I absolutely love the book Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing. Over the weekend I randomly decided to pull it out and read to Princess at various points during the day and this kid just eats it up. I thought she might be a little young to be read to out of a book with no pictures but it holds her completely rapt.
Ot reminds me of when I was little kid and my mom would tell me bedtime stories. She made up this wonderful story about a young boy who went to visit griphons who had nests made of cinnamon sticks. I'll have to see if she can write them out for me to add to our little family history.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Interferance
A few weeks ago we were at a Costco, in the "out" line to get our receipt checked. Tag had the receipt and asked the nice employee if he could have a smiley face on the back. The employee smiled and said "now what do you say, young man?" Tag replied with a grin and a loud "please!!" I smiled, and was grateful that this stranger was helping to reinforce a good habit in my son.
Fast forward to this past Saturday. We were at a carnival. The theme was "celebrating the military child". I was a lot of fun but I will admit that the lines were a bit long for some of the cooler stuff. I was waiting to get some cotton candy for my kids (who have never had it before) and Tag let go of his helium-filled balloon. He was fine until he informed me that it didn't matter that he would just go get a new one. I asked if he let it go on purpose. He said yes, that he just wanted to see what would happen. I told him that since he did it on purpose that he had made his decision to chance not having a balloon anymore, and that we wouldn't get another one if he was just going to get them go. He immediately started into the theatrics and whining, which I stonewalled. I simply don't tolerate whining from my kids. He kinda sniveled a little and looked miserable. In the middle of a new whine, a volunteer came and gave him a new balloon.
I was a little put out over that. The lady behind me said that he looked happier with one, and I said "but I'm trying to teach my kids responsibility with what they have and to not whine when they don't like the consequences of their decisions. I'm upset that she would just give him what he wanted while he was whining for it."
The lady looked a bit nervous when she said that she had asked the volunteer to go get him a new balloon. I was surprised by that. She didn't apologize, I didn't justify myself to her, and I soon left the line that was taking too long so I could go look at more fun stuff than the backs of 40 heads all wanting cotton candy.
Later that weekend I thought about something I had told my mom a long time ago. That I wasn't afraid of sending my kids into the wild blue yonder of life knowing that they would come home from school and I could reinforce all of the good behaviors that we hold so dear in our home. Now I've had a chance to see first hand how different the influences and effects are on my kids and observed what their decisions are in those situations. I have to laugh at my naivete and I've learned a lesson I hope I never forget:
If I want them to be successful adults, I absolutely must be a good example, as well as learn to trust their ability to make decisions and learn.
They are at an age where they are still very new to peer influence. It's interesting to see how their personalities still hold so strong even when bits of influenced behavior leak through.
Honestly, I'm nervous. I don't want them to experience pain, disappointment, and the consequences of bad decisions. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Learn they must and will. And I'll be here to dry their tears and celebrate their successes with bells on.
Fast forward to this past Saturday. We were at a carnival. The theme was "celebrating the military child". I was a lot of fun but I will admit that the lines were a bit long for some of the cooler stuff. I was waiting to get some cotton candy for my kids (who have never had it before) and Tag let go of his helium-filled balloon. He was fine until he informed me that it didn't matter that he would just go get a new one. I asked if he let it go on purpose. He said yes, that he just wanted to see what would happen. I told him that since he did it on purpose that he had made his decision to chance not having a balloon anymore, and that we wouldn't get another one if he was just going to get them go. He immediately started into the theatrics and whining, which I stonewalled. I simply don't tolerate whining from my kids. He kinda sniveled a little and looked miserable. In the middle of a new whine, a volunteer came and gave him a new balloon.
I was a little put out over that. The lady behind me said that he looked happier with one, and I said "but I'm trying to teach my kids responsibility with what they have and to not whine when they don't like the consequences of their decisions. I'm upset that she would just give him what he wanted while he was whining for it."
The lady looked a bit nervous when she said that she had asked the volunteer to go get him a new balloon. I was surprised by that. She didn't apologize, I didn't justify myself to her, and I soon left the line that was taking too long so I could go look at more fun stuff than the backs of 40 heads all wanting cotton candy.
Later that weekend I thought about something I had told my mom a long time ago. That I wasn't afraid of sending my kids into the wild blue yonder of life knowing that they would come home from school and I could reinforce all of the good behaviors that we hold so dear in our home. Now I've had a chance to see first hand how different the influences and effects are on my kids and observed what their decisions are in those situations. I have to laugh at my naivete and I've learned a lesson I hope I never forget:
If I want them to be successful adults, I absolutely must be a good example, as well as learn to trust their ability to make decisions and learn.
They are at an age where they are still very new to peer influence. It's interesting to see how their personalities still hold so strong even when bits of influenced behavior leak through.
Honestly, I'm nervous. I don't want them to experience pain, disappointment, and the consequences of bad decisions. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Learn they must and will. And I'll be here to dry their tears and celebrate their successes with bells on.
Friday, April 27, 2007
to metric or not to metric
I measured the kids today.
Princess is a shade over 4 feet tall nowadays. She's wearing a size 8-10 and is taller than anyone else in junior primary. Mom, was I that tall at that age?? She's a full 7 centimeters above the 95th percentile.
Tag is 42 inches (or 3'6") putting him in about the 85th percentile.
Miss Pebbles has maintained her height in the 5th percentile at 28.75 inches. She's walking across rooms now albeit slowly and with great concentration.
Man often ponders why we can't join the rest of the industrialized world and just use the metric system.
Princess is a shade over 4 feet tall nowadays. She's wearing a size 8-10 and is taller than anyone else in junior primary. Mom, was I that tall at that age?? She's a full 7 centimeters above the 95th percentile.
Tag is 42 inches (or 3'6") putting him in about the 85th percentile.
Miss Pebbles has maintained her height in the 5th percentile at 28.75 inches. She's walking across rooms now albeit slowly and with great concentration.
Man often ponders why we can't join the rest of the industrialized world and just use the metric system.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Laundry
Can we talk about laundry? I'm not complaining, just curious to know how other people manage their laundry systems.
My house is the sort where the washer and dryer are in the kitchen. My dirty clothes baskets are in a central area near the bedrooms and bathrooms. The dirty stuff gets hauled to the other side of the house where the machines are, then hauled to the living room to get folded, then hauled all over the house to get put away. Lather, rinse, repeat.
How do you do your laundry? I'm trying to think of ways to make the whole system a bit more central, but I can only think of two options:
1 -- Fold the laundry by the machines.
2 -- Fold it in my bedroom, where less than half of it gets put away.
I don't want to fold it in the kids' room since they have a bunk bed in there that's difficult to deal with if I need an open work space. As far as having the dirty stuff closer to the machines, I just can't see keeping all of that in such a public place. The only proximal and somewhat out of sight location for such a thing is the front coat closet.
On the other hand, I couldn't possibly run the laundry lines into the back bedroom which would be ideal. It'd be nice to have a "laundry room" where it all happens before it gets shipped back into the sleeping/dressing areas.
Maybe I should just be glad that I have machines to do my dirty work and that I get some exercise hauling everything all over my home. I don't think we'll actually get a home with a laundry room while we're still with the military, but I wonder if there's some way to make the layout of this place a little more homemaker friendly.
On the other hand (how many hands do I have?) Man says that I tend to reinvent the wheel when it comes to refining my various systems. I don't pick something and stick with it because I'm a perfectaplegic. If it isn't perfect, I tend to not do it. It's a real struggle for me to deal with these imperfect systems that I can't change a whole lot. Time to think outside the box.
[Winnie the Pooh] Think think, think think. [/WtP]
My house is the sort where the washer and dryer are in the kitchen. My dirty clothes baskets are in a central area near the bedrooms and bathrooms. The dirty stuff gets hauled to the other side of the house where the machines are, then hauled to the living room to get folded, then hauled all over the house to get put away. Lather, rinse, repeat.
How do you do your laundry? I'm trying to think of ways to make the whole system a bit more central, but I can only think of two options:
1 -- Fold the laundry by the machines.
2 -- Fold it in my bedroom, where less than half of it gets put away.
I don't want to fold it in the kids' room since they have a bunk bed in there that's difficult to deal with if I need an open work space. As far as having the dirty stuff closer to the machines, I just can't see keeping all of that in such a public place. The only proximal and somewhat out of sight location for such a thing is the front coat closet.
On the other hand, I couldn't possibly run the laundry lines into the back bedroom which would be ideal. It'd be nice to have a "laundry room" where it all happens before it gets shipped back into the sleeping/dressing areas.
Maybe I should just be glad that I have machines to do my dirty work and that I get some exercise hauling everything all over my home. I don't think we'll actually get a home with a laundry room while we're still with the military, but I wonder if there's some way to make the layout of this place a little more homemaker friendly.
On the other hand (how many hands do I have?) Man says that I tend to reinvent the wheel when it comes to refining my various systems. I don't pick something and stick with it because I'm a perfectaplegic. If it isn't perfect, I tend to not do it. It's a real struggle for me to deal with these imperfect systems that I can't change a whole lot. Time to think outside the box.
[Winnie the Pooh] Think think, think think. [/WtP]
Birthday
I now have a 4 year old boy. Yesterday we made a pan of rice crispy treats from which we cut the parts to make a truck. We made a really cute little vehicle which collapsed about a half an hour later. Oh, well. It was a tasty pile of wreckage. After Man got home from work Tag got to open gifts from us and various relatives. Man and I spent a while putting together two of the gifts while Tag tried on new clothes, blew into a harmonica, bounced a bouncy ball, and sort of half-watched the movie Cars. We then went to a Family Readiness Group potluck where he told everyone in the room, one person at a time, that he is now 4. He got a check from one grandma and I'm debating whether to get him some knee pads to go with his new scooter. He has his dad's knees but miraculously hasn't gotten any permanent scars yet. He and his sister are getting a lot of mileage out of his new mini trampoline. We keep it set up on some open floor near the dining room. It's nice to not have any excuse to get regular exercise and Tag willingly shares.
Reflecting back on Tag's difficult beginning, I can hardly believe how far he has come. From the day he was born he's been a screamer. He had a crazy and depressed mom, and dad who had a hard time bonding with his children, and health problems that affected his daily life. The eczema was excruciating and stomach turning to see. He would scream and claw at his scalp, trying to get relief from the itching and burning when he was just a couple of months old. He woke up several times each night from terrible coughing fits. He couldn't sleep laying down from the acid reflux. He never did sleep through the night much until he was over 2 years old. His temper was terrible and he would throw the most terrifying tantrums I've ever seen in my life. I can honestly say that there were times when I thought about turning him over to the state.
I ended up taking him to therapists, working with an amazing woman in my ward whose own son was quite a challenge, and going to therapy myself. Over the course of 4 years I've learned how to say "no" and mean it, put my foot down concerning unacceptable behaviors, and love this child who I sometimes wanted to (not literally) toss out the window. He taught me how to grow a mother's spine and grow a few gray hairs. Nowadays he's miles easier to deal with and is a daily joy for us all. He is creative, active, kind to everyone around him, and speaks words of kindness even to random strangers. He loves telling women that they're pretty because it always makes them smile and give him a hug (both of which is LOVES getting out of people). Of course we still have challenges and days that don't go so well, but man, he is so very enjoyable. I really can't imagine life without my sweet little guy and I feel like we've developed a very strong bond because of how much we've gone through together. He plays with his voice almost as much as his dad does, keeps a great beat, and loves music. He dances and says the funniest stuff. Just the other day I was putting him through the shower when he asked for his shower sunglasses. His what? A washcloth. It keeps the water out of his eyes so he thought he'd follow the logic of sunglasses.
Right now he's munching on some left over "truck cake", trying to decide which pair of new shorts he's going to wear today, and doing a little dance on his trampoline.
(I tried to post pictures to go with this post, but for some reason Blogger won't let me. I'll try again later.)
Reflecting back on Tag's difficult beginning, I can hardly believe how far he has come. From the day he was born he's been a screamer. He had a crazy and depressed mom, and dad who had a hard time bonding with his children, and health problems that affected his daily life. The eczema was excruciating and stomach turning to see. He would scream and claw at his scalp, trying to get relief from the itching and burning when he was just a couple of months old. He woke up several times each night from terrible coughing fits. He couldn't sleep laying down from the acid reflux. He never did sleep through the night much until he was over 2 years old. His temper was terrible and he would throw the most terrifying tantrums I've ever seen in my life. I can honestly say that there were times when I thought about turning him over to the state.
I ended up taking him to therapists, working with an amazing woman in my ward whose own son was quite a challenge, and going to therapy myself. Over the course of 4 years I've learned how to say "no" and mean it, put my foot down concerning unacceptable behaviors, and love this child who I sometimes wanted to (not literally) toss out the window. He taught me how to grow a mother's spine and grow a few gray hairs. Nowadays he's miles easier to deal with and is a daily joy for us all. He is creative, active, kind to everyone around him, and speaks words of kindness even to random strangers. He loves telling women that they're pretty because it always makes them smile and give him a hug (both of which is LOVES getting out of people). Of course we still have challenges and days that don't go so well, but man, he is so very enjoyable. I really can't imagine life without my sweet little guy and I feel like we've developed a very strong bond because of how much we've gone through together. He plays with his voice almost as much as his dad does, keeps a great beat, and loves music. He dances and says the funniest stuff. Just the other day I was putting him through the shower when he asked for his shower sunglasses. His what? A washcloth. It keeps the water out of his eyes so he thought he'd follow the logic of sunglasses.
Right now he's munching on some left over "truck cake", trying to decide which pair of new shorts he's going to wear today, and doing a little dance on his trampoline.
(I tried to post pictures to go with this post, but for some reason Blogger won't let me. I'll try again later.)
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Problem solving
Have you ever done something which, upon reflection, could have been done better if you had just thought it through in the first place?
I sometimes have rather random experiences which I remember for the rest of my life because of what they taught me.
One time, about 3 years ago, I was walking out of a store with some poster board. It was a windy day and I just held on to one end of the heavy paper and let it ride with the wind, hoping it wouldn't get too wrinkled by the time I got to my car. Along the way, a youngish man in the business suit stopped in his tracks, observed me for a moment, but held his peace and went on his way without a word. It struck me that he saw something in my situation that might not have been the smarter way to handle things but decided to not counsel a stranger on how to transport her stinking poster board. After I got in the car I sat and thought about how I could have carried it out to the car in a "smart" way.
Roll it up.
Ever since then, when I come up against a problem, I remember my poster board and wonder if there is something about the problem or solution that I'm just not seeing very clearly. That one simple experience has taught me to listen not only to what people say, but how the rest of them reacts to what I say and do.
So, be careful. I'm watching you and your opinion is more clear than you may realize. ;)
Conversely, the stuff you may want to tell me but don't is totally obscure or unknown. Ain't communication grand?
I sometimes have rather random experiences which I remember for the rest of my life because of what they taught me.
One time, about 3 years ago, I was walking out of a store with some poster board. It was a windy day and I just held on to one end of the heavy paper and let it ride with the wind, hoping it wouldn't get too wrinkled by the time I got to my car. Along the way, a youngish man in the business suit stopped in his tracks, observed me for a moment, but held his peace and went on his way without a word. It struck me that he saw something in my situation that might not have been the smarter way to handle things but decided to not counsel a stranger on how to transport her stinking poster board. After I got in the car I sat and thought about how I could have carried it out to the car in a "smart" way.
Roll it up.
Ever since then, when I come up against a problem, I remember my poster board and wonder if there is something about the problem or solution that I'm just not seeing very clearly. That one simple experience has taught me to listen not only to what people say, but how the rest of them reacts to what I say and do.
So, be careful. I'm watching you and your opinion is more clear than you may realize. ;)
Conversely, the stuff you may want to tell me but don't is totally obscure or unknown. Ain't communication grand?
AFTB graduation
After our 10th and final class for AFTB level 1, we got certificates of completion and got to shake hands with a Sergeant Major (for those who don't want to look it up, that's an E-9, or the highest enlisted rank in the Army. He was super nice and said if we see him around in civilian clothing, we're welcome to call him Brett). We all now have AFTB key fobs and lapel pins, a huge stack of very helpful learning materials, phone numbers and email addresses from many of the ladies in the class, and a far greater sense of purpose and control.
It also helped me understand the wives in the other branches of the military. I've heard of the competitive aspect among the actual service members, and I've heard of a bit of elitism among the spouses, but that hasn't been my experience here. Some people sort of keep to themselves for their own reasons, but everyone in the support networks is kind, engaging, they believe in what they do, and share their knowledge and experience freely to help in any way they can. It's exciting and inspiring to see how so many people can get together and get something done to help their community, both immediate (military neighborhoods) as well as other organizations, causes, and even cities and states. I can see how so many people can really come to love the lifestyle. It's hard, I won't ever deny that, but there is so much more to it that I couldn't even imagine. I'm in a church where the point is to serve and love everyone around me, not just other church members. The military groups are also all about helping their own and reaching out to their communities. The service that's offered doesn't end or even start with war and training for war. It's all about a decent way of life for the whole country, no matter who you are or who I am.
It also helped me understand the wives in the other branches of the military. I've heard of the competitive aspect among the actual service members, and I've heard of a bit of elitism among the spouses, but that hasn't been my experience here. Some people sort of keep to themselves for their own reasons, but everyone in the support networks is kind, engaging, they believe in what they do, and share their knowledge and experience freely to help in any way they can. It's exciting and inspiring to see how so many people can get together and get something done to help their community, both immediate (military neighborhoods) as well as other organizations, causes, and even cities and states. I can see how so many people can really come to love the lifestyle. It's hard, I won't ever deny that, but there is so much more to it that I couldn't even imagine. I'm in a church where the point is to serve and love everyone around me, not just other church members. The military groups are also all about helping their own and reaching out to their communities. The service that's offered doesn't end or even start with war and training for war. It's all about a decent way of life for the whole country, no matter who you are or who I am.
Monday, April 23, 2007
AFTB
Armed Forces Team Building
The hook and draw for me to go to AFTB classes was the free child care and lunch. I was so discouraged when I thought I might have to stay home b/c of an immunization record that isn't up to date. The lady who calls with reminders made a phone call that got me in anyway and, boy oh boy, am I glad she did.
The idea behind the classes is to educate military persons and their spouses concerning the vast, lumbering system known as the US Military.
Class list:
Impact of the mission on family life
Military acronyms and terms
Chain of command
Introduction to military customs and Courtesies
Benefits and entitlements
Each of these classes was so very helpful, but I think the most useful was benefits and entitlements. I can't even explain to you how confusing a military pay check is, but this class broke it all down and explained a whole slew of benefits that I either didn't understand or even know about.
Tomorrow's class list:
Intro to community resources
Intro to Family Readiness Groups
Supporting your child's education
Financial readiness
Basic problem solving
Not only is this good military information, it's good life skill and coping information. There was an interesting group there today: lots of wives, but also one grandma who was living close to or with her single mother daughter who was going through training, as well as a civilian employee of the military housing office. Everyone was there just to learn about the system, how it works, and how the military people live and what they experience.
I've already signed up for level two (there are three levels) as well as the instructor training. It's really a great program and I'm obviously still very excited about it.
The main benefit: coherent, useful, necessary information all in manageable classes and handouts. That sort of thing is a shining gem amidst all of the red tape and rule books.
The kids did really well. They were at the child care facility for 6 hours while mama went and played. I was so worried about Pebbles since this is the first time I've left her for an extended period of time but she did perfectly well. She cried just a bit when I first put her in a high chair but quieted down for food and apparently did well the rest of the day. The older two, of course, did wonderfully. The two ladies there were so nice and good with the kids.
And best yet... I feel like I've had a bit of a vacation.
The hook and draw for me to go to AFTB classes was the free child care and lunch. I was so discouraged when I thought I might have to stay home b/c of an immunization record that isn't up to date. The lady who calls with reminders made a phone call that got me in anyway and, boy oh boy, am I glad she did.
The idea behind the classes is to educate military persons and their spouses concerning the vast, lumbering system known as the US Military.
Class list:
Impact of the mission on family life
Military acronyms and terms
Chain of command
Introduction to military customs and Courtesies
Benefits and entitlements
Each of these classes was so very helpful, but I think the most useful was benefits and entitlements. I can't even explain to you how confusing a military pay check is, but this class broke it all down and explained a whole slew of benefits that I either didn't understand or even know about.
Tomorrow's class list:
Intro to community resources
Intro to Family Readiness Groups
Supporting your child's education
Financial readiness
Basic problem solving
Not only is this good military information, it's good life skill and coping information. There was an interesting group there today: lots of wives, but also one grandma who was living close to or with her single mother daughter who was going through training, as well as a civilian employee of the military housing office. Everyone was there just to learn about the system, how it works, and how the military people live and what they experience.
I've already signed up for level two (there are three levels) as well as the instructor training. It's really a great program and I'm obviously still very excited about it.
The main benefit: coherent, useful, necessary information all in manageable classes and handouts. That sort of thing is a shining gem amidst all of the red tape and rule books.
The kids did really well. They were at the child care facility for 6 hours while mama went and played. I was so worried about Pebbles since this is the first time I've left her for an extended period of time but she did perfectly well. She cried just a bit when I first put her in a high chair but quieted down for food and apparently did well the rest of the day. The older two, of course, did wonderfully. The two ladies there were so nice and good with the kids.
And best yet... I feel like I've had a bit of a vacation.
It went well after all (part 3 in a series)
Well, one wife whipped up a couple of miracles out of her kitchen and brought not only scalloped potatoes, but potato salad. 4 families showed up and as I looked at my table loaded with food, I couldn't help but pray a little "Lord, if it's Your will, and if it's needed, could you do a bit of that loaves and fishes thing tonight?"
I had left overs of everything and everyone said they were stuffed. The chicken and the brownies were great hits and at all times I could hear talking and laughing. As I made the rounds to visit with everyone, it was fun to see old friends who had been too busy to get together much renew bonds, and new friends who had never met get to know and like each other for the first time. We were missing only 1 adult who was swamped with homework, but other than that everyone who was invited actually showed up. It felt almost as big as a ward activity even though it ended up being 5 families.
Having had people over a few times now, I have a deep appreciation for my grandparents. They always seem so prepared to graciously receive guests into their home. The side dishes are always warm and ready when the main dish hits the table, their home has a glow of cleanliness about it without being intimidating, and they are willing to make conversation with their guests even if they don't know them well or don't have a lot in common. I'm starting to realize how much energy and love it takes to do that sort of thing. They are a great example to me.
I had left overs of everything and everyone said they were stuffed. The chicken and the brownies were great hits and at all times I could hear talking and laughing. As I made the rounds to visit with everyone, it was fun to see old friends who had been too busy to get together much renew bonds, and new friends who had never met get to know and like each other for the first time. We were missing only 1 adult who was swamped with homework, but other than that everyone who was invited actually showed up. It felt almost as big as a ward activity even though it ended up being 5 families.
Having had people over a few times now, I have a deep appreciation for my grandparents. They always seem so prepared to graciously receive guests into their home. The side dishes are always warm and ready when the main dish hits the table, their home has a glow of cleanliness about it without being intimidating, and they are willing to make conversation with their guests even if they don't know them well or don't have a lot in common. I'm starting to realize how much energy and love it takes to do that sort of thing. They are a great example to me.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Update on get together
I havn't gotten any calls from any of the families who had planned to attend. So, feeling a little upset, I called each of them to ask if they were coming. It turns out that I made The Great Wife Bypass Error. I spoke with husbands, and then failed to follow up with wives. -smacking my forehead- The first one I called was kind of surprised and a little put out, telling me that it's really late notice for such a thing. The second one, I lead out with "Hi J, did your husband happen to talk to you about dinner tonight?" Negatory on that one, too.
I thanked Man profusely for being pretty consistent about letting me know about such things, was again grateful for food storage so that surprises like this don't catch me off guard, and I learned a valuable lesson: Never talk to a man and assume his wife will hear.
I thanked Man profusely for being pretty consistent about letting me know about such things, was again grateful for food storage so that surprises like this don't catch me off guard, and I learned a valuable lesson: Never talk to a man and assume his wife will hear.
Having some friends over
It sounds simple, doesn't it? "Oh, you can't have it at your house? Well, come on over to ours!!"
Haha! -sigh-
The reason: We are in a home teaching triangle, where Man home teaches a family who also home teaches us, so we're having a shin dig with 4 families at my place.
The menu: hotdogs, burgers, marinated chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, tortilla chips with bean dip, a couple of large pans of brownies. Is that enough food? I always worry that it's going to be enough food since I fed some missionaries once, had a couple of extra unexpected guests and ended up having to make macaroni and cheese to supplement the meal. That was embarrassing. So now I ALWAYS make too much food and make sure it's stuff that'll freeze well. Coleslaw doesn't freeze at all, obviously, but it's cheap to make.
The insanity: I've told one and all that if it rains we can't do it since my house cannot contain 24 people including 14 children. I know that some of you don't think that's a lot of people. For Man's side of the family, that's a fairly reasonable Sunday night get together. For my side of the family, we'd have to get some extended family from out of town to make that crowd.
The reward: I can say for the rest of the time we live here "sorry, we had it at my place last time. Whose turn is it now? Can I bring anything to help out?"
Next weekend: No plans. None. Well, ok. Church, but that's it.
Haha! -sigh-
The reason: We are in a home teaching triangle, where Man home teaches a family who also home teaches us, so we're having a shin dig with 4 families at my place.
The menu: hotdogs, burgers, marinated chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, tortilla chips with bean dip, a couple of large pans of brownies. Is that enough food? I always worry that it's going to be enough food since I fed some missionaries once, had a couple of extra unexpected guests and ended up having to make macaroni and cheese to supplement the meal. That was embarrassing. So now I ALWAYS make too much food and make sure it's stuff that'll freeze well. Coleslaw doesn't freeze at all, obviously, but it's cheap to make.
The insanity: I've told one and all that if it rains we can't do it since my house cannot contain 24 people including 14 children. I know that some of you don't think that's a lot of people. For Man's side of the family, that's a fairly reasonable Sunday night get together. For my side of the family, we'd have to get some extended family from out of town to make that crowd.
The reward: I can say for the rest of the time we live here "sorry, we had it at my place last time. Whose turn is it now? Can I bring anything to help out?"
Next weekend: No plans. None. Well, ok. Church, but that's it.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Google me this
My brother Googled his name in the following format: "[Name] Needs".
Then, he posted the first 10 results.
Here's my list:
Annie Needs
1. Annie needs to be rescued by the armed forces (displaying male power)
2. Annie needs a home (referring to an underprivileged dog.)
3. annie [needs a new picture]
4. little orphan annie needs SMACK! Thumbnails
5. Annie needs foster or adopter ASAP
6. Annie needs a Woody
7. Annie needs a home
8. Annie needs a home
9. Annie needs a loving home
10. If Annie needs someone, or if someone needs her, she cannot open the door. No one robs Annie.
Some of these are bizarre, some are unspeakably funny. It seems like most of the Annie's of the world are pet dogs who end up in shelters. Someone said that I sound like Annie of the Oakley variety.
What about you? Does Google think you need anything?
Then, he posted the first 10 results.
Here's my list:
Annie Needs
1. Annie needs to be rescued by the armed forces (displaying male power)
2. Annie needs a home (referring to an underprivileged dog.)
3. annie [needs a new picture]
4. little orphan annie needs SMACK! Thumbnails
5. Annie needs foster or adopter ASAP
6. Annie needs a Woody
7. Annie needs a home
8. Annie needs a home
9. Annie needs a loving home
10. If Annie needs someone, or if someone needs her, she cannot open the door. No one robs Annie.
Some of these are bizarre, some are unspeakably funny. It seems like most of the Annie's of the world are pet dogs who end up in shelters. Someone said that I sound like Annie of the Oakley variety.
What about you? Does Google think you need anything?
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Life's little "no duh" moments
Everyone has heard of "don't blow your nose while you have a mouthful of mouthwash", right?
And a long time ago I discovered "don't cut jalapeños and then put contacts in."
Today I learned "don't floss with mint floss and then put contacts in. It feels almost as bad as jalapeños."
Ah, how wise we grow with experience.
And a long time ago I discovered "don't cut jalapeños and then put contacts in."
Today I learned "don't floss with mint floss and then put contacts in. It feels almost as bad as jalapeños."
Ah, how wise we grow with experience.
On wedding rings: a brief personal history
And longish speculative research toward the end.
1. Engagement ring. Man proposed outside a temple and presented me with a nice CTR ring from a nearby Deseret bookstore. I still have it in a jewelry box.
2. Wedding ring. It was just a touch too small, so we had it resized. I'm told that it didn't turn out as planned, but it's my wedding ring and therefore I love it. I grew out of it after my first baby. I still have it, in the same ring box, nestled in the same jewelry box, as my engagement ring.
3. A gold band my sister purchased for me several years ago, when I was still living with parents. I grew out of that one after my second child was born. I still have this one as well.
4. A silver ring I purchased at a mall for $10. I got it while man was in basic training so I'd have something to point to while I lived in as a temporarily single mom with three kids. It has three stones in it and, I think, is a very attractive little ring. I've gotten more compliments on it than any other ring I've worn, but it's small and modest.
And that brings me to the real point of this blog: this morning, I found a hive under my ring. -sob- Fluke? Did something get caught under there and I just need to give it a good scrub, wait a few days, then try again? I've worn it for over 7 months without a problem. Oh, well. If I can't wear it anymore, I'll add it to my collection of beloved tokens of my marriage.
What other sorts of marriage tokens could I consider? There are those white handkerchief things that the British ladies used to wear on their heads. A brief Google also gives me these options:
1. Awka (Somalia) the bride is asked by the groom to file her teeth. Um, no.
2. The Seniang (Vanuatu) require a bride's incisor teeth be knocked out prior to the wedding ceremony. Um, HECK no.
3. The Arunda (Australia) practice nasal piercing. Bone in the nose? I'd prefer that over knocking my teeth out.
4. Necklaces are fairly common as well. Maybe I could make a wood sign, hang it around my neck, and print the words "I am happily married" on it.
5. Samburu women collect necklaces and beads until they are married, at which point they give away half of their beads and replace them with a set of necklaces called an mparo which feature a large red bead on the front.
6. "Another culture that favors the bead is the Igbo (Nigeria). An Igbo wife withholds consummation of the marriage until her husband presents her with costly colored beads that are worn around the waist. The more beads a woman receives the more valued she is as a wife." I guess that's cooler than using cows to gauge your worth. I'm a 50 bead wife! It's also a great excuse to get your husband to go with you to the local bead shop. [wheels are turning in my head]
7. Bracelets of iron and grass also don't sound so bad, but I wonder if the iron bracelet would rust over time.
8. "One interesting example comes from the Wamba (Congo). According to tradition the copper anklets worn by wives were once used to prevent wives from running away. Over time women have used them as a means of displaying their husbands' wealth, similar to a platinum ring in Western cultures." Hm. Not a bad idea there. As long as he wasn't looking at it like shackles. Barefoot and pregnant, chained to the kitchen? Nah.
9. Various clothing such as head scarves, triangular skirts, and scarves around the neck have also been used.
10. Various styles of braided hair sound pretty interesting, but I can barely braid my hair even remotely decently when it's long, let alone some of the things done through the ages to denote a married woman. Little braids all over that are pulled into a topknot on the head, braided coils behind the ears, etc. I guess that would eliminate a lot of fashion crises, wouldn't it? Or would it just create one massive crisis?
11. Shaving my head in a spiral pattern. Or, better yet, after the wife's first menses as a married woman, both husband and wife get shaved all over their bodies in matching patterns. hehe And some husbands complain when wives make them wear ties that match their evening wear.
(here is the article that contained all this useful information: Tysick, C. (2007). Fertility Rites and the Married Body: Remembering an ancient past through symbolic imagery. PHILICA.COM Article number 81.)
My conclusion: For now, I'll just give the ring a scrub, wait, and try again. But, if next time you see me I'm wearing a triangular skirt, iron necklace, nose bone, and Man and I both have spiral hair.... well, don't ask.
1. Engagement ring. Man proposed outside a temple and presented me with a nice CTR ring from a nearby Deseret bookstore. I still have it in a jewelry box.
2. Wedding ring. It was just a touch too small, so we had it resized. I'm told that it didn't turn out as planned, but it's my wedding ring and therefore I love it. I grew out of it after my first baby. I still have it, in the same ring box, nestled in the same jewelry box, as my engagement ring.
3. A gold band my sister purchased for me several years ago, when I was still living with parents. I grew out of that one after my second child was born. I still have this one as well.
4. A silver ring I purchased at a mall for $10. I got it while man was in basic training so I'd have something to point to while I lived in as a temporarily single mom with three kids. It has three stones in it and, I think, is a very attractive little ring. I've gotten more compliments on it than any other ring I've worn, but it's small and modest.
And that brings me to the real point of this blog: this morning, I found a hive under my ring. -sob- Fluke? Did something get caught under there and I just need to give it a good scrub, wait a few days, then try again? I've worn it for over 7 months without a problem. Oh, well. If I can't wear it anymore, I'll add it to my collection of beloved tokens of my marriage.
What other sorts of marriage tokens could I consider? There are those white handkerchief things that the British ladies used to wear on their heads. A brief Google also gives me these options:
1. Awka (Somalia) the bride is asked by the groom to file her teeth. Um, no.
2. The Seniang (Vanuatu) require a bride's incisor teeth be knocked out prior to the wedding ceremony. Um, HECK no.
3. The Arunda (Australia) practice nasal piercing. Bone in the nose? I'd prefer that over knocking my teeth out.
4. Necklaces are fairly common as well. Maybe I could make a wood sign, hang it around my neck, and print the words "I am happily married" on it.
5. Samburu women collect necklaces and beads until they are married, at which point they give away half of their beads and replace them with a set of necklaces called an mparo which feature a large red bead on the front.
6. "Another culture that favors the bead is the Igbo (Nigeria). An Igbo wife withholds consummation of the marriage until her husband presents her with costly colored beads that are worn around the waist. The more beads a woman receives the more valued she is as a wife." I guess that's cooler than using cows to gauge your worth. I'm a 50 bead wife! It's also a great excuse to get your husband to go with you to the local bead shop. [wheels are turning in my head]
7. Bracelets of iron and grass also don't sound so bad, but I wonder if the iron bracelet would rust over time.
8. "One interesting example comes from the Wamba (Congo). According to tradition the copper anklets worn by wives were once used to prevent wives from running away. Over time women have used them as a means of displaying their husbands' wealth, similar to a platinum ring in Western cultures." Hm. Not a bad idea there. As long as he wasn't looking at it like shackles. Barefoot and pregnant, chained to the kitchen? Nah.
9. Various clothing such as head scarves, triangular skirts, and scarves around the neck have also been used.
10. Various styles of braided hair sound pretty interesting, but I can barely braid my hair even remotely decently when it's long, let alone some of the things done through the ages to denote a married woman. Little braids all over that are pulled into a topknot on the head, braided coils behind the ears, etc. I guess that would eliminate a lot of fashion crises, wouldn't it? Or would it just create one massive crisis?
11. Shaving my head in a spiral pattern. Or, better yet, after the wife's first menses as a married woman, both husband and wife get shaved all over their bodies in matching patterns. hehe And some husbands complain when wives make them wear ties that match their evening wear.
(here is the article that contained all this useful information: Tysick, C. (2007). Fertility Rites and the Married Body: Remembering an ancient past through symbolic imagery. PHILICA.COM Article number 81.)
My conclusion: For now, I'll just give the ring a scrub, wait, and try again. But, if next time you see me I'm wearing a triangular skirt, iron necklace, nose bone, and Man and I both have spiral hair.... well, don't ask.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
More Tag antics
I know I post a lot of Tag quotes, but this kid just cracks me up.
Last week he got sent to his room, and by the time he came out he had rearranged the furniture and very carefully placed a very broken set of blinds on the dresser. I asked him how they got broken but he played dumb.
Fast forward to this week when the maintenance guy came to fix the blinds (I promise I'm not a weak female when it comes to fixing some stinking blinds... some property managers just prefer to fix everything themselves) and Tag was chatting up a storm with this complete stranger. I was half listening from the next room when I suddenly hear this heroic tale:
Tag: And the way the blinds broke is... I open the window, and swing on the string like a hero! I tried to swing out the window!
Me: [running into the bedroom] So, the truth comes out!! Did you break the blinds?
Tag: [very startled at the sudden appearance of an authority figure] No, I di'n't.
Me: Did you swing on the blinds?
Tag: No. [with a perfectly straight face]
So... still working on the lie thing. I think he understands what a lie is, but I'm still trying to figure out how to get him to consistently tell the truth. I've got plenty of tactics I'm working with. It's just taking a while. -sigh-
Miss Princess is loving this kids' computer. We got it about 2 months ago for dirt cheap and it came with tons of kid level educational software on it. There are some games on there that she can do with ease and it just blows my mind. She can do the soduko puzzles where the numbers have been replaced with shapes, and there is another one that takes different snap shots of the globe and has her correctly place countries, continents, and provinces. She's a whiz at it and even helped me with central Europe and Africa. This kid organizes her sock drawer. She can do a few tavern puzzles. Can I brag some more? She matches all of the socks, folds other categories of laundry, and loves putting away dishes. How did I get so lucky with this child? All three of them just amaze me every day and I'm so grateful for each of them.
Pebbles' accomplishment of the week: 4 consecutive steps. Yes, folks, my baby is officially a toddler. Exciting. Saddening. Now I know why the youngest kid is spoiled. I just love that little monkey and wish she'd stay little. But... she's starting to get old enough to know better. The older two sometimes leave out dvd case out and unzipped. She wanders over, casually looks around, slips her hand in and pulls out a random disk. "[Pebbles]!" She starts and, without looking around, quickly puts the disc back in some random place, slams the case closed, then looks up and smiles, says "what?" with her sparkley eyes and slobbery grin.
Last week he got sent to his room, and by the time he came out he had rearranged the furniture and very carefully placed a very broken set of blinds on the dresser. I asked him how they got broken but he played dumb.
Fast forward to this week when the maintenance guy came to fix the blinds (I promise I'm not a weak female when it comes to fixing some stinking blinds... some property managers just prefer to fix everything themselves) and Tag was chatting up a storm with this complete stranger. I was half listening from the next room when I suddenly hear this heroic tale:
Tag: And the way the blinds broke is... I open the window, and swing on the string like a hero! I tried to swing out the window!
Me: [running into the bedroom] So, the truth comes out!! Did you break the blinds?
Tag: [very startled at the sudden appearance of an authority figure] No, I di'n't.
Me: Did you swing on the blinds?
Tag: No. [with a perfectly straight face]
So... still working on the lie thing. I think he understands what a lie is, but I'm still trying to figure out how to get him to consistently tell the truth. I've got plenty of tactics I'm working with. It's just taking a while. -sigh-
Miss Princess is loving this kids' computer. We got it about 2 months ago for dirt cheap and it came with tons of kid level educational software on it. There are some games on there that she can do with ease and it just blows my mind. She can do the soduko puzzles where the numbers have been replaced with shapes, and there is another one that takes different snap shots of the globe and has her correctly place countries, continents, and provinces. She's a whiz at it and even helped me with central Europe and Africa. This kid organizes her sock drawer. She can do a few tavern puzzles. Can I brag some more? She matches all of the socks, folds other categories of laundry, and loves putting away dishes. How did I get so lucky with this child? All three of them just amaze me every day and I'm so grateful for each of them.
Pebbles' accomplishment of the week: 4 consecutive steps. Yes, folks, my baby is officially a toddler. Exciting. Saddening. Now I know why the youngest kid is spoiled. I just love that little monkey and wish she'd stay little. But... she's starting to get old enough to know better. The older two sometimes leave out dvd case out and unzipped. She wanders over, casually looks around, slips her hand in and pulls out a random disk. "[Pebbles]!" She starts and, without looking around, quickly puts the disc back in some random place, slams the case closed, then looks up and smiles, says "what?" with her sparkley eyes and slobbery grin.
Monday, April 16, 2007
April 15th
Tag knows what that means: his birthday is coming up. He can't wait!! It also means that the internet is very slow tonight with traffic from all of the people who saved their taxes until tonight, of all nights.
::throws tax party:: Dude, we do ours in January.
Ok, now here's a sensitive subject. People who can't handle controversy, close your browser now.
So I was sitting in the chapel today (yes, that sort of controversy) when the third talk comes up. I don't mind saying that there are some days when the Spirit is stronger than others. We started off decently well with a recently returned missionary who was still on spiritual fire from preaching the good news. Second talk was a lady who was trying in compare Helaman and his stripling warriors (Book of Mormon reference) to the revolutionary war and some fishermen who helped Gen. Washington cross the Delaware.
Third talk: honesty. And this guy was brave, I tell ya what. He talked about Jesus Christ and His example of perfect honesty and then he talked about a guy in Germany who hid some Jewish people in his home until he could smuggle them out of the country. When soldiers came to search his house, they asked him if he had fugitives in his home. He lied, telling them there was no one there besides himself. He was beaten and still he held to his lie and thus the people he was helping were spared. The person giving the talk said that even though we are commanded to not tell lies, that there are times when a white lie can be a good thing, as in the case of a Jewish sympathizer or when his wife asks if she looks good in an awful dress.
Now, at this point there were a lot of people looking at each other with something of confusion and awe. It is a universally known fact that this is a Sensitive Subject and saying something that might contradict the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount is a Bad Thing. To my knowledge, there are no known instances of Jesus lying at all in the Bible. Not even to save anyone. I was always taught to tell the truth even when the consequences would be dire. I even learned that one the extra hard way and ended up with a misdemeanor as a result (it's no longer on my record -- first ever offense, did some community service, bye-bye soiled record)
So what do you make of the white lie thing? Would you lie to save a life? Would you lie if it would ruin your good name to tell the truth? Would you lie to spare someone's feelings in a matter of dubious importance? Now remember, any sort of misrepresentation of reality is a lie. Any withholding of information with the intent to deceive is a lie. It's an easy thing to be asked a question and then quickly rearrange your thoughts so as to be able to express yourself in an inoffensive manner, even if you aren't being true to your honest and initial assessment of a thing.
But aren't opinions mercurial and evolutionary? Can I not change my opinion willingly and immediately in order to conform to the truth I want to be real?
I think the real lie comes when you have to change who you are and the way you see in order to make something true. When you take one lie into yourself, so many other things inside of you have to rearrange themselves around that lie so that everything else follows a logical pattern. One lie breeds many lies, and in more ways than one. Of course you need to keep up with all the lies that have to accompany the initial lie ("yes, your makeup looks great. Yes, that brand does well for you. Yes, the eyeliner is perfect, sweetie" ad infinitum) but there are also lies of perspective that force truths and clarity within the soul to mutate when you decide to embrace a lie.
I think that the young man who gave this talk has a different understanding of honesty than I do. I might lie to save a life. I hope I never have to. I don't lie to people when they ask about an appearance related issue, but I try to tell the truth with kindness. As far as my understanding and perspective are true, I try to tell the absolute truth. It is my opinion that white lies are for cowards. Many times I have been a coward. My reward has always been to be hurt, to hurt, and in some way to be diminished.
My thoughts are still a-whirl from this talk. I've had a lot of opportunities over the past couple of years to think and rethink about honesty with myself. I'm sad to say that until recently I've largely been a stranger to total intra-frankness*.
Tell me what you think about honesty.
*Yes, I know, I made that up. Use my ultra-spiffy, so expressive term in good health.
::throws tax party:: Dude, we do ours in January.
Ok, now here's a sensitive subject. People who can't handle controversy, close your browser now.
So I was sitting in the chapel today (yes, that sort of controversy) when the third talk comes up. I don't mind saying that there are some days when the Spirit is stronger than others. We started off decently well with a recently returned missionary who was still on spiritual fire from preaching the good news. Second talk was a lady who was trying in compare Helaman and his stripling warriors (Book of Mormon reference) to the revolutionary war and some fishermen who helped Gen. Washington cross the Delaware.
Third talk: honesty. And this guy was brave, I tell ya what. He talked about Jesus Christ and His example of perfect honesty and then he talked about a guy in Germany who hid some Jewish people in his home until he could smuggle them out of the country. When soldiers came to search his house, they asked him if he had fugitives in his home. He lied, telling them there was no one there besides himself. He was beaten and still he held to his lie and thus the people he was helping were spared. The person giving the talk said that even though we are commanded to not tell lies, that there are times when a white lie can be a good thing, as in the case of a Jewish sympathizer or when his wife asks if she looks good in an awful dress.
Now, at this point there were a lot of people looking at each other with something of confusion and awe. It is a universally known fact that this is a Sensitive Subject and saying something that might contradict the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount is a Bad Thing. To my knowledge, there are no known instances of Jesus lying at all in the Bible. Not even to save anyone. I was always taught to tell the truth even when the consequences would be dire. I even learned that one the extra hard way and ended up with a misdemeanor as a result (it's no longer on my record -- first ever offense, did some community service, bye-bye soiled record)
So what do you make of the white lie thing? Would you lie to save a life? Would you lie if it would ruin your good name to tell the truth? Would you lie to spare someone's feelings in a matter of dubious importance? Now remember, any sort of misrepresentation of reality is a lie. Any withholding of information with the intent to deceive is a lie. It's an easy thing to be asked a question and then quickly rearrange your thoughts so as to be able to express yourself in an inoffensive manner, even if you aren't being true to your honest and initial assessment of a thing.
But aren't opinions mercurial and evolutionary? Can I not change my opinion willingly and immediately in order to conform to the truth I want to be real?
I think the real lie comes when you have to change who you are and the way you see in order to make something true. When you take one lie into yourself, so many other things inside of you have to rearrange themselves around that lie so that everything else follows a logical pattern. One lie breeds many lies, and in more ways than one. Of course you need to keep up with all the lies that have to accompany the initial lie ("yes, your makeup looks great. Yes, that brand does well for you. Yes, the eyeliner is perfect, sweetie" ad infinitum) but there are also lies of perspective that force truths and clarity within the soul to mutate when you decide to embrace a lie.
I think that the young man who gave this talk has a different understanding of honesty than I do. I might lie to save a life. I hope I never have to. I don't lie to people when they ask about an appearance related issue, but I try to tell the truth with kindness. As far as my understanding and perspective are true, I try to tell the absolute truth. It is my opinion that white lies are for cowards. Many times I have been a coward. My reward has always been to be hurt, to hurt, and in some way to be diminished.
My thoughts are still a-whirl from this talk. I've had a lot of opportunities over the past couple of years to think and rethink about honesty with myself. I'm sad to say that until recently I've largely been a stranger to total intra-frankness*.
Tell me what you think about honesty.
*Yes, I know, I made that up. Use my ultra-spiffy, so expressive term in good health.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Nothing says "smoothie" like fine china.
It's a chocolate strawberry smoothie. I havn't even used the coconut yet. Haha!
I got an Oster because it was the brand with a glass pitcher and ice crushing. I also wanted individual buttons instead of a dial and it has cord storage under the base. It's a pretty sweet setup. At the home we lived in before we got here, there was a Friday night tradition of having shakes after dinner while the parents went on a date. My kids are ecstatic at the idea of having shakes at home again.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
There are kisses... and then there are kisses.
Tag's latest thing has been to pretend to be a dog. He loves to crawl around, bark, sniff people (thankfully he hasn't learned to sniff rear ends), and give doggy kisses. His favorite thing to do is to crawl up to Princess and tell her in human words that he wants to give her a kiss.
The very next thing I hear:
"Ew!! [Tag] licked me!"
Speaking of kisses, my sweet Pebbles has learned how to make kissy noises with her lips and I'm often industriously engaged in trying to teach her to kiss my cheek. The older kids are willing examples, kissing and letting themselves be kissed in demonstration. This evening I was trying once again trying to get Pebbles to lay a wet one on my cheek when...
Ew. Pebbles licked me. How... erm, lovely.
That wasn't quite the wet one I was hoping for.
Anyway, it was Tag's turn to say the dinner prayer. Here's an excerpt:
I have no idea what he thought we were having for dinner tonight, since he's very familiar with home made stir fry, or maybe he was quoting from a Dr. Seuss book that I havn't read yet. I can only imagine that by the number of times he asked a blessing on the food that he was secretly hoping God would turn it into pizza or hamburgers.
My dear Princess is just so busy and good at whatever she decides to do. She can clean the toy room in less than 10 minutes, she's a champ at making beds, and her teachers say that she's "mature for her age." But I also love it when she can get in the dirt with her brother, don't mind it when she presents me with a painted picture and similarly colorful hands, hair, and shirt, and she's getting pretty good at flower arrangement with all the small blossoms available from our lawn. Her creativity is safe and structured but abundant. I love how different my children are.
The very next thing I hear:
"Ew!! [Tag] licked me!"
Speaking of kisses, my sweet Pebbles has learned how to make kissy noises with her lips and I'm often industriously engaged in trying to teach her to kiss my cheek. The older kids are willing examples, kissing and letting themselves be kissed in demonstration. This evening I was trying once again trying to get Pebbles to lay a wet one on my cheek when...
Ew. Pebbles licked me. How... erm, lovely.
That wasn't quite the wet one I was hoping for.
Anyway, it was Tag's turn to say the dinner prayer. Here's an excerpt:
Please bless the food, and the vegetables I don't like. Please bless oingy-boingy, and the chirchink. Please, please bless the food. Please bless us with good dreams and to be safe. Please bless the perfluh-bop. I don't like vegetable but please bless the vegetables. Amen.
I have no idea what he thought we were having for dinner tonight, since he's very familiar with home made stir fry, or maybe he was quoting from a Dr. Seuss book that I havn't read yet. I can only imagine that by the number of times he asked a blessing on the food that he was secretly hoping God would turn it into pizza or hamburgers.
My dear Princess is just so busy and good at whatever she decides to do. She can clean the toy room in less than 10 minutes, she's a champ at making beds, and her teachers say that she's "mature for her age." But I also love it when she can get in the dirt with her brother, don't mind it when she presents me with a painted picture and similarly colorful hands, hair, and shirt, and she's getting pretty good at flower arrangement with all the small blossoms available from our lawn. Her creativity is safe and structured but abundant. I love how different my children are.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The day the car bought it
Bought the farm, is what that means. It's from Chicken Run. British comedy, don't you know.
Anyway, the car was parked on a street on the base, minding its own business, when a nice young Marine swiped it in a u-turn, tore off half the bumper, and totaled our car. Yep, first it was that hapless deer that ran into the car, shattering the side mirror, then this.
You see, we felt like we really needed to buy this little car that our friends were selling, so we did. It's just a little tiny thing that our family can't fit into but will make a great little commuter until it dies. It was pretty inexpensive and its deficiencies largely cosmetic.
Then. The big car bought it.
How long do insurance claims take to go through? Regardless, we are definitely looking for a new car now. There is a huge list of things on the one we have that need to get fixed -- some minor, some scary. This just sort of seals the deal.
I've never actually gone car shopping before. I kind of tagged along with my parents when they bought a car that they no longer own, and I went with a boy friend once but he didn't end up looking very hard or actually buying anything. I think I've got the general idea of it. We don't really want to buy one in this state, but what can we do? Here we are, and for a while yet.
Part of me wants a van. Part of me doesn't want a van. Part of me really wants one of those Honda vans with sliding doors on each side. Part of me wishes public transportation was more extensive around here and everywhere. The last part just wants some Ben and Jerry's, the movie Clue, and a nice cuddle with my Man after which a van would magically appear in our driveway, already registered and smog tested. Haha!! Such darling fantasies one might have after a long week. I guess that's why some people call Wednesday Hump Day. It's all downhill from here... right? Right??
Send me a hug if you've got one in your pocket. I won't bore you with the details, but this was just one of the larger challenges we've been dealing with. It's mostly just "normal life" stuff, but draining nonetheless.
Anyway, the car was parked on a street on the base, minding its own business, when a nice young Marine swiped it in a u-turn, tore off half the bumper, and totaled our car. Yep, first it was that hapless deer that ran into the car, shattering the side mirror, then this.
You see, we felt like we really needed to buy this little car that our friends were selling, so we did. It's just a little tiny thing that our family can't fit into but will make a great little commuter until it dies. It was pretty inexpensive and its deficiencies largely cosmetic.
Then. The big car bought it.
How long do insurance claims take to go through? Regardless, we are definitely looking for a new car now. There is a huge list of things on the one we have that need to get fixed -- some minor, some scary. This just sort of seals the deal.
I've never actually gone car shopping before. I kind of tagged along with my parents when they bought a car that they no longer own, and I went with a boy friend once but he didn't end up looking very hard or actually buying anything. I think I've got the general idea of it. We don't really want to buy one in this state, but what can we do? Here we are, and for a while yet.
Part of me wants a van. Part of me doesn't want a van. Part of me really wants one of those Honda vans with sliding doors on each side. Part of me wishes public transportation was more extensive around here and everywhere. The last part just wants some Ben and Jerry's, the movie Clue, and a nice cuddle with my Man after which a van would magically appear in our driveway, already registered and smog tested. Haha!! Such darling fantasies one might have after a long week. I guess that's why some people call Wednesday Hump Day. It's all downhill from here... right? Right??
Send me a hug if you've got one in your pocket. I won't bore you with the details, but this was just one of the larger challenges we've been dealing with. It's mostly just "normal life" stuff, but draining nonetheless.
What a day
Good news... the MRI results from Man's shoulder came back. The good news is that it's SOMEthing (rather than the nothing he feared) but the bad news is they just don't know how to fix it, really. It's tendonosis. From what I've read, it means that the tendon got injured repeatedly and never healed properly, so now it hurts and will take a long time to heal. It could be from the thousands of pushups a day they had to do in basic. He suspects that part of it is from someone executing a restraining hold on him during training after we got here. I think it's interesting that it's on one side and not the other, but I guess it is the side with his dominant hand.
And to clarify from yesterday, the car is still drivable. There is now a short in the headlight and turn signal, there are large strips of metal hanging on by a bungee cord and large pieces of glass missing from the lights. It's simply now damaged beyond our desire to fix it. I think it would be more cost effective to get a new (used) car than spend at least $5,000 getting this one completely fixed.
I guess we've been really lucky though. This car has lasted us our whole married life and then some, it's rolled the odometer and is half way through it again. Sure, the transmission completely fried and a few other major repairs had to get done, but for the most part it's been a fairly good car.
And to clarify from yesterday, the car is still drivable. There is now a short in the headlight and turn signal, there are large strips of metal hanging on by a bungee cord and large pieces of glass missing from the lights. It's simply now damaged beyond our desire to fix it. I think it would be more cost effective to get a new (used) car than spend at least $5,000 getting this one completely fixed.
I guess we've been really lucky though. This car has lasted us our whole married life and then some, it's rolled the odometer and is half way through it again. Sure, the transmission completely fried and a few other major repairs had to get done, but for the most part it's been a fairly good car.
Couch repair
I'm repairing a split seam on my couch and we decided to try using fishing line. Look at the prize at the bottom of the box!
So what do I do with this instrument o' death? There are precisely six nasty hooks on this baby and I have precisely 30 small fingers and 30 small toes running around here, not to mention the 40 adult digits who likewise don't want to have anything to do with this thing. I'm not too good in the stats and calc department, but I don't like those odds.
I did think that it would be fun to start a fishing Christmas tree motif, but if I think that the normal ornament hooks are a pain, what sort of damage could this thing do? 7 hooks in one fun item!! I guess I could remove the "o' death" parts and still have a fish tree. Or I could be one up on my Dad's birthday this year. ;)
To: Dad
A $0.50 fishing lure o' death!
With greatest love, Your Daughter.
So what do I do with this instrument o' death? There are precisely six nasty hooks on this baby and I have precisely 30 small fingers and 30 small toes running around here, not to mention the 40 adult digits who likewise don't want to have anything to do with this thing. I'm not too good in the stats and calc department, but I don't like those odds.
I did think that it would be fun to start a fishing Christmas tree motif, but if I think that the normal ornament hooks are a pain, what sort of damage could this thing do? 7 hooks in one fun item!! I guess I could remove the "o' death" parts and still have a fish tree. Or I could be one up on my Dad's birthday this year. ;)
To: Dad
A $0.50 fishing lure o' death!
With greatest love, Your Daughter.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Thai Coconut
My friend and I were walking around the grocery store last night when I saw a Thai Coconut. She and I had the same question: what's the difference? Well, they look a lot different on the outside. This website has a picture of the coconut in question, as well as pictures of the inside. Here's a pic of my attempt:
Notice the bandaides from my coconut battle wound. I didn't have a cleaver or a machete so I settled for a 12" chef's knife and a very sharp bread knife to saw a starter line. The wound is from the bread knife. Princess has a hard time with blood and ran from the room when I showed her.
Anyway, I was surprised at what I found inside. There was a ton of water with a very mild, kind of earthier flavor than the other coconuts I've tried. The flesh is so soft that I could scoop it out with my fingers. Apparently this means that my Thai coconut was quite young. The flesh has an texture very much like crab meat but more fibrous so even though it's slimy and very flexible, it holds together really well. It might be interesting to use mini cookie cutters on it for decorations on a piña colada cake. It certainly wouldn't shred very well at this texture.
Princess has declared that it tastes gross. Honestly, there isn't a whole lot of taste to the flesh. Even the water had a stronger flavor to it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the flesh, really, since I don't have a blender. Maybe this is a good reason to buy one.
A "Man, I'm going to run and buy a blender."
M "What for?"
A "So this coconut won't go to waste."
M "Wait, wait. You want to go spend $30-40 on a blender so your $1 coconut won't go to waste?"
A "... sure."
M "..."
A "Oh, come on, it's better than some of the reasons I've made up over the years to get a kitchen gadget. Give me some credit for extraordinary effort."
M "..."
A "Would you like me to get you some ice cream while I'm out?"
Anyway, the above was merely speculative fabrication. In reality I'm sure he'll just say "sure, have fun, make sure you get a nice sturdy one that'll last." It's that German mentality he picked up with the language.
[laughing] [pause] [sigh]
So, coconut. Yeah, a smoothie sounds good.
Notice the bandaides from my coconut battle wound. I didn't have a cleaver or a machete so I settled for a 12" chef's knife and a very sharp bread knife to saw a starter line. The wound is from the bread knife. Princess has a hard time with blood and ran from the room when I showed her.
Anyway, I was surprised at what I found inside. There was a ton of water with a very mild, kind of earthier flavor than the other coconuts I've tried. The flesh is so soft that I could scoop it out with my fingers. Apparently this means that my Thai coconut was quite young. The flesh has an texture very much like crab meat but more fibrous so even though it's slimy and very flexible, it holds together really well. It might be interesting to use mini cookie cutters on it for decorations on a piña colada cake. It certainly wouldn't shred very well at this texture.
Princess has declared that it tastes gross. Honestly, there isn't a whole lot of taste to the flesh. Even the water had a stronger flavor to it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the flesh, really, since I don't have a blender. Maybe this is a good reason to buy one.
A "Man, I'm going to run and buy a blender."
M "What for?"
A "So this coconut won't go to waste."
M "Wait, wait. You want to go spend $30-40 on a blender so your $1 coconut won't go to waste?"
A "... sure."
M "..."
A "Oh, come on, it's better than some of the reasons I've made up over the years to get a kitchen gadget. Give me some credit for extraordinary effort."
M "..."
A "Would you like me to get you some ice cream while I'm out?"
Anyway, the above was merely speculative fabrication. In reality I'm sure he'll just say "sure, have fun, make sure you get a nice sturdy one that'll last." It's that German mentality he picked up with the language.
[laughing] [pause] [sigh]
So, coconut. Yeah, a smoothie sounds good.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Mr. Easter Egg Face
Tag decided to wanted to wear makeup like mom, so he used some of his stamps to create the following effect:
Princess: Mom, I like Easter. When are we going to have it again?
Me: In a year.
P: How long is that?
M: 364 days from today.
P: [pause] Can you count that for me? That's a big number.
We did that with 71 for some reason. She thought it was funny to see her mom try to count to 71 in under 30 seconds. I think 364 might knock me out.
Princess: Mom, I like Easter. When are we going to have it again?
Me: In a year.
P: How long is that?
M: 364 days from today.
P: [pause] Can you count that for me? That's a big number.
We did that with 71 for some reason. She thought it was funny to see her mom try to count to 71 in under 30 seconds. I think 364 might knock me out.
Coming Clean
This blog started out as just a way of updating the masses on the various activities of almost a year ago when we started on a new journey as a family. It has become a journal of sorts, a place where I bleed a little, fly a little, and share pictures of my kids. I avoided a lot of obviously spiritual things since I know that there are several people who read this who aren't necessarily into my religion. However, my spiritual beliefs are such a huge part of my life and how I learn that I've decided to no longer keep that sort of thing out of here. Not that this is going to turn into a huge Mormon pamphlet or anything. It's still all about me, and that's what matters, right? Just kidding.
With that said, someone shared an experience with several of her friends that really got me thinking about my own prideful heart and how I view my failures. She spoke of how she was invited to sing at church and felt as if she had failed because she cried so hard that she couldn't sing the song. Easter and Christmas are such emotional times for me that I really couldn't blame her at all. So off I run at the mouth about how a display of emotion doesn't necessarily negate the impact of what someone has to share, as well as the following statement:
I found myself rereading it for typos and it hit me like a ton of bricks that here I was encouraging someone to not take her failures personally when, just days ago, I wrote a whole post about all of my failures that day!! Talk about being hypocritical. I read something amazing in an advice column a couple of months ago. Someone wrote in with the usual sob about a pretty sick relationship, and the columnist replied that all she could say is, what would you tell someone in your same situation? What sort of wisdom is inside of you that you keep penned up when your pride gets in the way?
Much food for thought for me. Time to make the world a better place and go shower.
With that said, someone shared an experience with several of her friends that really got me thinking about my own prideful heart and how I view my failures. She spoke of how she was invited to sing at church and felt as if she had failed because she cried so hard that she couldn't sing the song. Easter and Christmas are such emotional times for me that I really couldn't blame her at all. So off I run at the mouth about how a display of emotion doesn't necessarily negate the impact of what someone has to share, as well as the following statement:
It's far too easy to assume that because it didn't go how we wanted it to, that it went "wrong" somehow. God doesn't ask us to be perfect, He merely asks us to do our best. You prayed for strength, you practiced, and prepared, and then you got up there and did your best. You did precisely what God would have you do, and that's good enough for Him. Besides, when we look at it as a *gift to God* instead of a display in God's name, it really changes things. It gives us the freedom to forgive our shortcomings b/c we know that God will forgive us, as well as the freedom to give so much more when we know that we're safe in God's hands. At that point you become an instrument in His hands and His Spirit works through you, setting your song and testimony on fire.
I found myself rereading it for typos and it hit me like a ton of bricks that here I was encouraging someone to not take her failures personally when, just days ago, I wrote a whole post about all of my failures that day!! Talk about being hypocritical. I read something amazing in an advice column a couple of months ago. Someone wrote in with the usual sob about a pretty sick relationship, and the columnist replied that all she could say is, what would you tell someone in your same situation? What sort of wisdom is inside of you that you keep penned up when your pride gets in the way?
Much food for thought for me. Time to make the world a better place and go shower.
Veggie Tales + Harry Potter
Ok, this is just about the silliest interpretation of this song that I can possibly imagine. I happen to really like Veggie Tales and Harry Potter so this is just a treat.
Cast:
Bob the Tomato: Harry Potter
Barbara Manatee: Hermione Granger
Bill Manatee: Ron Weasley
Larry the Cucumber: Draco Malfoy
Warning: Link leads to the YouTube website. I'm not responsible for nor do I necessarily endorse anything you find there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxnl1eyQssk
Cast:
Bob the Tomato: Harry Potter
Barbara Manatee: Hermione Granger
Bill Manatee: Ron Weasley
Larry the Cucumber: Draco Malfoy
Warning: Link leads to the YouTube website. I'm not responsible for nor do I necessarily endorse anything you find there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxnl1eyQssk
Saturday, April 07, 2007
The Egg Hunt Begins
And who knows when it will end. Man firmly believes that egg hunts should be a challenge. Our only criteria this year was to keep it inside. Just to liven things up a bit he went and got a package of super-sneaky, prefilled eggs that have strings, suction cups, and glue dots so you can hide eggs absolutely anywhere. We have them glued under our table, suction cupped in the shower, and hanging from hooks and lines, not to mention the more traditional eggs nestled everywhere. They aren't filled with a whole bunch, but there are plenty of them. Man had a lot of fun hiding them and Tag was so excited that he woke up at 11:30 last night and started looking around. After putting the disappointed little guy back in bed, they woke up at 6:30 this morning and we woke up to squeals of glee and discovery. Princess is really, really good at finding eggs, but she's also really good at hiding things, too. Tag finds eggs and immediately opens them whereas Princess is very focused and just hunts and hunts until she's ready to sit down with her enormous take and paw through it. She's a very sweet girl (not just from the candy) and willingly shares with her brother.
While walking around, toting a ponderously clacking and rattling bag of eggs, Princess declared "this is a good day. I like this day."
Little does she know that the way Man hides eggs, she will likely have other mini-good days for weeks to come.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Pixar
(image owned by Disney Pixar. Don't sue me. I'm giving you free advertising!!)
We absolutely love Pixar movies. Did you know that there is a Toy Story 3 coming out in '10??
Being somewhat of a wistful foodie myself, this next one to come out (Ratatouille) looks mighty interesting.
Here is a link to the latest trailer.
It takes a looooong time to load. It's directed by Brad Bird, who also did The Incredibles! Gosh, this is going to be so cool. It comes out right around our anniversary as well so I'll give you three guesses what we'll be doing that weekend. We might even take the kids with us.
Failures
I should go through my posts and talk about successes as well as failures. Oh, well. Here are my recent failures:
1. I have finally submitted to the inevitability of menu planning. Not just menu planning, sit down every week and plan a menu, menu planning. I'm talking, 14 different dinners which are repeated every two weeks. Lame, boring, pain in the rear. But far less of a pain in the rear than the mental burden of using everything in the fridge in new and creative ways, coming up with a comprehensive list every week, going to all the stores I need to get to when we have only one car to run around in, the additional mental burden of timing everything so that it comes out of the oven at roughly the same time every night, and the emotional burden of something not coming out right b/c I was in a hurry. My family is pretty good about swallowing the hocky puck salmon patties as well as the melt-in-your-mouth garlic-lime pork chops but I'm tired of all of the above cons of weekly menu preparation. In addition to the cons above, I rarely got around to it. So, bi-weekly rotation it is. Subject to change as needed or an amazing sale on an ingredient that isn't featured.
2. I took a bunch of pictures last night and all of them turned out terribly. Blurry, my 360° panoramic is shaped line a sine wave, and it was too cloudy.
3. I have to get the kids to see a dr before I can get them completely registered for child care while I take a class in a few weeks. Due to a hiccup in the system, their primary care manager is a man over 400 miles away from here, so I had to do all sorts of hokey pokey to get them a local dr, and now I wait for the change to go through so I can get them in, hoping that everything gets taken care of before the deadline. Failure to plan appropriately is what that's called.
4. My home is a wreck from all of the errands I've had to walk to and otherwise take care of. Well, maybe not a wreck. I guess it's more like a mild disaster.
5. I'm sitting here whining rather than making my home NOT a wreck. There was a General Conference talk recently all about "quit whining, get off your rear, and live!"
Ok, ok. I blame the fozzle outside (fog+drizzle).
1. I have finally submitted to the inevitability of menu planning. Not just menu planning, sit down every week and plan a menu, menu planning. I'm talking, 14 different dinners which are repeated every two weeks. Lame, boring, pain in the rear. But far less of a pain in the rear than the mental burden of using everything in the fridge in new and creative ways, coming up with a comprehensive list every week, going to all the stores I need to get to when we have only one car to run around in, the additional mental burden of timing everything so that it comes out of the oven at roughly the same time every night, and the emotional burden of something not coming out right b/c I was in a hurry. My family is pretty good about swallowing the hocky puck salmon patties as well as the melt-in-your-mouth garlic-lime pork chops but I'm tired of all of the above cons of weekly menu preparation. In addition to the cons above, I rarely got around to it. So, bi-weekly rotation it is. Subject to change as needed or an amazing sale on an ingredient that isn't featured.
2. I took a bunch of pictures last night and all of them turned out terribly. Blurry, my 360° panoramic is shaped line a sine wave, and it was too cloudy.
3. I have to get the kids to see a dr before I can get them completely registered for child care while I take a class in a few weeks. Due to a hiccup in the system, their primary care manager is a man over 400 miles away from here, so I had to do all sorts of hokey pokey to get them a local dr, and now I wait for the change to go through so I can get them in, hoping that everything gets taken care of before the deadline. Failure to plan appropriately is what that's called.
4. My home is a wreck from all of the errands I've had to walk to and otherwise take care of. Well, maybe not a wreck. I guess it's more like a mild disaster.
5. I'm sitting here whining rather than making my home NOT a wreck. There was a General Conference talk recently all about "quit whining, get off your rear, and live!"
Ok, ok. I blame the fozzle outside (fog+drizzle).
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Panoramic pictures
I finally got some photo stitching software and put some pano's together. These are just a couple of mediocre attempts. On our walk tonight, we're going to go a little early to catch the ocean before sunset over on "blue flower hill". We went just after the sun went down last night and now tonight is going to be one huge photo op.
Libera
Man and I love the boys' choir Libera. I first got an album of theirs years ago, their self titled one. After discovering the joys of i-tunes I spent a while looking up every group and name I've ever enjoyed to try and get all of the songs I've left on the shelf b/c I didn't want to shell out for an iffy album when all I wanted was one song. No more!
I've been really grumpy the last couple of days so got Libera's Free and am enjoying it. A particularly beautiful song of theirs is Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep.
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
(1) I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
(2) When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
(Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!)
Text by Mary Frye
I'm sure we've all experienced some degree of loss, whether of self or other beloved relationship. This poem touches my heart.
I've been really grumpy the last couple of days so got Libera's Free and am enjoying it. A particularly beautiful song of theirs is Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep.
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
(1) I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
(2) When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
(Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!)
Text by Mary Frye
I'm sure we've all experienced some degree of loss, whether of self or other beloved relationship. This poem touches my heart.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
More little flower
My Princess found a little mutant flower. Those tiny flowers in our grass are a pale purple but she found a random orange one and brought it to me. These things are so tiny that the camera has a hard time seeing them in the frame and won't get any closer than 3" even on macro. So... here are some attempts at catching this little guy on film.
I found that when I took pics against a white paper that it made the flower very dark. I then tried it against this sort of polished stone base that Man used to have a pen attached to. Tag took care of that "attached" bit for him. Anyway, it really brightened up the flower... but I didn't notice until after I got the pics on the computer how very dusty it was. The soft focus edges help hide the dust.
So, I wiped it off but the camera couldn't see the flower for the reflection in the stone.
So I went back to paper and just fiddled with the fill light a bit.
Eh. I need to see if I can take a photography class up at the college around the corner.
I found that when I took pics against a white paper that it made the flower very dark. I then tried it against this sort of polished stone base that Man used to have a pen attached to. Tag took care of that "attached" bit for him. Anyway, it really brightened up the flower... but I didn't notice until after I got the pics on the computer how very dusty it was. The soft focus edges help hide the dust.
So, I wiped it off but the camera couldn't see the flower for the reflection in the stone.
So I went back to paper and just fiddled with the fill light a bit.
Eh. I need to see if I can take a photography class up at the college around the corner.
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