My Annual Knock On The Head

It happens to me every year. You would think that I'd be prepared, that I'd be ready to meet it at the door to say, "No thanks, I'm not interested" or, "You better get off my property before I SHOOT!". You might think that I'd remember the fatal outcomes, the damaged self esteem, the lost time, the neglected children. Yet, without fail, every year I put myself through the same torture, the same charade, the same silliness. What am I talking about, you ask? I'm talking about that recurring desire to DO IT ALL. And by all, I mean ALL. Yes folks, the mom who has a hard time keeping her floor swept and her laundry done was going to do it all, once again. I was not only going to continue being a full time SAHM-homeschooler, I was going to start an advice column, I was going to blog wonderful things everyday and make lots of money doing it, I was going to start a co-op, I was going to loose 15 pounds, I was going to exercise everyday and love it, I was going to find lots of ways to make money so I could buy my husband a house, I was going to write a book, I was going to write a line of homeschooling curriculum, I was going to totally landscape my yard, AND I was going to be able to all of this while sitting in my bathrobe, eating ice cream, and watching old black and white movies.

Use your imagination folks and I'm sure you can come close to the wreck I made of myself these past few months. I had moments of lucid reason, but most of the time I just sat around beating myself up for not being Wonder Woman. So, last week I decided to "HOLD EVERYTHING"! and just take it easy on myself. I took that time to re-examine the goals I had set for myself at the beginning of this year. I prayed, read my old journals, talked with my husband, talked with my kids. I had amazing epiphanies, heart felt revelations, and received all the answers I was asking for. I would call it a life changing, beautiful experience, if it weren't for the fact that I seem to go through this almost every year. How many times do I have to ask the Lord to hit me on the head to make me realize that my first priority, my first obligation, my first desire is to be a good mother and wife, to raise up a family that will please my Father in Heaven and prepare me for my eternal duties in the here-after?

Now, I am not saying that I shouldn't do more, but I should at least be performing my first duties well before I take on more (and, no, I'm not doing them well even by my standards and mine aren't all that high). So, once again I am nicely folding, stacking, and labeling all my crazy wild schemes and storing them in my "when the kids are older" closet and focusing on the tasks at hand, which are:
Homeschool well
Continue to rebuild my relationship with Cookie
Be frugal with our money (I used to be but I've been enjoying having money and I've lost that desire to "save, Save, SAVE!". I have always said that I can earn more by saving than by working in a part time job)
Keep my home in order
Exercise and be healthy AND happy

Once I feel that I am doing these jobs well (NOT perfect, just well) then I will open up that closet and pick a new task to take on. I will still blog and do my advice column (if people send in questions) but I won't do it unless all my other tasks are taken care of for the day and I happen to have some free relaxing time on my hands.

Maybe my goal for next year will be to not make too many new goals =)

Liz

Hey Everybody, It's Family Night!

I was asked to prepare a back up sharing time for Primary today, just in case the person in charge wasn't able to make it. I prepared it and ended up not needing it because said sister did indeed pull through. Wasted time on my part? I think not! Now I have a FHE lesson all ready for today.

Theme: Having Courage to Follow Christ's Example

Opening Song: Nephi's Courage

What is courage? Some people think it just means to be brave, but it is actually something different. To have courage means to be able to do something that you are afraid to do. So being scared to do something is ok because you need to be scared first before you can have courage.

Story: The Courage of a Knight I just paraphrase it because it is a bit long for the point it is making. Main points are

1. "True courage is fear that has said it's prayers."
2. Gaelin prayed and had courage to complete his task

Tape a shield to every one's chest and mention that we can find courage to do scary things if we ask our Heavenly Father for help and guidance.


Here are some little stories from the friend that show courageous children. Talk about these situations and how scared the children might have felt. Ask if your children ever feel scared about situations that they find themselves in when they are trying to "Be like Jesus".

Closing Song: A Child's Prayer

P.S. We will be dressing up in all of the knight dress ups we have on hand (which is a lot considering I only have two boys) to add to the fun.

P.P.S. I almost forgot the snack. Well I am going to be cleaning out my freezer (I'll explain why tomorrow) so Jon and the kids will have all you can eat ice cream buffet and I will be eating yogurt. I like yogurt so it will still be yummy for me =)

Michelangelo Vs. Michelangelo

GEO CLUB

Today we are driving to Monroe, WA for Geography Club. This is to show that I do homeschool somewhere in between all of my ice cream fits. This month we have been studying Italy. Pablo is going to do a compare and contrast report on the differences between Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni and Michelangelo of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles =).











One uses nunchuks, the other uses paintbrushes and chisels. One was born in a New York City sewer in a puddle of toxic sludge and the other was born in Caprese, Italy . One spends his time fighting the evil Shredder and saving the world, the other spent his time creating some of history's most amazing artworks like the David and the Sistine Chapel. One eats pepperoni pizza with anchovies, the other ate mostly bread, cheese, and wine. Oh, and one is a mutant ninja turtle, and the other is a Renaissance man.

Can you guess which Michelanglo is which?

Scary Mary

SCARY MOVIES

I have a secret love for scary movies. For some reason I find it very fun to be scared. I love amusement rides for the same reason. Call me a sicko, I don't care. My DSSH likes to make fun of me because after watching a scary movie I will refuse to get out of bed to walk through the dark house to turn off the porch light, or to lock the front door (but that doesn't stop me from watching them). I have greatly reduced the amount of scaries that I watch for two reasons:

1. One of the kids walked in while I was watching a scary and they had nightmares and I felt SO bad. I don't think they should have to suffer for my bizzar taste in entertainment.

2. They just don't make them like they used to. I'm sorry, I just don't find sex and gallons of blood scary, I find them gross. I also don't like massacre movies. A truly scary movie is one that makes you believe that there are monsters in your closet, or that leave you too scared to open the blinds because you just KNOW that there will be a villainous face waiting to stare at you from outside.

So, due to these circumstances I have pretty much let my bad habit fall by the way side. Now, instead of watching scaries I am usually watching kids movies downstairs with the kids, while we make a big popcorn mess all over the floor. Imagine my delight, then, when I found a wonderful combination of both worlds for my viewing pleasure. Please, make sure there aren't any children around when you watch this. It may scar them for life.




I give you SCARY MARY (Mary Poppins done scary style)

A Week's Worth Of Reviews

MOVIE REVIEWS

Devdas: What if Shakespeare were to rewrite Austin's Pride and Prejudice? And what if it was to be filmed in Bollywood? You would end up with Devdas. What an amazing movie! There were moments when the acting didn't fit (but they were very few), there were a few moments when I thought, "Enough with all the tears already!", but there were many more moments where I sat there thinking, "This is good, very good, why haven't I heard of this movie before?" It is a tragic love story but it is beautiful and is filled with lovely morals. And of course you've gotta love the dancing! These Indian women put "old" Britney Spears, Aguilera, JLO, and all the other American booty shakers to shame. And they do it with their clothes on, too =). This movie stars Aishwarya, you know, that "too beautiful to be true" actress from Bollywood's very popular Bride and Prejudice. It also stars Shahrukh Khan who is an actor that I don't want to like but he always manages to pull it off in the end so I do like him. Please find this movie, watch it, and let me know what you think.

Meet The Robinsons: While Jon is out of town I decided to try and earn some browie points with the kids by taking them to see Meet The Robinsons. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I have been so close to permanently boycotting Disney so many times because lately it has been putting out the lamest pieces of filth. I just don't think kids need to see so much boobage and seduction in cartoons. But for the first time, in a long time, I sat through a Disney animation and didn't cringe once. Well, I did cringe twice during previews for upcoming movies by Disney, but I guess I can't have everything. The highest reccomendation, though, is that all four kids sat mesmerized by it the entire time. Now, they have seen The Incredibles and Cars in the theater and both times there were periods of boredom and having to walk them around. But not this time, and it was a good thing too, because I didn't have any back up this time. I will say that the movie was a bit hyper and went at a dizzyingly fast pace, but maybe that is why the kids liked it. Overall, though, it was cute, funny, I loved the villian and his teeth, I really enjoyed the ending, and Disney really surprised me because this one actually had a good moral to it. I might even think about owning this one, but I'll have to watch it one more time before I make that decision. Oh, and you will notice a lot of similarities between this film and Robots, don't knock them though, just enjoy it.

BOOKS

You Can Write a Column by: Monica McCabe Cardoza
For all of you bloggers who are trying to improve your writing or who are seeking to get yourself published somewhere, you MUST find this book and read it! I have been reading lots of books on how to write, and how to get published and this is the book I like the best so far. I love the way she writes, she just seems to make it all sound possible. She doesn't just tell you what you should do, but tells you how to do it, gives examples, and then she gives you little homework assignments (she calls them exercises). I borrowed this book from the library but I keep rereading it and renuing it and that alwasy means it is time to buy it and add it to my library.
Other books I have read in this area are:
Get a Freelance Life by: Margit Feury Ragland and mediabistro.com
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published by: Sherry Bykofsky and Jennifer Basye Sander
How to Write Articles for Newspapers & Magazines by:Thompson*ARCO
Write Where You Are by: Caryn Mirriam-Goldburg, Ph.D.
Meals and Memories: How To Create Keepsake Cookbooks by Kathy Steligo

RESTAURANTS

The Keg: Steakhouse and Bar. Ok, before you start thinking, "I don't like to support restaurants that advertise drinking, like Bar & Grill, or Sports Bars, etc..." let me just say that I didn't even see the bar the entire time because it hides behind a brick fireplace. I've been offended by the loud smelly bar at Outback Steak House or by the big jug of wine pushed on me at The Olive Garden, but there was no offense given here. There were wine glasses on our table, but without even asking our waiter promptly filled them with ice water. Let me start this review with my rating. I'm going back! What a nice place. The service was amazing. We were constantly attended to. We had 2 visits from managers to ask how we were enjoying our food and stay. When our waiter "welcomed" us back we told him it was our first time there. He smiled as he walked away and about 5 minutes later a manager came out to welcome us with a complimentary appetizer of cocktail shrimp. And, boy, I've never had shrimp like that. They were thick, heavy, steak like shrimp. I usually hate getting that teasingly small amount of shrimp (there were only 5) but they were so meaty that 5 was all that was needed. Jon and I split the last one.

oops... I have to get Cookie to school. I will finish this post later =)

Ok. I am back. Not only did I pick up Cookie, I mowed the lawn, fed the kids again, changed a diaper, took a shower, read 25 blogs, ate some ice cream, ate some nachos, and ate some more ice cream. That is why I am so late in finishing these reviews. I'm going to make the rest of these quick because I have to pick up my DSSH from the airport soon.

Back to The Keg:

DO order the Pecan Sirloin with garlic mashed potatoes. I don't like steak but this was really really good! You should also get the Szechwan Green Beans and the Steamed Asparagus (rub the butter pat all over the asparagus, squeeze the lemon wedge over it, salt, and enjoy). They make eating vegetables very very enjoyable.

DON'T get the rib eye (tender but NO flavor) or the Sauteed Mushrooms (I love mushrooms but htese had no flavor. And do not get the chocolate sampler for dessert. Trust me on this one, Jon is a chocolate junkie and even he did not like it. The brownie was bland and tasted plasticy, the Lindt topo-somethingorother tasted like regular ice cream with cocoa powder on it, and the mouse was good until you get to this weird sponge cake bottom that just shouldn't be there.

ICE CREAM

Dreyers Nestle Toll House Cookie Swirl. It is vanilla ice cream with little chocolate chip cookies in it with a swirl of cookie dough and chocolate chips running through it. This suffered the same problem that I encounter in many chocolate chipped ice creams. When chocolate is cold it gets waxy and sticks in your teeth. So I take a big bite of lusciously cold ice cream, it melts in my mouth and runs down my throat and then I'm left with a mouthful of cold waxy chocolate that I have to suck in order to warm it up enough to eat it. The little cookies were yummy, the cookie swirl was too sweet and goopy. I think your classic cookie dough ice cream is a far better choice.

Dreyers Andes Cool Mint. Yummy except for that cold waxy chocolate. They should have done ribbons of the green mint stuff and flakes of dark chocolate. Flakes of chocolate melt fast enough to be eaten with the ice cream. Ah well, I suppose this is why these flavors were discontinued.

I wanna go back and get some more of those Peanut Butter Drumsticks.

Ice Cream, Ice Cream!

If you read my great lesson plan for last night, I need to be honest and admit that we didn't do it. We had a late dinner (Oh my heaven's I think I make the world's best hamburger!!!!), we knew that Jon would have to fly to Idaho right after work today so we wouldn't see him for awhile, and we just felt that we should have a fun family time together, instead of a lesson. Jon said, "I noticed that you are out of ice cream" and we all know what that means... TIME TO GET MORE ICE CREAM. My family knows that keeping the freezer stocked guarantees a happy mommy =)

I checked the grocery circulars but NO ONE was having an ice cream sale. I may be addicted but I'm just too cheap to pay full price for ANYTHING. I almost said we should forget it when I remembered Ghetto Grocery! O.k. so it isn't really called Ghetto Grocery, it is Grocery Outlet. Have you every been there? It is like the Ross or T.J. Max of food. What ever the regular grocery couldn't sell, Grocery Outlet will sell it for super cheap. My cousin once bought Russian Icing from this place. No, Russian icing is not a new flavor, it is icing from Russia. Personally I think it is scary eating something when you can't read the ingredients. But I have found some good stuff there before, and I was desperate for some ice cream!

Well, we hit the motherload of ice cream there. They had the big fancy Peanut Butter flavor Drumsticks for 50 cents each (we bought 6), they had Haagen-Dazs pints for $1.49 (Jon bought the vanilla fudge brownie for himself), and they had some Dreyer's for $2.79 (I bought the Nestle Toll House Cookie Swirl and the Andes Cool Mint for myself).

I was all set to give pictures of each of these items but because they are all discontinued flavors I could only seem to find the Haagen Dazs flavor to show you. I would have taken my own pics and included the messy, happy faces of my kids eating it, but I'm STILL having digi-cam-computer problems (waaaaawaaaa).

The Drumsticks were super yummy. I loved them from the first bite, with all those little peanuts, down to the last little chocolate filled tip of the cone. They are messy and I always end up with chocolate in my lap after eating one, but they are worth it. Gabe taught everyone how to bite off the bottom of the cone and suck the ice cream through the hole. I love how every new generation thinks they are the first to discover this ancient ice cream eating trick. Sariah and Gabe enjoyed theirs ice cream so much that they had it smeared from the tops of their noses to down underneath their chins. I kept dodging their grubby little paws shrieking "Don't touch me!"

On to the Haagen Dazs Vanilla Fudge Brownie. It is no secret that I'm not a big fan of brownies. I don't care much for chocolate in general so it really has to be worth my while if I'm going to waste my precious ice cream calories on it. I have heard so many people rave about Haagen Dazs but I've never really been blown away by them (or their price tag). I snuck a taste of Jon's, though, and I have to say I was impressed. So impressed, in fact, that I had to have two more samples to see if it could really be that good. The brownies in this stuff literally tasted like I had just made them. They were gooey and buttery with a bit of that top layer brownie crunch to them. And the vanilla tasted like real vanilla in real cream. Yummers! I still think that they sell Haagen Dazs in too small of a package, though. When I buy ice cream I like to know that it will last me for more than an hour. If you want to have a bit of fun computer reading you should check this out (click on one of the flavors). This is fantastic! Ice cream so good that it needs to be paired with a perfect wine??? I just want to know what flavor Cheetos would best compliment my scoops. Too funny!

As for the Dreyers, well, even I can suffer from ice cream flavor overload so you will have to wait for an update on those. I just hope that the Ande's pieces don't taste waxy because they are frozen. I hate cold waxy chocolate in ice cream.

Hey, Everybody, It's Family Night!

Hey, everybody it's family night!
(update from last week: The car is still clean and it has been SO nice. The kids take everything in with them now when we leave the car each time.)

As I sat here, pondering what topic we should cover in Family Home Evening tonight, I suddenly remembered that I have been wanting to cover prayer for awhile now. Prayer is something that we do often in our home, yet Pablo is still having a hard time understanding what we are supposed to be doing in our prayers. Or, if he understands he isn't able to express it correctly. For instance, I can not get that boy to offer thanks for anything. That really is my main goal for tonight. To show them how, and why, we offer thanks in our prayers. So, here is the lesson I have outlined for tonight:

Opening Song: I pray in Faith

Why do we write letters to Grandma? (Because we love her, miss her, she misses us and wants to hear about us, etc...)

Why do we pray? (to talk to Heavenly Father)

That is right. Did you know that Heavenly Father loves us so much, that he loves us even more than Grandma loves us? It's true. Heavenly Father loves us and he misses us too. We used to live with Heavenly Father before we came to earth so we were able to talk with him face to face, but now that we are here on earth we must pray in order to talk with Him.

Praying is a lot like writing a letter. In fact it is a lot like writing two different letters together, like a "thank you" letter and a regular letter to Grandma.

Here is a practice letter for praying. You can write down ideas for your prayers on here:
Do you remember when we wrote thank you cards after Christmas? We write thank you cards because we want people to know that we are grateful for a gift that they have given us.

Can you think of anything that Heavenly Father has given you that you should be grateful for? (our bodies, food, the scriptures, our friends, the sunshine, our current prophet, our family, etc..)

We have so many things to be grateful for because Heavenly father gives us EVERYTHING.

After we tell Heavenly Father what we are grateful for then we let him know what is going on in our life, just like a letter to grandma. We can tell him of problems we are having, or of things that we are trying to do to make Him happy.

What are some things that you can tell Heavenly father about? (troubles in school, trying to read my scriptures, people I'm trying to become friends with, etc)

Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He wants to help us and to give us things that we need. So, we usually end our prayers by asking for things that we need. We should also ask for things that we would like other people to have.

What would you ask for? (help with my homework, help finding lost keys, help daddy to get better when he's sick, blessings for our Bishop because he works so hard, help to hear the Holy Spirits whispers, etc...)

Then we end the prayer "in the name of Jesus Christ, amen"

You can use this letter to help you pray if you want. Just remember that Heavenly Father loves you very much and that is why he wants us to pray to Him.

Closing Song: I Pray In Faith (we will repeat the opening song to help them remember it)

Treats: No bake cookies.

Sunday Notes

Here are some quick quotes from Elder John B. Dickson's conference talk entitled, "Commitment to the Lord"

..."Your Heavenly Father loves each of you and has sent you to earth with a purpose. He has revealed a plan of happiness that, if followed, will ultimately bring you home to His presence, having triumphed over the trials and challenges of this world. Committing yourself now to live by the pattern the Lord has set will give you great strength in the proper use of your moral agency. The sincere commitments you make to yourself and to the Lord will be vital. We learn from the book of Psalms to "commit thy way unto the Lord; . . . and he shall bring it to pass" (Psalm 37:5)."...

..."As you commit now to do the will of the Lord, He will help and strengthen you. Your faith, trust, and desire to follow Him will be your greatest key to success. I know our Heavenly Father loves each of you and that He truly sent His Only Begotten Son to help you and that you can gloriously succeed as you sincerely commit to follow Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

This was a talk aimed at the youth of the church, but it is a lesson I think we adults need to remember and rethink every now and then. I like to think of my new years resolutions in this manner, as well. Was I fully committed when I made those resolutions, or was I just hoping that maybe I would do those things? I can tell which ones I was fully committed to because they have been the "easiest" to keep. Exercising 4 hours a week isn't easy, but I have been able to keep it up because I fully committed to it. Submitting my writing to magazines and newspapers hasn't happened yet because I didn't really, fully, truly believe I could or would (or will). After reading this talk I feel a desire to "gloriously succeed" and think it is time for me to go over my new years resolutions to find the ones that need more commitment. Then, I'm going to ponder, pray, ask for help, and RE-commit myself in the full sense of the word so that I can benefit from the "ease" of predetermined commitment.

What New Years resolutions have you been keeping? Which ones have been hard to keep? Which ones have you deliberately forgotten?

GIRLS NIGHT OUT

Friday was busy and wonderful. The sun kept trying to make up it's mind whether it would stay in it's bathrobe eating ice cream, or put on its makeup and come out and play. I was waiting to see what the sun would do so that I could follow suit. It finally came out and so did I. It was so nice out that I decided to mow the lawn. Note to self: don't let the grass grow long for the Easter Bunny unless the Easter Bunny will mow it for you later. My grass must have been taking steroids this past week because it was a jungle out there. I had to restart the mower at least 12 times, the blades stuck twice, and it was such a tough job it made me run out of gas before I was half done. So, I put the mower away and left a note on the fridge for the Easter Bunny to refill my little gas tank.


My friend Lizzy came over for a visit. Lizzy is handicapped physically, and a bit mentally, is a great gal, but don't you dare get on her bad side =). She rides a motorized wheel chair that isn't able to get in my house, so we sat outside enjoying the sun. The kids were really well behaved and ran around playing, they made forts and beds outside, foraged for themselves in the food department, and left me free to visit with Lizzy. I read a book to Lizzy called Little Britches. My family loves this book and they have been begging me to read it. We were able to read through chapter 2 before Lizzy had to leave. I'm finding it hard to sink my teeth into Little Britches but I think that it is due to Mars Venus Author Syndrome. MVAS happens to me anytime I try to read a Dickens after finishing an Austin. The writers are writing in almost the same english, same time frame, about related subjects, but try to read one right after the other and you get a foul taste in your mouth. I can only relate this to trying to eat a Snickers bar right after eating a Baby Ruth. They are so similar that the slight differences are very distasteful. So it is for me with Little Britches because I've been reading the Little House On The Prairie series. Little Britches is very close to a Little House kind of story but it is written by a man, and Little House is written by a woman. I must distance myself from the Venus before I can fully appreciate the Mars, I guess.

Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers Little House (9 Books, Boxed Set)

Later I picked up Cookie from school, told the kids to let me sit for awhile (Lizzy is fun to have over but it does wear me out) while I watched a movie (part of one at least) and ate my artichoke. Mmmmmmmmmmmm. I LOVE artichokes. I dip them in lemon mayonnaise with garlic salt. I haven't had one for a very long time. Then I remembered one of the reasons why. They take way too long to cook. So, while I wait that excruciatingly long 1/2 hour for it to cook, I start rummaging. Because I'm a good girl and have stopped stocking snackies in order to loose weight, I was having a hard time finding anything to help me wait. Finally, reaching that desperate point, I pull over a chair, climb to my tippy toes, reach waaaaaay past my canning jars, and find my old, hidden, bag of Halloween candy. From this comes my snickers/Baby Ruth experience. Ah, but the artichoke is done after only 10 mini candy bars. Mmmmmmmmmmm I love artichokes.

Daddy is going to be home soon.... HURRY EVERYONE CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN. The kids look at me as if to say "We love you Miss Hannigan", and we all start doing our chores. DSSH comes home and I rush to the shower because I have a HOT date tonight. No, silly, not with DSSH, with the girls. GIRLS NIGHT OUT!!!!! I put on my new "not mom" shirt (meaning it wasn't the first cheap t shirt I could grab at WalMart before the kids started screaming), blow dry my hair, try to put some make up on, kiss the poor DSSH, laugh as I leave the kids behind, jump into the car and quickly change the radio from classical to classic rock, and head to the mall.

Note to self: Don't ever ever ever eat artichokes before going out. I just remembered the other reason I haven't eaten one in so long. They give me internal bubbles. Oh the pain! All that gas was NOT happy to be kept inside me for that long. But we had a fun time, chatting, laughing, eating, and playing with J's sweet new baby girl. B, L, and N were there, and H, if you have a blog you need to send it to me =). After food, we walked around the mall (I haven't walked around the mall with a group of girls in like 14 years) and I actually sat at a makeup stand and had my eyes done. I've never done that before and it was so fun. It started getting late and we all said good bye. I snuck back in the mall to get myself and DSSH some Sees Candy. I bought 3 butterchews for him and 3 cashew roccas for me, and sampled the california brittle. Mmmmmm. L called me on my cell phone (Ok, I'm starting to really like my cell phone now) and asked if I wanted to still hang out some more. I thought, "I should get back home", then I said, "SURE!". We went to Js house and stayed up till 11 playing games and talking.
WHAT A FUN NIGHT!!!!!

Making Room For Real Growth

I don't have a green thumb, by any stretch of the imagination. I bring home stray plants that follow me home and I beg and plead and promise, "I'll water it everyday, I'll fertilize it, I'll re-pot it when it gets too big, I promise! Pleeeeease let me keep it". In about 5 weeks I have a brown twig sticking up out of a little pot of moldy mud. My main gardening fault is that I have no stomach for the butchery that is required. I plant my little row of carrot seeds and happily watch their little green shoots popping up from the ground. Then I read on the back of the seed packet that I'm supposed to "thin" them out (which means pulling up and killing more than half of my new little babies that I worked so hard to plant). I can never bring myself to pull those innocent little shoots that hold so much potential. I leave them there, hoping that the seed packet was just joking, and give them lots of water. After about a month I still have a pretty little row of green shoots, but they seem to have stopped growing. In reality I have actually prevented every single one of my precious green shoots from reaching their potential and might as well not have planted a single one to begin with. I also have the same issues with "pinching back". I started to buy the pre-grown tomato plants from Home Depot so I wouldn't have to suffer the death of young shoots. But the instruction card tells me that I must "pinch off several inches" from my beautiful plant. I look at my strong looking tomato plant and I reason to myself, I can't pinch it, what if I kill it? I'm sure the first wild tomato plant wasn't "pinched off" and it survived. So I allow my plant to grow without limits, I will not be responsible for holding this energetic plant back in life. It grows to amazing heights and I am proud that I broke the social mores of gardening. It grows, and grows, and yet there is only one tiny tomato on my behemoth bush, and it never turns red. Covering my face with my hands, I weep because what I thought was plant freedom was really just undirected and unused energy going to waste. So, after all the useless deaths, and wasted fertilizer, have I learned my lesson? I have been growing an avocado tree (you know, where you stick toothpicks in an avocado seed and stick it in water) and it is actually getting somewhere! I did research on how to grow them this time. Well, I got to the dreaded part of "pinching back" new growth... I put it off (it still makes me queasy, I know I'll never be a plant surgeon in this life), and put it off. Then, just a few days ago, I took a deep breath, placed my fingernails around the top of my lovely, fragile plant, gave a little moan of apology, and pinched. I almost feinted. Every day I have watched my plant, waiting for the amputation to cause gangrene and then the death of my little guy. To my amazement, my plant suddenly has leaves! It had grown "leaves" before but they were supper tiny and are just barely noticeable going up the stem, but the two tiny leaves under the amputation just started growing, and fast! I am starting to realize that some times we have to cut back in order to have the energy to really produce anything of real worth. I am starting to look at my own life and I am seeing many areas of my life that maybe need pinching back, or thinning out. Am I choking myself, or expending useless energy, when I could be producing valuable fruit? Well, watch out world, Lizzy has her gardening gloves on and a pair of pruning shears and she is ready to GROW!

Meet The Kiddies!

MY KIDS, MY JOBS, MY INSPIRATIONS, MY CHEERLEADERS, MY ALIENS, MY RESPONSIBILITIES, MY REASONS FOR ICE CREAM are:

Cookie: First Born and sooooooooo mature. She will be turning 9 this summer. She has always been too smart for her own good (seriously) and is a beautiful girl. Not so much "pretty", or "cute", but she has a Mona Lisa Beauty about her that is mesmerising. I love to watch her when she is quietly thinking and her big eyes have that dreamy, unfocused look to them. This is her when she was just 4 1/2.
She has a spirit inside of her that has a very hard time being confined to such a young body, and she tends to get frustrated if she has to pretend to be little for the sake of other kids around her. I homeschool our kids but Cookie started public school this last December. She, daily, comes home feeling angry that mean kids are allowed to get away with the things they do, she can't stand injustice. Cookie is my big helper and she constantly forces me to be better than I care to be. Cookie is her real nick-name and she has had it since before she was born. When she was 2 she told us, while stamping her foot, "I am NOT a sugar cookie, I am a GINGER SNAP". Yup, and lots of snap in this one.


Pablo: This little man is my certified Alien from Mars. He is a funny guy who, at almost 7 years old, still hasn't figured out the English language. Pablo loves to play sword fights and he loves to draw. He loves to read and is very good at math and has great handwriting, but I have a hard time knowing if he is really learning anything because he can never tell me what he knows. I cringe whenever DH asks Pablo what he did that day because usually Pablo just shrugs his shoulders and says "I just ate some cereal maybe and the fighters were crashing but I don't know". And I'm sitting there thinking, "Curse you child, tell your daddy how we read about Galileo and how we practiced your math facts and tell daddy how I took you all to the museum and how I made you pancakes for breakfast, not cereal, and...." but nope, he never "knows" what he did that day, this day, or any day. But now and then he surprises me and lets me into that quiet, busy brain of his.
His nick-name is Pablo because he is my Pablo Picasso. He draws and draws and draws all day long. This is my favorite one, to date. Check out the action in this picture. There are pirates, knights, devils, and even land walkers from Star Wars. I love his pictures because I have to study them to see everything in them. Notice the sharks in the water? LOVE THIS ONE!!!


Monster Man: Yes, he is still alive. I only have to keep him alive for 13 and 1/2 more years before IT ISN'T MY FAULT if he self explodes. Monster Man is the one that came out running. He acts like a jock, he is built like a jock, and he makes you love him even when you really don't want to (just like a jock!). He has a dent in the middle of his forehead (falling on a nail), a chipped front tooth, and he has some funky ears going on too. He is abnormally strong and has given many people bloody lips and noses just from hugging them (he likes to get a running start and forgets to warn you before he hugs). He gives daddy the "biggest hug ever" but I taught him to give me the "softest hug ever". He is obsessed with opening my door for me. I thought I was training him to be a gentleman until I saw him take down Pablo one day because Pablo opened my door first. I told him that, "Gentlemen don't fight about opening doors". He said, "But he won!!!", so apparently he wasn't being a gentleman, but trying to beat his brother to the door so he could "win" (what a jock!). But I love him and I will continue to keep him alive for as long as I can.

Sweet Terror: (She is 2 1/2 but I couldn't find any recent pics because of HUGE computer, digi cam issues so this pic is her at 1) Don't let those cute cheeks and her personality win you over. Just try to make her do something that she doesn't want to do and you'll get to see the fireworks. Sweet Terror was my gift from God after having Monster Man. She is such an easy kid. She has always gone to bed on her own, she is a happy piece of sunshine, and she keeps us entertained on an hourly basis. But she can out scream a banshee. She is still going through a naked phase. No matter how tight the clothes, turtle neck onesies with denim overalls even, she gets 'em off in a flash. I get lots of looks from people only to turn around and find her naked. This too shall pass, I hope! Sweet Terror also has a hair fetish. She loves to play with hair and she is constantly twirling her own hair. She twirls it so tightly that she always has a little knot in the back of her head. We try to catch her before the knot is too big, we pick the knots out, but more often then not we have to cut the knot off. So, she has kind of a funky looking head of hair (that and she is still recovering from a haircut that Pablo gave her. She just ran by me in jeans, no shirt (of course) with an apple in her hands saying "Hep me, hep me" and giggling. Let the good times roll!

It's Signing Time With Alix and Leah....

If you haven't heard of, or watched Signing Time you need to check this out. If you are an ardent fan, like me, then you should still check this out. If you already knew about her blog and you had already found out that she is from Utah, from a family of 9 kids, that her second daughter has cerebral palsy, well... don't tell me because I am so excited that I found this! I love when I find things like this that make my celebrities human beings that are currently dealing with life here on earth. I felt the same way when I found this site hosted by "Blair" from that old TV show Facts of Life. It is a feeling akin to finding a phone number for an old highschool friend and catching up on what she has done with her life. Have any of you found sites like this? If so, please share.

Liz

Monday, Monday, Can't Trust That Day.....

The title is just a line from the Beatles song. It was the first thing that popped into my head while trying to think of a random Monday title.

Last night we held our Un-Mom Our Ride FHE. It went really well. We sang our songs, went to the car vacuums, cleaned that big sucker out, then went out for pizza. My car looks SO nice now. It made DH and I laugh to see the difference in carpet color when we took the floor mats out. Under the carpet the floor is this light, silvery, gray. Around the carpets, it is more of a grayish taupe color. The best part was dusting and washing the dashboard and radio area. Having that clean makes the car look almost new when you're sitting up front. This will definitely be a repeat FHE.

Today is sunny and we just came back from the produce stand, so I am headed outside with some dirty kids and a bag of apples. ENJOY THE SUN!
Liz

meme. whowho? youyou. meme?

I am so excited because I have read about these meme things on other peoples' blogs and I just received one today. It feels a bit like Christmas. My good friend over at lucyvpelt.blogspot.com tagged me with this. I think I'm supposed to list 5 things that I'm obsessed with.

obsession: 1. Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety. 2. A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion. 3. A perfume by Calvin Klein.

1. ICE CREAM, well duh, that one isn't hard to guess. I just finished a week long love affair with Dryer's Samoa Girl Scout Cookie ice cream and it was worth every stinkin' calorie!

2. Internet. I am so ashamed of this one. I will spend disgusting amounts of time "checking" things and suddenly I will look at the clock and gasp as I run to see what my kids are doing (destroying). I am trying to be better about this and set time limits for myself. I'll turn it off just as soon as I check one more thing.... I promise.

3. Other Peoples' Stuff. I LOVE yard sales and thrift stores and bags of free stuff from other people. Most people think that it is because I'm a penny pincher (I am) but mostly it is because I love other peoples' stuff. I fantasize of inheriting an old lady's attic.

4. Old Movies. I will not rest until I have seen every black and white movie out there. I am particularly obsessed with remakes. Did you know the movie "You've Got Mail" was a remake 5 times over, and one of those was a musical? Hollywood recycles.

5. Crazy Schemes. I have a million great ideas that are bound to make me independently wealthy. I think 'em up and then I sit on my butt, eating ice cream, "checking" the Internet, wondering why I haven't been discovered and paid for all of my awesome ideas. As it was best said in Dilbert: "I'm more of an idea rat".

So, I think now I'm supposed to tag someone else with a meme. I don't know if I know anyone who hasn't done one already... hmmmm. Lets try these:

thecornwallfamily.blogspot.com
danplayerfamily.blogspot.com

Gee, I need more blogging friends. TAG, YOU'RE IT

From Me To You

I found this wonderful little gem on French Toast Girl's blog : http://www.frenchtoastgirl.com/weblog/blogger.shtml

So, to all you wonderful women, and men (I just don't think there are any men out there reading this thing right now) who are trying so hard to be perfect, or who are being too hard on themselves for not being perfect....

Hey Everybody, It's Family Night!

I can't remember who first sent this to me, but I LOVE it! Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEFE3B0Rje0

The sad part is that my car looks worse than this. It is sad that I am willing to curl my legs underneath me, in my Sunday dress, rather than clean out the car so that I have room for my legs. So, I feel inspired to use this video as a valuable Family Home Evening lesson.

Opening Song: Quickly I'll Obey (CSB #197) or use this link and the computer plays the piano for you.
http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=2&searchseqstart=197&searchsubseqstart=b&searchseqend=197&searchsubseqend=b

Scripture: Teach them to never be weary of good works (Alma 37:34)

Poem: "Thank You, Heavenly Father" by Mabel Jones Gabbott
Today the storm roars through the skies;
The young green trees bend to its will.
But I remember yesterday—
The skies were warm, the leaves were still.
One day I helped Dad clean the car
And thought we’d never get it done.
But now when I remember it,
It wasn’t hard—’twas more like fun.
The next time when the skies are dark
Or I have something hard to do,
I will remember storm clouds pass;
Each task once done gets easier too.
How glad I am for memory.
I thank Thee for this gift to me.

Jobs
Mom: Put away items that go back in house.
Dad: Vacuum
Cookie: Pick up garbage
Pablo: Wash surfaces
Monster Man: Stay out of Cookie's way and help mom
Sweet Terror: Be Godzilla, boss every one, torture Monster Man, and mess up all our hard work

Closing song: When We're Helping (CSB #198) or
http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=2&searchseqstart=197&searchsubseqstart=b&searchseqend=197&searchsubseqend=b

Treat: Get in clean car and go out for ice cream. NO ICE CREAM ALLOWED IN CAR, AND YOU BETTER WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE YOU TOUCH ANYTHING


****We are also going to set a goal for a new family habit: Never leave the car messy, take it all in with you. I'll let you know how the car looks next Monday ;)

The Tongue of Angels: Conference talk by Jeffery R. Holland

I love what Elder Orson F. Whitney once said: "The spirit of the gospel is optimistic; it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things. The opposite or pessimistic spirit drags men down and away from God, looks on the dark side, murmurs, complains, and is slow to yield obedience." We should honor the Savior's declaration to "be of good cheer." (Indeed, it seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking that commandment than almost any other!) Speak hopefully. Speak encouragingly, including about yourself. Try not to complain and moan incessantly. As someone once said, "Even in the golden age of civilization someone undoubtedly grumbled that everything looked too yellow."


I LOVE LOVE LOVE this quote (and the rest of the talk too). This was the talk that I needed so badly when conference came. I have been a big baby this winter, I have been lazy, I have been mean to myself about my weight and my eating habits. I haven't found joy in the blessings of motherhood, or even tried to for that matter. I am rereading this quote to help me remember that I should feel joy as I clean my home tomorrow, because I have a home to clean.

I hope you are all enjoying your Sabbath day today. Have a great coming week!
Liz