Andrew's shame

During the fall on our semi-annual trip to Arches National Park, Andrew had a moment of three-year-old-ness. Matt told him to "come sit on this rock and hide your head in shame," very tongue in cheek.

Andrew slowly walked over and then dropped his head into his hands. It was so hilarious, we all cracked up. It must have made an impression.

Last night he was having trouble staying in bed. After a few interventions by Matt, he seemed to stay. But,when I went in to kiss him, his head was buried in his pillow, his bum high in the air. I kissed his bare neck, and he turned over. He looked at me sadly and said "I did hide my head in shade 'till you got here."

A kiss, and a hug, and a suppressed laugh later, all was well with Andrew.

Funny Christmas Cards

I thought these cards were pretty hilarious. There are more here.

MaLM - December Fun

Make a List Monday --December Fun

We've had a lot of fun this month (along with the stress). I wanted to list all the great news!

1. Matt's work party in Midway at the Zermat Resort. This is the same place it was last year when we had our magical date. I still think of that night as near perfect.
2. Our ward party (just for adults) where we had a blast visiting and even found a new second cousin in our ward!
3. The First Presidency Christmas Devotional
4. The Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert, which was phenomenal as always.
5. Met our new niece/cousin this week, congratulations Rochelle and Mike!
6. Got our first lasting layer of snow, beautiful and cold!

Still to go:
Caroling parties, lots of Christmas movies (Mr. Kruger, I'm looking at you next), Dawn's school party, the school Christmas sing, and lots of present/card work.

Hope you are enjoying your December, too.

A Spot of Sun --Apple poetry

Dawn brought home a poem from school a little while back. It must have been in the early fall when it was written because she was required to put "apple" or "apple seed" in the poem. Enjoy.

It All Adds Up

An apple is like a heart,
a simple pink hear.
A heart is as love,
a simple sweet love.
And love is like a girl,
a simple sweet girl.
Who is out on a walk
and finds her heart a swirl
when she bumps into a man,
who alikens this girl.
It leads to a marriage,
a marriage quite fine,
with 28 presents and music divine.
This marriage, this marriage
do you know what it leads to?
It leads to the children
a boy and a girl too.
And it will go on,
oh yes it will
forever and ever and ever
with a big thrill.
Do you know what started it,
the leader of it all?
It started with an apple seed,
that was planted in the fall.

Christmas Colors

(Martha Stewart)

Perhaps it has to do with my list making love, but I love to plan for all sorts of future problems. Not silly things like retirement or the class party I'm hosting for Dawn next week, but what colors I should use on my future "pretty" Christmas tree.

We now have a "happy" tree, which is just that, very happy and very sentimental. But I'm planning for when I have TWO Christmas trees. I browse tree decorations, I look through magazines and blogs, I stay up late at night pondering it in my bed. How will I decorate it?
(Our tree)
I grew up with a Mom who loves red, so holiday decorating was uncomplicated, just red, red and maybe a little gold thrown in. I thought that was the only way. True Christmas colors. I told my mom I would always use real red and green. She just didn't buy it. And as moms often are, she was right. I want a tree that blends in with my decor which is decidedly un-red.
(Mom's tree)


So what colors do I want? Silver, not gold. Burgundy and silver? Light blues and greens with pearly accents? Silver and white and crystal? A berry-ish pink (counterfeit red) with light green? The possibilities are endless.
(Country Home)


And that is the problem.

What Christmas colors do you dream of?

Our miracle

Yesterday we took Rachel to the doctor where she had a urinary tract infection diagnosed and treated. She felt pretty good that day and the next. Tuesday afternoon after school she said she had a headache just starting. Then she crashed, slept for 1 1/2 hours. She woke up, still feeling yucky and watched a movie.

After the movie, she was crying, getting chills and calling for me. I touched her and she was burning up. I took her temperature and it was 105.8 in one ear and 106.5in the other. I am not kidding. It is still recorded on our digital thermometer. We DIDN'T freak out (but almost), gave her medicine, whisked her off to a cold bath and prayed. Matt gave her a priesthood blessing.

In a few hours she was down to 104, but still miserable. We gave her some different medicine. In a few hours she was down to 101, ate dinner and even jumped around a bit.

This morning she had no fever and felt great. We weren't planning on sending her to school, but she wanted to and seemed fine. So off she went.

And we prayed our thanks to our Father.

Our own miracle.

Dawn's first recital

Dawn had her first piano recital a few weeks ago. She wasn't nervous or stressed. She played "Old Woman" beautifully. We were so proud of her.



She gets bonus points for looking so cute, too.

Being thankful at dinnertime

During November, our family started a thankful moment at dinner time. Each night we would take turns telling what we were thankful for. Most of the kids latched on to a few things they always used, but we encouraged them to think of new things.

Andrew was thankful for our fish for the first two weeks and the Grinch the next two weeks.

Scott was thankful for our house and clothes and food.

Rachel was thankful for the first Heavenly Father who ever lived ("because that includes everything!").

Dawn varied greatly, including scriptures, prophets, food, clothing, school, electricity, etc.

The side benefit of this ritual was an increased calm and happiness during dinner. So every few days when dinner is especially loud and raucous or whiny and sad, we whip out the thanksgiving tradition. It always helps us focus on something beside our busy days, our personal wants, the yucky onions in the dinner, the ugly yellow cup, or the loud vying for attention.

I highly recommend it. Give it a try tonight.

MaLM - Shopping done

Make a List Monday -- Stores I had to visit on Saturday to completely finish my Christmas shopping!

1. the mall (Children's Place,Gymboree, Bath and Body Works)
2. Big Lots
3. Roberts Crafts
4. BYU Bookstore
5. Michael's Crafts
6. Burlington Coat Factory
7. Target
8. Walmart
9. Amazon
10. Other random online stores (which I LOVE)

After 6 hours of grossness, I finally am all done. We decided to put in one day of marathon blah (and a little merry shopping), so we could enjoy the rest of the month worry free.

I do have a few stores I need to return things to, but that's all. Hope you are nearing the end.

MaLM - Thanks

Make a List Monday -- Giving Thanks

1. I'm thankful I feel no, well, very little, pressure to blog
2. I'm thankful that my kids stayed healthy over the holiday (sorry pukey family, hope you're better)
3. I'm thankful for planes that bring family home for the holidays
4. I'm thankful that after trying gingerbread pumpkin pie, cream cheese pumpkin pie with chocolate pieces, gingersnap pumpkin pie with brown sugar meringue, there is a delicious regular old pumpkin pie to eat (thanks Amanda).
5. I'm thankful for games to play
6. I'm thankful for old forests with new trees to be the star of my Christmas decorating.
7. I'm thankful for a father who knew how to light up a tree, and taught us all
8. I'm thankful for diapers
9. I'm thankful for sleeping babies
10. I'm thankful for love and happiness and rest

Motherhood X

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.

--Charles R. Swindoll

Best Board Games for 2008

Trying to save a little money by staying home more often? Try a new game. Our family loves to play games together, and Matt and I love to play games at night after all the crazies are tucked in. The old standbys are great (UNO, Sorry, Monopoly if you must torture yourself), but try a new game. There are so many great new games out there.

Board Game Ratings just announced their Best board game awards for 2008. Check it out.

Wood stack art

Amazing, isn't it.


Via Studio G

Darling homemade play food

While searching out soft dolls, I found the most darling play food. You can have premade or pattern, felt, crochet or knit. Anyway you get it, it's darling.

Buggabugs
Green Mountain

British cream tea

umecrafts

KTB designs

Cakes cakes cakes


And there's lots, lots more.

Should a 7-month-old need a haircut?

Mine did

and so she got one.

MaLM - Projects to start (or work on)

Make a List Monday -- Projects to start or continue

1. Take a nursing course for CE
2. Make Christmas gift tags
3. Work on a Christmas card design
4. Start Scott's scrapbook (I promised)
5. Andrew's stocking
6. Purging my room, ahhhh.
7. Study and ponder the Book of Love

Share a project you are working on ----

Potty training

It's that time, time for wet floors and poopy undies. Not a puppy, just a three-year-old cutie who refuses to poop in the potty.

Pee, going pretty well. Any ideas?

Beautiful glasses

I was looking at a cute blog (that I will be going back to again, I'm sure) and I found this great picture from Flickr of a Thanksgiving table setting. I love the glasses in the shot! I think I'd buy these if I knew where to get them (and they didn't cost a bajillion dollars:). What do you think? Do you ever use stemware?

Prettiness around the internet

These images make me want to collect silver. (via Lily G)


My entry could look like this (if the window were a mirror), I think it should. (Via The House that A-M Built)


Yep, I still like white sofas. (Via Oliveaux)


And colorful girls rooms.

Christmas music

Yes, it is time. You've heard it at stores, you've heard it on the radio. It's time to turn it on at home. Why not? For one month of the year we listen to more music about Jesus Christ, family time, giving and love than any other. Why not make it two months?

More music about light and love, less about immorality and vices. So turn that Christmas music up, and stop your complaining.

P.S. Elvis' Blue Christmas has just entered the building, Feliz Navidad here we come.
What little treasure are you waiting for?

Jump rope rhymes

I didn't jump rope very often as a child. At school we went through a phase of Chinese jump rope though. But childhood teaches a person things that, used or not, are embedded in our subconscious.

This morning a jump rope rhyme came tumbling out of my mouth.

Down by the ocean, down by the sea,
Johnny broke a bottle and blamed it on me.
I told Ma, Ma told Pa,
Johnny got a lickin' so ha ha ha.
How many lickin's did Johnny get?

Random. I did a quick search and found this website that had tons of childhood rhymes listed. What rhymes did you learn as a child?

A First Soft Doll

Neither of my first two girls loved baby dolls. I am prepared to change this with Charity and brainwash her early on. I'm searching for a darling little soft doll to give her for Christmas. Some of these from Etsy aren't really baby proof, but sure are cute. I figure I could choose an appropriate one and watch it for loosening parts. Do you have any great sources for soft baby dolls?

The Lucky Pebble



Trudette's shop



Green Mountain


Sew sunshine


Tiddlywinks shop



oompa toys




Bummer, I lost the link to this one.


the willow tree's shop Okay, it's not a baby doll, but cute anyway.

Which is your favorite?

A Strange Post

Just for some strange laughs...



Via Making It Lovely

Motherhood IX

Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

--Kahil Gibran

They are God's.

MaLM - Fall checklist

1. Went to pumpkin patch

2. Watched some good football -- Go Cougs!



3. Carved the pumpkins


4. Followed the yellow brick road to loads and loads of candy


On to Thanksgiving.

Last minute costume

Need a quick last minute idea, or a really cheesy one? Look here.

BOO!

Happy Halloweeeeen. . .

How to Win Friends and Influence People - 3

Whew, I got side tracked on Great Expectations (which I finished just a few days ago) and forgot about this book. So without further delay, here is chapter 3.

"'He who can do this has the whole world with him. He who cannot walks a lonely way.'"

People are primarily interested in themselves. so, in order to influence them, first think about others, what they want, and help them get it.

The title of the chapter comes from a quote from Professor Harry A. Overstreet in his book Influencing Human Behavior.

"Action springs out of what we fundamentally desire. . . and the best piece of advice which can be given to would-be persuaders, whether in business, in the home, in the school, in politics, is: first, arouse in the other person an eager want. He who can do this has the whole world with him. He who cannot walks a lonely way!"

Carnegie gives this example: a child won't eat his veges. Remind him about the big boy next door who always beats him in their races. Tell him that he'll be able to grow big and faster and finally beat that boy if he eats his vegetables. Do you think this will really work on a 5-year-old? This example sounds a bit iffy to me, but the principle is sound enough.

This ends Part One, Fundamental Techniques in Handling People. Part Two, Six ways to Make People Like You is coming soon.

How Sister Grinch Stole Sunday

HOW SISTER GRINCH STOLE SUNDAY
by Lisa Elzey
(Our Ward's Roadshow offering)

NARRATOR
Good Evn’ing friends, we welcome the young and the old
The Cedar Hills Sixth Ward has a tale to be told

It’s a tale full of DRAMA, for that’s what we drew
An AIRPORT was another requirement too

REALITY TV is the last on the list
We’ve included them all or at least just the gist

Our story begins on the “island” of Utah

(Survivor music chimes in...)

What happens in Utah midst the Saturday hoopla

But our show’s not Apprentice, nor Gabby Gourmet
Nor American Idol or Project Runway
It’s simply titled “How Sister Grinch Stole Sunday”

It starts in an Airport with a delayed airplane
So grandpa decided to break the mundane

GRANDPA
Here’s one of my favorite stories to tell
It’s written in my journal, but I know it well

(Curtain opens)

GRANDPA
Every member in Utah liked Sundays a lot
But the Nursery leader, Sister Grinch, did not!

For she hated Sundays! The whole weekend season!
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.

It could be, perhaps, that her shoes were too tight.
It could be that she thought she knew just what’s right.

But I think that the most likely reason of all...
Well, I’ll let you observe and then you make the call...
GRINCH
“Now they’re cleaning their houses...”

GRANDPA
She snarled with a sneer.

GRINCH
“For Saturday’s special! Sunday’s practically here!”

GRANDPA
She glanced at her lesson her mind quickly numbing

GRINCH
“I must find some way to keep Sunday from coming!”

For, tomorrow, I know all the tot girls and boys
Will have gross runny noses and wipe them on toys

A three hour block...Oh the noise, noise, noise, noise!
There’s one thing I hate, All the noise, noise, noise, noise

And they’ll shriek squeaks and squeals, racing round stomping heels
They’ll color in hymnbooks and eat Cherri-o meals!

Then the grown-ups will chat about yesterday’s game

ELDER 1 & 2
“Man, get your head in the game!”

GRINCH
I’ll hear them complain

Then two brothers start punching, though all can see them
As their dad takes them out they’ll yell,

BROTHER 1 & 2
“Carpe Diem!”

GRINCH
The cell phones at church that get signals somehow
When they don’t all you hear is:

YOUTH 1
“Can you hear me now?”



GRINCH
Then they all, young and old, will open a feast.
And they'll feast! And they'll feast! And they'll FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!

They'll feast on cheer’ios, fruit snacks, day old PBJ’s
On goldfish and saltines and loud Frito-lays

And then they'll do something I hate most of all!
When three hours is over the tall and the small,

Will re-package their crayons, their Barbies and clothes
They’ll elbow the Bishop who has started to doze

They’ll pack up their quads and their last minute lessons
Finish thinking about their last chatting sessions

They’ll leave church hand in hand as they walk out the door
Reminded...

SISTER SO-AND-SO
...the home teachers are coming at 4.

GRINCH
Then as they walk home, for their houses are near
They’ll open their mouths as they grin ear to ear
And a singing is sung that I don’t care to hear
And they’ll sing and they’ll sing and they’ll sing sing sing sing!

We Love Sunday
(Prelude)
Sunday, Sunday, We love Sunday
Welcome Sunday! Come this way

Families singing, church bells ringing
Smiles and helping hands we’ll be bringing
A great Sunday is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to clasp

Sunday, Sunday, We love Sunday
Welcome Sunday! Come this way
(Fades out)

GRANDPA
(Overlapping with the singing) And the more the Sister Grinch thought of this After Church Sing,
The more the Sister Grinch thought,

GRINCH
"I must stop this whole thing!

(Record scratching sound effect and music cuts out)

Why for so many years I've put up with it now!
I must stop Sunday from coming! But how?"

GRANDPA
Then she got an idea! An awful idea!
Sister Grinch got a wonderful, awful idea!

GRINCH
"I know just what to do!"

GRANDPA
She laughed for a bit

GRINCH
I’ll get my old homemaking scrap-booking kit!

I’ll make a cute flyer with pantookas and bows
Stamps and lace, for with scrapbooking ANYTHING goes!

The flyer will tell them that Sunday’s are done
It’s been cancelled!

GRANDPA
She wrote.

GRINCH
“That will ruin their fun!”

GRANDPA
Then she got something she hadn’t used in years
Her specialty scrapbooking curvy-edged shears

And she cut and she shaped, she made them look stunning

GRINCH
This fancy flyer will stop Sunday from coming!


GRINCH
I’ll stick them on front doors of the houses so quaint
Using tape that when pulled off the door rips off paint!...A Bonus!

GRANDPA
She laughed

GRINCH
What a Great Grinchy trick!
I might even say that my plan is quite SICK!

ENSEMBLE
You’re a Mean One, Sister Grinch! (RAP) 1:36

You're a mean one Sister Grinch
And You really are a Grump.

You're as sneaky as a weasel,
You're as frumpy as a lump

You are never a team player
You’d be fired by Mr. Trump

When rolling down the neighborhood

You're a long crooked street
with an extra speed bump

You're a trickster Sister Grinch.
You have got an evil plan

You-like to spoil happy endings
Step on every crack you can

You just want to spoil Sundays
On the weekend put a ban

Com-pared to you we think we must say

Idol’s Simon Cowell is the World's Nicest Man!

PRIMARY KIDS
You're a mean one, Sister Grinch
You really are a heel
You're as cuddly as a cactus
You're as charming as an eel
Sister Grinch, Sister Grinch

You're a mean one, Sister Grinch
You really are a heel
You're as cuddly as a cactus
You're as charming as an eel
Sister Grinch, Sister Grinch

(Music fades out, ad libs, That’s right...Cedar Hills 6th in the house...etc.)

GRANDPA
So she gathered the flyers and went to each door
But Sister Grinch wasn’t happy, she wanted more

She crafted calendars with each Sunday crossed out
Ward Bulletins giving the announcement more clout

And hand outs in colorful creative papers
With magnets on back to stick-on frigermerators

Emails from the ward website telling all stay home
Make the Young Women leaders have call trees by phone

GRINCH
Then everyone here will know Sunday’s are GONE!

GRANDPA
Then when she was finished with her cancelling work
She heard a loud voice that yelled,

BROTHER or SISTER WHATCHACALIT
“Boy, she’s a...

GRANDPA
Jerking around she heard a voice with a coo
It was Cindy-Lou Who, whose family was new
And everyone knew, that those Who’s loved the U.

(All gasp)

CINDY-LOU
Sister Grinch, Why? Why have you cancelled our Sundays now? Why?

For you’re my fav’rite teacher, but from Nurs’ry I grew
I love going on Sundays so that I can see you!

GRANDPA
And what happened then? Well, in Utah they say
That Sister Grinch’s unkindness went clean away

And then the true meaning of Sunday came through
It wasn’t about wishing the noise would subdue
GRANDPA
Or last minute lessons or the brothers who shove
It was being together in kindness and love

Sister Grinch then apologized and in the end
Everyone in the state was her very best friend!

Even the U-lovin’ Whos, who everyone knew
Although they would lose they refused to wear blue

She’d help families in church who had noisy tots
By bringing church quiet books and small lollipops

Kids that drew in the hymnbooks got an eraser
If a child ran away, she’d help the mom chase her

She loved to see all from the tall to the small
For kindness breeds kindness as a type of cure-all

She became known for her kindness wherever she went
And she, she herself, Sister Grinch was finally content.

That’s the end of the story my sweet little dears
And our delayed plane’s now not delayed it appears

(GRANDMA enters wearing a costume item that associates her with SISTER GRINCH. It is the same actor as SISTER GRINCH and is apparent that GRANDMA was SISTER GRINCH in the story)

GRANDCHILD 1
There you are Grandma! Grandpa if you wouldn’t mind?
Tell her the story of Sister Grinch who’s unkind?

GRANDMA
Oh I know that story. It’s a wise one and true.
I’m so glad he told that sweet story to you

But the plane is boarding, we must be on our way
I’ll have Grandpa tell me the tale some other day

(The children run off and Grandpa puts his arm around Grandma and they exit. Curtain)

END

Motherhood VIII

There are times when parenthood seems nothing more than feeding the hand that bites you.

--Peter De Vries

MaLM - Lullabies

Make a List Monday - Lullabies I sing to my babies

1. Go to sleep my baby (from my mom)
2. I love you (Matt's mom)
3. Baby's boat (Matt's mom)
4. I am a Child of God (LDS Hymnbook)
5. Angel Lullaby (My Turn on Earth)
6. Whenever I Hear the Song of a Bird (LDS Primary Songbook)
7. Love is Spoken Here (LDS Primary Songbook)
8. I Love to See the Temple (LDS Primary Songbook)
9. Babes in the Woods (Matt's mom)


I sing many more songs to them occasionally, but these are the songs that come right to mind when I sing. What do you like to sing to your babies (and kids)?

My Job at Arches

Last weekend we joined Matt's parents and brother's family at Arches for the yearly tribute to sandstone. We camped at Arches in the Devil's Garden Campground. During one hike, we stopped to eat lunch. We found a fairly level area that was big enough for all 14 of us to sit down, and the kids to walk around and get out the hiking blahs. It was a relatively safe area, i.e. there were no cliffs within 15 feet or so.

As we ate, I repeatedly would say to Matt (who was sitting close to the edge) "Andrew's coming over there" or "watch Andrew" or "could you hold onto him?". Matt repeatedly would oblige, but would say "It really isn't that scary" or "it isn't that steep".
Mike and Shell at our lunch site

In a moment of exasperation, I firmly told Matt "It is my job to keep the kids from falling off a cliff and dying." He laughed and agreed, more or less.

The kids all came home safe (with a few new scabs and bruises, mostly obtained in our own campground). They all had a lovely time. Dawn even voiced the opinion that she wished we could live in Arches.

My nerves also came home intact. I've accepted my job as safety monitor. It's natural, and I like it. And Matt can focus on his job, to make sure the kids have a wonderful time, learn to love hiking (especially among sandstone fins) and to ruin their clothes.

Balance in marriage is a wonderful thing.






The Pajama Snot Gang



Read Matt's take on our hiking here.