Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Before and after (the front yard, that is)
I think the front flower bed has something against me. When we moved in, the weeds were up to the window. This will be our fifth summer in the house. Every year I spend $$ money on the plants and half of them die by the end of summer--not just the annuals. Then I try to fix things in the spring. I guess this means that in 5 years when it is time to move, the bed will finally be passable? Clearly, I do not have a green thumb. Or is this normal? Does anyone else out there struggle with their plants, always wondering why all the neighbors' yards look pristene while yours has issues?
Yeah, I think this should be a required class in high school. . . .Landscaping and Such 101. The Landscaping portion of the class would include such important principles: a section on remembering to water the planters, fixing the sprinkler heads that break even when the lawn mower looks at them funny, and distinguishing different types of weeds and the best thing you can do to get rid of them (chemical disposal, of course, who wants to run around the yard picking at weeds?). Another important unit would be the one where you discuss that plants can be deceiving. Just because they look good while you're shopping around the nursery doesn't mean they'll look good in your yard, let alone live in it. Finally, the crowning section of the class would be a section on your lawn. It seems like keeping it green would be simple-- water. Alas, from my experience keeping the lawn green requires a vast knowledge of fertilizers of every variety, the importance of how low you cut the lawn (you know, as low as you can get without killing it), and aerating--who knew all those little poops on the lawn served an actual purpose?
I digress. So without further adieu this is my work on the front a few weeks ago-- like I said it is a work in progress.
AFTER
(yes, I know you are thinking, "What is the difference?"-- I did spend $120 (some of it is in the other bed), but I promise, I did A LOT of planting)
PLANTER
Yeah, I think this should be a required class in high school. . . .Landscaping and Such 101. The Landscaping portion of the class would include such important principles: a section on remembering to water the planters, fixing the sprinkler heads that break even when the lawn mower looks at them funny, and distinguishing different types of weeds and the best thing you can do to get rid of them (chemical disposal, of course, who wants to run around the yard picking at weeds?). Another important unit would be the one where you discuss that plants can be deceiving. Just because they look good while you're shopping around the nursery doesn't mean they'll look good in your yard, let alone live in it. Finally, the crowning section of the class would be a section on your lawn. It seems like keeping it green would be simple-- water. Alas, from my experience keeping the lawn green requires a vast knowledge of fertilizers of every variety, the importance of how low you cut the lawn (you know, as low as you can get without killing it), and aerating--who knew all those little poops on the lawn served an actual purpose?
I digress. So without further adieu this is my work on the front a few weeks ago-- like I said it is a work in progress.
BEFORE
AFTER
(yes, I know you are thinking, "What is the difference?"-- I did spend $120 (some of it is in the other bed), but I promise, I did A LOT of planting)PLANTER
Friday, May 30, 2008
Eliza's First Dance Concert (last night)
Really, this is nothing special. . .but it is cute!
(I am not a biased mom at all)
(notice how Eliza keeps looking to her left, her teacher is standing on the edge of the stage)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
tales from the operating room of the VA and a late memorial day tribute
The other day D, the intern (I like to think of him as the chief's intern: "cheifly" in charge of all the crappy things concerning surgical patients that the attending and higher level residents won't do), got stuck on the phone for 2 hours trying to find a next-of-kin to get a permission from. Let me set it up: the attending, who won't put in an AV fistula (basically, a dialysis tube) himself (because, hmmm, he's lazy?--D's still trying to figure that one out) didn't consent the patient for this procedure because he was going to pawn it off on the Interventional Radiologist. The problem--the patient needed dialysis within the next 24 hours, but by some law you can't consent a patient within 24 hours after they've been under the 'influence' of anesthesia. The problem was that the attending took the man into the OR (under anesthesia) for some other minor procedure and the Interventional guys wouldn't do the feeding tube (they tell this to D, of course, not the attending) because the patient was ALREADY on the operating table and a surgeon can put in this tube just as well as they can. (Did that make any sense--sorry if it didn't). Who is the correspondent in this battle of turfs and stupidity? Yes, that's right, my husband, who had nothing to do with the problem until after he finds out the great attending didn't consent the guy (which would have taken 10 seconds: Dr: "Will you consent to a fistula placement so we can give you dialysis?" Patient: "Yes."), gets stuck calling Radiology, calling the patient's Primary Care Dr., calling his Nephrologist, etc., AND THEN calling around to find a next-of-kin who is actually home. He finally gets ahold of a sister who lives in Oregon who says, yes, a central line would be okay (and is probably wondering why in the heck the Dr.'s are calling her!). D's main consolation in this wasted 2 hours is that he gets to scrub in and put in the central line himself.
Anyway, to get to the point of the story (because really that was just a venting session courtesy of Dr. D): when the man wakes up from surgery, the conversation goes something like this: D says, "Hello, Mr. X (name changed). I talked to Shirley on the phone today and she gave us a consent to put in your dialysis tube."
Mr. X, "Oh, Shirley, I haven't seen her in months. How is she doing?"
D, "She's doing well."
Mr. X, "Did you tell her that you cut open my head and put a computer inside?"
D, "No. . . . .but I did tell her the sex change surgery went over without any complications."
At this point, Mr. X doubles up laughing and the med student who is following D around (perhaps looking up phone numbers?) get this look of horror on his face. He can not believe my husband actually said that to a patient. When D and his sidekick leave the patient's room, D looks at the med student and says, "Gotta love those Vets."
Anyway, to get to the point of the story (because really that was just a venting session courtesy of Dr. D): when the man wakes up from surgery, the conversation goes something like this: D says, "Hello, Mr. X (name changed). I talked to Shirley on the phone today and she gave us a consent to put in your dialysis tube."
Mr. X, "Oh, Shirley, I haven't seen her in months. How is she doing?"
D, "She's doing well."
Mr. X, "Did you tell her that you cut open my head and put a computer inside?"
D, "No. . . . .but I did tell her the sex change surgery went over without any complications."
At this point, Mr. X doubles up laughing and the med student who is following D around (perhaps looking up phone numbers?) get this look of horror on his face. He can not believe my husband actually said that to a patient. When D and his sidekick leave the patient's room, D looks at the med student and says, "Gotta love those Vets."
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
A "Wells Fargo Day"
Last year, we switched most of our banking to an online bank, USAA. We love it. We can hit any ATM with no extra charge and they have an AWESOME %-yield on their savings account. Our main complaint is that to cash a check you have to scan it in (on our crappy and slow scanner) or physically send the check to Texas-- though neither option is that difficult, it requires an extra effort and planning. I find that when I finally get around to cashing a check it is because I am going to use the money for a purchase THAT day. To alleviate this problem, we kept our other accounts at Wells Fargo open when we switched banks. This has been the account we dump our extra checks into and over time, this account has become a great little savings/rainy-day fund.
Yesterday, Memorial Day, we headed up to Park City and the outlet stores that are housed there. D and the kids each got a couple of outfits (sadly, I didn't find much-- but was pre-occupied with a cranky Roger, so that is my excuse for coming home empty-handed), and then we ate lunch. Then, my mom watched the kids while we hit the Indiana Jones movie (good, but quirky, pretty much like all the movies, I guess), and then it was out to pizza afterward for my brother-in-law's, Phil, birthday.
Without the extra money in the Wells Fargo account, we generally wouldn't have the money at the end of the month to splurge like this. So, I would like to dedicate this day to Wells Fargo and our little hedge fund located there.
Yesterday, Memorial Day, we headed up to Park City and the outlet stores that are housed there. D and the kids each got a couple of outfits (sadly, I didn't find much-- but was pre-occupied with a cranky Roger, so that is my excuse for coming home empty-handed), and then we ate lunch. Then, my mom watched the kids while we hit the Indiana Jones movie (good, but quirky, pretty much like all the movies, I guess), and then it was out to pizza afterward for my brother-in-law's, Phil, birthday.
Without the extra money in the Wells Fargo account, we generally wouldn't have the money at the end of the month to splurge like this. So, I would like to dedicate this day to Wells Fargo and our little hedge fund located there.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
update on the midgets
(Sorry to all of you little people out there who are offended by my title--but that is our nickname for the twins-- I am aware the term midget is in no way politically correct)
So, testing is done on the twins and the verdict from the endocrinologist is: no growth hormone required! Yes, Davis and Eliza have been diagnosed with Constitutional Growth Delay; otherwise known as: late bloomers. The fact that their bone age was so much farther behind their calendar age suggests that they will likely grow for longer than their fellow peers. How much longer will they grow is yet to be seen, but at least they likely won't be a "non-functional" height.
Thanks for all the comments and votes in my poll. It was interesting to hear everyone's opinion and experiences. I am certainly glad that we don't have to make a choice about hormones or not!
So, testing is done on the twins and the verdict from the endocrinologist is: no growth hormone required! Yes, Davis and Eliza have been diagnosed with Constitutional Growth Delay; otherwise known as: late bloomers. The fact that their bone age was so much farther behind their calendar age suggests that they will likely grow for longer than their fellow peers. How much longer will they grow is yet to be seen, but at least they likely won't be a "non-functional" height.
Thanks for all the comments and votes in my poll. It was interesting to hear everyone's opinion and experiences. I am certainly glad that we don't have to make a choice about hormones or not!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
warning: I am taking this moment to complain
Yes, folks, the warm weather is FINALLY upon us which brings a shivering thought: swimsuit season (cue scary music from Psycho). This is the time of year we housemoms are dragged to the store to replenish the swimsuits that our kids have grown out of. Although our swimsuit is not out of shape (having been mostly ignored last summer. why, you ask? naturally, we didn't want to be caught dead in it), we take this moment of swimsuit shopping for the kids as an excuse to go shopping for ourselves, desperately hoping that a miracle suit does indeed exist which will erase all our cottage cheese while simultaneously dropping 20 pounds and lifting our saggy boobs. Although every year hopefully yields a kindof cute suit in the store that we splurge on--it never looks as good at home, and though we vow we will return it in our spare time, somehow that time passes and the suit is relegated to the drawer with our other 5 suits . . . . .there's always next year, right?
The weather here in Salt Lake has been confusing-- within consecutive weeks in MAY we had a snowstorm followed by record highs (it was 92 degrees on Monday!). I will thus take this moment to complain about our crazy (nonexistent) spring:
Generally spring is a time for me to shed my oppression of the indoors and bask in the mild weather outside: by this I mean daily walks--to the park, to the gas station, or nowhere important. These daily walks accomplish a change of pace from the doldrums of winter AND provide an excellent way for me to shed my mammal pounds (yes, I am a science person--mammals BIOLOGICALLY tend to gain weight before or during cold months to prepare them for a shortage of food at the end of winter. To us humans (also mammals) this means gorging ourselves during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and that lovely holiday known as Valentine's (aka the holiday that keeps the chocolate companies in business-- seriously, when would you ever buy a box of Russell Stover chocolates at the grocery store except to quickly appease the guilty conscience on February 14th brought on you by "forgetting" the holiday for your dear lover?). So for those of you who gained weight this winter, don't feel bad. It is just part of your biological programming.
Because I can not let down nature, I have naturally put on pounds this winter (naturally, of course), but because of the odd weather (extended winter) I have missed my opportunity to gradually shed my poundage via daily walks. I was painfully reminded of this fact earlier in the week when I finally dragged out my shorts and was shocked (disgusted with myself) to discover the pants were TOO tight--way too tight! Hoping this sad fact was due to the pants shrinking in the dryer (you know, during the winter when I was washing them soo much), I raced to the bathroom and jumped on the scale. This was the knockout punch. I have gained 7 pounds since December--arghh!! Now 7 pounds may not seem like a lot, but to me (a hearty 5 foot 2) it is the difference in one whole pants size!! Add on top of this, the dreadful 30 pounds I had to get rid of after Davis and Eliza (AND all that college studying, pizza, ice cream, etc-- hey boys, if your girl is a little round in college, give her a break--how is she supposed to get good grades while sitting on her behind while devoting her life to books?). So my tight shorts and the awful memories of carrot sticks and salad for 6 months during my weight loss extravaganza is my recipe for freaking out about 7 pounds!
So, you ask, where have I been this week since I haven't been found lurking on the internet at night as usual? Yes, I've been hitting the treadmill and counting my Weight Watchers points. I vowed I would do 4 miles a day--be it walking, running, jogging or whatever, and thankfully, there has been a lot of good TV on this week so I can devote an hour to the two T's (the Tube & the Treadmill) (P.S. For those of you NOT watching "So You Think You Can Dance" get with the program, it is GREAT Television).
The result: in 5 days I have lost 3 pounds, which is probably mostly water weight, but I am encouraged by the results. I am still dreading my first swimsuit appearance, but will remain cautiously optimistic. So to all you ladies out there: I wish you happy swimming and foggy sunglasses to blur all the blobs you might see on yourself.
The weather here in Salt Lake has been confusing-- within consecutive weeks in MAY we had a snowstorm followed by record highs (it was 92 degrees on Monday!). I will thus take this moment to complain about our crazy (nonexistent) spring:
Generally spring is a time for me to shed my oppression of the indoors and bask in the mild weather outside: by this I mean daily walks--to the park, to the gas station, or nowhere important. These daily walks accomplish a change of pace from the doldrums of winter AND provide an excellent way for me to shed my mammal pounds (yes, I am a science person--mammals BIOLOGICALLY tend to gain weight before or during cold months to prepare them for a shortage of food at the end of winter. To us humans (also mammals) this means gorging ourselves during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and that lovely holiday known as Valentine's (aka the holiday that keeps the chocolate companies in business-- seriously, when would you ever buy a box of Russell Stover chocolates at the grocery store except to quickly appease the guilty conscience on February 14th brought on you by "forgetting" the holiday for your dear lover?). So for those of you who gained weight this winter, don't feel bad. It is just part of your biological programming.
Because I can not let down nature, I have naturally put on pounds this winter (naturally, of course), but because of the odd weather (extended winter) I have missed my opportunity to gradually shed my poundage via daily walks. I was painfully reminded of this fact earlier in the week when I finally dragged out my shorts and was shocked (disgusted with myself) to discover the pants were TOO tight--way too tight! Hoping this sad fact was due to the pants shrinking in the dryer (you know, during the winter when I was washing them soo much), I raced to the bathroom and jumped on the scale. This was the knockout punch. I have gained 7 pounds since December--arghh!! Now 7 pounds may not seem like a lot, but to me (a hearty 5 foot 2) it is the difference in one whole pants size!! Add on top of this, the dreadful 30 pounds I had to get rid of after Davis and Eliza (AND all that college studying, pizza, ice cream, etc-- hey boys, if your girl is a little round in college, give her a break--how is she supposed to get good grades while sitting on her behind while devoting her life to books?). So my tight shorts and the awful memories of carrot sticks and salad for 6 months during my weight loss extravaganza is my recipe for freaking out about 7 pounds!
So, you ask, where have I been this week since I haven't been found lurking on the internet at night as usual? Yes, I've been hitting the treadmill and counting my Weight Watchers points. I vowed I would do 4 miles a day--be it walking, running, jogging or whatever, and thankfully, there has been a lot of good TV on this week so I can devote an hour to the two T's (the Tube & the Treadmill) (P.S. For those of you NOT watching "So You Think You Can Dance" get with the program, it is GREAT Television).
The result: in 5 days I have lost 3 pounds, which is probably mostly water weight, but I am encouraged by the results. I am still dreading my first swimsuit appearance, but will remain cautiously optimistic. So to all you ladies out there: I wish you happy swimming and foggy sunglasses to blur all the blobs you might see on yourself.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
if only. . .
Mom: "Twins, I need you to go clean up the toys and clothes that I put outside your room."
Davis: "Mom, that's your job, not mine."
Mom: "Excuse me? If they are your toys and clothes they are your responsibility."
Davis: "But I don't want to. . . . . .I wish we had a butler to do that."
(picture a little twinkle in his eye because he is pleased to have used a word with the root of "but")
Davis: "Mom, that's your job, not mine."
Mom: "Excuse me? If they are your toys and clothes they are your responsibility."
Davis: "But I don't want to. . . . . .I wish we had a butler to do that."
(picture a little twinkle in his eye because he is pleased to have used a word with the root of "but")
Monday, May 19, 2008
life's little mysteries
Do any of you remember that scene in "Father of the Bride" when the father, Mr. Banks has a nervous breakdown? During his grocery store visit he goes nuts because he is trying to buy hot dogs and can't figure out why the buns are sold in a greater quantity than the dogs. He opens the bag of buns, removes two, and tells the store manager that he is removing the "superfluous buns." This incident lands him in jail overnight.
I had one of those moments today at the grocery store. Our family has switched to ground turkey because it has less saturated fat, and I can't really tell a difference (except in hamburgers, where the extra fat is needed to keep the meat together). The only brand of ground turkey my store carries is Jennie-O. The catch: the Jennie-O ground hamburger ONLY comes in quantities of 1.2 pounds, but every recipe I know of calls for 1 pound of ground burger. What am I supposed to do with a 0.2 lb (4 ounce) piece of burger? I've considered cutting off the extra and freezing it until I accumulate 1 pound, but I always end up plopping the whole "loaf" into the pan cause I'm in a hurry (and probably lazy). So my masterpiece always ends up a little meat-heavy. I think it is a conspiracy by the folks at Jennie-O to force me to buy more meat than I need. Oh, the injustices of life. . . . .
I had one of those moments today at the grocery store. Our family has switched to ground turkey because it has less saturated fat, and I can't really tell a difference (except in hamburgers, where the extra fat is needed to keep the meat together). The only brand of ground turkey my store carries is Jennie-O. The catch: the Jennie-O ground hamburger ONLY comes in quantities of 1.2 pounds, but every recipe I know of calls for 1 pound of ground burger. What am I supposed to do with a 0.2 lb (4 ounce) piece of burger? I've considered cutting off the extra and freezing it until I accumulate 1 pound, but I always end up plopping the whole "loaf" into the pan cause I'm in a hurry (and probably lazy). So my masterpiece always ends up a little meat-heavy. I think it is a conspiracy by the folks at Jennie-O to force me to buy more meat than I need. Oh, the injustices of life. . . . .
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Reading
When I was about 12 years old, we lived across the street from this AMAZING lady, Gina Erickson (this is beside the point, but she had lost all feeling from her legs down in a car accident (the drunken mayor hit them-NOT charged), but learned to walk anyway. The accident left her unable to have children so she adopted 3).
Gina got her Masters degree in phonics, reading, or early childhood development. Anyway, during the summer I babysat her kids for couple of hours about 3 times a week while Gina went into the basement to write these books! I remember very vividly the first time she brought them over and gave us a copy of the first set. They are called, "Get Ready, Get Set, Read" books. (Gina C. Erickson, Kelli Foster)
Well, my kids are on the cusp of reading. They know their letters and sounds, but I have really struggled with most early reading books because they are really too advanced. I've always remembered Gina's books. There are 5 sets. Each set has 7 books--5 that introduce a word family and 2 that are "bring-it-all-together" books which use the all the words families. The books are so cute and inventive with titles like "The Bug Club," "The Sled Surprise," "Sometime's I Wish," "Frog Knows Best," etc. Each book introduces a word family like ug, ed, ish, etc. and has very limited sight words. All of the word family words and sight words used in the book are found in short lists at the back so you can practice them. The great things about these books is that although they are simple, they aren't babyish like 'Meet jane, see jane run, run jane run'. My kids really like the stories. Many of them are funny or have unexpected endings.
I can't describe the joy my kids felt during the last month when they've finally read a book ALL by themselves. This has been a confidence builder for me as well since I have no experience at all teaching reading. I would highly recommend these to any of you with preschoolers, Kindergarteners, or any other prereaders! There are 5 sets--which I bought, but would recommend starting with set 1 or 2 which introduce the short vowels. There is also a really helpful teachers manual with ideas for teaching sight words and each of the word families. Happy Reading!!
I bought mine on this website and got a small discount for purchasing all the sets and teachers manual, but I think you can get them through Barnes and Noble as well.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
why I love spring
Our lilac bushes are blooming. Whenever I walk outside their aroma is so pleasant and inviting!! The 2 weeks in spring that these babies bloom are probably my favorite (the rival is when the light pink tulips pop up). Wherever I live in the future, I always want lilac bushes-- they are truly one of God's greatest blessings.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
My 24 hour binge (not the food kind)
I liked the Twilight novels, and saw this one (The Host, Stephenie Meyer) at Barnes and Noble. Generally I don't buy books, but I got the MOST AMAZING deal at Albertsons on Tuesday ($1/ box of cereal and more, thanks Jodi for calling me) and figured since I saved money on groceries, I could splurge. I started the book that night and finished it yesterday afternoon. It was so compelling I couldn't put it down. I stayed up till 3:30 in the morning and picked it back up at 7:00 AM when forced out of bed by the kids. I am truly amazed that someone could spin a story like this out of their imagination. What a great novelist and storyteller!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Who would have ever guessed. . .
that THIS:
Could smell like THIS:
Seriously!! I sat down to read to the kids this afternoon and couldn't figure out where the smell was coming from-- it kept wafting in, and wafting out. I never imagined one of my cute little angels was actually attached to the disgusting smell. The culprit: Eliza's feet!! They may only be a toddler size 7 1/2 and belong to a beautiful little 5 yr-old heart-breaker (just ask her Dad), but I learned they can really pack a punch-an oderiferous insult!! (Thank goodness she announced today that her feet were growing and she needed a new pair. She definitely won't be wearing those ones without socks EVER again).
Monday, May 12, 2008
D's at it again
Do any of you remember that stupid game you played in elementary school that goes something like this?: One person passes gas or burps. Then everyone around quickly puts their thumb on their forehead with only the pinky finger extended. Whoever is the last person in the room to make the sign "eats it"--meaning the burp or fart.
So what do you know? I leave my husband alone with my children last week and at dinner Eliza farts and everyone makes the sign--except me. "Mom. you ate it!" Davis shouts with glee. I quickly glance at my husband who has a sheepish, guilty look. "What are you teaching these guys," I say at the same time D announces, "Kids, you only play the game when Dad is around, remember?" Yes, that's right, my surgeon husband is teaching my kids these stupid games.
We've got a new friend, Seth, over this afternoon. I just glanced out the window and Davis is standing on climbing bars in the back yard, making the sign. This is how I imagine the conversation going with Seth's mom later today. . . ."So how'd it go at Davis's house?" "Fine. Davis is weird. . . ." Mom shrugs her shoulders not quite understanding what weird is till she hears Seth explaining the game to his older brother. "Where did you learn that?" she angrily questions. "At Davis's house."
Yes, this is will be the Millar legacy-- thanks a lot Dr. D!
So what do you know? I leave my husband alone with my children last week and at dinner Eliza farts and everyone makes the sign--except me. "Mom. you ate it!" Davis shouts with glee. I quickly glance at my husband who has a sheepish, guilty look. "What are you teaching these guys," I say at the same time D announces, "Kids, you only play the game when Dad is around, remember?" Yes, that's right, my surgeon husband is teaching my kids these stupid games.
We've got a new friend, Seth, over this afternoon. I just glanced out the window and Davis is standing on climbing bars in the back yard, making the sign. This is how I imagine the conversation going with Seth's mom later today. . . ."So how'd it go at Davis's house?" "Fine. Davis is weird. . . ." Mom shrugs her shoulders not quite understanding what weird is till she hears Seth explaining the game to his older brother. "Where did you learn that?" she angrily questions. "At Davis's house."
Yes, this is will be the Millar legacy-- thanks a lot Dr. D!
Friday, May 9, 2008
confession
I know this is really gross to almost everyone out there, but I really like the store-bought icing that they put on cakes in the bakery department. At birthday parties I see people scooping theirs off the cake. I could forget the cake and go strait for the icing. I've heard others say it's too rich, but this is a concept I don't understand. To me, rich means delicious, buttery, smooth, and sugary--how could you have too much of that (well, I guess if you picture the massive amounts of shortening on the ingredient list it may seem gross, but I try to block out this mental picture)?
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Mom
With Mother's Day practically upon us, I've been pondering about motherhoods ups and downs. Today while driving around I took a little walk down memory lane-- trying to remember the goofiest things about my mom. There are certain things that she will never live down in my mind (from funny to serious and in between):
1) The "Midas" Touch. She spray paints EVERYTHING gold-- it was our treat last month to witness the last fruit of her labor: a gold garbage can. Seriously, she can't stop. Even the concrete in the unfinished basement got a coat of gold last year. I think there is something about the fumes she likes, I can't come up with another reason? For about a decade during my teen years she went through a green spray paint phase as well.
2) The token vegetable at dinner: frozen broccoli covered with about 6 sandwich-sized blocks of brick cheese. This (un)-palatable dish is made as follows: the largest bag of Western Family frozen broccoli is emptied into a 9x13 pan. A gigantic brick of cheese is sliced into 6 pieces and layers onto the top of said broccoli. The finishing touch is a layer of saran wrap and oh, about 10 minutes in the microwave. The finished dish is half-scorched broccoli/half not-quite cooked, soggy broccoli covered with partially melted cheese. I was amazed to discover after I desperately was trying to lose weight with the twins that broccoli actually tasted good when steamed. This was followed by the discovery of many other vegetables I had never tasted before (okay maybe I reluctantly ate squash at Thanksgiving Dinner-- vegetables provided courtesy of my Aunts).
3) The dieting phase. I remember my mom constantly on her little stationary exercise bike. I also remember her staple diet food: popped corn mixed with fat-free cottage cheese and salsa. Sounds weird? You bet, I always thought so too! Having said this, she was always a great example to me about just exercising. She feels strongly that her mood is vastly improved with exercise and often asks me if I've been exercising when I'm down.
4) Singing and music. My mom's BA was in vocal performance so I grew up with singing. My mom makes up a tune for every occasion: "let's change your diaper, tra-la-la-la liper," or "one little arm goes in, tra-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, the other little arm goes in. . . ." (as you can see, tra-la-la was a stand in whenever the appropriate word couldn't be found). I find myself singing these goofy songs to my kids, too.
I remember being in high school and talking on the phone to someone who asked, "hey, are you listening to opera?" "No, it's just my mom." I had grown so accustomed to her singing that I just tuned it out. My mom lived at the piano. She wrote music. I was so proud of her when she sang. Some of my earliest spiritual experiences occurred when was listening to her perform a song about an important gospel principle. As I learned to play the piano, I would play her songs. Most of the ones she wrote were based on a gospel principle or a scripture. What a legacy!!
My mom's dedication to music also taught me an important lesson about tenacity. When I was in junior high my mom decided to try out for the Tabernacle Choir. She scored a near perfect score on the theory and sight-reading tests, but was not admitted to the choir immediately because the director felt her vibrato was too fast and might not blend with the choir. I remember my mom's disappointment after this rejection, but rather than give up, she started taking voice lessons. She worked soooooo hard. She practiced religiously and a year later was accepted into the choir. I was also impressed that she didn't quit her voice lessons after she made it in. She told me she realized she still had so much to learn. I've attended several of her recitals and am always amazed that her always beautiful voice can get even more rich and inviting. What a great lesson I've learned about tenacity-- not to mention the fact all of this was accomplished AFTER 4 kids!! This gives me hope for things I can pursue in the future.
5) naps and movies. My mom loves her naps-- and I think they are even more frequent now than ever. I am jealous of my sisters-in-law Jodi and Suzee who say they can't nap during the day. I wish I could make it through the day without one, but, just like my mom, when it hits 1:00 I just can't resist. My mom showed me via example that an afternoon nap was normal, and now I find I function so much better when I snooze for 45 min-1 hr in the afternoon.
6) Homemade and Bargain Buys. I love getting bargains just like the next girl, but I still laugh about the things my mom would do and make. To this day, my mom can't type, so all our posters for school were handwritten, programs for recitals--handwritten and copied. You name it, she did it by hand. And not all of mom's craft projects were a work of art. I am remembering these Christmas wreaths she made out of scraps of fabric that were--hideous (sorry, mom). During grade school she MADE our clothes (this was the era of leggings, legwarmers, and neon shirts). If it can be done by hand, mom does it by hand--even if it only saves a buck or two.
To this day, I know about what my Dad makes, what the house cost, and know that they only have my littlest brother at home. Thus, all the math in my mind says that they aren't hurting for money, but alas, mom STILL shops at Wal-mart and only buys herself the cheapest clothes. I can't figure it out! She complains about how much it costs to get her hair cut and CUTS IT HERSELF!!
I unfortunately, have not inherited her skill for frugality. If there is a choice, I always want the more expensive one. If it means making a birthday cake or buying one--it is a no contest. I think part of me is rebelling against the guilt I always felt for costing my parents money. My mom always let me know how much my lessons and classes cost and that I was so lucky and yada, yada, yada. Actually I think she guilted me out a little too much. I have the hardest time saying no to my kids because as I child I always wanted things, but knew I shouldn't ask for them because they were too expensive (typical first child-taking responsiblity for things that I had no control over).
7) My mom was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was 17. No one in her family showed much interest or support of this decision, but I firmly believe that she made the right decision. Her love of the gospel has taught us, her children to love Jesus Christ and follow his example. Her acceptance of the gospel in its fullness has brought countless blessings to our family. I am still amazed to this day that my mom's scriptures are totally marked up and beaten up-- this teaches me more about her testimony than anything. She is a woman who goes to the Book of Mormon and Bible to answer her questions. She is firm in her faith and testimony through the trying and difficult times in her life. She is a first generation member and has had to improvise sometimes because she didn't always have an example to follow. I think she did a great job!!
While reminiscing about this list, I've realized that I can never be exactly the mom to my kids that my mom was to me. My interests are not the same. My talents are not exactly the same. The only childhood that I have to draw from is my own, so it is strange to think that certain things like music which were such a strong influence in my life won't play exactly the same role in my children's life. I can't replicate the things my mom gave me, I only draw on them as I blindly try to mother my children. While sharing this thought with D, he said I shouldn't mourn the things that won't be exactly the same for my kids, because I will bring different skills and talents to their lives.
I love you mom, quirks and all--Happy Mother's Day to all us crazy ladies who are just doing the best we know how to!
1) The "Midas" Touch. She spray paints EVERYTHING gold-- it was our treat last month to witness the last fruit of her labor: a gold garbage can. Seriously, she can't stop. Even the concrete in the unfinished basement got a coat of gold last year. I think there is something about the fumes she likes, I can't come up with another reason? For about a decade during my teen years she went through a green spray paint phase as well.
2) The token vegetable at dinner: frozen broccoli covered with about 6 sandwich-sized blocks of brick cheese. This (un)-palatable dish is made as follows: the largest bag of Western Family frozen broccoli is emptied into a 9x13 pan. A gigantic brick of cheese is sliced into 6 pieces and layers onto the top of said broccoli. The finishing touch is a layer of saran wrap and oh, about 10 minutes in the microwave. The finished dish is half-scorched broccoli/half not-quite cooked, soggy broccoli covered with partially melted cheese. I was amazed to discover after I desperately was trying to lose weight with the twins that broccoli actually tasted good when steamed. This was followed by the discovery of many other vegetables I had never tasted before (okay maybe I reluctantly ate squash at Thanksgiving Dinner-- vegetables provided courtesy of my Aunts).
3) The dieting phase. I remember my mom constantly on her little stationary exercise bike. I also remember her staple diet food: popped corn mixed with fat-free cottage cheese and salsa. Sounds weird? You bet, I always thought so too! Having said this, she was always a great example to me about just exercising. She feels strongly that her mood is vastly improved with exercise and often asks me if I've been exercising when I'm down.
4) Singing and music. My mom's BA was in vocal performance so I grew up with singing. My mom makes up a tune for every occasion: "let's change your diaper, tra-la-la-la liper," or "one little arm goes in, tra-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, the other little arm goes in. . . ." (as you can see, tra-la-la was a stand in whenever the appropriate word couldn't be found). I find myself singing these goofy songs to my kids, too.
I remember being in high school and talking on the phone to someone who asked, "hey, are you listening to opera?" "No, it's just my mom." I had grown so accustomed to her singing that I just tuned it out. My mom lived at the piano. She wrote music. I was so proud of her when she sang. Some of my earliest spiritual experiences occurred when was listening to her perform a song about an important gospel principle. As I learned to play the piano, I would play her songs. Most of the ones she wrote were based on a gospel principle or a scripture. What a legacy!!
My mom's dedication to music also taught me an important lesson about tenacity. When I was in junior high my mom decided to try out for the Tabernacle Choir. She scored a near perfect score on the theory and sight-reading tests, but was not admitted to the choir immediately because the director felt her vibrato was too fast and might not blend with the choir. I remember my mom's disappointment after this rejection, but rather than give up, she started taking voice lessons. She worked soooooo hard. She practiced religiously and a year later was accepted into the choir. I was also impressed that she didn't quit her voice lessons after she made it in. She told me she realized she still had so much to learn. I've attended several of her recitals and am always amazed that her always beautiful voice can get even more rich and inviting. What a great lesson I've learned about tenacity-- not to mention the fact all of this was accomplished AFTER 4 kids!! This gives me hope for things I can pursue in the future.
5) naps and movies. My mom loves her naps-- and I think they are even more frequent now than ever. I am jealous of my sisters-in-law Jodi and Suzee who say they can't nap during the day. I wish I could make it through the day without one, but, just like my mom, when it hits 1:00 I just can't resist. My mom showed me via example that an afternoon nap was normal, and now I find I function so much better when I snooze for 45 min-1 hr in the afternoon.
6) Homemade and Bargain Buys. I love getting bargains just like the next girl, but I still laugh about the things my mom would do and make. To this day, my mom can't type, so all our posters for school were handwritten, programs for recitals--handwritten and copied. You name it, she did it by hand. And not all of mom's craft projects were a work of art. I am remembering these Christmas wreaths she made out of scraps of fabric that were--hideous (sorry, mom). During grade school she MADE our clothes (this was the era of leggings, legwarmers, and neon shirts). If it can be done by hand, mom does it by hand--even if it only saves a buck or two.
To this day, I know about what my Dad makes, what the house cost, and know that they only have my littlest brother at home. Thus, all the math in my mind says that they aren't hurting for money, but alas, mom STILL shops at Wal-mart and only buys herself the cheapest clothes. I can't figure it out! She complains about how much it costs to get her hair cut and CUTS IT HERSELF!!
I unfortunately, have not inherited her skill for frugality. If there is a choice, I always want the more expensive one. If it means making a birthday cake or buying one--it is a no contest. I think part of me is rebelling against the guilt I always felt for costing my parents money. My mom always let me know how much my lessons and classes cost and that I was so lucky and yada, yada, yada. Actually I think she guilted me out a little too much. I have the hardest time saying no to my kids because as I child I always wanted things, but knew I shouldn't ask for them because they were too expensive (typical first child-taking responsiblity for things that I had no control over).
7) My mom was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was 17. No one in her family showed much interest or support of this decision, but I firmly believe that she made the right decision. Her love of the gospel has taught us, her children to love Jesus Christ and follow his example. Her acceptance of the gospel in its fullness has brought countless blessings to our family. I am still amazed to this day that my mom's scriptures are totally marked up and beaten up-- this teaches me more about her testimony than anything. She is a woman who goes to the Book of Mormon and Bible to answer her questions. She is firm in her faith and testimony through the trying and difficult times in her life. She is a first generation member and has had to improvise sometimes because she didn't always have an example to follow. I think she did a great job!!
While reminiscing about this list, I've realized that I can never be exactly the mom to my kids that my mom was to me. My interests are not the same. My talents are not exactly the same. The only childhood that I have to draw from is my own, so it is strange to think that certain things like music which were such a strong influence in my life won't play exactly the same role in my children's life. I can't replicate the things my mom gave me, I only draw on them as I blindly try to mother my children. While sharing this thought with D, he said I shouldn't mourn the things that won't be exactly the same for my kids, because I will bring different skills and talents to their lives.
I love you mom, quirks and all--Happy Mother's Day to all us crazy ladies who are just doing the best we know how to!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
coupons. . . .a look into my scattered mind/life
Today in Primary, the Primary President, Liz B., told the kids they'd be making coupons for their moms for Mother's Day. She got a blank stare from the Junior Primary (age 3-6) and asked them if anyone knew what a coupon was. Someone raised their hand and tried to explain, but didn't quite hit the mark. Then Davis raised his hand and said, "I know. A coupon expires."
Sadly, that is what my children know of coupons-- after I go on a scurried search ("I know I had one for that somewhere around here. . .") and miraculously find the one I was looking for, a quick scan of the coupon results in my reply, "Oh, can't use that one. . .it already expired."
Sadly, that is what my children know of coupons-- after I go on a scurried search ("I know I had one for that somewhere around here. . .") and miraculously find the one I was looking for, a quick scan of the coupon results in my reply, "Oh, can't use that one. . .it already expired."
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Date Night
My husband was, miraculously, home on a Friday night, not post-call, and not working early Saturday morning. So we ventured to a late-night movie. I wanted to see a chick flick like Made of Honor (Patrick Dempsey), or even Baby Mama (it looked hilarious-but did have crude potential), but D wanted to see Iron Man. I lost the movie battle because he convinced me the critics ratings were really good (yes, I am one of those people who plans her movies around what the critics thought) and this movie was the kind you really benefited from on the big screen. I gave in because I figured I could rent the chick flicks later on an on-call night.
I must admit, he did good this time. I loved it. There were a few of those things that I dislike about comic book movies in general ("I am soooo sure they all get superpowers from radioactive goo!?!"), but in general, it was pretty believable. The special effects were awesome! The story was pretty plausible (minus those few things).
Do you take your kids? Sadly, no. The main character is a ladies man (this is proven by a 15 second scene--no parts or anything, but still, it is the bedroom and we are well aware of what is happening there). The main guy also gets kidnapped by terrorists who torture him-- and we see a lot of blood on their behalf.
So ladies, if your husband wants to see this one, give in this time (wink, wink), but make sure you let him know YOU get to choose next time.
I must admit, he did good this time. I loved it. There were a few of those things that I dislike about comic book movies in general ("I am soooo sure they all get superpowers from radioactive goo!?!"), but in general, it was pretty believable. The special effects were awesome! The story was pretty plausible (minus those few things).
Do you take your kids? Sadly, no. The main character is a ladies man (this is proven by a 15 second scene--no parts or anything, but still, it is the bedroom and we are well aware of what is happening there). The main guy also gets kidnapped by terrorists who torture him-- and we see a lot of blood on their behalf.
So ladies, if your husband wants to see this one, give in this time (wink, wink), but make sure you let him know YOU get to choose next time.
Friday, May 2, 2008
A moment of Ewwwwwwwww
I took the kids to the zoo today. My most memorable experience was watching a gorilla lazily (and 4 feet away) eat his poo. Davis was fascinated ("cooooool"), Eliza was grossed out ("that's disgusting"), and Roger just kept pointing and screaming "ahhh!"
What is the weirdest thing you've seen at the zoo?
What is the weirdest thing you've seen at the zoo?
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