Thankful

My family has had the same tradition for Thanksgiving every year since I was a little girl – there’s a long story about the pioneers attached to it, but the result is that we place 3 kernels of corn next to each person’s plate and we go around the table, expressing 3 things that we are thankful for that year.
It was all very serious until a few years ago when Uncle Rand picked the law that states we can take a “Right turn on red”. So in creeped some wacky ones. You HAVE to use one of yours to express thankfulness for a spouse or you’ll be in trouble later, but then you have 2 left to use at will. Jared has used “the interweb” as a thankful kernel for more than one year now.
So aside from the deep and meaningful things I have to be thankful for, here is my B-list of thanks:

• Goldfish crackers
  
• Pacifiers
  
• Space heaters
  
• Cell phones
  
• Digital cameras
  
• Sour cream and onion dip
  
• Laptops
  
• The dollar spot at Target
  
• The outrageous sales as a result of the economic downturn
  
• Body pillows
  
• Technology (“yeees, I love technology… but noooot as much as you you seeee….”
  
• Automatic doors on my van
  
• Chicken
  
• PBS
  
• Portable DVD players
  
• Those modest tee shirt companies for the tall girls like moi
  
• Mascara
  
• Chocolate
  
• After holidays 75% off sales
  
• Frozen dinners
  
• Super Target/Walmart
  
• That thing that clips my kid’s pacifier to her shirt
  
• Prescription meds
  
• Knee socks
  
• Metabolism
  
• Toilet paper
  
• Feet
  
• Contacts and sunglasses
  
• Sweaters
  
• Toast
  
• Nursery
  
• Drive-throughs
  
• Eyebrows
  
• Baby magazines with articles like “Why it’s okay to be a crappy parent!”
  
• Ponytail holders
  
• TV shows we can watch on the web because we were putting the little monster down while they were on the first time
  
• Being ridiculously good looking
  
• “For English, press 1”
  
• The interweb

That’s not in any way a complete list, but it outlines my priorities well I think. Hope ya’ll have plenty of stupid things to be thankful for too!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

this says Floyd wrote it, but he didn't - just lazy Rocketgirl on his computer

60 is the new 20

Celebrating my mom's 60th today - my parents took surfing lessons in Maui. DANG they're cool.

she's funny

Solei-isms for the day:

I'm singing a song ...

Solei: Mommy - STOP SINGING!!!

Me: You do not tell someone to stop making music! People can sing and sing all day long! *continuing singing*

she thinks deeply for a way out of this rule... then, the lightbulb goes off:

Solei: Mommy - FREEZE!

grrrrrr.....

then tonight, we were lazy and headed to Wendy's for dinner. We didn't tell HER that's where we were going, but the second we walked in the front door, she realized where we were and ran to the counter, stood on her tip-toes and shouted to the cashier:

"I need french fries please!!!"

We, including the entire Wendy's staff, just laughed our brains out. She continued:

"And chicken and chocolate!"

she paused... looked up at the lady and said with huge puppy-dog eyes:

"I need money."

5 and 5

So, I clicked in the pictures folder, clicked on the 5th folder and loaded up the 5th piture in it without looking, and this is what popped up.

That's me sitting back the band "float" in 2005 for the fall festival parade out here. While waiting, we decided to jam out, and we attracted a crowd... you can't take me any place!

(and yes, those pants still fit. AWESOME!)

Just a quick note to say - WOW we are blessed. I don't do math, but if I had to add up the stuff my student's parents have given me for Solei, the dollar amount would be astronomical!

I haven't had to buy her clothes in a YEAR, and toys and books and toys just roll in. My parents are the BEST! I teach their kids violin, and they are just thrilled to be unloading the stuff their kids have outgrown to somone who will use and appreciate it, and boy howdy do we!

Tonight we got out a huge set of Duplo Legos that we were given last week, and I think Solei had almost as much fun as Jared and I did :)

One mom gave us a huge box of VHS tapes she couldn't sell at garage sale - including 8 Veggie Tales tapes. I'd never seen them, but a few weeks ago when I had to stay home with a sick kiddo and I was trying to find something Sunday appropriate for 2 sick and cranky girls, I found the tapes she'd given me included the story of Esther and Daniel and the Lion's Den. She loved them, and they were WAY more interesting than those BOM tapes. Now she asks for the "cucumber stories" all the time.

I'm so glad my mom raised me with violin so I could be a mom and a teacher at the same time, and the extra blessings just keep pouring in. I am finding SO MANY things to be thankful for this year!

Beauty Shop

Guess what I did with to Solei today?? Painted her fingernails!!! A lovely lovely shade of pink. I played "beauty shop" with her so she'd let me put her hair up out of her eyes and cut her nails, and I decided to just go for it.

Partly, it was fun and gave me that happy feeling in my heart when I realize how thankful I am heavely Father gave me a daughter to share these things in. But then, after it all - I had this crazy sinking feeling - her hands looked so... not like my baby's hands, but a little girl's hands. Ak. AK.

whoops

It's bedtime and I didn't get to posting yet... okay, random thought for the day -
how weird is it that Solei and I have full conversations now?? It feels so natural, like she's been DYING to communicate since birth but every now and then it hits me - she SPEAKS! Pretty dang well, too. Her prayers are loooong and include everyone and everything she knows. Odd, odd to hear her asking to bless Cookie monster and triangles...
okay night!

Random Solei-isms

She climbs out of the tub, then flops in face first...

Daddy: What are you doing??
Solei: I'm a fish!
Daddy: Huh.. What kind of fish?
Solei: A kissy fish!!
*complete with kissing face*

*****later, and less adorable******

Peeping into my face, smiling brightly-

"Mommy, you're a poophead!"

Lazy and in a rush, I'm cross posting this. It's a video from a Tres De Solei performance a bit ago. Watch it and dream YOU were there, while I run off to yet another rehearsal. Cherrio!

During breakfast, Solei saw my rice crispies I was chowing down on a laughed:

Mommy, you're eating BUGS!!

It's crazy looking at pictures from the first year of her life now - THIS is the personality that was dying to get out.

No more boss...

Sorry these aren’t as fun as they could be…

So – my boss was fired today. As if my job weren’t insane enough. Starting today I report directly to the CEO. Our company is not doing well, even taking into account the current situation. Our CEO decided change in our execution was not coming fast enough.

I’ve only had a few bosses that I really really liked. This is one of them. I’m a little speechless. I’m waiting for a week or so to see what happens.

And I got another e.mail from Apple today telling me to keep them in mind if anything changes...

Sunday, Lovely Sunday...

This weekend our stake presidency was re-organized. Our stake president was released and his second counselor was called as the stake president. (for all you non-mormons out there, think of a new Bishop being brought in to take over a diocese). This happens about every 10 years.



To make the change, the Church sent out someone from Utah. This time around we were assigned an Apostle - Elder L. Tom Perry. Now, there are only 12 of these in the world, so a visit like this is quite an event. We were blessed to hear him speak on both Saturday night and Sunday.



During the meeting I felt very inspired to better my life and live like a better person. I guess that's the point. The theme was "Letting your light shine."

quick

Went to stake conference tonight and got to see and hear L. Tom Perry speak - it was amazing!!! Now off to sleep so I can be up and awake for tomorrow's session...

high heels

Coming up in January, I am thrilled to be in one of my dearest friend's weddings. SO THRILLED!!! The girl is a ball, and her fiance is hilllarious - even proposed dressed like Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, song and everything. The theme is all swingin' 4o's and other brides are all these lovely petite gals, so the bridesmaids getups are geared towards the shorter end of the spectrum. So the shoes - though ADORABLE - make me 8 feet tall. I've had to practice walking in them!

I tried getting a picture of them today, but Solei wanted to wear them and followed me all over the house screaming. So, I got a picture of both!



I eventually gave in and let her try them on, She actually walked really well in them!

Did anyone doubt I'd have a little diva??

what I did today

The plow pose in yoga! It looks crazy painful, but it isn't too bad. It just made me feel like I was awesome ;) Also, I went to the kiddie gym with Solei,the one we went to with Nana and the boys on Monday. Nothing new there, just thought I'd post a nifty shot I got of Nana on Monday:

blogging about another blog

I'm lazy tonight. Today's post will be about another blog I adore - ikea hacker. I have been obsessing over their ideas ever since I came back to the states and dream of doing something like the creative brains that contribute there - this entryway table is pure genius.

Unfortunately I have no skills, no creativity and a toddler that makes meandering about the As-Is section now near impossible. Le sigh - at least there's a blog where I can dream!

like mommy

A few months ago I walked into the kitchen and discovered this:

She'd found my shoes, carried them across the house to the kitchen so she could have a chair to lean on and and tried to figure out how to put them on like mommy. I stood there for a minute undetected and marveled at her carful concentration.

I'm just so blasted thankful I was there to see it - and had the camera nearby. She's one special little girl.

monday monday

The two awesomest parts of my day:

1. Got Nana and cousins to do our incredibly fun (and cheap) music class/gym morning with us. (Katherine did remarkably well following the boys around). I've been telling everyone how fabulous it is but no one has believed HOW awesome it is until now. I love being right!


2. Family Home Evening at PapaNana house - a lesson on thankfulness and saying please. The best part? The activity which involved everyone sitting around the table and Jared holding a cup of butterscotch chips - handing them out to people ONLY if they said "please" and "thank you." The kids caught on pretty quick, but when I tried to get Solei to say them at one point, I told her to say the "Magic Words" - she looked earnestly at her daddy, held out her hand for candy and said "Magic words!"

Happy Monday!

I sure do like my husband!

One of my most favorite pastimes is torturing my husband. This fact itself tortures him. So I accosted him with the camera today and found a place online to make animated gifs to capturethe progression of his annoyance today after dinner.

Heh. You can make one yourself here!

Now this one was HIS idea. He recruited Aaron and Dad to give a tutorial on the progression of the men's hairlines in our family.

Classy.

Our Modern Times...

Forgive the posting here, but I had to get this off my chest.

Many of you may not know this about me but, I’ve had a very close relationship to homosexuals and their struggles. I’ve sat with a gay friend in my arms as he sobbed as he struggled with dealing with his same sex attraction. I’ve attended support groups with friends who needed some companionship to get up the courage to go. I’ve never stopped loving my gay friends, in spite of my disagreeing with their choices.

California Proposition 8 has brought up a lot of questions. I supported this proposition and this is why:

There are no provisions in any law (because no law was ever passed) protecting churches from legal action for not performing or recognizing same-sex marriage. This means that there are no stopping a homosexual couple from suing a church for not performing a marriage. You may think it is silly but, this has happened ALREADY in the United States.

Unfortunately, specifically in California, this law does nothing to change the rights of any person. The only change is the terminology used. Each right given to an individual in the state of California by marriage is available without a marriage. According to Family Code 297.5 - Any two individuals in the state of California may enter into a domestic partnership, which, by statute, grants them all legal rights and responsibilities of married individuals. So, why do they need the title “Marriage”? Personally, I also oppose these domestic partnerships and any other law that condones sin.

Legally speaking, when you open the door to re-definition of marriage you open it all the way. This means that Warren Jeffs and his followers are equally able to challenge the definition to marriage using the same arguments and precedent that our same-sex marriage proponents have used – requesting that their multi-wife marriages be recognized. Frighteningly, they actually have an additional weapon in their arsenal – the first amendment, which guarantees their right to freedom of religion. Their religion has taught polygamy much longer than it has been illegal. I come from a religion that taught polygamy. I consider myself grateful that I am not asked to practice it. The thought of polygamy becoming legal again opens the door for the my church to re-institute the doctrine – something I am not excited about being asked to do (this may be the reason so many of the LDS fought so hard for Prop 8).

In addition, if we abandon the values on which our country and society was founded, you create a totally arbitrary and fluid set of morals upon which our legal system is based. Popular culture becomes the basis for our legal and moral code. Looking at how much popular culture has changed in the last 100 years and looking at the direction it is going, I’m really not interested in handing over the legal “keys” to our culture.

Finally, and this will only have significance to members of the LDS church, in October I raised my right hand to publically confirm that I supported the church leaders. How can I very well not put stock into what they counsel me after doing that? If we look through the history of the LDS church we see that when people strayed from the prophet they suffered (think Haun’s Mill). Jesus himself taught us to love the sinner and not the sin. Nowhere in any scripture that I have read have I seen the sin of homosexuality, or any other sin, condoned in any form. I love and support everyone I know in all of their righteous desires that I can. This will not change.

It saddens me that there are any Christians at all who would be comfortable with opening the door to gay marriage – and that those who are for this change in definition of marriage are allowed to use the word bigot to describe those who continue to hold up the values upon which our society was founded.

As a note - there have been lots of great thinkers who have affected my thoughts on this matter. My brother-in-law posted a great post here: http://dandafamily.blogspot.com/2008/10/defense-of-traditional-marriage.html
And I was also very inspired by Princeton's Dr. Robert George's address here:
http://www.byub.org/devotionals/?selectedMonth=10&selectedYear=2008
My wife as done wonders to help me to articulate my opinions by challenging me on them.

violining

Today I attended an introductory class to the Suzuki methood for parents and teachers. That's the methood of violin that I learned from age three and have taught for over 10 years. The reason I went was that it's now required for teachers who want to do further certification, but I am also curious about seeing things from a different perspective.

Suzuki depends on a high level of parent interaction - from attending classes with their kids, listening to the music constantly to being their teacher at home and practicing with them every day. I've been telling parents how to do this for years, but now that Solei is entering the age that kids are encouraged to begin - I'm suddenly feeling lost and terrified that I'll introduce it wrong and it will be a total disaster!

It was a HUGE help to attend the class. It talked about the main points of Suzuki and was a helpful reminder to me of what I already know.

In the method, violin is used as a tool to teach patience, confidence, discipline, cooperation, self-control, fine motor skills... well, you name it, it teaches it. The goal is NOT to grow professional musicians - but good people. The side product is they end up playing violin at a very high level.

I don't know how soon I will get Solei a teacher, but I'm already starting the framework - playing the CD for her, singing the songs, teaching her rhythms, and letting her try her "own violin" while supervised (it was the one I started on at 3).

But after all these years of smiling at the child and parent for 30 minutes a week and telling them what to do - it's now my turn to see if I can practice what I preach. Wish us luck!!

bonding

Me: Psssst - Mike - do me a favor. I'm going to take a picture of you and Jared in a minute, but could you pretend to kiss him? I want a funny picture.

Mike: Sure thing!

later...

Me: Hey sweetie - can I get a picture of you two?

Jared: Sure thing!

Did Jared know about the conspiracy? No, his brain is just as twisted as mine is. Well, and Mike's. He just got to the smooching first.

Dang he's perfect for me.

Thankful Mommy

We had the missionaries over for Family Home Evening this past Monday and took the lesson from the new nursery manual. If you don't have one, get it!! It has been such a blessing to our family already and it is so wonderful at giving me ideas how to get the gospel across to my toddler in a way she can get it.

Our topic this week was Heavenly Father has a body just like us, and when we tried to teach her what a body was, she insisted we do the "Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes" song. It was hysterical, the missionaries did it along with us and she danced around the middle of the room, thrilled to pieces. She did get the point of the message though!

After we did the lesson, I showed her a picture from the book to show her Heavenly Father and Jesus Christs's bodies.

I pointed to the people on the top and told her who they were, and for the heck of it, I asked who the person at the bottom of the picture was.

Without blinking, her answer was "Joseph Smith!"

Those missionaries were sooo impressed. We would have been more impressed, but we already knew she was a genuis. Heck, she could pick Jesus out of a picture she'd never seen before she was even 18 months. I'm not writing this to brag, just to say she also can name every single character on Sesame Street, Super Why, Clifford, Arthur, all the muppets by name and she can quote the entire movie Finding Nemo.

I'm just thankful she's giving the gospel equal time:)

Toddler game idear

This year Solei's birthday snuck up on me - she's only had 2 now, I'm not used to remembering it yet! So as I tried to think of what I could do for her a few days before the big day, my heart sunk as I realized the best gift I could give her was a party since she loved nothing more than a party!

Enter my amazing friend Vonae, who called right as I was mourning my lack of knowledge and preparation, and saved the day by asking me if I'd want to share a party with her son Nick in a few weeks. AMEN!!!

I'll post more about the actual party and how awesome it was, but for now I'll share one of Vonae's awesome ideas. Since Nick was turning 3 and Solei was turning 2, the party game options were limited. The theme ended up being nothing more than balloons! There were helium-filled balloons with strings attatched to the floor all over, then regular balloons covering the floor. They really went ga ga for them. Anything structured we tried to do was only moderately successful, until Vonae had a burst of inspiration, grabbed a basket and had all the kids hurry and throw all the balloons into it and she then dumped them all out over their heads. Sounds too simple, but they went APE!

They really LOVED it all!!

So stash that in your brains for toddler parties. I really lucked out this year.. maybe she'll let me piggy-back on Nick's party next year?? ;)

How to turn your basment into one of those fancy expensive gyms

First, get your huband to fix that eliptical machine you made him buy when you got pregnant a few years ago and you stopped using around the 6th month:

Second, make one o' them killer smoothies you can now make because your husband got you a new blender for your birthday to replace the 2 you broke in a row:

Then, turn on your projector TV that husband snapped offa Cragslist, mess with that snazzy On Demand feature on the cable box and find the Backyardigans - those wacky and strangely hip adventurers with fabulous tunes:

Finally, enjoy working out, sipping your smoothie and basking in your toddler completely ignoring you. Why didn't I do this before?? Our basement is AWESOME! I was at it for 17 whole minutes!! That's huge, when I was pregnant and trying hard to stay fit, all I could get out was 15 minutes. I have quite the short workout attention span.

I'm really enjoying our "7 fat years" right now - the lean years will come, but I feel blessed by every turn. Even my basement is fabulous!

Happy Halloween!!

After my sister(inlaw) Megan died just before last Christmas, putting together a holiday for Solei was pretty much impossible on my end, and I was grateful she was too young to know the difference. I thought I had more time before I had to step up and make holidays and birthdays awesome, but nope, she KNEW this year. She talked about her birthday for months even though I hadn't said anything about it (I think Elmo told her) and she WANTED Halloween, so mom had to deliver! She was so excited, that every person who has come to our house in the last few weeks has been dragged by her to the family room and told very loudly "MOMMY DECORATED!" Just a few Halloween-y things here and there, but she was into it and she wanted more!

And people, I did AWESOME.

First off was Trick-or-Treating at Jared's work the day before Halloween. I got her all gussied up and thought I'd just be putting her on parade around the office. Nope, she KNEW there was candy involved and she was there to WORK.

See that lollipop?? She wanted MORE.

Off we go!

She learned super fast that if you say "Trick or Treat" to someone, they give you CANDY. She was like a bloodhound, running from room to room screaming "TRICK OR TREAT!" at people and taking full advantage when they said "oo, take some more!"

I even dressed her in another costume to go another round and get MORE candy... (for me!)

The next morning I realized how much she was into Halloween how important it was I find something to do that day to support that. On the web I went, and I discovered a free carnival from 10-12 at the Smyrna community center! Games, treats, it was perfect! And as I rushed to get dressed and out the door - saw my pair of orange and black witch socks and thought - if I'm going to get all Halloween-y on Solei and make her dress up and try to show her how fun holidays can be, I'd better put my money where my mouth is and dress up too. So, I went as a witch. Not inventive, but I was the only parent dressed up and we had a ball playing together!

There was even a hayride, which she loved. I know this because as all the other kids sat there silently, she kept laughing and yelling "HAHA! I love it!!!"

I thought she'd like siting on the police motorcycle, but she surprised me with being the most uninterested little girl I've ever seen.

This was not the case later... I'm figuring it was because she'd been thinking "Hey! This isn't my daddy's scooter!"

We went trick or treating in Nana and Papa's neighborhood and it was positively wonderful. It was so great to share a holiday with family, and Solei loved every minute of it.

Nana even look her out later to trick or treat more while Jared and I went out to dinner with a friend and everyone had a fabulous time. When we came back, we found Papa dancing disco out on the front steps because he wanted in on all the action while he handed out candy.

All in all, it was a wonderful holiday and I'm so blasted happy. My mom always made every holiday like an event and went all out to make the days special, and I feel like I acheived it so far. Now, only about another 985 to go! (or more? I am SO not doing the math on that one).

I'll leave you with our family at Halloween last year. I love how far we've come and where we're headed!

NaBloPoMo

I'm taking on a project this November. I've been doing NaBloPoMo every November for the last two years, and this year I'm adding the family blog into the mix. Husband is excited. He says I'm a bad family blogger. Well, technically I really am, since I was so busy yesterday and I forgot to start... but thank heavens for blogger and back dating!

He'll have to pitch in every now and then, but it's nice to have goals to try to stick to. So watch out November - here we come!