Costco Nap

Sometimes, a girl just really needs her beauty sleep...no matter where.

Lucy actually fell asleep in her car seat when we were on our way to Costco with Emily and Olive. My arms got so tired of holding her (and I wanted to eat a piece of pizza before we actually went shopping) so I risked waking her up when I put her in the shopping cart to finish out her little nap. I actually wouldn't have minded if she woke up (so that I wouldn't have to fight her at bedtime to get into bed) but it was a nice break to get some shopping done (after our pizza, of course).

The Things that Amuse Me...

I was waiting at a red light and happened to see this drive by:

And I immediately went out of my way and started to follow it. Okay, I didn't go too much out of my way. It was headed in the same direction as me (Target) and pulled in across the street so I followed it so I could get a picture (and find out what was going on). The driver that was towing it said it was just going to be on display and was just a concept car.

But seriously, how cool is that? It isn't every day you get to see the Batmobile in person. Batman may definitely be one of my favorite superheroes (so much better than Superman). Seriously, I used to watch Batman the Animated Series throughout middle school and I loved that show (my friend Tracy will attest - I made her watch it with me at her house everyday)!

And Christian Bale as Batman is certainly easy on the eyes:

And even in my adult years, Brandon and I enjoy watching Justice League.

Should I admit that one of the most exciting parts of watching the Hunger Games movie was the preview of the Avengers?

Maybe I'm just a big fan of comic book adaptations. And cartoons. Anyway, you know where Brandon and I will be on May 4th!

Fanfarlo at Urban Lounge on April 5th

Radiolab would have usually sufficed for a great date night but when we found out that Fanfarlo was playing at Urban Lounge the very next night, we just had to go. We had gone to their show two years ago and even though I wasn't familiar at all with their music at that time, I really fell in love with their music since then.

This most recent show was a late show where doors didn't even open until 9:00 pm and the show didn't start until 10:00 pm which meant we didn't even see the band until 11:00 pm because we had to watch the opening band first. So needless to say, it was a super late night for us. But fortunately, it was spring break for all the public schools so I was able to find a babysitter to watch Lucy past midnight.

There weren't as many people there as at the last show in 2010, the opening band wasn't as good as two years ago (though pretty solid) and unfortunately, the lead singer was battling some sickness so he wasn't in top shape. The other downside is that one of the bandmember's violin wasn't working so well and that is one of my favorite elements of their music. But considering the circumstances, I thought it was still a great show. And because there weren't as many people there, we got to be right in the second row and I was able to get some pretty good pictures.

Throughout the show, I was trying to figure out around how old these guys were because they look so young but they sound so good and experienced. Turns out, it was the lead singer's birthday that night and he had just turned 31.

The band definitely has a geeky-chic look going on. The lead singer and female back-up singer are super skinny and the lead singer was wearing these elastic waistband tapered pants that were tight-rolled at the bottom with white socks and dress shoes. But you can pull off any look you want when your music is good.

I love that many of the band members play multiple instruments. This is from their Wikipedia page:

Members

• Amos Memon – vocals, drums and percussion
• Cathy Lucas – violin, keys, mandolin, glockenspiel, vocals, musical saw, online scrabble dictionary
• Justin Finch – bass, vocals
• Leon Beckenham – trumpet, keyboards, glockenspiel, melodica, vocals
• Simon Balthazar – vocals, guitar, keyboards, mandolin, saxophone, clarinet

Wow! I wish I played just one instrument. And cool names too - maybe I will name a son Simon...or Amos...or Balthazar.

I have to admit, despite the geeky look, I kinda have a crush on the lead singer. If you could fall in love with someone just based on their voice, it might be him (but that just might be due to the accent - they are based out of London). But then again, I've always had a thing for skinny, geeky guys (just take a look at my husband!).

Sometimes, I don't understand bands that make such good music aren't more popular. It seems like the most exposure they have gotten is from being on the soundtrack to the Twilight Saga: Eclipse movie or the Season 4 finale of Chuck although they have performed on NPR (I love NPR!). But anyway, if you haven't heard of Fanfarlo or have never listened to their music, it's totally worth listening to.

Here is one of my favorite songs, I'm a Pilot:

And funny coincidence - I was checking out their facebook page and saw that they had actually gone to the Radiolab show the previous evening when we had gone because they had the night off and love the show. It would have been cool to see them there except I wonder if I would have even recognized them...

Anyway, another great date night making a great (and exhausting) date week!

Radiolab on April 4th

A while back, my friend, Candace told me that she and her husband were planning on attending Radiolab because they were coming here to Salt Lake. I told Brandon about it and he said that he wanted to go so we all got tickets together. The only problem is that I had never even listened to Radiolab. Radiolab is a radio show you can catch on many NPR stations on on podcast. Apparently, it is cool - like This American Life, which I love.

Tickets were muy expensive but anything for my honey. Because it is worth a little money to go out on a nice date and take break from the babe. And we love hanging out with these guys:

Candace and Jared.

It's kinda fun to get a little dressed up and go to the theater (Capitol Theater) for a show.

One of the fun things about the show is that everyone there got these little batteries with LED lights that we "turned on" at the end of the show. It was kinda cool and probably much safer than lighters when the whole audience waved them in the air. And now, Lucy has claimed one to use as a nightlight by her bedside table.

Thanks Candace & Jared!

Lucy's Dentist Appointment

Going to the dentist isn't a new thing for Lucy. Since we have such great insurance, Lucy has already gone two or three times before. But when we have gone before, the hygienist usually just brushes and flosses Lucy's teeth and the dentist looks at them. But this time, Lucy got her first x-rays and had her teeth cleaned with the real instruments. And she did such a great job.

I didn't take a picture of her in the x-ray room because I was afraid it might mess up the x-rays but I didn't ask so I'm not sure if it actually does. I kinda wish I got her with the big lead covering on her. She only got two x-rays but I was just so happy that she didn't gag because I have terrible memories of going go the dentist when I was kid and gagging when I was getting x-rays taken in my mouth and almost (or maybe actually) vomiting. I'm really glad that I bring Lucy to a pediatric dentist. 

She just looks so cute in that little chair. 

Like most dental offices now, there are televisions installed in the ceilings and each station has a PS3 where children can watch movies or play games. Lucy really wanted to watch the Little Mermaid (which was playing on the television next to her) but unfortunately, it was available on her PS3 and she was stuck with Over the Hedge. She was not as happy as she could have been but still did great. And I must remind her when she is older and going to the dentist that I had no such luxuries when I was a kid. 

Lucy's teeth are looking good. A little crowded but no cavities (which is good because I don't brush her teeth nearly as much as a I should and we almost never floss). There is always room for improvement, right? At least she is getting some early dental hygiene and making positive associations with her dentist. I'm just wondering how come I never got prizes out of a special drawer when I was a kid? All I got was a lousy sticker. Man, kids are pampered now!

(And yeah, Lucy wears that dancing leotard and skirt almost everyday - I pick my battles and this is not one I care to fight in.)

General Conference Daycare

We didn't get a chance to listen to much General Conference last weekend because we were attending Jett's birthday party on Saturday and then helped to watch all the Haleck kids on Sunday. Jared's dad spoke in the Sunday afternoon session so we had three kids dropped off at our house around 11:00 am and watched them until 4:30 pm. With Utah's indecision about whether it was spring or not, we actually had a pretty dreary day in terms of the weather and temperature so we were stuck inside most of the time. But it wasn't as crazy as we anticipated - I think Lucy may have had the toughest time sharing all her toys.

Emily's one year old nephew fell asleep pretty quickly and napped for two hours and the girls (Olive, Marlo, & Lucy) watched My Neighbor Totoro and just played. We did venture out to the park for a quick half hour right before all the parents came to pick up the kids.

This was the only picture I got - the girls engrossed in the movie (and Lucy holding her stuffed Totoro that Baba sent her from Japan!). It's so hard to get a picture of these girls actually looking at the camera and smiling all together. This will have to do.

After the daycare ended, we all headed over to Vince and Peggy's place to eat a yummy post-conference dinner. It was the perfect way to end the day after an afternoon entertaining the kiddos - enjoying food that I didn't have to make!

Thanks Vince and Peggy! They have become the surrogate grandparents to Lucy since me and Brandon don't have any parents in town. We love to tag-along with all the Haleck activities.

Piano Bed

These are the types of things that just make my heart melt. When Lucy sets up her dolls and stuffed animals on the piano and uses her pajamas and clothes as blankets. She is already turning into such a meticulous, detailed little girl and wants everything just so. It makes me so curious as to what she will be like in the future. Hopefully, a good older sister!

Jett's Birthday Party

Birthday parties galore! There seems to be a new one every month and Lucy loves it. The latest one we attended the last day of March for Uncle Damian's girlfriend's son, Jett. Mommy kinda loves the opportunity to use her coupons to get a great deal on a gift (there have been some great toy coupons lately!).

Lucy "borrowed" this outfit from her cousin, Olive. I have got to get her enrolled in some dance classes because I think it is in her genes. She loves anything pink and frilly and just pirouettes around on her tiptoes. And then she stole my hat that I was planning on wearing and insisted I wear a different one that didn't match my outfit nearly as well as the one she had on. But at least it protected her from the sun a bit. 

Brandon and some of the other dads. It was a super windy day so much of the party was spent trying to weigh down pizza boxes, plates, and napkins.

Jett was turning 7 years so Lucy was quite a bit younger than the other kids there but she did great! It was an Angry Birds theme party but we were running late and missed most of the activities but got there for the most important part - eating pizza, opening presents, and cake!

It's so nice how independent she is getting. There are different challenges with a toddler but not having to constantly care for an infant is a nice break.

She was so excited to give her present to Jett, she could barely wait for her turn. 

Later in the evening, we got to celebrate a little more but with more family. Brandon's dad decided to fly into Utah last minute so we met up with him at Macaroni Grill for dinner where Ethan joined us as well. Jett got to have his dessert with a candle in it and some of the wait staff sang happy birthday to him in Italian. I wish I got a picture of the family but I forgot!

Happy Birthday, Jett! We are glad we could share in your day. Enjoy your Hot Wheels!!

City Creek

The brand new City Creek shopping center had its grand opening a couple of weeks ago on March 22nd but Brandon had gone away for the weekend to Buffalo to visit his dad and I stayed with Emily for Heidi's birthday party and so we wouldn't be so lonely. Last Friday was the first chance we had to go check it out and it did not disappoint. It was as equally impressive and busy as we had heard.

To give you an idea of the scale of City Creek and why people have been so excited about it, here are some pictures that I found on the internet.

So I believe the part that is shaded is all the new construction. It actually isn't huge when you walk through it, but considering that it is in the heart of downtown taking up three city blocks (?), it seems like a pretty huge undertaking.

Source

And if you are wondering what all that glass is above, it is a retractable roof so that you can enjoy outdoor shopping in summer and indoor shopping in winter. That is one of the biggest downfalls of the Gateway (the other downtown shopping area) - since it is all outdoors, it's not great in the winter.

Even though spring just arrived here in Utah, I am really curious what the winter will be like at City Creek with the roof over it. But I imagine it will be great. Just walking through City Creek, there just seemed like there was so much thought put into it and so much attention to detail. It is beautiful. Stunning in some areas. And maybe that is because it is all new and shiny. But I'm hoping it will stay that way. I was talking with a friend about it and we agreed that it is really kinda enchanting even though it is really just a mall where the developers want you to spend money.

Here we are at the Nordstrom end where the water fountains are. There is a little splash pad for the little kids to play in similar to the one at the Gateway but the real eye catcher is the water fountains and the water show. I was pretty entranced by it. Especially with the fire in the water in the evening and the pretty tinkling music.

Even the water grates were really pretty - I had to take picture. 

Lucy was checking out the splash pads where there were many a soaking wet kid but fortunately, she wasn't interested in getting wet (even though she often does at Liberty Park where there is another splash pad). 

She was totally in love with all the water fountains. 

But I am sure that her favorite part was the kids play area in the food court on the opposite end of City Creek. It was pretty awesome. Wonderfully padded floors, fully enclosed, with comfy seats surrounding the whole thing. And even though food isn't allowed inside, there are plenty of high tables surrounding the outside of the play area so you can eat your meal and watch your kid. Definitely a place I can bring Lucy on a rainy or cold day (or any day for that matter) and read a book or chat with a friend. I'm sure that they thought about accommodating the many stay-at-home moms and families in Utah. 

Brandon and I had a nice time relaxing and just watching the pure joy on Lucy's face and she pranced around and climbed all over the place like a little monkey.

 We thought we should take a picture of us since you wouldn't know that we existed with all the pictures we take of Lucy.

Seriously, how cool is this place?

The only hard thing about the play place is that Lucy did not want to leave. Even after bribing her with a treat, Lucy curled up in the little egg, hoping her parents would just go away. It's definitely a place I will have to bring her again. Just need to find some good books to read while I am there. 

We ended our night at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for a chocolate pecan caramel apple (heavenly!). Lucy was a little disappointed at first because she had never had one and sometimes doesn't like to try new things. But once she tried it, she was in heaven too. 

And we were pleasantly surprised by how reasonable the parking was. The traffic was a little crazy getting into the parking garage but with three underground floors of parking, there was plenty and we immediately found a spot. And the first hour was free so after about 3 hours of looking around, we only spent $2. I think that is actually a little cheaper than the Gateway.

We are hoping that the Gateway isn't too negatively affected by the opening of City Creek but we are assuming that they will cater to different needs. City Creek has much more high end stores so it will cater more to an upscale crowd or those wanting to eat breakfast in front of Utah's first Tiffany's store.

In some ways, I am a little bugged by the whole commercialism of City Creek, especially because it was funded so much by the church where we seem to always to be receiving this message about living within our means and saving and not being tempted by worldly things and yet this shopping center seems to celebrate luxury, exclusiveness, and excess in some ways. But overall, I think that its development is a net plus for the city of Salt Lake in that is should bring good business (and tax revenues) for the city and help revitalize the downtown and make it a great tourist destination. So yeah, I'm a fan and I will be back. I just probably won't be buying anything from Tiffany's any time soon.