The Christmas Chronicles

This is a very sweet 8 part radio program. It is a very animated story of Christmas, and starting with the 2nd episode, it is transfixing! (the first episode is a modern-day guy telling about how he found this big green book, and in it is the story of Christmas.)  I think children of all ages would LOVE listening to this this season! I've been listening to it all morning, and just love it! You can hear it on Classical89.org until January 2nd.

http://www.classical89.org/programs/christmaschronicles/episodes/

The planets must be alligned.... or the world is ending...

People. I have ALL my Christmas shopping and wrapping... did you catch that... WRAPPING... all finished!

I'm not trying to rub it in, mind you. It is just that I am so flabbergasted (great word, had to use it!) that I simply cannot contain my enthusiasm and disbelief.

So, I figure either I am finally "getting it" and have graduated to a more mature status, OR...

The world is ending.

(which I tend to believe is more likely than that I might be "getting it". And, I read today there is a total lunar eclipse tonight, which lends validity to the second hypothesis. Which makes me a little nervous, and detracts from my joy at having accomplished the impossible.)

Still, if I die, I'll die having finished all my Christmas stuff! So, I win!!!!!

What am I in for???

I reeeeaaaalllly have a hankering to crochet these:

I just bought the pattern online at Etsy (the online shopping community I ADORE!) and I'm ready to go pick out my yarn and start crocheting.

The only problem is....

I "fake" crochet. That is to say, I remember a basic stitch my grandma taught me years ago when I was like 9,  and I make up other stitches I sort-of remember, and I get by ok.

However, I have NO idea how to read a crocheting pattern.

So, was my $5.50 a waste of money? Well.... that remains to be seen.

I'll let you know how it goes.

I need some good words of wisdom from Yoda about now.

This is a somewhat difficult post to write. For all you Young Women leaders, or Primary Teachers, or Sunday School teachers, or even parents of teens, you will totally know what I am talking about. But, I just have to get it off my chest.

Yesterday in church, I went out during Sacrament Meeting to get a drink because this dang cold won't leave me alone. My stomach sank the minute I stepped out into the hallway, though. Several..well, MOST... of the youth in our ward were sitting around chatting. Were they getting anything from the speakers? No. Granted, they were high council speakers, but I felt their messages were really good. In fact, especially good. In fact, I was thinking that the youth of the ward would probably really be benefitting from these talks about the time I had my coughing fit. That is when I discovered they weren't benefitting from the talks at all. They weren't even hearing them.

Now, some of those youth may possibly even read this post. To you, I say, I love you!!!! You have no idea how much prayer and thought I put into my lessons when I taught you. You can't know how often I thought how I could best help you be the best person you could be, how I could help you avoid some of the obstacles I encountered through some not so great choices when I was younger. How I cried when I found out I wasn't going to be teaching you anymore. And how I hoped you would have heard something I taught you and kept it, and learned from it.

Maybe you did.

But I wonder, did you perhaps miss something that could have really helped you in your life? Was the Lord waiting to answer one of your prayers and you weren't there to hear it? I'm not trying to judge, believe me! I am purely speaking with love because I HAVE missed those whisperings of the Spirit. I HAVE missed hearing things I needed to hear. It only made my path harder.

Well. I know this is probably pointless. It is just a frustrated attempt to understand why I, and many other teachers, spend so much time trying to teach the right things when it seems it falls on dead ears. I was just disappointed in the future leaders of our church yesterday. 

And perhaps in myself, because I maybe could have done a better job of teaching you in the first place.

I love my new couches!

This is what my front room looks like today:

And this:

And this:

(And thanks to our home teacher, Seth, for all his muscles and help! And to my Bro-in-law for lending us his truck! And to my  hubby for forking out the dough! And to me for having good taste to know what would look good in our red livingroom! And to Ashley furniture for "covering up" your blunder in delaying our shipment by expediting it!)

Merry (early) Christmas to me....

Getting my new couch and love seat today!

Can't wait.

Hubby is there right now picking it up.

(I'm a little bit excited!)

Annual call from "Elfie"...

My son has an elf. She is the elf for our whole extended family, incidentally, and she calls every year around this time to check up on the kids.

Last year I thought the secret was out. My son came in and said after talking to Elfie: "Mom... Elfie sounds a lot like Grandma, doesn't she?"

Well, I don't know if he's onto her or if he just really wants to believe that she exists, but he love his phone call with "Elfie" yesterday.

However, I have a bone to pick with Elfie. My son asked her what Santa's favorite cookie was, and she said Chocolate Chip. Then, he asked her what her favorite cookie was so we could have some waiting for her as well. She couldn't have said Chocolate Chip, or sugar cookies... noooooo, not Elfie. Apparently, Elfie like coconut macaroons with macadamia nuts.

Thanks Elfie. Thanks for putting me through a lot more work to keep up the illusion! Thanks a bunch!
(Love ya, though!!!!!)

You mean, Santa is the UPS guy???

Yes. Christmas was ruined this year by the UPS guy.
I'm sure he didn't mean to, it wasn't really his fault.
In fact, he was probably mortified when my son opened the door last night when he rang the bell.
You see, the UPS man was delivering a very large box. A box intended for my son's main Christmas present.
The one we were going to send him on a scavenger hunt to find, and it would be all set up in the family room, ready to play.
The Guitar Hero complete band set.
Ya.
Well, the problem with this particular delivery was that... well... the box it came in had "Guitar Hero Complete Band Set" plastered all over it, with pictures and flames and... well... it was pretty obvious.
My son came running downstairs crying.
"Mom... I feel so horrible. I just found out what I'm getting for Christmas!!!!" (Waaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!)
I didn't believe him. How could he be correct? Who sends the actual packaging right through the mail without putting it in a separate plain brown box? Who does that? NO ONE!!!!
Except the moron I ordered the gift from on Ebay. Ya... HE sends the regular box.... just as it is... with an address sticker slapped on the front. I'm surprised the postal guy could even find it! So I guess it's really the Ebay guy's fault.
This was the gift I had told my son to write a letter to Santa for.
The letter he hadn't gotten around to writing yet.
I don't know if he's put two and two together yet, but he's a pretty smart kid. It won't be long.

Thanks EBAY guy.... for ruining Christmas!!!!!!!!! (I think the Ebay guy needs a wife. A woman would never have sent the box that way... at Christmas time... as it was clearly intended as a gift! A WOMAN would never have dashed a poor 9 year old's dillusions of jolly fat men in red suits breaking into people's homes to spread a little good cheer and eat cookies!!!!)

I'm just a little angry. Can you tell?

Mice, sore throats, and dieting at Christmas time...

These are a few of my least favorite things! (Just so you know!)

Quick recap of the weekend goings-on:
-Had a family party for my side of the family at our house on Sunday. Hubby was VERY sick and stayed in bed the whole time, but the party was fun.
-We discovered the "hidden" food source for all the mice in our home. I couldn't figure out where they were eating, because they weren't getting into any of the cupboards, thankfully. Then, we found it. The giant bag of grain someone had given us and we had stashed in the dark recesses of our laundry room. Yep... the bag moved of its own accord. It had a big neon sign above it that said "Taylor bed and breakfast, come and stay!" Needless to say, we had a mouse appocalypse on Sunday night as we set trap after trap after trap for the little buggers coming back to the big grain-bag party. The killings have finally tapered off... but I KNOW there is one holding out somewhere in the floorboards, just waiting for me to let my guard down! I'll get you my pretty... and your little friends too!!!!!
- My  hubby shared his sore throat with me and now I have a full-blown freakishly horrible cold. Couldn't sleep last night. Pretty miserable. Yuck.
-I've been watching what I eat for the past few weeks, and... well, let's just say... dieting during the holidays is pretty crummy!!!!

My Christmas list this year

-1 night with no homework for the kid so that means no homework for me.
-1 warm serving of gingerbread drizzled with rum sauce, hot rolls, and christmas cookies.
-1 head massage
-My whole house to be cleaned for me, just once.
-A soak in a jetted tub with bubbles.
-For my Relief Society activity (which I am in charge of) to NOT come the same weekend as the Sunday I teach Relief Society, and the same day as my family Christmas party which is being held at my house.
-1 piece of decadent dark chocolate
-To see the new Harry Potter movie
-Warm snuggly jammies with feet.
The mouse to be dead once and for all!!!!!

Television debut for this apron...

Monday at noon on chanel 2, my darling little apron will be appearing! Yee Haw!!! (Thanks Loralee!) I love it so much, I think I'd better go buy some more fabric and make myself one!!!

Enough with the holiday already.... time to get to work!

I've been feeling guilty lately. Something that doesn't happen often for me.

But, I have been feeling guilty for neglecting my Saucy Frocks lately.

So, today I will be sewing up a storm to get some aprons posted online for the holidays.

And to get a few orders completed.

And to see if I even remember how to sew, it's been so long!

So, if you try to reach me and are not successful, I will be burried under a pile of apron fabric in my basement.

So long, world.

New couch for early Christmas!!!!

This:

is my present from my sweet hubby this year!!!! Thanks babe! It fits perfectly!!!

High National Debt... hurry, turn off all the lights!!!!

My son learned about the national debt today. He came home and pulled up a web site that counts all the national debt and people and gold amounts and many more stats. Then he proceeded to explain them all to me.

Suddenly, my son wasn't my little 9 year old anymore. He was talking about concepts I had no idea what they meant! He sounded so smart and... well..... responsible!

So, he's gone around the house and turned out all the lights and is asking that we try not to spend any more money.

I wonder if that number at the bottom of the national debt calculator will slow down a bit if I stop spending.

Enough Said...

My two men have been  sick from Saturday through yesterday.

Can I just say...



I'M EXHAUSTED!!!!!!!

(Mothers, you know what I am talking about!)

I'd better start repenting!!!

Seems there's a plague at our home.

- Hornets nesting in the walls
- mice in the ceiling
- clogged sewer pipe
- unfinished remodeling projects

Wait.... what was that last thing? Oh, scratch that... not really a plague, more of something plaguing ME!!!


Sooo.... I think with all this going on maybe I'd better do some repenting!

Every Marriage Problem Solved... Instantly!!!!

Why did it take so long???? This is a MUST HAVE for EVERY successful marriage!!!!

What kind of name is that???

There are some things I just hate to spend money on.
-Nylons.... they always seem to get a snag about 5 minutes after I've put them on. (Therefore, I've stopped wearing them at all! Good solution! Except, I found out that nylons are "back in" again.... great.)
-Socks for the boy (he always "runs" a hole in them. Takes after his mom who hates to wear shoes!)
-dog medication- (super expensive, no insurance coverage, I have to coax him with meat to get him to eat it.)
-store-bought cupcakes (the school won't let me make home-made even though mine are waaaaaay better!)
- car parts- (cars should just run... you know, without having to replace seemingly unimportant parts)
-printer ink (possibly the most expensive liquid in the history of humanity, right?)
and finally, the reason for my post today,

Bras:
-Seriously expensive for the good kind,
-no one ever sees it,
-none are ever very comfortable, no matter HOW comfortable they claim to be. (How can a thick heavy wire EVER be comfortable?)
-Did I mention they are expensive???

I bought 2 yesterday, NOT on sale, and it came to $50! I can buy a cute pair of shoes with that kind of money, or a few great shirts, or 5 bottles of various hair colors to match  my every whim! But to plunk down that kind of money on something so.... so.... necessary, true... but..... boring!

And to top it all off, I got it off a website called, get this: "A Fresh Pair".

Yep. I thought it was a joke. It probably is. Nevertheless, they happily took my money, and in a week I, too, will have a "fresh pair".

And a seriously deflated bank account.  *sigh*

Halloween 2010

Well, the hard work paid off:  Prince of Persia costume, 2010!!!!

I can't believe how much work went into this costume. I mean, it's really just a vest and some arm bands, right???  Well, the kid loved it! I caught him looking at himself in the mirror several times, flexing his muscles and "posing" as Prince of Persia, so it must have been a hit!

Here's some more pictures of Halloween:

This is my hubby going as "himself, if he'd not been plagued with male patterned baldness":

Here are our pumkins: (Mine is the girly skull, of course, and the guys did a flaming dragon.)

And, we couldn't go without dressing up the dog. I mean, he was feeling so left out! So, I gave him a toupe, and he loved it! Notice his smile?

Happy Halloween 2010!!!!

When it rains.... it pours....again!!!

Remember a few posts back how I was feeling quite overwhelmed?

I found out yesterday I am in charge of the food for a funeral ..... tomorrow!!!

I came home to tell my hubby, and he said:

"I know. And guess who's singing at it?"

So, now I'm in charge of the food... AND singing at it as well!!! 

Well, nothing like stress and pressure to make you appreciate the dull times!

*Goodbye Ruth Malm. You were a very sweet lady, and you always waved at me when you passed my house. I am glad you are finally feeling great now!!!!

I'm a mouse on a spinning wheel... oh. let's not talk about mice...

Yep. Everything happens at once. One day you're lounging around the house enjoying the quiet with your hubby while the kid is away at your sister's house for your anniversary. You don't notice the dishes piling up in the sink- you're in love. You don't notice the clothes starting to fall out of the laundry basket- you celebrating 11 great years of wedded bliss. What could come between you and this feeling of euphoria?

MONDAY!!!!!!  (imagine shower scene music from "Psycho") 

Yep. Kid stayed at his cousins' house 2 nights, which means he probably didn't get much sleep... which means he will be a complete basket case in the morning, be late for school, have NOTHING to wear, whine a LOT, and completely fall to pieces. 

It means you will venture down to make breakfast in the kitchen you haven't set foot in for 3 days because you had a reprieve of cooking... only to discover... That half the salsa you canned last month has come unsealed and is ruined.... aaaannnndddd.......

ANOTHER MOUSE HAS MOVED IN!!!! 

Now, I KNOW it is another mouse because I am completely positive there were NO MORE MICE after we killed those last two. I checked every day for signs and there were NONE. I could sit in peace in my sewing room, knowing I would NOT hear the pitter-patter of little feet. I was completely alone, aside from the lazy dog, and two annoying birds.

Another jarring realization is that Halloween is in 5 days, but you actually need to be finished with the Prince of Persia costume by Friday for the school carnival. That's 4 days, people. Which, wouldn't be so bad if...

if I didn't have to :  clean the house, do a mountain of laundry, send off aprons ordered online, pick tomatoes, make soup, can the soup, clean out the freaking kitchen and lay traps every square inch of the basement,  finish Halloween pillows before it's too late, go through the mountain of mail that piled up when we were out of town 2 weeks ago which I still haven't gone through and I KNOW something important is waiting, get out my son's fall clothes so he doesn't freeze in short sleeves...

And... well, there are about 15 other projects I could put here, but I'm giving myself hives just thinking about it, so I'll tackle what's on my list today and leave it at that.

My husband asked me about my emotional state today.... I told him, "Well, it's not like I can quit my job, is it?"

So, it looks like I'm stuck in this insanity for a while.  Just me and the mice.

What 2 days without a kid is like...

- sleeping in until 9:30 am

-Going to the Bountiful temple to relive our wedding day

- getting Pat's BBQ at 8:00 at night and eating it in bed

- Watching great scary movies all day long, never getting out of my warm jammies

 - Getting Kyoto take-out for lunch and eating it in bed (again) 

- Wandering around the mall hand in hand with my hubby
 
- buying a whole box of See's chocolates

- eating a decadently slow delicious meal at Macaroni Grill (not in bed!)

- loving re-connecting with my hubby on our 11th anniversary!

What NOT to say when someone has just colored their hair...

So, what are some comments I've heard since I've made the change?
- Hmmm... I liked it the other way.
- I thought you weren't ever going to go back to this color? (translation: I hated this the last time you did it.)
- Don't EVER go back to blonde again. EVER! (translation: I hated your blonde!)
- Awe... why did you change it?
- And I was just beginning to get used to your blonde (meaning: I can't handle all your changes.)
- Oh... (crickets chirping).... you.... colored your hair... again. (complete with fake smile)

Well you know what? I like it, and I'm keeping it.... for a while!

(don't get me wrong, lots of people said they liked it, too. I think I just need to get used to the fact that not all people love change as much as I do.)

A proud mom moment

My apron is in a commercial!!! This particular apron has come a long way. She was on the lunchtime news in  cooking segment. (I  was so proud!) And now she's landed herself a commercial!!! Check it out here on my friend's blog. http://loraleeslooneytunes.com/2010/10/14/so-i-was-in-this-commercial/

I'm so proud! Thanks Loralee... she couldn't have done it without you looking so great in it!!!!

Prince of Persia takes Mad Hatter any day!

I was doing the happy dance when I found out my kid didn't want to be The Mad Hatter for Halloween. I mean, I would love the challenge of making this costume:

but I certainly don't have the time!!!

Instead, he informed me he wants to be The Prince of Persia. Easy, right? Flowy pants, a turban, a little vest maybe...

No. He wants to be THIS Prince of Persia.

So, I guess I'll be spending a lot more time with my sewing machine the next week.

However, I also get to spend a LOT of time gazing at this nice picture of Jake G. over and over and over again. So, I guess it won't be so bad after all!

Big Pay for Big Jobs...

This morning I made french toast for breakfast. My hubby said: "Wow! People would pay to eat this!" then he fishes in his pocket and hands me a dollar bill.

Funny, really. To me that was a silly joke- a whole dollar for making a delicious breakfast?! Was it really worth the trouble?

My son looks at it and says "Wow! A dollar! Mom, that's great!" and he really meant it- because in this house, if he mows the whole lawn he gets a buck. And he's thrilled about it!

However, I will just smile at my little dollar bill and know secretly that I've already spent much more than that on a super cute pair of cream suede boots soon to arrive in the mail...

now THAT was worth it! Thank you honey!

Through a child's eyes...

The other day my son and I were watching television together. A woman came on to advertise her painting show. There is something about this woman that bugs me to death! Maybe it's her too-fake chunky blonde streaks in her dyed red hair. Maybe it's that she wears waaaaay too much blush, and it's waaaaay too the wrong color for her. Maybe it's her out of date huge glasses. Whatever it is, she bugs me.

It is while I was mentally mulling over this dislike that my son pipes up:

"Mom. She looks alot like you, don't you think?"

*silence*

The tally...

One 4 day vacation to Zion

plus

7 mouse traps baited with peanut butter and chocolate chips strategically placed right before we left...

equals:

two dead mice!!!!

(yikes that there were two as opposed to only the one that I thought... but yay that we finally got them!!!)

I love Halloween!

I've been very happy the last few days in my sewing room. Can you tell why?
(by the way, why can't I add pictures to this post? And why does it look strange? Hmmmm.... tis a puzzlement...)

I'll just post the link, I guess. See what I've been up to HERE.

I'm NO travel agent! (or, How mixing two different personalities can result in difficulty in planning vacations.)

My hubby: grew up in family of 7, not a lot of money, idea of "eating out" was taking your sandwich out on the front porch. Family vacations... didn't happen often.

Me: family of 4 (3 kids and a mom... usually. But this is a whole other story of broken families and step siblings, etc. Not what I'm going in to today.) Ate out every week, sometimes multiple times a week, multiple vacations a year with yearly trips to Yellowstone and Zion, several camping trips, spontaneous trips to Canada and other driveable places.

Now. How do you mesh these two different backgrounds to come up with a great family vacation? Oh, don't get me wrong. Once we're on the road, we have a great time! See, there are no siblings for my son to fight with in the back seat, so the ride is peaceful. We love being together and enjoy all the time to talk and sing and joke around. It is just the planning of it all I despise!

Which is why I have procrastinated the planning of our yearly family trip to Zion. Which is happening very soon. Which is causing me stress. Which may be partly the reason why I made 3 pies last Saturday because I was craving pie. No, I haven't eaten it all. Of course not! But I think I had to feel like I was accomplishing something, since I wasn't getting anywhere with the vacation plans, so I made pies.

My goal today is to get the entire thing booked. If I don't, I may be making more pies. Or worse. Maybe a lasagna, and some chocolate mousse, with sauteed green beans and....
See? This is why I MUST get this vacation planned.... TODAY!!!!

Let this be a warning!!!

Dear Mouse,

I made Ratatouille last night. Do you know why? Because it was a message to you. I KNOW you are there. I can hear you. I can see you... sometimes. You are an infestation I will NOT tollerate- like the rats in Ratatouille. (Only they are cute, and they help cook. You did NOT help me cook. You make me nervous, and ornery, and cause me to think destructive thoughts!)

I hope you've noticed the arsenal of traps I have placed along your usual traveling routes. That smokey cheese sure looks good, doesn't it? Mmmmmm... just smell that hot dog sitting in the laundry room, beconing you to come and partake! (Pay no attention to that fluffy white dog trying to eat it. He is harmless.)

Yes, mouse, I have come to the end of my rapidly fraying rope. I will stop at NOTHING to see you exterminated! Incidentally,I have my eye on a cat at the pound, and he looks hungry. VERY hungry.

So tell me, mouse, how would you rather go: quick and painless while enjoying a delicious morsel of cheese? Or slow, and agonizingly, being pawed and toyed with by a starved, matted, razor-sharp toothed cat???? The choice is yours, but die, you will. And soon.

Most sincerely,
The mean hag in the basement who announces herself every time she comes down so she doesn't "happen" upon you accidentally.

p.S. I posted my Ratatouille recipe on my recipe blog to incite a resistance among my peers. People, join with me now! Make Ratatouille in protest!!!

Life Lesson # 9,637

Do not, under any circumstances, let your child know that the icky cold you have might possibly be contageous.

Without a doubt, he will wake up the very next morning, if not sooner, and let you know he can't go to school because he has "whatever it is that you had, only worse."

Of course, I am a smart woman. I cannot be taken advantage of so easily. I promptly asked:
"And what is it that you have, exactly?"

"Ummmmm... well, what you had, only worse."

"Which is....?"

"Ummmm.... really contageous."

Will I survive this child??? I often wonder!

A little diversion from the mouse stalker in my kitchen...

Today I went to El Rancho market....

What? You don't know what El Rancho market is???

It is THE place to score some great authentic mexican food at lunch with my hubby, and as of today- my new FAVORITE place to go get stuff to make green salsa!

18 lbs of tomatillos, 6 lbs of onions, 5 bunches of cilantro, 2 lbs of anaheim peppers, and a few serrano chilis (I'm a gringo, I can't handle the heat, ok?)

and ALL for only.....

$12!!!!! Yes, that's right, twelve dollars! It will make about 24 jars of the deliciousness, and all for only 12 bucks!!!!

True, I couldn't carry on a conversation with anyone in the entire store but my husband, and true, I couldn't read any of the labels on the cans when I was searching for canned chilis....

but so what?! What a screamin' deal!

I just thought it would be more interesting to put here than another story of how I haven't yet caught that ellusive mouse. I should call him The Scarlet Pimpernel, but I think Voldemort is more fitting.

Yay, green salsa!!!!

The Great Mouse Hunt...

Ok. This mouse KNOWS I am terrified of him. He only shows his face when I'M around. He only makes scratching noises when I'M the only one in the room.

I have a stalker!

He taunts me with his beady little eyes. My husband and son have caught small glimpses of him, and have both fallen in love.

"Oh, can't we keep him?" (and this from my husband, not my son!)

He's been named "Fluffy" for heaven's sake!

I find myself dreaming of ways to obliterate the little vermin. A mote of fire around the fridge? A pot of boiling oil set to tip over the moment he exits his lair? All very effective ideas, I think. However, I can't envision any of them being executed without my whole house going up in flames with him.

I picture a Bugs Bunny cartoon. The crazy old woman is trying to get rid of the mouse and he keeps outsmarting her. She finally looses her mind and sets dynomite to blow at the tiniest touch, but in the end her house is a smoking pile of ashes, and the mouse climbs out of the rubble, eating a piece of cheese.

I fear I am becoming that crazy old woman.

This isn't over yet, though. He got into my closet and scratched the paper wrapper off one of my large food storage cans. No, he can't get in, but he is determined to find a way. It is only a matter of time before he finds his way to the cupboards, and then.... well, then I will HAVE to burn the place down because I cannot abide mice in the cupboards!

Mouse: if you are reading this, and somehow I think you are.... I've got the eyes of a tiger, and I'm ready for the thrill of the fight. Bring it on, little "Fluffy". I'm boiling the oil as we speak!

Day 3: The Great Mouse Show-Down

It's clear by this poor excuse for a blog that life around here isn't very exciting when I post 3 days in a row about a mouse.

But, that is life around here lately... all about a mouse!

Today while I was making breakfast, the dog started scrambling all over the family room floor, sniffing madly. It was obvious he had spotted the mouse and was hot on his trail. I was confident the mouse would NOT get away since I had put a sticky trap along his only obvious escape route.

Remember how the people who built the Titanic said "Not even God can sink this ship"? Ya, pride goeth before the fall. In this case, my pride didn't take into consideration that annoying and disgusting mouse could squeeze through the tiny space between the trap and the garbage can.

So, today the score stands: Mouse=2 Me=0

Then, it had the audacity to sit in the joists above the refridgerator and scrape and scratch while we were all sitting there eating our breakfast as if to say: "Ha ha. You can't catch me you little humans... you and your smug ways eating your french toast and potatoes... you humans think you're so cool." (And yes, I think the mouse has a french accent. It's the only way to read what he was surely thinking.)

My next move: to line the whole opening of the space underneath the refrigerator with traps. I KNOW that's how he's getting in and out. I was thinking maybe making a little ring of fire in front of the fridge, and maybe a moat of hot molten lava... hmmmmm.....

Update to mice story...

This morning I was cooking breakfast. I went over to the fridge to get out the eggs. I walked back over to the counter. I looked back over by the fridge to make sure the door closed all the way. A little brown mouse scurried out from under the fridge. It hid behind some buckets under the table and then dashed under the couch.

Yes. I was screaming.

We borrowed the neighbor's cat to see if he could get the mouse. He was much more interested in finding a way out than getting the mouse. No, no bacon for you, useless cat!

I went to Home Depot and bought 4 sticky mouse traps. I just don't think I can handle seeing a beheaded mouse in the other kind. My husband promised me he would "take care" of the mouse when it gets stuck in the sticky trap, but I can tall he's not too excited about being a mouse murderer, either.

Either way.... that mouse is going down!!! This house is not big enough for the two of us. (Goodness! I sure hope there's only one. Eeeeek!)

I can't abide a mouse in this house one more day!!!!

A REAL SCARY STORY!!!!

I'm sitting in my sewing room pinning something.

From behind me, I hear a "scritch.... scratch.... scurry....."

I lean my head against the back wall.

"Scritch.... scratch.... scritchy scratch...."

I slam on the wall.

It stops.


Later, I am sitting on the couch (unpicking something I sewed... ya, unpicking.) when I hear above my head:

"Scurry... scurry.... scritch... scratch.... scratch...."

I stand up on the couch to listen closer.....

"scratch scratch scratch......"

I slam on the ceiling.

It stops.

I open the cupboards, the closets, the drawers and there is NO sign of mice. We have NEVER had a mouse problem in this house--- EVER!!!!!

I am freaking out, though. Houses don't normally "scritch and scratch" do they? And I'm pretty sure they don't scurry.

How do you get a mouse out of the walls of your house????

I don't want to go downstairs anymore.

I think I'm moving tomorrow.

Poor old mommy... has to read her intensely good book in bed all day long.... poor, poor OLD mommy....

Ok. I admit it. I spent the greater part of yesterday in bed with a heating pad, and reading the ENTIRE book of "Catching Fire".

Do I feel guilty?

Nope.

And my cute, adorable, growing-up-too-quickly son was up WAY past his bedtime last night because he was writing me a get well card. I typed it below, and no words have been changed. (Yes, he sounds more like a Jane Austen character than most 9 year olds normally do...) :

"Dear Mommy

I am dearly sorry that you are feeling sick. And I so very much wish that I could do something to help you. I hope you feel happy tomorrow and aren't unhappy because I love you very much, and to help you would mean so much to me. Now I now you're disappointed that I'm up at 9:45 pm but I just thought that it would help you feel better so much sooner and it's ok to stay up REALLY late if you are helping your poor old sick mommy that you love so much.

P.S. Please leave a response on my bed in the morning.

Love,
(the kid)"
Now, how could a mommy not feel better after that??? (However, I DO take exception to the reference that I am OLD, but I know he was joking!!!!)

Today, more heating pad and "Mockingjay"... but I'll get some laundry done in there as well. Gotta feel somewhat productive, right?

Bruschetta with crusty bread

Hee hee... this was supposed to be on my recipe blog. Oh well, I'll leave it here and put it there, too. Enjoy!


Bruschetta (Broo-sketta not brooshetta) is my new favorite lunch!!! Yummy sweet and tart tomatoes and calamata olives with fresh mozzerella cheese and fresh basil- what's not to love? We eat this almost every day around our house once our tomatoes come in. Once you try it, you'll crave it, too! Trust me!

Bruschetta with Crusty Bread by Erin Taylor

3 med. ripe tomatoes
2 tbsp. chopped basil (fresh is absolutely necessary!)
5-7 pitted Calamata olives, chopped
1/2 C. fresh mozzerella cheese (the soft kind packed in liquid), cubed in 1/2 inch cubes (for a Greek twist, substitute Feta cheese here.)
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
"drizzle" olive oil (probably about 1 Tbsp. but I never measure!)
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all above ingredients and let "marinate" in refridgerator while you complete the next step.

Crusty Bread

6 slices (1" thick) crusty italian bread or french bread
1/2 C. olive oil, or Canola oil with a little olive oil added
Medium frying pan.

Heat oil on Med. High heat. Place a few slices of bread and fry for about 30 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Remove promptly and place on paper towel. Lightly salt bread if desired.

Spoon bruschetta on bread slices and top with a little grated parmesan cheese. De-Licious!!!!!

Inevitable "Back to School" blog post...

Ah Ha! You thought this was going to be a typical "Back To School" blog post plastered with pictures of the new-clothes clad, squeeky-new-shoes clad, fresh backpack toting, happily waving 9 year old on his first day of fourth grade, huh!

Oh Contraire Monseur... See, I am a bad mother and forgot to take pictures! See? Fooled ya!

However, I will tell you what we did to celebrate this grand occasion.

Yesterday, we spend 4 hours going to 4 different shoe stores to try and find the kid some shoes that either a) fit, or b) look halfway decent, but preferaby a) and b). Famous Footwear- nada. I mean, they sell Sketchers at ridiculous prices, but you know? I think Sketchers are the crappiest shoes ever! Seriously! They fall apart if you look at them. I made the mistake of getting them the last two years and have regretted it both times. This year I was determined NOT to get sketchers!

I thought, let's go the cheap route and do Payless. I mean, he'll most likely outgrow them before too long, and you expect Payless shoes to fall apart, anyway, right? So, you "pay less", and aren't dissappointed. Except, they didn't have ANYTHING in his size! Well, ok, they had lots of girly shoes in a 5 (Yes, a size 5! We totally skipped 4 alltogether!)and one pair of total nerd shoes, but come on- I love my kid. I don't want him to be the laughing stock in school, right? So, nix the nerd shoes and move on to shoe store #3.

Shopko- ok, I know Shopko also sells Payless shoes, but they also sell like Nikes and things like that. Anything in size 5? You guessed it, not a thing!!!

On to Kohls. Now I really like Kohls shoe department. They've never dissappointed me in the past. However, I've never been on the hunt for size 5 boy shoes the day before school starts. It's a totally different ball game! I was about to give up entirely when I spotted a number 5 on a box in the corner. I went over and opened it up. Dare I hope it is a pair of cool looking boy's shoes? Yes! Yes! Yes! He tried them on, they fit, he exclaimed at their awesomeness! Then, I just happened to look behind the row of boy's shoes to the girl's row, and lo and behold--- there is another pair of boys shoes... size 5!!!! And they looked cool and he loved them and they fit!!!! And they were half price!!!!

We celebrated yesterday evening with going to dinner at the kid's favorite noodle place with daddy. We found great enjoyment in the awesome new hi-tech drink dispenser there. Grape Sprite? Peach Sprite? The kid was in heaven!

We took a small little detour after dinner to the pet store. Both the hubby and the kid love birds, and I know they've really wanted to get our pet parakeet "Rupert" a friend for a long time. It just so happens that "Rupert's" soul mate was there in the parakeet cage last night, so we HAD to get her. We named her "Lolly" because she looks like those yummy creamy swirly lollipops you get at Halloween. I wanted to name her Voldemort, or "She who must not be named" but they both nixed that idea. Darn it!

Anyway, it was a great evening! This morning I woke up early and made crepes and sausage for the lucky boy(s) and then we all walked to school.

No, I didn't get a hug goodbye. It was the first year this has happened. I knew it was coming, and thought it would probably be this year, but it was painful nevertheless. I did get a wave and a "Love you" though, so there was at least that.

So? What to do with my day now that I'm alone again? Well, after this dreadfully long post I think I need a soak in a tub and maybe some chocolate and a chick flick!!!! And if you stuck with me through this whole post- you should probably do the same!!!!

Dangerous food thoughts... I'm on the edge

So, on the news lately has been a lot of stuff about salmonella poisoning in eggs across the country. So, why do I have this overwhelming craving for eggs suddenly? Shouldn't it turn me off of eggs? Actually, I'm not even a fan of eggs, usually. But now that they are "dangerous", that's all I want to eat! Maybe I just like living on the edge!

Of course, brownie commercials make me want brownies, and they are sooo not dangerous. Unless you use dangerous eggs... hmmmmmm......

Next thing you know I'll be fixing me some of that blowfish sashimi that is supposed to be deadly if prepared the wrong way.... and I'll throw in a side of eggs!

I am my worst critic...

Yes. I grade my own blog posts. No, not like "A" or "B", but I do go back and re-read them for grammar mistakes.

And, yes, there are a lot of grammar mistakes, and punctuation fauxpas, and all sorts of things that would make my english teachers roll over in their early graves. (Yes, early graves, which I'm sure I had a part in sending them to!)

The problem, however, is not in finding the mistakes, or even making them. The problem is that I'm too lazy to go back and fix them.

Ah well... it's my blog and I will do what I want to!

Webinar...whatever that is!

The other day I thought I'd be like a "normal" person. You know, "normal", as in: person who engages in things pertaining to things outside the home, having nothing whatsoever to do with laundry, dishes, cooking, etc. Normal, as in, "Hi, I have a life where I am not known as mommy...". Ya, normal.

I signed up to participate in a webinar. I know, sounds kind of daunting, right? WEBINAR...

I had to ask my husband what it was, actually. "Do I have to talk? How do I talk to the computer, anyway? Can the other participants see me? (I hadn't done my hair that day... you know, cause I don't have a normal life..." He eased my fears. No, you don't have to talk, no one can see you, no one even has to know you are listening, you can watch it naked if you want (not that I wanted to, but, cool to know!).

I sat down at the appointed time in front of the computer with my plate of dinner and the bedroom door closed. I strongly stipulated to the offspring- absolutely NO interrupting mommy while she is in her meeting!

So, apparently going to a meeting in my bedroom, by myself, on the computer, isn't as respectable as daddy actually going to work. Somehow the offspring just can't fathom I might be doing something that might possibly be more interesting to me than what video game he is playing or what is for dessert. (At which question I replied, "Nothing, okay? Mommy is in a MEETING!" his response: No you're not. You're just playing on the computer." Uh huh... so that's how it is, huh?)

Needless to say, there were MANY interruptions. Perhaps that is how it is in WEBINAR world- mommies all trying their best to appear to be "normal" while trying to extract themselves momentarily from their everyday insanity. I bet there was at least one other mommy watching who had a kid clawing for her attention, or who slurped the mustard off her shirt because it was mostly clean, and she wasn't about to leave to wash it off because she was having "normal" time, by dangit!

All in all, my quest for a "normal" moment ended up being... well, normal. Normal for me, that is. Which, let's face it, is never really boring. The plus for the night- my son got tired of me telling him there wasn't going to be dessert because mommy was in a meeting, so he attempted to make zucchini brownies "mostly" by himself (the occasional interruption to ask how much 11/2 cups is. "Honey, that is 1 and 1/2 cups not 11- half cups. I was actually quite glad he asked about that one!")

Will I be attending another webinar if the opportunity arrises again, of course. Well, I'll attempt it. I can't say things won't go any better, but I'll try. Will I have more realistic expectations the next time? Absolutely. After all, my life is my life, normal or not.

However, my son did tell me today, of all the crazy people in the world, I am -3% crazy, so apparently, in his mind, I have a surplus of sanity! (I wonder what it was BEFORE the webinar? Hmmmm....)

7 days and counting...

7 days until school starts up again. (4th grade! Eeeeek!)

7 days until I have to wake up at 7:00 am instead of 8:30.

7 days until I have to prod, poke, pull, threaten, gnash my teeth- to get the kid off to school on time.

7 days until the lilting strains of "I hate school.... my teacher is soooo mean" go wafting through my home once more. (Although, the teacher he has this year looks like a fun one, so we'll see.)

7 days until I am without my little buddy for 6.5 hours a day. :(

7 days until I get to focus a little more on "me" time.

Some much-needed words of wisdom

Yesterday was a really great day in church.

We studied the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament.

Someone asked the question: Who wrote these, and why do we need to really pay attention to them in our day, or do we?

It is not exactly known who wrote them, but I think it is believed that Solomon may have written at least some of them, if not all.

However, as I was reading them, it became clear to me that they are truly wise words of counsel. Words that I think much of today's society has decided to ignore, or decided that they simply don't pertain to us today.

How wrong can we be if we think they do not pertain to us today? No, they do not expound revelation about the last days, but they contain important truths we should live by every day of our lives!

As it says in Proverbs, they are written for us:
"...To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:"

I am glad I had that little "wake up" call yesterday. There are so many small things I can be doing daily to be kinder, wiser, more in-tune with the Spirit. I think I need to read Proverbs again!

Read the whole book of Proverbs Here!

Summer Update...

Went to Bear Lake last weekend....

got cooked.

The kid and the dad had a blast on the waverunners, though... fun weekend.

This week: 1 big luncheon for 32 missionaries down (I did all the shopping, cooking, etc. Luckily, I had some help from the lovely ladies in the R.S. presidency to help set up and clean up!)

Saturday: church activity combined with Relief Society, Elders Quorum, and High Priests. I'm in charge of all the food, you guessed it!

Tonight: soaking in a hot bathtub with my new yummy bath oil from Avon, hoping to pre-emptively avoid a total meltdown before said activity on Saturday.

I don't need Dr. Pepper.... I don't need Dr. Pepper..... I don't need Dr. Pepper....

Golden Child

The last few days I have actually gotten my act together and made up "To Do" lists for myself and my son. It has been soooo great- he can just go to his list, see what is next, do it, check it off, and move on! No, "What are you supposed to be doing right now?" or "Mom, what do you want me to do now?" He knows exactly what I want him to do!

Last night, I put up his list before going to bed. This morning, I wake up to a strange noise on the other side of my bedroom door. I open it up to find my kid with a rag and cleaner doing his 2nd job already! He had woken up early and read for a half hour, and had moved on to washing the doors and walls!

Yes, I know it was so he could play the new video game sooner that I rented him from Blockbuster yesterday, but hey- whatever works!!!

I love my kid!

You didn't just say that to me....

Let's see.... how many times have I heard this phrase this summer:

"Well, at least you only have one to deal with!"

Does that mean I don't have a right to look disheveled and tired? Does that mean I don't feel empathy for other women who fall into bed at night wondering desperately when school is going to start again?

No, I have every right. I am a mother of one, and one is plenty hard!

Lucky Dog...

Yes, this is a basket of my freshly laundered whites. And this is where my dog can be found as soon as they come out of the dryer.

Yes, it is very tricky trying to fold the clothes out from under the dog, but he is so cute and cosy there- I think I'd climb in there if I was only 15 lbs, too.

When he is all clean, you can only see the 3 little black dots- two eyes and a nose.

You lucky dog!

A big hole where the shower should have been...

Ever seen "Pretty in Pink"? I love the part where the excentric music store worker is talking to Molly Ringwald about going to her prom. (Yes, I said Molly Ringwald. Yes... I'm that old.) She tells her the story of a friend of hers who didn't go to her prom. Years later she has these moments where she feels she is forgetting something. She checks her kids, she checks her purse...and she realizes "nothing" is missing. She finally concludes it is trauma from not attending her prom.

No- before you go thinking I'm a pathetic nerd, I DID attend my prom. No worries there. I would not have made it past prom night alive if I hadn't had a date. My friend and I were pathetically focused on our one goal of getting asked to prom. We relentlessly searched until we found the right prey and....pounced! No, this post is NOT about not going to prom.

However, I do have a pang of bitterness every so often in my life. That little jab in your gut when something reminds you of something you never did and wish you had. For me, it was a full-on baby shower. I never had an "official" baby shower.

See, even now my stomach is doing flip-flops over the subject. It is truly painful for me! (hey you, person who laughed about Molly Ringwald...knock it off!) I was scheduled to have my baby shower a week before my due date. All my aunts and older cousins were going to come- they went to every baby shower. Well, I ended up having an emergency c-section a week early and the shower was cancelled.

End result: there was never a make-up shower. I never got the gifts wrapped in cute little yellow and blue paper with fun curly ribbons on them. I never got the basket of baby powders, lotions, and butt paste. I never got to play the "what's in the diaper" game...although, I am thankful for that! My mom ran out and bought me all the necessities when she flew in after the baby was born. The rest we picked up as needed after my sweet little 5 lb. 10 oz. boy came into the world.

No baby shower.

To this day it makes me sad. I have a really hard time going to other people's baby showers now. I'm sorry to say this. It isn't a forgiveness thing. I don't harbor any ill will toward all the people who never gave me their gifts, I'm not one to hold grudges. Honestly, I have no proof that anyone was even going to come to the shower anyway, so there may not be any little gift bags with my name on them, hiding away in some closet with 10 years of dust on them.

But the fact that I didn't get a baby shower... it leaves a big hole in my life that can never be filled. So, all you first-time moms to be: enjoy your shower. Enjoy the gift opening, the multiple packs of onesies and burp cloths. Enjoy the stupid games and high-fat treats. They are filling a majorly important purpose in your life, though you don't know it!

And try not to think of little, old, showerless me....

*sniff*

*sniff*

Conversation about "Bob"

I had a dream last night.

I went back in time a few years and ran into a "certain" famous person. (who will not be named here to protect his identity....ok, to protect me from being teased, really.) We'll call him "Bob". Bob was a teenager, and he was really into fencing. I went to a fencing tournament of his and he did very poorly. His father was quite angry with him and said he wouldn't speak to him anymore. (I know, what kind of a parent does that?!)

Anyhoo- my sister and I pulled "Bob" aside to cheer him up, and I tried to explain to him that sometimes we win things, and sometimes we lose. I wanted him to understand that he could still be a famous fencer if he just stuck to it, when my sister pulled me aside.

"What are you doing?! If you talk him into fencing, he won't give up and become a famous actor! We like him as an actor, so encourage him to quit fencing!"

So, I think it was my sister and my fault that "Bob" became a famous actor, and not a fencer.

Oh, incidentally, he came to visit me a few years later (in the present) and he stayed in my guest bedroom and I fixed him chocolate chip pancakes- which he said were the best ever. Oh, and we had family home evening with him, too.

I'd say, all in all, I had a pretty productive night, wouldn't you?

P.S. (Laur- I bet you can't guess who it was! hee hee)

Stop and listen...

To look at life through a little boy's eyes, and ears...

Today my son came running into my sewing room to tell me to come quick and listen to the ants. My first thought was to say, no, I'm too busy sewing a million aprons by Friday, but then I took time to listen.

Listen to ants? Don't you mean look at the ants? It was a strange request, so I went outside. I got down on the ground and saw into a crack in the concrete of the driveway. Inside the crack were hundreds of ants all busily working and scurrying about. I put my ear down close to the ground and...

you know what???

I could hear them! There were little popping sounds, and little crackling sounds- like hundreds upon hundreds of tiny little ants working like mad!

It was the most amazing sound! Next time you see a huge swarm of ants on the pavement, take time to kneel down and listen! Heavenly Father's creations are astounding, and I am grateful for my little boy who helped me to really listen!

On another note: Have you ever eaten an ant? I have. It tasted like...ant.

At the pool

The other day as I was waiting for my son to get dressed from swimming lessons, (he happened to be singing at the top of his lungs in the dressing room and everyone in the building could hear it. Yes...that's my son!)I noticed all the mothers bringing their kids in for their lessons.

I noticed their faces: tense, irritable, tired, worn out... as they dragged their 3,
4, and sometimes 5 kids by the arms, clearly rushing to avoid being late to their swim lessons.

I wondered, is that what I look like? Then I looked in my rearview mirror as I finally backed out of my parking space after having waited and waited for my dawdling son who I could hear but could not go get because he was in the men's dressing room.

Yep, that's exactly what I look like.

But I wouldn't trade motherhood for the world!

Simple Pleasures

Dr. Pepper frozen pops....heaven!

Central air conditioning while I sew in my sewing room

DVR-ing "Larkrise to Candleford" and watching it while I work out

A spray of cold water from the hose on a really hot day

Seeing my tomato plants exploding in size almost right before my eyes

Eating sugar snap peas outside in the shade while reading a great novel

...... these are just a few of my simple pleasures lately. What are yours?

Freakin' Basket Case

Erin's definition of "Basket Case":
of or pertaining to one who's stomach is twisted in knots because her son is about to go for his first whole day at Lagoon with a friend.

Yep, that's me. Fits to a "T".

Did I ever tell you about the time my son got lost a Lagoon... on the 4th of July....in Lagoona Beach.....surrounded by water....and hundreds of people....he was 3????

Most terrifying 5 minutes of my ENTIRE life!!!! Luckily a lifeguard found him, walking in the LAZY RIVER! My son was smart enough to remember we had put all our stuff by the volleyball courts and he took him there. I had this overwhelming feeling to run over there by the freak chance he had gone back to our stuff, and there he was with the lifeguard. I am shaking even now as I remember it.

So, when my son's friend asked if he could go to Lagoon with her, (yes, HER... his on-and-off-since-kindergarten girlfriend, mine you!) visions of missing child posters and faces on milk cartons flashed through my mind at high speed. My first reaction was to say "HECK NO!!!!"

However, I was comforted when speaking to her mother that it would just be my son, his friend, her mom, and her grandma. No wild pack of parentless roaming 9 year olds wreaking havoc on poor old ladies at Lagoon, no boy crazy teenage older sibling "supposedly" keeping an eye on two younger, innocent, vulnerable, shivering, homeless... ok, I'm getting a little out of control here.

The point is, I KNOW in my head that he is going to be ok. This friend of his is a good girl, and her mom is a good woman, and her grandma is a classy lady. All very normal, decent, caring people. They aren't going to abandon my child at the first chance they get. Their intent is not to cause me pain and anguish. They only want to give two deserving children a fun time at Lagoon. I get it.

Nevertheless.... he hasn't even left yet and I am a ball of tightly-twisted knots inside! (I was the girl that called home after being at a friend's slumber party for only an hour because I was homesick. She lived a block away from me, and I couldn't make it through one measley night? Pathetic!)

So, I am telling myself I can do this. I CAN make it through the day. I CAN know my son will be well taken care of. I can breathe in and out and in and out....

can't I???

Guys Night= No Girls Allowed!

Last night my hubby and son had a "guys night".

They usually plan these nights when I am going to be gone for my own girls night, or a meeting.

Needless to say, my son was talking about it all day long. I called my hubby to let him know what the "agenda" was going to be (as per my son's request.) Apparently they were going to need to come up with about 8 more hours in the night to accomplish all that was required for the successful guys night! ("First, we'll go get dinner- hamburgers or a yummy sandwich. Then we'll go shoot of my rocket. Then we'll go to a movie. Then we'll go to the nickelcade. Then we'll come home and play video games and you can make us a yummy snack. Then...." Well, it went on and on!)

So, as I drove home from my meeting, I could see they were over at the school field. I knew they were shooting off their rocket, so I couldn't resist. I drove over and got out to watch. Apparently there were technical difficulties, and clearly a MOM can't understand these things. I quickly got the idea I should butt out, so I went home to read.

They got the rocket working and had a blast! It warmed my heart to see them enjoying themselves together.

And made me even happier that I didn't have to be the one to shoot off the rocket!

And yet even happier I had some quiet reading time all to myself!

Yay for guys night!

It's summer at our house...

Ok. The summer flies by, it is true! I think I'm handling it rather well, though.

My son goes to swimming lessons every day and is improving sooo much! In the past we've just done the one two-week session, but last summer and this year I decided to do it every session and he has just skyrocketed! His back stroke is nearly flawless, and he can front crawl the entire length of the pool without stopping (very much!)

We sort of have a morning routine down, too. We wake up, eat breakfast, do reading, practice piano, do chores, go to swimming, come home and eat lunch, run errands and then the kid gets the whole afternoon to play while I sew and sew and sew.

My son has also been endowed with the great privelege of becoming the new official lawn-mower of our family. He isn't very thrilled with the title, but his parents sure are!

Downfalls of this summer:
-yet another year with no central air upstairs. This means we sleep in a warmer-than-is-comfortable bedroom at night, but most of the day we just spend in the air-conditioned basement.
- no camping trips in sight. We have a tent and a few camping items, but no room in a vehicle to take it all. I'd really like to get a tent-trailer, but that's probably a few years off.
- My mom and step-dad moved to Soutn Carolina for a year, so no fun summer days up at my mom's enjoying the beautiful country or barbecuing on their back patio,or fishing trips with a boy and his grandpa Doc, or watching chick flicks with my mom late into the night. :(

Pro's for this summer:
-I am singing with the Utah Chamber Artists for their summer concert with the Utah Symphony. Minimal practicing, Maximum enjoyment!
- My garden is kicking butt this year, and I planted it all by my self!!!! Yes, thank you very much!
- My son now mows the lawn so I don't have to!
- My sister is living in the state again and we can do LOTS of things together! (like go see "Eclipse" tomorrow night! Pattinson in all his IMAX glory!)
-I'm totally excited about sewing aprons again. I'm doing at least one a day! Yay for Saucy frocks!!!

Good Things To Come...

This talk has seen me through some of my most difficult times, and is probably one of my very most favorite conference talks of all time. I wanted to share it because each of us has hope, no matter how timultuous our life may seem at times. If we just hold on to the truths we know, and dilligently rely on our Heavenly Father for guidance and peace, we will see better times ahead.

Letter to self...

*The post I previously wrote filled with rants and tantrum-throwing and very UN-adult behavior was zapped by the Blog gods- taken to the spacial void where so many term papers, love letters, and important communications get lost, never to be retrieved. Therefore, the first "letter to self" has been replaced with this much shorter version:

Dear me,

Suck it up and move forward! You're an adult, and being an adult means you are going to have bad days, and things that just aren't fair! Get OVER it!!!!

sincerely,
you

So, this is me being an adult. I'm going to move forward... after I eat some chocolate, and maybe guzzle a can of Dr. Pepper... and perhaps listen to some 80's tunes, and... ok, maybe indulge in a little vampirism* (of the "Twilight" kind, not actual vampirism!)

*because there's nothing like a good fantasy novel about forbidden love to help me forget the realities of life

** Not that I am a totall "Twilight" mom freak, either. It has been 2 years since I last read them... truly!

***I didn't even shriek ONCE at any of the movies!

****And I haven't forced my husband to stick ice packs on his body and look at me with a pained expression, nor have I asked him to call me "Bella". Not once!

***** No, I didn't even require that he suck on ice cubes before kissing me-- never even thought of it until this moment... hmmmm.... not a bad... oh, what?

Sad news...

Last Thursday my sister and I took our kids to This is the Place Heritage Park to their pioneer village. We had such a fun time. One of my favorite parts, and most distressing, ironically, was the little petting zoo.

The little baby goats and lambs were soooooo cute! The distressing part came when the little goats were trying to escape into the big world. Nobody dared pick them up but my sister and I (who were NOT raised on a farm,by the way- strictly city girls) were picking them up and hauling them back to their pen. They were so cute, just like real children, really.

Yesterday, I heard that the barn they keep the baby animals in at night burned down on Saturday morning. 12 animals were lost, mostly baby animals. The very baby animals I held and pet and loved! What a sad thing!

I am glad I had a chance to help keep them out of danger for a little while anyway. What a sad thing. I hope it was an accident and not some stupid kid smoking in the barn or playing with matches.

Just your average summer day around here...

Today we (meaning myself, mostly) finished mowing the lawn. My kid started it last night, but being only 9 he tends to whine a lot and misses several spots, so today was spent "fixing" those spots. I also did some weed-whacking, or rather lawn slaughtering, because I am terrible with the weed-whacker. If I cut hair as badly as I did the weeds my husband wouldn't let me within a foot of his hair! There are big bald patches everywhere in the lawn. Oh well.

An hour was spent on the phone doing Relief Society stuff, and now I'm off to fold laundry and put more laundry in so I can fold it later.

Highlight comment of the day: "Mom, the only reason you won't let me earn video games back is because you made a mistake and you don't want to look like a fool."

It's really bad when your kid can see right through you. I will never admit to this, though!

Can I have a do over???

I know... everybody always says it: "My kid is growing up so quickly..." but, I have to say it:

MY KID IS GROWING UP SO QUICKLY!!!!!

Today is the last day of school. He comes home for the entire summer in 2 hours. I do love spending more time with him, though. He is my little buddy, and we will go to the zoo, aquarium, aviary, park, pool, dollar movies, you name it.

But, I'm not ready for him to be in 4th grade! I'm not ready for him to be as old as I was when I started babysitting! I'm not ready for him to start driving and kissing girls and wearing deodorant! (ok, those things are a little way off, but not far!)

Let's go back and do kindergarten over. Just for a few days. I want to see his cute little blond-tipped hair and his tiny little button nose again.I want to get endless homemade pirate treasure maps. I want to hear him count to ten and miss 9 every time!

No, let's go back further- to when he would crawl into the dog cage and sit happily sucking on his bottle of milk. Or back even further to when he would nestle his tiny head into my neck and make little grunting noises when he was sleepy. Or how about when he was in my tummy and constantly kicking his legs over and over and over. I have one picture of me when I was pregnant with him. ONE! One picture where you can see my tummy poking out and know there is a little person inside. Can I get a do-over and get just a few more?

I look forward to him growing up, I really do. I look forward to being able to watch him grow and learn and excel in school, and be the great person I know he is going to be (and already is!) But sometimes I wish I could just get a few of those precious days back.

This summer I am going to relish every moment I have with that little guy. I'm going to bask in every hug, every kiss, every spontaneous bouquet of flowers he brings and sets down in my lap. I have one chance to be a mom, and I'm going to make the most of it.

It's NOT OK!!!!

Who said it was OK for a 32 year old to be a grandmother already?

Who said it was OK for a 15 year old to have a baby in the first place?

Today, I am thinking on all things NOT ok with me.

It's NOT ok that people go outside and smoke on their front porch, making it so I have have to shut my doors and windows and roast inside my own home to keep from dying of second-hand smoke induced lung cancer!

It's NOT ok for a doctor to start lecturing you on how juice raises your blood sugar and how important it is for you to drink that juice when your blood sugar is below 49 when you can't keep said juice down because you are throwing it all up and called the Dr. to get advice on other options before you resort to going to the ER! (happened yesterday with my hubby.... not a good day!)

It is NOT ok for 14 year old girls to parade around in next to nothing at school because they are going to end up like the girl at the first of this NOT OK post!


It is NOT ok that some movies have sad endings, some books have a much beloved character die, and some stores are out of Ben and Jerry's "Everything But The..." when you need it most!

Life's not always fair, and that's not ok, either!!!!!!

Pictures of Disneyland... Finally!

This free digital slideshow generated with Smilebox

What Memorial Day is REALLY about (according to my 9 year old)

"Mom, what is Memorial Day for, anyway?"

"Well, it is a day we think about and honor all those people who have fought for our country and died for our freedoms. But it's also a day we remember all our loved ones who have passed on."

"Well, how come we get the day off school and work?"

"It's just a way to celebrate their sacrifices. We take the day off to enjoy life and have fun, and think of them."

"So, really, they fought and died so we could have a day off of school."

"ummmmmmmm....... well....."

The mind of a 9 year old is an interesting place to be!

Humbled

I am feeling very humbled and thankful today for our heroes who fought, and in many cases- died, for our country to make us free.

My grandpa was one of those brave heroes. He was a sharp-shooter in New Guinea in WWII. On a very dangerous mission, he had to act as a decoy to a Japanese army troop. He made them chase him through the jungle until he reached the edge of a high cliff where he jumped off, plunging into the choppy ocean below where a boat awaited him. He hurt his knees very badly when he landed in the water, and could very easily have been killed by the Japanese.

I am grateful to my grandpa for being so brave in the face of almost certain death. He was always a very jolly and happy kind of guy and I loved him very much!

I once had the opportunity to walk the grounds of a famous battle in the Revolutionary war in Cow Pens, South Carolina. It was a spot where the story could have turned out very differently for our soldiers. The British soldiers were well fed, well dressed, well armed. The American soldiers were tired, starved, and ill-prepared to go up against the British. That day the fog was heavy at times and cold and damp. When the order was shouted to charge,they got mixed up and only some groups began to charge, some waited back- not having heard the message. Suddenly, a heavy fog rolled in as the British troops advanced to fight the charging soldiers. Things were in commotion as people tried to see. Finally, the other groups got the message to charge and closed in, only to find the British soldiers had advanced further than they had thought. Because of this "mistake" the British were now surrounded on all sides by the American soldiers.

Many men died that day, but due to a strange and obviously Heavenly guiding hand, this battle became the turning point for the colonists on the American continent. As I walked those grounds I was placing my feet on the very soil where brave men gave their lives for our freedom. It was very humbling to know that men so long ago died so I could be standing there, a free American.

Thank you to all the brave souls who have fought for my freedoms. I will endeavor to deserve what you have done for me!

When 9 year olds plan the parties...

As I'm pulling into the parking lot of the swimming pool for a birthday party my son was invited to:

"So, I'll just pick you up here after the party, then?"

"No, the party isn't going to be here the whole time."

"Uh... it was MY understanding that the whole party was here. I asked your friend and she said it was."

"Well I talked to her too, and she said we are going to her house after we swim and you can pick me up there."

"Well, is the party starting here or at her house?"

"I think it's starting at her house be we can just wait here until they get here."

me... getting very exasperated... "But she told ME to bring you to the pool! Is the party here or not???"

"I don't know, mom. You should have talked to a grown-up about all this. We're just kids, you know."

Ya... thanks for pointing out the OBVIOUS!!!!

(luckily, the party WAS at the pool, and there WAS a grown-up there who confirmed that the party WAS in fact going to be there the entire time!)

It's my birfday!!!!

This morning I woke up with a start. I am a light sleeper and suddenly I sensed I was being watched as I was dreaming about my neighbors making me a cake for singing at their funeral...(yes, they were still alive.... no, I have no idea what the dream meant!) I opened my eyes to two dark figures hovering over me. Luckily, rather than whip out my ultra ninja moves on them as I normally would in such a circumstance, I realized it was my hubby and son.

As soon as they saw I was awake, they began singing "Happy Birthday" to me. A darling homemade card was thrust into my hands and I switched on my bedside lamp to read it. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust, but the card was... well.... moving... to say the least.

It read: Happy commemoration of being forced from a gelatinous sack of fluid through a tiny tube by horrendous muscular contractions.... where you were cut, poked, stabbed, and slapped until you cried, and then paraded naked before strangers! Boy... what a great day! You sure ar elucky! :) Let's celebrate! To honor this momentous day I hereby bequeath to you a gift.... 1 billion dollars!!!! (fine print: minus $999,999,900 for taxes and fees) Happy Birthday! (Well, I do have a husband after my own heart! He completes me!)

My son's (much more sweetly) said: (in his very best cursive handwriting which is actually legible, as opposed to his regular handwriting which is absolutely NOT legible) Happy Birthday Mommy. I love you very much mommy and you are so nice to me. And now it's my turn to be nice to you by saying Happy Birthday.

I got a fresh, still-warm-from-the-bakery glazed donut and cold milk for breakfast, and I got to watch cartoons in bed with my son!

Who could ask for a better birthday than that??? I think I'll go buy myself a birthday cake and celebrate!

Taken by the mother ship...

Yes, it has been 12 days since my last post.

I had good reason... sort of. I went to Disneyland last week, which I couldn't really blog about beforehand because we're always told by "them" (you know... "them"... the people that always tell you things?)that you should never put on a public forum when you are leaving town because people can take advantage of you and rob you blind while you're happily enjoying Goofy and corn dogs in the Magical Kingdom. Although, my husband stayed behind at home because of work ick and all that fun stuff. However, I would still have hated to be robbed blind while he was sitting on the bed drowning his lonely sorrows in Diet Mtn. Dew and Fritos.

So, the trip to Disneyland:
Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of driving.
Lots of junk food and eating at restaurants.(which can actually get pretty tiresome!)
More fun riding rides than I've had since I was 15!!! (yes, it's been that long since I was last at Disneyland.So what? like 7 years? hee hee)

I even dared to go on Space Mountain, which I used to love but have since become a total wimp. I couldn't let my son think his mom was a wimp, though. I smiled bravely... and then screamed the ENTIRE ride!!! I actually loved it, though. I went on it again the next day and was totally (almost) not freaked out at all!

I climbed Tarzan's Tree House as well. Now, I am DEATHLY afraid of heights. Had I known what I was doing before I wouldn't have gone up the stairs to the treehouse, but it all happened so fast. Before I knew it I was on a suspension bridge and my knees were knocking together, a giant pit in my stomach, and my son laughing and saying "keep going, Mom! Don't be a wimp!" Well, I couldn't very well turn around and go back so I pressed on, gulping down my tepid nausea. I climbed higher and higher and resigned myself to the fact that I would probably die right there in Disneyland. But then the stairs took us down, and down, and I was ok! I did it! I promptly called my husband like the 5 year old I actually am, and exclaimed "I did it!!!" He was duely impressed!

3 trips on the Pirate ride, 2 trips on Splash Mountain (fast pass ROCKS!!!), skipping ahead in some lines because my dad was in a wheelchair... it all rocked! And of course, lots and lots and lots of eating: churros, corn dogs, ice cream, the best clam chowder in the world, pineapple whip at the Tiki Room, fried fritters in New Orleans, frozen bananas.... it was a good thing we were walking A LOT!!!!

I forgot how magical Disneyland really is! I want to go EVERY year now!!!!

Our hotel was pretty decent too, for a motel 6. And there was only one incident of a bust-up of a prostitution ring, so it wasn't too bad!

So, I am back home, safe and sound...(I wasn't involved in the prostitution ring, by the way... in case you were wondering, although, if I'd kept spending money on all that crap I might... well, let's not go there!) I'm a little more tan, a little more rested, and a little more Disneyfied!

Hard times require lots of ....uh.... Ben and Jerry's?

This week has not been on my top ten list.

1) Dentist.... (bottom 1 billionth on the list, right above burning in H-E- double hockey sticks.)

2) Hubby's work ick... (right above the Dentist, but eerily resembles H-E-double hockey sticks right now)

3) Unmentionable ick.... (makes ME resemble H-E-double hockey sticks!)

So I will write what IS on my top 10 list of favorite things right now: (beware, it varies from day to day, but this is as it stands as of today at 4:27 pm)

1- Ben and Jerry's peanut butter cup ice cream. (Used to be "everything but the..." but they don't make that flavor anymore!!!! That is NOT on my top 10 list... grrrrrrr...) Oh, and I just ate half a pint. Ya... I know.
2- Diet Dr. Pepper (this is always on my list!)
3- New shoes
4- Herbal Essences shampoo- (reminds me of my trip to Hawaii)
5- Foot massages
6- ibuprofin
7- having nowhere to go today
8- sound of my hubby's voice
9- chick flicks
10- weather warm enough I can leave the back door open so my dog can come and go as he pleases without staring at me with that blank look that I'm supposed to just "know" what he means.

Here's hoping the week ends on a good note. And that I get another pint of B and J's ice cream really soon!

Are we the people we are trying to keep our kids away from?

Tonight at the grocery store there were two cute boy scouts standing outside selling Scout-o-rama tickets. (Probably around 14 years old I would guess- not exactly defenseless little kids.) Their mom was talking to them- "checking up" on them, I'd imagine. I had to laugh, though, because of what she was telling them.

"Now, don't talk to any crazies. And most importantly, if anyone wants to film you they gotta pay me first!"

Yes, let's get our priorities straight: Money is what REALLY matters kids. Crazy people aside, if they want to film you, get their money first!

Hmmm..... pot calling the kettle crazy???

What's really important...

Today a woman spoke church and it made me feel better about myself.

She taked about how she studied music in college and could have gone on to have an opera career, but she chose being a wife and mother instead.

That is EXACTLY what I did.

Sometimes I sit and have a pitty party for myself and say, "Oh, wo is me...(ok, I don't actually say that, but you get the idea.) I have nothing to be proud of, no career, no income of my own..." and it's usually while I'm sitting here folding laundry.

However, the speaker reminded me today that being a wife and mother is a very important job, and something to be especially proud of. I am shaping a life, guiding a soul to make good choices, supporting my husband who provides for our family and works hard. I am a cheerleader, a counselor, a baker, laundress... (sounds glamorous, huh?), nurse, technician, plumber, electrician, problem solver, doggy groomer, etc.

When I get to Heaven, I don't think they are going to ask me at the pearly gates "Did you make it to the Met?" I think they'll say "Did you make time for your child? Did you support your husband? Did you serve where you could? Did you sing at every funeral you possible could stand?"

I can answer sincerely that I certainly tried my best to be a good wife and mother. I dedicated my life to my family. If that isn't worth more brownie points than being a fameous opera star, then I don't know what is.

I'm glad I went to church today. It made me remember what is really important.

Born to be on crutches....uh....can that be right?

We have hit a new milestone here at our little household.

I knew the minute I saw on that little ultrasound monitor that we were having a "he" and not a "she" that this day would come.

And probably MANY others with it.

Yes, folks, my son has fallen out of a tree and sprained his ankle.

Luckily for me, and him, and... well.... him, again.... he didn't get a broken leg. I would have had to severely be upset with him for that! ("Have you no sense for my poor nerves?")

I debated taking him to the doctor or not. It happened about 5:00 pm, so, of course, the dr's office was closing. We decided to wait until the next day and see how it was doing. I didn't think it was broken because he could put weight on it (albeit painfully)but I've never broken anything, so probably I'm not the best judge.

Anyway, it turns out he has a pretty bad sprain, but he's going to live. He has to be on crutches for a few weeks, though,(which, it turns out, he is a natural pro at. Let's not make it a habit now.) but hopefully he'll be healed enough to go to Disneyland when we go. (I use it as leverage to get him to stay off his feet with his leg elevated! "Mickey Mouse doesn't like children with crutches, you know.")

In the mean time, I am stuck fetching and carrying for the invalid on the couch. (And not just my husband, my son, too!)

I hope I make it through this injury!

Counting the many blessings...

Today I was reminded how blessed I am.

Today I was reminded how the Holy Spirit can touch our lives in subtle ways, allowing us to be reminded that Heavenly Father knows who we are and cares about us.

Today I saw my son "inventing" a peanut butter ball recipe and was overwhelmed with gratitude for him and his interest in cooking like his mommy.

Today I pulled up to our little house after church and was grateful for all the hard work we put into cleaning our yard up yesterday- it looks so good. Hard work is good for the soul!

Today I took a nice nap with my hubby and fell asleep to the warm breeze coming through our open window. I just took a deep breath in and smiled.

Today I was reminded that it doesn't matter how far off the beaten path you get, you can always find your way back, and there will always be people who prayed you back, waiting for you with open arms.

I'm grateful for today.

Needing therapy and getting my roots done...

Ya... so, the "girlie" day didn't happen yesterday. I ended up cleaning up the mess I had created while getting ready for the activity on Saturday.

Oh, and cooking a big lunch for my hubby and a friend at the last minute...(because I just can't feel good about putting a plate of PB&J sandwiches in front of hard working men, you know...)

Oh, and making cupcakes.... because a woman on the edge needs chocolate, and frosting!

The girlie time isn't happening today either because I get to go to the dentist! (You know how much I adore the dentist!)

Still, it is a beautiful morning. (despite the fact that my dog was having "difficulty" last night and needed to be let out 3 times!) I am going to pray, put my faith in Heavenly Father, and plow through. I have a lot to be thankful for! There are always going to be down times like this, and there are always going to be ups afterword. I can look forward to the "up" moments to come soon, right?

For now, getting my roots done will help significantly, I think!

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Last week was.... well.... there are no words.

It was Spring break.

Spring break has always been a week of going to museums, visiting my mom, playing with friends...

Although we did some of that, last week was mainly about STRESS for me.

I was planning and tying up loose ends for my Relief Society Birthday Party that I was in charge of since I was put in as the new "Enrichment" counselor in my ward a month ago. (Yes, a month... new calling... huge activity... no committee.... you got it!)

I don't normally stress out about these things too much. I can throw together a dinner for a crowd with narry a hiccup. But, for some reason, this activity started to freak me out at the last second. I was stressed about there being enough food. Then was there too much food? Did I get enough gifts--- too many? Are the ladies going to freak out that we aren't using utensils???(some did, by the way!) Are they not going to know what to do when there are only a few tables set up and you're mainly supposed to eat on your lap??? (which, by the way, didn't happen. EVERYONE huddled around the few tables that were set up.... I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks.)

All in all the activity turned out pretty well I think. Not very many people came, which was dissappointing, but the ones that did seemed to enjoy themselves, and nearly all the sandwiches got eaten! (Which made me happy because I didn't want to be eating ham salad and egg salad sandwiches for the next week!)

HOWEVER... I also had to turn around and teach the lesson today which I hadn't had time to prepare last week, so last night was spent doing that, and all this morning, too! Again, I don't usually get nervous about teaching, but today I felt so scatterbrained, and to top it all off I had to conduct the meeting as well, while pretending to sound like a mature grownup. I felt like it was the "Erin" show! Seriously! (In my defense, I think I managed to keep the embarassing comments to a minimum, and only mentioned my c-section once... I think...)

Needless to say, I got home today, fixed dinner (meatloaf, at that. It was a desperate day, but it turned out ok. It was better than just edible... and for meatloaf that's pretty good!) and tried to take a nap. IT was then that it really hit me. I lay awake in the bed for an hour and a half, my heart beating so fiercely I could almost see it coming out of my chest. I recognized the symptoms of anxiety and said, Ahhh.. yes... NOW it hits me! I finally have a moment to breathe and my body says, what have you done to us????

So, tonight I am in knots! I need to do some yoga or meditation to calm myself down and tell myself it is over. IT probably didn't help that when I sat down in church today to read the upcoming events, there in bold black and white print said "Relief Society activity, May 1st".

That is only 3 weeks away! Who planned this??? Luckly, I found out it had been submitted by the previous presidency and wasn't really an actual activity I needed to hurry up and plan. (Lucky thing, too... because I was already planning how I was going to find some hard liquor, and fast!)

Tomorrow, I am going to take the day easy... watch girlie movies all day in bed, drink gallons of hot chocolate, and turn off the phones! I need to turn my brain off for just one day!!!!

Speaking of....

Goodnight! I'm off....