Christmas Meme
November 30, 2007 
1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper all the way.
2.Real tree or artificial? Real! In Utah, we went out on BLM land and cut a fresh tree for $5. It was the best way to do it! Here, I guess that we will go to a tree farm.
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the first weekend in December
4. When do you take the tree down? Growing up it was on New Years Day, but in Bryan’s family they think that it is bad luck to leave it up that long. So it comes down a day or two before New Years.
5. Which do you prefer: Hot chocolate or apple cider? Hot chocolate.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my Nintendo. I don’t really know though.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, several. Probably 8 or so.
8. Hardest person to buy for? Bryan
9. Easiest person to buy for? Oldest. He loves everything.
10. Worst Christmas gift ever received? I really can’t think of one. I guess that I have blocked them out!
11. Mail or email Christmas card? Mail. And usually homemade.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Maybe the Polar Express13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Some time at the beginning of November. One year I did it all before Thanksgiving but that made going to the stores and mall in December no fun, so I wont do that again!
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes. I don’t remember any specifically, but I am sure that I have.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Growing up we always had cheese fondue on Christmas eve and it is so good. Also, my mom (and now me) makes home made chocolates and they are so good!
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? I love colored lights but Bryan likes clear lights so we used to rotate so that there was clear outside and colored inside and vice versa. But, then in our old neighborhood everywhere you looked was clear lights so we decided that colored lights go outside and clear lights go inside. It works well.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Right now they are “Behind the Scenes” by Cherie Call and “Mary, did you know?” by the Bar J Wranglers.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. But I have always had my family close by so I haven’t needed to travel, and this year my parents are coming to us! Yay!
19. Can you name Santa’s reindeer? Yep – Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blizten and Rudolph (but only because it was on Jamie’s answers!)
20. Do you have an Angel on top or a star? A star. Love it. It is tradition for us. We always had a star growing up. Ours is covered in silver glitter and looks nice with enough lights.
I found this at Jamie’s. Join the fun! If you do, let me know so I can be sure to read your answers!
Clumsy Old Me
November 29, 2007 
As a youth, I was athletic. I played volleyball, softball, basketball, tennis and excelled in PE class. However, I was always clumsy. I was famous for falling up and down stairs. I broke both arms. Sprained a knee, and ankles. Broke several fingers and toes. Crashed on a sled and whacked out my back. Kind of amazing that I have never had stitches. As I got older, I grew out of this a little. It has been awhile since I injured an extremity or fell on my face.
Cut to yesterday. Oldest and daughter and I were playing Hearts by the fire (just like some perfect family out of a magazine) while youngest and DH were at the bank. After a couple of rounds we decided we were done and I went up stairs to get a hair rubber-band. My hair was making me crazy. I hadn’t been upstairs for more than three seconds when screaming and crying started on the floor below me. I came down the stairs hollering about how I can’t leave the room for more than 30 seconds without fighting starting, and, just as DH and youngest were walking in the door, I fell. On my bum. And bounced down the stairs. I sat there and tried not to cry while youngest repeatedly asked me if I was okay (at least he didn’t tell me I was “stoopid” for falling!) while DH stared at me in unbelief. Now, my arms are bruised, my bum is bruised, my back hurts and my head hurts (from having my brain bounce around inside my skull and all.) I guess, once clumsy, always clumsy.
4 Things
November 8, 2007 
Tagged by Kelly
Four jobs I’ve had:
1. Hairstylist
2. Movie Theater Assistant Manager
3. Clerk in a donut shop
4. Shipping manager in a production company
Four movies I can watch over and over:
1. The Prince and Me
2. Cool Runnings
3. The Bourne Movies
4. Sweet Home Alabama
Four places I have lived:
1. Orem, Utah
2. Provo, Utah
3. Springville, Utah
4. Ogden, Utah (very exciting…I know.)
Four favorite TV shows:
1. The Biggest Loser
2. Home Improvement
3. How I met Your Mother
4. Reba
Four places I’ve been:
1. Cancun, Mexico
2. Alberta, Canada
3. Tiajuana, Mexico
4. St. George, Utah
Four favorite foods:
1. Dominoes Cheese Pizza
2. Sonic Mozzarella Sticks (Man, I miss Sonic. But not having them is good for me)
3. My moms broccoli cheddar soup
4. Mint chocolate chip icecream
Four websites I visit daily:
1. myfamily.com
2. wordpress.com
3. blogger.com
4. ebay.com
Four places I’d rather be:
1. the beach
2. a cozy cabin on a lake
3. in a hot bubble bath
4. in Utah
Four blog buddies I want to tag:
1. Cheryl
2. Holly
3. Christie
4. Bridget
And anyone else that wants to play along. Just let me know in the comments so I can come and learn more about you!
Me Meme
My roommates and I once: had dates over and fed them Ramen-Noodles. We were broke!
Never in my life have I: had the desire to go over-seas. I prefer to be where I know the language and the food!
High school was: a long time ago. Really though, it wasn’t bad. I should have paid more attention though. Especailly in math.
When I’m nervous: I eat. Or if I am bored, sad, mad, annoyed or happy. This is a problem.
My hair: is curly and brown. I need it colored and cut. I can tell when I need it cut, because I don’t do it. I just put it in a pony tail and put a hat on. I am starting to like the curl though, after all these years of fighting the curl.
When I was 5: I couldn’t figure out why it was okay for my brother to go with out a shirt but not me.
When I turn my head left: I see N and A pouring cereal on to the counter. I should do something about that, but they are eating it, so I just leaving them be. I’ll deal with the mess later.
I should be: in the shower, so I can take N to school with out being in my sweats with my hair going every which way. Oh, well. She will get used to me embarassing her, and then it wont be so bad in middle school.
By this time next year: I will like living in Oregon, I hope. They say it takes a year?
I have a hard time understanding: why there are so many sad things in the world. And math.
You know I like you if: read your blog, email you or send you cards.
My ideal breakfast is: I always eat cereal and I quite enjoy it, but I suppose if I am dreaming then I would have french toast with powdered sugar and store-bought maple syrup (none of that real stuff for me!) and hot chocolate with whipped cream on top.
If you visit my home town: I will be jealous that I am not there with you.
If you spend the night at my house: you will see that I should blog less and clean more.
The animal I would like to see flying besides birds: pigs. When pigs fly…
I shouldn’t have been: born in ‘79…I think it would have been fun to be a teen in the 80’s.
Last night I: watched Sense and Sensibility and ate Parmesan Goldfish. (DH is out of own town…I don’t think that I had seen this movie before and it was good!)
A better name for me would be: I don’t know…I always tried to get people to call me Mandy but it never worked. I don’t think it fits anymore. Mama or Amanda work just fine.
I’ve been told I look like: Drew Barrymore. But that was a long time ago. The only similarity is the curly hair.
If I could have any car, it would be: our old 2001 Toyota 4Runner. It was silver. It was cool. Man, I wish I wasn’t a minivan mama.
I found this a Jamie J’s. Join the fun!
Love-y’s
Just read an amazing article in October’s Parenting Magazine. It is about a woman whose son was attached to a giraffe. It was a sweet article that describes how essential this type of lovey is for everyone in the family, and how when her son moves out and is no longer interested in the giraffe, she will still need the giraffe. What lovey’s are in your house? Will they be your lovey’s when your children aren’t interested in them anymore? These are the lovey’s that fill our home:
Puppers (dark brown) and Doggy (light brown)
Puppers and Doggy are A’s. A was always a blanket baby. He loved the flannel receiving blankets with the crocheted edges. He would drag those around with him and chew the fringe like crazy. We have had to have many repaired by loving grandmothers. Some have been repaired and put away so he will cause no more damage to them. He got Puppers when we moved from Utah. His Grandma gave him Puppers for the drive. He is was this cute, soft cuddly dog. Now he is basically attached to A at the mouthhip. Especially at bedtime. He is not so soft anymore though. Now his ears and paws are kind of crusty from being munched on. And what makes a better second lovey? A second dog. Enter Doggy. He actually got Doggy for Christmas from my sister, but until now he hasn’t been that interested. Now, in order to sleep, he likes Puppers and Doggy.
Rhino
Rhino. Now, I wouldn’t really call rhino a lovey. Because, well, T has never really wanted needed a lovey. He wasn’t really into pacifiers as a baby, he never dragged blankets around with him. But. If he starts to feel left-out because N has Chi-Chi and A has Puppers or Doggy, then suddenly, T needs Rhino. He usually stays on T’s bed (or in the closet) somewhere, but he isn’t taken with us from place to place like the others. He has gone on a couple trips but not many.
Chi-Chi is the original lovey at our house. N grew attached to him sometime around a year and a half, and named him Chi-Chi. He is this adorable little gorilla that a friend gave to me in high-school. She carries him everywhere. Sleeps with him. Watches tv with him. Eats with him. He goes on every camping trip, vacation and excursion. He has been lost, and that has made life miserable. He is getting a little worn…his shiny pleather nose is now gray from wear. His hand that used to be sewn together (at one point he was holding a rose) are not anymore. He is matted, but he is loved more than any toy in our house.
Blanket. Now, I know that I am too old to have a lovey, but let’s face it. I do. I have this pink and white fleece blanket from a family reunion auction back in 2004. I bought it originally for N, but after I used it a time or two, I fell in love. It is soft, and the perfect size. It isn’t frilly and fancy, but I love it. I don’t let any kids use it. I only wash it when absolutely necessary (like today because when I was trying to kill a spider that landed on the blanket and I smashed it…without thinking) to keep it soft. I need this blanket as much as N needs Chi-Chi and as much as A needs Puppers.
So, what loveys are at your house?
My turn
I used to be very athletic. I always played basketball, softball and soccer. And volleyball and rode bikes and walked everywhere. Not so much anymore.
If you have read My 100 then you know that I need to lose some weight. I was doing pretty good and then we moved. Apparently, I have been eating to soothe my home-sickness. It hasn’t helped, but what it has done is make me 5 pounds heavier. My clothes don’t fit as good. I am getting heart burn more often. So I have decided that it is my turn to lose weight. I have been reading and being totally inspired by this woman and this woman, so I am using them as my inspiration to get on track and lose some weight!
I have set a goal.
I have made a tracking chart.
I have decided on some awards for various points along the way.
I have added exercise (bike riding when it is just A and me, and step aerobics on other days).
I have cut back on some of my snacking.
I set up a challenge with my siblings: we are each putting $10 in a pot and whoever loses the most weight at the end of three months gets all the money.
This time I. Am. Going. To. Do. It. I can do it. I will do it.
After week one, I am down one pound. It isn’t much but it is a start. I will track my progress here as a motivator, and reporting in with my siblings should help as well.
Wish me luck. Please.
Caffeine
Anyone that knows me very well knows that my favorite drink in the world is:
So good! However, in Oregon we have to pay a deposit on every can which makes each 12-pack of Pepsi 60 cents more than it was in Utah. And ALL groceries in Oregon are more expensive. Also, I haven’t been able to sleep at night for like a month. I blame the caffeine.
I had a can of Dt. Vanilla Pepsi with my lunch each day around noon, but it still affects my sleep. I think. It might be our bed….it is getting old. Of course, it might be what my dad says: “Too much sleep, not enough exercise.” Probably not the too much sleep part but possibly the ‘not enough exercise’ part.
Anyway, with the cost and lack of sleep I have decided to cut out caffeine. And carbonation. May as well cut out all soda while I am at it, right? I guess. I am going on:
9 days.
I have slept a little better, but now I am tired (due to the lack of an afternoon pick-me-up) and have a headache.
Cold Feet
I think that something is wrong with me. I want to know if this happens to anyone else. Everytime I read or concentrate on something really hard (think scrapbooks) my feet get cold. Freezing cold. My theory is that all the blood has to rush to my brain to process my thoughts and the info that I am taking in.
It doesn’t seem to matter if I am blogging with the laptop on my lap, if I am sitting at the table, if I am leaning against the counter reading a magazine or laying in my bed reading. Any ideas what is wrong with me?
And yes, I wear socks. Sometimes. I prefer to be barefoot, but it seems like when I wear socks it is worse! I think that my feet sweat and then turn to ice. Am I crazy? My DH can vouch that this is true, this really happens to me. I have been nice and have not rubbed my cold feet on his stomach or feet for a while.
Five Things
Just visiting Kelly at Cookies & Milk… and saw her meme of five things. I am using it and want you to, too!
Five Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago:
1. Graduating High School
2. Packing to move to Ogden so I could go to Weber State University
3. Staying up late
4. Sleeping in late
5. Listening to rap music
Five Things On My TO-DO LIST For Today:
1. Go to Wal-Mart
2. Pack Boxes
3. Go to Beauty Supply Store
4. Pack boxes
5. Pack more boxes.
Five Snacks I Enjoy: (only five? I love to snack….this list could be five miles long!)
1. Cheese Nips
2. Gardettos Original
3. Tootsie Rolls
4. Junior Carmels
5. Chips and Salsa
Five Things I Would Do If I Was A Millionaire:
1. Pay off my house
2. Start college funds for my kids
3. Buy a new cool car (I am not saying that I don’t love my not-s0-mini-van)
4. Drive across the country and see everything!
5. Buy a TV for my bedroom. Not a very exciting list….Hmmm.
Five Bad Habits I Have:
1. Yelling way to much
2. Snacking constantly
3. Not putting stuff away when I am done
4. Leaving wet clothes in the washer
5. Checking my email way to often
Five Things I Would Never Wear Again:
1. Bodysuits – I must have been in 5th or 6th grade when they were popular. So uncomfortable.
2. Headbands – They look cute on other people, but I can’t get them to look cute on me.
3. Big Hoop Earrings. Remember the early 90’s?
4. Leggings with the elastic under the foot
5. Spandex bike shorts with a huge t-shirt. Also something popular in 5th grade.
Five Things I Like To Do:
1. Scrapbook
2. Read to my kids
3. Read to my self
4. Eat (do we see a theme here?)
5. Play volleyball
Five Favorite Toys:
1. Blocks
2. Fisher Price Little People
3. Crayons and Coloring Books
4. N’s Dora’s Talking Kitchen
5. Swimming Pool
Five People To Tag:
I’m copying Kelly here, and if you read this, I want to see it on your site too!
A “Bad-Mommy” Moment
Ever had one of these? One of those moments when you lose your temper and say something you shouldn’t? I did. Again. Today, I lost it and yelled at my son. The moment I said it, I knew I shouldn’t have said it to anyone. Especially my son. I felt the remorse and guilt. I am not quite sure what to do about it either.
A friend of mine, when she starts to lose her temper tells her kids that “the witchy lady” is about to come out and that lets them and her know that she is mad. Maybe, I need to try it! The problem is that it seems to come to me so fast…
As I was driving down the road I was thinking about the quote I put on yesterday by President Faust (see VT) and thought that the bad things that only a few people know about are recorded in that same book and we need to hope that there are more good things than bad. I am really hoping that the bad things are few and far between….and really hoping that I don’t have these moments again.
On a positive note though: I did finish a rag quilt that I have been working on. Well, it isn’t done…I have it all sewn together. I am making it for my sister and the back is all old jeans and the front is 4 different plaid flannels. I used 8 or 9 inch squares (I can’t remember which) and did ten rows of ten squares. I made the fringe length 1 inch. I love doing these because they are so easy and if you make a mistake, it doesn’t matter because they don’t have to match up!
And, we are going camping tomorrow with some friends! It will be the last time we camp with them before we move, and possibly the last time we camp this summer. Looking forward to tin-foil dinners, roasted marshmallows and the smell of smoke!
