where we stand right now

Diana - declared the other day that she was "so TIRED of doing homework!" What a hard life.


Emily - in constant search of fiber so we can get off all these silly poop meds. She is doing her "talent" today at the pre-school talent show: dancing (and occasionally singing) to the Meg song from Hercules.


Nora - needs to discover her inside voice. Has learned how to put herself back to bed in the middle of the night.


Isaac - has discovered the point and grunt method of communication (Advanced Placement teenage boy grunt language). Has also discovered m&m's

Dad (no photo avaliable of subject - only the back of his head at the desk) - busy, grateful to have a job that is busy. Needs more kisses.

Mom(doesn't like having her picture taken, she looks tired in pictures but slept very well last night, thanks) - not working as hard on her goals as before - committing to get back on the band-wagon.

stuff

We were at the park last week and some kids were eating corn dogs. My kids were enthralled by the hot dog on a stick so we bought some at Sam's. Verdict: tasty.


Emily and Nora at the zoo getting ready to play with Grandma's new tractor this summer.


Issac has a thing with my dish towels. He drags them around like Linus's blankie - ikk, but very precious.


Dress for cousin Brittany's baby girl - it was confirmed to me, once again that girl clothes are SOOOOO much more fun than boy clothes.


Emily gets cold in the morning after eating cereal with cold milk, so she usually rushes through breakfast and then does a shift on the couch with the big black blanket. I guess this morning she also needed an umbrella.

this morning at breakfast

Diana: "Mom, How did they get my head back on?"

Mom: "How did they get your head back on when?"

Diana: "When I had my operation." implication - DUH! Mom!

Yep, she was thinking about when she had her tonsils removed last year. She thought she had been decapitated for the procedure! Where do they get their ideas???

hair

I inherited a few random things from Grandma McKay (my roommate before getting married) One is a FAB book called "Clothes for You by Mildred Graves Ryan and Velma Phillips" published 1947. It was one of Grandma's textbooks from BYU in the late 40's all about clothing lines, body types, the economics of clothing buying etc. It's a fun read and really quite informative, but the health and beauty section cracks me up.

"Does your hair glisten with health? You know it should if it is going to be your 'crowning glory.' While general good health is the most important for lovely hair,it is also necessary that you keep the hair clean and stimulated. This may be done by daily brushing and massaging plus a shampoo at least every two weeks."

Yep, it said shampoo every two weeks, so I decided, why not, I'm a stay at home Mommy, they had fun hair in the 40's, I'll give it a whirl.

On Monday morning I washed my hair - ah clean. Tuesday, fine, Wednesday, fine, Thursday, feeling a little heavy, but still OK, Friday, feeling quite heavy and more greasy and I give in a wash it Friday night. Now I did rinse my hair every morning in the shower to give myself a change to re-do it - short hair is not easy to re-do dry and slept on.

I was surprised about two things. First, it took 3 no washing days to start to feel yucky. Second, even on Friday, although it felt yucky, it did not look greasy or yucky. I probably could have gone 2 or 3 more days without shampooing before it looked like it was as gross as it was. HMMMMMMM. I'm pretty sure if I kept this up for a few months my hair would get used to it and be just fine for longer periods of time, but I have come to the conclusion that unless one is a celebrity or super model and need to have very obedient, stylable hair (because dirty hair does go where you put it and stays there), it's just nicer to wash it every or every other day. So sorry Ms. Ryan and Ms. Phillips. I love your book anyway.

The picture is Grandma and Uncle Cam late 40's early 50's.

competition

My kids just do not get it (see title). The kids had a glorious outside day today - 3 plus hours at the zoo and then the rest of the afternoon in the backyard. Ryan is going to be home a little late, so I herded the filthy children indoors around 5pm and told them whoever got through the shower the fastest could choose a movie to watch until Dad got home and we could eat dinner. Diana and Emily understand the whole contest idea pretty well, Nora just hears "choose a movie" and plants herself in front of the movie shelf drooling and fondly stroking her favorite titles.

Diana and Emily quickly strip, potty, and jump in the shower where I wash and scrub and shampoo, focusing on very dirty feet (for although it is January, it was 72 degrees and bare feet were the order of the afternoon). It's all going fine and both are convinced they will be the victor when Diana steps out of the shower first and Emily is suddenly convinced all is lost (Note: Emily does EVERYTHING faster than Diana - Diana is slow, Emily totally had the contest in the bag). Emily falls into despair, throws herself on the bedroom floor, sopping wet with her towel draped over her, crying over and over,

"I REALLY wanted to choose the movie!"

Note: at this point Emily could have totally still won, did I mention Diana is SLOW?

Where is Nora through all this? She finally moves away from the movies (with Mommy help) and is going through the shower ritual, completely convinced she is going to choose the movie.

Diana finishes getting dressed, proclaiming herself the winner - (cue wail from Emily and more, "But I REALLLLLLLLy wanted to choose the movie"). Diana proceeds to rub it in as only an older sister can - REAAAAAALLLLLLLLLY rub it in, Emily keeps crying and Nora, still convinced it is her game, her win, her day, gets dressed.

Somehow in the minutes that follow as we comb hair and get Isaac in his jammies, Emily and Diana proclaim a truce and Emily is declared Diana's helper - They choose Tinkerbell (surprise, surprise). Diana presents her choice to Nora and Nora proceeds to burst into tears, not because she doesn't LOVE Tinkerbell, in fact that was the movie she had chosen as well. No, she is crying because Diana got to choose it.

Anyone who says girls aren't confusing is welcome to my house at bath time any day of the week.

My mom always contended that contention was EVIL and I am inclined to agree with her - bad stuff, it only ends in tears.

my new pet

Meet "Stock". Stock is a sourdough start, and was actually Ryan's Christmas present, but like all pets, it's Mom who gets to feed and water and clean up. Ryan named his pet after a former missionary companion, Stock Longhurst. Elder Longhurst was apparently a stud, with a girlfriend no less; unlike Ryan, who was also a stud, but for some reason was not able to maintain his girlfriend's affection from thousands of miles away.

The story goes that every morning, Elder Longhurst would roll out of bed, say his prayers and then open the valentine card from his girlfriend (one of those cards with a personalized recorded message). The girlfriend would croon "Stock, I love you and I think you're the greatest." Only then would Elder Longhurst move on with his day with a big smile on his face. When he successfully finished his missionary labors they got married and had children. Happily every after with posterity and all.

I have high hopes for our own Stock. If I did my job right, this amazing little blob of slime should contain enough wild, and now sour yeast to make a scrumptious, tangy, flavorful loaf of bread, and then I, theoretically, should be able to feed the remaining stash and it too will have an unlimited and eternal posterity, just like Elder Stock Longhurst. Here's to hoping.

happiness is:

New frog and hello kitty rain/snow boots for our trip to Utah.

Being invited to a pirate birthday party - arg! The hostess told me that when she was serving cake some of the kids forgot their manners and she gave them a gentle reminder. Emily had to tell her that pirates DO NOT have manners - ARG!

happy new year

A toast to you, my blogging friends. You enrich my life and help me not feel so lost and alone as we sojourn here in the desert.