade

Hiking, Splashing, Swimming

2011-08-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

July was a busy month. Remind me to take a big nap before it starts next year.

The First Lie

2011-08-03T09:26:00.001-07:00

When I told Stella she couldn't pour her cup of milk into her bowl of mac 'n' cheese, she told me, "Macy said I could." Does this look like the face of a girl who tells tall tales?

Yeah, maybe. That mustache is pretty sinister.

Life in Plastic, It's Fantastic

2011-06-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

This is what I found in the bathroom one day next to Stella's toilet:

Can you tell what Barbie and Ken are doing? Look a little closer.

That's right. They're sitting on mini toilets. Not just any kind of toilets though: Bubble Tape toilets.

When Stella and I were looking through old Barbie stuff from my childhood, she discovered what I used at Barbie toilets back in the day. Six feet of grape flavored fun. I also used Kleenex boxes stuffed with shoulder pads as couches. Don't judge me.

How They've Grown

2011-06-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Macy has learned how to drool,

sit up in the Boppy,

stand tall (with a little help),

and fly

while Stella discovered that wearing a ballet costume is perfectly acceptable clothing in the daytime as long as her mom is still wearing pajamas herself.

Bedtime Behavior

2011-05-25T21:31:00.001-07:00

For one random week, Stella preferred curling up on her carpet at night instead of in her bed. You would look like this too if you woke up on the wrong side of the...floor.

Luckily, she improved as the day went on without any obvious side effects to carpet camping.

Fresh Diapers

2011-05-18T11:51:00.001-07:00

Is it weird that when I refill the diapers in Macy's drawer, I pull the last few old ones to the front then add the new diapers behind, like they'll expire if I don't rotate them?

Happy Easter!

2011-05-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

Time for Cadbury mini eggs, matching dresses, and egg salad sandwiches for days.

What Stella Does for Entertainment

2011-04-20T15:34:00.001-07:00

Particularly when I'm not looking.

Crazy? I Was Crazy Once

2011-04-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

In case you were planning on coming to my house, don't. We're sick. Poor Macy sounds like a piglet snorting and grunting in the mud and her naps are turbulent while I had a temperature of 104.4. That's probably not too far away from brain-melting point. As I lay in bed last night, burning up but freezing cold, I mentally created a list of things I needed to remember to do today. The more I repeated the words, they formed a shape in my mind that reminded me of one of Stella's Lego pieces. Does that make sense? Well, it did last night, thanks to my fever-induced hallucinations. And now that I've admitted this, someone is probably going to come take me away and put me in a rubber room where it'll be cold, I'll die, they'll bury me, the worms will tickle, and it will drive me crazy.

For being sick, Macy still smiles occasionally. Just not when I try to take a picture.

(Just look at how sad and sick yet adorably vulnerable I am.)

Twinners

2011-04-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

Wondering where Stella's fine, curly hair comes from? Wonder no more. I'm hoping one day she'll actually need a haircut for that glorified mullet of hers.

Hazardous Fruit

2011-04-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

Notice the babies playing with the plastic food? Now let me direct your attention to the fine print at the bottom of the label that says, "WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD. Small parts. Not for children under 3 years." Obviously, communication was lost at some point while making this product.

Halfway There

2011-04-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Almost two weeks now since I've had dessert. I wish I could say it's been a piece of cake, but it hasn't. Literally. There's been no cake for me. Even though there have been sweets aplenty, I've partaken of none. Only eleven more days to go. I think I can survive with only a small part of me dying (hopefully the flabby part).

Snip Snap

2011-04-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Can you find the difference between these two pictures?

Well, obviously I'm wearing black in the first one and burgundy in the second. Oh, and I cut my hair too.

We Dig Chuck

2011-04-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

Let's Go Fly a Kite....

2011-04-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

(Not So) Big Love

2011-03-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

I asked Stella how much I loved her, and her answer was "two." Hmm. If that's on a scale of one to ten, I may need to kick my mothering skills up a notch.

And No More Happiness!

2011-03-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

Today I thought it would be super fun to cut sugar from my diet in the form of such deliciousness as ice cream, donuts, and all those other things I crave daily and nightly. From now until my birthday, I vow to not let a single crumb pass my lips. That's three and a half weeks of serious torture. But since I'm announcing it to the (blog) world, I mean business. I consciously did this another time in my life and lasted about twelve days, which is amazing for me. Here's to doubling that! Join me if you dare.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2011-03-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

My compulsion to organize has apparently been passed on to Stella. I found this on her bed:

I couldn't be more proud. By the way, she told me the green and blue pile was her favorite, which is why they get to be grouped together.

Sleep Schmeep

2011-03-25T14:31:00.001-07:00

Do you know me? Then you know I love reading and I love writing. But there's a problem with my self-control. If I'm way into either one of these things at any given moment, it's basically impossible to stop. Like last night for example. It seems like a good idea to sit in front of the computer all hours of the night at the time. Until my baby wakes up and wants to eat. Or my three-year-old wants breakfast. How did parents ignore their children before TV was invented? If I had a dollar for every time Kincade has said to me, "Come to bed! It's 2 a.m.!" I would be a very wealthy woman.

Metal Mouth

2011-03-21T15:33:00.001-07:00

Because I wanted to look uber cool, I decided to get new retainers from my dentist. Hopefully that one errant tooth will get pushed back into place very quickly so I can stop wearing the bottom one 24/7. The only thing better looking than having extra baby weight is having extra baby weight while wearing retainers.

Stella Says

2011-03-20T15:14:00.001-07:00

Scene 1
Stella dressed herself, putting on a brown and pink dress, red shoes, and Snow White underwear.

Paige: You should wear your pink shoes because the red shoes don't match that dress.
Stella: They match Snow White.

Scene 2
Stella finished crying after throwing a tantrum of some sort.

Stella: I need a washcloth.
Paige: How come?
Stella: To wipe my tears.

Scene 3
Stella picked out a shirt with buttons instead of one that pulls over her head, which she hates more than anything and always struggles.

Stella: I like this shirt because it doesn't go over my head. Sometimes I just freak out.

Ballerina Bear

2011-03-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

Since Stella didn't get to wear this outfit today, someone else did:

Hungry Mungry

2011-03-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

I don't understand the eating habits of my child. If I never made Stella eat, she could probably happily play all day long without a thought of food. But me? The time between meals is just filler time until I can get my next meal.

Almost Two Months

2011-03-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

Every now and then I get a glimpse of Stella, but mostly I see my family, especially my brother and myself, when I look at Macy.

I Heart Eggs

2011-03-03T14:06:00.000-08:00

Especially scrambled. And especially hardboiled and fried. I like them dyed at Easter then made into egg salad even though they're all colored and weird looking; I like them on breakfast sandwiches from McDonald's even though its a flat square of egg, like it was flattened with a rolling pin then cut out with a square cookie cutter. I even like the ones at buffets where there's a huge pile and it's like one giant chunk of scrambled egg, and then they get cold and rubbery on your plate. I heart them anyway.

P.S. I tried eggs Benedict once. Not delicious.

Muffin Addendum

2011-02-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

I only needed three things from Costco; muffins were not one of them. So when Stella and I walked into Costco today and out of the blue she said, "I want a muffin," I steered clear of the bakery section to prevent this from happening again.

Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes, and....

2011-02-25T13:02:00.000-08:00

Panic-stricken, Stella runs over to me yelling, "I've got a bump on my foot!" I wonder what calamity has happened this time resulting in another microscopic owie. She throws herself to the floor in front of me, takes off her shoe, and dramatically points to it. It is in fact a bump, and a rather large one at that.

It's her ankle. (And I didn't even tell her she has two.)

There's No Such Thing As...

2011-02-23T18:49:00.001-08:00

delicious homemade creamy tomato basil soup. Emphasis on the homemade. I've tried every recipe I could find and they were not great. I want something that tastes like Zupas' instead of something that tastes like red sauce from a can mixed with white sauce from a can.

Things Stella Is Obsessed With

2011-02-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

1) Putting Band-Aids on her so-called owies
2) Wearing her princess dress as often as possible
3) Not letting the dinosaur eat her chicken nuggets

Here Comes the Bride

2011-02-16T15:41:00.000-08:00

This is Stella's new dress that I have to hide so she doesn't put it on every single day. While she usually gets to pick out at least part of her outfit (which doesn't always match), I draw the line at this sort of nonsense.

Glamour Shots

2011-02-07T17:29:00.000-08:00

The girls had a photo shoot together, complements of my fabulous photographer friend Mary.

Okay, photo shoot is over.

Smiley Face

2011-02-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

Happy to see me or just filled her diaper? I can't tell.

Free Muffin Buffet

2011-02-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

Since my mom is in town, we had to go to Costco because she loves checking out everything there. She and Stella and I were browsing the bakery, admiring the rows and rows of gargantuan muffins. After we walked away, this is what happened:

Stella: I ate a BIG bite of muffin!
Me: That's great...wait, you did what?
Stella: I ate a BIG bite of muffin!
Me: You ate one of the muffins over there?
Stella: Yes.
Me: Will you show me which one?

Sure enough, she had poked her finger through the plastic wrap of a six-pack of muffins and dug out a big chunk. I had two options at this point: walk away like I didn't see anything or buy them. For purely ethical reasons, I put the delicious double chocolate muffins
in our cart and we may or may not have eaten two of them as we shopped.

Of course we were thirsty after that, so we opened a box of Capri Suns and helped ourselves to a few of those. I wonder if Costco prefers people to eat their goods before or after paying for them.

Ready for Basketball

2011-01-31T17:38:00.000-08:00

Macy's two-week check-up put her in the 70th percentile for height; where in the Owens and Upstill family tree did that come from? I guarantee it won't last.

On a side note, that's some serious bedhead, Stella.

Pinkalicious

2011-01-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

Stella decked herself out in pink, so Macy decided to follow suit.

It's (Finally) a Girl!

2011-01-06T20:37:00.000-08:00

If you haven't met Macy yet, you should know she is very punctual, just like her father. She came into the world precisely on her dute date, not a day earlier or later. Stella seems to like her new sister so we'll be keeping her. And now for some stats...

Name: Macy Renee Upstill
Weight: 6 lbs 7 oz
Height: 18.5 in
Birthday: January 3, 2011

Oh, there you are, Perry!

2010-12-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

The Big 3

2010-12-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

Stella celebrated her third birthday with family ("All my friends are here!" as she says), presents, and Perry the Platypus, the most delicious semi-aquatic mammal ever.

I cannot take credit for this amazing cake; however Morgan can.

Unrestrained Fashion

2010-11-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when Stella picks out her own clothes.

Photo Shoot

2010-11-23T21:27:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled with this one:

Not as thrilled with the family one though, which is why it's not posted. For some reason, having a baby take up my entire midsection (and having extra filling elsewhere) just doesn't make me all that attractive.

Didn't know I'm pregnant? That's weird. Or not, considering my lack of blogging. Well, guess what...I'm 34 weeks along. It's a girl (so they say). And her name will be

Things that Go Bump in the Night

2010-10-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

I'm not even going to bother apologizing for not posting lately; I already know it's been a real problem for some people. (You know who you are.) Without further ado, this is Halloween:

Swinter

2010-06-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

It's like winter and summer together! Some people call it Wummer.

Bling

2010-04-07T15:55:00.001-07:00

When we were in Vegas last month, I wanted to find a souvenir that wasn't too tacky. And then I saw this and remembered how I've been needing a nice skull covered in diamonds.

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

Vegas Trip

2010-03-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

Chillin' with Caeser at his palace

The Not So Many Hairstyles of Stella

2010-03-06T10:58:00.001-08:00

You've seen the ponytail, now introducing...

pigtails!

Bookworm

2010-03-06T10:40:00.001-08:00

First Ponytail Ever!

2010-01-31T15:33:00.000-08:00

Posting Problems

2010-01-26T17:42:00.000-08:00

If you've noticed we haven't been posting much lately and are wondering why, this is it:

P.S. Many of our videos end up this way.

Nerd Alert

2010-01-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

Way Too Cool

2009-12-19T19:52:00.000-08:00

Two Years with Stella

2009-12-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

We went from this

to this in only two years.

What will we get in two more years?

Happy Birthday, Stella!

The Wheels on the Bus Go...

2009-11-08T09:56:00.001-08:00

The Best Holiday of All

2009-11-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

Prepping for Halloween. Stella thinks this hat goes with every outfit.

We took our annual trip to St. George to see Thriller at Tuacahn theater. It was fantastic, like every show they put on. The vampires are a little blurry.

Stella the French maid

Our Annual Halloween Party: Kincade as a 70s disco dude, Paige as the Queen of Hearts

Some of the crazy costumes

Best costume winners: Carebears

Trick or Treating with Aunt Stephie

BMX Stud

2009-10-17T16:47:00.001-07:00

I rediscovered my very first bicycle at my uncle's house. Obviously, I looked cool on it back in the day and even cooler now.

Which Hat Do I Choose?

2009-10-14T20:54:00.001-07:00

B

C

D

E

Places to Chill

2009-10-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

Too Soon for a Wig?

2009-10-07T12:01:00.001-07:00

The only thing slower than Stella's weight gain is her hair growth. Where are the cute little piggies, people? Pebbles had way more hair and she couldn't even walk yet.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

On another subject, this is us in North Carolina visiting my parents earlier this month.

What did I say about the weird street names they have? See, it's true.

All We Need Now Is An Igloo

2009-09-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

With autumn in the air, I splurged at Wal-Mart and bought some leggings and tops for Stella. The boots are about four sizes too big but when I saw them at a garage for only 25 cents I couldn't say no. Although now that she's wearing them, I'm thinking they may be a little Nanook of the North. If Eskimos wore giraffe skin, that is.

Hibernating

Ready for Jazz Training Camp

2009-09-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

A Trip to the InstaCare

2009-09-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

On backward

The doc is coming

Lookin' good

My backside is showing!

Doctors take way too long

Sleepless in Silver Lake

2009-09-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

Since I stayed up late writing two nights in a row, I told myself last night I wouldn't do it. I really needed sleep because Tuesday night it was midnight then Wednesday night it was 2 a.m. Some people can survive on not much sleep; I am not one of those people. It takes a solid ten hours for me to feel like conquering the world. There was absolutely no way I was going to stay up until the wee hours of the morning writing again. I was completely serious, too.

Instead, I stayed up until 3 a.m. reading. See how strong willed I am?

P.S. The Mortal Instruments trilogy. Try to put it down; I dare you.

Her Royal Highness

2009-09-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

Go Cougs!

2009-09-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

XXXXXXL

2009-08-31T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Paige buys clothes for Stella that don't quite fit yet. I think she went overboard this time.

Where People With Money Live

2009-08-30T13:12:00.001-07:00

What do you do when the grandparents have the baby for a whole weekend? Go to Park City, of course. To celebrate our five-year anniversary (only two months late), we hiked trails, got massaged, bought things at consignment shops, ate delicious pizza and ice cream, relaxed in the hot tub, watched mindless TV programming, and tried on expensive clothes.

I'm pretty sure Stella didn't even know we were gone.

Top Five Reasons Paige Wanted A House

2009-08-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

#5 A garage for cars
#4 Growing a garden
#3 A big kitchen
#2 To paint and decorate

And the #1 reason she wanted a house...

garage sales.

Current Events

2009-08-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

What we've been up to the past month (or so):

Fourth of July

Discovering new places to hide

Getting a perm...just kidding

Olympic 2024 training

Posing on her pedestal

Reading while horseback riding...not safe

Hanging out at the Children's Garden with no pants...priceless

Threes

2009-08-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

We hit a big step in Stella's development: she is now wearing size 3 diapers. Next, it will be finally reaching 20 pounds so she can sit in her big girl carseat. But for now, in honor of this achievement, let's celebrate the number 3:

Nascars orginal #3

The 3rd flavor that competed to be the new Dew

Season 3 is coming soon

One of the best movie trilogies ever

The 3 greatest comedians

Color Dancing

2009-08-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

New Slide, Push-Ups, and More

2009-07-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

Randomness

2009-07-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

A Classic Game...

2009-07-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

...of peek-a-boo in the shower curtain ends rather abruptly.

Confederate Adventures

2009-07-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

Since my parents live in North Carolina, we travel there often. I like it because it reminds me of the Midwest (my homeland) with all its greenery; they should probably rethink some of their road names though.

Scared of the water

and scared of the carousel

but not scared of riding bikes

Making a fish face

Is that a tree tumor?

Train ride with dad and bro

Using the bathroom

Getting ready for church

The Way to Shop with Paige

2009-07-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

When the Wife and Kid Are Away

2009-07-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

I watch a lot of

Mostly

Spend time online

Get caught up in excellent new series

Basically reacquaint myself with the couch

I think I need my wife back soon

Y Hike?

2009-07-03T15:00:00.001-07:00

To get carried up the mountain

To see the view

To hang out with family

To play on rocks

To rest on the way down

Sod Layers Unite

2009-07-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

We finally decided to go with a more groomed look in our backyard instead of wild jungle foliage. And happy was the day when we got a letter from the HOA with this sentence checked: "We didn't find any discrepancies! Keep up the good work!" I think a gold star sticker would also have been appropriate.

It Really Is The Most Magical Place On Earth!

2009-06-24T15:17:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm not being lazy on a beach, I guess I have time to post some pics of our trip to California. We hit up Disneyland and Sea World, both firsts for Stella and me, but the difference is I'm 27 and she's only 18 months old. Does that seem right to you?

Who cares about baseball?

Not me, of course, but it was still amusing to watch

the Angels destroy the Padres.

Gotta love those side-seat-driving squirrels.

Stella told us where to go and how to get there at Disneyland.

The remnants of an ice cream bar;
at only $3.75, it was probaby the cheapest thing in the park.

Look how tired these poor random people are!

As it turns out, Stella isn't the next king of England.

Unsure of this whole beach concept

Now this is fun!

Mission: to destroy ugly sand castle

These chairs are just my height!

Sea World: in case you forgot what a flamingo looks like

Her face is hilarious but the sea lion show really wasn't.

Leave of Absence

2009-06-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

We would like to apologize for the lack of updates. We have been experiencing some vacation difficulties. The problem shouldn't last longer than Monday. Once again, we apologize for any inconvience this may cause. Temporary pictures have been added for your viewing pleasure.

Just Hanging Out

2009-05-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

Simon Says

2009-05-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

Ready

Set

Play

Rest

Chuck E. Cheese Fun

2009-05-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Who Needs Landscaping?

2009-05-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

The HOA sent us a letter that states we must put grass in our backyard before June 1 or else. I'm not sure why because there's already plenty of beautiful vegetation.

Mmm...Frosting

2009-05-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

Tasting it

Liking it

Loving it

Finished it

Karaoke Time

2009-05-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

Being Silly in the Tub

2009-05-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

Furniture Project #1

2009-04-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

I tried my hand at refinishing furniture since lots of cool people do it.

Stage 1: The "before" in all its 70s glory

Stage 2: Sanded (by hand, no less)

Stage 3: Primed

Stage 4: Painted and re-knobbed
(Honestly, who doesn't want a yellow hexagon end table?)

Fascinated

2009-04-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

If I Have to Turn 27...

2009-04-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

at least I feel loved. Well, at least liked.

Ready for Spring

2009-04-26T20:16:00.000-07:00