This week has been filled with so many things and it seems that it is so hard to accomplish all that I want to do. For instance, my "to do" list for this week included items like finish sewing tablecloths for YW, put together presidency notebooks, finish painting the girls' furniture white, and paint the kids' bathroom. Mind you, this is in addition to planning and cooking meals, having my turn for carpool, taking kids to teeball and baseball practice, attending YM/YW, going to the dr once for Emma's ear infection and then again to the ER with her yesterday because she sliced her finger open on our bike pump (there is still blood on the floor of the garage that I need to clean so that is another item to add to the "to do" list). Then there is managing to get my running and lifting weights in and try to sometime put on make up. I am exhausted by the time I put my kids to bed and right now I feel like crawling up under my covers and maybe reading a book to stop thinking about all there is to do. Did I mention that I still need to transplant my rapidly growing herbs to bigger pots, weed and plant more flowers in my backyard, clean my carpets and bathrooms, wash and fold and put away my family's laundry, try to work in a eight mile run tomorrow and also try to have some quality family time? Just writing this is kind of stressing me out. On the other hand, I am almost to the point of laughing it all off. Did I mention that John's birthday is next Friday and we are going on a three-day two night family camping adventure? It is a surprise, so that also requires more planning. I think that I should really break all that I have on my plate into different categories and then prioritize those things. Family time and playing with my children is definitely my highest priority, but in evaluating things, it doesn't seem like it is. I find writing to be very therapeutic for me. Even if no one reads this, I will be grateful that I took the time to write a little and vent about what I do and need to do. One of my laurels asked me this week what I did to have such busy days. I must have really unloaded on her because after I finished, she could only say, "Wow." Marc made the mistake of assuming that my days were footloose and fancy free to which I really laid it down for him all that goes on around here when he is at work. I know he has to deal with a lot of crap at work, but I get to deal with a lot of literal crap here at home. It is not my favorite part of this job. It is funny, but I have been planning on going to work when my kids were all in school, but this week while Abigail was helping me to paint her table and chairs I realized that I wouldn't trade anything in the world for that moment of having fun while painting and I don't want to miss any moments like that in the future. I don't know that I would be able to find a job that would allow me the opportunity to be with my children when they are not occupied with school. We shall see on that one. I am beginning to ramble, but another thought about being home with my children.....There is a quote from (wait I need to quote it correctly because I hate the people who say, "A prophet, I'm not sure which one, once said....)okay I found it and will include the entire quote because it has imprinted itself on my heart. It is from Pres. Harold B. Lee:
Mothers, stay at the crossroads of the home.
Keep the mother of your home at the “crossroads” of the home. There is a great danger today of homes breaking down because of allurements to entice mothers to neglect their being at home as the family members are coming to or going from the home."
I want to be there in all of my children's comings and goings and influence them for good at every chance I can. Life is tough and there is so much to do, but when I think about what is important, everything becomes much clearer!
4.25.2008
3.28.2008
Crocs
I cannot believe it, but I actually bought a pair of crocs yesterday. They were not for me, but Abigail. I think they are probably the ugliest shoes ever made, but I think that they will be great summer shoes and a lot safer than flip-flops. Emma had to get sandals with much better traction so that her chance of wiping out as she runs around corners will be less!
3.21.2008
Discovering the video function on my camera
This week I discovered a very nifty feature of our digital camera....hold your breath...it is the video function!! Wow! If I had only been on top of things a few years ago when we bought the thing I would have recorded so much more! I may be having too much fun with this as I am already planning on having a fun Easter weekend with it, making sure to record all of our important activities. Check out my picasa page for the couple that I have posted. As you may have guessed, they are of our children being cute. Enjoy!
3.17.2008
Shopping with a two-year-old and enduring terrible Sunday School lessons
I began this post by trying to come up with a title for this, but will have to wait until it is written. Now, do I write about the catastrophe that it is to try to shop with Emma? I am sure that I spend more money when I have her with me because my head can barely handle her screaming because she hates sitting in the cart, carrying her and having her squirming to get out of my arms, and then I acquiesce and allow her to walk, but find myself chasing her and saving her from drowning in the fountains at Lowe's. Yes, you read that right. She was actually blowing bubbles in their largest display fountain. Not only was it gross, but I am sure certain that people wondered where I was. I was trying to decide which plant to place in my landscaping. In the smaller fountain section the girls just had to touch the water in every single fountain just to know what the difference in the feel was. I thought it was cute and didn't mind too much, but another lady whose child tried to do the same thing she lifted him up and spanked him quite hard right there in front of everyone waiting in line to checkout. He must have been used to that kind of thing because he didn't even flinch. Yikes. I was frustrated a little, but nothing like that. Oh well, I probably spent too much on flowers, but my Florida room is looking much cozier and ready for spring, summer and fall relaxing. Have I ever mentioned just how much I love the weather here? It is divine!
Okay, the other thing that I wanted to write about was our Sunday School class yesterday. Ugh! I actually caught myself sighing out loud over and over and over! It was sad. I have a difficult time with teachers who are not good at teaching and do not understand the material. The sister teaching calls everyone Sister or Brother and then their first name instead of their last. That is just another thing that bugs me. Yesterday we were studying the teachings of Isaiah in 2nd Nephi. As usual, she goes way off the subject matter of the lesson and insists on using a book that I have no idea where it came from to teach it. Her efforts of stimulating class discussion is nonexistent and she glazes over most comments. She taught completely wrong doctrine yesterday saying that Nephi received the same "vision" that Isaiah had and was able to write it more exactly because he was receiving the revelation and Isaiah's writings in the Bible went through several translations. Yes, the Bible did undergo several translations, BUT Nephi was actually quoting Isaiah and the reason he was able to do it more completely would be because he was getting it from the Brass plates!!!! When I related this to Marc today on the phone (he is TDY to CA) he said that I should have said something to her, but I was way too contentious yesterday to even attempt to say anything. Then, during the lesson a brother in the ward brings up how he was reading this book that said the reason for the drop in crime in late nineties was due to the abortions that occurred in the seventies after the Roe v. Wade decision came down. Another "ugh" from me. He is talking about a great book, "Freakonomics" and he obviously did not understand the premise of the book. He didn't finish reading it though because he felt that it was wrong. This is another person that just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Have I done enough complaining? Thankfully our teacher from yesterday is not the regular teacher and I hope to high heaven that our normal teacher is back next Sunday. I am going to shoot off an email to the Bishop wondering why we ALWAYS have to have this certain sister substituting in Sunday School....which brings to another question, How was she ever allowed to teach Seminary?
(PS-Lest you think that I am terrible and don't know any better, I know that I could have just studied the lesson on my own while she was teaching and learned something and also felt the Spirit, which I will diligently try next week if she is the teacher again.)
Okay, the other thing that I wanted to write about was our Sunday School class yesterday. Ugh! I actually caught myself sighing out loud over and over and over! It was sad. I have a difficult time with teachers who are not good at teaching and do not understand the material. The sister teaching calls everyone Sister or Brother and then their first name instead of their last. That is just another thing that bugs me. Yesterday we were studying the teachings of Isaiah in 2nd Nephi. As usual, she goes way off the subject matter of the lesson and insists on using a book that I have no idea where it came from to teach it. Her efforts of stimulating class discussion is nonexistent and she glazes over most comments. She taught completely wrong doctrine yesterday saying that Nephi received the same "vision" that Isaiah had and was able to write it more exactly because he was receiving the revelation and Isaiah's writings in the Bible went through several translations. Yes, the Bible did undergo several translations, BUT Nephi was actually quoting Isaiah and the reason he was able to do it more completely would be because he was getting it from the Brass plates!!!! When I related this to Marc today on the phone (he is TDY to CA) he said that I should have said something to her, but I was way too contentious yesterday to even attempt to say anything. Then, during the lesson a brother in the ward brings up how he was reading this book that said the reason for the drop in crime in late nineties was due to the abortions that occurred in the seventies after the Roe v. Wade decision came down. Another "ugh" from me. He is talking about a great book, "Freakonomics" and he obviously did not understand the premise of the book. He didn't finish reading it though because he felt that it was wrong. This is another person that just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Have I done enough complaining? Thankfully our teacher from yesterday is not the regular teacher and I hope to high heaven that our normal teacher is back next Sunday. I am going to shoot off an email to the Bishop wondering why we ALWAYS have to have this certain sister substituting in Sunday School....which brings to another question, How was she ever allowed to teach Seminary?
(PS-Lest you think that I am terrible and don't know any better, I know that I could have just studied the lesson on my own while she was teaching and learned something and also felt the Spirit, which I will diligently try next week if she is the teacher again.)
2.25.2008
Tagged!
Okay, Haley tagged me and if I don't do it now I never will!
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning
B. Each player answers the questions about themselves
C. At the end of the post, the player tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they are tagged.
10 years ago I was: 21 years old and on a mission. I was actually in the MTC and struggling through my first episode of depression. That was a really sad thing to start out with, but it's the cold hard truth!
5 things on my to do list today:
1) Laundry
2) Work on potty training Emma
3) Clean the garage so I can park the van back in it
4) Put the books back on the bookshelf that we just refinished
5) Put together a menu and grocery list for the next two weeks
Things I would do if I became a billionaire:
1. Pay off our house and then buy a ranch somewhere in between Austin and San Antonio, build my dream home
2. Buy Marc the Citation he has always wanted
3. Attend law school at my leisure
4. Pay off my parents' home in Illinois
5. Give a million to each of my siblings and parents and also to Marc's siblings and parents
6. Start a charity of some sort that would enable people to learn skills to help them improve their own lives
7. Take my children to Disneyworld
8. Save most of it for my children's college tuition and for Marc and I to serve missions
Okay, this was really hard for me because I really never think about having a lot of money....maybe I should dream a little sometimes!
3 of my bad habits:
1) Procrastinating
2) Cleaning up in the kitchen--one of my fantasies is that Marc will do all of the dishes and maybe even start cooking....in my dreams!
3) Baking sweets (this wouldn't be so bad if I only did it occasionally, but even before one treat is gone, I am already thinking about what I can make next, which is not good for the waistline!)
5 places I've lived:
1) Nebraska
2) Illinois
3) Alabama
4) Texas
5) Chile
Others: Panama, England, Idaho, Utah, Virginia
5 jobs I've had:
1) Dairy Queen blizzard engineer
2) Librarian at the Harold B Lee Library at BYU
3) Scantily clad model for art class
4) Spanish teacher (at the MTC)
5) Administrative assistant to Executive Vice President of Network Solutions
Something most people don't know about me:
Probably #3 from the above list....I don't share that too often with people! Also, I sometimes watch South Park with my husband. This is starting to sound like a catholic confession!
I tag Julie, Kevin and Penny or Dave
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning
B. Each player answers the questions about themselves
C. At the end of the post, the player tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they are tagged.
10 years ago I was: 21 years old and on a mission. I was actually in the MTC and struggling through my first episode of depression. That was a really sad thing to start out with, but it's the cold hard truth!
5 things on my to do list today:
1) Laundry
2) Work on potty training Emma
3) Clean the garage so I can park the van back in it
4) Put the books back on the bookshelf that we just refinished
5) Put together a menu and grocery list for the next two weeks
Things I would do if I became a billionaire:
1. Pay off our house and then buy a ranch somewhere in between Austin and San Antonio, build my dream home
2. Buy Marc the Citation he has always wanted
3. Attend law school at my leisure
4. Pay off my parents' home in Illinois
5. Give a million to each of my siblings and parents and also to Marc's siblings and parents
6. Start a charity of some sort that would enable people to learn skills to help them improve their own lives
7. Take my children to Disneyworld
8. Save most of it for my children's college tuition and for Marc and I to serve missions
Okay, this was really hard for me because I really never think about having a lot of money....maybe I should dream a little sometimes!
3 of my bad habits:
1) Procrastinating
2) Cleaning up in the kitchen--one of my fantasies is that Marc will do all of the dishes and maybe even start cooking....in my dreams!
3) Baking sweets (this wouldn't be so bad if I only did it occasionally, but even before one treat is gone, I am already thinking about what I can make next, which is not good for the waistline!)
5 places I've lived:
1) Nebraska
2) Illinois
3) Alabama
4) Texas
5) Chile
Others: Panama, England, Idaho, Utah, Virginia
5 jobs I've had:
1) Dairy Queen blizzard engineer
2) Librarian at the Harold B Lee Library at BYU
3) Scantily clad model for art class
4) Spanish teacher (at the MTC)
5) Administrative assistant to Executive Vice President of Network Solutions
Something most people don't know about me:
Probably #3 from the above list....I don't share that too often with people! Also, I sometimes watch South Park with my husband. This is starting to sound like a catholic confession!
I tag Julie, Kevin and Penny or Dave
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