The Archibald Post

Aaaaand, a year later....

2011-10-17T22:18:00.002-06:00

Well hi. It's been a while. Hope anyone who reads this (does anyone follow anymore?) is doing well and is happy and content. It's good to see you again.

I admit it--I lost the blogging bug for a long time. Like...a REALLY long time. I used to love thinking of things to write and couldn't wait to jump on and craft a witty post (well....I thought they were at least a LITTLE witty). Lately, life has kind of crowded out the unnecessary extras (which, when I think about it, is a good thing, no?). Also, blogging is for stay-at-home moms, right? That's not me anymore. In fact, I can barely remember that life, though it was a really good one. I think I'm a different person now, if that makes any sense at all.

But--enough of the self-absorbed musings. I should share an update on where we are. Carter and I live in a splendid little two-bedroom apartment that we absolutely love. We moved in three months ago. It is perfect for us. It's about two minutes from my office, five minutes from my parents' house, and there's a Target right around the corner. Heaven is not in Iowa. Surprisingly, I think it may be in Midvale, Utah. I know--shocking.

I work full-time for Cottonwood Heights now. I love my job and all my co-workers. Our ward has been great, and Carter discovered he already knew a couple of kids here from when he came with me as I worked in the preschool (ironically, located across the street from us now) two years ago. His school is FABULOUS and his teacher is one of the most organized, approachable teachers I've ever met. He is loving it there.

In other words, we have been abundantly and ridiculously blessed.

So...now that life has settled down a bit, I'm going to try to get on here a bit more often and check on all of you while I give you a glimpse into our new life. Hopefully, my tendency toward laziness and procrastination doesn't prove me wrong!

A Whole New Life. Kind of.

2010-11-05T13:29:00.002-06:00

If life is a big neverending circle then I guess I'm where I should be, back where it all began--living with my parents.

This admission brings with it a little bit of mortification (I'm almost 35 and living with my PARENTS?!) but the overwhelming feeling I have is gratitude. I'm so grateful my mom and dad have been so generous by allowing Carter and me to crash here for a bit while I get my legs under me and get started down a new path.

We moved in this past Monday. I packed the last of the things from the house in West Jordan, said goodbye to my friends, and looked ahead to a whole new life. Definitely not the life I ever, ever imagined for myself, but I think it will still be a good life. I'm not quite sure what the future holds for me, but that's what makes it exciting, no?

Carter started school on Tuesday, and he loves his new class and has fit right in. Being apart from Randy has been a little tougher for him, especially on Monday night. But routines are forming and he's feeling more comfortable with our new digs, so I think we will both be just fine. Quite frankly if he's happy, I'm happy.

The hardest thing I will have to face by living here will probably be the steady stream of Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, with a little German yodeling and polka music mixed in. (I love you, Dad!) But if that's all I have to complain about, life is pretty darn good!

Sad endings and new beginnings.

2010-10-09T09:52:00.004-06:00

I think the time has come to talk about something I have studiously avoided ever talking about. But changes are coming, and this is the easiest way I could think of to get it out there.

To our families and close friends, it is not news that Randy and I have struggled for a long time now. Years, actually. We love each other dearly and love our children, but serious financial struggles, bad decisions on both our parts (Randy's related to work and finances, mine related to how I dealt with the situation as a whole), and our inability to find middle ground in our goals and desires have made it a hard four years or so. We have fought hard and attended more than a year of marriage counseling, but have not been able to make any headway.

This led to some serious conversations about our future together at the end of July. We basically had to decide whether we saw a future that we could work toward to make our marriage happy again, which I believed (and still believe) it could be. After months of conversations about it, and bargaining, and sadness, we decided two weeks ago to divorce.

Randy and I are both heartbroken. But whereas I think that (granted, with a lot of work) we could make a happy future, he thinks it is best to move on. And so we will. And we will be ok.

Since our conversation in July, I had known this was a possibility and was quietly making plans about what I would do if things turned out this way. My mom and dad, who recently moved back here from Minnesota and are in the process of closing on a new home, have offered to let Carter and I live with them as long as needed. Hopefully, we will only be imposing on them until my job at Cottonwood Heights becomes a full-time position--probably in the middle of next year. (On a sidenote, how grateful I am to my Heavenly Father for helping me be able to provide for my family. I know it's not an accident that my parents just happened to move out here now, after trying to sell their house in MN for 16 months, and that I was hired to work for the city. They are deliberate blessings, for which I am so thankful.)

A lot of my things are now in storage (thanks to my personal moving company--my family). As soon as my parents close on their house and get settled, we will be moving in with them. That will probably happen sometime before the end of October. Randy will be staying here at the house for a few months until he finds another place to stay.

Brendan, Camryn, and Carter are all aware of what is happening. I am saddest for them. I know it can't be easy, especially for Carter who has only been able to grasp that he will miss his dad. But we will work through it. We love them more than ever, and I know we will all be OK.

I'm so grateful for my family and my friends who have seen me through this, and will probably be helping to prop me up for a while to come. They help me to be strong and keep me moving when I would rather pull the covers over my head and hide.

More than anything, I want anyone who reads this to know that I love Randy and I want him to be happy. I don't want anyone to judge him harshly. I don't want anyone to judge ME harshly, either. We did our best. I wish we could be happy together, but if that is not possible I just want him to find the joy he has been searching for.

I ache for the end of all the good things we've experienced in the last nine years. But I find hope in the knowledge there are good things to come for both of us.

(And on a much lighter note, thanks to my sweet boy Carter for choosing a new background for my blog.)

Do I look illegal?

2010-07-18T11:04:00.003-06:00

The immigration debate.

Ahhh, what an intense debate it has become, and the feelings that go along with it are equally as intense. It's sad, however, that the debate has become less about what we can do to correct our immigration laws and how to help the millions of immigrants that live and work (and YES, PAY TAXES) here, and more about targeting "illegals," mostly hispanics, and using racism as a basis for expelling "unwanted" members of our society.

Did you know that neo-nazi groups have taken to patrolling our border? Doesn't that make you even a little nervous? (I won't even get started on the Tea Party.)

Did you hear about "The List" of 1,300 supposed illegal immigrants (many whose names are on the list say they are here legally), ALL LATINOS, which was compiled by at least two Utah state workers? They were trusted with confidential information, but chose to break the law in the name of their racist opinions instead.

Let me be clear: I am not in favor of letting in everyone who wants to cross our borders. I firmly believe that our immigration laws are flawed and in need of a major overhaul. I also believe that our borders need to be tightened.

However, I DO NOT believe in harassment and hatred. I DO NOT believe that all illegal immigrants are criminals. I DO NOT believe that we should "kick 'em all out!" as others would like.

I believe that we should care for PEOPLE, no matter where they come from. I believe that we should understand everyone's story before we rush to judge. I believe that mercy and charity are the foundation of Christianity, unlike many of the "Christians" who sit in judgement in their luxurious homes (by the world's standards) with everything they could possibly need and decide who does and who does not have the right to try to provide those same basic needs for those they love. I am completely convinced that most people who think that immigrants should just "go home" don't truly understand what it's like in those countries. If their situations were reversed, I guarantee they would be clamoring for a chance to come to the USA, even if they had to come here illegally.

Most of all, I decry the use of race as a basis for determining if someone is "illegal" or not. It gives hateful people an excuse to act on their most deplorable beliefs.

I read this article in the Salt Lake Tribune today, and I agree with it 100%.

"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." Edmund Burke

Spike's Dad.

2010-05-27T16:51:00.002-06:00

Read this. Just.....read it. For me. And for you. Enjoy!

Words of Wisdom.

2010-05-22T14:46:00.005-06:00

As I chronicled here, I have spent the last nine months working at Jordan Valley School, a school for kids with disabilities severe enough that they won't succeed in a typical classroom. This last week, the school sponsored a bike fair and got all of the kids in the school to participate by drawing posters with safety tips. Then, the posters were plastered all up and down the halls of the school. They are AWESOME! So I thought I'd share some of the posters with all their words of wisdom. (Not all of it relates to bikes, as you'll see.)

"The Fringe Benefits of Failure."

2010-05-16T10:28:00.002-06:00

Without going into detail, let it be said that Randy and I have not had the easiest go of this whole "life" debacle in the past few years. While I'm enormously grateful for him and for our family and the blessings of a roof over our heads and food to eat, we have also been facing "failure" full in the face and trying to come to grips with what that means about us personally. It's not a fun process.

Today, I watched this video on a whim, and I am starting to realize that failure does not comment on what I am but rather what I have the opportunity to become.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

Best quote: "Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena where I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realized and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life."

So three cheers for rock bottom...and the fact that I refuse to be here for long.

Bizarre Rainbows.

2010-05-12T20:44:00.004-06:00

Today, Carter and I were driving home from the preschool when I looked up and saw this:

...a straight rainbow! I've never seen anything like it. It stretched in a straight line across part of the sky--not in a bow like a traditional rainbow or in a circle like a circle around the sun. And it SHIMMERED...I'll swear it on my life.

To myself I muttered, "What IS that?? It's so bizarre!"

To which Carter replied, "Some rainbows are just bizarre, Mom." Like it was the most normal thing in the world.

In other news, I got this in the mail today:

It's official.

Bizarre rainbows, indeed.

The Best Mother's Day.

2010-05-09T11:59:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, Randy treated me to a morning of pampering as my Mother's Day gift. He took Carter to work with him for the morning while I attended two appointments--one for a hot stone massage (PERFECTION) and one for a hot-towel facial (TO DIE FOR). That, combined with cards from Carter and Randy this morning, made me think my day was complete.

And then Carter said the blessing over breakfast this morning.

"Heavenly Father, I'm thankful for my mom and that she's so good to me. Bless Daddy's headache that it will feel better. We're thankful for our food and our house and our family. Bless them to be strong. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I helped raise that sweet, earnest, compassionate kid! And with all my mistakes and blunders and the trials of being a mom, in that moment I felt deeply and eternally honored and blessed.

May your Mother's Day be as wonderful as mine has been!

PS--I LOVE YOU, MOM!

The Chaos Theory

2010-05-06T17:55:00.016-06:00

Here's my theory about Chaos: Chaos happens because the Forces of the Universe combine to bring the various people and interests in your life together in a nebulous, swirling cloud. And then said Forces, chuckling to themselves mirthlessly, drop said nebulous swirling cloud into one short week of one month of one year of your little, supposedly important life. Behold: CHAOS.

OK, that description could be a little overdramatic. And to be honest, I like a little chaos every now and then just to shake things up. But I think the Forces went a little overboard a couple of weeks ago.

This is my sister Kiirstin.

Isn't she pretty? She's even prettier when you consider that this picture was taken mere hours after she gave birth to my new nephew Henry on April 17. (And yes, she might kill me for posting this photo.)

And thus began my Week of Chaos. Lovely chaos, because many good things came of that week. But boy-howdy, I was EXHAUSTED at the end of it. So here is the rundown, with explanations and pictures. I warn you: reading this super-long post is going to take some concentration. If you suffer from ADHD, stop reading now.

Friday, April 16, 5:30 pm
A very nice receptionist from the city of Cottonwood Heights called me and asked if I would be interested in having an interview with the city manager and HR director regarding the Public Relations Specialist position I had applied for the previous week. I calmly accepted, scheduled the interview for the following Monday, thanked her, then hung up the phone and proceeded to have a mini-anxiety attack. (Did I tell you I suffer from a mild anxiety disorder? Hmm. Well, that will play a part in the week to come. Stay tuned.) Kiirsti and her daughter, who had spent most of the day with me after she had a doctor's appointment to strip her membranes (ladies, you know what I'm talkin' 'bout), went home soon after that.

Friday, April 16, 9:50 pm
My brother-in-law Kurt called and very sweetly asked if I would be willing to stay the night at their house with Kinsley that night since they were going to the hospital to "have Kiirsti checked." Yeah right, Kurt. They don't "check" full-term pregnant ladies whose contractions are four to five minutes apart! I packed a bag and made it to their house in record time, then sent them on their way.

Saturday, April 17, 7:30 am
No baby yet. So I packed up Kinsley and took her to my house where Saturday festivities were in full swing. (Saturday festivities = everyone in their pajamas watching TV).

Saturday, April 17, 9:16 am
My parents, on the second to last leg of their journey from Minnesota to Utah to see the new baby, are chatting with me on the phone about when we think Kiirsti will have her baby. My dad gets pulled over by a cop. After laughing loudly at him, I hang up. Kiirsti chooses this exact moment to give birth to Henry Gerald Meng. Happy Birthday, little Henry! Hopefully you don't grow up to be a criminal like your grandpa!

Saturday, April 17, 11:15 am
We ate...

....so that Carter can be on time to his 12:00 soccer game--the first of the season and the one in which mom and coach messed up and didn't get him his jersey.

At least we remembered shin guards.

Saturday, April 17, 5:00 pm
I sent the family to Brendan's football fundraiser dinner--a luau. I then took Kinsley to meet her new baby brother and see Mommy and Daddy.

Then, I took Kinsley home with me to stay the night with us.

Sunday, April 18, 1:00 pm
After sleeping in and generally being lazy, I took Kinsley to the hospital again to see Kurt, Kiirstin, and Henry and to meet up with my parents, who then took Kinsley with them to my brother Cameron's house in Eagle Mountain. (Sadly, Kurt's uncle had passed away only a few days before, and since the funeral was on Monday, they were expecting to have houseguests through Monday night. With everything else going on, Mom and Dad took Kinsley with them to make things a little easier on Kurt while Kiirsti was in the hospital.)

Monday, April 19
I dropped Carter off at my friend Renae's house and went to work at the preschool. I took a change of clothes and then tried to keep my hair and makeup nice through four hours of playing so that I could look professional for my job interview with Liane Stillman and Linda Dunlavy at 1:45. The interview went well. However, my anxiety reared its ugly head again. I had already received many calls and texts and emails of reassurance from family and friends, but the minute I walked into the room my hands went from being sweaty to being ice cold. My underarms were soaked. I know I must have maintained a calm exterior, but in my brain I just tried to control my breathing enough to answer their questions.

After the interview, I drove home kicking myself for everything I thought I'd done wrong and vowed to bury myself in food. I did this by cooking dinner for my parents and my sister and her family and spent the evening with them--still stressing out over the interview.

Wednesday, April 21
My brother Cameron and his daughter Leah met my parents and me at a Trax station, and we headed downtown to the Church History Library to meet with....

...Marlin K. Jensen, member of the Quorum of the Seventy and lead historian for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My mom donated some documents that had belonged to my grandfather, who had worked closely with the leadership of the Church during his career with the Genealogical Society. Elder Jensen was very kind and very interesting. (He's also shorter in person than he is on TV during general conference. But...everyone's short to me, I guess.) It was a great visit--and probably the last time I'll EVER see the fourth floor of the Church History Library.

Thursday, April 22
This is pretty much all we did when hanging out with my parents that week:

Grandpa tickled the kids, took them for walks to look at birds with the binoculars, and fed them candy while Mom cooked and cuddled the babies and bestowed liberal amounts of chocolate pudding. And then, in the midst of all this family togetherness, Linda called from Cottonwood Heights to ask if I would kindly come to city council meeting the following Tuesday in order to be INTERVIEWED BY THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL. Granted, I have met all of the city council members many times before, but this did not stop my little friend, Anxiety, from becoming my constant companion for the next five days.

Friday, April 23
Carter and I attended Kindergarten orientation at the neighborhood school. Carter ate cookies and colored pictures in his new classroom while I was made to realize what an ineffective mother I am for not having Carter's immunizations up to date, nor his vision and hearing screenings and Kindergarten checkup finished. The family barbecue made up for it, though. We ate lots of food and cuddled babies. And then we watched Nacho Libre. It was a good night.

Saturday, April 24
More soccer.

But the highlight of the day was lunch with one of my absolute favorite people in the whole world, my friend Jen Davis. She was in town with her dad, Mark, to see her brother Jordan graduate from BYU.

We ate at Bajio, talked for two hours, and had a great time. I love my Jencita so much, and I hate that she lives so far away!

Sunday, April 25
My parents left. :(

Tuesday, April 27, 9:00 pm
My interview. The Thing I had been dreading and anticipating for five days. Before I left home, I texted Randy and asked him to give me some words of encouragement. Then I put on my game face and left to face my doom.

On my way to the city offices, I received these texts from Randy:

"John F. Kennedy once said, 'When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters: one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.'"

"And to quote one of your favorite authors, Henry David Thoreau, 'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.'"

And then this:

"And another brilliant man, Randy, said, 'I love you and you are the perfect person for this position. The council is not interviewing you to find reasons not to hire you...only looking for confirmation that you are the right person for the job. You'll do great.'"

I nailed the interview. The next afternoon, they offered me the job and I accepted. I start my new job on June 3.

So--I present to you all of the above evidence that my definition of the chaos theory is completely true. But I'll take a Week of Chaos anytime if it means I and my family will be blessed because of it. Now, looking back, I wouldn't trade that week for anything.

Ketchup.

2010-04-15T20:24:00.007-06:00

Ok, so it's been a while. A little over a month, to be exact. Yes, I admit my gloomy week turned into an extended hiatus from blogging, but not because there was nothing happening. So let's play "ketchup," shall we?

--We have decided to use part of our tax return to finish a room downstairs for Brendan. Right now, his room looks like this:

It gets darn cold down there in the winter, although it's quite nice in the summer. And before you call child protective services, please understand that I've invited Brendan to move back upstairs numerous times and he refuses. He's just not too keen on having to share a room with little Carter and be bound by his bed/nap times and such. I can't say I blame him.

--We also used a little bit of our tax return to get some much-needed clothing for our kids. You see, when in the midst of a financial crisis (or financial cri-SES), things like clothing and shoes and such utter nonsense get placed quite hastily on the backburner of our lives. And so, with a little money in our pockets, we indulged the kids. And then,

--Randy indulged ME by inviting a business friend of his to our house to evaluate my closet and take me shopping.

This is Sarah. She's an image consultant and jewelry designer who is also part of Randy's small business networking group. As a surprise, he gave her some money with which to buy me some clothes, invited her to the house, took the kids, and left. And I was alone with....her. Any woman like me (one with issues. I mean SERIOUS issues.) would have reacted the way I did in the face of her cool sophistication, fashionable breeziness and shopping savvy--I started to get sweaty, I had a hard time looking her in the eye, and I began to think over all the clothing in my wardrobe and immediately decided it was all frumpy and I hated it. EVERY. SINGLE. PIECE.

And then 20 minutes later we were best buddies, heading to the mall to try on millions of outfits and be brutally honest with each other. We (or I, at least!) had a blast. Sarah helped me choose some good solid wardrobe staples and made me try on some things I NEVER would have tried on myself, which was good for me. All in all, I was completely happy with our session.

So, men (or sneaky wives who need some pampering and are good at dropping hints), go to her websites and see what she has to offer. She's AMAZING. (And thanks to my sweet husband for putting it all together!)

Cable Car Couture
Blue Bijou

--Carter has a new favorite game. It's called Cash Cab.

(I'm totally attracted to this guy in a "You seem really nice and funny, but there's something in your eyes that makes me think you could rob someone at knifepoint in a dark alley" kind of way. It's one of my issues.)

On the TV show, you get in a cab, answer trivia questions, and many people walk away with a couple of thousand dollars. In Carter's version, he climbs into my mom-taxi and then begins grilling me with questions like, "What is your middle name?" and "What street do you live on?" and "When is my birthday?" It doesn't seem like it would be that funny, but I'm telling you, the kid knows how to work it. He has his TV gameshow hosting duties down to a T. So, dear reader, next time you ride in my car, I'm putting YOU on the hot seat.

--I applied for YET ANOTHER job. (I know, I know, enough with the "trying to find your destiny" crap, Stephanie.) But this is the one job that I promised myself I would apply for if it ever came up.

Until three months ago, I worked for a small community newspaper called the Valley Journals covering Cottonwood Heights' city government. Two weeks ago, the city opened a job for a part-time Public Relations Specialist. My heart just about dropped through my feet, and I applied the following Tuesday. I would LOVE this job, the salary is phenomenal, and I would be able to spend more time home with Carter than I am now. So we've got our fingers crossed that it works out. I'll keep you posted.

Anyway, that's about it for now. On my honor, I will be better at updating the blog. Now, don't you wish you had a nice hot dog to go with all that ketchup?

Gloom.

2010-03-12T17:58:00.001-07:00

I'm having a week. I don't have them very often, but this is one of them.

So, I present the folks of HEE HAW, who express my feelings so much better than I can. And with nifty overalls.

Uncanny.

2010-03-10T23:57:00.002-07:00

I think this man--whoever he is--is living the EXACT SAME LIFE as me. Weird.

Scenes from a cell phone camera.

2010-03-08T21:18:00.005-07:00

It's been a while since I transferred pictures from my phone to my computer. I found some cool stuff.

These are my men. So alike. But they're cute so I'll keep them.

This is Chef Adalberto Diaz. He taught me and my sister Kiirstin how to make all kinds of bread during a cooking class at a bistro called The Blue Lemon in Alpine, UT. I almost asked him to run away with me just so that he could cook for me for the rest of my life--even though I'm married and he's about a foot shorter than me.

This is the pizza he cooked for us. That's fresh pizza sauce, prosciutto, fresh mozarella and tomatoes. Eat your hearts out. (PS--I successfully replicated this crust at my house last week. Because of this, I am planning a gourmet pizza party, my friends!)

I posted this on facebook, but I still find it laughable. What's a woman to do--stay true or go rogue?

These guys are part of my Wednesday night volleyball crew. I love me a good game of volleyball!

Fact: I love the Olympics. Fact: Carter was forced to love the Olympics, too. he became so enthralled with Apolo Ohno that I decided to take him ice skating at the Olympic Oval in Kearns, UT.

He tried to be brave and let go of his old man walker a few times.

But he felt more comfortable like this. He made it all the way around the oval eventually, though. I was proud of my little man.

I hate the pre-springtime brown yuckiness in Utah. But last week, all the snow melted and it actually got warm enough for Carter to go outside to play without whining the whole time. It was nice to get out of the house (despite the admittedly redneck swingset).

This last weekend, we packed up the fam and drove to Island Park, ID, where Randy's family has a cabin. We snowshoed and snowmobiled, drank hot cocoa and ate junk food, played the Wii and watched movies. And Camryn had her first honest-to-goodness snowball fight. (We had three of them to be exact.) All in all, a great weekend. It was nice to escape for a while.

The end.

A Little Bit of Innocence Lost.

2010-02-26T15:38:00.002-07:00

Today, in the car on the way to a training for my job, Carter and I had a moment. It was not a particularly pleasant moment (for me), and I hadn't really realized until it was upon me that I would have to meet this particular challenge at some point. (I think it was like most parenting challenges--you know you have to tell your kids about unpleasant things at some point or do the whole "tough love" thing, but it's never quite as hard in your mind as it is in real life.)

This morning, my son learned about war.

Our war. Our warS.

We were listening to NPR's Morning Edition, and the lead story after the news update was an in-depth report about the suicide car bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan this morning. 17 people died. People were shooting at other people. You know, the same kind of news headlines that have become all too common, and therefore have faded into our subconscious mind. They are now just a fuzzy background noise that accompanies all of the "real" stuff going on in our quiet lives here in the states.

But for Carter, it was like a lightbulb went on.

"Mom, who was shooting?" he asked.

I paused and then explained that some people don't like other people, so they use guns to hurt them. I asked him if that was an OK thing to do, and he replied that it was not.

"But, why did they do that?" he asked.

"Because they are in a war," I said.

"What's 'war?'" he asked again.

I turned off the radio. I tried to figure out how to explain hatred and terrorism and politics to a four-year-old who has never had to deal with any of those things before. And tears came to my eyes.

This was the moment when Carter was going to start to see the world for what it is a lot of the time: a scary, hate-filled, uncertain place. This was his first look into all the things that make all of us parents fear for the future of our children. This was his first step out of innocence.

I DID NOT want to have that conversation. But I did. I told him that when lots of people fight lots of other people, it's called a war. I told him that it's sad because people get hurt.

He was fine with that explanation. We talked a little bit more, and then he seemed satisfied and let the topic drop. I didn't tell him that hate-filled people killed almost 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11. I didn't tell him that a sadistic, empty-souled tyrant named Adolf Hitler killed 6 million people almost a century ago. I didn't tell him that there's a good chance that he'll have to live with wars of one kind or another for his entire life.

Am I over-reacting? Maybe. I know that he still feels safe here at home with his family and that what we talked about today will probably not affect his day-to-day life at all right now. But a seed has been planted. A precedent has been set. And it makes me sad to think that this is the day he learned that people hurt and kill other people, a concept he will now begin to witness every day for the rest of his life.

And so it begins.

Green with......

2010-02-03T14:44:00.005-07:00

I took these...

...and made these...

...so Carter and I can make cute things like this...

...and ended up with this.

Oops.

The volleyball crew is not going to let me hear the end of this tonight. It's hard to take a spike seriously when it's hit by a hand like that. *sigh*

I think it's time to invest in some rubber gloves.

Give it up for the Greeks.

2010-01-29T16:06:00.005-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I adore food--good, well-seasoned food and lots of it. And though I love all types of food (except tofu and tripe) Greek food is what I crave a lot of the time. Not only is Greece the birthplace of philosophy and mythology, it's also the cradle of civilization when it comes to seriously yummy eats.

My obsession with all things Greek comes as no surprise to my old co-workers at APX Alarm. When I was pregnant with Carter, I ate Greek food from a little restaurant a couple of miles from the office almost every single day. For at least two months, it was pretty much the only food I ate, period. I never got tired of it. It was so much of a sure thing, in fact, that my friend Lindsay remarked one day, "Steph, I'm really concerned that your baby is going to come out Greek." He didn't, but I probably wouldn't have minded.

Skip ahead five years to present day: specifically GIRLS NIGHT OUT tonight! I got put in charge of making a pasta salad for dinner. I decided that instead of making a run-of-the-mill Mormon pasta salad (though they're also very yummy), I wanted to make a Mediterranean pasta salad. I thought about it for a few days, and with a little help from the internet I came up with the most divine pasta salad EVER in the history of salads! Ok, I may be exaggerating and it could prove to be a huge flop at our shindig tonight, but to me it tastes like the holy grail of pasta salad.

So, long story short, here's my first-ever recipe! It may still need some tweaking depending on the response it gets at the party tonight, but it's still pretty darn good. I hope you like it!

Stephanie's Mediterranean Pasta Salad (I'll think of a better name for it later.)

Ingredients:

Salad--

16 oz. Rotini pasta, cooked to al dente, drained and cooled
1 large cucumber, diced
3 vine-ripe tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced really small
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
3-4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

Dressing
(Note: I modified this recipe from a similar one I found on Allrecipes.com. It can be used for any type of salad, and I think you could probably also use it as a marinade. This recipe makes more than you need to dress the salad, so pop it in an airtight container and keep the leftovers in the fridge for a few weeks....though I doubt it will last that long.)

1 c. good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 c. red wine vinegar
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
3/4 t. pepper
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. onion powder
3/4 t. dijon mustard

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a large mixing bowl. Using a wire whisk, beat the heck out of it until the mixture has emulsified. Set aside. (You can even make this a day in advance to allow the flavors to blend.)

In a large serving bowl, combine all the salad ingredients. Pour some of the dressing mixture over the top. Toss the salad together and then taste it to adjust the amount of dressing if needed. Serve with grilled chicken or steak kababs or just eat a huge bowl of it all by yourself. Live and let live, I say.

P.S.--Trying out recipes is hard on my kitchen.

Male Bonding.

2010-01-27T16:09:00.003-07:00

I really enjoy living in our neighborhood, but one thing Carter has missed out on is man time. The only kids his age on our street are girls. He loves to play with them and they love to play with him, but I've been looking for a little boy his age in our neighborhood so we could invite him over for a playdate.

A few months ago, I met a family with a little boy named W. They are the cutest family and even though W. is a year younger than Carter, the two boys have already started their own mutual adoration society. So today, W. came over to play. In fact, they are playing Hyperdash in the next room as I type this.

The funny thing is that even though they've played together often at church functions and such, this is their first actual "playdate." Because of this, when W. first came over he was a little shy. As in, didn't say much and only shrugged his shoulders when I addressed him directly.

That's when I pulled out the Froot Loops and cut up an apple. We all know that sharing food with a friend is a social activity, not designed to feed any hunger except the kind that craves affection and fun. So, the ice slowly began to melt.

And that's when I overheard this conversation.

W: "My house is better than your house. We keep our mixer in the pantry."

Carter: "Do you have a back yard?"

W: "We have two yards."

Carter: "You have two back yards?"

W: "No, only one back yard and one front yard."

[Pause]

Carter: "HEY!! We're the same! We have one back yard and one front yard, too!"

[Both giggle.]

W: "We're going to get the Transformers movie."

Carter: "We have the Big Chance of Meatballs Movie for a minute." (Sidenote: This is Carter's name for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, which we rented from the Redbox for a day TWO WEEKS AGO. And yet he still quotes almost every line.) It's the one with all the food."

[Pause]

Carter: "Row, row, row your boat and drive it up the sea! Merry, merry, merry, merry, life is like a lollipop."

W: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

Carter: "Lollipop."

W: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!"

Carter: "Lollipop."

W: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

[Pause]

W: "Sometimes we burp."

Carter: "Yeah."

And then they were friends for life.

Boys are SO FUNNY.

A News Update

2010-01-25T22:51:00.006-07:00

I feel the need to catch up on the "news" portion of this blog. So, here goes.

--I am no longer a journalist. So strange to say that! I covered the Cottonwood Heights government beat for the Valley Journals for almost three years, and now all of a sudden......I just don't. I will miss everyone I've worked with, but I will NOT miss the stress of my deadlines. In fact, I have to say it's been heavenly!!

The city council was very nice and presented me with some Cottonwood Heights mementos (scarf, shirt, keychain, mugs) and a $50 gastronomy gift card. New Yorker Restaurant, here I come!! I've been having naughty dreams about your smoked gouda potatoes for three years now!

(A word about this photo: so not flattering. I look better than this, I swear. But at the time I was on day 5 of the three week respiratory infection that I am just getting over. And I was nervous because I was standing at the front of a roomful of people. And the guy who took over my job is the one who snapped this shot, and he was using my camera which he didn't know how to use, and he was nervous too because it was his first night on the job. I'm just sayin' you have to take this photo with a grain of salt.)

--Randy sold his business. For those who don't know, Randy had a small used car dealership called Car Snobs. After two years, it has not been as profitable as we thought it would be, but has eaten up about 10 bazillion times more time and money than we thought it would. So, he has merged his biz with a company called Polished Image Auto Detailing. We are grateful for the change and think it will turn out really well. Major plus: Randy might not be quite so stressed anymore, and we might actually get to spend time with him now!

--I turned 34 a week ago. This is not an interesting tidbit in and of itself. What is interesting is that my friends chose to honor the occasion the best way they know how--with plastic pink lawn flamingos. In JANUARY.

I love my sweet friends so much! Thanks for the flamingos and the yummy breakfast Tanya, Renae, Sheri, and Kaylene! I love you guys!!

My cool sister Kiirstin bought me lunch at Taste of Thai, my current favorite restaurant. (They're in Jordan Landing now, so you locals should go check them out.)

Then, Randy took me out for a steak dinner that night. It was going to be dinner and a show, but the show part didn't work out. And it wasn't just any show--it was a performance of broadway showtunes! It would have been fun....for ME. Randy would have suffered miserably the entire time. But he was going to subject himself to the agony because he loves me!! Isn't he sweet? He not-so-secretly rejoiced that he was spared.

--Randy and I got new callings at church. We now teach the Sunbeam class (three-year-olds). God totally knew what He was doing when He helped me land that job at the preschool four months ago! It was a forewarning of what was to come! But we're having fun, even though I miss my class of 12-year-old young women.

--Finally, I had an uplifting moment on Friday night. I'm sure everyone has heard about the travesty perpetrated by NBC last week, removing Conan O'Brien from the Tonight Show in favor of welcoming back the worn-out, obvious "humor" of Jay Leno, who will take over his old chair at the Tonight Show on March 1. I tuned in to watch Conan's last night on the show, and I was inspired by some of the things he had to say; specifically this quote:

"To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I'll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask of you is one thing: please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism. For the record, it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen."

(See the video here.)

He was gracious, he was grateful, and above all he was kind. What a great example to everyone who watched this! All I can say is, I think the brass at NBC has lost their minds. Viva Conan! I'll buy tickets to watch you in a 7-11 parking lot anytime.

Let it go. This too shall pass.

2010-01-12T23:20:00.004-07:00

Our little family has been struggling with some tough challenges in the last few months. Details are unnecessary, but I'll just say that both Randy and I have been fairly stressed out...sleepless nights, panic attacks and ulcer-inducing stressed out.

During this time, I've been lucky to find comfort in small blessings and unexpected places. Today, a high school friend on facebook posted a scripture from Proverbs: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths." My friends have been such a strength to me, and their faith has upheld my faith in many ways. The fact that my relationship with Randy is weathering this hurricane of trials is a huge blessing in and of itself. Then, there's the humbling thought that I have a warm, comfortable home and food to feed my family every day, and a JOB. Many, many people don't even have that.

One of my unexpected comforts today came from--of all places--youtube. I was looking for footage of the earthquake in Haiti (p.s. keep everyone there in your prayers) and I stumbled upon this video. (Youtube won't let me embed it, so just click on the link.)

Yes, pretty quirky. No, it's not like it's Mozart. But this made me smile and put things in perspective for me today. Plus, I quite enjoy videos by OK GO.

"You can't keep letting it get you down, and you can't keep dragging that dead weight around...LET IT GO. THIS TOO SHALL PASS."

Reveling

2010-01-01T00:26:00.002-07:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Tonight was a quiet celebration of the new year for us. Carter went to bed around 11:15, and Randy followed soon after. So it was just me...watching Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin on CNN (by the way, who thought they would make good co-hosts? She just says foul things while he giggles in self-conscious horror) and swilling the Martinelli's.

I have to say I had a calm, happy moment at the turn of the year. I could hear fireworks and noisemakers and cheers outside, so I stepped out onto my porch, robe and slippers and all. I found a surprising number of other people out, too, celebrating the hope of a better year to come. (Because let's be honest, people, 2009 SUCKED THE BIG ONE. Everyone is hoping for a better year.) It was snowy and strangely quiet and peaceful in between the random shouts and fireworks, with the full moon lighting up the neighborhood. It was beautiful. It made me feel confident that good things will happen in the year to come.

So happy New Year, one and all! May 2010 bring reparations for all the crap we've had to deal with in 2009!

(And thanks for the glasses, Renae! Glittering them was the highlight of Carter's evening...ok, that and playing Wii with Randy.)

2009-12-22T22:36:00.003-07:00

Music, for me, is an essential part of Christmas. It distills all that is good in the season: the glory of Christ's birth and life, the good feelings that exist at Christmas (though they're sometimes hard to find the rest of the year), the yearning for peace and happiness, and the beauty and simplicity of truth and pure faith. Some people can listen to Christmas music all year, but for me it would cheapen the effect. So the day after Thanksgiving, I break out our Christmas music and listen pretty much non-stop for the entire month of December.

This year Carter has gotten into the spirit of the music. He has alternated singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Jingle Bells" at the top of his voice since mid-November...until I've wanted to rip my hair out and hide under a pillow. But one thing I am beyond pleased about is the fact that his new favorite song (i.e. his replacement for my Regina Spektor CD) is "Angels from the Realms of Glory" performed by MoTab and Sissel. We've been listening to it on repeat for about two weeks now. He likes the part about the shepherds.

Tonight we pulled into the garage and as I started to shut off the car, he said, "No, Mom. Let's finish the song." So we sat in the dark garage looking at the muffled calm of a fresh snowfall and listened to this gorgeous song. I know the words almost by heart now, but tonight in the car I really thought about them. What an amazing song of joy and praise and rejoicing! It really needs to be shared. So here is our favorite Christmas song this year, lyrics first and then the video of the performance. I hope you enjoy it.

Have a very merry Christmas!

"Angels, from the Realms of Glory"
Angels, from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang Creation's story
Now proclaim Messiah's birth!
Gloria! In excelsis Deo.
Gloria! In excelsis Deo.

Shepherds in the field abiding
Watching o'er your flocks by night;
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the Infant Light.
Gloria! In excelsis Deo.
Gloria! In excelsis Deo.

Sages, leave your contemplations:
Brighter visions beam afar.
Seek the Great Desire of Nations:
Ye have seen His natal star.
Gloria! In excelsis Deo.
Gloria! In excelsis Deo.

Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear:
Suddenly the Lord descending,
In His temple shall appear.

Though an Infant now we view Him,
He shall fill His Father's throne,
Gather all the nations to Him;
Ev'ry knee shall then bow down.
Gloria! In excelsis Deo.
Gloria! In excelsis Deo.
Gloria, Deo!

Buyer Beware.

2009-12-13T15:08:00.005-07:00

I love my husband.

Even when he looks like this:

This is a sweater of Randy's own design, constructed in honor of his company Christmas party which was held earlier this week. He was on the organizing committee for the party and convinced his co-workers that the evening wouldn't be complete without an ugly Christmas sweater contest; and that naturally he should be an example and set the bar high for the other contestants.

He planned and schemed for weeks. WEEKS. I'm not exaggerating.

Here's the kicker: he planned all along to sell it on ebay when he was finished. That's right, my friends. You, too, can bid on this one-of-a-kind novelty Christmas sweater! It's as easy as clicking on this link.

It's the perfect gift for that special someone....who happens to be on the naughty list this year.

Eat your heart out, Stephenie Meyer.

2009-12-08T22:40:00.001-07:00

Ah, the joys of.....

2009-12-07T20:23:00.002-07:00

....the stomach flu.

Carter has it.

He was fine until we got to Hancock fabric. He kept saying he was tired, but it was his naptime so I didn't think anything of it.

Until I said to the nice girl behind the cutting counter, "I'd like two yards, please."

That's when I heard the wierd gurgling noise and looked down to see a large brown puddle spreading across the table.

And his coat.

And his shirt.

And his shoes.

And the floor.

And he's been puking steadily every hour or so without reprieve ever since, Sprite and Phenargen be damned.

And here's the thing: these are the days when, from the outside looking in, being a mom is so not fun. BUT--if you're the mom who's actually in the trenches, you have a totally different perspective.

I just want my little boy to feel better. I will wash all the sheets in the house, and bathe him as many times as necessary to make sure he is clean and comfortable. I will sacrifice my favorite throw-around quilt if having it around him means he will be comfy and warm. (It's washable, so who cares?) I will clean up puke over and over and over again, and I will do it without complaining. I just want to be there to rub his back while he's retching so that he knows I will do whatever it takes to make him feel better, even if it means I get hit in the process.

Would I do this for any other kid on the planet? Heck no. Okay, maybe. But I would not do it quite so willingly. He's MY kid, and I love him, and I will be there for him when he needs me, no matter what. And I am happy to do it, puke and all.

Gotta run. I hear another wave coming.

Hallelujah.

2009-12-05T22:11:00.002-07:00

I didn't think it was possible for me to love Handel's "Messiah" any more...until I saw this.

I Quit.

2009-11-30T18:09:00.004-07:00

I quit this job today.

This month is my last month as a journalist. For now.

A Good Week.

2009-11-27T21:11:00.007-07:00

We had a fun week this week (despite the fact that it was deadline week....and I missed it by two days).

It all started with a snowfall. I love the fact that Carter is old enough to start doing grown-up things, like helping Randy shovel the driveway.

What a manly man.

Then we ate this.

Yummmmmmmmy.

Today, Carter and I took the time to get some serious finger painting done.

We painted some other things, too.

I saw this today, and it made me smile.

I find them at random times and in random designs all over the house. They're like crop circles....only they're made by a really cute four-year-old instead of creepy aliens who are trying to take over the earth.

I also got some Christmas shopping done today, and figured out what I'm doing for neighbor gifts. That alone puts me light years ahead of where I was this time last year. Yay me!

Brendan and Camryn are staying here this weekend, and Randy has the day off tomorrow, so Christmas decorating--here we come!

I love this time of year!

Best and Worst of Vegas (2009 Edition)

2009-11-23T17:59:00.010-07:00

A little over eight years ago, my sweet husband and I left on our honeymoon to Las Vegas, NV. I had never been there before, so it was a new, delirious, and slightly overwhelming experience. I immediately fell in love with the excess of it all. For heaven's sake, where else can you go to see a castle, a pyramid, a volcano, and a lake full of pirates all in one spot? How do you not adore the fact that everyone from Liberace to Sinatra to Sigfried and Roy have taken a little piece of Vegas and made it theirs forever? How can you not rejoice in the 24-hour buffets??

Well, fast forward to 2009. Randy and I just spent a long weekend in Vegas to celebrate our anniversary. And let me tell you folks--Vegas has lost its mystery. We've been there a few times over the years, and each time I go it wears on me a little more. However, this trip did have some really really good moments, so without further ado, I present to you the highlights and lowlights of our whirlwind Vegas trip.

(I'll start with the worst so that we can end on a high note.)

THE WORST--

1--The usual: cigarette/cigar/marijuana smoke everywhere you go, the constant drinking and drunkards, and total disregard for the fact that some people prefer not to see pictures of boobs of all sizes, shapes, and colors on every possible flat surface on the strip. (Strip--an appropriate term, no?)

2--The buffet at the Flamingo. I know, I know, how can this come close to the ickiness of porn and cigarette smoke everywhere?! But you have to understand, it was highly disappointing. Even the desserts--THE DESSERTS!!--had no flavor. A word to the wise--go to the Luxor instead.

3--The broken window on the car and my waterlogged phone (I dropped it in the tub). That was a quick $400.

4--The $50 I lost on slots and roulette. Don't lecture me, ok? I had a feeling we would win big. Unfortunately, that feeling was hope, not intuition. But wow, I totally understand how you can get addicted to gaming. The rush of winning totally overpowers any rational instinct you may have.

5--Anthony Cools. He's a hypnotist we went to see. Only we didn't find out till mid-show that it was the R-rated version of his show. Yeah, he's funny. Yes, seeing people wear their underwear on the outside of their clothes is hilarious. However, the sexual suggestions and repeated use of the F-bomb made it hard to enjoy.

On the upside,

THE BEST--

1--My sweet husband Randy. He's had a hard time of it lately. Work and his business and finances have been stressing him out so much. So it was nice to take three whole days and just relax and spend them together. It was our first trip alone together since before Carter-man was born. Also, ever the one for surprises, he bought us two tickets to......

2--LOVE!! The Cirque du Soleil Beatles show!!! What a great guy, huh? He had promised to take me after I graduated, but I didn't think we'd be able to afford the tickets and told him we could do other stuff instead. However, he knows how much I ADORE the Beatles, so he got them anyway and didn't tell me until we were wandering through the Mirage and he said, "Here. We need to stand here." I asked him why we were standing in a random line with a bunch of random people and he said, "Because it's the Will Call line. I promised I'd take you to see the Beatles." I love that man!

If you go to Vegas, GO TO THIS SHOW. It was indescribable and one of a kind. I'm not ashamed to say I cried--twice.

Me, right after the show.

Some random woman who jumped into my shot. I had to post it because it was hilarious.

3--Being in Vegas without the kiddos. Yes, I felt guilty...a little. But when the two kids in front of us on the sidewalk escalator by the Bellagio hit the emergency stop button and all of us just about tumbled to our deaths, I was really really glad I was not their parents and eternally grateful that my own kids were not there to learn that trick.

4--Mental. This is a really great little show at O'Shea's casino. The guy can read your mind. No seriously, trust me. It was amazing. Randy's still trying to figure it all out.

5--The wierd, fabulous stuff you see in Vegas that you can't find anywhere else. Did you know that Batman, Elvis, and Edward Cullen hang out together? Well they do. I know because the three of them passed us in a crosswalk on the strip. They were probably headed over to Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville to throw back a couple of shots together and dwell on their life experiences.

6--RELAXATION. Pure and simple. We slept in almost every morning and had nowhere to be and no one to see. That's the most sleep either one of us has gotten since about three years ago.

So all in all, despite the icky stuff, it was a pretty great trip. Happy Anniversary to us!

Adventures in Shopping.

2009-11-17T21:50:00.004-07:00

Tonight, I had a meeting to attend in Cottonwood Heights, so I didn't have the time (or the groceries....note to self: go grocery shopping) to make dinner. Instead, I loaded Carter up and went to Target on the way to the meeting. I thought we could knock out two birds with one stone by eating pizza for dinner at the lunch counter after grabbing a couple of things I needed for the house.

I usually like shopping at Target, but tonight was an off night. Wierd things happened. Wierd people were everywhere. For example:

--Dear woman in the family restroom: Family restrooms are for FAMILIES. Not for girls who want to feel like they have their own personal bathroom. Do you understand the increasing difficulty of taking my four-year-old son into the women's restroom? Also, next time you decide to barricade yourself in there, you may want to remember to lock the door. Nice meeting you, even though you were wiping your butt at the time.

--Dear dude with the blue mohawk and chains: I'm sorry, but you have no right to get pissed off when my son laughs at you and tells me (at the top of his voice) that you look funny. You DO look funny. YOU DYED YOUR HAIR BLUE AND STAPLED YOURSELF WITH CHAINS.

But all the wierdness was worth it when Carter and I sat down and were eating our pizza, lost in our thoughts. All of a sudden, out of the blue, Carter turned to me and said, "Mom, I like the sound of crickets, but I don't like it when they are close to me."

Ohhh-kay. Now I know.

I love that kid.

Batman for President.

2009-11-03T15:06:00.003-07:00

Today, on the way home from work, I picked up Carter from daycare and explained that instead of going home so he could take a nap, we were going to the high school around the corner from our house so that I could vote.

ME: "Do you know what it means to vote?"

CARTER: "Yes."

ME: "What does it mean?"

CARTER: "I don't know."

ME: "It means we get to choose a person to be President of the United States, or the mayor, or a city councilman or..."

CARTER: "...or BATMAN!!"

Hmmm. Batman. I never thought of that. When it comes to politicians, Batman beats everyone, right? Yeah. I'm voting for HIM.

This 'n That.

2009-11-02T23:01:00.003-07:00

It's been a while. Mostly because deadline weeks (weeks when all my news articles must be turned in) really wear on me. For two weeks out of the month, I love my job at the paper, mostly because I'm not dreading deadline with all my being. Then the other two weeks fly by, I miss deadline by three days, beat myself up over it every waking minute (and some sleeping minutes, too) risk making my editor fire me, and STRESS OUT. All while trying to keep everything else in my life running. It's a downward spiral, and it's not pretty.

But, cope we must. And this week is NOT deadline week. So life is good!

Some slightly more uplifing items of note:

--I've made this pasta twice in the last week. I love love love it. I love it so much, in fact, that I will eat the leftovers straight from the tupperware in the fridge with a fork. Don't tell anyone.

--I got to have dinner with my awesome friend Alicia tonight. She and her little boys Hunter and Gavin came, ate the above mentioned pasta, and made me and Carter and Randy very very happy.

--My mom and dad are coming this week! They live in Minnesota, so having them come for a visit is a rare treat. I'm looking forward to lots of family time and good food.

--I think I'm obsessed with good food.

--Finally, tomorrow is Randy's and my eighth anniversary. Eight. Yowza. This last year has made me believe that if you can make it through year seven then making it through eternity is CAKE. It's been rough in a lot of ways. But, I'm also grateful that we are closer now than we were a year ago because we've had to get through some tough things together. Our relationship is stronger. And I can honestly say that I love him so much and I'm grateful we've been able to build our life together.

To celebrate, we are going to Vegas in two weeks. Yup, Vegas. We went there on our honeymoon, so we're going to relive the high points (the Liberace Museum and the Luxor's buffet, of course) and we may even go see LOVE. Plus, we're just really really excited to get the heck out of this town.

So that's the update. Deadline week is still two weeks away, so there is a good chance I will post again soon. Until then!

MPM

2009-10-12T16:34:00.006-06:00

I have a friend named Kirsty who is brilliant and funny and devilish and I love her to pieces. (You should get to know her.) She has a regular feature on her blog called "Works For Me Wednesday" where she explains a product or technique that makes her life much easier and less chaotic and all-around happy.

Well, in honor of Kirsty and in an attempt to warn you away from things that will NOT make your life easier OR less chaotic and actually cause you to be much less happy, I am introducing a new feature on my blog called "Miserable Product Monday." (OK, this is probably the only time I will do it, and only because I hate this product SOOOOO MUCH!!!)

NEVER BUY THIS PRODUCT. IT IS VERY VERY FALLIBLE.

Unless you would like your shower curtain to look like this:

...and your bathmat to look like this:

...and for two sets of clothes to be spattered with makeup. Because it will happen. Often. But only if you use this crappy product.

Not only does it destroy your bathroom because the pump is constantly clogged (my shower curtain is SIX FEET AWAY from my vanity! SIX FEET!!!!) but when you wear it, it does not make you look young and dewy. It makes you look chalky. And dry-skinned. And OLD.

If you're cheap like me and use drugstore makeup (and you're a little bit more..."mature"...shall we say), go for Maybelline Instant Age Rewind cream foundation instead of this one. Many loads of laundry and one bad attitude later, I really wish I had listened to my own advice!

Not just a job.

2009-10-10T08:48:00.003-06:00

One month ago, I got a job. Well, at the time I thought it was just a job--something to help dig us out of our gaping financial hole. (Yes, I know. It's a lot like YOUR gaping financial holes. Who DOESN'T have one by now? But that's a different post.)

On Sept. 8, I dutifully showed up at Jordan Valley School (a magnet school for kids with disabilities) in slacks and a nice button-down shirt to start my first day as a teacher's assistant in a special education preschool classroom. By the end of the day, I had realized three things: 1) I wondered in half-horror what I had done, 2) I knew this was going to be way more than just a job, and 3) I knew that the next day I was going to wear capris and a t-shirt in order to better be able to play.

Because that's what I do--I play. Every day. With 15-20 kids of varying physical and mental abilities. But the way the adults play in our classroom is a lot different than the way the kids play.

The kids are there to be as kid-like as they possibly can. The classroom is a wonderland of toys, costumes and art supplies. They spend two hours each day "working" with all of those toys, playing outside or with teacher Anthony in the gym, and eating really yummy snacks made by Jane and the other really cute lunch ladies.

But as teachers, our "play" is much different. We structure the classroom without the kids' knowledge, so that they learn to self-regulate and transition between activities. Class is divided between Greeting Time, Small Group Time, Planning Time, Work Time, Gym Time and Snack Time. Every kid sticks to the routine, no exceptions. One thing I've learned is that routine is salvation for these kids, many of whom have disabilites that fall somewhere on the Autism spectrum.

We "play" at eliciting as much language from the kids as possible. We have typical kids in our classroom for whom this isn't a problem. But other kids are perfectly fine physically--except that they won't talk. Therefore, it's become a game between the teachers to see which kids we can get responses from and how many words they choose to say. Many times, hearing a child say in a whisper at snack time "juice, please" is enough to make you bounce off the walls in excitement.

We "play" at teaching kids how to behave around others. Most of the time, they do just fine. But I've lost count at how many times I've said "Hands to self" or "Pockets on the floor" while we're sitting at circle during greeting time.

Of course, not everything is sunshine and daisies. Changing diapers on a four-year-old? Ick. Watching the way some of these kids eat? Totally unappetizing. Listening while our most disabled student, who can't swallow, gets suctioned until she cries? Absolutely heartbreaking. But that's part of the job. And the reality is that these kids need people who can face every aspect of the job and not run away.

I can't run away from these kids. I'm all in.

Now, let me make an important distinction here. Dad wrote in an email last week that he turned down a substitute teaching job in an autism classroom. He said he didn't have my "strength of character." Dad, I don't think I would have had the strength of character to take that job either, knowing what I know.

I am painfully aware of the fact that I have it really good when it comes to jobs in the school. All I have to do is walk down to the cafeteria to be reminded of that fact. I've seen teachers get attacked by older students. I've seen teachers care for their kids as tenderly as parents, with the knowledge that they may never get a coherent response in return. I've seen and smelled some disgusting things. And I'm always happy to return to our fun, mostly-happy preschool classroom. I know my limits. And I don't think I could work in many of the other classrooms in the school.

However, I can concentrate on loving my preschool kiddos and caring for them and helping them learn as much as they can before they get released into an educational system that may or may not meet their needs. I am totally willing to do that. In fact, I enjoy doing that on a daily basis.

And so, here we go. It will be a very difficult, rewarding, and interesting year.

2009-10-05T23:55:00.004-06:00

A few more reasons why I don't shop at Walmart.

Texas, I love you but....

People of Walmart is SOOOO my new favorite website. (Thanks for the tip, Randy!)

Gems

2009-10-02T21:20:00.003-06:00

I love the days when Carter is unintentionally hilarious. Examples follow.

***

On our scheduled trip to see This is the Place Heritage Park tomorrow:

ME: "It's a place where you can see what the lives of the pioneers were like."

CARTER: "Mom, are they alive or dead?"

ME: "They're all dead now."

CARTER: "Oh. Did they get red?"

ME: "'Get red?' What does that mean?"

CARTER: "It means they got sick and died. How many of them got red?"

ME: "Uhhhhh......" (Making a mental note to 1) brush up on my church history and 2) avoid conversations on death with my kid.)

***

After Carter decided to attack me as "The Tickle Monster," albeit a tickle monster who had just gone potty and was naked from the waist down:

ME: "You're naked."

CARTER: "MMMMOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!! Don't call me naked! It's a bad word!"

***

After babysitting my niece Kinsley this morning:

ME: "Carter, your room is a mess."

CARTER: "Hmmmmm. I don't know, maybe Kinsley did it."

(Attention Kiirstin: Kinsley didn't do it. His room looked like the aftermath of a tornado BEFORE Kinsley got there.)

Sneaky kid.

Perspective, Part II

2009-09-22T15:07:00.005-06:00

Every woman has those days when you wake up and look in the mirror and you're happy with yourself and you're looking pretty good, and you think, "Maybe that workout is finally getting me toned up and wow, that new cleanser is doing wonders for my radiant skin! I may be thirtysomething, but I'm a HOT thirtysomething!!"

But more often, there are those days when you wake up and look in the mirror and your heart just sinks because all you see is flab and cellulite and weird moles and random pimples and hair in strange places. Those mornings are depressing. They make you frown a lot and wear slouchy clothes to try to hide everything you hate about your body.

And then there are those days when you see something that puts it all into perspective. Yes, you may not have the body you had when you were 20. Yes, hair grows in places it shouldn't. Yes, you may have pimples. BUT!!! Exercise equipment (or in my case, the neighborhood streets and a couple of friends) can help you feel better about that! Tweezers and Proactiv were created for people like you!! The world does not end because of bad hair days!!! And chances are good that you will never, ever, ever look like this...

see more Fail Blog

...because you are smart enough to know when enough is ENOUGH.

When it comes right down to it, I would be ungrateful to complain about the body that I have. All kidding aside, I have a body that gets me where I want to go. I can move and run and dress myself and feed myself and play with my kids and ride on a roller coaster and do pretty much anything I want to do. And when I get dressed up, I think I look pretty good. SO WHAT if I don't look like Cindy Crawford. I can live my life and enjoy everything I do. I'm FREE.

On a side note, I've also vowed to never buy short shorts from Aeropostale!!! You would do well to follow my lead.

How much more can 24 hours hold?

2009-09-08T18:19:00.004-06:00

Not that I want to find out. It's a rhetorical question.

Yesterday, my sis-in-law Angelica and my brother Cameron had the scare of their lives in the form of the birth of their new son, Caleb. Caleb was fine, but Angie was not and she ended up having to have emergency surgery--basically to save her life. She has some serious recovery time ahead of her, but we're glad she's safe. And now we have this little one in our family...

...and I got to hold him yesterday. (I'm so d*mn baby hungry I can't even stand it.)

This morning, bright and early, I dropped Carter off at Kim's house and went to my new job. Wow. This will be an interesting year. More about that later.

After work, I got home, put Carter down for a nap and then found out that my dad was admitted to the hospital this afternoon. He has numbness in his face, and after a few tests the doctors found that his heart is working much harder than it should be under normal circumstances. So they admitted him to do some tests, find out what's up, and hopefully prevent any other problems. Dad's not famous for taking very good care of himself, so maybe this will be a good thing for him--scare him into exercising once in a while and NOT putting an entire stick of butter on his toast in the morning. You know, baby steps.

Anyway, I'm kind of glad this day is drawing to a close and hoping nothing else gets thrown our way. But considering the fragile and unpredictable nature of life, I'm not getting my hopes up too high!

Story of my Life.

2009-09-05T18:42:00.001-06:00

Unnecessary furor.

2009-09-04T16:54:00.005-06:00

Seriously, people? (And by "people," I mean ultra-conservative right wingers.)

He's the PRESIDENT.

He wants kids to STAY IN SCHOOL and GET AN EDUCATION.

Get your facts straight, and get off your high horses.

You are making yourselves look paranoid and ridiculous.

And by the way, those "Despite-your-political-preference-the-president-deserves-respect" arguments you threw around during the last administration work when the president is a Democrat, too.

Teach THAT to your children, please. Preferably by example.

On joining the ranks.

2009-09-04T08:21:00.005-06:00

This Tuesday, I will join the ranks of the gainfully employed. Well, sort of. The pay isn't going to stop traffic, and it will only be part-time. But I will be doing something that will make a difference...I hope.

I will be starting at Jordan Valley Elementary as a special education preschool assistant.

I know. Whoa.

And this position allows me to get my teaching license.

Yowza.

I think it's funny how life comes full circle. Growing up, all I wanted to be was a teacher, mostly so I could write on the blackboard all day. When I went to junior college, I had other more responsible reasons for wanting to teach. But after I got an associate's degree with an emphasis on elementary ed, I decided that teaching was maybe not what I wanted to do with my life.

And now, here I am. When I was going to school again this last time, I thought about getting my teaching license. But paying for the 15 extra classes (and going to school for another year and a half, at least) didn't seem like the thing to do at the time. However, with this job, licensure is a distinct possiblity and this time it seems like a reasonable goal.

I am excited--and scared, and worried, and overwhelmed, and a little sick to my stomach--about this opportunity. It will be a good thing--yet another twist in my twisted life, a curveball I didn't see coming. But an adventure, nonetheless!

Inspired by a pioneer woman and little rat named Remy.

2009-09-01T21:43:00.011-06:00

The movie "Ratatouille" is Carter's latest obsession.

He quotes it at random times and begs to watch it at least once a day. His favorite character this week is Anton Ego, the terrifyingly evil food critic who feels that his mission in life is to shut down Gusteau's restaurant. Last week, he said, "Mom, I want to be like him when I grow up." Silently, I thought "What, terrifying? Evil?" But to my relief, he followed up his surprise declaration with, "I want to be a food critic."

Again my thoughts took over and I started to wonder, "Don't you have to actually EAT food in order to be a food critic?!" Because lately getting Carter to eat a meal is like declaring war--a world war that would last forever if not for the lengthy negotiations, diplomacy, and treaties.

So today, when he told me he wanted to eat rataouille--the EXACT ratatouille shown in the movie, thank you very much--I hastily agreed. Pretty veggies all lined up and baked? DONE.

I found a recipe for Ratatouille's Ratatouille on a site called Smitten Kitchen. (Find the recipe here.) And then, in true Pioneer Woman style, I decided to document the entire process in pictures. (If you haven't visited her site, GO. NOW. I'LL WAIT.)

Can I just say that I love slicing veggies? And cooking? And I LOVE it when food is pretty. So today's meal was nirvana for me.

Start with this.

Super-thinly sliced yellow squash, zuchini, eggplant, and red bell pepper. (Yes, I know a mandoline would be easier/faster, but I don't have one and slicing veggies is therapeutic for me.)

In a baking dish, mix together tomato puree, thinly sliced onions and garlic, salt and pepper and a little olive oil.

Start lining the outside of the dish with a circular row of veggies, alternating them in a visually pleasing pattern. Then fill in the gap in the middle. You should end up with this.

Drizzle the top with a little more olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and some thyme.

Cut some parchment paper to fit snugly inside the dish, then bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

When you can't stand the delicious smell anymore, pull it out of the oven.

Doesn't that look DIVINE?! Carter loved the way it looked...he asked to look at it about 50 times before I actually served it, and he peeked at the leftovers in the fridge again right before he went to bed.

I served it with some whole wheat pasta and bread I baked yesterday. But you can eat it alone, with couscous or rice, or however you think you'd like it.

The true test: Carter ate it. And tonight during bedtime prayers, the first thing he said was, "Heavenly Father, I'm thankful we could have ratatouille today."

Ahhhh, the scrumptious smell of victory.

Bittersweet

2009-08-24T13:05:00.011-06:00

Last week, I took a whirlwind trip to Tennessee. My Uncle Rick, whom I wrote about a little before I left, passed away unexpectedly. My mom and dad were nice enough to use their frequent flier miles to buy me a plane ticket so I could go to the funeral and spend time with the family.

Being back east again was strange for a lot of reasons. First and most important reason: my Uncle Rick, the most quietly kind and comforting person you'd ever meet, was gone. I was staying at his house, but he wasn't there anymore. It felt empty, even though the house was packed to capacity. (Aunt Linda asked all of us, including her sons who live 20 minutes away from her, to stay at the house.) I missed him. A lot.

Second reason: I was there for a funeral so I thought I ought to have been sad all the time. But I wasn't, and I feel kind of guilty for that. I was just so darn happy to be surrounded by my mom's family! We are all spread out over the U.S. (Washington, Minnesota, Tennessee, Utah.....) and we hardly ever get to see each other, so being in the same house together for four whole days felt like a happy reunion instead of a sad one.

Third reason: I felt like I had come back home. I lived with my aunt and uncle for a year, so coming back to the house and to the Tennessee hills brought back so many good memories and made me ache for how much I love it there.

It was a busy four days, and so much of it was sad, but there were some amazingly good moments, too--meeting Lydia and seeing Stephanie again (it kills me that they live so far away!); holding baby Leif; watching in wonder as my "little" cousin Randy, all grown up and married now, took control of the preparations and still kept one eye on his mom at all times to make sure she was ok; long catch-up conversations with Alan and Ryan....and Mark and Kamie and Brit, too!; a much-needed pedicure from Krissy; hugging and talking to my Aunt Linda; hanging out with my mom; and of course, the impromptu Abba dance party during lunch after the graveside service to honor Rick's varied musical tastes. He would have loved that.

All in all, the most perfect definition of "bittersweet."

This is the only funeral picture I'll post, just because the casket spray was absolutely gorgeous.

Ryan's tribute to Rick's sometimes-iffy footwear choices.

Mark, Mom, Kamie, and Brit in Atlanta after we found each other in the airport by accident and discovered we were all flying into Johnson City together. God works in mysterious ways. It's true.

Me + Leif + Aunt Linda's back porch = perfect peace.

Our one release: a visit to the Carter Family Fold in Virginia. We listened to old-time music, danced, and relaxed. A nice ending to a hard and emotional week. (Thanks for being brave, Mom and Steph and Lydia!)

Twilight in the Appalachian mountains, outside the Carter Fold. It makes my heart stand still.

My Uncle Rick

2009-08-10T20:50:00.004-06:00

This is a picture of my family with my Uncle Rick and Aunt Linda's family when they came to visit us in August of 2006. (Rick and Linda are the ones in the yellow shirts.) I lived with them for a year or so in Tennessee when I was nannying/rebelling/deciding on the direction of my life before I finally chose to go on a mission for the LDS church. I really enjoyed getting to know them during my time out there, since we didn't get to see them very much when I was growing up. And needless to say, they had the patience of Job when dealing with me. I'm telling you, it took a lot of charity and love and tolerance on their part. I will be forever grateful for their unconditional love and support when I needed it most.

Uncle Rick passed away tonight. He had leukemia for a long time, but it was an infection that ended up taking him away from us. My heart is broken for his family and for everyone who knew him. But I'm also sad for those who didn't know him. He was a calming presence with quiet strength, but he had my grandpa's sense of humor, eye twinkles, and snicker. I will miss him, and I hope he knows how much I love him and am grateful to him.

See ya later, Uncle Rick.

Unintended Epithets.

2009-08-09T00:05:00.003-06:00

Today, Carter and I were privileged to ride on the Valley Journals parade float in the Kearns Hometown Days parade, since I write for the Taylorsville/Kearns Journal.

When I broke this idea to Carter at the beginning of the week, he wasn't very excited. Also, since Randy had to ride on a float for his clinic in a completely DIFFERENT parade and Brendan and Camryn had football and a piano recital all scheduled within the same time frame as the parades, Carter had no choice but to come with me. He wasn't happy about it, and he definitely registered his unhappiness. ("Mom, I don't want to go. You go, and I will just be by myself.")

All of that changed, though, when we showed up at the staging area and found Caeden, the little boy belonging to the owners of the paper. He is also four, and after bonding over their age and their mutual love of candy Carter decided that maybe riding on the float and throwing the beloved candy to other kids might be worthwhile.

Then, about halfway through the parade, sweet little Caeden decided people just weren't as excited as they should be about the candy he was throwing. And that's when I heard this:

Caeden: (Tossing a handful of lollipops to the crowd) "SUCK ON THAT!!!!"

Carter immediately filed this new tactic under "Brilliant" in that little brain of his, and promptly chimed in.

Carter: (Tossing candy to the confused spectators) "YEAH, SUCK ON THAT!!!!!!"

After I stopped laughing and started breathing again, I quietly suggested that maybe the people already knew to suck on the candy, and that they could stop yelling, which they did. But I've decided that maybe I should carry a bagful of lollipops with me everywhere I go. Then, when I get mad at the drunk driver in front of me or the rude checkers at the store, I can yell "OH YEAH? WELL SUCK ON THAT!!" and hand them a piece of candy and be absolved of all wrongdoing. (Though I must admit that I don't have youth or unbearable cuteness to use as an excuse. This could be a problem.)

Let me explain.....

2009-08-05T09:58:00.005-06:00

So, I've known for a while now that my blog has a big gaping hole in it. It's a hole that encompasses a really huge part of my life. When I realized I'd totally ignored that part of my life on my blog, I tried to figure out why I hadn't written about it before.

And now for the brutal honesty.

I'm a stepmother. I have two great step-kids named Brendan and Camryn. And I mean that--they are really really great kids. So besides being in a couple of pictures I've posted, why haven't I written about them?

Answer: because even though they are great kids, I am not a great step-mom. I don't enter into evil stepmother territory, not by a longshot. At our house, no one goes hungry or is clothed in rags, and most of the time we have fun. But there are so many things I could have done/could be doing soooooo much better. And I hate facing up to that fact.

I also had to come to grips with another thing very early in my marriage--I am not their mom. They already have a mom, and though it's my responsibility to love and care for them when they're here, the bottom line is that I can't make big decisions for them. That's their mom's job. So even though they are a big part of our lives, posting stories and pictures about another mom's kids didn't seem appropriate somehow.

But that's not really reality, is it? They are here every other weekend, and lots of holidays and for a month in the summer. They only live 20 minutes away from us, so we take them to do things all the time. And even though they are not here all the time, they are just as much a part of our family as Carter.

So, today I am introducing Brendan and Camryn.

This is Brendan.

He is obsessed with sports, mainly football, and is playing defense on a junior football team this year. He is also obsessed with texting. (What 13-year-old isn't?) He's a good kid, gets good grades, and he loves to help Randy with Carsnobs. He also loves trash-talking, especially during games of Monopoly.

This is Camryn.

She is ten and likes to write and draw. She frequently creates little illustrated stories for Randy. She also loves books, especially if they have anything to do with fairies. She is, as my friend Deb used to say, "such a Jewish mother." She is really good at taking care of everyone around her, especially her little brothers and sister. She's also learning to like cooking, and helps me in the kitchen sometimes.

So there you have it. That's my entire family to date, and no I'm not hiding anyone else.

Pioneer Day, Mary Poppins style.

2009-07-24T23:37:00.002-06:00

Here in Utah, we have a holiday which no one else has--Pioneer Day. Every 24th of July, we Utahns use Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers as an excuse to 1) not work, 2) get drunk (well, some of us anyway. Like the guy who was driving, i.e. swerving in forward motion, in front of me this afternoon), and 3) set off lots and lots of fireworks.

Since Randy and I don't get to Wyoming very often to buy the really good illegal fireworks like everyone else, we usually mooch off of the neighbors or the nearest partying municipality.

Today we had an idea so brilliant, it's a wonder we didn't think of it before. Fireworks are really pretty from the ground, right? Why not watch them from the ROOF OF OUR HOUSE?!

I don't have the pictures to prove it, since I was busy trying to rid my brain of the slow-motion image of my children tumbling off the roof and into our front garden. Pictures would have been especially funny, considering the fact that Randy had literally tied Camryn and Carter to him with a rope. But suffice it to say, the roof is hands-down the best place to watch fireworks. Period.

From our roof, we can see the ENTIRE Salt Lake Valley. So we enjoyed fireworks displays from all the pyros in our neighborhood, plus Cottonwood Heights, South Jordan, Kearns area, and the post-game blowouts from the Bees game and the Real Salt Lake game. Throw in some lightning, and we had a pretty darn good show. And luckily, no broken necks.

So Happy Pioneer Day everyone! And a big ol' "neener neener" to all you non-Utahns who had to deal with real life today--especially you kids in Missouri and Illinois. Just think of all the partying you guys have missed out on. What a shame.

Who needs Comedy Central?

2009-07-19T22:30:00.005-06:00

I love my son for so many reason, but one of those reasons is that he is HILARIOUS. Screaming-with-laughter-and-holding-your-sides funny. And he's had a really good run in the last few days--humor-wise, I mean.
First, there's this little gem.

Corn on the cob is good, but Carter could teach lessons in Relishing 101. And I love that he's truly confused about why we laugh after he declares his hands "clean."

Carter's a sweetie, but he's also been learning to pit Randy and I against each other when it comes to issues of treats, movies and computer time. For example, if he comes to me for one of these things and I say no, he will walk straight to Randy in the other room, ask him the same question, and usually get a different answer. (In his defense, Randy usually doesn't know that Carter has already gotten a "no" from me.)

Tonight, Carter asked for a treat as he rummaged through the pantry for something sweet. I told him that would be fine. Eventually, he found the bag of candy he got from the 4th of July parade a couple of weeks ago and brought it to me. I handed him a Tootsie Roll and a taffy and told him that was all he could have since it was almost bedtime. He let out a "Woo-hoo!" and happily shoved it all in his mouth.

A minute or two later, he walked over to the coffee table where I had set the bag, and attempted to snatch it. As I snatched it back, he said, "I just want to take it to Daddy!"

But I know that trick. So I tickled him, told him no more candy, and said "You sneaky little devil, you!"

To which he replied, "Mom, I'm NOT A 'W'!!!!"

Pure comedic genius. Unwitting and accidental, but still genius.

Bored Games.

2009-07-18T10:36:00.003-06:00

Carter has become enamored with Candyland in the past few weeks, and enjoys playing it frequently. Randy and I, on the other hand, have realized there's a reason it's for kids 3-6 years of age. It's BORING. Really really mind-numbing. But we play it because we love our son--luckily.

However, Carter and I played a best-of-three tournament this morning that was actually fun--fun for Carter because he loves the game, and fun for me because I love watching Carter.

For example, did you know that the four little gingerbread-man gamepieces can play a really down and dirty game of football? Or that the candy characters on the board are "fabulous?" Well, it's true.

But the biggest thing I learned is that my son is super-competetive. After winning the last game and doing a victory dance, Carter plopped down on my lap, put his chubby arms around my neck, and in an attempt to console the loser said, "Mom, when four-year-olds win, thirty-three-year-olds don't win."

Now that's wisdom you can't argue with.

Happy 4th to one and all.

2009-07-03T11:58:00.003-06:00

At this time of pride and patriotism, enjoy the freedom to celebrate our independence.

But please don't celebrate like these people.

Have a great (and safe) holiday, everyone!

Fun things.

2009-06-28T14:53:00.018-06:00

Prepare yourselves for a long post with lots of pictures. It's been a busy month at the Archibald residence.

On May 31st we celebrated Carter's birthday. Actually, on May 30th he had his friend party and on May 31st we had family dinner and gifts, so really it was Carter's birthday weekend. So spoiled.

The friend party went well. Only two friends out of the five showed up, and they were both girls. Did Carter care? Not a bit. Pizza, ice cream, cake, toys, presents, a water fight, and a pinata. Not bad for two hours on a Saturday.

Sunday we had spaghetti with all the fixins, more cake, more ice cream, and Carter-man got to open all his gifts from us: "Cars" games, model cars, a Nerf football, and various other little stuff. Grandma also got him an easel with markers, chalk, and paper. So far, the easel is the best gift EVER.

This last week has been crammed with summer goodness. On Wednesday, my sister-in-law Angela and her two kids Will and Chelsea picked us up and we all headed to Bear Lake to stay for a day in a condo my in-laws had reserved. It was a welcome break, and though Garden City, UT will not be deemed a metropolis anytime soon, it had all we needed: sun, water, food, and a place to sleep. We had a great time. Even Carter, my sometimes-over-cautious kiddo, looked up at me while we were playing at the beach and said, "Mom, I love Bear Lake."

On Friday, after being miserably sick with the worst. cold. ever. for about three days (It started the morning we drove to Bear Lake. Yeah.) I needed to get out of the house. I'd been promising Carter I would take him to the open house at the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple of the LDS church, so I went online, reserved some tickets, and off we went. Carter's first temple experience was at the Draper Temple open house, so he was really excited to go inside the new one. Yes, I know I'm a cheesy Mormon mom when I say I am so glad that my son loves to be in the temple.

Afterward, we took some pictures. Carter was happy to sit for them.

As long as he got to do what he really wanted to do in the first place, which was play in the fountain.

And yes, Moroni really did get struck by lightning.

Last but not least, on Saturday we connected with our inner rednecks by attending the demolition derby at the West Jordan Western Stampede. We went with Randy's twin Dave, his wife Alicia, and their boys Aiden and Evan.

As you are probably aware, Randy is obsessed with cars and he has passed on this obsession to our son. When Randy cut the ad for the derby out of the paper and showed it to Carter a few days ago, Carter was so excited he could barely stand it. He carried the ad around with him, ate breakfast with it every morning, and had every detail of it memorized by the time Saturday rolled around. He even had a running countdown, and informed everyone he met that he was "going to the demolition derby in __ days." And yet, despite all his excitement and macho toughness, the little boy in him came out in the end and he watched the entire derby like this:

I know he's my kid, but I swear he's the cutest kid this side of the Mississippi.

And thank you so much for your time.

2009-06-22T13:37:00.006-06:00

Well, today was the big day--THE INTERVIEW. I actually wasn't very nervous going into it, probably because I've had so many other things on my mind--like the fact that today is my newspaper deadline and though I have all my research and interviews done, I've yet to write a single story. (School burnout is still plaguing me. That and the hope that my editor, Tom, does not read my blog.)

I showed up at KSL Broadcast House appropriately early. I should know by now that interviewers usually show up fashionably late. But at about 10:20, I was met by this very nice (but very accomplished and intimidating) woman.

Sheryl Worsley is the KSL news director, and she is the one who interviewed me. She very deftly wove small talk with interview questions, so much so that I now know that she is a mother of two daughters who love the Twilight series, which we agree is not well written and somewhat formulaic. (Sorry, Megan.) We also spoke about news stories that have come out of Cottonwood Heights and how print journalism and public radio--the strong points on my resume--are very different from commercial news radio. She tried very hard to make that point hit home with me. It did.

I then had to do a writing test--take three print news stories, organize them in order of importance and glean a 20-second news story out of them, in less than 10 minutes. I am pretty sure I failed miserably. My strength is quality, not speed. (Tom would agree with that wholeheartedly.)

All in all, I think I made a good impression but I would be surprised if they offered me the job. And I am OK with that. The hours would be really hard to manage with my family and other responsibilities (7:30am to 1:30pm on Saturdays and Sundays). But I'm really glad I took a chance to see what would happen. It was a positive experience and it helped me practice my job skills.

Now I'm back to square one: do I try to help out our family financially or stay home with Carter and be the best Mom I can be (which I would actually prefer)? Still looking for the answer.

It really IS the little things.

2009-06-19T16:31:00.005-06:00

The other day I opened up the book of crosswords my friends gave me after graduation--you know, to keep my brain from shrivelling up--and this is what I found.

My first reaction was excitement at the fact that Randy was showing an interest in something I like to do. And then I actually read the words he had written. I laughed so hard that Carter thought something was wrong with me.

After all is said and done, with all the ups and downs that marriage brings, things like this are exactly why I love my husband.

Possibilities.

2009-06-15T13:06:00.006-06:00

Those of you who know me well know that I did a two-year stint at the hoosegow lovingly referred to as Ricks College, now BYU-Idaho. Three things saved me from complete and utter apostasy from my religion during my time there--Prof. Nielsen, a few great friends (Nat, Cam, Kirsty, Jane, Kat), and my job as a radio announcer at the NPR/Classical station on campus, KRIC/KBYI, "The Voice of the Ricks College Campus." (OK, OK, maybe my family played a part in my continued activity in the church, too. Thanks for putting up with me, Mom and Dad!)

I LOVED my job on the radio. And I think I was pretty good at it, too, which is always nice. For these reasons, I have--perhaps foolishly--applied to be a part-time weekend news anchor/reporter on KSL Newsradio 102.7 here in Salt Lake.

And they have--perhaps also foolishly--asked me to come in for an interview on Wednesday.*

Nervous? Yes. Out of my league? Probably. Unsure if this is even what I want to do right now? Totally. Worried about how it will impact my family? Uh, yeah! But I thought I had to at least give it a shot.

See, there's this feeling I get when I'm supposed to do something. It usually comes when I am looking for an answer to a problem I'm wrestling with and then, unexpectedly, some weird solution that I'd never even dreamed of falls out of the blue and hits me up side the head. It's just so improbable, impossible even, that I know I'm meant to go for it. That's what happened when I applied to work at KRIC, and 15 years later it's happened again.

It may turn out that they don't want me. Or that I don't want them. Or that I need to go through this process for some completely unknown reason. Either way, it can't hurt to at least try.

So, ready or not, here we go. Stay tuned.

*UPDATE: They called me today and changed the interview to Monday June 22.

Marriage is what brings us together...today.

2009-05-26T14:52:00.004-06:00

Today, the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8.

This is where my dad/mom/family are cringing over what I--the most liberal member of our family--could possibly have to say about Prop 8.

I'm not going to lie. I struggled with Prop 8 and the rabid frenzy with which some conservative members of the LDS church (and other churches, too) used it as a way to villify people who live with same-sex attraction. I thought the way people on both sides of the issue treated each other was horrendous. I was particularly disappointed when Tom Hanks called me and all the members of my church "un-American." Seriously, Tom?!

Here's the heart of the matter for me: I believe in a certain ideal of what a marriage and family should be, and I have a right to that ideal. However, many others don't have the same belief. There are gay people who have built a life and a family together, and they should be able to take care of their families in the same ways everyone else is allowed to. (Can you imagine a frightened child in the hospital who is not allowed to have a visit from one of their parents? Can you imagine that same child being sent to foster care instead of the care of their other parent after the biological parent dies?)

And, guess what? The LDS church feels the same way. From a news release in November: "The Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility toward gays and lesbians. Even more, the Church does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches."

I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, and therefore I am pleased with the California Supreme Court decision. But we (is anyone from our JOKE of a Utah Legislature listening?? Anyone heard of the Common Ground Initiative?) also need to make sure that families--and especially children--who don't fall under that category are taken care of, too.

Milestone

2009-05-22T09:23:00.006-06:00

Carter has a big day coming up next week. He will be turning four. For months--ok, pretty much since he turned three--he's been looking forward to this birthday and telling everyone who will listen that he's "almost four."

He hasn't had a "friend" birthday party before, so I decided this was the year to take the plunge. A month or two ago, he was convinced that every day was the day of his party. This went on for about a week, much to my horror, as I had to explain to everyone he talked to (the stylist at Sports Clips, the cashier at Target, random kids in the grocery store) that today was actually not his birthday, that we didn't have 19 kids coming over to party later on, and that no, I'm sorry, we don't invite strangers to our birthday parties.

I am trying to get invitations out this weekend, so this morning I sat down with Carter to make a list of everyone he wants to invite to his party. This is what he came up with:

Katie (the little girl across the street)
Cole (a friend from daycare)
Cecily (Cole's older sister--she's like 12)
Daddy (obviously)
Me (glad I even made the list)
Carter (I LOVE that he saw the need to make sure his own name is on the list.)
"My Backpack" (It's new. He filled it with Hot Wheels and his stuffed pelican from Grandma and has carried it everywhere since I bought it for him two days ago.)
Lauren...and Amber, Amy, Jake, Austin and Steve(the ENTIRE family next door)
Carter (very worried about being left out)
"The Girls" (all of the Young Women I teach at church. There are like 25 of them.)
Dominick (friend from daycare)
Cooper (friend from daycare)
Kimmie (Carter's babysitter, mom of Cole and Cecily. Her name is actually Kim, but he's called her Kimmie ever since he started going there.)
Sister Sperry and Sister Gliattli (his primary teachers from church.)
Brendan and Camryn (his brother and sister)

I was so proud of myself for keeping a straight face during the list-making. But even more than that, I was so happy that Carter loves and feels loved by so many people (and things. I'm talking to you, Backpack). However, I can pretty much guarantee that only five of those people on the list are getting invites since that's all I think I can manage this first time around.

PS--Since this is my first kids' birthday party, does anyone have any ideas for games?

I did it!

2009-05-09T12:33:00.004-06:00

I graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of Utah on Friday! The culmination of all the hard work of the last 2 and 1/2 years (plus that brutal year in Americorps way back when)! Mom and Dad and Randy and Carter were there to cheer me on, and the commencement ceremony was amazing. David McCullough (author of 1776 and John Adams) gave the commencement address, and if you have a chance you should check out the transcript here. Absolutely inspiring.

Yes, I LOVED school, but it is done with (for now) and I have come to grips with the fact and I'm ready to move on. I will miss the good friends, the amazing professors, and the stimulating discussions. But I'm just so grateful to have had the opportunity to reach my goal in such an enjoyable way.

Steph to Randy: "Hey baby, doesn't this graduation cap look hot?!" (By the way, no.)

Steph thinking,"Hmmm. WHAT am I going to do with all that free time?!"

If they only knew...

2009-05-01T08:34:00.005-06:00

And here we have Idaho, winning her way to fame.

(You may have to click on the pic to view it in its entirety.)

see more pwn and owned pictures

I found this picture this morning on failblog. OK, I agree the name is a bit much nowadays, but if only they knew! Good old Beaver Dick--the 19th century fur trapper--is legend around Rexburg! He has a park named after him! (Yup--Beaver Dick Park. No, it is not a statue garden.) The most beautiful lake in the world is named after his Native American wife Jenny. Heck, he even scored the naming rights to a cemetery! Now with a legacy like that, can Beaver Dick really be considered a "fail?" I think not.

Auld Lang Syne

2009-04-30T10:52:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was my last day of classes at the University of Utah. It was definitely a bittersweet day, and I'm glad I was really busy yesterday so I wouldn't have to dwell on the following facts:
1) I LOVED going back to school!
2) I am such a geek.
3) I would immerse myself in academia for the rest of my life if I could.
4) I am done with the one thing in which I am most confident and at which I excel. (Those grammar classes came in handy, eh?!) SCARY.
5) I don't know where I'm supposed to go from here.

I am toying with the idea of going back to get a master's degree in ten years or so. (Randy plugs his ears and babbles every time I say that.) But until then, I am looking forward to spending quality time with my kiddo, focusing on home projects that I've put off for far too long, and maybe even meeting my newspaper deadlines once in a while (my editor, Tom, is looking forward to that, too).

The only thing standing between me and graduation is a comprehensive grammar final and two papers. And being the absolute geek that I am, I will savor every moment.

Achilles' Heel

2009-04-19T14:22:00.006-06:00

My Achilles' Heel? Dinner rolls. Specifically Rhodes dinner rolls. I know, I know--they make the dough for you and even shape it into little balls! How can that possibly go wrong?? I promise you, it can.

A couple of years ago, in a fond attempt to replicate my mom's "Monkey Bread," I loaded too many rolls into a bundt pan, and by the time they had risen, they were overflowing the pan and rolling down the sides. I decided to cook them anyway. Afterwards, Randy gently suggested that maybe I shouldn't try Monkey Bread anymore unless my mom was standing right next to me.

Today's attempt at dinner rolls turned out like this:

I know what you're thinking, but NO. This is NOT a panful of buttocks. After I bake them, my family will be eating these rolls with their chicken soup tonight. But, dear reader, I would recommend NOT putting your dinner rolls into a black non-stick pan and setting them on the porch in the sun so they will "rise a little faster"--unless, like my family, you want to eat buttocks for dinner.

It's Official.

2009-04-17T11:07:00.003-06:00

I'm a soccer mom. And I LOVE it. Carter had his first soccer practice last night, and after we got home he begged me to let him wear his uniform. I had to dash his hopes when he asked to wear it again this morning, though, because it needs to stay clean for his first game tomorrow and I refuse to do an emergency load of laundry just for the sake of his soccer uniform. (This may change in the future, but for right now it's a solid rule. Let's hope I can keep up with the laundry enough to live up to my own standards.)

And by the way, it makes me giggle every time I see "Great Tasting Lunchmeat!" on the back of his shirt. I have no idea why.

Pick-Me-Up

2009-04-15T17:16:00.003-06:00

I had an anxiety-ridden breakdown as I was talking to one of my friends at school today. See, I'm graduating from the U in three weeks. Should I tuck the degree away and smile in its general direction once in a while? Should I look for a more challenging job (that must still allow me to work from home part time on my own schedule? Yeah right!) I am, as my sis Kiirstin said fittingly, "in limbo." Most of all, I'm overwhelmingly sad that this stage of my education is over because I have loved (almost) every minute of it and I'm afraid of never having the chance to use what I've learned.

So, in this frame of mind I came home to check email and do homework, and I clicked on this story. After seeing it, I bawled unabashedly. If this woman can make her dreams come true at age 47 after a lifetime of nothing-too-special, I have nothing to fear. (And neither do you!)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Just In Time For Easter

2009-04-10T11:41:00.011-06:00

I found an article at Slate Magazine today that I totally loved. It brought back all the good times I had as an LDS missionary in Texas, where there's a different church on every corner and they have all perfected the craft of turning a phrase--and then posting those phrases on the signs outside their churches.

I loved reading all the church signs. Some of them were absolutely hilarious. Some were really really clever. And some of them were really profound. This one made me think of the youth in our church stake and their preparations for the upcoming cultural celebration in honor of the dedication of the Draper and Oquirrh Mountain temples here in Utah.

Then there are those crazy pentecostals. I LOVE those guys! This sign says, "Are you sick? Come in faith and the Lord Jesus will cure you." Not that I don't believe that's true, I just think the way pentecostal preachers go about doing the curing can be a little sketchy.

And finally, Easter is coming this Sunday. It's a time for us to reflect on the life of Christ and His atonement. We have hope only through Him, and I think He is what we should focus on most--even when we may not feel like we're worth it.

(You can see the entire article and slide show here)

Food, Glorious Food

2009-04-04T10:39:00.006-06:00

I love good food, and much to my family's dismay this includes lots of vegetables. Anything that isn't corn, peas, or potatoes is considered "exotic" (Randy's term) and is rejected outright--although with time I've convinced the kids that artichokes (artichokes?! yes, artichokes) are not only fun to eat but yummy as well.

Every once in a while, usually around the end of winter, I get really strong cravings for lots and lots of vegetables. So a few days ago, I went to the store and bought a bunch of vegetables for dinner. I decided to sautee them in olive oil with salt and pepper to accompany the grilled teriyaki chicken and rice. A sort of deconstructed stir-fry, if you will.

Isn't that pretty?

Randy worked late that night and my stepkids were at their other house, so it was just Carter and me for dinner. Carter ate like a trooper! I was so surprised! He ate most of the veggies, except for the squash. We have a rule in our house that you have to take at least one bite of everything, and so he agreed to eat one piece of squash.

He took the bite, chewed carefully and thoughtfully, then looked at me and said calmly, "Mom, I hate squash."

OK, I'll give that one to him. Squash is definitely an acquired taste. I was just grateful that he ate! Maybe there's hope that when it comes to vegetables, he will take after me rather than his father...

Spring Break: Some choose debauchery, I choose decor

2009-03-28T18:12:00.005-06:00

When we moved into our house, every single room and all the ceilings in the house were various (awful) shades of pink--no offense to the previous owners--as evidenced by the following photos.

We tried to paint everything before we moved in, but the task was so monumental it just couldn't be done. So, all of my spring and fall breaks from school since 2007 have been spent re-painting, remodeling, or redecorating some room in our house.

I spent my first break re-doing the boys' room which was (yes, you guessed it) pink for about six months before I got to it. Next I re-did the bathroom, which wasn't pink but was still ugly. Then I painted the pink stairwell leading to our unfinished basement. Next up was Camryn's room, because the various puppies in the too-precious-for-words wallpaper border started freaking her out at night.

This past spring break--the last one of my recent college career--I realized I had pretty much painted or re-decorated every room in my house...finally! But I still wasn't happy with our bedroom. I was on a work deadline the week of my break so I didn't have time for a major project. But I figured that with some changes in the wall decor and curtains, I could make my room a relaxing and tranquil place to be.

It's amazing what you can accomplish with $100 of tax-return money and a nearby Target.

(Yes, dears, I realize that the photo frame on the shelf needs a photo....I didn't say I was totally finished, you know.)

It's not as lavish as something you'd find in an Ethan Allen catalog, but I love my new room. Now, if we could just finish the basement so that I could move our office furniture out of our bedroom, I would be blissfully and perfectly happy. But until that time, I am totally content to relax in my room just the way it is.

Be Nice To Your Body, And It Will Return The Favor

2009-03-24T09:43:00.004-06:00

I woke up this morning to a nice feeling--the feeling of being able to move without wanting to scream. My back is doing much better today. Ibuprofen, Tylenol, the muscle relaxers Randy brought home with him last night, heat and ice packs, and lots of bed rest have worked their miracles. I'm definitely not back to normal, but as long as I move slowly and don't bend at the waist I feel pretty good. Hopefully tomorrow will show even more improvement. Until then, I'm taking it easy (READ: still in pajamas in bed with a heat pack).

Gimme a Tempurpedic and some OC, STAT!

2009-03-23T15:09:00.005-06:00

I am not a person who lives with a lot of pain. I'm lucky to be pretty healthy and don't do a lot of dumb things that could hurt me. Until today.

Last Thursday, I hurt my back a little while lifting my 40-pound three-year-old. It wasn't awful, but it was painful enough for me to bow out of exercise with my friends on Friday. I felt much better over the weekend, so when the alarm went off at 4:40 this morning, I was ready for a workout.

Halfway through the workout, I was laying on the floor of our church gym, realizing that maybe I should not have exercised this morning either. The pain and pressure increased steadily in my lower back, and by the time Randy left for work around 7:30 I knew I was in serious trouble.

I have never been in such terrible constant pain in my entire life--and that includes the 17 hours of labor and AWFUL three weeks of recovery I suffered through to bring Carter into the world. I have been taking Ibuprofen and Tylenol steadily since 6am as well as alternating heat and ice, and I can still barely move.

Until today, I have never desired controlled substances. The thirty pills of percoset the doctor prescribed me after Carter was born lasted me THREE YEARS. But I will not lie--if someone came to my door and offered me a Lortab or some Oxycontin, I would consider selling my soul to get it (just for a second.)

A glimpse into our morning:

-After Carter woke up and went potty this morning, I remembered that all his clean underpants were in the dryer. So when he brought me his pajama pants, I leaned over the side of the bed and just helped him slip them on. Yup--my kid went commando till about 2:00 this afternoon. And I'm not ashamed to admit it.

-I started a movie for him and went and laid in bed, where Carter would find me periodically, kiss my back, pet my cheeks, and say "Ohhhh, poor thing!" I so so so wish his cuteness could cure me!

-I had to email my professors and tell them I couldn't come to class because I injured my back. Do you know how old--and lame--that makes me feel?

-Rather than stand in the kitchen to make lunch, I put jackets over our pajamas and we (slowly) climbed into the car to find food. At that point, sitting in the heated leather seats of my car and hitting the drive-thru with my greasy hair and no make-up was much more preferable than the excrutiating pain of getting the peanut butter out of the cupboard.

-I finally rooted out some underwear for Carter by slowly lowering myself down to a kneeling position by the dryer and then carefully hauling myself up again by gripping the washing machine. Time frame: 5 minutes. TO GET UNDERWEAR OUT OF THE DRYER.

-The only comfortable position I can find is either on my side in bed with a pillow between my knees or on my back with my legs bent, knees next to my ears and arms resting above my head. FYI--these positions are not conducive to doing anything but wallowing in my own misery.

Hopefully my back will forgive me for being so stupid and will improve itself by tomorrow. However, until then, I am open to any remedies which may help. Suggestions, anyone?

If Only I Could Choke 'em Down

2009-03-14T08:24:00.004-06:00

Carter LOVES Grape-nuts. Craves them. BEGS for them when we're out of them. He's THREE. Oh, if only my choices could be as wise as his are. Instead, I choose rice crispie treats and really buttery toast for breakfast. But what's really funny is that he can't miss out on one kernel of crunchy goodness. Every day, when he's nearing the bottom of the bowl, he asks "Mom, can you get me the last bite?" And I obediently tip the bowl and scrape the bottom until ALL the Grape-nuts have been found. At least I never have to use that line about the starving kids in China.

Added cuteness of this picture: the little cup behind him on the counter is a planted seed he got from his teachers in sunbeam class last week. It says "I'm thankful for seeds" on the front. After church two weeks ago, he bolted up to me, handed me a bottle of water and yelled "Mom, I'm thankful for WATER!!!" Wouldn't it be great if we all had sunbeam teachers who reminded us to be thankful for the little things?

Also really cute: His Utes pajama bottoms. In spite of the fact that I made them (first sewing attempt in 10 years, but it turned out great, yes?) he just looks so dang sporty in them when he tackles Randy during their nightly before-bed football game.

Go Utes!

For Your Monday Morning Enjoyment

2009-03-09T09:27:00.002-06:00

I laugh hysterically every time I see this, so I decided that it's time to put it on the blog so that everyone else can laugh hysterically, too. I present to you: The Sleepwalking Dog.

Decimation of a Bloglist in 3...2...1...

2009-03-04T17:59:00.003-07:00

It's amazing how one click of a button can ruin a really good bloglist. Case in point: a few minutes ago when I clicked "Remove" instead of "Cancel." Not to worry, dear friends and family, I still love you. I have pieced together all of your blogs and I am waiting anxiously to add them again. However, blogger refuses to "see" any of your blogs or pick up your URL's. So, I'm giving blogger some personal time to sort out its issues, and hopefully you will all see your names here again soon.

PS--If you read my blog, and would like to be known, and have a blog you think I would like to read, post your URL in the commments please! I like expanding my horizons.

Stress Relievers

2009-02-26T08:07:00.006-07:00

School and work have been kicking my lily-white trash lately, to the point that I have been living in a pretty constant state of stress/panic for the last two weeks or so. On Saturday, when we all went to Carsnobs so Randy could meet a client, all that built up pressure finally got a release. As I was standing outside the shop, I realized that the huge muddy field behind the office could be my salvation.

I don't think Randy believed me when I asked if he would mind if I drove our Acura through the stewing ponds of lava-grade muck. But he did believe me when I loaded up Carter and Camryn, carefully made sure their seatbelts were buckled, and then roared through the field, spinning cookies and tossing mud everywhere.

It was FABULOUS.

I wish this image could do justice to the large amount of mud and rocks that caked my car on Saturday. Actually, after two car washes there are still remnants of my moment of glory on the running boards. And I can't tell you how much it drives my obsessive compulsive son absolutely BONKERS to see that the car is still muddy. He comments on it every time we get in the car. As for me, I fondly regard it as a memento of my journey.

Other stress relievers this week:

Loud music:

Food:

And of course, Family:

(I am on my laptop and I don't have a pic of Randy, but he's been really really kind and helpful this week. Thanks, Hon!)

I will be ok if I can get through this week, so the end is near. I just hope the car and my waistline make it through the end of the semester without too much damage.

Cars! Cars EVERYWHERE!!

2009-02-19T16:12:00.003-07:00

This is what my living room looks like ALL THE TIME.

They are Hot Wheels (and other various toys of the transportation variety). Hundreds and hundreds of Hot Wheels and I feel like they are multiplying like gremlins and taking over my house. Whenever I get them put back in the bucket and shoved into their permanent place under the lamp table (ease of access for the little one, you know), they are usually out again within an hour. AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, Randy feeds the habit. And since he is a CARSNOB like you would not believe, they have to be HIGH END Hot Wheels, like Mercedes and Porsches.

Is there a treatment for car snobbishness? Anyone? Because it's beginning to run in my family.

Random thoughts and happenings

2009-02-18T17:12:00.003-07:00

It's been a few days since I posted anything--mostly because I have been literally drowning in work and school. But I have a few free minutes right now to breathe, so I thought I'd give an update on us.

Randy started a new job on Monday. He left the Intermountain Taylorsville clinic and moved to an urgent care clinic affiliated with a private family practice down in Lindon. YES, we know, it's a long drive. However, if this job works out like we're hoping (and praying) it will, Randy will be spending more time at home with us, possibly making more money, and will not be bringing home mountains of paperwork and messages that he used to have to work on for HOURS at home when he worked for IHC (not that we're not grateful for IHC...we are.). In my book, it's a no-brainer.

(Excuse me while I calm Carter down and pull his hand out of the pirate ship it's been shoved into.)

Since Friday, I have done the following: finished two novels and a short story for school, conducted phone interviews for work, done grammar homework from hell, written five stories for the paper, written a five-page paper for class, managed to keep the house in order (somewhat) keep meals on the table and even did a load of laundry, all while being the supportive wife and mother of my family's dreams.

In other words, life has been crazy busy.

But tonight I get to chill for a while and get grounded again before the madness cycle starts over.

Two thoughts:

1) This evening at Target I bought some really nice swiss chocolate, just for me. Tiramisu flavor. I highly recommend that everyone shop at Target and buy some really nice swiss chocolate for themselves--any flavor--because it was really nice to pop some of that creamy deliciousness into my mouth, and I want you to feel as nicely as I did!

2) Many of you know that I worked for a company called Apex Alarm for a few years before Carter was born. It has gone from being kind of small and unknown to a nationwide giant in the home security market. Today I saw an ad for the company along the entire left side of one of the UTA buses at the Trax station, and it brought back fond memories of my time there. Like all jobs it was frustrating sometimes. But the owners and employees are good people, and it's a good company. So if you are in the market for some beefed up home security, call Apex. www.apxalarm.com.

That's about it for today. Kind of a long and rambly post--sorry about that. My next post will be way better, I promise.

Unfair and Unjust

2009-02-13T13:55:00.003-07:00

Today, Carter helped me a lot around the house. He and I cleaned up his horribly disorganized room, then we took a lunch break before he helped me vacuum. I think he thought that after all that work he was entitled to some "me" time, because right before his nap--knowing full well that naptime was nearing--he asked if his friend Katie from across the street could come over to play. I said no, and that it was almost time for a nap.

He looked at me, knit his eyebrows together, and borrowing a line from his new favorite movie said, "Mom, it's unfair and unjust."

I think he would be quite an effective lawyer (if he hadn't told me a few days ago that he wants to be a dentist like Uncle Daegan). But he still had to take a nap.

A Website for the Little Ones on Snow Days

2009-02-10T13:18:00.003-07:00

Upon reading some of my friends' blogs, I've noticed there have been a lot of snow days out there lately. So I thought I would spread the word on a website that has saved my bacon a few times with my sweet yet busy and inquisitive son.

"Peep and the Big Wide World" is one of the few cartoons I will let Carter watch because 1) It isn't loud and annoying 2) It teaches things like counting, matching, simple science concepts and problem-solving and 3) Peep, Chirp, and Quack are just so darn fun to watch. (Quack especially.)

It used to be on TLC in the mornings, but it's been taken off the air. Luckily, the website still shows daily videos and the games are GREAT. Carter's been playing them since he was 2. They are simple to understand and play, but every game teaches him something, which is really important.

So everyone show the love to Peep and log onto www.peepandthebigwideworld.com. Your kids will love you for it, you can trust the content, and you might even have time to read a magazine while you enjoy a mug of hot chocolate.

The New Republican PAR-TAAAY!!!!

2009-02-07T01:53:00.003-07:00

I saw this and had a flashback to my days at Ricks College (and probably Boise State) where 73% of my friends were just like this. Oh, how times have changed...for me, at least. I'm down to maybe a 34% ultra-conservative buddy quotient. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Oh, and don't forget, they're "SUPER SUPPORTIVE of President Hussein Obama."

Cheers to the average American taxpayer

2009-02-03T13:56:00.006-07:00

Because obviously the average American taxpayer's money is what is keeping this country afloat, especially when prominent members of this country's political machine are kissing their careers goodbye over their choices not to belly up to the bar.

That's right. This post is for you Tommy D., Nancy K., and Timmy G.

How the h*** do you guys expect us to believe that you "overlooked" THOUSANDS of dollars in taxes that you owed this country? For things like live-in housekeepers and cars with drivers?? In this country, you are the privileged. Millions of us scrimp and save to pay the taxes that keep our country going. But you? You can't prioritize hiring that accountant to make sure that the right amount of the MILLIONS of dollars you recieve every year is given back to the government that PAYS YOUR SALARIES!!!! I'm sorry, but your public service--the service you signed up for--does not negate your responsibilities as taxpayers.

I'm glad you've decided to withdraw your nominations for prominent offices (except for you, Timmy. How you got the job I'll never know). If you can't be bothered by the basic demands of being a member of this nation, you don't deserve to represent the nation. Period.

Small Miracles

2009-02-03T11:09:00.003-07:00

Last week, I took Carter with me to our Young Women's activity where all of us were painting cute picture frames.

First scare--Carter walked up and said, "Mom, I am sticky." And I noticed he had yellow paint on his hand...and therefore all over his dark green shirt. Problem solved by taking him to the bathroom, stripping off his shirt and rinsing it out. Carter was more than happy to run around shirtless for the remainder of the activity, although I'm pretty sure I got bad-parent points for letting him run around shirtless IN THE CHURCH.

Second scare--I had given him half a piece of gum before the activity, and after the painty-shirt episode, he said, "Mom, I lost my gum." I asked everyone very politely NOT TO MOVE!! while Natausha and I looked around on the floor, the table, in his clothes, on his shoes. We didn't find the gum anywhere. Carter finally admitted that he had swallowed it. I think he felt sorry for us.

Because here's where the miracle comes in.

I found the gum today. Where did I find it, you ask? I found it after I pulled a full load of Carter's laundry out of the dryer and one of his socks stuck to the sleeve of my shirt. As I pulled the sock off, I simultaneously noticed the ice-blue gum binding the sock to my sleeve and the minty fresh smell permeating all of the clean clothes. I frantically searched every piece of clothing and to my utter shock and delight, not one other item was slathered with gum!

I now firmly believe there is a good fairy watching over me as I try to keep this house in order. I just wish she would fold the laundry and put it away, too, because the clean laundry piling up around my house is really getting out of hand.

Lindsay, this one's for you.

2009-01-26T19:00:00.004-07:00

My friend Lindsay posted this recipe on her blog yesterday, and I swear to you all that I have been daydreaming about these things ever since. So today, on the way home from school, I stopped at the store and bought the stuff to make them. I made them BEFORE dinner (big mistake) which explains the gaps on the cookie sheet. Carter liked them, too.

Line up pretzels on a cookie sheet, then place Rolos on top. Stick them in a 250 degree oven for 2-5 minutes. With broken pieces of pretzel, mush down the Rolo into the gaps in the pretzels and leave the pretzel piece on top. Drizzle with white chocolate (I just melted white chocolate chips) and let harden. DIVINE!!!!

Thanks, Linds!

Other people's children

2009-01-25T16:26:00.005-07:00

The following picture illustrates perfectly the reason why I try to avoid Toys R Us. I realize that toy stores can be wonderlands for the little ones. When I was growing up, a trip to Toys R Us was roughly our equivalent to what Baptists refer to as "The Rapture." However, as a parent, anyplace that has chronically dirty floors and/or merchandise, unwashed and unsupervised waifs running about and an entryway that smells like someone's kid just took a leak in the corner is no place I want my child to be any longer than is necessary. And with a Target three minutes away from me and the internet just a click away, Toys R Us--along with Walmart--has become unnecessary.

(For those of you questioning the ickyness of this photo, YES, that's a wad of used chewing gum in the corner.)

Seriously? SERIOUSLY?!

2009-01-13T11:18:00.004-07:00

You know, I love books. I freely admit to being a book geek. And I take full responsiblity for my choice to become an English major. But even I--book lover and English major that I am--find this stack of books a wee bit daunting.

For THREE classes?? Seriously??

Perspective.

2009-01-06T22:54:00.004-07:00

I have decided that whenever I am having a bad day, I will look at this picture and say to myself, "Self, it could be worse. At least you didn't try to go skiing today like that poor schmuck."

Good thing we didn't spend our Christmas money.

2008-12-31T12:18:00.004-07:00

This morning, Randy came out of the shower and said in a very calm voice (under the circumstances), "I think our water heater is gone."

We have been expecting this for a while because 1) the heater is original to the house, which was built in 1997 and 2) we had to replace the water heater in our last house, so why not this one too? I think it's a trend.

Anyway, lucky for us a guy in Randy's small business group is a plumber, and he has kindly agreed to come out today and replace it for us. I'm so glad about that. We were worried we'd have to wait until after New Year's.

On a more introspective note, as I was trying to wash my face in a basin of water I had heated on the stove, I became really aware of how much I take things like a comfortable (if not super-stylish) bed, a warm and cozy (if not huge and brand new) house, and hot water at any given moment for granted. We are so lucky to live where we live and have the goods and opportunities we have--not to mention enough money to cover the cost of a new water heater.

Our family is truly blessed--especially since I won't have to take any more pioneer baths like this:

Does my Tropical Passionfruit body spray count as a serving of fruit?

2008-12-29T20:55:00.009-07:00

So, we're almost finished with the holiday season. SAD. Do you know what's even sadder? I've gained five pounds in the last 2 weeks from all the junk we've been eating. As the title of this post suggests, fruits and vegetables have been scarce in the Archibald diet lately. They have been replaced by large quantities of turkey and mashed potatoes, ham and cheese potatoes, frosted sugar cookies, nuts, chex mix, Hershey's kisses, Danish butter cookies, peppermint sticks, apple pie, more chocolate in various forms, BAMBINOS from La Pizzeria in Rigby, ID, pancakes and french toast, frosted gingersnaps, lemon cheesecake pie, more chex mix, and so on and so on.

That being said, we had a really fun Christmas this year. We stayed with ALL of Randy's family at his parents' house--that's right, all thirty-something of us stayed at my in-laws. One word: CHAOS. But the cousins had a blast and it was fun to see everyone, so it was worth it.

On Christmas Eve, we spent the afternoon at my family's old stake center (church house) in Rigby and had a huge dinner with Randy's extended family.

Christmas Day, everyone got up at seven to have breakfast and a short devotional by Lynn. (Notice the FEET of snow burying our cars outside the window.)

Then the kids lined up on the stairs for the annual Christmas photo. But the kids are getting so big and so numerous that not all of them fit in the picture. (Sorry, Garrett and who knows who else.)

After that--PRESENTS!

And then the grand finale--it gets more bizarre every year. I present to you: my father-in-law Lynn.

He really is a lot more professional on the other 364 days of the year.

Anyway, the kids were pleased with their presents, and we had a good time together with everyone. We welcomed our future sis-in-law Stefanie who is engaged to Trevor, and even experienced the birth of a new niece--Shelby Jane Archibald was born on Dec. 26 to Ben and Cheri. Congratulations!

Now, if I could just find someone to put away all of our Christmas decorations for free. I would do it, but I'm now too fat to move.

It just isn't Christmas without...

2008-12-22T22:39:00.005-07:00

This is what I did today. I made dozens and dozens of Christmas cookies. The bad news: we are so sick of Christmas treats. This is the pile as of today, and it's still growing.

And that doesn't even count the two gallon-size plastic bags full of Christmas Mix in my pantry.

We will be travelling to spend Christmas with Randy's family, but it just doesn't seem like Christmas unless you make cookies. So I took one for the team. (Actually, I enjoyed it. So did Carter.) And we'll just pack them up and take them with us to Idaho and hope everyone else eats all the stuff we shouldn't be eating!

Tomorrow: Pies, laundry, and hopefully a couple of phone interviews. (Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. I HATE THEM!)

That'll teach me.....

2008-12-20T21:58:00.003-07:00

Today, Randy had to work in the clinic in Pleasant Grove from 9am to 9pm. Tonight was also the annual "Messiah" sing-along at the high school across the street. Since I love stuff like that and Randy doesn't so much, I decided to take Carter and go to the sing.

Oh, dear readers, let ye never be so foolish.

Scene: The very last chorus, all the choir and congregation singing their hearts out to the symphony. Large crescendo and increase in intensity.

CHORUS: "BLESSING AND HONOR, GLORY AND POWER, BE UNTO HIM THAT SITTETH UPON THE THRONE, AND UNTO THE LAMB, FOR EVER AND EVER!!"

(Very long unusually quiet and expectant silent pause)

CARTER: "Mom, I need to go potty...."

ME: Look of disbelief as my hand slaps over his mouth.

CHORUS: "AAAAAA--MEEEEEEEENNNNNN!!!!"

That'll teach me to try to expose a three-year-old to some culture. At least he liked the trumpet solo.

Can't anyone stop the clock....please?

2008-12-11T16:30:00.004-07:00

I am running out of time. I mean, desperately running out of time. The good news is that today was my last day of class. I had good classes this semester but it's nice to have that load off my shoulders for a month before the new semester begins. The bad news: I have not done one stitch of Christmas shopping. I have not handed out one Christmas card. I have not done any baking or even thought about what to give neighbors and friends. And I won't be able to think about it until at least Tuesday because my newspaper deadline is Monday and I haven't even started on the seven stories I'm supposed to write. (Don't tell my editor.) Considering Christmas is less than two weeks away, this could become a serious problem.

However, today I did one thing that made my day. In my adolescent literature class, we have been discussing a novel about a young girl who is severely (and I mean horribly...it's the stuff of nightmares) abused. She educates herself, moves into a halfway house for young mothers and starts to turn her life around. Since my group had to do a four-day presentation on the book, my study partner Deanne and I decided to have the director of YWCA Teen Home, Bree Murphy, speak to our class about the pregnant and parenting teens that live in the home and the challenges they face. She spoke to the class on Tuesday, and some of the students were interested to know how to volunteer or donate to the home. Bree suggested diapers, wipes, entertainment items for the mothers, formula, etc., and the professor said anyone who wanted to donate could bring those items to class today.

The response was overwhelming, and I am so in awe of my classmates. By the end of class today, there were bags and bags of things to take to Teen Home. Andy, one of the burly men in my class, had to help me load everything into my car. When I dropped everything off this afternoon, the staff was so excited about all the stuff that had been donated. It was fabulous! Thank you so much to Metcalf's English 5885 class! You guys are an example of the true spirit of Christmas!

The Gift of Christmastime

2008-12-05T10:26:00.002-07:00

It's Christmastime! I love this time of year, although this year it still feels more like autumn than Christmas. Last week, I put away the fall decorations and hauled out the boxes of Christmas decorations to spruce up the house. And my sweet husband Randy took time out of his busy schedule to help me put up Christmas lights last Friday. He didn't want to, but he did it for me. It's a good thing he loves me!

I love this time of year because we get to focus on all the good we have in our lives and the good things we can do for others. And we can also focus on the reason--Christ. He is the source of everything good.

So I want to wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS and I hope that all of us can enjoy this season to the fullest.

Dedicated to the Team Down South

2008-12-01T23:07:00.002-07:00

Here's to all you Ute haters out there. There's always next year.

I'm thankful for family

2008-11-30T16:33:00.005-07:00

This week, I got to spend time with all my brothers and sisters at once. This never happens in our family, but since Daegan and Amy moved a little closer to us, hopefully it will happen more often.

Thursday everyone contributed to an amazing Thanksgiving dinner at Cameron and Angelica's house. (Great job on the turkey, Ang.) All the little cousins had a chance to get reacquainted with each other while the adults gorged themselves on pie and played games. And ate more pie.

Friday we got together again for dinner at Kiirstin's house and exchanged gifts. (Great job on the enchiladas, Ang.)

Saturday, all of us climbed on the train and rode to temple square to see the lights. I have come to realize why my parents were never keen on taking us to places like Disneyland or the mall on Black Friday, because the older I get the more I hate crowds. But the lights were beautiful, and it was nice to have all of us together again. (Well, almost all of us. Randy had to work, and we really missed him.)

Oh what a lovely recession!

2008-11-24T15:04:00.003-07:00

Today, I filled my entire tank full of gas...a little over 15 gallons...and was elated to read that it cost me less than $30! Since it will be impossible to lose my shirt in the stock market because I'm too poor to play that game, and I already own a home and don't need a loan, I thought to myself, "Maybe this recession isn't so bad after all!"

(Disclaimer: Only joking. I KNOW recessions are bad, so please don't think I'm that shallow.)

Another one bites the dust.

2008-11-21T16:59:00.007-07:00

Kiirsti and I treated ourselves to soup, salad, and breadsticks today with my Olive Garden gift card. As we were walking on the sidewalk outside of the restaurant, Carter bit it. And I mean he bit it HARD. As he fell, the forward movement of his body forced him to roll up ONTO HIS FACE. Ow. Here is the aftermath:

Poor little nose. But luckily it's nothing some neosporin and a kiss can't fix.

Can I get one of these?

2008-11-20T21:42:00.003-07:00

No posts lately cause life is CRAZY. I need a lazy Sunday.

Walmart, I hate you.

2008-11-11T21:07:00.004-07:00

An open letter to Walmart containing the five reasons I do now and will always HATE shopping in your stupid stores, and why I have decided to boycott you.

1--YOU HAVE CRAPPY CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I don't recall ever being in a Walmart without having to wait at least 5-10 minutes in line to check out. Usually, it's more like 20. And then there's your pharmacy. Today, I "stopped by" to get a prescription. I was in pain from a back injury, I had a grumpy three-year-old in need of a nap, and I had better things to do than wait in line. But I had the bad luck of "stopping by" at 1:15, right before the ENTIRE pharmacy and ALL the staff (of 10 PEOPLE. 10!) went to lunch together. "Oh, you can pick this up at 2:40," said the bleary-eyed automaton of an employee. I spent a wasted hour and a half in your hell-hole of a store, and guess what? My prescription wasn't done at 2:40. Big surprise. Just all in a day's work for you guys. I will be transferring that prescription to Target (a store you could learn a lot from) as soon as I can.

2--YOU HAVE CRAPPY MERCHANDISE.
I know it's cheap, but I will gladly pay a little more money for a quality product. But since that will never happen in your stores, you won't be getting any more of my money--ever.

3--YOUR STORES HAVE ALL THE WARMTH OF A LAB IN ANTARCTICA.
Walking into a Walmart is like walking into a nightmare. The lighting makes me feel like I'm in an alternate universe of zombies where everything is fake and cold. Why would I want to spend any time there?

4--I DON'T NEED EXERCISE, I JUST NEED TO RETURN MY CART
I understand you're trying to be cost effective. But it makes me angry to have to hike a quarter mile round trip just to put my cart in one of the cart return corrals in your never-ending parking lots. You also force me to make a choice: leave my child in the car and hope he'll be ok, since I lose sight of my car while I'm hiking away, or take him with me in the rain/snow/wind and in the midst of crazed drivers in search of a screaming deal. Just fork out the cash!!! How much can a cart return cost??

5--TAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS MUZAK AND SHOVE IT
We, your (ex) customers are not stupid. We know the reason you start playing Christmas muzak the day after Halloween is not to be cheery. It is to try to fool us into believing Christmas is right around the corner, and therefore we need to BUY MORE!! The result is that we are already Christmas-ed out by the first week of December. Well, I'm not that easy. I reserve the right to enjoy the holiday--and therefore will not shop in your stores.

So, farewell Walmart. I sincerely hope I never see the inside of one of your stores again. (Just saying that makes me happy.)

The Other Woman

2008-11-08T22:10:00.004-07:00

I have long been convinced that if she were actually human, my husband would leave me for Wendy. As in Wendy, hamburger-girl, daughter of Dave Thomas. Randy and I often joke that she is the other woman in our relationship--and he visits her on a regular basis.

Today, she swayed one more devotee to her cult.

I was sitting on the couch with Carter while he played a computer game. The game was kind of out of his league, and he kept losing so the game kept having to reload. As you know, during the reloading process, websites feel it necessary to subject us to ads. Well, I wasn't watching the screen, and all of a sudden Carter said, out of the blue, "I LOVE chicken nuggets, Mom." I said "Mmm-hmm" and then looked at the computer screen to see him lovingly stroking the face in this image:

After which he said, "Mom, I LOVE that chicken-girl."

Wow. He is totally his father's son.

Tiger spotted in West Jordan neighborhood

2008-11-06T16:03:00.006-07:00

Mom emailed me today and was highly disappointed that I hadn't posted pictures of Halloween yet. So this somewhat belated Halloween post is for dear, sweet Mother.

Some background: Carter is notoriously skittish when it comes to Halloween costumes. Last year, we decided a full-body chick costume would be perfect. It would keep him warm and required little work. Ideal! What we ended up with was this:

This year, we mistakenly believed we could get away with the full-body costume again, and when Carter insisted he REALLY REALLY wanted to be a monkey for Halloween, we believed him. What we ended up with was this:

So I took the monkey costume back (notice I left the tags on the costume for just such a situation) and told Carter that he could decide between a clown costume and a tiger costume, both of which I could make from a regular sweatsuit. After weeks of switching between the two, he finally decided to give in to my decree that HE WAS GOING TO BE A TIGER. END OF DISCUSSION.

Kiirstin came over to help me paint, and after a couple of hours a tiger was born. It was a hit.

Dirty Little Secret

2008-11-05T08:42:00.005-07:00

So, here is my dirty little secret (at least in our family): I don't vote straight ticket. I am registered unaffiliated with a political party. And I occasionally vote for Democrats.

I am fine with the fact that Obama is going to be president. I would have been fine with McCain, too. The thing is, I disagree with both of them on some issues and yet I agree with both of them on some issues as well. Either of them would have had struggles in office--it's just the nature of the world we live in. They are both good men, and either one would have done the best they could.

But here is what really makes me angry: when people are so caught up in their own crazy ideas that they cannot see logic. Take, for example, the woman who told the SIX-year-olds (one of whom I know) in her carpool yesterday that if Obama became president he would start killing babies in their mommies' tummies. Or the woman (whom I know) who said she knows Obama hates America and is not going to support America, and she's scared to death trying to think of what his "agenda" could possibly be.

To these people I want to say: Give me a break. Obama is not the anti-Christ, no matter how many right-wing websites say he is. And just because a Democrat made it to the White House doesn't mean the world is coming to a rapid and fiery end. BE REASONABLE, calm down, and see what happens. He may actually do a good job.

In other news:

ANNIVERSARY--Randy and I celebrated seven years of married (almost always)bliss on Monday. We got each other a couple of small gifts and then that night we went to dinner at Johnny Carino's. MM-MM-GOOD!

CARTER--Bubby is sick. He has this really awful cough that scares you if you're not expecting it, because it sounds like you're sitting next to a really angry rottweiler. But the medicine makes him so hyper that I can barely deal with him. So as a mother, I'm really in a quandary. Physical health (of my son) or Mental Heath (my own!). Just kidding. I give him the meds.

WEATHER--We woke up to three inches of snow outside, and it's still coming down! YAY! Candy Cane Cocoa for everyone--on me!

And here we go....

2008-11-03T12:54:00.001-07:00

Hello, and welcome to my blog. I know Daegan thought he was the last person in North America to start one, but he was wrong. And Barbara didn't believe me, but I waited so long to start blogging because I couldn't think of a brilliant name for my blog. However, I've given up on that ideal, and so here I present to you.....The Archibald Post--snippets of news, opinion, and entertainment from me regarding our family and life in general.

Please have patience with me, because I am still trying to learn all the tips and tricks of having a fun blog. Hopefully you will "subscribe" to my scribblings and come back often.

So, in honor of the recently celebrated Halloween holiday, I present to you a link to my recent favorite video...with apologies because I haven't taken the time to learn how to embed video yet. Happy viewing!

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/snl-digital-short-the-mirror/224715/