Sweet is the Peace

I have not been able to find the picture I wanted to show

tribute to President Hinckley. I love this picture, almost as

much. I will miss his candor, his smile, his humor, his insight,

his ability to touch everyone listening, and his absolute love

for all of us. But more than anything, I am so happy he could

be united with his sweet wife, after their short and final separation.
Forever and for always, may Godspeed.

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2008/01/gordon_b_hinckley_19102008.html

On the Move

Kid 1 thinks she is "SO BIG". She actually is really cute and fun when she feels good. She is so playful and a big tease.

Kid 3 has yet another double ear infection. I don't know what to do. My pediatrician is really hoping to get her through the respiratory season before we consider tubes. I think that is a great idea, but in the meantime, I am having many a sleepless nights, a whiney child, and a messy house. I don't know what to think about tubes. I have heard two things regarding chronic ear infections and tubes. They are: 1. chronic ear infections can cause hearing problems. 2. tubes can leave holes or cause scarring which can cause hearing problems. Sounds like a double whammy to me. My neighbor just gave me some kid-e-munne. I am going to give it a shot. It may just boost her immune system enough to get rid of these ear infections once and for all.

Playing PAT-A-CAKE. Trying to ROLL IT.

Blogging Vacation

I have been on a small vacation from blogging. Don't know when I'll be back, but it might be around the time my 9 month old will let me put her down. Until then. . .

Appreciation in the Small Stuff

Kid 1, I like to think, has learned to be fairly well mannered. He is into saying, "Thank-you" at times you don't always expect it from a kid, and sometimes forgets it at times you might deem appropriate.
This morning while feeding Kid 3, I heard him cough, and then mumble something. I had to clarify, because if it was what I thought he said, it was all too cute and funny.

"What did you just say?"

"Thank-you cough. My voice was all funny (mimics his voice being "funny") and so I just coughed and now me better."

I truly never thought I would see the day when someone told their cough, THANK YOU.
I guess it is a lesson learned that I should be more grateful for the small stuff. So, Thank you Kid 1 for being who you are and teaching me to look for the good in life, which you always do.

Scrapbooking Dilemma

I have an obvious problem that maybe some of you a little more experienced can help me out with. I am a hoarder of scrapbooking supplies. It has been a long, long time since I have actually done any scrapbooking. I have finally stopped buying anything, because I have to use what I have. I have a true investment in my basement that is just waiting to gain something. I love to scrapbook but I am so far behind that sometimes I don't even know where to start. A couple of girls are getting together tonight to scrapbook. I am excited because maybe I can get a few pages done. My problem more than anything is this: I want to know if digital scrapbooking is better, faster, and easier? So anyone out there with an opinion, please, please let me know. Otherwise, I will continue to believe that someday I will use the stuff in my basement, and get further and further behind. If someone has some magical tip of how to keep up on it, please do tell. My problem with the whole digital scrapbooking is that I am not sure where to go to get stuff. I don't know if it is free or costs. And I don't want to end up having to go to hundreds of different sites. I need something fairly all inclusive. And I guess I need to know if I need photoshop. Professional scrapbookers. . .it is time to fess up.

Just as common as I thought

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 1,250 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

So I did this with my maiden name which is not near as common as my last, and there were only 62 of us. Sounds much better.

Sick lil' babies

I worked today and took care of a sick, sick little girl. But, my heart was back home where I should have been taking care of my own sick little girls. Both of them ran fevers all day with only their daddy to cuddle with. I am sure it was enough for atleast my daddy's girl, but not my mommy's girl. Let's hope tomorrow we do better at home, and I can say the same for those at the hospital.

Man Crush or Woman Crush: The man is HOT

Recent blog entry from my in-laws, which as we all know, this is one of my husbands and I's little "crushes" as well. But B may have a new man crush now. We went and saw 27 Dresses last night and he was asking me who the chick in the movie was and I told him Kathryn Heigl. He asked me if she was hot and I told him, yeah. He SO disagreed with me and pointed out that when James Mardsen came out he thought he was so much "hotter" than she was. So, there we have it. He might just be hot enough to move Tom out of position. I don't know. There is something about an athlete being good looking vs. an actor being good looking (I think we kind of expect it with people in that industry). I'll have to get B's input and keep you updated. Afterall, it is easier to justify my crush if my husband has the same one.

"So it's no secret my dear husband LOVES Bill Simmons... (he is hilarious - he writes for ESPN.) and all types of sports and most pseudo-sports... but some of you may not know he has a man-crush on Tom. We have discussed this in great length, along with all the other males we know that have man-crushes on Tom, and it continues to make me laugh. When ever TB is giving an interview, throwing a pass, on a commercial, etc., I love hearing how "he is a beautiful man" ... and I laugh when Spence invites me to disagree. (which of course i don't - i think all women would agree he is a beautiful man)... anyway, today Spence emailed me this and i thought it worthy of sharing- here's to all of you with man-crushes on Tom:"


Bill Simmons email bag:
Q: I'm 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, and not even close to being gay, so you know the Pats are good when people don't even look at me funny when I mention my man-crush on Tom Brady. Mostly, they nod in agreement. I think at least 60 percent of North American males must have a man-crush on Tom Brady at this point, whether they admit it or not. Think about it. You're out at a bar one night with more than a few cocktails in you, and there's Tom Brady, you get to talking, go out on the dance floor, and eventually you're back at the booth and he leans in and tilts his head just a little. Who's turning that down?

A Little Roundball Ruckus

Women's church basketball started this week. What a debut it was. I haven't played ball in a competitive fashion, 5 on 5 girls, in TEN years. That is a long time. It was fun, a little competitive, a little embarrassing. Just what it should be, right? Not quite like the young women's basketball I remember and despised. I am SO not in basketball shape. Basketball shape is different than most sports and just your average work-out at the gym won't get you in shape for it. Not that I am even in that kind of shape, but whatever. As I was running up and down the court at times, I would see black spots splattered across the court and my arms would get all tingly. Not a good sign. Afterwards I realized I was wearing one of those rubber band headbands to keep my short hair out of my face, and that might have been just a little tight. So, whatever the case, I was sucking wind-HARD. I am sore in all sorts of new places. The fun starts all over again. It sounds all too familiar, something like this happened with church volleyball this fall, although, that seems ages ago. Besides, it definitely works a bunch of different muscle groups. And it definitely works a different edge in me-let's see how much of it I can muster to pull out.

Penelope Pederman

I guess I am not alone in this world of messed up addresses and phone numbers. I have loved all the responses. Reading some of your comments has reminded me of another story, I have to tell it.
We moved into our home about a year ago and once we got our phone lines up and running I started to receive about 10 calls a day for a (let's call her) Penelope Pederman (not that far of a stretch from her real name). It was really, really annoying, especially when it interrupted my nap (being 8 months pregnant).
I would explain to someone who did not speak English very well that I just moved into the house, it was a new number for me, and that Penelope did not live here. . .over and over again.
Finally, I had had it. They weren't getting the message. I decided I was going to be Penelope for the day. So when they asked for Penelope Pederman, I said, "This is her." Immediately I was told to hang on and the caller switched to a manager.
"Penelope, Penelope Pederman?".
I couldn't lie anymore. I had to tell the man who actually spoke English that I was not Penelope. He got very, very angry with me and started yelling at me.
"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" I responsed in the nicest of ways. I told him I needed someone to listen to me and now that I had his attention, my number needed to be taken off of his list because Penelope was long gone. It worked. A few days later I got a call from QWEST, my phone company, verifying this was a new number for me (like they couldn't veryify that for themselves?). But, I no longer got calls for Penelope Pederman. It made me feel bad though, after I pretended to be her I learned it was a collection agency. But let's be honest. If someone is going to go to collection's, do you think they will keep their same phone number? Or even be able to pay for a phone number? I think she was in a lot of trouble because it wasn't the only collection agency calling for her.

Is this the office of Robert J. DeBry?

About 3 months ago I got the first call, on my cell phone.
"Ello, Ello, es tis da office of Rrobert J. DeBry?"
"Excuse me?"
"Es tis da office of Rrobert J. DeBry?"
"No, I am sorry, you have the wrong number."
I thought this foreigner must have just dialed the wrong number; until, I got the next call, and the next and the next.
The calls came sporadically enough, but no one could tell me exactly where they got MY cell phone number. Yesterday I had a magical breakthrough. I got another call, but this time Kid 1 answered the phone. I think the caller was convinced enough that they really had the wrong number, unless the offices of Robert J. DeBry had moved to their home. For those of you who know Utah well enough, Robert J. DeBry is one of those BIG litigation lawyers. The Caller yesterday informed me he got the number off of a web page.
I had had enough, so I asked him for more specifics, but strangely he couldn't give me the exact web address. I fished around for a little bit but then decided it wasn't MY problem (Ok, it really was since they were calling my phone but couldn't the people who posted my number be responsible?)
I decided to call the offices of Robert J. DeBry. This being my second attempt at contacting someone, I got a little smarter and asked for someone in HR instead of thinking the receptionist answering the phone might have the answer. I talked to someone in HR who sets up the web sites. I was all ready to tell her that if she didn't take care of the problem she could count on me giving "my" customers calling very grave news regarding "her" law offices. But, I didn't need to. She was embarrassed, even a little appalled that it had been set up wrong and she said the problem would be immediately looked into. I was shocked when I got a phone call one hour later telling me that she had about 4 different departments working on the problem. I think the next caller will be shocked to learn that he is trying to contact a very incompetent law office if the call makes it through to my cell phone. We might just all have to reconsider their slogan: "Give experience a try. . .(don't) call Robert J. DeBry". After all, I don't want to talk to you, well, not about that anyway.

Sudoku Update

I have now completed the intermmediate level in the Sudoku book. There were 48 puzzles. On to the advanced level. . .only 48 more to go.

Lofty Ambitions

Driving home from the in-laws last night, Kid 1 started asking B about previous job experiences. B was explaining to him all of the different jobs that he has held over the years, and Kid 1 then said, "Dad, you know what I want to be when I grow up?, I want to be a Zookeeper." Kid 2 of course chimed in and said, "I want to be a PRINCESS when I grow up." Awesome I thought. I can handle that, she is my type of girl. I wasn't and still am not quite so sure about Kid 1's dream. This isn't the first time I have heard it either.

THEN, to make matters worse, B says to me, "I would be proud if he was a zookeeper." I gave him a sideways glance and said, "Are you kidding?" We then began discussing what being a zookeeper entails and decided that neither one of us really knows. I think it has more to do with managing the animals, making sure they are fed, keeping their homes CLEAN, and keeping up on any maintenance their homes might need. B thinks it is taking care of their medical needs. I feel that is the Zoo vets responsibility. Whatever the case, it isn't what I envision my own kid doing. And the most interesting thing about the whole thing is that kid 1 is extremely scared of any animal outside a cage that approaches him. I wonder just what he thinks a zookeeper is himself.
We went to the ZOO on Saturday. In the COLD. There was a baby giraffe who was a little over a month old that was already so big. I guess when they are born they are over 6 feet tall. I can't imagine delivering something that size. I realize it is all proportionate, but I have someone to help me. The most interesting thing I thought was seeing camels, zebras, and elephants in the snow.

7 Hours Through

Last night I was scheduled for a 19L, which means: a 12 hour shift (L is the 12th letter of the alphabet) from 1900 to 0700 (7 pm to 7 am). I got to work and around 2100 the charge nurse asked me if I wanted to go home?!?! Duh. As much as I love working, and as much as I love the money, working through the night isn't my idea of a fun time. Considering how sleep deprived I already am, adding to it by trying to get 3 hours of sleep the next DAY, doesn't always work so well for me. Kid 3 has not been sleeping through the night. We have been dealing with chronic ear infections. Yesterday I took her back into the Dr. for another antibiotic shot. I was hoping last night was the night we all slept through the night. Miracles of miracles, it WAS. I fed her at midnight and we all woke up around 7:00. I am so excited and hope this new tradition can find meaning in my little ones life.

Senior Missionaries This Way

Today is the day I took my parents to the MTC. Sounds a little bit backwards, but I can remember my parents telling me this is what they wanted to do over 15 years ago. I am glad to see their dream being fulfilled. I spent the last four days with them. We just hung out, played lots of Zilch and Sudoku, and went shopping. I must say I am filled with an array of mixed emotions. I am so happy for them to finally be doing what they have longed to do for years. But as I was dropping them off at the MTC, I was shocked to see all of these old people up there starting their "Senior" Missions. My parents aren't "Senior" Missionaries. I didn't think they looked as OLD as the other couples. But then I did a double take. Somewhere between me graduating from high school and moving out to getting married and having three kids, they aged. It hit me like a load of bricks. They are that old. They are a "Senior" Missionary couple. And they will be gone for 18 months. They won't see Kid 1 start kindergarten. They won't see Kid 2 start preschool. They won't see Kid 3 take her first step, start walking, start talking and even start running. She will have gone from age 9 mo to age 2. The list could go on and in. The thing about someone being gone for that long is that life does goes on. I think overall the hardest thing for me is that my kids won't get to see their grandparents for that time. Don't get me wrong. I am going to miss seeing my parents, being able to just call them up to chat, to get advice and comfort. I guess if I just don't think about it, and take it is if they are still in Idaho, the time may pass just a little more quickly-and easier.

Sudoku

I have a new obsession. Sudoku. B's grandma overheard me say how much I like it so she bought me a book for Christmas. It has 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. I have completed 34 puzzles in one week. Just to demonstrate how bad it really is: I dreamed about Sudoku last night, I was doing them in my head and even creating my own! The problem is I started with the beginner and have completed all of those and some of the intermediate level. Now I face the harder puzzles, which take more time. But I won't stop until the book is done. Let's just say this new obsession has consumed my addiction of book reading for the time being. That and the book I was reading was 2 THUMBS DOWN-it is eating me up not to finish it, but since it was a combination of short stories I don't feel as bad, I finished a few stories. Let's just say I decided to stop when I came to the story entitled Dinah, The Christmas Whore. A little Sudoku for the rest of you. www.websudoku.com

Transformers

Christmas came and went. It was a fairly busy day but definitely fun. The kids now enjoy things a little bit more and Kid 2 just couldn't stop saying, "Presents". I think we got more than our fair share. Kid 1 got his coveted Andre Kirelinko jersey, aka AK 47, Kid 2 got a pink Jazz jersey as well, D-Will #8. We only thought it appropriate to get her one since her brother was getting one as well. He also got Optimus Prime, a Transformer, that took more than an instruction book to get transformed, it took my pure ingenius abilities. Kid 2 got dress-up, and more dress-up. I hate feeding the Princess Ego, but that is what she wanted, and loves. Every five minutes, she herself transforms into a new princess: Aerial, Belle, Snow White, Cinderella. Kid 3 got a few token presents. My mom informed me the other kids would wonder why she didn't get any presents from Santa, so I felt I had to oblige. She just liked beeing in the middle of it all.