Branch Movie Night

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"MINES" aren’t just an excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted…

Perk of Being an Only Child #21:
Stake claims on random household objects.

(excuse the mess… it’s 7:47 AM…

and it will look like this until 11:45, 15 minutes before Mike gets home today!)

PS Those awesome Wal-mart Moose pajamas that our 22 month old is sporting… size 3T.

PPS The object Caleb is staking claim on is our new mesh shower organizer, which is so amazing that I am left wondering why I didn't call dibs on it...

According to Caleb

This week I’m working on my Three Goals a Day plan.
The night before I make at least three goals I’ll get done the next day.

One “Me” goal, one “Mommy” goal and one “Chore” goal, everything else, I’ve decided, is supplementary at this point. After two weeks of our family being plagued with on-again-off-again infirmities, I’m trying to get back into a routine, again.

Today’s Mommy Goal: Sit down and flip through the Gospel Art Book with Caleb.

Done.

As you may know,
Art is subjective.

Two pictures that got me contemplating were:
And according to Caleb…
this is a portrait of me...

and this is "dad-dee!"

Ha. He’s almost two, we can let this slide right?
Funny how blurry the line between Irreverence and Endearing is.








PS I don’t know which I enjoy more, reading your sense, all the inter-blog mingling going on or... pudding. Oh yeah, that's how much I'm digging this shindig we call a GIVE AWAY and it’s that close.
Neckandneck. WITH. PUDDING.
How many more days until the Give Away is over?

1953: A Very Good Year

Give It Away

I’m taking a chord from Red Hot Chili Peppers’ song and . . .

doing a give away.

For one lucky winner I’ll create a blog header (okay, maybe a couple of headers). Woohoo!

(Hey, I’m not a chick of many talents!)

How to Enter:
I am asking for you to pay it forward, for you to spare five “sense” you have gained from your personal experience as a homemaker.
I’m not even asking for a dime, just five sense!
The sense should pertain to the maintaining of the home or the preservation of the homemaker’s welfare (aka sanity).
President Kimball advised, “Whatever your circumstance, let your premises reflect orderliness, beauty, and happiness.”
Working, working from home, staying at home, whatever the circumstance,

how do you keep order, beauty and happiness within your abode?

Got any loose change?

The “sense” could be but not limited to…
positive affirmations, recipes, helpful websites, solace, household tips, advice, products, patterns, hobbies, books, whatever.

Give a Nickel, Take a Nickel

Here’s what to do…
Post your five sense on your blog, make sure you link back here in your post, and invite your friends to donate five sense.
Comment on THIS post, mentioning your blog post’s link (Blogger creates an address for each post you publish, click your post's hyperlink title to navigate to that blog post's address, use that address when commenting on THIS post. Whew. I've gone crossed-eyed.)
Check back often to borrow someone else’s five sense.

Let’s go dutch,
here’s my five sense:

1. Scripture Study – Out of the eight rooms in my house, FOUR of them have scriptures in them: the living room, dining room, bedroom, and upstairs bathroom. I use my downtime (like during breakfast or supervising Caleb’s bath) to search, ponder and pray.
2. Peach Freezer Jam – is the best thing since sliced bread (or in Kim's case, Magic Erasers) and easy to make.
3. Mundane Exercise – The crappy parking spot at Wal-mart next to the cart rack (you know the one, the one consigned to oblivion) is sought after by me. I have one handheld mixer and one upright mixer, I use neither. My whisk is my weapon of choice. Use mundane opportunities to exercise, as “kneaded.”
4. Youtube Playlist – Sign up for a youtube account and create a playlist of your family’s favorite video clips or just

THE SONGS IN YOUR HEAD.

5. Know your way around a chicken – learn how to cook a whole chicken. You’ll be amazed by how easy and affordable it is.

PS Do you dig the Homespun Nickel?
Bet you wonder what the back looks like…There’s always two sides to a coin. : )

GIVE AWAY ENDS: Wednesday, FEB 3rd
when I will randomly select a commenter as a winner!

Here we go. Ready. Set. Blog!

Rookie Mom Mistake #44

Just in case you forgot whose blog your were reading… here’s the

Rookie Mom Mistake #44

Forty-four, as in the number of ingredients in a tub of petroleum jelly or the page number I was on while reading A Prayer for Owen Meany. I picked up the book because of this list. After a friend posted the inventory on Facebook, I pledge to further chisel away at the “canon” of literature. Always use the term canon loosely.
The novel is pretty good so far like most of John Irving’s works.
It was during my expedition of Gravesend when it happened.
There I was reading on the couch, just minding my own business, when my son comes up behind me and starts stroking my head, petting me. I think

Aw, he is so nice

and tell him I think so. After several minutes of this I reach back to fix my hair and retie my ponytail (the official mom-do for those with more length than the matriarch bob)... I am surprised to feel something sticky on my hair. I sit up, distrubed and look at my hand.... Petroleum Jelly. Caleb had found the case, opened it and applied it liberally to my hair! And I was encouraging him to do so, thinking he was being nice to me!!!

Way. To. Go.

Worse, my son has the means to make a frustrating situation into a Hallmark moment by kissing my hair. He must have had chapped lips.

Well, at least I have something new to add to my mommy résumé.

The Trek

To commemorate Pioneer Day this year, our family will be taking part in a trek reenactment. Just like our Mormon ancestors we are heading West. Not to stay. Because although it is the place, it’s not the place for us.* Sorry Brigham.
But unlike the blessed, honored pioneers, we’ll be getting airline pretzels and a complimentary drink (I always choose cranberry juice, I could have any drink in the world and I always choose cranberry juice, why is that?).


Our plan is to arrive in Phoenix on the 23rd, and stay in Mesa. This is a good time to ask,

hey Dave and mostly Raquel
(because she is the woman you know, Keeper of the House),
can we crash at your place? : )
There's a cute nephew in it for you!

And we’ll be departing from Las Vegas on the 4th of August.

Here’s where we need your help!

We want to see as many as you as possible! We have been away for TWO YEARS, come June.
Please let us know what day, time of day and venue would work best for us to meet up!

FOR VALLEY RESIDENTS:
Mesa, AZ. Our first stop. We were hoping to be there from the 23rd -26th.
We were thinking of meeting up to catch-up at a restaurant for lunch or dinner. Have any ideas?
I prefer A/C. ALWAYS.

FLAGSTONIANS:
Flagstaff, AZ. Stop numbero dos. We were thinking the 27th-29th?
We’ll be staying with my parents. We’d figure one night we’d go out to dinner with just my family: mom, dad, Tommy and Jody and their families. I’m dreaming of thinking Salsa Brava. : )
Then on another day catch-up at the Institute of Religion (da TUTE!), just drop by to play some pool and ping pong like the good ol’ days.
We are open to other suggestions as well, just remember that we’ll have

a free-range toddler.

DIXIE:
St. George, UT. Aw, where our family began.
We’ll be staying with Michael’s parents for the remainder of our stay. Just relaxing, chilling with family. But if you are in the area maybe we can go to the dollar theater or do a session at the temple together?

So, PLEASE
e-mail me, facebook me or comment below and let us know!
For our Eastcoast readers, what complimentary drink should I get?

…Will Angela finally meet Heather?
… Will Caleb finally unite with his long-lost abuela Thomson?
… Will we have enough arms to hold all the new babies?!
(gulp, some of them are toddlers now or will be by the time we arrive!)

Stay tuned.

*I’m fully aware of the jinx I casted upon myself and my family by typing this sentence. Ten years down the line we’ll end up in Utah. Probably for generations. My posterity will say things like “real” this and “real” that, and have a rigorous diet of jell-o, J Dawgs (rated R) and peanut butter. On the up side, they won’t have to make funeral potatoes with tater tots.

Le sigh.

Heredity.

No one told Caleb that when he inherited our curly hair,
he inherited bad hair days.

Sorry Bud.

Hit or Miss

Mike and I
have this thing.

Some would consider it unromantic.

For holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries we make lists. A catalog of gifts we would like to receive. We exchange these lists via e-mail and keep our fingers crossed, although as a recipient we have nothing to lose. No real surprises. No grand gestures. But also no returns, no pretenses or useless clutter.
Did I mention my aversion to surprises? So this system is ideal. Unless you have a husband who doesn’t follow said system and makes an anarchical purchase some holidays.
This Christmas I got the usual: apparel and sweets. And a rogue gift.
From, who else,

Michael.

(Caleb wouldn’t dare. He knows better… or cares less. Either or.)

A present is really a lot like the game Battleship: a hit or miss.
Sure, no matter how the gift is categorized, as a hit or a miss, it fills a niche. You know, ‘it’s the thought that counts’ notion.

But wouldn’t it be great to give a meaningful present always? To know the needs and desires of others? Now I’m not talking Twilight Zone perception (Have you seen that episode? Good one.) but rather Heavenly Father’s ability to give perfect gifts to his children. (Matt 7:11)

A couple of months ago there was an essay on Segullah that discussed miss-the-mark service. The essay hit home for me, and is one I reread.

I have tried to be more prayerful regarding the needs of those around me, inside and out of my home. I fall short often as most would, but it is important to evaluate and progress.



I am in accord with President Kimball who said, “It is by serving that we learn how to serve,” but I would go even further to say it is by being served that we learn how to serve.

An instance of service that was meaningful to me, that I relate often, happened shortly after I had Caleb. Our apartment was in shambles, littered with moving boxes. My sink: a place where flatware goes to die. I was a new mother with a four week old, gone was the token week of Relief Society meals. Gone was my sanity and beauty sleep. After returning from an extended family vacation, my visiting teacher was surprised to hear I had delivered and quickly offered to bring me dinner. Alms of chicken salad sandwiches (with walnuts and grapes!), fresh fruit, veggies and brownies. I don’t remember ever telling her about my favorite meal (the perceptive meal is still, to this day, speculated in our family to urban legend proportions) but we sure appreciated the thought. Knowing how much I appreciated that service, we often provide a meal for families around the second month of postpartum.


I know I benefit from an open ear and a closed mouth, as well. I am glad I have such an audience that enters my Coliseum, La Scala or my Apollo and leave with pursed lips, knowing what they have witnessed is sacred in it’s own right. Unmentionable.

I would like to think that Heavenly Father provided a wondrous, ponderous gift when he gave me Emma. In so many ways I have been schooled, but still I am incomplete. Irritable about the words people would sluff off without regards, I would marvel at the insensibility of others, vowing to never do the same.
Last month, I said something tactless to someone who needed console. Before I even completed the sentence, I wish I could catch the spewing words in cupped hands beneath my mouth. They might as well been vomit! I was sad I had said such a thing.

I still have learning enough to do.

PS The rogue present was beyond acceptable (whew)
and I welcome the tame chaos my husband adds to my life. : )

Old Long Since

Remember this post?

Here’s how we measured up.

Michael:
Success!

• Start grad school (check)
• Not break his nose (check)
• Read a book unrelated to engineering (check)

… and not so much a success…

• completely read through the 2 general conferences Ensigns that come out this year
• get the basement entirely free of its musty smell (some things are just not possible) and set up workshop down there.

Angela:
Things I had the time and the will power for…

• incorporate more family history into our home (does writing a book, letting your son play with the drafts while your husband formats the manuscript count?)
• settle our home (unpacked boxes are in the basement or guest room)
• get back to basics in the kitchen
• get pregnant again

… things I didn't…

• try to read more “grown-up” books…FAIL.

Caleb:
A Year of Achievement

• Turned ONE
• Is walking
• Had his first haircut
• Sleeps through the night regularly
• Looks more like mommy and less like daddy (I don’t care what you say!)
• Obtained nursery status
• Tried some new cuisine
• Has followed in his father’s footsteps of being an over-achiever. (double check)

Resolutions 2010:
Michael
pay someone to paint the house,
read through the Priesthood session talks in the General Conference Ensigns.
Angela
add 30 meals to our food storage, become more active in my community,
finish the decorating the dinning room,
and get ready (emotionally, physically, spiritually)
for when I become pregnant again. Whenever that may be.
Caleb
Find a cure for Dentition.

Also, remember this post?

Aren't you PROUD of me? : )

Listen to this or this and read this.

Happy New Year!
consider this post to the effect of a sitcom clipshow... a postshow if you will.