A Whole New Life. Kind of.

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!

"The Fringe Benefits of Failure."

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.

Ketchup.

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.

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.

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

Scenes from a cell phone camera.

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.

Green with......

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.

A News Update

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.

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."

Best and Worst of Vegas (2009 Edition)

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!

MPM

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!

Perspective, Part II

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.

Story of my Life.

Pick-Me-Up

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

Spring Break: Some choose debauchery, I choose decor

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

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!

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?

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

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.

Small Miracles

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.

Other people's children

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.)