Yes Man, errr Wo-man

Not being able to say "no" is truly one of my biggest weaknesses--but I also think it can be a strength. I have been countlessly blessed by the many service activities, callings, assignments, and other sorts of things that I've said "yes" to.

I enjoy volunteering in my kid's classroom and learning the names of their classmates, I enjoy making meals for mom's who introduce me to their newest arrivals on earth, I like to chat with other people when I set up or take down some activity or another, I felt stretched an enriched by a year-long service post I took up as a board member for the medical school students' spouses alliance. I don't mind volunteering to make invitations for this party or that--it is an excuse to pull out my supplies that are gathering dust. I even enjoy the happy sounds of dancing, singing, and other noises generated by my chidren's friends and our neighbors.

But, I've got to admit, some days, being a "Yes Man" is just plain-ole taxing. This evening I came home to a well-intentioned call from an amazing lady in our ward who is charge of the Stake Choir. She was asking to see if I would be able to attend a few practices this week for the choir for Stake Conference (a semi-annual meeting of several of the local congregations in our church) because they needed a few more Altos.

My gut reaction is to directly call this woman back and say, "Of course, if you need me, I'll be there." But then I got to thinking. . . . one of the practices is tomorrow evening-- D's only night off in the last two weeks. He is so often at work or at meetings at night, I would really like the cherish his one night off-together. Second objection: D is working next Sunday during Stake Conference. This would mean in order for me to sing in the Stake Choir, I would have to enlist the help of some other couple/ teen/ yes-man to sit with me and my kids for two hours and keep the kids engaged while I joined the choir on the stand--and probably fight a complaing Roger who would cry and want to follow me up to the stand, thus disrupting the meeting (I usually take my kids to the "cry room" where they pipe the talks in and my kids don't disrupt everyone else). My final objection would be that I would have to get my kids dressed and ready and to a choir practice which would likely come an hour before the actual meeting. . . .is this undo-able? No, not undoable, just uncomfortable. . . .

So with all these reasonable objections to service, I still feel guilty saying no. I know my voice could lend a hand to a choir in need. BUT, a girl has to say no sometime, right? I wish life wasn't so complicated!

Why is eating out so great?

This morning, I was lucky enough to meet up with my beautiful she-cousins and sister for a lovely breakfast. We gabbed and gorged (well, I gorged on an artichoke and feta cheese omelet and hash browns, yumm) for 2 hours. My mom watched the kids. It was bliss. I can't seem to figure out why if I were to make such a breakfast, it just wouldn't taste as good. It probably has to do more with the surroundings than the food. You eat. You make a mess. Your only responsibility is the check. There is no lingering dirty dishes in your kitchen. It is such a shame that eating out costs 10 times what a bowl of cereal does. . . . otherwise I could make this into a glorious new habit.

Davis just makes me chuckle

Davis just walked in from helping Dad shovel snow outside and announces, "Gee, that was a long journey."

In my future I see. . . .

Balls

Trains

Cars

Burping and Farting Jokes

Wrestling, lots of Wrestling

You guessed it. IT'S A BOY!!

(which totally makes Eliza and Mom in the minority)

Since I don't get to decorate a pink room, I think I will buy myself

some new pink outfits--yeah, that will make me feel great!

Grocery Store: Then and Now

Today, one of the cute young ladies in our ward (local congregation) shared her exciting news: she's getting married. She was joking that she isn't sure she knows how to grocery shop well enough to be married, but we reassured her that this was a skill that she would easily learn.

Then I started thinking about grocery shopping when D and I were first married. We'd go to the store together as a Friday night date. We'd lazily saunter up and down the isles and occasionally pick up a new item. It was, actually, a lot of fun!! And then, as life got busier (aka twins) D's stops at the grocery store became fewer and fewer.

My grocery store enthusiasm really didn't wane for quite some time--even when D was gone. For the first time in my life after the twins were born, I actually started making lists. . . .oh, what joy to cross an item off--as if I had accomplished something spectacular. I could even get that shopping 'high' as a decided between one brand or another, one treat or another. But, the 'high' was a non-guilty one because the money I spent at the grocery store was already budgeted for. To top things off--there was nothing funner than having two sleeping babies nestled happily in their carts.

As the years have wore on, I find all the joys of grocery shopping have slowly evaporated-- my cute, gentle babies quickly turned into tantruming toddlers, then whiny preschoolers, and now they don't stop asking for treats at the store. Where I used to enjoy using a grocery store trip as a way to get out of the house, I find now I long for a day when I don't have to LEAVE the house and shuttle bodies around. Now that I know every square inch of the grocery story, the mystery is gone--hence shoppers 'high' doesn't exist for me-nope, I try to get in, get out and be done as quickly as possible.

Anyway, I realize this is a pointless post, but I just want to say that I am SO excited to grocery shop just me and my husband someday, probably a long way away, in the future.

Confession

This week I threw away 53 (that's right) wedding thank-you notes that I have been carrying around for 8 years. They were hand-written (not addressed, though) and I guess somehow they ended up in a drawer following our wedding. As time passed, I think I decided it was too late to send them, but still felt horrible that they were never sent . . .so, if you gave us a gift for our wedding, and never got a thank-you note, I AM SO SORRY AND THANK YOU!!

I'm excited. . . that's moving in the right direction

Admittedly, I've been dreading and suffering through so many parts of this pregnancy, but I would like to announce that I have an ultrsound on Tuesday morning and I'm actually EXCITED!!!!!

I probably shouldn't be announcing that I hope it is a girl--mostly because I want to decorate a nursery in the most flowery-pinky-feminine way possible (with the twins I went all greens and yellows to accomodate both genders). If it is a boy, that will obviously save me a lot of time, but I think that there is some sort of weird pink gene lurking in my body that hasn't been expressed yet. . . . .

Rational thought. . . . from a 5-yr-old girl

Eliza, "Mom, I really need to get a piggy bank, because I keep stealing your money."

(I guess she figured she needed a place to put all that money--incidentally, my wallet is always empty and I DO find change scattered all around her room, in her backpack, and in various purses she uses)

"Marriage" as explained by kids

Some of you have probably already seen this forward, but I thought it was funny:

1. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? -You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. -- Alan, age 10
-No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. -- Kristen, age 10

2. WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED? Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.-- Camille, age 10

3. HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED? You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.-- Derrick, age 8

4. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON? Both don't want any more kids. -- Lori, age 8

5. WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE? -Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. -- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)-On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.-- Martin, age 10

6. WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE? -When they're rich. -- Pam, age 7 -The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. - - Curt, age 7 -The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. - - Howard, age 8

7. IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED? It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9

8. HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED? There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?-- Kelvin, age 8

And the #1 Favorite is ........

9. HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK? Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck . -- Ricky, age 10

Am I Going Downhill?

I must admit, this creepy little thought has entered my mind a lot in the last few weeks: Did I peak too early? I mean, I used to think I was pretty hot stuff: I'd finished 2 degrees and had 2 children by the age of 25. After the twins turned one, I taught classes at a liberal arts college. I held down a church calling, and was a member of a monthly card exchange (I made 20 hand-made cards a month).

In the last 2 years, I quit teaching, quit my card exchange, rarely pull out my scrapbook supplies or play the piano-- what am I doing with my life????? I felt totally busy this week because I had something every morning which required me to get dressed by 9:00 A.M--doctor appointment , volunteer at school, visiting teaching, babysitting . . . .you know--really demanding stuff which required a lot of brain power and stamina!?!

So, I know you are thinking that my house must be pretty rockin' since I have very few other distractions, but, sadly, I made curtains 3 months ago that haven't been hung, my laundry room is exploding with clothes that need to be folded, and my bathroom is in need of a wipe-down. . . . yep, I'm feeling pretty discouraged today wondering what I am doing with my life-- amazingly, I still feel VERY busy all the time.

I know, I know, in my defense my husband is rarely around and at least I read to my kids everyday. We all are generally showered, and I have been known to give a pretty fun Sharing Time every now and again. . . .but still, I feel a little down.

Does anyone else feel this way? Did I really peak too early?

when residents don't go to sleep:

Yesterday as D read a patient note he had written (a note is the doctors assesment that goes in s patient's file), he realized he had made a funy blunder. He had been on call Friday night, didn't get any sleep and was busy all Saturday morning. At about 1:00 P.M. he finished his work, except that he had 8 patient notes to dictate (to dictate a note, there is a phone number he calls into and a transcriptionist uses the recording to generate a written file).

Later that day, D was telling me how difficult it was to dictate notes while running on no sleep in 32 hours. He said he fell asleep several times and had to rewind or start over. Little did he realize how out of it he really was because as he was reading a note on a newborn baby who had hydrocephalus and bowel issues, he realized he had left a funny line: "The patient says he loves his parents very much and wishes them a happy new year."

D totally doesn't remember saying that and called the transcription service to ask them if it really was right. They said they had rewound the tape several times to make sure that they got that particular line right--I'm sure they also had a few laughs at his expense.

I think I've been hoodwinked

I had to wake up the kids this morning to go to school, and Eliza groaned about how tired she was. Then she said her tummy was aching. She said the same thing on Saturday night and threw up, so I didn't want to risk an explosion at school.

She is now downstairs happily watching T.V. with a smile on her face. She just requested an apple. I asked her if she needed a barf bucket and she said no. I don't think she's really sick. . . . . .

December Pictures

(including Kindergarten Christmas Program, sledding, and Christmas morning)

Epiphany, by Davis

"Mom, did you know that 'to' is spelled in 3 different ways? T-O, T-O-O, and T-O-W?"

Well, he got most of that right. . . .

Happenings of the last 2 weeks

Yeah, it's been a pretty good two weeks:

-D got off Christmas
-We stayed up until midnight on New Year's Eve at the Hughes. I don't think they were even planning on having us there that late, but we stayed, and stayed. It was so fun! I am usually a party pooper and go to bed early. . . .but not this year!
-D got off New Year's Day
-I've taken a nap almost every single day of the holiday with the kids watching movies sitting on top of me--quality mommy-time, you see!
-I've been hitting the treadmill again after a 3 month hiatus--walking, yes, but at least I'm doing something!
-Christmas decorations are finally packed away
-I actually downloaded an MP3--Just Dance-- and the kids' and I tried to figure out 'the robot' in the living room for an hour. Then we cleaned the bathroom (incidentally, Davis has a pretty good robot).

Sorry, no interesting stories, I've been trying to think of something, but I can't!