the week in pictures 10/23

Emma eating yogurt.

This may give you an idea as to why I start my week out cleaning. :)

P.E. time at the local skating rink/bounce house. Sarah takes her scooter around the rink but it was too dark to get a good picture of that.

Emma had a ton of fun trying to keep up with the big kids!

Friday- a quick trip to the pumpkin patch.

Monkey see...

...Monkey do!

18 quarts (and counting) of Apple Pie filling, and 10 pints (and counting) of Apple butter.

This past week Sarah also had a primary activity & practice, since the children performed their Annual Primary Presentation during church today. She said her line just perfectly --I'm so proud of her. Gene watched a very sad BYU game. I attended my Salt Lake Home Educators monthly meeting, took the necessary minutes, and met a few new people. Otherwise I've just been a canning fool!

the week in pictures 10/17

Taking a cue from MSN, I thought I'd adopt the idea of summarizing my weeks; since I'm better at blogging on a weekly basis anyway. I warn you, there may be weeks that I don't give much, if any, attention, and there may be weeks were it's all about my kids. This entry isn't one of them. This time it's all about me. :)

The beginning of almost any week starts off rather slow; aside from the house cleaning that follows a weekend of house neglect and/or Gene being home. (I always thought women exaggerated when they'd say their husband was as messy as the kids.) It starts off slow also, in part, because I'm slow --dragging, because we've been going and going during the weekend. Mid-week the pace picks up; Wednesdays are starting to get very congested with HS group activities, meeting and church stuff. Anyway, I digress, I just wanted to give you an idea of why I may never start at Monday. Here's last week (mid-October).

Wednesday, my SIL, Felicia and I attended a Smart Women Smart Money conference at the Salt Palace, for free. It was very financially inspiring. This is a picture (albeit a poor one) of Kurt Bestor, one of the MC's.

This is Simba on Thursday. Notice all the fallen leaves making a nice, soft blanket for him. We have yet to rake them up, that'll be next week. Isn't he cute though!

I just like this picture --a close up of how the leaves are changing.

Still Thursday. I canned 28 quarts of grape juice --the way my Grandma K. used to do it-- yummy!

Friday we picked and picked and picked 60+ pounds of apples...

...of which I plan on canning apple pie filling, apple sauce and apple butter with.

Cuties-- Sarah and Emma playing in the sand box.

Saturday was our ward's Relief Society "Super Saturday" which turned out to be very fun and filled a much needed break from the kids. I made this picture mat that surrounds the article The Living Christ. And I also made this...

A new Family Home Evening chart --cute, even if I do say so myself. I plan on hanging this in the downstairs family room next to the fireplace when we get it all painted. And, yes, one heart is blank, ya' know --just in case.

That's about it; the highlights as far as I'm concerned. Now that I've sufficiently bored you to death, return in a few days for this weeks pictures, if you have the stomach for it. :)

i love the fall

The other day it was cold, rainy and overcast and I was feeling exceptionally giddy. So I threw in my Harry Connick Jr. Christmas CD and baked cookies with my girls. It was a very fun day. Another good reason to Home School --Sarah would've missed all the fun otherwise. Speaking of which, we've been on some fun fieldtrips lately; one to the Planetarium to see Tom Hank's Magnificent Desolation in 3-D, another to the local skating rink and the next field trip is a walk through corn-maze of Napoleon Dynamite. Obviously we do more than just go on fieldtrips; currently we're reading Girls of Colonial Days -Abigail Adams, Lifepac Math & Reading, etc.

The leaves on the trees in our yard are just starting to turn. We have a good variety of Oak, Ash, Quaking Aspen, Pine, Locus and Sugar Maple turning rust, yellow and light orange. It reminds me of a poem:

I am rich today with autumn's gold,

All that my covetous hands can hold;

Frost-painted leaves and goldenrod,

A goldfinch on a milkweed pod,

Huge golden pumpkins in the field

With heaps of corn from a bounteous yield,

Golden apples heavy on the trees

Rivaling those of Hesperides,

Golden rays of balmy sunshine spread

Over all like butter on warm bread;

And the harvest moon will this night unfold

The streams running full of molten gold.

Oh, who could find a dearth of bliss

With autumn glory such as this!
- Gladys Harp

Our home -with a couple Halloween decorations

The tree behind our van is just starting to turn

Pretty soon we'll have to rake a ton of leaves from off the ground. In the meantime Sarah & Emma love walking in the crisp leaves and listening to the crunching sound and throwing them in the air. I love crushing the acorns under my shoes. I also love the smell of smoke coming from chimney fires. I love the Fall!

this week's soundtrack

There's been a lot going on in my life lately. I could make a list, but it's all relative anyway, right? Fine. Here's just a quick taste: Four church callings (all in Relief Society), homeschooling at least 3 hours a day plus fieldtrips, Educator's meetings (of which I was just voted in as Secretary to the committee), home remodeling and Emma (need I say more?). I mean, I'm not overwhelmed, and I'm definitely not as busy as I've been at times, but a lot of it's new ground and it still leaves my head spinning. I'm not complaining either because I created it. But for some reason when I have this many pokers in the fire, and I feel spread thin, I feel very vulnerable. Thin, like y'all can see right through me. So I guard myself more, check myself twice (Santa ought to be happy) and proceed with caution.

However, I was reading a blog, via my friend Jamie's blog, from this lady who is very witty. In a post she articulated exactly how I've been feeling. She likened being vulnerable to the Velveteen Rabbit, and how it's only after he gets all the fur rubbed off that he becomes "real". And then a couple days later I heard the song Breathe (2 am) by Anna Nalick on the radio, and the last verse really spoke to me.

2 AM and I'm still awake, writing a song
If I get it all down on paper, it's no longer
Inside of me, threatening the life it belongs to.
And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them, however you want to.
Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable,
and life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button now
Sing it if you understand.
And breathe, just breathe
Woah breathe, just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe.


Somehow, with all that is going on, I need to find time to start exercising again. I was really, really good there for about 7 months, but then I don't know what happened. The other day Felicia and I attended a seminar/luncheon, and the topic was about non-pharmaceutical ways to combat depression. (No, Mom, I'm not depressed.)

Even though we were there mostly for the free lunch (heh), the research was interesting. In Utah 16-20% of people are on some form of Anti-depressant drug. It's no wonder with the "tribal mentality" gotta-be-perfect-Mollie-Mormon-pressure. However, the doctor told of a study done on 3 focus groups: 1-drugs only, 2-exercise only and 3-both. The results were that exercise only was equal in effectiveness to the group that had both, at 6 months testing and at 1 year testing. The "drugs only" group was significantly lower each testing.

Okay, I'm not Tom Cruise here --jumping on couches-- and arguing against drugs, I just thought it was interesting. And knowing this, I need to get my butt in gear! Maybe while I'm running on the treadmill, getting winded and huffing and puffing I'll learn how to breathe.

of sleepless nights and fairies

Alternate Title: Ever since Kathleen came to town
Alternate Alternate Title: Something wicked this way comes


Last June we visited Goblin Valley with Gene's family. (Family pics later--way later.) In an attempt to entertain the children kind, kind Aunt Kathleen eloquently and vividly recited Little Orphan Annie (with tales of "the goblins 'il get you" and "two great big black things") to Sarah and Lydia. Of course to back up the poem she had to testify of her own personal experience with a "goblin family" from New Jersey. And, in case there was any doubt left of the existence of goblins, the older cousins (I know, I know...kids will be kids) challenged the younger cousins to catch a goblin. It's not so easy, apparently they only move in the shadows, or when it's dark.

I'll give you one guess as to how well we've been sleeping the last 3 months. "3 MONTHS?!" You say. Well, it was on and off (more on than off) and I honestly thought she'd HAVE TO forget it one of these days. Right? Well, we'd had enough one morning, just last week, when Mommy fell asleep eating her scrambled eggs, and Daddy wore his shirt inside-out to work. In tears I furiously emailed Gene to vent and beg for ideas... help!

Morning Fairy to the Rescue!!! Well, husband came through with some great websites on helping your kids sleep through the night. So, I sat Sarah down and told her that "Ya know, there's this fairy, who happens to be sisters with the tooth fairy, called the morning fairy. She leaves little toys for children who sleep in their own beds all night long without waking mom or dad. She's really busy so I haven't wanted to write her before, but I'm thinking it's time." I continue "We can invite her to come into our home for a few weeks --(I've heard 21 days forms a habit)-- what do you think?" My 21st century daughter, with a light bulb hanging over head in mid air, replies "Does she have the internet? We could email her and she could get it tonight." Uhhh...I think she's ready. So we did just that, tucked Sarah into bed and she, in no-uncertain terms, kindly told us to leave. Lo and behold, the next morning there was a toy (paint by numbers) in the hallway for Sarah. Seven nights and Seven toys later she's still sleeping through the night! HA! Take that mean Aunt Ouisea, er...Aunt Kathleen!!!

Thank goodness for the dollar store!

my life's trivia

Both my SIL, Felicia, and my MIL, Barbara, have emailed me these questionnaires recently. You know, the "Get to know you better" survey. So I've decided to combine them both, in part anyway, and list my answers here just for you. :)

Diamonds or Pearls?
--Puh-leeze! No contest. Diamonds.
What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
--Cinderella Man --LOVED it!
What is your favorite TV show?
--Don't really have one. Seinfeld re-runs I guess.
What did you have for Breakfast?
--Waffles with a sour cream/brown sugar sauce my mission comp. Julie introduced me to. Favorite Cuisine?
--Italian
What foods do you dislike?
--Corned beef and cabbage --smells like cat food! Puke!
What are your favorite songs at the moment?
--Better now by Collective Soul, Woman in chains by Tears for Fears, Only You by Harry Connick Jr. , We Carry On by Tim McGraw (I dedicate to the Katrina survivors), Forgiven by Alanis Morissette
What kind of car do you drive?
--2003 Ford Windstar mini-van
Favorite Sandwich?
--Any and all! Hoagie, pita, loaf bread, bagel...it's all good. As long as it's turkey.
Favorite Drink?
--Milk, Coke -straight up, Italian sodas... I can't decide.
Favorite item of clothing?
--My grey, long sleeve, Eddie Bauer, crew-neck tee...6 years old and stained and oh, so comfortable!
If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
--Doesn't matter. It's all good when you're on vacation.
What color is your bathroom?
--White, yellow and blue --Cape Cod look
Where would you retire to?
--I'd like to stay in our home forever, but visit San Diego often.
Favorite time of the day?
--Nap time!!!
Favorite Sport to watch?
--Football is the only one that doesn't give me a headache.
Are you a morning person or a night person?
--Night...very night!
Do you have any pets?
--One yellow lab we call food stora...er, Simba.
What (or who) did you want to be when you were little?
--An astronaut, a ballerina, a Vet and Olivia Newton John.
What is your sign?
--Capricorn
What's under your bed?
--Nothing
Your single biggest intense pain?
--My bulging/slipped disk incident while I was pregnant with Emma.
Ketchup or mustard?
--Mustard
What is your favorite season?
--Autumn --the colors, the smells, the sounds, the temperature, the baking...
The best place you have ever been?
--Best --the Temple. Funnest --NYC dance club rooftop, at night, in the summer.
How do you vent anger?
--I clean my house. But it's always messy so I must not be that angry.
Favorite flower?
--On the table -Gerber Daisies. In the garden -Clematis Jackman.
How many states have you lived in?
--4: Utah, Nevada, New York, North Carolina.
Who is the friend you have had the longest?
--Rosann --34 years and counting.
When was the last time you cried?
--Can't remember...maybe during Cinderella Man.
What did you do last night?
--FHE and read Charlotte's Web to Sarah.

on this date in history

September 7, 1995.....I married my sweetie! After dating for a stinkin' year and a half, we finally tied the knot at the Salt Lake LDS Temple.




In ten years we've experienced our share of ups and downs. Gene has finally learned that saying "yes dear" makes the wife happy, and when the wife's happy.....(hee, hee, hee) well, it's true!

I've learned that being happy means sometimes letting boogies get smeared on you. This is saying a lot. What I knew about myself before I married Gene was that I was a self described "clean freak"; I liked a controlled environment. Some used the word "anal" (Lorraine, I'm looking your way)...it's all the same. I also knew that Gene was, in every way, the exact opposite. I knew that. What I didn't know, at the time, is what Gene has taught me over these years-- that I can be joyful in a mess by prioritizing relationships over things, or a clean environment. Sometimes you can have both, but sometimes you can't.

The other day my 18 month old daughter looked up at me with her lips puckered (she's learning how to kiss) and a stream of boogies coming out of her nose (she has a cold). Her grunting insisted on an immediate kiss. So, despite years of flinching at, or even rejecting something like that, I leaned in and gave her a kiss...and got some boogie smeared on my face as well. It was great!

Thanks for teaching me to lighten up. Happy 10th Anniversary!

homeschooling in the news

While I was reading this article about Homeschooling, Sarah said "Mom, when you're done, can I do math on the computer?"

It's all about a love of learning.

field trip fun

We just got back from another Homeschool fieldtrip, this time to Camp Floyd; an interactive park/museum about Utah history during the civil war. We had a great turn-out with 28 families from our local support group coming. We broke into 9 groups of 3-4 families as there were 9 different stations we rotated through. Sarah got to learn how to hold a riffle, march, make adobe bricks, candles and be a letter carrier for the Pony Express. The guns and canons were loud and scared her a little, but Emma had no problem with them--she'd say "Oooo" and laugh. Sarah's favorite part was making the candle that she got to take home with her.

Now Sarah is drawing the shape of our state, learning to spell Utah and drawing pictures of the things we did today. Can I just tell you how much fun we're having?--I LOVE homeschooling!!! Enjoy the pix!

The Captain teaching the children

about the history of Camp Floyd.

"Bravo Company" practicing riffle drills.

Sarah and our group making Adobe bricks.

Emma petting a cat in the background.

Emma giddy on fruit snacks--

she behaved so well!

Sarah and our group making candles.

Sarah on the "girls side" of the

one-room school house.

The children practicing math on their slates.

my interview

My very cool friend, Jamie, "interviewed" me with these questions, so here's my answers:

1. Tell the story of your courtship and marriage to Gene...a mini-autobiography of life since 1994.

Well, the "welcome to our blog" post is, I think, a synopsis of my life after 1994--and a little before. But, without getting too lengthy... technically I met Gene for the first time in our singles ward before my mission. I met him for the second time, as I was coming out of the Stake President's office after being released from my mission. He invited me to sing in the choir and offered to give me rides (since I didn't have a car). The very first date he took me on he flew me to San Diego for the day (he was working at an airline). We went to the temple, and the beach and ate pizza in the park. It was so fun!

We dated for a challenging 18 months (12 months of which Gene waited for his girlfriend-turned-missionary to come home). Through it all we grew closer and had some great times like Disneyland, bungee jumping and singing back-up for Michael Webb and Kenneth Cope. I fell in love with him because he was so fun to have companion study with and I knew he'd make a great father! After we were married we lived in student housing at the University and I started attending school for a Bachelors degree in Art Teaching. We moved around a lot and, after he quit being self-employed, we moved in with his family to save money for a home. Well, the "home" plans turned into "baby" plans and "yada yada yada" we had Sarah. Two and a half years later we finally got our home, and one year later we had Emma.


2. Why are you homeschooling and what are you using for curriculum?

Why? I like to ask why not? No, really. What got me going, years ago, was the safety issue--I didn't like how violent the schools were becoming. Then as I researched homeschooling, and went to conferences and saw the support out there, something in me burned! That burning turned into a conviction for child-lead learning, moral based curriculum, positive peer-pressure and freedom. As far as the curriculum I'm using; I like it all, or at least parts of it all. My "method" would be called Eclectic, because I use a little from everything; Charlotte Mason (living books with a Socratic style of learning--discussion, questions, writing--as opposed to the lecture, notetaking, test method our modern schools use), Thomas Jefferson (mentor lead discussion of classics with an emphasis on scheduling the "core" phase). I'm intrigued by the Unit studies method. And when I do use some text/workbook curriculum it's Alpha Omega's Lifepac. I really like how the lessons are organized and biblically based.


3. What is your biggest fear (or top 3 fears)?

What parents' biggest fear doesn't involve their children? I fear that my children would, at any point in their lives, lose hope...past the point of no return, and fall away from Christ. Despair is a powerful tool the adversary uses. I hope they experience it just enough to understand how precious a thing it is to cultivate and hold on to.

4. If you could be a superhero, what would your powers be and what would your costume look like?

I can't think of a better superhero(s) than the 3 Nephites! I'd like to live forever, changing with the times like a chameleon, helping others with...whatever. Able to help with anything would be my power. Although, I'm a sucker for a man in uniform. Can you imagine running into a Nephite; big and strong, wearing a Marines or Airforce uniform? WOW! As for my costume, I like Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak.

5. If you had one "do-over" in your life, what would it be?

To have a career as an Art Teacher in New York City. I always day-dreamed about how fun it would be to have my own studio, students, hang out with some really weird people and have my art hang in a gallery. (...and then have my kids, of course.)

6. Three wishes...

I'll take the lighter road with this one--since wishes are different than goals.

1) my hair was thicker and my boobs were "perky".

2) we had just enough cash to get things done instantaneously, but not so much to keep us from being humble.

3) that it stayed 72 degrees always and forever, except the week of Christmas it would snow like 10 inches.

Want me to interview you? Just follow these steps
1. Leave a comment below with the words 'Interview me'.
2. I will respond by asking you six questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers.
4. You will include this explanation in the same post.
5. When others ask to be interviewed, you will ask them six questions.

this week's soundtrack

I've decided that all bloggers are somehow--in their own way--crying out. Venting. The difficult thing with this medium of choice is that, in this day and age, we enjoy a little anonymity as well. It's best to be cautious...while being personable. Cautiously personable. What an oxymoron.

Some things in life are harder and more complicated than they should be. Imagine playing a sport--a game--and in the middle of it you start to get penalized because someone changed the rules without telling you. Pretty soon you wouldn't want to play that game anymore. While the song Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd is probably about drugs or something else, it has captured, quite eloquently, the state of emotion I find myself in. You can thank my brothers for the Hard Rock influence in my well-rounded love for all genres of music.

Hello?
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone home?
Come on, now.
I hear you're feeling down.
Well I can ease your pain,Get you on your feet again.
Relax.
I need some information first.
Just the basic facts,Can you show me where it hurts?

There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're sayin'.
When I was a child I had a fever.
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I got that feeling once again.
I can't explain, you would not understand.
This is not how I am.
I have become comfortably numb.

Ok.
Just a little pinprick.
There'll be no more ...Aaaaaahhhhh!
But you may feel a little sick.
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working. Good.
That'll keep you going for the show.
Come on it's time to go.

There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're sayin'.
When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb.

back to school enthusiasm

Sorry about the hiatus y'all. It's cooled down a bit since my last post- thankfully -and we were able to go camping up Big Cottonwood and hike around Silver Lake the beginning of August.

There's something about seeing all the back-to-school supplies in the stores that gives me a rush. I absolutely love paper and pencils and notebooks and erasers and backpacks. I love the smell. I love organizing it. So, of course, now that Sarah is 5 and would be starting Kindergarten I had to get her all the supplies, even though she'll be homeschooling. That doesn't mean she can't be stylin'. We met with our local support group last week at the park. Sarah got to meet a few girls her age, while I picked the brains of the veteran homeschoolers and got the low down on the fall schedule for fieldtrips, meetings, etc. Talk about another rush! There's a wealth of support out there, curriculum, clubs; Literary, History & Math, just for homeschoolers. It's very reassuring.

We went on our first fieldtrip just yesterday to the Krishna Temple & Cultural Center in Spanish Fork. It was interesting and informative. The Temple architecture and decor was beautiful, and our tour guide was very friendly to the children. He let them ring the bell (representing God with the sound "Ohm") as they entered the temple, and play the drum used for chanting. After the tour we were all invited to eat Indian food in their cafeteria- it was delicious. Even Emma liked it.

It's rewarding to watch Sarah grasp the concept that there are people through out the world who believe differently than we do, and that they are good people, but that's why mommy decided to become a missionary "long ago". Here's a couple pictures...

The Deity Vishnushakti Lakshmi

Another deity Shyam Krishna

dog days of summer

I feel like such a wuss complaining about 85 degree heat in an earlier post when it is now 106 degrees outside! Our air conditioner is struggling, but hanging in there-thank heavens! When we're not at a waterpark or the movies here's how we keep cool at home.

Emma, Sarah & Simba enjoying the water mister.

Sarah soaking wet. Emma waiting her turn.

Two wet angels posing for the camera.

my life: a Seinfeld episode

Last week Gene and I went to Golden Corral (an all-you-can-eat buffet) for dinner because they were advertising baby back ribs. Gene enjoyed the shrimp. It was the fast and furious pace at which he ate the shrimp that reminded me of a Seinfeld episode, titled "The Comeback".

So I said to him:
"Hey, Gene, the ocean called and they're running outta shrimp."
to which he said:
"Oh yea, well, the jerk store called and they're running outta you."
(We laughed)
Then I said:
"What's the difference? You're their all-time best seller!"
(More laughter)

A couple days later we were all over at my bro-in-law's house discussing Terry Schiavo and comas and pulling the plug. I said "Well, as far as I'm concerned, about my own life, Elaine from Seinfeld had the right idea. She said 'Yank it like you're starting a mower.' "

In that same episode of Seinfeld, Kramer was exploring the options of a Living Will after seeing a movie where a person fell into a coma. He picks Elaine to be the executor of his Will. Elaine's reaction is my favorite part.

KRAMER: "Yeah, because you're perfect. You're a calculating, cold-hearted businesswoman. And when there's dirty work to be done, you don't mind stomping on a few throats."

ELAINE: (smiling, flattered) "Oh, ho, c'mon."

The rest of the episode has George saying to Reilly (as a comeback to the best-seller line) "Well I slept with your wife." His boss leans over to George and says "His wife's in a coma."

It's a very funny episode. As is my life at times. Some day I'll have to tell you about the legendary Gene encounter at the Ceasars Palace buffet.

a picture is worth a thousand words

Finally! Here's some pictures of our summer (so far). Like I said in my last post we've been on vacation. Every summer we go somewhere with Gene's side of the family; this year it was Capitol Reef. It was beautiful weather in the mornings (so we got all our hiking done early) and stormy in the evenings. Desert storms are amazing! We had a ton of fun hiking the Grand Wash and the Pioneer Register and Little Wild Horse Canyon. In the afternoons we'd all come back to the hotel and swim in the pool, until it started to rain with lightening.

Sarah is having a blast playing with her cousin Lydia. Sarah is only 5 weeks older than Lydia so they share the same interests: princess' and domestic role-play. They are best friends and play together wonderfully. Emma tries to keep up and mimics everything they do.

In between all the vacations and trips to the water park, I've put up 3 batches of cherries and planted our veggie garden and a flower garden. It has been a busy and fun summer. Enjoy the pictures!

Cousin Lydia (left) and Sarah playing

at Grandma & Grandpa's.

Sarah, Emma & Lydia playing in our play room.

Another alternative to speed limit signs: Fake cop!

Some of Gene's family at the

Pioneer Register trail head.

Cousin Steven, Cousin Hannah and Sarah playing

in the caves at Capitol Reef

Our cherry tree loaded with cherries.

Home canned cherries; 20 quarts -thank you very much.

This posting pictures thing is way fun. I hope to post some before and after photos of our remodeling soon.

out numbered 400,000 to 1

My daughter, Emma, who is only 16 months old, talks in her sleep. How do I know this? She still sleeps with us. Did I say us? I mean me. That is to say that at some point in the night Gene is on some other bed in the house, so that he doesn't wake up his wife and baby. In truth, it's so that HE will get a good night sleep. But that's all another issue.

It came to my attention, while Emma was babbling on in her sleep (and I'm sure SHE knew what she was saying) that I had heard one time a statistic that women speak, like, 400,000 words in a day. Men speak about 1 word a day. Usually it's "Dinner?" Okay, my numbers might be off by a few, but still, I thought: "Poor Gene. Here he is...the only guy in a family with 3 girls. There's going to be a lot of chatter for the next 18 years." And then I thought: "It would do him wise to learn how to better listen." Not that he doesn't try, and not that he doesn't do a good job at times. But, really, what man doesn't have room for improvement in that area?

At the same time, I'm sure, it would do us girls wise to learn how to scale back the wordy-wordage in our conversations. To pick our words carefully and to speak only when truly conveying something important. This is going to be challenging genetically. You see, down the K-nibbens line of my family, for centuries, the women have talked simply to hear themselves talk. No offense mom (it's not YOUR fault -it's genetic). We talk to ourselves in the bathroom mirror. We bore others with the "excruciating minutia" (-Elaine Benes, Seinfeld) of our daily lives. Like this article, for example, I really have no point other than to say "Poor, poor Gene."

Despite the lack of sleep I got last night, I feel my brain is not the mush it has been for the last couple weeks. We've been vacationing and camping and home-canning, and I wanted to share pictures, but that will have to wait. I felt somewhat intelligent this morning when I woke up, and I just wanted to hear myself talk. About the vacation? That will come next time (hopefully with some pictures), and I will try to scale back my words to only 200,000.

soak up the sun

I don’t have digital
I don’t have diddly squat
It’s not having what you want
It’s wanting what you’ve got

Today's soundtrack is Soak up the Sun by Sheryl Crow.

Long ago my friend Jamie wrote about her life having soundtracks. She'd make the mix tapes with songs that told the stories; a certain summer, a certain romance, etc. I had never thought of it in that way before, but I sure liked it and I started to wonder what my life soundtrack would be. Lately my life seems like it's two steps forward and one step back; with losing weight, home remodeling and getting out of debt. What would that be? A tango? I'm grateful that it's not one step forward and two steps back! There's a lot I don't have, but I love what I do have.

I love my backyard. It's big enough for everything to have it's place, but not too big. I love the trees. Dozens of trees that provide ample shade for my girls while they're playing and to hypnotize me for hours. I love the ground under our apple and cherry trees; all bumpy and organic. I love the wildlife that my backyard attracks. We get robins, finches, hummingbirds & butterflies (of course) also doves, quail (a whole family), ducks and squirrels. Sometimes I look out my sliding-glass door and fully expect to see a deer prancing through the trees. But it's only Simba. Speaking of which, I'm happy to say that he finally got neutered last weekend.

I'm gonna soak up the sun
gonna tell everyone to lighten up
gonna tell 'em that I've got no one to blame
every time I feel lame I'm looking up
gonna soak up the sun

I love yard work and spring cleaning! Oh joy, rapture! They are satisfying on so many levels. Not only does every thing get clean, and organized, but, more than likely, repainted and decorated; so every thing is pretty AND I get to check it off my "to do" list. Few things are better than getting your fingers dirty planting a garden; smelling the dirt, feeling the sun on your back and listening to the sprinkler (or rain) water your work.

What's your soundtrack today?

I got my 45 on
so I can rock on

muffins and memories

Top of the muffin TO YOU! -Elaine Bennes (Seinfeld, The Muffin Tops episode)

Elaine: "I'm sorry, I don't like the stumps."
Mr. Lippman: "So you just eat the tops?"
Elaine: "Oh yeah. It's the best part. It's crunchy, it's explosive, it's where the muffin breaks free of the pan and sort of does it's own thing."

I love Costco chocolate muffins-yummy!

Today is Memorial day and it is raining and, despite the rain, Gene is outside planting a dozen lilac bushes along the fence, courtesy of Lorraine. I hope the weather clears a little this afternoon so we can get more planting done. However, while it's raining I thought I would reminisce about my loved ones who have passed on. Before I do, I just want to thank all the military men and women who have fought and are fighting to make this world a better place. Thank you.

My dad passed away when I was 13. He made a lot of mistakes in his life, some that left wounds and scars that run deep, but I want to focus on my personal memories of him in better times. These are some of my memories. My dad had a moustache. I don't remember him without a moustache. When I was a little girl and he would give me a kiss hello, or good night, I would kiss him on the top of his moustache (I think because lower, on the lips, tickled). I remember one morning waking up early to watch Sesame Street and finding my dad already watching it. We sat there together, just the two of us, watching children's shows. That was fun.

My brother passed away at the same time as my dad. He was only 23. I remember him playing the piano beautifully-I could listen to him all day. I remember him making art out of broken glass. I also remember him teasing me, at the tender age of 6, telling me that every time the heat came out of the floor vents that it was the devil trying to escape -scared the crap out of me.

I never knew either of my grandpa's. My paternal grandma, Mabel, was so much fun! She also played the piano wonderfully and with much soul. I wish I had a recording of the specific music she would play every time we went over there. She always had on hand, colored mini-marshmallows that were so hard and stale they would turn to dust with the first bite. She would make ice cream sodas with starlight mint ice cream and 7-up or Sprite. She would play hide the thimble with us grandchildren and entertain us with her buckets of popsicle sticks with which we would build cabins. She always had a 6 foot pile of newspaper in the corner of her bedroom. And, when I was 12, and had just learned for myself how to play "uncle" I enlisted her in a game, and of course, even at 89 years of age, she wooped my butt -seriously. She was from strong Idaho farm stock.

My maternal grandma, Annie, was fun as well, and a little like a 2nd mom. She always had Pringles and Sugar Crisps cereal. The stairs in her house were multi colored and we would pretend the blue ones were water and the tan ones were quicksand. She had a big, dark closet downstairs that the older grandkids would tease the younger kids by locking them in it (for all of 10 seconds). Grandma would make Swedish dopa for breakfast after sleep-overs. She would fall asleep while watching M*A*S*H. She crocheted beautiful pieces, and wanted to teach me but, alas, I never had the patience. She had a little poodle dog named "Foo-Foo". She would read me stories and paint my fingernails. She always called me her little princess.

I'm grateful for these people and the memories I have of them. The sky is a little clearer now. Time to get to work in the garden.

star wars and a 4am wake up call

Last night Gene and I doubled with Jeff & Felicia for date night and we finally saw Star Wars: Episode 3, Return of the Sith. I was surprised at how much I liked it, and even though we all know how it turns out, (unless you've been on Mars, in a cave, with your fingers in your ears) I got so upset when Anakin turned to the dark side. I got choked up when OB1 said "You were the chosen one...you were my brother."

There are a lot of great one-liners (especially from Yoda) in this movie, but the one I liked was "Fear of losing what we love is the first step toward the dark side." Isn't that so true in "real" life? Fear is such a paralyzing feeling, and Satan is perfectly happy seeing us just stationary. Paralyzed. Too fearful to do anything, let alone any good. Dr. Laura says "All that evil needs to succeed is for good people to stand by and do nothing."

The end of the movie totally reminded me of the story in the Book of Mormon where Korihor goes about deceiving people and turning them from Christ and he asks Alma to show him a sign, to prove that there's a God, and Alma strikes Korihor dumb (as the sign). Then Korihor has to go from house to house begging for food and gets run over, and verse 60 (Alma chapter 30) is the clincher: "And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will NOT support his children at the last day, but doth SPEEDILY DRAG THEM DOWN to hell." The Chancellor did not support Anakin in the end, but wanted him miserable like himself.

Forgive me for drawing spiritual comparisons with Star Wars, I am so NOT a Star Wars junkie, and I know others out there see their own spiritual resemblance; I just had to pontificate.

This week Sarah "graduated" from Joy School. It was a cute ceremony with all the kids wearing little black graduation hats, and holding certificates. Actually, it was more like a comedy of errors trying to get all six kids sit still at the same time for a picture. Sarah will miss the time together with her friends, but we'll of course still have play dates. Truth be told, I'm glad to be done with Joy School. My turn was every six weeks and it seemed like every six weeks we caught somebody's cold.

I really don't like summer. I'm more of a Fall/Winter/Spring kind of girl. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy some aspects of summer: campouts, BBQ's and who doesn't like a good suntan (the healthy glow kind, not the faux leather look). It's just the heat and the bugs and the weeds (and the hey hey, it hurts me) make it my least favorite season.

It's just that at this time of year, every year, I wake up at 4:00 in the morning, wide-eyed, and I lay there pleading with my body to go back to sleep, like I did last night. I've heard that when that happens, you should just get up and do something. Honestly, how reasonable is it to do yard work at 4 am? Sometimes I fall asleep around 6, but then I'm overly-tired and groggy the rest of the day.

Today I hope to plant a garden....mmm....after my nap.

who needs a house dog?

"SARAH! Leave your sister alone. Why is she crying?"
"I just pinched her cheeks."
"Oh, well, thank you for telling me the truth, but that's not okay."
"But they're just so squishable. Am I in trouble?"
"No, just don't do that again."
"I'll try, but Mom, sometimes I just can't help myself."

I'm feeding my daughter, Emma, peaches and cereal (the real stuff, not baby food). The highchair is still in the car from taking it to Jeff & Felicia's yesterday, so I'm feeding her on my lap or sometimes standing at my side. Our house isn't the cleanest, but it's not a health-hazard either. (Some of you may have a different opinion -keep it to yourself.) Emma bends down to pick up a peach that fell on the floor, and as I'm saying "Icky, icky" she puts it in her mouth. I think to myself "I don't see any hair stuck to it, she didn't mop the floor with it first, so whatever." Sarah comes into the kitchen wearing an awfully tight pair of shorts.

"Mom, my shorts have a bow on the front of them."
"Are you sure those are yours?"
"Yes, they're pink."