Film, Phone and Flatulence

Kirk took the oldest three kids to see Ice Age 3-D the other day. I stayed home with my youngest assistant and tried to paint Jack's room.



A few days later, Kirk said, "Did I ever tell you about what happened at the movies?" which of course is followed by my answering, "Uh, no. Do I WANT to know what happened?"



I guess Kirk had his cell phone on "vibrate mode" as should ALL people when they attend a movie in a theater. At one point, Erik was getting restless and wanted to sit on his lap. Then Kirk's cell phone went off. You know that "vvv vvvvv" sound it makes? Erik also felt the vibration and when it was done, he said, "I tooted."

Abu Dhabi ( A Boo Boo )

My husband mentioned today that his Passport is about to expire. I thought, "What? Those things are good for like, ten years!" Oh. I guess it has been 10 years. Time flies when you have four kids I guess. I'm really hoping some day I'll look like I did in my passport photo from ten years ago.......

He likes to bring home cool trinkets from his global travels. We especially like to collect Christmas Tree Ornaments for our tree and have built up quite the collection over the years. Porcelain egg from Belgium. A wood carved snowflake from Finland. He has also brought home cool stuff for the kids like wooden toys from Germany, flying helicopters from Japan and toys from China probably heavily laced in lead. He also buys Hard Rock t-shirts because it's cool to have a shirt that says "Geneva", "Tokyo" or "Amsterdam" on it.

He went to the United Arab Emirates for his MBA program a couple of months ago. He actually admitted to me that one day, he could see us living there. I reminded him how close it is to Iran and that any missiles shot would fly over our heads. Not to mention any residual effects of a nuclear bomb. Wind does blow.........

So when he returned from his travels, he showed us the cool souvenirs he bought. A couple of camels for the boys that played twangy, instrumental Arab songs I didn't recognize and wasn't too sad about it when the batteries died as well as a ceramic and jewelled camel for Lauren. Kirk bought himself a black Hard Rock Abu Dhabi t-shirt, a hat that says "Dubai" and a traditional Dishdashah and Gutrah which I recommended he NOT wear on the plane trip home. Kind of like how we have common sense enough not to say "Hi Jack" to our son while on an airplane.

He then showed me a cute little bag emphasizing the fact that even the UAE has embraced the "green" revolution.

And then he gave me this:

The first time I wore it, my three year old pointed out "Jesus" and "Heavenly Father".

In my defense, it was a Sunday. After we had just returned home from church.

And it wasn't until I wore it around the house one day that my husband commented to me that he can see why I wouldn't really want to wear it in "public". His Hard Rock shirt.....sure. It has a big flaming guitar with the word Abu Dhabi on it. Fairly innocuous.

A shirt with a couple of Arab guys laying around drinking next to a camel that has Arabic on it that could say, "Osama is cool" for all I know? Probably wouldn't be something I'd wear anywhere near an airport or touring Washington DC. I'm just thinking out loud here.

He did bring me home a pretty 50g Credit Suisse gold bar. Probably my favorite souvenir yet.

Dog pile on Daddy!!

It's all fun and games until someone gets their eye poked out.


Or a two year old puts you in your place.

Because he wants to be dog piled on next:

HaPpY BiRthDaY ERiK!

Erik is four years old now! ( one more year until he starts school! But who's counting? )

For his fabulous, fun fourth bash, Kirk took the older kids to BounceU to get out a little energy.

Kid gloves? Glad we don't have these at home.

While they were gone, Ian slept and I worked on his Nintendo Controller Cake.

Happy Birthday my little man!

ode to moms

For all the cold meals you sat down to.

For all those snuggling naps on the couch.

For all the puddles on the floor that required a "smell test".

For the plays/songs/skits/reinactments endured.

For those clothes laying on the floor that were either clean or dirty. (see "smell test" above)

For the miles put on your car driving kids to daily activities.

For all the threats and time outs given.

For those moms whose hearts ache for their own mothers.

For those extra pounds that don't seem to want to go away.

For the times you went out in public with spit up stains on your clothes.

For those mothers who had a baby they won't be able to raise in this life.

For the many sleepless nights.

For those moms who went on a get-away vacation with just their husband but found themselves constantly talking about their kids.

For the moms who learned what battles were worth fighting.

I salute you. I admire you.

Happy Mother's Day!

The difference between boys and girls

From the time my boys could figure out the pincer reflex, they have loved cars. They love to run them on the floor, line them up in a row across the room and my least favorite, throw them.

My daughter, on the other hand, has enjoyed playing with her "baby" dolls. She's very possibly a better mommy than I am. Lauren's favorite doll is "Katie". The doll's name has been "Katie" ever since her friend, Loaryn, gave it to her for her 4th birthday.

This morning, Lauren brought down another doll she sometimes played with but not as much as "Katie". She couldn't remember if she had named this other doll and was asking me what a good name might be. Megan? Ella? Sarah?

We didn't have a chance to finish the conversation before heading off to school. When I got home, Erik took the doll and was "playing" with it. By "playing" I mean taking it by the arm and swinging it around and throwing it up in the air. Then he said he knew the perfect name for the no-named doll.

Really? What is it?

THUNDER BOLT!!!

Apparently, Thunder bolt makes thunder to get the bad guys and eats Capt'n Crunch cereal for breakfast.

I love President Benson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehD390q9G3k&feature=player_embedded


Brethren, if we had done our homework and were faithful, we could step forward at this time and help save this country. The fact that most of us are unprepared to do it is an indictment we will have to bear. The longer we wait, the heavier the chains, the deeper the blood, the more the persecution, and the less we can carry out our God-given mandate and worldwide mission. The war in heaven is raging on the earth today. Are you being neutralized in the battle?

As important as are all other principles of the gospel, it was the freedom issue which determined whether you received a body. To have been on the wrong side of the freedom issue during the war in heaven meant eternal damnation. How then can Latter-day Saints expect to be on the wrong side in this life and escape the eternal consequences? The war in heaven is raging on earth today. The issues are the same: Shall men be compelled to do what others claim is for their best welfare or will they heed the counsel of the prophet and preserve their freedom?

Edited to add this link to a really good article:

http://www.ldsfreemen.com/connor-boyack/prophetic-political-silence.html

Tax Day Tea Party!

Yes. I'm a right-wing God-fearing, food-storage-stockpiling, gun-carrying, capitalist-loving , returning-Veteran-hailing extremist. There. I said it. Now that you know, let's move on with my teleprompter-free blog entry......

I applaud those who feel "patriotic" by paying taxes. After all, Obama and Biden claim those who are wealthy can afford to be forced to pay more. Of course he's banking on the fact that no one will actually check their own tax returns to see that their charitable donations total less than 7% for Obama ( which is actually higher than his past contributions of 1-3%. He IS president now ) and less than 1% for Biden. I just wonder how "patriotic" these same people will feel when a couple of years from now, they will be paying 20%+ more in taxes, not to mention higher interest rates and massive inflation.

Ironically, this isn't a democrat/republican issue. For the life of me, I don't get why more liberals aren't up in arms over the spending seeing that they were complaining for the last 8 years over the money Bush spent. Especially knowing this new spending dwarfs any Bush did.

I felt like it was time to take a stand. I decided that I'm not going to be one who sits back and naively thinks there is no way our country would ever become Socialist. That is, until you wake up one day and realize we already are......

So I made signs. Several in fact, because I couldn't decide on just "one". I even made some for my kids to hold ( GASP! Rachel Maddow would claim I "forced" them because I'm a recruiting radical extremist ). I made a point to explain to my kids what the signs represented and I took pictures so that my children will understand when they are older, that I did what I could to fight for their future and freedom. At the very least, they'll be able to say their mom was an "extremist". How cool is that?

We went to the Gilbert Tea Party at noon and met about 1200 of our closest friends. It was so invigorating to see like-minded people with the same concerns, same values, same understanding that it's time to clean House ( and Senate ). I just wish I could have attended the one at the Capitol later in the evening. I've heard there is in the works, a march on Washington Sept 12 and another rally on July 4th.

In the end, it felt GREAT to be a part of the beginning of something big. And in the words of Yamamoto after his attack on Pearl harbor:

"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

Yes politicians. Yes you did.

"Never in the history of the world has there been a more profound need for leaders of principle to step forward. Never before, at least not in our generation, have the forces of evil been so blatant, so brazen, so aggressive as they are at the present time….
We are involved in an intense battle. It is a battle between right and wrong, between truth and error, between the design of the Almighty on the one hand and that of Lucifer on the other. For that reason we desperately need men and women who, in their individual spheres of influence, will stand for truth in a world of sophistry… We need moral men and women, people who stand on principle, to be involved in the political process. Otherwise, we abdicate power to those whose designs are almost entirely selfish.”

Gordon B. Hinckley

HoPpY EaSTer!

Easter Egg nests:

7 ounces marshmallow creme
1/4 cup peanut butter , creamy
1 3/4 tablespoons butter , melted-
2 1/2 cups chow mein noodles -
1 cup Peanut M&M candies

Directions

Add the marshmallow creme, peanut butter, and melted butter to a mixing bowl and beat until evenly mixed.
Add the chow mein noodles to the creamed mixture and stir in by hand. Stir mixture until the chow mein noodles and M&M's are coated evenly.
Using a heaping tablespoon of the mixture, drop a mound onto a lightly buttered cookie sheet. With buttered fingers, form each mound into a rounded shape and make an indent in the middle to make them look like little nests.
Add Peanut M&M's to each nest to make them look like they are filled with eggs. Set them aside to allow them to firm up before serving.

What happens

When you give your child cough medicine then try to play hide and seek..........

I think he was out by the time he got to 7.

Then what happens is mom has to take a picture of his plumber's bum.

I know. No dignity.

Happy Birthday Ian!

Ian turned two on March 21st.

And his favorite word is "No'.

I felt bad that I couldn't make his cake this year with my ankle surgery and all, so we resorted to a girly Costco cake instead. Contrary to how he looks in this picture, I don't think he really minded the purple and pink flowers.

We thought we'd try to redirect his throwing capabilities by buying him a mini basketball hoop.

Did I mention his favorite word is "No"?

Wordless Wednesday

Getting old

Not just my age. A few other things that are getting old:

1. My gray hairs. And realizing I have a lot more than I thought after taking a picture of my head from above. Dang.

2. The bear stock market. This also includes the monthly drop of our 401k causing my need for more chocolate consumption.

3. This child's constant screaming.

4. This:

and this:And not being able to take a shower:

5. 85 degrees in February/March. Sick and wrong.

6. The word "transparency".

And finally....

7. Tatiana del Toro

Don't know who I'm talking about?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CzwqwTMvvU&feature=related

Fieldtrip

Kirk and I were enjoying some adult conversation time we had penciled in on the calendar the other night after we put the kids to bed.

As we were talking, we saw out of the corner of our eye, something fluttering down to the ground from the upstairs followed by quick footsteps as we heard the perpetrator run away.

Curious, Kirk went over to see what it was. Then trying to contain our laughter read:

Not exactly what I was expecting since most of the recent notes my daughter has left me said something along the lines of "I want a dog. Please reply." Which is followed by a note stating I already have four kids.

We both quietly laughed and then I sat there actually thinking I wasn't really SURE why they call it a field trip if you don't go to a field. So, I tried to make something up that she might believe. Much like my parents telling me years ago that my hair would fall out if I kept twirling it.

I told her she needed to take a fieldtrip to her room...........

Miss me much?

I KNOW!!! It's been forever!

I have some pictures to show what I've been doing for the last month or so. Just so you know I haven't been slacking.

I went in for my ankle tendon reconstruction surgery on February 2nd. Groundhog day.

Here's what my ankle looked like right before heading off to surgery. We made sure to use a sharpie to mark which foot to operate on:

And what it looked like afterwards in the splint:

Lucky for you, I couldn't find my camera the day I went back to Dr. Doogie Howser to remove my splint and get my ankle casted. It was the nastiest, gnarliest, hairiest, smelliest, stitched up bruised piece of gross I've ever seen. The Dr. said it looked really good. Figures. I thought it looked like he attached someone else's foot.

WARNING: If you are eating, you might want to put down your food at this time.

Too much information ahead.

See, with this particular surgery, they made a 2 inch incision up at my calf to stretch/repair my tendon to my calf muscle. Then there is about a 6 inch incision from just above my ankle to the middle of my arch. This is where they took a tendon from my big toe to repair my torn tendon just above my ankle. Then I have a 2 inch incision on the outside of the foot at an angle that goes from the bottom of my foot to the back of the foot which is where they went in and broke my ankle bone and moved it about 1 cm so it was more "under" my body. Lastly, I have a small incision on the back of my foot where they placed about a 2 inch screw to hold my ankle bone in place.

I KNOW! Nasty!

I went last Friday to have the splint removed and put in a non walking cast which means crutches for the next four weeks. While I was at the Dr. I mentioned that my calf has been in a constant knot for about a week and is the most excruciatingly painful thing ever. He was concerned I might have a blood clot so he sent me downstairs to another office to get a STAT ultrasound. Unfortunately STAT to them meant at least an hour wait. Little did they know those were the WRONG choice of words to say to my Doctor dad who promptly told them where to shove it. We left and went to the emergency room at a hospital close to home. They did an ultrasound which luckily showed no blockage in my veins and no clots. The young lady who did my ultrasound commented about how it was nice that I had "skinny" legs because it made it easier to see the veins. LOVE HER! We got out of there just in time for the Friday night freak show.



I'll be honest. Along with the grossness of it all, the recovery has been, truthfully, the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. Worse than my regular birth or 3 c/sections. Worse than my two kidney and gallbladder stone attacks. WAY worse. The first few days, my Oxycontin and Percocets weren't even touching it. Add to that my calf muscle in a never ending charlie horse and having to watch the downhill slide of our country since Obama took office, I've been pretty miserable.

About 11 days after the surgery, I was finally starting to feel like I was making progress. I've ventured from the bed to the family room where I see the same view, day in and day out.

The view in front of me with my cool "Suns" colored cast and sexy blood clot reducing sock:

The view to my left:

The view to my right:

The view right next to me:

And what I've tried to avoid climbing on me:

My office/nest/laundry room:

After the cast comes off, I'll be in a walking boot for six weeks then I'll start physical therapy.

I can't wait to shower again. It's the little things you take for granted.....

The moral of the story is: One should only attempt to do laundry at their own risk.