Caution!

I was thinking about a post that my cousin and his wife did on their baby's first haircut. The milestones, how hard they are.

I commented, "Oh how I remember those days. The first time I took Cece to a real hair stylist because she wanted all of her 11 inches of hair cut off I thought I would die. I was on the floor picking up the pieces as they fell. Finally the stylist asked me to please remove myself and my tears from the floor, I was a hazzard. I am certain that at times I am still a hazzard to my kids, but so be it. Maybe for halloween I will be a caution cone! Hard to let them grow up."

I do think that instead of a witch this year, I will be a caution cone! It fits perfectly, not that being a witch isn't natural for me, but why not take a break for one day of the year. Hmmmm...on to decide just how to make this costume work.

Looking for my Phone

Saturday morning, trying to get out the door quickly to take a test that is due before midnight, to get back home in time for G's football game, a trip to the mall with Cece for a birthday gift, then off to take her to the party, visit Grandpa and Grandma, and home to prepare the Relief Society lesson for tomorrow, plus find time with the boys to write their talks for the primary program, chores and clothes ready for Sunday; marathon Saturday morning.

Who has time to look for a cell phone?

I keep going from room to room, events of yesterday, conversations had. Thinking, oh where, oh where could it be?

Asking Mr. B, G, Cece, no avail. Checking downstairs with the boys and the conversation goes like this:

Me: Anyone seen my cell phone?
S: Check behind the toilet.
Me: Yeah, right. Seriously, did one of you use it?
S: I bet Cece put it behind the toilet?
Me: Cece huh?
S: Yeah, I bet Cece did it.
J: Go look, Mom, I bet it is there.
Me: Okay.

Me to Mr. B: The boys think my phone is behind the toilet, Cece did it.
Fred: (laughing)
Me to Cece: Have you seen my phone?
(She is washing her hair leaning over the tub.)
Cece: No.
Me: The boys said you put it behind the toilet.
Cece: Well, that is where it is.
(As she looks from upside down.)
Me: Seriously.
Cece: Yep, with the boys army men, chains and bouncy balls.

There sits my phone, right where cece put it!
What do you do with monkeys!

Wednesday Whoas

Home from my vacation and actually looking forward
to the Wednesday Routine: Crazy as it sounds!

For anyone who knows us well enough knows that Wednesday is our DAY!!!... for EVERYTHING!!!

Soon I will be on my way to pick up the kids:

305: Pick up G
315: Pick up Cece, Lucy(my niece), S, and J
325: Arrive home, wash hands, after school snacks, check for notes
355: S to Piano
425: Pick up S, J to Piano
455: Pick up J, Cece to Piano
515: G to Football, Lucy picked up by her mom!
600: Cece picked up from Piano
625: S to scouts, get Adam on the way
725: S picked up, G picked up (somehow at the same time)
745: G to Young Men's (quick change, and most times too late!) Uh oh:(
800: DATE??
Relief Society???

Somewhere in between the kids eat, do homework, shower, Daddy comes home, I head out to meetings; it just seems that EVERYTHING falls on this night. G's guitar, postponed for now, is also, on Wednesday.

TGITh....Thank goodness for Thursday!, Friday...Monday, Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday....Wednesday makes me count my blessings every other day.

And Wednesday gives me a chance to drive, one on one, with each child; a chance to talk, without interruption, at least one direction, with each little precious person. So I guess I should say: Thank goodness for Wednesday!; and for Home Sweet Home!

up hill through the snow both ways

...remember the olden days. Being a kid, tough times. I predict the future...my poor grandchildren. It will go something like this:

Dad, WHY can't I have a new cellphone, all the kids have new cellphones.

G: When I was a kid I was the ONLY kid who didn't have a cellphone. I saved my money FOREVER doing poop patrol for neighbors. I paid for my own phone, and set up a plan with the worst phone service. I couldn't even get phone service in my own bedroom. I was the only kid who got my phone taken away. And while my parents had confiscated my phone I still had to pay for my phone bill every month. Kids in my school all had new phones, and their parents paid for them every month. One time, my phone was taken away for 3 months! I had the oldest phone; the ones the dinosaurs invented, and all my friends had the newest phones.

I lost all hope in the humanity of my parents.
The meanest parents on the block.

...And I bet he will be just like us.

I didn't do it on accident

Have you ever done something totally on purpose and then apologized for it?

My nieces apology: I didn't do in on accident.

Exactly.

Because of the fatness

S-9 was asked to give the talk at the baptism for Adam on the Holy Ghost, which he is still not sure he would like to do, and has plenty of other ideas. I told him to pray about it. He said, no, that's okay, let's just ask Sister D. to give the talk.

I told him that when I was called to be primary president that I said "no" and the bishop told me to pray about it. What if I hadn't done that? Think of all the years I was in primary because I prayed and decided it was right to serve.

To which the following conversation:

J-7: About three years.
Me: No more like 11.
J-7: You were in primary when I was born?!!!
Me: Yes.
J-7: That must have been embarrassing.
Me: Why would it be embarrassing?
J-7: "because of the fatness."

Need I say more!

Road Trip

Road trips are so fun.

Talking, sightseeing, relaxation....
when someone else is driving, thanks Kev.

I love talking about words. R words r my favorite.

Taking about the words recalcitrant rebellions;

my niece said: Who me?

I guess it runs in the family.

Not a beginner

girl: You are in Baton aren't you?
my Niece: Yes.
girl: What is your name?
my Niece: Naomi.
girl: Hi Naomi, I'm Sophia.
my Niece: Oh.

Me: Sophia, how long have you been in Baton?
Sophia: This is my 2nd year.
Me: How do you like it?
Sophia: Oh, I love it.
Me: Do you like being in the parades?
Sophia: Well, I have never done that, but this year I am part of combos. The combos get to go a lot more than the beginners.

my Niece: "Well, I started yesterday so I'm not a beginner now."

Defining Utopia

Utopia; a book that I have read, pondered, digested, analyzed, loved. The idealistic society; in the imagination of Sir Thomas More in 1516 as he poetically describes a fictional island somewhere, nowhere. Unrealistic then, unrealistic now, although impossible to achieve, can it be discovered, somehow, within a willing subject? Can I discover it within myself?

My Utopia, has a star shining day and night. Looking over me in my plight. My perfect place, my existence within the world, as it is, but not of the world.

Like More's Utopia, I dream of a place, a perfect place, a beautiful society. Where equality reigns, and poverty, pain, and misery are impossible. Society's evils, as we know them, do not exist. There are not wars, and jealousy is fiction. Where people live by the law of tolerance, and love. Where someone would be there to wipe a tear, before it landed upon the grass. Where an entire society stood to celebrate each other as opportunities and achievements were granted and earned. Where one did not feel as though another was competing for the beloved spot of a father's love.

Is my idyllic hope lost in our world today? Am I seeking for a paradise which on this earth does not exist?

My Utopia is in acceptance, of me with all my mistakes, of my need to be listened to. My desire to make a bit of difference in my community. My hope to help someone who desperately needs something just to make it through today; through the next meal.

My Utopia is in the smile between two people who are in love, and have fallen into love through times of trial, hardship, happiness, and endurance.

One Week Vacation

This morning was my last morning before my week off "work" as mother/wife/negotiator/chauffeur/cook/maid/friendship-advisor/sock-specialist/gardener/counselor/nurse/artist/geologist/historian/lunch-lady/teacher/banker/hair-stylist/administrator/designer/repair-person/zoo-keeper/back-rub-specialist/manicurist/math-writing-tutor/dishwasher/dog-walker/fund-negotiator/student/manners-reminder/mate/muse/coach, I think ... works well here, ...

"In a culture that measures worth and achievements almost solely in terms of money the intensive work of rearing responsible adults accounts for little." -Ann Crittenden

I would concede that the world does possibly measure motherhood worth but when did I begin to care what how the world measures something that I take delight in; something that is measured in the peace and comfort, the simple look in my childrens eyes, the feel of their arms around my neck, and making room on my lap for them to snuggle is my measurement. No matter if I do the job less than adequate, no matter if I fail again and again in the area of patience, no matter if I am "late" for work because I can't seem to pull myself out from under the comfort of the covers. My "work", my children, are more than happy to join me under those covers, and some of the best work is done with them in the comfort of my arms, as together, we waken to join the ranks of the motherhood business that day.

I prefer the following philosophy: "We at Mother: The Job know that Mothers are the mighty engine behind the human workforce that fuels the economy, as well as the nucleus of our society’s integrity. We embrace mothers in the workplace and mothers at home, advocating change in social policy and in the corporate culture so that mothers and their families can thrive.

The message products designed at Mother: The Job show the undeniable social and economic value of the care giving work and labor of mothers. We know that by raising her child from infancy to adulthood, and that child’s productivity in the marketplace and in society thereafter, she is a producer of “human capital” and of the good citizen as well."

So the world will be richer because of mothers, even if we take a week off the "job" from time to time. Warning: Next year will be my 15th year at the job, I plan to bump my time off up to two weeks. Fair?? I guess it is when you make the rules for your own employment. And I will be better at the job because I always can't wait to be back at it; refreshed, with the desire to do it better than ever.

Mothers have a special place in their children’s lives because of the bondage that starts from pregnancy and develops through childhood, youth, and adolescence. A mother’s involvement with her children is unique and different because there is a strong emotional and social bonding occurring in between. Bonding with children comes only with a day-to-day unconditional love and care of the family. We need to recognize the inextricable strong link that exists between the mothers and the welfare of the whole family including the father and children. Every thing is well if the mother is well in the household. A Jewish proverb says, “God could not be everywhere and therefore He made mothers.”

To be back in my special place, their lives, and honeys arms. I will look forward to next Wednesday, but for now, I am off...to pack, take the kids to the orthodontist, clean, wash sheets, carpool - oh wait, I drive everyday, Piano, Scouts, Football, Young Men's, write notes to everyone, get each their sweet treat to leave under their pillow, shower, and be to the airport by .... 6!!! Yikes, I better get.

Stop Whining

I thought this was hilarious. I am currently taking a computer class to learn the new 2007 version of Microsoft Office; which my kids are WAY better at than me. (Yes, I do ask them for help with my homework!)

I am laughing hysterically at the email my professor sent this morning. He must have had it with the 100 students plus that he is governing, and all the excuses.

Being a mom I am obviously familiar with complaints and excuses (most often my own doing).

His decision is to say:
IF there is no more whining and complaining, you can take advantage of his "No Complaining Make-up Day". If you complain, you don't get to take advantage of it.

Just what we need more of in today's society:
QUOTE:
In our lives everyone has problems that come up that we have no control over. We must solve these problems the best we can and go on. I find myself caught in a dilemma with students that want to use the problem(s) to get more time on an assignment or test. When should I give more time and when should I not? How do I know if there is a lie involved? Is every student telling an untruth or a exaggeration in order to get some advantage over the other students? Is every student telling the truth? I think each of us knows the answer is in between these last two questions. So how do I decide which one it is?

I have decided not to decide but will give the same advantage to every student in the class. I am going to turn on all the tests on December 5, 2008. You can take any and all the test for what ever reason you want to take them as long as you have not been in the test more than three times for what ever reason and you do not complain. If you want to improve your grade take the test. If your cat died the fourth time this semester and you could not take the test, you can take it on this day. Yes, I will use the highest score in your grade. Yes, you can take more than one test.

It is your responsibility to be at a computer where you know the tests are working. One of the conditionals is there is no complaining. I will not care if your power went out. I will not care if you are in ICU because you stubbed your toe. etc, etc etc. The responsibility is yours to be ready, to take it early, and to solve problems if they occur with out my assistance.
END QUOTE

What I got out of this, the bottom line, be responsible for what you want in this life, and STOP WHINING!

Consciousness: that annoying time between naps!

Todays really good advice from WOOL:

"I testify that while there are physical ailments that are not healed, all spiritual illness can be healed because of the atonement of Jesus Christ. If we will but use the God-given ingredients to cause such healing, it will happen. I testify of His healing power and promise that His prescription is the only cure for peace, happiness, and rest to one’s soul." - Malcolm S. Jeppsen, "A Divine Prescription for Spiritual Healing," Ensign (CR), May 1994, p.17