I've had a few requests for closure to a previous entry that mentioned contracting herpes on my family vacation. It went like this...
On our 10 hour drive to California, I started to notice an insatiable need for chapstick. Not just a "Hey, could you pass the chapstick when you have a minute" but a "clawing through the car like a heroin addict looking for the tube of mosturizer to get their next high" kind of feeling. My lips were SO dry and tingly and weird feeling. It was a little strange but we were driving through the desert so I dismissed it as being a severely dehydrated condition.
A couple of days later the blisters came on. And then I woke up one morning and my lips were huge and swollen WITH the oozing blisters that would pop and drip down my chin. Chris thought it was funny that we were in California and I looked like I had received a really botched up Botox job. J. told me I looked like the sea crustacean from Pirates of the Caribbean. I was walking around Disneyland with a wad of napkins to wipe the ooze, hand sanitizer and wipies to prevent spreading the infection and tubes of lip stuff to try and ease the pain and discomfort. I finally broke down one morning and called my mom. I told her to goggle my systems and see what came up. Moments later she had an article that perfectly described all my symptoms. "Mom, that's it! That's it! What does it say?" to which my mom replied, "Oh, you have herpes simplex. Don't kiss anyone. It is highly contagious!" I felt so unclean.
I don't know how I got herpes. I only kiss one person on the lips and 3 people on the cheek. I don't touch drinking fountains or kiss anything in public places but now I watch the ads on TV for pills that control your herpes outbreaks with serious interest and concentration. My outbreak lasted a FULL 10 days and was so awful there are no words to describe it.
So...does anyone want a big slobbery kiss?
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Everyone Needs An Aunt
On Friday night I drove the kids to Macy's Department Store to see their Aunt Carrie and meet their Aunt ML for the annual "fragrance" event. There really is nothing else my children love more than their aunts and uncles and cousins and grandmas and grandpas! We are so fortunate to be surrounded by so many of these people and I am here to tell you...don't underestimate your power and influence in any one of these roles. My children see their aunt Carrie and ML pretty regularly but every time is a thrill for my kids. They get all giddy and excited and want to hold their hands and walk with them and talk their ears off and tell them everything and ride in their cars and give them hugs and kisses. I watched my children clambor for their aunts attention and I am so, so grateful for sweet, kind, gentle women who love and adore my children. You see, these aunts make my children feel like the most important people in the world. These aunts act just as excited to see their niece and nephews as they are to see them. Even though they have been caring for their own children and working hard all day they still kneel down and listen and love them. They hold their hands and show them cool Christmas decorations and ride the escalator. They let all 3 ride in their mini van even though it means giving up precious "alone" time. I just can't tell you how beautiful the few minutes we all spent together that evening were. I walked across the parking lot to my car with my heart overflowing with gratitude not only for my children, but for the amazing people who are helping me raise my children. The influence of these people in my family (both sides!) is priceless. They will be able to touch and influence my children in ways that I can't. I will continue to need their help and support and I recognize that I could never do this job alone.
So 3 cheers for all the uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents who are riding escalators, letting kids push the buttons in elevators, and changing the lives of every little person around them! I love you!
So 3 cheers for all the uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents who are riding escalators, letting kids push the buttons in elevators, and changing the lives of every little person around them! I love you!
Quote of the Day...
This morning J. went and tackled his Dad in bed to wake him up. As they were wrestling, J. suddenly sat up, sniffed the air and said, "Dad, your breath smells like the snake house at the zoo!"
Aren't children subtle?
Aren't children subtle?
Saturday, October 28, 2006
More Unsolicited Recommendations
I am a total book junkie. Serious addict. Mostly children's picture books, some young adult fiction. And a kind commentor made the tragic mistake of asking me for a few suggestions regarding books for babies. I will try to limit myself to my top choices. But if the list is not long enough, I'd be happy to suggest my life away. I love books.
My Top Reading List for Babies, Toddlers, and Other Helpless Dependents:
1) What Shall We Do With the Boo Hoo Baby? (Cressida Cowell)
2) Five LIttle Ladybugs (Melanie Girth and Tony Griego)
[Many variations on this theme are also available and they are all darling but the ladybugs are my personal favorite!]
3) Kiss Good Night! (Amy Hest & Anita Jeram) [There is a whole series of "Sam" books and they are all wonderful. I am very much attached to darling Sam bear from this book. Collect all the books. They are warm and beautiful and perfect for snuggling. My daughter's bedroom is decorated around 4 prints from this book.]
4) Olivia (Ian Falconer) [My most favorite pig. She is hilarious and endearing and my whole laundry room is done with Olivia the pig. I even own the tea set...]
5) 3 board books by Leslie Patricelli...Quiet/Loud, Big/Little, Yummy/Yucky [These 3 books are a MUST HAVE! From the time H. was little, she would gleefully join in on these books. They are so funny!]
6) Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus (Mo Willems) [My children laugh themselves silly every time we read this book!]
7) Knufflebunny (Mo Willems) [This is my darling M.'s favorite book!]
8) Sandra Boynton: every board book she has ever written. Children simply will not grow up normal if they have not properly been indoctrinated by her board books from birth.
9) Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak)
10) The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)
11) Counting Kisses (Karen Katz)
12) Good NIght, Gorilla (Peggy Rathmann): Be prepared. If you choose to introduce this book, you will be reading it 15 times a day for at least a year.
13) Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? (Eric Carle)
14) Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (Eric Carle)
Oh my goodness. Have I said too much? If you owned these 13 million books, you would never leave your comfy chair and you would be in reading heaven all your days.
Read to your children every day for at least 20 minutes. That single act alone will change your child's world.
My Top Reading List for Babies, Toddlers, and Other Helpless Dependents:
1) What Shall We Do With the Boo Hoo Baby? (Cressida Cowell)
2) Five LIttle Ladybugs (Melanie Girth and Tony Griego)
[Many variations on this theme are also available and they are all darling but the ladybugs are my personal favorite!]
3) Kiss Good Night! (Amy Hest & Anita Jeram) [There is a whole series of "Sam" books and they are all wonderful. I am very much attached to darling Sam bear from this book. Collect all the books. They are warm and beautiful and perfect for snuggling. My daughter's bedroom is decorated around 4 prints from this book.]
4) Olivia (Ian Falconer) [My most favorite pig. She is hilarious and endearing and my whole laundry room is done with Olivia the pig. I even own the tea set...]
5) 3 board books by Leslie Patricelli...Quiet/Loud, Big/Little, Yummy/Yucky [These 3 books are a MUST HAVE! From the time H. was little, she would gleefully join in on these books. They are so funny!]
6) Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus (Mo Willems) [My children laugh themselves silly every time we read this book!]
7) Knufflebunny (Mo Willems) [This is my darling M.'s favorite book!]
8) Sandra Boynton: every board book she has ever written. Children simply will not grow up normal if they have not properly been indoctrinated by her board books from birth.
9) Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak)
10) The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)
11) Counting Kisses (Karen Katz)
12) Good NIght, Gorilla (Peggy Rathmann): Be prepared. If you choose to introduce this book, you will be reading it 15 times a day for at least a year.
13) Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? (Eric Carle)
14) Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (Eric Carle)
Oh my goodness. Have I said too much? If you owned these 13 million books, you would never leave your comfy chair and you would be in reading heaven all your days.
Read to your children every day for at least 20 minutes. That single act alone will change your child's world.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Paradise Found!
Last Thursday, I boarded a plane bound for Manchester, NH where a rental car was waiting to whisk me off through the fabulous fall foliage to Portland, Maine.
I was invited to accompany a friend on her much needed "mom getaway". Due to her husband's immense traveling and thereby immense accumulation of frequent traveller points, we were able to take this trip without paying for airfare, hotels, or rental car. Truly amazing. Even more amazing that I was invited to share the generosity and go along.
We left Thursday afternoon. At the airport, we stocked up on trashy celebrity magazines and boarded the plane where we quickly settled in for a long, childless plane ride. The ginger ale tasted sweeter, the snacks were extra good, and we talked, analyzed, therapized (is that a word?), laughed, giggled, and played the whole way. After finding our rental car, we drove about 90 minutes to our hotel in Portland where we were greeted by warm cookies, cool bottles of water, 2 double beds with feather pillow top mattresses, real feather comforters, and crisp, soft white sheets. The bed even had a throw pillow with "Sweet Dreams" embroidered across the front. The next morning we had "complimentary tickets" for the breakfast buffet downstairs and I'm not talking a bagel and some crusty cream cheese. I'm talking scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, fruit buffet, pastries buffet, etc. etc. I actually swiped 2 jars of jam because they were seriously so little and cute. And this was just the first 12 hours...
This trip was so therapeutic to my soul. There is something about the wild ruggedness and sheer breathtaking beauty of the east coast that really touches my spirit in a powerful way. We saw white lighthouses that reached into the deep blue sky. Lakes and rivers and ocean with pounding surf and wild waves. We ate haddock with newburg sauce in a charming local restaurant called The Lobster Shed. We drove through magnificent trees with colors you can't even imagine. We touched the cold Atlantic Ocean and marvelled on our knees at the beautiful things growing in tide pools. We shopped at little antique shops, took a million pictures on a million beautiful stone bridges in front of white steepled churches in quaint, quiet, beautiful towns and villages. We got lost a million times and didn't worry about being found. We talked about husbands, children, marriages, dreams, disappointments, frustrations, joys, and hopes. We told stories about high school, old boyfriends, rainy wedding days, rebellious teenage days and found memories we both thought we had lost. We drank lots of caramel hot apple cider from Starbucks and never took for granted a single old stone New England home. I found myself standing still in lots of different places with my eyes closed and breathing deeply, feeling like something inside me was being filled that had been empty for some time. I don't know what that empty place was...maybe it was missed moments of quiet and solitude. Maybe it was finding the things that are so beautiful and magnificent to me that they take my breath away. Maybe it is how the air smells or the sound the leaves make or how seagulls sound flying above the water. It was precious time.
Every woman needs time like this. Taking a trip like this was truly a precious gift from a dear, wonderful friend. It is a tradition that I hope to replicate every year. With all that I love and hold dear, I needed 4 days to reconnect with myself and with my life. I didn't spend one moment thinking about teaching preschool or planning a primary program or worrying about sharing time or stressing about house cleaning or child raising, or any of the other things that fill my life on a day to day basis. For 4 days I thought about different things, new things, and played with new ideas. When I came home, I ready to face my challenges and joys with new perspective. I have had moments that have been difficult and where I have longed to sit on the rock in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and just be still but I also have a profound joy that I have a life filled with magnificent people and opportunities. It is a balancing game and I'm still a novice.
To Tonya...thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To Chris...thank you for being a husband who sincerely tries in every way to understand and support me. Thank you for watching our children and making this possible.
To Mo and ML and CeliAnne...thank you for loving my children and being willing to take them on. You helped in very meaningful ways to make this opportunity possible.
And to all the women who carry heavy burdens every day...remember to stop and rest and close your eyes and breathe deeply. Rest. Be still.
I was invited to accompany a friend on her much needed "mom getaway". Due to her husband's immense traveling and thereby immense accumulation of frequent traveller points, we were able to take this trip without paying for airfare, hotels, or rental car. Truly amazing. Even more amazing that I was invited to share the generosity and go along.
We left Thursday afternoon. At the airport, we stocked up on trashy celebrity magazines and boarded the plane where we quickly settled in for a long, childless plane ride. The ginger ale tasted sweeter, the snacks were extra good, and we talked, analyzed, therapized (is that a word?), laughed, giggled, and played the whole way. After finding our rental car, we drove about 90 minutes to our hotel in Portland where we were greeted by warm cookies, cool bottles of water, 2 double beds with feather pillow top mattresses, real feather comforters, and crisp, soft white sheets. The bed even had a throw pillow with "Sweet Dreams" embroidered across the front. The next morning we had "complimentary tickets" for the breakfast buffet downstairs and I'm not talking a bagel and some crusty cream cheese. I'm talking scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, fruit buffet, pastries buffet, etc. etc. I actually swiped 2 jars of jam because they were seriously so little and cute. And this was just the first 12 hours...
This trip was so therapeutic to my soul. There is something about the wild ruggedness and sheer breathtaking beauty of the east coast that really touches my spirit in a powerful way. We saw white lighthouses that reached into the deep blue sky. Lakes and rivers and ocean with pounding surf and wild waves. We ate haddock with newburg sauce in a charming local restaurant called The Lobster Shed. We drove through magnificent trees with colors you can't even imagine. We touched the cold Atlantic Ocean and marvelled on our knees at the beautiful things growing in tide pools. We shopped at little antique shops, took a million pictures on a million beautiful stone bridges in front of white steepled churches in quaint, quiet, beautiful towns and villages. We got lost a million times and didn't worry about being found. We talked about husbands, children, marriages, dreams, disappointments, frustrations, joys, and hopes. We told stories about high school, old boyfriends, rainy wedding days, rebellious teenage days and found memories we both thought we had lost. We drank lots of caramel hot apple cider from Starbucks and never took for granted a single old stone New England home. I found myself standing still in lots of different places with my eyes closed and breathing deeply, feeling like something inside me was being filled that had been empty for some time. I don't know what that empty place was...maybe it was missed moments of quiet and solitude. Maybe it was finding the things that are so beautiful and magnificent to me that they take my breath away. Maybe it is how the air smells or the sound the leaves make or how seagulls sound flying above the water. It was precious time.
Every woman needs time like this. Taking a trip like this was truly a precious gift from a dear, wonderful friend. It is a tradition that I hope to replicate every year. With all that I love and hold dear, I needed 4 days to reconnect with myself and with my life. I didn't spend one moment thinking about teaching preschool or planning a primary program or worrying about sharing time or stressing about house cleaning or child raising, or any of the other things that fill my life on a day to day basis. For 4 days I thought about different things, new things, and played with new ideas. When I came home, I ready to face my challenges and joys with new perspective. I have had moments that have been difficult and where I have longed to sit on the rock in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and just be still but I also have a profound joy that I have a life filled with magnificent people and opportunities. It is a balancing game and I'm still a novice.
To Tonya...thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To Chris...thank you for being a husband who sincerely tries in every way to understand and support me. Thank you for watching our children and making this possible.
To Mo and ML and CeliAnne...thank you for loving my children and being willing to take them on. You helped in very meaningful ways to make this opportunity possible.
And to all the women who carry heavy burdens every day...remember to stop and rest and close your eyes and breathe deeply. Rest. Be still.
Support the Arts!
Tonight my little family had a fabulous experience. We attended a musical at the Children's Theatre of Salt Lake City entitled "The Stinky Cheese Man". It is a little tiny theater located on 600 South State Street in Salt Lake City that didn't look like a whole lot from the outside but was really amazing on the inside. It is a whole theater company dedicated to providing quality plays and musicals for children and their families. It is geared FOR children and they did a fantastic job. Everything about the entire show was very professional and extremely well-done...the costumes, the scenery, the talent, the singing, the acting...etc. My husband and I took our 5 year old and 4 year old and they both had a great experience. Even the refreshments at the Cafe were all based around the play...Foxy Loxy brownie sundae, Stinky Cheese Man grilled cheese sandwich on Red Hen Home Made Bread, Frog Prince dessert...it was a truly wonderful evening. My little children had the opportunity to go and have a real "live theater" experience. J. sat on the edge of his seat most of the play and laughed in all the right places. Where else would a theater not only welcome small children but embrace the enthusiasum only a child could have for silliness and drama. The show lasted 90 minutes (including the intermission), was fast paced, dialogue and story line appropriate for the audience it was targeting. Truly a magnificent show!
I am so grateful to make a fabulous discovery like this. And I am always terrified it won't last. These theaters and groups need to be important to the public and people need to make a conscious effort to support local organizations who are reaching out to children and families in a positive way. When individuals make a conscious decision about what is important to them in their community and seek to show support for these groups, it can have a very positive, very powerful impact.
So get on the internet and start exploring what is waiting to be discovered right around the corner from you.
And if you ever come for a visit to Utah, I know a great little place where we can catch an excellent show...
I am so grateful to make a fabulous discovery like this. And I am always terrified it won't last. These theaters and groups need to be important to the public and people need to make a conscious effort to support local organizations who are reaching out to children and families in a positive way. When individuals make a conscious decision about what is important to them in their community and seek to show support for these groups, it can have a very positive, very powerful impact.
So get on the internet and start exploring what is waiting to be discovered right around the corner from you.
And if you ever come for a visit to Utah, I know a great little place where we can catch an excellent show...
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Another Side-Note...
I'm looking for a rich benefactor to buy me things that I can't afford. I'd like to start with the following list of incredible picture books:
1) Olivia Forms a Band (Ian Falconer)
2) Dooby Dooby Moo (Doreen Cronin & Betsy Lewin)
3) Bats at the Beach (Brian Lies)
4) Fancy Nancy (Jane O'Connor)
5) Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late (Mo Willems) [ANYTHING by Mo Willems is hilarious and creative and divine. Try "Knufflebunny" and "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus". True classics in this house!]
6) Flotsam (David Wiesner)
7) Library Lion (Michelle Knudsen)
8) Chowder (Peter Brown)
9) G is for One Gzonk! An Alpha-Number-Bet Book
10) Grumpy Gloria (Anna Dewdney)
11) Mommy? (new pop-up book by Maurice Sendak...GREAT Halloween book...I just bought this one so don't get me this one!)
12) The Boy of Steel: A Baseball Dream Come True (Ray Negron)
13) The Greatest Power (Demi)
14) Duck and Goose (Tad Hills)
15) Eats, Shoots, and Leaves (Lynne Truss)
Seriously, if you are rich, this puny list is nothing. Please send right away.
Thank you for you kind attention to my needs.
1) Olivia Forms a Band (Ian Falconer)
2) Dooby Dooby Moo (Doreen Cronin & Betsy Lewin)
3) Bats at the Beach (Brian Lies)
4) Fancy Nancy (Jane O'Connor)
5) Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late (Mo Willems) [ANYTHING by Mo Willems is hilarious and creative and divine. Try "Knufflebunny" and "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus". True classics in this house!]
6) Flotsam (David Wiesner)
7) Library Lion (Michelle Knudsen)
8) Chowder (Peter Brown)
9) G is for One Gzonk! An Alpha-Number-Bet Book
10) Grumpy Gloria (Anna Dewdney)
11) Mommy? (new pop-up book by Maurice Sendak...GREAT Halloween book...I just bought this one so don't get me this one!)
12) The Boy of Steel: A Baseball Dream Come True (Ray Negron)
13) The Greatest Power (Demi)
14) Duck and Goose (Tad Hills)
15) Eats, Shoots, and Leaves (Lynne Truss)
Seriously, if you are rich, this puny list is nothing. Please send right away.
Thank you for you kind attention to my needs.
Just A Side-Note...
I just finished reading one of the best books I have read in a really long time. It was loaned to me by a friend and I have to admit that the beat up cover did not motivate me to pick the book up for several weeks...but once I did, I've truly been engrossed in it for the past few days. The book is called "So Big" by Edna Ferber. It is a very memorable pulitzer prize winning novel from decades ago. The language and writing in the story are exquisite and beautiful. The actual story is engrossing and as you finish the last page, you are left sitting and staring at the book and trying to wrap your mind around the message. I really must insist that every one of you get to the library (or bookstore...go to one with hot chocolate) and get a copy. Now. Why are you still reading? Move. Go.
I'm waiting....
Still waiting...
You guys are stubborn.
I'm waiting....
Still waiting...
You guys are stubborn.
It's a Really Strange World After All
Well, we did it.
I wasn't sure it could be done.
I had serious reservations, horrific nightmares, and a few panic attacks but we did it. Despite a few battle scars and some emotional healing that still needs to occur, I would dare say we have emerged triumphant. We drove 10 hours in a mini-van and took 3 small children (ages 5 and under) to Disneyland. We only lost one child (temporarily), picked up a raging case of herpes simplex fever blisters, misplaced a darling red leather Mary Jane shoe, and had one minor "wetting" incident on Splash Mountain but here we are! Home, sunburned, and blissfully filled with precious family memories. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
I will not attempt to unfold the whole saga in one blog...rather, I will break this in to a few "mini" stories to be savored one at a time. I will start with our wild adventure in Las Vegas.
We had been driving for 6 straight hours when we realized we were long overdue for a gasoline/potty/diaper changing break. Since we were on the outskirts of Vegas, we decided to push forward a little ways and find a place to stop in the city. We started telling the kids how great it was going to be when Abby and James and Caleb moved to Las Vegas and how we could drive down and visit them and stay at their house and play. I really had a motivational pep rally going when the van came to a stop and the door slid open. The boys all jumped out and I went around to get H. when my husband asked, "Did you remember to pack your bra?" I turned around and found my husband staring down at a lacy black bra that had been abandoned in the parking place next to us. It had seen a little action in that parking lot...been driven over a few times and had some choice things dropped on it but there it was in all its black splendor. My 5 year old and 4 year old boys came rushing around the car to see what all the commotion was about. The following conversation ensued:
5 yr old: Mom, what is that?
Mom: A bra.
5yr old: What is a bra?
Mom: It is girl underwear that we wear on our breasts.
5 yr. old: How did a girl lose her bra at the gas station?
Mom: I don't know J. That is a good question.
5 yr. old: Maybe the door accidentally opened and the bra just flew away.
Mom: Maybe.
4 yr. old: Gross.
We proceeded inside. I watched more trauma unfold in the next 15 minutes than I have witnessed in the last 5 years of my life. I watched the homeless, toothless old man try to sell the gas station attendant a set of colored pencils in a wood box for $20.00, watched the glazed over, somewhat drunk men sit at the slot machines pushing the buttons aimlessly while their credit cards maxed out, and the woman that left her 4 year old daughter screaming outside the door in the care of a small Mexican man while she went in to gamble. Our poor sheltered children just stood on the sticky gas station floor and took it all in. When we got back in the car there wasn't much comment. Maybe they were trying to find a place in their brains to assimilate all the fun they had just witnessed in Las Vegas. Maybe they were wondering why Abby and James and Caleb were going to live in a sticky gas station. Maybe they were still wondering how people in Vegas accidentally lose their underwear in parking lots.
I felt like we had all lost a little of our naive innocence. But hey...isn't that what family vacations are all about?
(Stay tuned for the saga of the Lost Child and "How I Got Herpes on My Family Vacation".)
I wasn't sure it could be done.
I had serious reservations, horrific nightmares, and a few panic attacks but we did it. Despite a few battle scars and some emotional healing that still needs to occur, I would dare say we have emerged triumphant. We drove 10 hours in a mini-van and took 3 small children (ages 5 and under) to Disneyland. We only lost one child (temporarily), picked up a raging case of herpes simplex fever blisters, misplaced a darling red leather Mary Jane shoe, and had one minor "wetting" incident on Splash Mountain but here we are! Home, sunburned, and blissfully filled with precious family memories. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
I will not attempt to unfold the whole saga in one blog...rather, I will break this in to a few "mini" stories to be savored one at a time. I will start with our wild adventure in Las Vegas.
We had been driving for 6 straight hours when we realized we were long overdue for a gasoline/potty/diaper changing break. Since we were on the outskirts of Vegas, we decided to push forward a little ways and find a place to stop in the city. We started telling the kids how great it was going to be when Abby and James and Caleb moved to Las Vegas and how we could drive down and visit them and stay at their house and play. I really had a motivational pep rally going when the van came to a stop and the door slid open. The boys all jumped out and I went around to get H. when my husband asked, "Did you remember to pack your bra?" I turned around and found my husband staring down at a lacy black bra that had been abandoned in the parking place next to us. It had seen a little action in that parking lot...been driven over a few times and had some choice things dropped on it but there it was in all its black splendor. My 5 year old and 4 year old boys came rushing around the car to see what all the commotion was about. The following conversation ensued:
5 yr old: Mom, what is that?
Mom: A bra.
5yr old: What is a bra?
Mom: It is girl underwear that we wear on our breasts.
5 yr. old: How did a girl lose her bra at the gas station?
Mom: I don't know J. That is a good question.
5 yr. old: Maybe the door accidentally opened and the bra just flew away.
Mom: Maybe.
4 yr. old: Gross.
We proceeded inside. I watched more trauma unfold in the next 15 minutes than I have witnessed in the last 5 years of my life. I watched the homeless, toothless old man try to sell the gas station attendant a set of colored pencils in a wood box for $20.00, watched the glazed over, somewhat drunk men sit at the slot machines pushing the buttons aimlessly while their credit cards maxed out, and the woman that left her 4 year old daughter screaming outside the door in the care of a small Mexican man while she went in to gamble. Our poor sheltered children just stood on the sticky gas station floor and took it all in. When we got back in the car there wasn't much comment. Maybe they were trying to find a place in their brains to assimilate all the fun they had just witnessed in Las Vegas. Maybe they were wondering why Abby and James and Caleb were going to live in a sticky gas station. Maybe they were still wondering how people in Vegas accidentally lose their underwear in parking lots.
I felt like we had all lost a little of our naive innocence. But hey...isn't that what family vacations are all about?
(Stay tuned for the saga of the Lost Child and "How I Got Herpes on My Family Vacation".)
Friday, September 15, 2006
Say "Cheese"
J. on his first day of school. I don't think anyone would describe our kids as "camera shy". You whip out a camera and they pose!
My Baby...
This is our darling boy the night before he started kindergarten. We asked him to lay out his clothes and in true J. fashion, he set them out with creative flair. (Did you notice the socks are tucked in by the shoes?) He goes to school every day from 8:15-11:15 and not a day goes by that I don't stand on the front porch in my pajamas with wild bed head hair and wave frantically good-bye with a prayer in my heart that the world will be good to my boy and bring him home safely to me.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Poor People Can Read Too...
I love "free" offers. So this last month I sent in my coupon to receive a free copy of a brand new magazine called "Cookie". It was advertised as being a magazine that offered "all the best for your family". What it failed to mention was that it is all the best for your family if you happen to be REALLY, REALLY rich. I knew I was in trouble when I opened the cover and found a succession of ads for Ralph Lauren, Burberry, DKNY and Guess clothing for CHILDREN! Then it elaborated on the items the models on the front cover were wearing...the darling mother kneeling down on the dirty ground at the park snuggling with her child is wearing a fur-trimmed silk faille jacket by Prada ($3,555), a red henley ($306), stovepipe pants ($310), earrings ($2310), leather flats ($625), and carrying a heritage velvet brocade bag by Prada ($2140).
I'd like to contrast that with the outfit I am wearing.
Today I am wearing a black knit Tshirt from TJ Maxx ($8.00), a black knee length skirt from Old Navy ($12), underwear, a bra ($12.00), flip flops ($5.00) and carrying a faux leather purse that was given to me free by my neighbor. I'm sure my fossil watch cost around $65.00 and my husband won't tell me how much my wedding ring cost.
Even though I was painfully out of my league, I just had to keep reading.
Fun recipes for the kids included Almond butter and finger bananas on fruit bread, prosciutto, fried egg and parmesan on country bread, and oven-baked chicken and slow roasted tomatoes on a baguette. If you are looking for a fun getaway for your family, they recommended a surfing camp in Brazil. But then came my favorite article about the stresses of carpooling kids to school.
And I quote, "It's important to be honest when problems arise--but try to withhold judgment. If, for example, your kid tells you that Kelly's mom gave him a Twinkie, and you have a strict no-trans-fat rule, you can let it go or bring it up without sounding like a snack snob..." Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not bright enough, or skinny enough, to make these things up. If someone gave my kid a Twinkie in carpool I'd be licking the crumbs off his shirt when he got home. I don't buy Twinkies because I'd eat the whole box.
I really could go on and on. C. and I sat for about an hour one night marvelling at the strange lives some people live. We alternated between horror, strange fascination, and flat out hysterical laughing. We debated at the end if we should get a subscription just for the sheer entertainment value but we were afraid they would do a salary check to see if we were classy enough. Well, until I can figure out what prosciutto is and whether or not Wal-Mart sells baguettes, I may just have to lay in my Hello Kitty pajamas (Target, $14.00) on my donated couch (thanks Mo and Papa!) and dream!
I'd like to contrast that with the outfit I am wearing.
Today I am wearing a black knit Tshirt from TJ Maxx ($8.00), a black knee length skirt from Old Navy ($12), underwear, a bra ($12.00), flip flops ($5.00) and carrying a faux leather purse that was given to me free by my neighbor. I'm sure my fossil watch cost around $65.00 and my husband won't tell me how much my wedding ring cost.
Even though I was painfully out of my league, I just had to keep reading.
Fun recipes for the kids included Almond butter and finger bananas on fruit bread, prosciutto, fried egg and parmesan on country bread, and oven-baked chicken and slow roasted tomatoes on a baguette. If you are looking for a fun getaway for your family, they recommended a surfing camp in Brazil. But then came my favorite article about the stresses of carpooling kids to school.
And I quote, "It's important to be honest when problems arise--but try to withhold judgment. If, for example, your kid tells you that Kelly's mom gave him a Twinkie, and you have a strict no-trans-fat rule, you can let it go or bring it up without sounding like a snack snob..." Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not bright enough, or skinny enough, to make these things up. If someone gave my kid a Twinkie in carpool I'd be licking the crumbs off his shirt when he got home. I don't buy Twinkies because I'd eat the whole box.
I really could go on and on. C. and I sat for about an hour one night marvelling at the strange lives some people live. We alternated between horror, strange fascination, and flat out hysterical laughing. We debated at the end if we should get a subscription just for the sheer entertainment value but we were afraid they would do a salary check to see if we were classy enough. Well, until I can figure out what prosciutto is and whether or not Wal-Mart sells baguettes, I may just have to lay in my Hello Kitty pajamas (Target, $14.00) on my donated couch (thanks Mo and Papa!) and dream!
Monday, August 07, 2006
Skeletons in the Closet
*(Lest I seem a little overzealous in posting blogs this evening, I am merely getting around to taking them out of Microsoft Word and actually posting them. One of the hazards of having 3 computers that don't all do the same things...)
Ladies and gentlemen...I would like to take this opportunity to clean out my closet and get some things out in the open here. I'd like to have a frank, open talk about mental illness. Yes, sanity. Here in the good ole' state of "Everything is perfect" Utah, we seem to have a few hang-ups about what is what and what is NOT what regarding a host of things. Tonight I am choosing mental health. You may choose the topic tomorrow...
There is a difference between "bucking up" and getting on with life and suffering from a dehabilitating, crippling ailment that you can not simply solve by prayer and scripture reading. If a person was suffering from a terrible physical illness, you wouldn't simply pat them on the back and tell them they just needed to pray a little harder and attend a few more church meetings. You would get them to the doctor, get the necessary medications, and nurse them back to health. But why is it that so many times in our culture and society, we view mental illness as a "weakness" instead of a legitimate medical problem? I don't suffer from anxiety because I have committed any great sin or am failing to do something right. I don't pace the floors at night, lose my appetite and think I'm going to die because I'm not strong enough to just "snap out of it". I suffer from a general anxiety disorder that I am grateful does not have to control me. I am strong enough to admit that I need help. I am doing everything right in my life by seeing the people that I know have experience with this disorder, researching what treatments are available, and taking medication based on informed decisions that are right for me and my family. So...
Raise your hand if you are taking your meds every day and feeling better than you have in a long, long time?
Raise your hand if you are grateful for a person who was brave enough to recognize what you were going through and shared with you their struggles and experience so you would know you weren't alone in facing your monsters and you wouldn't feel this way forever?
So it is time to start looking at the people around you in a very different light. It is time to stop feeling like you have to hide your "secret" because someone might find out and think you aren't perfect! Until you have had the panic attack that sends you to the hospital or the depression that wipes out every bright thing in your life, don't judge. Be a lot more sympathetic, a lot more understanding, and a whole lot less critical.
So...does anyone else have a soapbox that needs standing on?
Ladies and gentlemen...I would like to take this opportunity to clean out my closet and get some things out in the open here. I'd like to have a frank, open talk about mental illness. Yes, sanity. Here in the good ole' state of "Everything is perfect" Utah, we seem to have a few hang-ups about what is what and what is NOT what regarding a host of things. Tonight I am choosing mental health. You may choose the topic tomorrow...
There is a difference between "bucking up" and getting on with life and suffering from a dehabilitating, crippling ailment that you can not simply solve by prayer and scripture reading. If a person was suffering from a terrible physical illness, you wouldn't simply pat them on the back and tell them they just needed to pray a little harder and attend a few more church meetings. You would get them to the doctor, get the necessary medications, and nurse them back to health. But why is it that so many times in our culture and society, we view mental illness as a "weakness" instead of a legitimate medical problem? I don't suffer from anxiety because I have committed any great sin or am failing to do something right. I don't pace the floors at night, lose my appetite and think I'm going to die because I'm not strong enough to just "snap out of it". I suffer from a general anxiety disorder that I am grateful does not have to control me. I am strong enough to admit that I need help. I am doing everything right in my life by seeing the people that I know have experience with this disorder, researching what treatments are available, and taking medication based on informed decisions that are right for me and my family. So...
Raise your hand if you are taking your meds every day and feeling better than you have in a long, long time?
Raise your hand if you are grateful for a person who was brave enough to recognize what you were going through and shared with you their struggles and experience so you would know you weren't alone in facing your monsters and you wouldn't feel this way forever?
So it is time to start looking at the people around you in a very different light. It is time to stop feeling like you have to hide your "secret" because someone might find out and think you aren't perfect! Until you have had the panic attack that sends you to the hospital or the depression that wipes out every bright thing in your life, don't judge. Be a lot more sympathetic, a lot more understanding, and a whole lot less critical.
So...does anyone else have a soapbox that needs standing on?
Life
As a child, I feared cancer. I didn't know anyone with cancer but I think I had read enough really sappy books to get all worked up about the possibilities. I started to write stories about people with cancer (Don't Stop Me Now, I'm On My Way) and I would lay awake in bed at night trying to figure out what I would do if I had cancer. When I got my period for the first time, I thought I was dying of cancer and dreaded having to tell my mom that her first born child had only days to live. Every time I got a headache or cough, I was convinced it was cancer. Growing up really hasn't tamed the fear a whole lot...but interesting things are happening all around me.
Both my paternal grandparents suffered from various forms of cancer. My darling aunt passed away just recently after suffering from cancer. My sister-in-law is adapting to a life where she will never, ever be cancer free and is hoping that on-going chemotherapy treatments will keep the cancer at bay long enough for her to see her children grow up. My dear friend is in the middle of fighting a painful battle for the third time with lupus. The chemotherapy is causing her hair to fall out and she throws up all day long. I was talking to her on the phone today and said, "Don't you wish you could just go in to a coma and have someone wake you up when you are healthy and it is all over?" and before I finished the sentence she replied, "No! No! Because I would miss so many of the beautiful, tender, wonderful moments that are happening to me each day. I would miss the people who have been so incredibly kind and the tender mercies of the Lord. I feel things more passionately and get so emotional at the small things I witness in my life."
Her perspective has caused me to wonder at myself and my life all day.
I played with her children for a couple of hours this afternoon and they are as wonderful and strong and beautiful as their mother is. Through all the trauma, each of them is being blessed in strange, amazing ways. Suddenly in the middle of the horror, I see some of the beauty that comes in the refiners fire. Our lives are blessed in ways that we can't begin to fathom. I'm not mature enough to say that I can accept all that happens to me with a positive, cheerful spirit but I can see how some of the trials I've had have truly blessed my life. My friend and sister-in-law are true heroes and I feel blessed to have their influence and beauty in my life. Because of what they are experiencing, I am learning to understand what is really important in life and what is not. I'm learning to savor more and complain less. I'm learning to sit quietly more often and hold my children longer.
I'm learning how to live better.
Both my paternal grandparents suffered from various forms of cancer. My darling aunt passed away just recently after suffering from cancer. My sister-in-law is adapting to a life where she will never, ever be cancer free and is hoping that on-going chemotherapy treatments will keep the cancer at bay long enough for her to see her children grow up. My dear friend is in the middle of fighting a painful battle for the third time with lupus. The chemotherapy is causing her hair to fall out and she throws up all day long. I was talking to her on the phone today and said, "Don't you wish you could just go in to a coma and have someone wake you up when you are healthy and it is all over?" and before I finished the sentence she replied, "No! No! Because I would miss so many of the beautiful, tender, wonderful moments that are happening to me each day. I would miss the people who have been so incredibly kind and the tender mercies of the Lord. I feel things more passionately and get so emotional at the small things I witness in my life."
Her perspective has caused me to wonder at myself and my life all day.
I played with her children for a couple of hours this afternoon and they are as wonderful and strong and beautiful as their mother is. Through all the trauma, each of them is being blessed in strange, amazing ways. Suddenly in the middle of the horror, I see some of the beauty that comes in the refiners fire. Our lives are blessed in ways that we can't begin to fathom. I'm not mature enough to say that I can accept all that happens to me with a positive, cheerful spirit but I can see how some of the trials I've had have truly blessed my life. My friend and sister-in-law are true heroes and I feel blessed to have their influence and beauty in my life. Because of what they are experiencing, I am learning to understand what is really important in life and what is not. I'm learning to savor more and complain less. I'm learning to sit quietly more often and hold my children longer.
I'm learning how to live better.
Mean Mom
My darling 3-year old got himself into a HEAP o'trouble a couple weeks back. I dragged him kicking and screaming onto his time out mat and then listened to him scream, "You're bad!" for the next 3 minutes at the top of his lungs. When time out was finally over and we went into the living room for a little "processing", he immediately threw himself into my arms and said, "Mom, I love you so much" and then he held my two cheeks in his hands and with a sugary sweet voice asked, "But why do you have to be so mean?"
Monday, July 24, 2006
Love, Find Joy, Be Present
Today we had a vacation. This summer has been CRAZY...even bordering insane. There have been visitors/guests, family get-togethers, T-ball practices and games, volunteer projects, huge Primary changes, etc. etc. I am starting to feel overwhelmed and permanently stressed out. So last night, at about 9:00 p.m., C. and I packed up our little family and took a vacation from our life.
We grabbed our jammies, clean underwear, and toothbrushes and drove up to Mo and Papa's apartment to spend the night. Our boys were so excited that they bounced and gleefully played in the back of the mini-van the entire drive up. I was enchanted by their excitement and saddened by the pathetic state of our lives when going to Salt Lake City (30 minutes away) elicits such a huge response! Upon arrival, our boys promptly climbed into the big blue chair with Papa while he finished reading them "Treasure Island" and Mo, C. and I went down to gawk and marvel at the die hard parade goers camping out along the street for the Days of '47 parade!
This morning we woke up to Mo bouncing around the apartment waiting as patiently as she could with her sun hat and little back pack for the rest of us to get up so we could go to the parade. I didn't know my Mo had such a passion for the home grown parade but this was one anxious, excited lady! We headed down to South Temple and parked our chairs in front of her apartment building. We saw lots of policemen on motorcycles, cheesy floats with "royalty" and shouted the loudest we could when "Barry" from Macy's drove by and President Monson waved at us. We lasted 2 hours at the parade before the children's plea for air conditioning and hot dogs drove us inside. After a delightful lunch and a quick nap, C. and I took the boys out on an adventure. (H. stayed home with Mo for a little "shut-eye".) We walked down to the Beehive House, took a tour, looked at the Seagull Statue on Temple Square, visited the Church History Museum where we pulled a handcart and made lots of crafts, then headed back to the apartment via Main Street Plaza and a quick stop for some ice-cream at the little neighborhood deli. All in all, a fantastic "vacation".
The sad part is we have to go home in a few minutes. And there will be frantic messages on the answering machine, dirty dishes in the sink, laundry that still isn't folded, a treat schedule to get made up for soccer practice tomorrow, food to arrange to be picked up for the ward dinner, primary stuff to figure out, and a babysitter to find so I can go fulfill my responsibilities at Jake's new school. Sigh. I am so grateful for a life filled with wonderful opportunities to serve and participate but I wish the pace was slower. Just a few minutes ago I read a quote by an author that said she lived by the creed: Love, Find Joy, and Be Present. I've decided to adopt it. I can't go on vacation every day but I can learn to find more joy and moments of genuine happiness in my every day life and responsibilities. And I can remember to BE PRESENT in everything I am doing...especially where my kids are concerned. I want to involve them more and celebrate all the big and little milestones we are reaching every day in our lives as a family.
Today was a perfect little oasis of vacation...thank you Mo and Papa for hosting our getaway!
We grabbed our jammies, clean underwear, and toothbrushes and drove up to Mo and Papa's apartment to spend the night. Our boys were so excited that they bounced and gleefully played in the back of the mini-van the entire drive up. I was enchanted by their excitement and saddened by the pathetic state of our lives when going to Salt Lake City (30 minutes away) elicits such a huge response! Upon arrival, our boys promptly climbed into the big blue chair with Papa while he finished reading them "Treasure Island" and Mo, C. and I went down to gawk and marvel at the die hard parade goers camping out along the street for the Days of '47 parade!
This morning we woke up to Mo bouncing around the apartment waiting as patiently as she could with her sun hat and little back pack for the rest of us to get up so we could go to the parade. I didn't know my Mo had such a passion for the home grown parade but this was one anxious, excited lady! We headed down to South Temple and parked our chairs in front of her apartment building. We saw lots of policemen on motorcycles, cheesy floats with "royalty" and shouted the loudest we could when "Barry" from Macy's drove by and President Monson waved at us. We lasted 2 hours at the parade before the children's plea for air conditioning and hot dogs drove us inside. After a delightful lunch and a quick nap, C. and I took the boys out on an adventure. (H. stayed home with Mo for a little "shut-eye".) We walked down to the Beehive House, took a tour, looked at the Seagull Statue on Temple Square, visited the Church History Museum where we pulled a handcart and made lots of crafts, then headed back to the apartment via Main Street Plaza and a quick stop for some ice-cream at the little neighborhood deli. All in all, a fantastic "vacation".
The sad part is we have to go home in a few minutes. And there will be frantic messages on the answering machine, dirty dishes in the sink, laundry that still isn't folded, a treat schedule to get made up for soccer practice tomorrow, food to arrange to be picked up for the ward dinner, primary stuff to figure out, and a babysitter to find so I can go fulfill my responsibilities at Jake's new school. Sigh. I am so grateful for a life filled with wonderful opportunities to serve and participate but I wish the pace was slower. Just a few minutes ago I read a quote by an author that said she lived by the creed: Love, Find Joy, and Be Present. I've decided to adopt it. I can't go on vacation every day but I can learn to find more joy and moments of genuine happiness in my every day life and responsibilities. And I can remember to BE PRESENT in everything I am doing...especially where my kids are concerned. I want to involve them more and celebrate all the big and little milestones we are reaching every day in our lives as a family.
Today was a perfect little oasis of vacation...thank you Mo and Papa for hosting our getaway!
Sunday, July 23, 2006
What Type of Shoe I Am
I took Yolanda's challenge and here are my results...
I wanted to be slinky heels. Sigh.
| You Are Big Black Boots! |
 You can be best described as: attitude You've got lots of it - and you love to give it A guy has to be pretty gusty to hit on you But if he's your type, you'll warm up... a little |
I wanted to be slinky heels. Sigh.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Cool Tunes
We have had company for 16 days straight. Blogging has taken a back seat to sheer survival. I am in the midst of trying to document our adventure with pictures but struggling with the pictures. Am I missing some secret to posting pictures? Will someone email me and give me a step-by-step? Seriously. Cute pictures but can't figure out how to make it work. In the mean time...
As many of you know, I come from a family with numerous talents. I feel it is my responsibility as the oldest to sibling to make sure these talents are probably noted and appreciated. (It is one of my talents...that and playing the piano...and being good with people...and that is all. No pity party, just acceptance that someone in the family has to appreciate all the other amazing talent. But I diverge...)
Spencer has recorded his first hit single. I find it catchy, engaging and oddly enough, I find myself humming it ALL the time. My kids will say, "Mom, are you humming Spencer's song again?". It has found a place in my brain and remained there for quite some time. I am very, very impressed with his talent, creativity, gusto, and abilities. This outstanding accomplishment needs to be shared...but I don't know how. So I am going to refer you to Spencer's blog and hope he can figure out how to get his song out there.
Spencer, when does the next one come out? I'm on the edge of my iTunes waiting hopefully. I really do love your song! I've played it for every guest that has come through the door the last 16 days...and that is ALOT of people. Waiting for more....
As many of you know, I come from a family with numerous talents. I feel it is my responsibility as the oldest to sibling to make sure these talents are probably noted and appreciated. (It is one of my talents...that and playing the piano...and being good with people...and that is all. No pity party, just acceptance that someone in the family has to appreciate all the other amazing talent. But I diverge...)
Spencer has recorded his first hit single. I find it catchy, engaging and oddly enough, I find myself humming it ALL the time. My kids will say, "Mom, are you humming Spencer's song again?". It has found a place in my brain and remained there for quite some time. I am very, very impressed with his talent, creativity, gusto, and abilities. This outstanding accomplishment needs to be shared...but I don't know how. So I am going to refer you to Spencer's blog and hope he can figure out how to get his song out there.
Spencer, when does the next one come out? I'm on the edge of my iTunes waiting hopefully. I really do love your song! I've played it for every guest that has come through the door the last 16 days...and that is ALOT of people. Waiting for more....
Sunday, June 18, 2006
An Odd Little Thing
My writing career started young. My first official published work can be found at Highcroft Elementary School in St. Louis, MO. It is titled, "Lovisa Goes Shopping." A deep look at the world of little girls shopping at toy stores. I believe it was around 8 pages and fully illustrated by my third grade self.
I then moved on to explore other subject matters in my novels...mainly death and cancer. There was "Don't Stop Me Now, I'm On My Way" and "Last Breath". I'm not sure what happened to both these stories. A tragic loss for the literary world.
I took all the usual classes in high school and wrote tons of depressing stuff about things I knew nothing about. Then came all the years in college where depressing turned into what I thought was profound and symbolic work which really translates to profoundly stupid writing. And here I am...
I think I always thought I wanted to be a writer. This week I attended a writing conference at BYU and decided that what I REALLY want to be is a book editor. I'm not sure that was really the point of the conference but it was the most inspirational thing I walked away with. The conference was excellent! But really, I'm not all that great at writing but I am great at telling my husband what is wonderful or really bad with every book I read. I love children's literature and I love reading. I believe in the power great writing can have in a child's life. I've seen its influence in my life, in the lives of children I've taught, in the faces of parents and toddlers at story times, and in the lives of my own children. So there you have it. A little A-HA moment that happened last week. Isn't it great when your whole life takes a pleasant turn and you develop a new perspective for a mere $109 and some time off in the afternoon??
I then moved on to explore other subject matters in my novels...mainly death and cancer. There was "Don't Stop Me Now, I'm On My Way" and "Last Breath". I'm not sure what happened to both these stories. A tragic loss for the literary world.
I took all the usual classes in high school and wrote tons of depressing stuff about things I knew nothing about. Then came all the years in college where depressing turned into what I thought was profound and symbolic work which really translates to profoundly stupid writing. And here I am...
I think I always thought I wanted to be a writer. This week I attended a writing conference at BYU and decided that what I REALLY want to be is a book editor. I'm not sure that was really the point of the conference but it was the most inspirational thing I walked away with. The conference was excellent! But really, I'm not all that great at writing but I am great at telling my husband what is wonderful or really bad with every book I read. I love children's literature and I love reading. I believe in the power great writing can have in a child's life. I've seen its influence in my life, in the lives of children I've taught, in the faces of parents and toddlers at story times, and in the lives of my own children. So there you have it. A little A-HA moment that happened last week. Isn't it great when your whole life takes a pleasant turn and you develop a new perspective for a mere $109 and some time off in the afternoon??
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