Commentary

WHY I LOVE FOOTBALL

Point #1 - I don't really love football.
Point #2 - I just watched the super bowl. (Yes the entire thing!!!)
Point #3 - It was a pretty good game... and that's saying something coming from me because I don't like football:)
Point #4 - The Main Point - Since the Super Bowl just occurred and football is on the mind of many there are more than a few conversations floating around the media about favorite plays, moments, and so on. So without further ado I would like to share my favorite football moment.

One day the dear love of my life was watching football. To me this is just background noise. I was paying absolutely no attention until the following phrase caught my ear. "Now let's talk about the 'non-quitage' of this guy here." Did I hear that right I thought to myself. It can't be. That man did not just say "non-quitage". So I asked Nick to confirm, which he did. The announcers, in speaking of a player who refused to "quit" playing in a seemingly hopeless situation, had just created a new word.

FORMAL DEFINITION
non-quitage - The act of NOT quitting. (Not to be confused with non-quidditch - NOT playing the game involving broomsticks and a snitch in the Harry Potter series.)

Needless to say, I got a huge laugh out of this. So I've been thinking of ways that I can incorporate non-quitage into my own life and vocabulary and the possibilities are very promising. I'll keep you posted.

Love & Logic

"Regardless of all our technological advances, parents will always be the most important source of information and values for their growing children."

Stop and Write

I think I need to adopt this as my personal motto. I can't tell you how many ideas fly through my head every day. These thoughts come mostly in the midst of vacuuming, laundry doing, errand running, diaper changing, and a lot of times laying in bed at night. The best ones come at night after everyone is asleep and I am finally alone in my own head:) Sometimes they're of a deeper nature and sometimes they're personal goals. Sometimes they're just realizations about myself and the world around me. Often they're reflections on the little things that make me tick or even hold me back.

The best part about these little revelations is when I actually take the time to jot them down. I always feel so peaceful after I've evaluated myself in print. There are some thoughts that are fleeting but there are others that cause me an almost irresistible urge to stop and record them. I say almost because I tend to resist this urge when I am say driving or scrubbing a toilet, you know things that aren't the best to just stop in the middle of. And you know what? I always, always, ALWAYS regret it later. I tell myself that it's ok not to stop because I will remember it later when the kids are in bed, or dinner is made, or I am not so tired. The thing is I rarely remember. I remember that I had a really great thought. I remember where I was and what I was doing when it came to me, but that's not the important part now is it?

So I've been thinking (mainly since this blog has been so boring and uninspired lately:) that maybe, just maybe I need to STOP... and write when my mind tells me to. I'm making it a new goal of mine to give myself a moment to process and record these small personal inspirations... within reason that is!

Boys and their bikes

Nick is at the dunes this weekend with his brother and some friends. I hate to see him walk out the door knowing that he will be gone for 2-3 days. But I am glad he's off to have a little fun. He deserves it:)


I do worry a little when he does stuff like this because of the whole "safety" factor of this activity. I know he will be careful though. He's smart and responsible and he knows better than to do anything crazy. He sure looks hot doing it too if that counts for anything:) I hope he's having fun right now, but I'm getting excited for him to come home tomorrow morning!

Remember to enjoy

The daily stuff sometimes makes me lose perspective.




But then I remember to enjoy...











this baby's little arms wrapped tightly around my neck when I ask him to give me a "squeeze".





I remember to stop and listen...











as this sweet girl tells me all the things she can use her imagination for.










I remember to savor the sound...











of this tender-hearted guy when he says "I love you mom" at the perfect moment.





Then my heart breaks that I ever forgot. But I was reminded today so that's all that matters.

One of those sweet moments

Today was a day I appreciated as a mother. I appreciated the fact that my kids are so close in age. I appreciated that their closeness in age at times becomes closeness in play. There are lots of days when I have had it up to here with all the fighting that goes on between these kids. There is yelling and arguing and bossing around that goes on. Sometimes there is even hitting and kicking and tackling! My little guy is now old enough to get in on the action too. Some days they drive me crazy with their fighting.

But there are also days when they don't fight as much. There are days like today when they play quietly for hours. On days like today they close their bedroom door and I hear the sounds of friendship, cooperation, and their sweet uncontrollable giggles. They are "imagining" they tell me when I open the door to check on them. The older two even work to entertain the baby so he won't desert their game. My heart is full when I see them enjoying each others company. I am reassured that even though there is often conflict between them deep down they really are best friends. Their happiness is contagious and I walk away from them feeling a little lighter. Oh and there is one more benefit. I can peacefully take five for myself... which I definitely did:)

My nEw HoME... ALmoSt

WeLCoMe To mY soOn To bE hOMe SwEEt HoMe
























tHe vIEw

This had to have been written about us.

PUSH

Every time I look at you the world just melts away
All my troubles all my fears dissolve in your affections
You've seen me at my weakest but you take me as I am
And when I fall you offer me a softer place to land

You stay the course you hold the line you keep it all together
You're the one true thing I know I can believe in
You're all the things that I desire you save me you complete me
You're the one true thing I know I can believe

I get mad so easy but you give me room to breathe
No matter what I say or do cause you're too good to fight about it
Even when I have to push just to see how far you'll go
You wont stoop down to battle but you never turn to go

There are times I cant decide when I can't tell up from down
You make me feel less crazy when otherwise I'd drown
But you pick me up & brush me off and tell me I'm OK
sometimes that's just what we need to get us through the day


WOW I sat down to write tonight and this is totally not the direction I though it was going to go, but... I heard this song and it always gets me:)

My love has been on my mind lately (as he usually is on the weeks he works nights). It seems I always debate with myself about waiting up for him. One one hand, I am going to hate myself when the kiddos get up at the crack of dawn and I, unlike them, didn't go to bed at 7:30 PM. However, on the other hand, I want to see him before I go to bed.

Too cheesy for ya?
Too bad!

Every time I hear this song it reminds me of how I wouldn't be who I am today without his influence. There are so many things about myself that I never would have figured out with anybody else by my side.

Everyone wants to be with someone who lifts them up and brings out the good in them. I know those phrases are cliche, but you know it's true! We all want that person that really makes us stretch to become better and greater. I don't necessarily mean someone who praises us and makes us "feel" good, but instead, someone who "pushes" us until we BECOME good.

Until we become unblemished, undamaged, unhurt... WHOLE.


Thanks to him I'm on my way.

I think I'll be waiting up tonight.

Chaos Reigns

So my life is crazy right now. Schedules have been thrown out the window, healthy eating has ben forgotten, children are wandering aimlessly consuming what they will and watching copious amounts of television...AAAHHH! All this is brought on by a little thing called moving. We moved this weekend, actually we've been, very slowly and painfully and at times in the pouring rain, moving for the last week. Now that everything is moved to our new place chaos has ensued. I am out of town as we speak while the boxes sit gathering dust and my poor love tries to clean the old house in between shifts at work.

This explains my absence from the blogging world. While I am sure it hasn't put a wrinkle in your days... it has in mine. I like blogging - here and on my family blog. I miss it. Oh how I miss the days when everything was under control and I could sit guiltlessly pouring my thoughts into cyber space. I am afraid that I may be saying goodbye to August before I can justify the expenditure of time and energy here. Oh well life calls and I answer. It's funny how it takes so much time and effort to get my life in order and so little time to disorder it:)

That Special Someone

Does anyone else have a person, or people, in their lives that make them feel like this?

Well I sure do... and they're driving me crazy lately!

“Only you know your circumstances, your energy level, the needs or your children, and the emotional demands of your other obligations. Be wise during intensive seasons of your life. Cherish your agency, and don’t give it away casually. Don’t compare yourself to others—nearly always this will make you despondent. Don’t accept somebody else’s interpretation of how you should be spending your time. Practice saying, ‘I feel good about my decision to . . .’ and then fill in the blank with whatever you’ve decided.”
-Chieko Okazaki

One of those days

I am having one of those days. Not one of those days where the kids are driving me crazy and the house is a mess. One of those days where I just feel lonely and wish I had a good friend close by, and I ate a brownie for lunch, and now I have a headache from it, so I am force-napping my kids.

It seems all my "close" friends down here moved away. It's all superficial now! It's time to start over, but I am a little slow and complicated when it comes to making "real" friends.

Kyla, if you read this I wish you were still here and I could come over and eat a hundred "healthy" chocolate chip cookies while my kids trash your house:) I'll even let the baby crawl in the dirt.

I guess that's why I blog. In a way it's like having a friend I can talk to about anything. It's very said that my blog is my friend, but there it is.

I think I will go and clean now. Like I always say... If you don't have friends, at least have a clean house in case you meet some!

Funny Story

Ainsley is taking a dance class. Every week I sit outside the classroom and sort of listen as these two ladies talk. I'm guessing they are both around their late 30's. One has a little boy and the other has two little boys. They sit and talk business. It's not about their kids or any of that motherly stuff us softies discuss outside our toddlers parks & rec classes. It's serious. They talk about work and meetings and projects. It's actually interesting sometimes. Anyway, back to the point. I see them both look at me kind of weird every class. It's as if they really want to ask me something, but don't know me well enough. So one day I am in the restroom waiting for Ainsley to come out of the stall and one of these ladies brings her little boy in. We are both just standing there and suddenly she gets brave and makes her move.

Lady: "So are you their baby sitter or their sister, or...?" (She runs out of ideas here.)
Me: (with an amused smile) "They're mine."
Lady: "They're all yours... all three of those little ones... really."
Me: "Yep"

She gives me a look that rests somewhere in between shock, disapproval, and thinking I'm crazy. Then she must have realized how she looked to me and she got a huge fake grin and said...

"Well, wow. Congratulations on that! I mean, really... congratulations!"

Does anyone else find this funny? I mean when is the last time you congratulated someone on having a four year old, or a two year old... or even a ten month old for that matter. After that weird reaction I was tempted to let her know I was married, had been for 6 1/2 years, and that yes he was the father of all three. You never know where I live:)

I actually get this a lot. I can't tell you how many times the cashier at the grocery store has said "Ok I have to ask how old you are." or "Are you the mom?" It seems being a young mother makes for a good conversation with a stranger these days. The best part is that everyone's reaction is always to congratulate me. So I wonder when people see a woman with kids that looks, let's say 35, do they congratulate her on having a 4 year old? Maybe they do and I'm just ignorant. I find the whole thing pretty amusing.

I guess I can hope that in 20 years I still look too young to be their mother, but I doubt it!

Personal History Tuesday

This weeks installation is going to be short and sweet... and it will involve cows!


When I was a very young child, somewhere from 5- 7 years, I thought that my dad was the best at mooing. Yes, that's right, I mean mooing like a cow. At some point in some game or play time my dad had mooed like a cow and I was impressed. I thought he sounded exactly like a real true cow. I even remember telling my friends that my dad was so good at mooing that they should all hear it. Now of course I think this is quite funny. I told my dad this the other day and he said that he never knew I loved his moo.

Strange But True

This may not exactly be the epitome of "historical" but it is an anecdote that had to be recorded at some point:)


That will be it for the second edition of "Personal History Tuesday". Pleases tune in next week for more of my story.

Home Again

I just came home from the beach. There is something about the concept of the ocean that intrigues me. I sit on the sand and watch the waves that stretch out of sight and I am amazed to think of the sheer amount of the earth that they consume. I wonder about the purpose of this watery expanse. I go home and read about the tides and the science behind the seas. It gets pretty complex and I don't understand everything. There is something mysterious and risky about standing on the edge where the sky meets the water meets the land. I feel nervous but at the same time this scenery soothes my soul, and my belief in a greater power is confirmed. I feel small and powerless as I watch the surf surge around my ankles, but I also feel the presence of my creator. I am content and more than that, I am healed and my energy is renewed. As I drive away from the shore and back into the desert the feeling fades and I long for it as I always do when I leave its presence. Soon, however, I will acclimate to being back home and it will seem like I never left.

"Hananah Montananana"

Ainsley and I were driving in the car yesterday when we had this conversation.

Ainsley - "Mom, when I grow up I want to pick a different name."
Me - "You do huh? What would you like to change it to?"
Ainsley - "Anana Montananana."
Me - (After asking her to repeat herself about 5 times) "Are you saying Hannah Montana?"
Ainsley - "Yes, that girl. That is the girl that I mean, Hannah Montana. When I grow up I want to change my name to that and then I will go on the stage and talk."
Me - " Where did you hear about her?"
Ainsley - "I saw about her on the TV."

At first I was slightly amused by this little conversation. But the more I think about it the more it actually kind of bugs me. I try to limit my kids TV time. When they do watch I am pretty picky about it. I don't even like them to watch stuff like Sponge Bob. Don't get me wrong I have definitely enjoyed a good episode of the sponge in pants with my younger brother (who is a huge fan). The thing is, it's not meant for two and three year olds. It's funny and there's nothing bad in it, but it's for older kids. If they were say nine or ten I probably wouldn't mind. I feel the same way about the Hannah Montana thing.

The show, as well as the character (don't know anything about the real actress), is pretty wholesome from what I've seen. I, however do not want my three year old concerning herself with this stuff. At this point in her life I'd like it if she was more worried about what was going on in Mickey's Clubhouse or maybe on the Little Einstein's rocket:) I guess my point is that it scares me that I thought I was doing a good job of monitoring what she watches and it turns out that maybe I wasn't monitoring as closely as I thought I was. I don't want my kids to go through life being overly sheltered, but come on, they're still toddlers. I'm making it a point to be in control of pretty much everything they do and see at this point.

It really made me realize how challenging the balancing act is going to be as my kids get older. Let's face it, it's not always going to be such innocent stuff that they're exposed to. I just hope that we can keep an open dialogue about it. I definitely don't want them partaking in anything questionable as teenagers. On the other hand I don't want to be written off with an "our mom freaks out about everything". They're beyond listening to me by that point, or sharing what they're up to for that matter. Trust me I know:) I want to be open enough that they'll respect my opinion and feel comfortable talking to me about anything. So my big question is... how in the heck do I manage all that?

Wow, this parenting thing is ridiculously challenging!

Personal History Tuesday

Well I committed to write something about myself once a week so here we go. Where to begin... well how about the beginning.

I was born at 10:35 PM (give or take a minute) on October 7, 1983 at Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, Utah. My parents had been married for approximately one year and three months and my dad was attending his final year at BYU when I was born. Here is everything I know about the circumstances surrounding my birth. My due date was October 4th which, by the way, was a Wednesday. My mom started having some sort of labor like symptoms that morning. I wasn't born until Friday the 7th. It was long and painful and her doctor was out of town. After much work I entered the world. Even though they didn't really know, they had been sure I was going to be a girl and they were right. My Grandma Brown (maternal grandmother) came to see me and says that her first impression was that my dad had brought me back from Korea (where he served his mission) with him. This means that I had jet black hair, dark eyes, and was definitely not fair like the rest of the grandchildren on both sides.

My parents were extremely poor students when I was born. When I say poor, I mean poor. One favorite anecdote of my mom's is about how my dad actually calculated how much money it cost him per hour to run the light bulb on the porch of their apartment. Then he left it off to save money until she complained about being big and pregnant and trying to go up and down the stairs at night in the dark. On the same note I have also been told that my first bed was a diaper box on the floor that my dad had rigged up for me. That lasted until Grandma Homer (paternal grandmother) decided it was too cold for me to live on the floor in a box at my tender age and my parents borrowed a basinet from my aunt.

When I was nine months old my dad got a job in Arizona and we moved to Gilbert. I guess here I should note that my mom was born and raised in Arizona. My dad grew up in Sandy, Utah. My dad's parents still live in the same house that they lived in before he was born. I stayed in Gilbert then until five years ago when Nick and I moved to Tucson.

That will be it for the first edition of "Personal History Tuesday". Pleases tune in next week for more of my story.

History in the Making

I have decided that since I have nothing to do in my spare time I want to start writing some type of history about my life. I really want to do this for Nick too because I'm pretty sure he will never do it for himself. The trick is getting him to cooperate. I can just picture the look on his face now when I tell him "sit down honey I want to interview you about your life and write it down for you. So for now I'll start with a more willing subject.. me! Now this is a pretty boring subject to blog about I know, but for some reason I am going to do it anyway! So from now on I am aiming for a once-a-week post on the history of me. With all that said I need a break from writing. I'll be back next week:)

Mother Daughter Moment

Ainsley and I have a new diversion... watching cooking shows. I recorded one a couple of weeks ago and sat down to watch. She soon came and questioned me about what I was watching. I explained the concept of a "cooking show" and she eventually settled down next to me and we viewed together. It was a lovely bonding moment as she peppered me with entertaining questions and comments about the chef, ingredients, etc. It was pleasant to share this 30 minutes with her. We sit down to a cooking show at least once a day now. I find myself recording these shows with her in mind and looking forward to the time we will spend together watching. Our favorites shows so far are America's Test Kitchen and Simply Ming.

I love our new mother/daughter activity, and hopefully she will even pick up some cooking tips early on and turn out to be a better cook than her mama! I have to smile when I hear "I know Mom, maybe tomorrow we could make those chocolate cupcakes. Does that sound like a good idea mom, does it?" I cherish these small reminders of her sweet and genuine nature, especially on days when it hasn't been showing so much:).

So true, and so hard to live by

"It is not what we say or feel that makes us what we are. It is what we do, or fail to do."
-Marianne in 'Sense & Sensibility'

"There are things in life that are difficult to accept: That's where a testimony comes in."

When my cousin turned 16 a couple of years ago he asked everyone in our family to write down their testimony and send it to him instead of a gift. While I was doing some spring cleaning the other day I came across a copy of the letter that I sent him. I wish I could say that I regularly get up in sacrament meeting and share my testimony, but I really don't. As I was reading over the letter I was suddenly so glad that my cousin asked me to do this. Now I have my testimony in writing forever to share with my family. The past couple of weeks with Easter and other things that have been going on in my life I've felt the spirit often and my heart has been so full. I am so grateful for my husband and my children. I am grateful for extended family members that are loving and supportive. I am thankful for my home and the blessing that come with financial security. I am especially thankful for the gospel and the hope that it brings me. There have been many times in my life when I have sat despairing at how "unfair" life can be. At one point when life was seeming particularly unfair I heard a really great talk at a fireside that strengthened my testimony. I hadn't thought about this experience for a long time, but I had included it in the letter.

"One day I went to a fireside and the speaker was talking about testimonies. In his talk he said 'There are things in life that are difficult to accept: That's where a testimony comes in.' I cannot remember anything else in his talk. That thought struck me and I spent the rest of the evening replaying it in my mind. I finally understood. This was my answer."

After reading it again I felt the same feelings I did then of hope, and joy, and the knowledge that with the help of Heavenly Father, the savior, and the gospel all things are possible. My testimony may not be eloquent or sophisticated as so many testimonies are, but it is truly my life line.

"Get over it, or do something about it!"

This is my new mantra/New Year's resolution. I chant it over and over in my head all throughout the day. Ok not all day but certainly when things annoy, disappoint, infuriate, depress, or otherwise effect me in a negative way. I tend to be a complainer and I tend to be a pessimist. I think I got it from my Mom. Although, on a funny note, she called it being a realist:) Thanks Mom! (Man do I hate it when people blame their parents for their mistakes.)
Ok I'll be honest I can't blame anyone but myself for my attitude, but I had to at least try. Now back to the point...which is... I finally get it. I finally understand why there are so many little sayings about "making lemonade with lemons", "catching flies with honey", "girding up your loins", "putting your shoulder to the wheel", should I go on? It's pretty annoying to hear from your elders when you're growing up, but did they ever have a point.
I never, ever, as a life long hater of the phrase "get over it" and someone who loves wallowing in their sorrows, thought I would say this, but having a bad attitude accomplishes nothing. (There, I said it, and as I said it I paused to take a deep breathe and exhale slowly. I wish my dad were here now he would be so proud of me - for this moment was 24 years in the making!) It just makes you (and me) difficult to be around.
Now I am going to admit something embarrassing. I have in the past been the person who pushes everyone away with their whining, complaining, moaning, groaning, feeling sorry for myself, having my feelings hurt easily etc., and then wondered why I was so lonely. Oh, it looks even worse in writing than I thought. Well I can't sugar coat it. It is what it is, and I was what I was. I am now going to take solace in the fact that I am ever moving onward and upward away from the person that was all those things. I am a changed woman!
So from here on out on you can count on me. If something bothers me so much that I am becoming crazed I will do something about it instead of taking it out on those around me. If I am too lazy, scared, discouraged etc. to take action then I will simply get over it post haste. I love growing up, I love my life, I love my family, I love my new atittude, and I love my dad for drilling little sayings such as "Please - fill in the blank - and do it with a cheerful heart.".
So if you see me around town chanting under my breath you know what I'm doing! Stay out of my way until I "get over it":)


I do it for all my loves!

iphone

Nick is against cell phones and has refused to own one for the last five years. Nick took a job that requires over an hour commute each way, which he will be starting this summer. Jacie has a cell phone and is NOT opposed to them. Jacie told Nick that he'd better get used to the idea of getting a cell phone if he's going to be on the road all the time! Nick finally saw Jacie's point. Then he proceeded to purchase and iphone. Jacie was a little shocked (have you seen the price tag on those babies). Nick told Jacie that it was ok because this iphone would now be their "home phone" and she would love it. Jacie remained skeptical... until she played with it for awhile. Now she thinks it is just as cool as he does. In conclusion this thing is as cool as it looks, actually it's cooler.

The grass is always greener

I made up my mind a long time ago NOT to be one of those people who is perfectly content with their life - until they see what the next person has or does. I refuse to keep up with the Jones'. If I am happy when I am home alone with MY family and MY things then that shouldn't change when I see what other people's families or things are like. Every once in awhile I do see something someone else does or has that I wish I could incorprate into my family. In these cases I choose to be inspired rather than envious. So far it's working great. If I am unhappy before I leave the house in the morning... well that's another story altogether! (Stay tuned for an upcoming blog about my New Year's resolution.) My contentedness does not correspond to anything but my sense of self. If I am happy inside, really happy, and really in tune to what will keep me that way then I am set. That's all I need to know. As my dad has told me all my life... I can do anything I put my mind to, and I'm putting my mind to loving MY life!

On falling behind

A couple of weeks ago the leaves on the tree in my front yard changed color and fell. It's about time I thought, it's January!
This fall the leaves were behind schedule, and they got me thinking. I can relate to those leaves. I feel like I am always behind on my list of things to do. I almost always get "the list" done, but I'm usually behind schedule.
You know what? Even though the leaves were late we still went out and played in them. They were still fun, and they still looked pretty scattered across that green grass. Hearing them crunch under our feet was still so satisfying.
So I am turning over a new leaf (no pun intended). From now on when I sit at the end of another long day and look at my to-do list only halfway completed, I am not going to beat myself up. I am going to get up the next day and do the next item on the list. And when it's crossed off I will still find satisfaction in it's completion. Late or Not!

Focus?

There are days when I have a hard time finding balance. I love my kids and I want to give them my undivided attention. I want to play with them and I want them to know I am always there when they need me. There is also that whole thing about keeping the house in order, grocery shopping, preparing well balanced meals etc. I am actually getting tired just thinking about this. Is it this hard for everyone? I find it so challenging to balance household duties with "kid time". On top of that - I am just gonna come out and say it - I want time for myself! I need time to pursue my interests, time with Nick, and time to just... blog! You know what I mean, right? I want a day where I spend all day playing with the kids and don't feel guilty about letting the house go. Or how about a day in which I spend all day cleaning and I don't feel guilty that I didn't play with my kids at all.
I thought maybe venting about this would make me feel better. Then I thought of the following things. #1 I have an extremely supportive husband who does more than his share around the house (poopy diapers included) after working or going to school all day. #2 Some women do all this and have a full time job. Wow! I think I feel worse now. I am going back to bed... not really but if I could I would!




If you noticed my incomplete sentence... I did too!

"You are the most opinionated person I have ever met."

Yes, somebody once said this to me.

No, it wasn't a compliment.

It wasn't an insult... but it wasn't a compliment either. It was expressed in astonishment at the sheer number of opinions I had given in the roughly 2-3 hours I had known this person.

The really scary part is it's true; I probably was the most opinionated person he'd ever met. I'm probably the most opinionated person you've ever met too. The problem is I sometimes forget that my opinion about most things doesn't really matter. And though I'm positive there are a few people who actually enjoy having it forced on them - most don't.

I consider myself a passionate person. As a passionate person I sometimes get carried away sharing my passionate opinions. I know it's shocking! I may be passionate about the color of your shoelaces, or where you go to college, or even what you name your dog. But let's face facts - nobody want to hear it and it's none of my business anyway.

On some level I realize this and most of the time I keep myself in check. That is, the only person who has to hear about your shoelaces at the end of the day is my poor husband. Occasionally though, I get out of control. I have been known to get overexcited and maybe even start small arguments over trivial issues. (You can stop gasping in disbelief now).

During the heat of the moment I don't realize that it has become a debate.

My goal is simply to talk until I convince you that I am right... oh... wait... I get it now.

So if you or someone you love has, or ever does become the subject of one of these passionate shoelace tirades, I apologize. Please don't take it personally. Chances are great that on the way home my lovely husband will call me on my argumentative ways and I will feel ashamed and embarrassed by my disdainful my behavior.

Look at it this way - I care enough about you and your shoelaces to have a "passionate opinion" about them.

It's a big flaw, I know.
It's a lifetime goal of mine to overcome it...
and it may actually take me a lifetime so wish me luck!

The grapefruit syndrome continued...

I was planning on writing an enlightening post outlining my thoughts about this inspired little story and how it applies to my life. My mind is swimming with thought provoking tidbits just screaming to be put into print... but I am tired today. Oh and also I have three children to tend: Number 2 is on a destructive rampage today. Number 1 is currently crying over a toy that was unceremoniously ripped from her possession. At least sweet baby number 3 is snoozing away:) In light of the situation I have decided on the short and sweet version.

This story could have been written about Nick and I. He is constanly over-looking my faults. He lets me rant and rave and say what I need to say and stays steady. As cliche as it sounds he is my rock. Without him I wouldn't have a calm, rational side. I know there are times when he has to think I am crazy, but he never says it. He just flashes that mischevious grin (if you know him, you know what I'm talking about) and keeps on loving me. Now how could a girl be expected to live without that?

Oh and you don't have to tell me that my short version was longer than most people's long version. It always is.

The grapefruit syndrome

As a newlywed Sister Lola Walters read in a magazine that in order to strengthen a marriage a couple should have regular, candid sharing sessions in which they would list any mannerisms they found to be annoying.

She wrote:
"We were to name five things we found annoying, and I started off.
...I told him that I didn't like the way he ate grapefruit. He peeled it and ate it like an orange! Nobody else I knew ate grapefruit like that. Could a girl be expected to spend a lifetime, and even eternity, watching her husband eat grapefruit like an orange?"
After I finished [with my five], it was his turn to tell the things he disliked about me...[He] said, 'Well, to tell the truth, I can't think of anything I don't like about you, Honey.'"

Gasp.

"I quickly turned my back, because I didn't know how to explain the tears that had filled my eyes and were running down my face."

Sister Walters concluded:
"Whenever I hear of married couples being incompatible, I always wonder if they are suffering from what I now call the Grapefruit Syndrome"

I used to do laundry once a week

When My husband and I were first married I did the laundry... ok who am I kidding. He did the laundry, until I quit working to go back to school full time. Then I began doing laundry. There was no schedule, it was just done at my whim or when said husband got annoyed that he was out of clean underwear!

After our first child was born things got a little more serious. I had to devise a 'cleaning schedule' in order to get things accomplished. Monday was laundry day. I washed one load of our clothes and one load of baby clothes every Monday. Then we had our second child... and to my surprise the schedule stayed the same: I did laundry on Mondays. (Except during his first two weeks of life when he soaked through his clothes and my clothes every time he went).
At this point in life I paused to congratulate myself. Two babies under two and I still only do laundry on Mondays. Now that's impressive! Then the third child came along. Now I do laundry EVERYDAY.
So what I am wondering here is how did one little boy tip the balance? Family of three - routine starts, family of 4 - routine continues as usual, family of 5 - routine thrown out the window? This turn of events just baffles me. I guess I'll never figure it out. But I'm definitely not congratulating myself anymore. Maybe that's where I went wrong in the first place:) I am beginning to wonder what will happpen when we have the next one. I mean I'm literally running out of days - to do laundry that is! Maybe we just need more clothes... hmmm I'll have to ponder that one!

My favorite poem

To My Dear and Loving Husband

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee.
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole Mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompence.
Thy love is such I can no way repay.
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persever
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

Anne Bradstreet

Me and My Babies

Fun with the camera!


Ainsley being serious

Rand being chubby

Channing picking his nose!
(didn't know he was doing this until I downloaded the pictures)

I feel left out.

When I look at other people's blogs I always see all the fun crafty things they make. I feel left out because I never make fun crafty things. But then I remembered my SPIDERMAN light switch plate...

In case you're wondering Channing has a spiderman room, and if you ever come to our house the FIRST thing Nick will do is show it to you (even before he says hello). He decorated it himself, but I made the light switch plate. HA!

Question of the day?

Why are fat rolls SO cute on a baby and so NOT cute on a grown up?

Two Cute Boys

My Dream...

My dream would be to be able to go to the bathroom or sleep in until 7am (after being up all night with a fussy baby) without coming out to find two kids that had destroyed something. Well I'll give them this - the only time they don't fight is when they are scheming to make their mom crazy. I woke up this morning to find them sitting at the table eating, actually more like wearing, chocolate pudding for breakfast. Then they got into my purse and scattered everything all over the house. This kind of stuff really gets me going. So now instead of blowing up I try to look at it as an opportunity to blog. I love my life today!

The guilty parties with the contents of my purse. (not the plastic cups, the wallet and sunglasses)



Just heard fridge door open and milk jug crash to floor ... yes I know those sounds from the other room:) And yes it's a horrible day to be blogging, but it is calming me while I prepare to assess the damage. Before I go I wish myself luck... and patience!

Quote Of The Week

"Yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it: it is weak and silly to say you CANNOT BEAR what it is your fate to be required to bear."
-Helen Burns in "Jane Eyre"

Because he's the cutest!

If you are going to the store... bring your wallet!

My kids each have a total of about two outfits that actually fit them and are suitable for public viewing. Today I decided to load the three of them in the car and go to Target to peruse the clearance racks. We looked at everything and I found some pretty good deals. While I was checking out I realized my wallet was not in my bag. I asked the cashier if she could hold the items at the register for ten minutes while I drove home to get my wallet. She couldn't handle this complex request on her own so she called her supervisor and asked if it was ok. The supervisor said no because the items were from the clearance rack. Apparently its not playing fair to hold clearance items (for ten minutes). I then asked her if I could hang them all together so I could find them when I came back. Her response "oh we'll put them all back where they came from and I can't guarantee where they'll be." At this point I am thinking - "look at me with a three year old, a two year old, and a newborn who is crying. Give me a freakin' break and bend a rule. Does it look like I get out a lot?" - I am seriously irritated by now and I leave the store. I consider not returning at all and hoping Target will really suffer from the loss of my one lousy purchase. I soon realize that they won't care. I really wanted the clothes and who knows when I'll make it back. I decided to drive home, get my wallet, drive back, unload the children again and hunt down every last item. That'll really stick it to the man right? In reality I know this makes very little sense! It changes nothing about my plan. I return to the store and I can't find any of my items on the racks. After a series of radio calls and a few trip from the front of the store to the back I find the original cashier and ask her about said items. It turns out she left them under the counter after all. I wish she would have just told me this in the first place. Then I wouldn't have had to get so worked up about the whole thing. She checked me out and I was so happy I didn't have to hunt down every item that I bought my kids an icee.

There are a few lessons to this story.
First, there are now two reasons why Target really drives me crazy: They won't hold clearance items. They also won't let you keep the hanger when you buy an article of clothing - as if they can't afford a new hanger - don't even get me started. That's a post for another day.
The second is that I am glad I was polite when I came back to the store. I really wanted to go back in and rage at everyone, especially when I didn't find my stuff right away. However, I decided to approach the situation with politeness and I'm glad I did. After all, the cashier technically did hold the clothes (even if she didn't let me know that). I would have felt extremely stupid and a little ashamed if I had been rude to her and then found out everything was waiting in the front.

In conclusion -
If you have actually read this far I owe you a kidney or something of equal importance. I guess that's the beauty of this blog. I can write whatever I want for as long as I want and you can read it, or not. Either way it's free therapy for me!

The beginning...

I have another blog. I usually think of it as my "family blog". I hesitate to personalize it too much because I want it to be about my kids and husband and what we're up to as a family rather than my personal rants and raves. I do, however, love blogging and journaling of any kind so I have decided to venture off on my own so to speak. That is what brings us here. Let the fun begin!