NO Sale is THAT Good!

Did you hear about the man crushed to death by the frenzied shoppers busting the doors down to get their doorbuster deals?

Sadly, it's true.

I made the mistake, for the first and probably the last time, of catching the special deals on Friday morning two years ago. I left the kids and drove sedately over to JoAnn Fabric, spent nearly an hour wandering around trying to find some material I liked enough that would fit with the pattern I had to make the girls matching Christmas dresses. I then waited and waited and waited, with semi-rude people all around who were just as exasperated and tired as I was at 9am in the morning all waiting to cut/purchase their "prizes". I am certain it wasn't worth the $10 I saved.

I don't know if it's the advertising, the cliche, or just that "Black Friday" draws some very strange people out of their hiding places all fighting for that one item they have to have for their spouse/child/friend/sibling/parent. Maybe my turn will come when my daughter begs, pleads, and talks non-stop for months before Christmas about the one toy she wants so desperately. Yet, I don't think it'd be Zoë that would do that. She's pretty good about waiting for things. Although maybe having her birthday a month after Christmas is a good way to delay. Megan doesn't seem to need instant gratification, either. I wonder what Miranda will be like.

Then again, I don't think I have the temperament or the mental fortitude to brave those stores on Black Friday morning just to get the doorbuster deal. I think I'd rather spend a little more and be sure of a) my sanity and b) my health. Right now, nothing is worth the loss of those things for me.

Update:
OK, I was nutty enough to attempt the after-after-Thanksgiving sale. Saturday I went agian to JoAnn's to purchase material to make dresses for my daughters. I don't know if it's because it was the day-after-the-day-after-Thanksgiving, or if this year is really bad, or if it was just normal, but there were only a few people in the store! Although I still wandered for an hour trying to find some material that would work with the pattern that wouldn't cost me as much as buying outright the three dresses, I didn't have to fight with people, and the sales ladies were really nice! So, I saved $15 and I managed to get everything I needed to sew three dresses, plus a few extra things (bobbins, needles, etc). This trip was worth it- although it wouldn't have been if Travis did not watch the kids.

Things for Which I'm Thankful

The Gospel of Jesus Christ: the teachings, the way of life, the security that comes from following God's commandments, the promises, the covenants I've made all have given me the greatest joy and peace.

Travis: his love, support, humor, intelligence. When I was considering a husband, the top three things on my list were 1)He has to has a testimony of Jesus Christ. 2) He has to treat me like a Queen, and 3) He has to play with me.

My Daughters: Each one is special and different. I am grateful for Zoë's zest for life, her sweet and empathetic nature, her enjoyment of play and reading. I am thankful for Megan's mischievousness and silliness, her love of beauty and discovery, her kindness in sharing and helping others. I am also thankful for Miranda's comic relief, her easy-going nature, her enjoyment of figuring out puzzles, and her love of being with people.

Family: In addition to my immediate family, I cannot say enough about how grateful I am for my parents, my siblings, and my in-laws. ALL of them have touched my life in such wonderful ways and have helped me grow so much!

Friends: Especially my Twin Cousin, who really fits in the "Extended Family" category. But also for other friends with whom I can play with, learn from, and enjoy their company.

The Simple Things in Life: Food, Shelter, Clothing and Energy. Elder Perry gave an amazing talk that reminded me how little we truly need in life. It makes me recognize I need to take better care of what I do have, but also to remember how much more than my needs are being met. I not only have shelter, but a beautiful house. I not only have food, but healthy food in a wide variety. I not only have clothing, but fun clothes, and more than one or two outfits. I not only have fuel, but enough that I can keep my thermostat at 68 +/- and can bake/cook, and I can drive my vehicle to various places. I'm grateful that my husband is able to provide for these items, and that we have enough left over for a rainy day, and enough for many of our wants as well.

Chocolate

New Running Shoes- I got new ones and I actually almost feel like running when I put them on!

Sunshine: winter or summer, it always seems my mood improves dramatically when the sun is shinning.


Snow- so I can drink Hot Chocolate and not feel as guilty. Note, I didn't say I was thankful for COLD, just for snow.

Herbal Infusions- so I can drink something warm without calories

My Computer with Internet- so I can be distracted from what I should really be doing. No, it's more that I'm grateful that I can record the events in my life (with my digital camera), scrapbook them, and immediately share them with family that is scattered all over. I'm so glad that I have this tool and treasure in my life.

Wikipedia- for answering those trivial questions we used to just "shrug" off and go on with life. Most recently, "Where did the name Blackberry come from?" But also for providing valuable information about anything I want to look up (Do giraffes talk?)

YouTube- for resurrecting those songs from my high school days that were obscure even in the height of fashion. Some of my (albeit weird) favorites include: Undone- the Sweater Song (Weezer), The Sweater, Ponderous, The Garden Song (Arlo Guthrie), and others. They also have videos from my childhood, that my daughters have now come to love, too. (Donald Duck's "Trick-or-Treat") And, I've just discovered they have pluralists. Yay!


Of course, there are many, many other things for which I'm very grateful. I won't list them, but I do want to mention one thing. When listening to the broadcast of the re-dedication of the Mexico Temple, I realized the word thankful" is said in Spanish, "accion de gracias". It is an action of thanks. I will remember this as I move into Christmas. I want my focus to be on Jesus Christ, on the service He gave, and what I can do to serve others as He did.

Face Forward

There's always something exciting about changing the car seat from the rear-facing position to the front. It's such a milestone, and so exciting. I especially love it because it's easier to get the kid into the seat and because I can now see their cute little face in my rear-view mirror.

Miranda doesn't seem to care. Megan was very excited to be turned around. I can't remember if Zoë was or not. But, Miranda seems just as happy as she was before. Maybe that's a testament to how good-natured she is. I hope she stays that way!

The day I turned her car seat around was also the first day I put shoes on Miranda. And, not just shoes, but boots. I don't think she liked them very much because instead of trying to walk, she would just sit down. It would've been better if it had not just snowed and everything was wet. Still, it was beautiful (and cold) outside. I was glad we could enjoy it a little!

It's C-c-c-c-cold!

I got up the other morning to check the thermostat.

I'd adjusted the timer program to change the thermostat during the hours of the day according to our need. Since we were in bed at night, I turned it down to conserve energy/money. The temperatures had started to drop below 30 at night, so the heater was necessary. We also put plastic over the windows upstairs to "help" conserve the heat, but this house is as leaky as a sieve, and there is NO insulation. Keep in mind that our furnace is in the basement, making the upstairs MUCH colder than where the thermostat is located on the main floor. Our gas bill is inversely proportional to the temperature outside. We do what we can to keep it down.

So, this other morning, I got up at about 4am (Miranda woke me up, again) and I came downstairs to see if it was maybe the temperature that was getting her up so early. I looked at the thermostat, which happens to be the second warmest room in the house.

It said 64 degrees F.

Now, some of you know a few things about me. For those of you who don't, let me tell you:

#1 I am nearly always cold.
#2 I am allergic to the cold. True story. I have a medical condition where I break out in an itchy rash when my skin gets cold.
#3 I hate being cold.

When I saw the inside temperature I realized a few things. Yes, Miranda was waking up because she was COLD. My wool comforter (I'm allergic to down, too) works really well. Saving money wasn't worth my losing sleep.

When I saw Travis eating breakfast with the girls later that morning, I immediately changed the programming. It now gets down to 66 on the main floor. I imagine it gets about 60 upstairs now, instead of what was probably close to 56 before.


The girls no longer don their winter coats to break their fast. Miranda is sleeping through the night again. Life is good.

It's No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk... but Can I Scream?

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll clean it up!"

These words float up to me as I'm changing the baby's diaper. My middle daughter has managed, in the time period of about 30 seconds, to spill her sippy cup of milk. I'm grateful she's learned to clean up her own messes, but a 3-year-old just does not have the same standard for "cleaned up" that a Mom has. I came down to the kitchen to find a drippy milk trail from the table to the sink, and my nice clean decorative towel hung with a mini coat hanger on a drawer handle to dry off.

Well, she cleaned it up. Sort of. I actually couldn't tell where the spill originated, and the towel is damp, so she did do something.

Thunk.
"Uh, Oh!"
These words tear knife through me as I turn around and see my toddler pointing to her sippy cup of milk that is now on the floor, with milk that hadn't splashed out onto the table legs and chair legs now drip-pouring out the sippy part. Next, she starts screaming, indicating that she wants to get down. I put her down, turn around to get something to clean up the milk spill, and I hear another.

Thunk.
"Uh, Oh!"
She's managed to pick up the sippy, take a drink, walk over to the stairs, and drop the dumb thing again. Another spray and drip-pour on the floor.

Yeah, I won't cry over spilled milk. I cry at the grocery store when I fork out $15+/week.
No, no quiet sobs with tears pouring down my face. I want to scream. A good long, from-the-gut bellow that makes the floorboard rumble, the glass threaten to shatter out of their moldings. Hmmm, maybe I'll just try to channel that energy into scrubbing the floors on my hands and knees. Then maybe my daughter won't look at her brand new white socks after wearing them for 10 minutes on the hardwoods and say "Maaa-awww-uuumm! Ew!"*

On the other hand, I might just go read a book on the couch instead and ignore the whole thing. After that good scream.

*I attempt to scrub the floors on hands and knees once a week. I try to sweep daily (although often it's 2 or 3 times daily). However, I think this house has a secret trick to pulling all the dirt in the world from outside and depositing it in the kitchen and living room, which of course spills over to all the other floors in the house. Oh, and the (dust) bunnies are very prolific in the upstairs rooms. So, when you come to visit, just keep looking UP and ignore the floors. Well, don't look up too high, cuz I'm short and can't see up high, so I'm sure there are a few cobwebs and spiders, and a layer of dust on everything over, say, 5.5 feet high.

She's Got Bette Davis Eyes

Well, I don't really have Bette Davis eyes. Megan comes rather close. Still this was fun to read. Some things were true, and some things were not (as is the case with most of these "quizzes").
Isn't that a cool word? QUIZZES. What other words have double Z's in them? Wouldn't that be 30+ points on Scrabble? I'll have to remember that one.
Hmm, maybe I need to go to bed. Anyway, enjoy reading about ME!

You are a Bette -- "I must be strong"

Bettes are direct, self-reliant, self-confident, and protective.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Stand up for yourself... and me.
• * Be confident, strong, and direct.
• * Don't gossip about me or betray my trust.
• * Be vulnerable and share your feelings. See and acknowledge my tender, vulnerable side.
• * Give me space to be alone.
• * Acknowledge the contributions I make, but don't flatter me.
• * I often speak in an assertive way. Don't automatically assume it's a personal attack.
• * When I scream, curse, and stomp around, try to remember that's just the way I am.

What I Like About Being a Bette

• * being independent and self-reliant
• * being able to take charge and meet challenges head on
• * being courageous, straightforward, and honest
• * getting all the enjoyment I can out of life
• * supporting, empowering, and protecting those close to me
• * upholding just causes

What's Hard About Being a Bette

• * overwhelming people with my bluntness; scaring them away when I don't intend to
• * being restless and impatient with others' incompetence
• * sticking my neck out for people and receiving no appreciation for it
• * never forgetting injuries or injustices
• * putting too much pressure on myself
• * getting high blood pressure when people don't obey the rules or when things don't go right

Bettes as Children Often

• * are independent; have an inner strength and a fighting spirit
• * are sometimes loners
• * seize control so they won't be controlled
• * figure out others' weaknesses
• * attack verbally or physically when provoked
• * take charge in the family because they perceive themselves as the strongest, or grow up in difficult or abusive surroundings

Bettes as Parents

• * are often loyal, caring, involved, and devoted
• * are sometimes overprotective
• * can be demanding, controlling, and rigid

Still with LOTS of Hair

One thing I often hear from people is how much fun (?) it must be to be able to fix my daughters' hair. Well, it is interesting. I did enjoy fixing my barbie's hair when I was younger. My own? Well, I usually pull it back into a bun (too long for a pony tail to make much difference).

I don't enjoy "playing" with my girls' hair, but I do enjoy making them look pretty. It does take up a LOT of time, especially since I've chosen to not cut my daughters' hair so they don't have bangs and I have to pull their hair back to keep it out of their eyes. I'm ok with this decision.

Yet, I never expected to have to FIX a baby's hair. About the time Zoë and Megan started walking was about the time I had to start pulling their hair out of their face (Zoë later than her younger sister). And, then there is Miranda.

She was born with a head full of hair. One dear friend asked, "What died and did you put on top of that baby's head!?"



Since about 4 months I've had to pull her hair back with a clip. It is now long enough to put into little braids, but I can't quite fit it all into one ponytail. Maybe by the end of the year...

Still, the poor thing has to have her hair fixed every morning or else she can't see very much: I'm so grateful all three of my daughters have beautiful hair. I just wish I could find a way to cut our hair dressing time from 30 minutes (average is about 10 minutes per child) to about 5. Yes, it really does take that long to brush and fix Zoë's 20-inch blond tresses, Megan's 14-inch curly locks, and Miranda's 8-inch mop. Hmm, maybe that's why it takes me so long to get to church on Sunday.

So, barring a haircut (why mess with perfection? Miranda's even got the layers!), got any suggestions for shaving some time off the morning hair routine? Or new ideas for cute hairstyles?

Cousins

Miranda started wrinkling up her nose (usually while eating). For some reason this reminded me of her cousin, Jack, and even more so when she almost attained the Famous "Grandpa Laugh" while making the face (not quite as whiney or as long). Ironically, it's usually when she's eating something, and is in a "mood" to be a ham.





So, what do you think? Is she emulating her cousin? Is it the genes or just coincidence? Or did their moms/dads teach them that!? (Miranda's mom if famous for her smoosh face with a sniff-laugh)

Walking!

I know, I know. I am VERY delinquent in posting this. Miranda has been walking for the last two weeks (plus). Her first step was on October 11th when we were camping. Since then, after some practice sessions with Mom and Dad for a few days, she really started taking off. These videos were taken on November 11th, and you can see she's become adept. My infant is gone. Hurray for my Toddler!




Sorry about the shaky camera. I should have zoomed out some. If you get motion sickness, close your eyes and just listen to the singing when you play this next one.



Ahhh, I love that she can walk!

How to REALLY clean your bathroom

1. Make sure you have a large number of half-full bottles of various liquid or semi-liquid items including, but not limited to, moisturizing hand soap, foam hand soap, Comet scrub cleaner, facial wash, Baby Shampoo, Cheap "kids" lotion, expensive "mom" lotion. All must be in varying colors and levels of fullness.

2. Get heavily involved in a project online (e.g. photo scrapbook) that has a deadline and then have something (as it invariably does) work not right.

3. Give your 3-year-old LOTS of juice/milk/water, in any combination and/or all three just about an hour before your are neck deep in your online project.

4. Turn loose the walking almost-1-year-old who loves to make a beeline upstairs to the bathroom when her bigger sister is there.

Now, the 3-year-old will finish going potty for the umpteenth time (which you have come to ignore because you've check the last 10 times). You hear the water turn on/off, and you think in the back of your mind somewhere, "Oh, good, she washed her hands" and you promptly ignore any further water sounds.

Fast forward about 20 minutes and this is what you'll find:

The baby is covered in Comet, which is sticking to her clothes because the 3-year-old has dripped some water off the sink (more to come on this in a moment). She is also surrounded by unopened (THANK GOODNESS!)bottles of nail polish, plus cotton balls, hair pins, barrettes, hair rubber bands, and pretty much everything else in the cupboard next to the sink. This will solve your clutter problem that was a nightmare monster hiding in the cupboard next to the sink. It also helps with those stains that were in the now-Comet-covered jeans (bleach gets most everything out- especially color). After dusting the baby off and tossing everything she drug out into the garbage, you change her and turn to the 3-year-old who is standing at the sink with six soaked washcloths, and a handful of swirly pink-purple-pearl-clear "Potion" in her hands. Help her wash her hands and then scoot her out of the bathroom with the order to change her soaked clothes and get into bed for rest time. Of course, she's compliant since she is worried; you hear her say, "Mom? You're not mad at me?"

And you aren't, yet. You knew you were courting disaster when you ignored the water sound. And, hey, not too much damage, right? Well, you go to wipe up the water puddle under the step-stool next to the sink that the 3-year-old managed to spill half-way across the floor, which didn't quite reach the 1-year-old (who is also now in her bed wearing fresh clothes and still smells a little like Comet). Lo! and Behold! It wasn't water... it is 1/2 a bottle of clear liquid hand soap that has been POURED out onto the floor down the cupboard door.

So, you have now de-cluttered the cupboard, thoroughly washed the sink with a wide variety of soaps, and by the time you get the sticky suds off, you could serve dinner on the bathroom floor tonight because it's absolutely germ free.

And, that, my friends, is how you get a bathroom really clean.

**No, sorry, there are no pictures to accompany this post.Amazingly, the mess didn't look too bad and I really didn't want to show off the contents of my scary-monster-containing cupboard.

Birthday

The Cake:
After trying for three days to get this puppy to sit up, he decided his head was too heavy to hold up. Since he was so tired, I let him lay down.

The Birthday Girl Eating Her Cake:

She wasn't duped even a little bit that this was CAKE and not a real puppy. Darn!



I'll try to get more pictures up on the website sometime this week. This will have to satiate you for now...

Hipocracy

I heard about the anti-Prop 8 protests outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Oakland on Saturday. I was floored. There were rumors that people were not allowed to pass through onto temple grounds and that many of the Mormons decided to turn around and go home instead of confronting the angry and belligerent crowd that rallied to shout "Bigots!" and "Shame on you!" at people who were on their way to perform service and try to feel the love of God.

Here we've heard from gay-rights activists how people need to be TOLERANT and should accept people for who they are. Yet, here these same people were shouting rude comments and preventing people from reaching a place of worship. What the heck!?!

Well, apparently the bad press (although there wasn't much of it that I could find on the internet yet I was looking in the NY Times and the Oakland Tribune) made it enough that protest organizers decided it looked poor to attack only the LDS church, and so they started protesting in front of other churches who were in support of Prop 8.

Many of the protesters said that a church shouldn't get involved in politics. They "brainwashed" people into thinking that same-sex marriages would lead to moral issues being taught in elementary school (which, by the way, has happened, see my sister-in-law's blog here.) There were also many rumors that the Church spent lots of money.

In fact, there was a letter encouraging California voters to support Proposition 8 and the first Presidency asked members to "do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time". The money raised was from members donating to a fund at ProtectMarriage.com, an organization established by a group of churches and individuals who want to protect the family. No money was donated directly from the Church.

I have gay acquaintances. I do not have any close gay friends. I do not have any married gay friends. I guess I don't understand why it is so important for them to be "married" especially when they are allowed civil unions that give the same privileges that married couples have. I can't believe they are looking for legitimacy before God. How can He give it when in the Bible we're told homosexuality is wrong (1 Cor. 6: 9-10).

I'm okay with these anti-Prop 8 people protesting. They are upset that this measure passed. They are worried about what will happen. That's normal. I'm not okay that they are now calling people who disagree with them bigots and intolerant. As stated by Rob Wirthlin: "If you disagree with a particular lifestyle or behavior, you are now wrong; you are bigoted. It is no longer now a difference of opinion."

How very sad.

Get Up and VOTE

Well, my dear hubby rolled out of bed at 5:30 this morning. He wanted to make sure he could get to the polling station by 6AM in case there was a crowd.

This past weekend we've had early voting here in Indiana. I've had friends say the wait was 1.5 hours or so, with lines snaking out the door and around the county-city building downtown. We've had people get upset and lose their tempers (although I'm not sure who or why). I haven't heard of anybody being turned away (yet), but I remembered to bring my photo ID (which is required; thanks to a Supreme Court ruling) so I didn't have any more hassle than waiting for the alphabetically challenged polling station volunteer to find my name (no, don't look up my first name, but last name, yeah, that's right, and, yes, BAI comes before BRI).

Travis came home at 6:30 and said I should skedaddle over there since there was a bit of a line when he left, but there wasn't one by the time he'd finished. We were both home within 30 minutes (or less) of leaving, and our votes were cast before 7:00am. I'm grateful we have so many polling places! I'm grateful that there are a LOT of people voting (Already, by 6:40am, 62 people had voted at our polling station).

Now, I am very glad that people are turning out to vote in record numbers. I'm glad that there are many newly registered voters who have gone to the polls. I just hope that people who have gone to vote for the president don't vote for anybody else if they don't know who they're voting for. We've got some local government positions, a school board, a governor, and a state rep to vote for this election. I am fearful that somebody who doesn't know the candidates or the issues with these "lesser" elections casts a vote against my hard-fought for information backing a specific candidate. But, I suppose that's the beauty of elections these days- no longer it it restricted to white male land owners. Harumph! I wonder how many people would be excluded these days if that were still the standard!?

And, speaking of knowing the candidates: why can't it be easier to access information about candidates? Other than a specific candidate's web site, or obviously biased commercials, there is so little information out there! And, it's like digging for a needle in a haystack to find what little there is.

Well, I've made the best decisions I can. I still wish I had better options.

So, today I can put on my sticker and say, "I Voted!"
Will you?