Tagged Twice!

I've Been TAGGED!! Here's how you play. Once you've been tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird, random things, facts, habits or goals about yourself. At the end, you choose 10 people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them to be tagged.

I got tagged for two different games, once from Heidi and once from Elaine. That would mean that I get to list 16 facts about myself, but I’m not sure I can come up with that many. Also, all the people I know with blogs have already been tagged, so I guess the buck stops here! But, it was fun to sit and try to think of unique things about myself, not my kids, husband etc.

1. I hardly ever cry. However, I watch movies like Narnia and The Polar Express and cry my eyes out due to the underlying spiritual message.

2. My blood pressure went up after my fourth baby was born and never went down! I did this crazy lemonade fast and haven’t had to take my medication again.I have yet to explain this to my doctor.

3. I am an open water diver. Sadly, I can’t dive due to some quirk with my ears. All I can say is that I can’t equalize the pressure and it HURTS!!

4. I can never decide what I would study if I went back to college after my kids are grown up. I love biology, but I’ve got a degree and a half in that already. I like biochemistry, theology, nutrition, psychology. I’m not sure I have it in me to go back to school, I’m not sure I could decide anyway!

5. I’m a very reserved person. I used to think I was shy, but that never quite fit me. I like people a lot, but I have a very hard time approaching people and it feels like I’m dying when there’s a gathering and everyone has to play those getting to know you games! I have a secret fear that people think I’m a snob.

6. I love hiking! My husband and kids humored me at Devil’s Tower this summer and we “hiked” around the tower. It was super! I’ve been hiking in Central California and seen many, many banana slugs!

7. I have never read ANY of the Harry Potter books. I’ve listened to the third one on CD and I think that’s really the way to go. That reader is talented. I can’t watch the movies at all. The first one gave me nightmares.

8. In Junior High, I took woodshop and made a walnut table top for an antique table that had been in my Grandpa’s barn. My shop teacher had to take it to the high school to plane the top of it once it was all put together. It sits in my living room with the CD player on top of it (and various hot wheels and magazines).

9. I’m a very left-brained person, so over the years I’ve been forcing myself to try new things and use the other side of my brain. Joseph could attest to the torture it was to witness (or be a target of) my angst of those early projects.
10. I was married in the Salt Lake Temple (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). My anniversary is coming up on the 19th of December and we will have been married for 15 years. WOW! On the day we were married, it was the busiest sealing day for the Salt Lake Temple up to that point. Now, I understand, they have had even busier days.
    

P.S. I thought of some people whose blogs that I read who haven't yet been tagged: Todd, Kristen and Marie! So, you guys, if you want to be "tagged," go for it!

P.P.S. Mark too! I've been wanting a reason to ask you to update your blog!

It's a boy! (aka "The Ghost")

I don' t know why I do this, but I've been telling my kids, particularly Sariah, that there's a ghost that lives in our van. I don' t have automatic locks, which I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before...ahem, I'm back from my short pity party. This means that I have to make sure that I'm systematic about locking the van. I haven't had problems with this until lately. For some reason, quite often lately when I get to the van I will find a door unlocked. Some of those times, I could swear that I DID lock all the doors and so it's quite a surprise. One day, I mentioned that we have a ghost that lives in the van and unlocks the doors when we are in the store. Sariah kind-of likes this idea and she asks which door the ghost unlocked this time.

Today, I carried it a little further as the wind was blowing and the swings on the swing set were blowing back and forth eerily. I told her that the ghosts were swinging and she told me that our ghost had three friends with him swinging (she had counted the swings that were moving). She even noticed some footprints that led right out to the swings and she was convinced.

Oh, and by the way, it's a boy ghost!

The tea set

My friend Renee gave us a tea set that her kids had outgrown. May took it, having never owned a tea set. I told the girls that they could have a "hot chocolate party" some day. Well, lots of some days never come, but this one did. I've been in the mood to tell my kids "yes" a lot lately which basically means that I'm not being lazy like I usually am. Last night, they came to me begging a hot chocolate party and I went to prepare the mint hot chocolate (candy cane Kisses with Swiss Miss hot cocoa), the soy milk "cream", and the "tea" cakes (vanilla wafers) complete with Nutella spread. They had a ball and even invited the boys to join them. The girls were in it for the total experience, the boys, just for the sugar rush.

The tea set has been sitting out and today Brigham got that look on his face like he had an idea. He left the living room and came back with two tea cups and one of the little plates. He played with these for a while and then traded them for three of the little plates which he took out the the kitchen and placed on a little table we have in there. I opened the freezer for some yeast and spied the chocolate chips. I gave him a little pile. About a minute later, I looked over there and he had divided the chips out evenly among the three plates (5-6 per plate). Just to make sure it wasn't a fluke, I gave him some more chocolate chips with the same results.

All blog entries are about a thousand times better with a picture. Unfortunately, I'm out of batteries for my camera. And also, I realize I have no proof for this mathematical feat performed by an 18 month old. You'll just have to take my word for it!!!

Fillerup! times two

I had a lot of anxiety this year about producing a large Thanksgiving meal. Joseph kindly offered to take the family to the buffet, which we did. We ate well and returned home thankful!! The lady who took our plates felt glad, I'm sure, as Joseph graciously left a big tip, feeling guilty that she and her family had to wait until she was done working in order to eat their meal.

The next morning I woke up and decided to do just a little baking. I also had a chicken in the refrigerator thawing and decided to cook it up. I have a great recipe and the chicken turns out just like rotisserie chicken. In the end, I had cooked up a meal very much like a Thanksgiving meal and we feasted for the second time. I found that my anxiety wasn't about cooking the meal, but about the production. It was more about expectations rather than just cooking a good meal and enjoying the family. Oh well! A lesson to remember for the years to come.

Here's my domestic confession. My kids are much happier when a big meal is cooked because there is something everyone likes and I don't make them eat some of everything. There's no way I could keep up with that, though! We are lucky when there's a main dish and two sides. Some nights, we only have the main dish. Some nights, just the sides! He he he. I remember a night a few years ago where my kids got only pop corn, raisins and baby carrots for dinner. (Pretty balanced, eh?) Growing up, I loved Sunday nights when we got to eat cold cereal for dinner. My kids balk at that idea and I can't imagine why (Plus, I love the idea of having a night off! Too bad!)

Speaking of food, I must add that I must have the hardest baby in the world to feed. Over the summer Brigham was enjoying fruits of almost every kind. Suddenly, he stopped eating fruit. He will not touch it, but happily, he will usually eat a few bites of vegetables. He will enjoy a food (say french toast) for a time or two and then completely refuse it. When we sit down to eat, I almost have to force him to open his mouth to try a bite. Once he has tried something, he will usually eat, but sometimes a whole meal consists of just a few bites. He will drink his soy milk, but only in a bottle. He used to enjoy feeding himself with a fork or spoon, but the newness of that seems to have worn off and since I'm concerned about how small he is, I have succumbed to feeding him, but it is a very trying task, nicknamed "catch the mouth." And conversely, his game is "dodge the spoon." Ah well, life goes on!

A book and a movie

The book "Gift from the Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh was perfect for me. I read this small book on the first day of my two day vacation. Joseph sent me away to a B & B that also had spa services (I got my first massage and my first pedicure!) It is a book I hope to read again and again. It is for women, but I think men would benefit by reading it as well. The author touches on the subjects of love, marriage, motherhood, and the ebb and flow of life. Though the book was written over fifty years ago, it seemed timeless to me. A wonderful read, recommended by my friend Heidi!

Last night, Joseph and I watched a newly released DVD called "Miss Potter" (rated PG). It is the story of the author Beatrix Potter and how she came to publish her charming stories for children. It includes romance, but since it's a real life story, it doesn't have a fairy tale ending. I recommend it unreservedly!

The Cello

Nathan loves to play the cello. Somewhere he got the idea that he only has to practice for about two minutes per day, but even at that he sounds pretty darn good to me. (Even though you can't see his whole t-shirt, that picture is his own computer drawing. I've continued doing my own drawings for t-shirts, in fact, I did a really cool Harry Potter one for Nathan's birthday, but I'm branching out to transfers too!)

A recent project

I made this the morning of May's "special day" with me. She has been struggling in school with some separation anxiety and we had a deal that if she tried real hard not to cry at school for two weeks, I'd let her spend the day with me. We went and got her ears pierced and went out to lunch. It was a really fun day. This is what she wore:

So Funny

Brigham was quiet one morning. I went looking for him, but I didn't have to go far. This is where he was.

Halloween 2007

I Went to the Butcher

But, it's "growing" on me!