Thoughts from last week
October 29, 2007
Filed under Chatter, Children, Food, LDS Church, Motherhood, Movies to see
Don’t doubt that thought to not get the “cool” cart at Safeway. When you fall for your children’s pleas and get the car cart you will end up with the loudest, most off balance cart ever. Your elbows will be sore when you are done shopping.
Going into the store for milk, and milk alone, is impossible. You will come out with tortillas, rice-a-roni, chips and raisins. And wheat thins. (And $60 later)
Don’t put son’s comforter and comforter cover back on his bed after you wash it. You will have to re-wash it the next day and try to get the cover back on. Again.
Don’t think that you will never say: “Don’t jump on the couch. Especially with a hammer in your mouth.” You will.
Don’t think that all the laundry will be done in one day. With the dryer needing to run everything for two 70 minute cycles (why is it doing this?!), it will take at least 3 days to get the laundry done. And then there will 3 more days worth of clothes to wash, dry, fold, and put away.
Don’t be surprised when, after watching N put on pink from head to toe, and you tell her that she is a ‘pink girl’, she yells, “I am black! My skin is black!”
Don’t stand on one foot with other foot twisted around while you give your talk in sacrament meeting. You will wonder through out the talk if you are going to faint.
Don’t freak out when you realize the stake president is on the stand. And. You. Are. Speaking.
Don’t get too excited about the Bourne Ultimatum DVD release, just because the Bourne Supremacy is on tv. That doesn’t mean that it comes out soon. Internet searches will not tell you the date. Who knows when it comes out? (I can’t wait!) Continue waiting patiently for Ocean’s 13 and Hairspray to come out on DVD. Both in November.
Pray when you feel most unworthy.
Smile when A starts taking Lighting and Mater to bed with him. Along with Doggy, Pupper and his beloved Froggy blanket. Before long there wont be room for him in that bed.
Don’t send son to his room for timeout. He will think it is fun to play Legos. Instead make him sit on daughters bed. He will not enjoy sitting on the purple bedspread.
Resist the temptation to run out to the mailbox at 9:00 on Friday morning. Just because People comes on Friday here (I had to wait until Monday to get it in Utah) does not mean that the mail will arrive before 2:00pm. I wonder if the mailman could make this his first stop on Fridays?
Try not to laugh when, during your primary class, you ask what the kids have had to sacrifice for being a church member and 9 year old girl responds (very seriously) that she tore a piece of paper in half. Huh? I was thinking maybe you couldn’t play in a sports game or go to a birthday party or something.
Rambling
October 10, 2007 
Maybe I shouldn’t post this because I am a little worried about the backlash that I may get, but I have to share my point of view. Sister Beck’s talk has sparked all kinds of debate all across blog-land. I loved it. My friend that was here for the weekend was watching it and commented that she thought that it was going to cause a lot of guilt. My sister-in-law commented that she was surprised we were supposed to be the best because she didn’t think that as latter-day saints we should be comparing ourselves to others.
Both valid points, but you know. I LOVED the talk. It made me feel inspired to be better. I am not much for house-work but I shouldn’t be complaining about it. I chose this for my job and I enjoy it. I can be better. If I am better organized, I can spend less time doing house work. If I am picky about which activities I chose outside my house I will be better prepared for my days with my kids. I feel inspired to nurture more. I feel inspired to pray for the help I need. I feel a confirmation that the Lord does care about my happiness in my work at home and He will help me. I’ll probably never be the “best” homemaker in Oregon. But will I be the best I can be? Possibly. I can’t wait until it comes out in print and I can put up different parts that I like around my house to keep me inspired. Good talk, Sister Beck. Loved her general RS meeting talk too.
I am feeling really helpless right now. One of my best friends from home has found out that she is pregnant, which is great but she has also found out that she has either a bone cyst or bone cancer. We are praying that it is a bone-cyst, although neither is good. If it is a bone cyst, doctors will take her baby at 34 weeks and do a surgery to remove the cyst. Apparently the surgery would be bloody and she will need several transfusions. Scary. However, not as scary as bone cancer. If it turns out to be bone cancer, they would have to start aggressive treatment immediately which would cause her to miscarry her baby. Such a sad situation. I wish that I was home so I could help her with her kids while she is going from appointment to appointment. I wish that I could do her hair for her on Sunday, since it hurts her too much to do it herself. I wish I could take dinner in so she would have one less thing to worry about (although her vegetarian husband probably wouldn’t eat what I made). From 800 miles away, what I can do to help is prayer. Will you prayer with me? She has three little kids at home.
Today is my husband’s 33rd birthday. Happy birthday! I am so grateful for him. He is wonderful and I hope he loves his day. We are having steak for dinner and tomorrow we are having peach cobbler and apple crisp with some family that is local for dessert. Those are his favorite desserts.
Just spent a girls weekend with a friend from home in Seattle. She flew to PDX and we took the Amtrak train to Seattle. We took a cab to Pike’s Place Market, the monorail to the Space Needle and a bus to her grandma’s house in Bothell. We did some shopping (I got three new sweaters, yay!) and reading and relaxing. I am reading Three Cups of Tea (very good) and she raced through the Stephenie Meyers series. I enjoyed my couple of days away, although, I am having a hard time getting back into the groove of everyday life.
T had his first homework last week. I guess every Thursday he will come home with a homework folder and it is due the following Wednesday. He is excited to have homework and is starting to really pick up on reading. N is loving learning the letters at prechool. She spends a lot of free time writing letters and she has learned to write her name. Proud of her and her effort. A is trying to give up naps and he is not ready. So grouchy on days he doesn’t nap. He is turning into a independent little boy instead of the cuddly, happy-go-lucky that he has been.
Took a bit of break from blogging, and enjoyed it. Once in a while, I think we all need that. =)
Grateful Day
October 2, 2007 
Sometimes we need to stop and think about what we are thankful for. Here is my list for today:
Awesome nursery teachers that have taught A “The Wheels on the bus.” I love listening to him sing about the wheels that go “wound and wound” all through “da town”.
Those rare times when T and N will play nicely together. This doesn’t happen so often these days, wish I knew why.
My H&GP Pumpkin Spice candle. It smells just like fall.
The General RS Meeting. It was so good. I think that Sister Thompson was talking just to me. Such a spiritual uplift too.
For fall. All the leaves here are amazing shades of yellow and red and it is beautiful. We didn’t get leaves like this in Utah.
For my siblings are with me in my goal to getting healthier. Down .5 lb. It isn’t much but I have stepped up my work-outs and cut back on my snacking. It is progress.
The hard work that DH is willing to do for us. He is working so hard to get this new business going and I am proud of him.
That my mom calls me 3-4 times a week (I call her that often too!) so we can chat. I really miss her.
So, what are you thankful for today?
Instructions from my life the last couple of weeks
September 29, 2007
Filed under Children, Food, LDS Church, Motherhood, Movies to see, Utah Sites
INSTRUCTIONS FROM MY LIFE:
Don’t start painting boys room the day before Super-Saturday. You wont get to it again until at least three days later. (Before and After photos to come.)
Listen to dear husband when he tells you not to push to hard when you are priming. Otherwise, you will have to do two coats.
Don’t tell 6-year-old son that he can pick the color for his new room unless you are going to be okay with the bright green that he chooses.
When you try to convince your 2-year-old that he is a ‘big boy’ and should start to use the potty, don’t be surprised when he yells “I A BABY!” and runs the other way.
Convincing said 2-year-old that he is a boy when is insists he is a “g-earl!” will make you laugh.
When the spirit is telling you over and over again to pick up the Book of Mormon and read, you will be pleasantly surprised by what you find. His love will surround you, and you will feel peace.
Do that second coat of paint, even if you don’t want to.
Don’t believe that the scotch painters tape comes off as easily in real life as it does on tv.
Just because you gave 4-year-old daughter an empty backpack does not mean that she wont take a chain out of it and swing it around at school.
Target does not have shoes in said 4-year-old’s size. What is up with that?
Finding a book on your porch with a sticker from the library on it but no bar code or call number will drive you crazy for days. Who left it? Why? Where did it come from?
Do not buy 2 giant sized Symphony bars just because they were buy 1 get 1 free. You will regret it.
When you go to the store to buy DH some Diet Pepsi, and see that the price for a 12-pack is $5.69 + deposit and the price for a 2 liter is $2.29 you will be glad that you have kicked the caffeine and carbonation habit.
Just because you work out 4 times does not mean that you will lose weight. It doesn’t mean give up, however.
Going to play games with a bunch of couples you don’t know will turn out to be the highlight of your week.
Agreeing to make 5 baby blankets for area humanitarian effort should not be done. You will inevitably sew it wrong, and when you turn it right side out the batting will be on the outside and you will have to unpick the whole thing. Luckily you will eventually figure it out and the other four wont be so hard. You will, however, wish that you didn’t have to give the one with the cute Eskimos on it back. It is too cute.
When you read that Utah county got snow today you will insanely jealous that you weren’t there.
The movie Last Holiday will make you smile every time you watch it.
Alice’s Tulips….Sandra Dallas
Just finished reading Alice’s Tulips by Sandra Dallas for Relief Society book club. I have read if before (a few years ago) and have re-read it. It takes places during the Civil War in small town Kentucky. It is about a girl who lives with her mother-in-law on a farm while her husband is off at war. It is an interesting look at relationships and that time period. It is written in the form of letters. They are all letter written by the main character (Alice) to her sister, Lizzie. It is very clever and interesting. It is a good story and makes you realize that people aren’t always what they seem!
I have read others of Sandra Dallas’ books and have enjoyed them. Others I have read are The Diary of Mattie Spenser and The Persian Pickle Club by her as well. I like to read the letter type format, which was used in Alice’s Tulips. Pick it up if you have a chance, and enjoy!
Super Saturday – Part 3
What would a super-Saturday be with out women making crafts? It wouldn’t be that super, would it? Here is what I made:
Transparency Pictures. So simple. Take a 5×7 picture that you like, and a quote that you like. Print the quote on a 6×8 piece of transparency and place it over the picture. Put in a frame. So simple. So cute. So powerful.
Be tiles. These were so easy to make! It took like half a second. I cleaned the tile with Windex and rubbed the vinyl lettering on it. So easy. So cute. Now, I just need to figure out a way to display it.
Scrapbooks. Isn’t this the cutest thing you have ever seen? We made them by gluing two pieces of chip-board together and covering it with paper. We then punched holes, added jump rings and ribbon and voila! An adorable Christmas scrapbook! The pages inside are a deep red, but yet to be embellished. So excited to fill this book this Christmas.
Top all of that off with a lunch of Chicken Salad Croissant sandwiches, ice cream pie and your super-Saturday is complete. And totally super.
Super Saturday – Part 1
At our stake (several local congregations from my church) Super Saturday (a craft and class event for the women in our church) I took a class on Freezer Cooking. The woman that taught the class had a lot of knowledge, and was fun to listen to. She and her two friends get together every few months to do giant batches of freezer cooking. They typically do around 30 meals a day but have done as many as 54. It takes them three days. One day to shop, one day to prep (grate cheese, cook meat, prepare vegetables, etc.) and one day to put together meals. I am not cut out for such things. I am all about making extra spaghetti mix, taco meat and lasagnas. Because really, it isn’t any harder to make two lasagnas when you are all ready making one. And if you are browning beef for tacos, you may as well brown an extra pound to freeze for another day.
If any of you out there are cut out for this, I will share some of her tips. Here they are:
Make a master list of ingredients that you will need for every recipe and double, or triple check it. Make sure that you have enough ketchup and lemon juice, for example, because one recipe that calls for 2 tablespoons made 6 times means that you will need 12 tablespoons. You wont want to have to go to the store in the middle of mega-cooking day.
Don’t shop on cooking day. Plan on the shopping trip taking FOREVER. After all, you are shopping for enough meals for 2 months.
Make sure you buy yourself a treat. Halfway through cooking day you will want potato chips. If you have bought them all ready, you will be very glad to have them. If you did not, you will kick yourself. And probably pull a muscle or something.
Get a good nights sleep the day before. Wear comfy shoes. Start with a clean kitchen. Put a garbage can in the center of the room. Do all your meals with beef at the same time, then move on to chicken or pork. This will make life easier.
Now, if you are cut from the same cloth as me and this doesn’t sound like a good idea. Try these tips instead:
Try making a double batch of recipes you know and love. Wrap that extra lasagna or casserole tightly and freeze it for another night. This can be done with meatloaf, lasagna, and most casseroles and baked goods.
Make extra of certain things. For example, she makes 5-6 pounds of taco meat at a time and freezes it in meal size portions. That way, she can microwave the meat and have instant: tacos, taco salad, taco soup, burritos, etc. Try this with sloppy joes, spaghetti sauce and etc. It will save you time.
If you are going to freeze something, think about this: Is there bread or bread-type items that could get soggy? Maybe freeze them in different bags. Bread type items (tortillas, bread, etc.) should not be frozen with liquid-y stuff. It turns them to goo. Who wants to eat goo?
I do have a book about this that I will recommend. I got it from a Relief Society (a women’s group in my church) meeting a couple of years ago. It is called Dinner Is Ready by Deana Buxton and it has some FANTASTIC recipes in it. Enjoy!
Do you know?
I would like to have a cd of the Hymns being sung by someone with a good voice. Does anyone know of a good cd with traditional hymns being sung? I think that it would help me to learn some of the hymns. If I put in slow, instrumental music or primary songs when I am stressed out or upset it really seems to help my mood. I’d appreciate any suggestions!
Thanks!
Handcart Pagaent
We went to the Nephi Handcart Pagaent last night. My sister and her family live in the area and participate in the pagaent each year. My BIL and nephew had “major” parts last night. It started raining while we were eating the “Pioneer Dinner” put on by JC Mickelson’s (The food was okay but overpriced, I thought), and didn’t stop raining until about 45 minutes into the program. I went un-prepared. I took one blanket for T and N and a sweatshirt for me (A was sick, so DH and he stayed home). Luckily my sister had an umbrella in her car so T and I huddled under that while N sat with my brother and Mom under their umbrella. She wore my sweatshirt and wrapped up in my blanket. I froze. The pagaent was neat. It tells the story of the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies. It is interesting and well done. Once it stopped raining, it was very pleasant. If you live in the area, I recommend you check it out. It plays through Saturday, and is free. Bring snacks and blankets and umbrellas, just in case!
