Amber's Blog

"Fun"

2012-01-27T08:38:00.002-06:00

There was a GNO scheduled yesterday. It sounded fun.

I was an evite "maybe." However, after a fussing/screaming marathon provided by my children during the last few daylight hours, I realized that, while the "night out" was right, it would be better to decline the "s."

So, after putting Damon to bed, I left, with Steven's blessing, to go do something. By myself.

And while this may not astound anyone, I am now indisputably a Boring Mom. Because here is where I went:

1. Goodwill, to look for a stand for my new globe (fruitless)

2. Lowes, to return screw plugs that didn't fit the new bunkbeds

3. Kohl's, to look for 12M terry cloth pajamas for Damon (fruitless)

4. Culvers, to get a Turtle sundae for me (yummy)

5. HEB (grocery store), to get bananas and avocados for Damon, and look at their current $1 jewelry to see if they had anything good for Princess Carmen (fruitful, but jewelryless)

The best part was probably Culvers - it was neat to sit there BY MYSELF, without talking to anyone. I just sat and enjoyed my sundae and watched people. The busboy was perfect - a sweet, gangling teenager with a dorky hat on sandy, shaggy hair and a winsome smile showing his braces-clad teeth, working his geeky little heart out. I just wanted to give him a hug and say, "What a good boy you are. Hang in there. Don't lose the drive and optimism you have right now. Don't try to acquire the arrogance and bravado that girls think they like. Keep being you. Trust me - some day, you will make some woman very, very happy."

So, it was a good Girl Night Out after all.

Forgive me, Mr. Mitchell

2012-01-06T09:46:00.002-06:00

Ah, the folly of youth. I just started re-reading Great Expectations (I love, love, love my Kindle). WHY, oh why did I not appreciate the genius of Charles Dickens before? Even as a high school freshman, one would think I could enjoy the comedic value in these gems:

Pip's guilt as he goes to feed an escaped convict:

and his fictional description of his play date at Miss Havisham's:

I love Joe the blacksmith, and can identify so well with Pip's description of his childhood perceptions and feelings. It's just masterful. Such a far cry from the junk reading I download from the Kindle top 100 free list (some time I'll have to blog about my exposure to Christian romance novels - also comedic gems, in a much less intended way).

Alikes Attract: or Why I Didn’t Marry an Abercrombie Guy

2011-11-30T15:18:00.000-06:00

The last couple of nights I have been devouring a book by Mary Roberts Rinehart called K. Oh, my, it’s good. And it’s in the public domain, so you can get it free online!

Anyway, last night, I couldn’t wait to get back to it. The kids were in bed and I’d just cleaned the kitchen. I jumped into bed and snuggled up with my kindle and started to enjoy.

Just then I was struck by how lucky I am to be married to Steven. You know those metrosexual guys with the pomade hair and creatine-chests who like hanging out with their buddies? There’s no way that someone like me could enjoy being with a guy like that. What would we talk about? How could we be comfortable being together and saying nothing? Steven is the perfect husband for a girl who can’t wait to cuddle up at night with a book that’s 100 years old and 300 pages long (and him). He’s the kind of guy who would (and did) get his own book and cuddle up next to me so we could snuggle up and play footsies while we read. He’d rather go to the symphony with me than go jet skiing with his buddies. When he comes home from work, instead of heading off for the gym, he becomes a jungle gym for our kids. Rather than protein shakes, he eats the homemade falafel pitas and cucumber sauce I made for dinner, and enjoys trying new things. He has a soft, calming voice that sings beautifully and says intelligent, kind, and honest things – never crude, harsh, or demeaning words. He has big, sexy hands that are perfect for playing the piano, writing code, making things with wood, stroking my hair, and unscrewing baby food jars. From this description, you’d think I’d made him up, but he’s real and really mine, and I really like him.

Moral of the story: it’s nice to be married to someone who appreciates the same quiet things. And, you should all read K, especially if you’re related to me.

My Little Girlies

2011-11-17T15:08:00.003-06:00

This morning, a friend who has some older girls (who are some of our favorite babysitters) dropped off a bag of toys they'd grown out of: My Little Ponies and Polly Pockets. Immediately, and for hours today, this ensued:

It amazes me that kids don't have to be taught how to play with toys. See how the ponies are lined up? They're playing some kind of school/party/church thing. I hear them upstairs now singing "Happy Birthday" to somebody. (I was deftly evicted from the room as soon as I snapped the picture.)

Some of my fondest memories of growing up are spending hours playing with Barbies and Ponies with Brook and Crystal. We had this green shag carpet that was perfect grass, and the ponies frolicked through hours of storylines that spanned weeks - or maybe a day; time felt different then. Now, of course, I have to rack my brain to come up with bedtime stories (last night, Carmen made it easy by asking for one about when I was a little goat.) Maybe I just need to hold some Ponies in my hand to make the creative juices flow.

In any case, it makes my heart happy to see my girls entering Ponyland.

12 hours, uninterrupted

2011-10-22T20:46:00.001-05:00

It's been over a week now, so I feel comfortable saying that it's official: Damon is sleeping through the night. As in, 7:30 to 7:30.

Ahhhhhh.

Clothing the world's smallest bottom

2011-10-02T20:36:00.002-05:00

This summer I ventured (forced by nature, chlorine, and cheapness) into a new domain in sewing: swim suits. Midway through the summer, Olivia's swimming suit died - one day the lycra just decided it had had enough, and we walked away from the pool with Olivia's swim shirt drooping past her knees.

At that point, I could have bought her a new swimming suit, but everything in stores needs to be altered anyway to fit her 4T length and 18 month girth (no, that is not an exaggeration). I've heard there are stores that carry slim sizes, but I didn't have time to order and have it get here before the end of the summer, and I didn't want to pay that much.

Instead I went, armed with a 50% off coupon, to Joann's. Their selection of swimsuit fabric wasn't great (I'll buy online next time), but they did have pink, which is always satisfactory to Olivia. A couple of hours later, I had a suit that actually fit my daughter and with which we were both pleased. I based the pattern on Carmen's swim bottoms (made slightly smaller) and one of Olivia's nightgowns. I love that she's covered on top for modesty and sun-safety, but it still looks like a swimsuit (and it's a two-piece, so she can put it on and go to the bathroom by herself!) And I love that the bottoms actually fit her!

Altogether, I probably spent $6 and 3 hours on the suit (shopping included). Will I do it again? Absolutely. (But maybe not next year, because I already found some next-year clearance suits for $4.)

Photo shoot

2011-10-02T20:28:00.003-05:00

I took the kids to the portrait studio to get their pictures taken. We got some good ones for the wall and to send to grandparents (and anyone else who wants them - seriously, if you want 50 wallets of each of my kids, just say the word).

BUT...my favorite pictures of the morning were probably these that we didn't buy. They were the last ones taken, and the kids were obviously done. I would absolutely love to have this group framed together on my wall, but couldn't justify paying for it just so I could chuckle and snort as I passed it. At least I get to share them here with you, though. (I just love the succession.)

Kiddos

2011-10-02T20:21:00.003-05:00

Olivia's been doing weird things with her smiles recently (much like her hopelessly unphotogenic mother). Can someone teach us how to look normal for the camera?

Carmen is so Carmen.

And here's Damon waking up with a goopy eye. He has a clogged right tear duct. It will be nice when that clears up.

Little Big Girl

2011-09-30T17:33:00.002-05:00

Because Olivia:

Has 2 younger siblings
Speaks very well, and constantly
Acts old and not kid-spazzy
Looks long and lanky rather than pudgy,

I often forget she is only four years old. And that she's a cute little girl. I guess it's easy to have your cuteness overlooked when you've got a new baby and a roly-poly toddler to compete with. But, in addition to being intelligent and creative and beautiful and helpful and thoughtful and talkative (oh, yes, always talkative)...Olivia really is very cute.

Here are some things she loves to do:

Make things out of fabric scraps
Talk about her owies
Color and cut paper
Read books
Write letters
Throw birthday parties for White Kitty
Play mommy to numerous babies and kitties
Help me do things
"Help" me do things
Go to preschool
Have piano lessons
Go to Primary
Sing songs
Paint
Hear songs and stories
Play on the iPad
Look for confetti and small plastic objects at the park
Tell Carmen what to do

I'll post a recent picture later (Damon just woke up). But this afternoon was nice - Damon and Carmen napped, and Olivia and I sewed things. It was nice to just hang out with my first baby, who isn't such a baby any more (but is still a little kid).

Peeves and rants

2011-09-15T21:38:00.003-05:00

I feel crabby, and I want to feel validated by writing it down. I was going to post this somewhere private, but I don't want to be private - I want to write what I want, and this is my blog.

Why does my 4-year-old daughter refuse to learn to spit or blow her nose? NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD doesn't know how to spit. No one else's mommy has to scrape vomit off their tongue with a washcloth because they can't or won't spit it out. Oh, I am frustrated with that.

I hate it when people give lengthy responses to emails they obviously have not read, expostulating on things they didn't bother to read completely.

I hate it when people reply to all on responses that really only apply to one person.

I hate having my solicited opinion denounced. Like, someone asks, "What do you think of this?" I respond, "It's not my first choice, and here are legitimate reasons A, B, and C, and proof I know what I'm talking about." Response: "Why are you being so negative? This will be great! Let's all be so excited about it!" Well, look. If you don't want my feedback, don't ask for it, but don't tell me I'm wrong. I'm not wrong. It's so frustrating when you want to respond, "Look, you bozo, you obviously didn't understand, and how dare you try to discount my legitimate feedback with your blind, forced assertions?" To avoid sounding like a troll, I have to be silent and just wait for experience to prove my point, and that's frustrating.

I hate having big, itchy mosquito bites on my legs. Seriously, it hasn't rained all summer. The mosquitoes should have all been fried up.

I hate it when Damon gets constipated. How can someone on an all-liquid diet be constipated? For heaven's sake, just poop it out and stop being so crabby!

(I guess I'm not one to talk there. About the crabby part, not the other.)

We're going on vacation tomorrow. None too soon, obviously.

Breaking news

2011-09-01T08:57:00.002-05:00

We've got a roller - he goes pretty consistently from back to front, then gets ticked off because he's on his belly.

Carmen's doing well on potty training - except for when she poops in her undies. That's really gross.

Piano's starting up again next week. It will be fun, but it has been a nice break.

Does anyone know a mute hairstylist? We all know I need a haircut, but I just want to sit there and not talk while it's happening. I guess if it's someone who doesn't speak any English, that would work too.

Preschool starts next week too. Olivia's excited!

Damon stuff

2011-08-19T01:38:00.003-05:00

There's a lot I never posted about Damon, such as how we chose his name.

As many of you know, there's a lot of thought and pickiness that goes into our naming process. We have many specifications that a name must have, so there's definitely an elimination process that happens even before preference comes into play.

Criteria include:

-Gender obvious

-Obviously spelled

-Obvious (correct) pronunciation

-Established name: nothing made up (nix on Quaiden or Fraiden)

-No direct, immediate nickname (aka, no David/Dave, Steven/Steve, etc.)

-More than 1 syllable

-Different first initial from other family members

-No sound slurring (aka, can't end in the first sound of his next name: so, LucaS-Steven or Caleb-Brown were out)

-Different first name from other immediate family members or close extended family (this pared it down a lot)

At some point while we were pouring over baby naming sites and books, it became evident that, as similar and compatible as Steven and I are, our male naming preferences were not quite as aligned as I would have assumed. Some of my favorite names were vetoed before the first cut, for reasons I still don't understand, but hope go away in case we ever have another boy.

However, we did at some point start to lean toward D names...something about them sounded right. And it so happened that for Christmas I gave Steven a book of short stories by one of my favorite authors, Damon Runyon. This put the name on our radar. While our other kids have Spanish names, Damon is actually a Greek name: Damon was a character in Greek mythology who was a selfless friend who stood in to be executed in his friend Pythias's place (both were eventually pardoned); Damon, son of Damonides was a Greek musicologist and teacher of Pericles. It passed our other conditions, and we both liked it. It sounded well with the names of our other children. For a while, Steven was holding out on commitment for something more revelatory, but the night after Damon was born I called him from the hospital to let him know his time was up - the baby was here, and we had to decide. In my head I had started referring to him as Damon, and it fit. While neither of us felt the same confirmation about the name as we did for, say, Carmen (who is indisputably a Carmen, if anyone ever was), Damon's a good Damon, and we're happy with it. And him.

Now enough talk. Time for some pictures!

Here's Damon's beautiful hair swirl. A lot of it is rubbed off now, but I sure loved it.

And here he is sitting next to his cousin, and showing how he has his mommy's scowl (I'm so proud!)

And here he is looking dapper in the blessing outfit I made him. This is the last time he will wear it, as I had to peel it off of him - I just needed one good picture before I put it away, to be worn again at some fabled day by another fabled little boy.

He's a happy boy, and I'm a happy mommy.

Today's Tom Sawyer

2011-07-26T12:51:00.002-05:00

My, but this boy looks cute in his overalls.

And that smile comes straight from my dad.

How we're doing

2011-06-17T00:57:00.002-05:00

In the first couple of weeks after Damon was born, people would ask me, "Is he a good baby?"

It was a hard question.

Really, all babies are good, aren't they? And Damon wasn't really a very difficult baby...he just wasn't as easy as my other two. He didn't sleep as well as they did, he was colicky and gassy, and he was not snuggly (a hard adjustment after my uber-snuggly Carmen).

At the beginning of June our whole family went to California for a week for a family reunion. It was nice to see my sweet Grandma Anne (with whom we stayed for a while) and my parents and siblings. The kids had fun playing with their cousins. Traveling with 3 kids wasn't as hard as it could have been, and they were all angels on the airplanes. But the nights, and consequently, the days, were hard. Going across 2 time zones, adjusting to different food, and sharing the same room with 2 young kids (one of whom never wants to sleep) and a colicky baby wore Steven and me pretty thin. By the time we got home, I was ready to...well, I don't know. I was ready to do something to get away from fussy kids and get some sleep.

Somehow, though, that trip did the trick for Damon. Ever since we've been home, I can wholeheartedly refer to him as a good baby! He sleeps at night for 4-5 hour blocks. He manages to poop and toot without straining and fussing for hours. He does not need constant bouncing by a standing adult. He lies on the floor, by himself, for minutes at a time, looking around and cooing. He smiles and makes cute faces. He SNUGGLES!

So, this week has been a happy one, and I am very grateful. Looks like we won't sell him to the gypsies after all.

Damon

2011-05-11T14:13:00.002-05:00

So, apparently our due date estimates are really good.

Damon Steven Brown

Due date: May 8

Born: May 8, 12:13 pm

7 lbs. 12 oz., 20 inches

Yes, this is my second baby in a row delivered a little past noon on my due date. I'm not sure how we've achieved this level of precision in childbearing, but it sure is convenient.

You should go to Steven's blog for more info, pics and videos.

I was previously kind of uncertain over the idea of having a boy. But many of you know that I have an (arguably healthy) obsession for my husband. Damon's like a pocket-sized Steven that I get to dress in dinosaur onesies. And he has soft, soft black hair and a dimple in his cheek and a manly little cleft chin and he likes me better than anyone. So, I've definitely been converted to baby boys. Or at least my baby boy. I really, really, really like him.

They're really just guidelines, anyway.

2011-05-02T07:11:00.003-05:00

Hungry Hippos and I hit 39 weeks yesterday, and are still quite attached to each other (and ripening nicely). I've been a lot more chill during this pregnancy than I was with my previous two. There are some factors that I think have contributed to this:

I have two other kids now that I have to worry about, so I don't have time or energy to obsess over the pregnancy
I skipped several of the monotonous OB appointments, and it made the pregnancy go a lot faster
I haven't felt as hormonally hypercharged as I did during my previous pregnancies, which I attribute to this baby's being a boy
Different expectations: Carmen broke me in by coming on her due date, with no prior signs - I just woke up in the morning, and she was ready to come out (Olivia was a week early, with plenty of forewarning)
My sweet mommy isn't coming out to help until Saturday, so I feel less pressure for him to come early, and in fact, it would be more convenient for him to be precisely punctual
I had a bunch of stuff I needed to get done by the end of April, so it was nice to be able to finish it
We don't have a first name for him yet, anyway

Last night (while I was awake, having to visit the loo every 15 minutes) I realized that part of the stress of the baby waiting game is that we often perceive due dates as deadlines rather than estimates. I know that's what I've done: if they're not here by my calculated 40 weeks, they're LATE! But that seems awfully unfair. Hungry Hippos doesn't even know how to count yet, and I'm sure he's growing as fast as he can. It's convenient that we have a general idea of about when he might emerge, for planning purposes, but if he's not ready yet to leave his nice, round home, well, he's not ready. And while I wouldn't say I'm comfy, we still make a nice, waddle-y team.

Last week I knew he wasn't ready to come out. But, I am feeling now like he might be ready this week.

Life plans

2011-04-29T09:31:00.002-05:00

Oh, gosh.

Today when we were eating breakfast Olivia said, "Before I go to a different house I'll have to get all my stuff."

I was confused and asked her to clarify, so after a couple of repetitions she said, "When I grow up and live in a different house."

And so I said that yes, of course, when she grows up and moves to her own house she will be able to take all of her things with her.

Olivia looked relieved and said, "I'll have to find all my cats and put them in my kitty tent." Then she went through all the other things she'd have to round up before she moved to her own place: heart clips, her yelling toy (Sing-a-ma-gig), her stickers, books, and princess dolls.

She then noted that she would have to get a big car in order to move all her stuff, so we talked about how maybe when she goes to high school she can get a job and save money so she can buy a car, and she will drive it herself and go to college. And maybe while she's in college she can get a job too so she can make more money and save it, and then after she graduates she will get a job too, so that when she gets married and becomes a mommy she can buy a house.

Then Olivia noted that she will leave Black Kitty behind for Daddy to play with, but maybe she could come back and visit us and play with Black Kitty. I assured her she would always be welcome.

It was just so cute, and just so...real?

Bumpity Bump Bump

2011-04-24T22:54:00.003-05:00

Some people have recently compared my belly to a basketball. Well, I'm here to refute that right now.

See? A basketball has black lettering, and my belly totally doesn't.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Mom

2011-04-24T22:23:00.003-05:00

Yeah, I know that some people put flattering pictures of themselves online. Well, by gum, not me. This was some lunchtime last week. I promise that after the photo I went and actually took a shower and got dressed. (I think I got Carmen dressed too.)

Hungry, Hungry Hippos

2011-04-07T15:36:00.004-05:00

I keep meaning to mention this on here. Especially since I've entered the home stretch with this pregnancy, people have been asking what we are calling our little boy.

Hungry Hippos.

This is what Olivia christened him soon after we found out he was a boy. We thought it was a one-time answer, but she was apparently more serious than we thought, because she started telling everyone that our baby was called Hungry Hippos. And, when they laughed, she confidently replied that she thought it was a good name.

I promise that "Hungry Hippos Brown" will not appear on his birth certificate. But, for now, it's actually been very convenient to have something to call him. And, I will confirm that he does seem very hungry, and is also a bit of a hippo: on Friday I was measuring 2 weeks ahead, which validated my having felt very full of baby. I'm planning on staying pregnant all through April, at least, but I'll tell you - Hungry Hippos is running out of room.

*Also, I wanted to mention that I am not being coy with the name thing: I'm no good at keeping secrets. We really haven't decided on a name, or even narrowed it down to a chosen few. Suggestions are welcome.

Money, money, money

2011-04-07T15:17:00.002-05:00

I have been in major spending mode lately. I guess it's part of my nesting? Anyway, I just ordered some more stuff off of Amazon. It's all practical stuff, and not really for me: a birthday present for Olivia, a water filter for our food storage, and a KidCo Travel Bed that I've wanted for a long time (more portable than a pack 'n' play!). And, okay, I also got some Pilot Frixion pens that I heard about during my machine quilting class a couple of weeks ago. You can iron the marks away! I can see my mom and me going crazy with these when she comes out in a few weeks.

The good news is that I finally did our taxes, and what I'm spending is nothing compared to our rebate (yay!) I'm always proud of myself every year for doing our taxes. It makes me feel smart to understand how the process works and how things are calculated. This is the first year I have e-filed, so I felt smart for figuring that out too, especially since we couldn't do the IRS's FreeFile (we also don't use TurboTax or any other products - just the long forms and instructions). These accomplishments may seem petty, but it's nice to have something that's cerebrally validating beyond understanding phonics (which does make me feel like a big deal when I'm teaching preschool).

The plus side

2011-03-21T17:51:00.002-05:00

As of today, nothing in Carmen's bedroom is going to get a diaper rash. Especially not the carpet. How wonderful.

Good day

2011-03-03T16:13:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I look at my kids and just ache with how cute they are. I can't believe that they're really mine and I'm really their mommy. I can't believe I'm ANYBODY's mommy.

I love days like this when life is just simple. Carmen and I walked Olivia to preschool this morning, then came home and did errands and played for a while. We went and visited with friends at a sewing group. We picked up Olivia, came home and ate lunch. Then Carmen napped while Olivia helped me pin and cut out a maternity dress pattern (I need something new for these last 2 months). I took a break and made some dough for our dinner of Czech fruit dumplings (I'm determined to perfect my recipe). Now Carmen's up and the girls are pretending to change doll diapers upstairs. The weather is beautiful and we're probably going to go play outside while we wait for Steven to get home.

This is the life I always, always wanted, and I'm really thankful for it.

Iron Maiden

2011-02-11T10:10:00.000-06:00

I've been blessed to have very easy, uncomplicated pregnancies. So during the past month I was surprised to realize that I felt...dead. I didn't remember feeling so tired and worn out so early in pregnancy before.

I tried to explain it by figuring out what was different this time around: baby gender. Two existing kids. Nearing of the magical age 30 that reportedly changes everything about one's metabolism.

But none of those seemed satisfactory: other than fatigue, this pregnancy has not felt any different than my previous ones (except that I can tell I'm carrying lower). Having two kids who play together seems easier than trying to entertain one. My body doesn't feel different now, despite 2 years.

Well, turns out I'm anemic. So since ironing up during the last week, I have felt much, much better.

Family candids

2011-01-07T13:41:00.005-06:00

Here are a couple of scenes I've walked in on in the past few days:

He was reading her poetry.

Steven is no poet, and Olivia is no snuggler. But there is a connection between them in which I have no part. Is there any wonder this girl adores her daddy?

Then today:

There was a time when I feared I might never have children. Considering I'm still under 30 (at least for a month), I realize that this was not wholly founded. But the memory of that time makes me even more appreciative of watching my darling girls making messes so happily together. It's a good life.

Child porn

2010-12-14T15:04:00.003-06:00

I hope I don't get any gross visitors from that title, but it seemed appropriate.

So, I had my ultrasound today...

He's all nice and healthy and squirmy, and weighs over half a pound. I've been patting my belly every once in a while and saying, "So, you're a boy, huh?" We're not really used to those kind of people around here, but his profile looks pretty cute to me.

The last 2 months of my life

2010-12-14T14:29:00.004-06:00

Steven already posted about this (and it's worth checking out his account of it, with more close-ups), but there's a reason I haven't blogged for a while. During the past couple of months, my life has been consumed with creating what may be the most important sewing project I'll ever make: a special memory quilt for my mother-in-law to commemorate the anniversary of my father-in-law's death.

When we were there last year for the funeral, I secretly (with the help of Steven's sister) went through Bob's closet and picked out several of his old dress shirts.

My original intention was to use the shirts alone to make up a quilt for Linda. My thinking was that if she couldn't snuggle with him any more, she could at least snuggle up with his shirts. But as I was planning the quilt, I realized that perhaps I could bring Bob even closer to her, through images that represented aspects of the 50 years they spent together.

Here it is.

The images represent reading together, their house in VA, dancing, traveling the world, their family, their daily walks, Linda's church callings, the Washington, DC LDS temple, Bob's church callings, music and piano, motorcycle rides, and electronics/HAM radio (one of Bob's passions).

The appliqued squares are made of fabric scraps from my, my sister-in-law Hyde's, and my grandma Anne's collections. (Grandma Anne also got to be friends with Bob and Linda during our wedding.) The piece work and pockets are from Bob's shirts. I asked my mom at one point if she thought Linda would recognize the fabric. She said, "Well, she ironed it for 50 years!" Good point.

I was pretty proud of this motorcycle. Not bad for a girl, huh? But can I tell you how hard it is to find grey cotton prints?!?

Some detail work on the radio. Yes, the quilt took hours. And hours. And hours. But as cheesy as it may sound, it was not tedious when I thought of my love for my in-laws and the joy it would bring to Linda.

The family may be my favorite block. Fabric selections were based on their family portraits - it seems like at least one of the boys was always wearing funky striped pants, and nothing matched. Ah, the 70s and 80s.

One of the pockets, from a work shirt. I left the pockets open and functional; thought it would be fun to put things in them. (My mom would surely keep Kleenexes in there.)

I'm happy to say that my mother-in-law was able to open it on Dec. 5, the anniversary of Bob's death. Gracious person that she is, she loves it, and it makes me feel good that I was able to do something to make her feel happy and loved. I feel like I put everything I had into this quilt - all my artistic abilities, all my creativity, all the skills I learned from my mother, all my capacity for love and service. It felt good to try to be the kind of person who would do that, and helped me to become that person.

Canned heat

2010-11-04T15:01:00.004-05:00

This song makes me miss those college roommate dance parties in the kitchen. I heard it in Kohl's this morning and it's been stuck in my head ever since.

(I still have dance parties with my roommates, but they are now much cuter and funnier, there are more tutus involved, and some roommates are far more enthusiastic than others.)

Announcing...

2010-10-21T20:41:00.003-05:00

Just so you know. Olivia's due date was 5/9; she's excited about a possible 4th birthday present (we like to double up on birthdays around here).

The rest of us are pretty excited too. And once again, a puke-free first trimester! (Thanks again for those genes, Mom.)

Tell it like it is

2010-10-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Over our Sunday dinner of beef stew, Olivia observed, "The chicken is the same as the wrapping paper on the potato."

Meaning, of course, that the pieces of beef were the same color as the potato skins.

Another T-shirt Transformation

2010-10-20T09:17:00.003-05:00

Last year I got the girls some cute Halloween tights on clearance, only to realize this year that they have nothing to wear with them.

So, the other day at CVS I bought one XL t-shirt for $2.

When I was done with it, it looked like this:

And now my girls look like this:

Squee! (Can I say how much I love having two little girls, one long skinny and one short roly-poly? They are so cute together I can hardly stand it.)

Unfortunately, I was too excited putting them together to make a photo tutorial, but I'll tell you how to turn a big t-shirt into one (or two) little dresses:

You need:

1 big t-shirt (long enough for the dress, plus a little more)

thread

1 button

loose-fitting child shirt and knee-length child dress to use as a patterns

Cutting:

1. Cut one 2-inch-high strip off the bottom of the shirt, going all around

2. Cut one 1-inch-high strip off the bottom of the shirt

3. Lay the pattern shirt on top of the t-shirt, towards the top, and fold the sleeves in. Lay the pattern dress on top to make sure there's enough room to make it long enough (once you put the ruffle on, it will add a couple of inches)

4. Take the dress off (you've already measured the length) and cut 1/2 inch around your pattern, extending the length to the dress's length. DO NOT CUT SEAM ALLOWANCE AROUND NECKLINE. You now have a front and back to the dress.

5. Fold one sleeve of your fabric-shirt in half. Lay pattern sleeve on top of it and carefully cut out around, including seam allowance (this should make 2 already-hemmed sleeves, since the fabric is doubled)

6. From remaining fabric, cut strip 1" x 7.5" ("finishing strip")

Sewing (1/4 inch seams - you made your allowance bigger on purpose):

1. Facing right sides, sew shoulder seams. Leave sides open.

2. Facing right sides, pin open sleeves to arm holes, and sew (this will be pretty easy since the sides are open)

3. Facing right sides, pin dress sides and sleeves together and sew all the way up the dress. Your basic dress shape is done!

4. Gather or ruffle both 2-inch and 1-inch strip 1/4 from raw edge

5. Pin 2-inch ruffle to front of the bottom of the dress, sew (it's already hemmed, yippee!)

6. Cut 2-inch slit down from the neck in the back of the dress. Pin 1-inch ruffle around the neckline (going down a little lower in the front), sew. Trim seam as needed

Button hole: Pin finishing strip to back of slit, and sew 1/4 inch in all the way down both sides (it should stick up 1 1/2 inches on one side). Flip strip around and fold in, stitch all the way down, including on sticking up part. Flip extra around to form loop, and then stitch. Add button on the other side. Finished product should look like this:

To make 2 dresses, I just cut more strips off the bottom of the shirt initially, and positioned the patterns so I could cut 2 dress bodies. I also ended up cutting all the sleeves from 1 sleeve of fabric (I wasn't sure yet if I'd need the other for something else). It means I had to hem the sleeves and ruffle on Carmen's dress, but not a big deal.

Knit's very forgiving, so go ahead and try it! You know you want to...

Next to Godliness

2010-10-13T08:14:00.001-05:00

Last week was a stressful one for me. It wasn’t any particular event, but I just felt out of control. My house and laundry were getting away from me, meal planning wasn’t happening, and I just felt like it was impossible to catch up.

And THEN, I purged.

My fridge.

Oh, I can’t tell you how gratifying that was. There were leftovers that were perfectly good, but they were not palatable at the time to anyone living here and we couldn’t force ourselves to gag them down, and every time I opened the fridge to look for food I felt guilty because I didn’t want to eat any of the existing offerings. They were also taking up so much room that I felt guilty making anything new, things we might have wanted to eat.

Now it’s all nice and clean, plenty of space, and my whole week has been better. And in that spirit, I now offer you my tried-and-true cleaning advice.

If you aren’t using it and don’t want it, if you look at it and get a sinking, guilty feeling, GET RID OF IT.

Clothes you don’t and won’t wear, gifts you weren’t excited about and never used, food you won’t eat, gadgets that don’t work – just get rid of them.

If they’re usable, give them to charity and take a tax deduction. If they’re not, throw them away and take a deep breath. You’re free – you don’t have to worry about them any more.

Some people might worry that throwing out usable items and food would be wasteful. Well, right now you’re being wasteful: you’re wasting space and time and happiness worrying about mere THINGS that you don’t want and won’t use. In getting rid of material impediments, you can be charitable and cleaner and calmer. And you’ll have learned some things: don’t make so much meatloaf next time. Don’t buy orange even if it’s on sale. Pay the extra dollar for socks that will last more than two wearings. Aunt Bessie will never see the inside of your closet, so she’ll never know if you kept her sweater.

I am a great proponent of “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” But if you don’t and won’t use it, wear it, or do it, “it” is an unnecessary burden. Get rid of it, and be happy.

For Dads...and Moms

2010-10-03T09:11:00.003-05:00

Steven showed me this blog, and it has a great post on it.

http://www.danoah.com/2010/09/you-just-broke-your-child.html

Let's all commit to be better moms and dads.

Oh, Isaiah

2010-08-29T21:34:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I feel like I can't handle all this calling evil good and good evil.

I understand that differences in faith give people different values. I adhere absolutely to one religion, and I understand that if someone else adheres absolutely to a different one then we will disagree absolutely on some points. But I have to believe that pure honesty and earnest intent, if exercised by both parties, would keep us to a large degree on the same ground.

For my part, while I take no credit for any active virtue, I will humbly credit myself with motives that are entirely honest and pure. Even when I'm feeling rude or stinky, I inwardly recognize this - I know at those times that I am not being good, and my soul aches to repent. I recognize the honest intent for good in myself, and I feel I can sense it in other people. I think most people can. It's painfully easy to spot pride. It's painfully easy to sense confusion, unhappiness, indirectness, or underhandedness. But I think it's also beautifully easy and soothing to sense directness, altruism, and honesty. People like that, I can see eye to eye with. And between us, I feel that we will never disagree on inherent good and evil.

Some things are inherently good. Like integrity. Kindness. Compassion. Giving. Even being morally untrained, they give us a happy feeling. We feel their goodness.

Some things are inherently evil. Like dishonesty. Meanness. Cruelty. Selfishness. Even being morally untrained, they give us a yucky, uncomfortable feeling. We feel their evil.

So when I hear people calling derivatives or associates of the above-mentioned values conversely good or evil - when parties press and argue these points - I have to believe they are not being fully honest. Because I sense it, and it gives me a yucky feeling.

I just have a hard time dealing with dishonestly. And yucky feelings.

Still feels easy

2010-08-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks, Steven, for my happiness. This was indeed a good idea.

Poor sickies

2010-07-29T15:21:00.004-05:00

Consolation for getting up at 5:00 am to comfort and clean up two sad, pukey, poopy little girls

Sleeping in until 9:30 with one on my chest and the other snuggled up next to me.

There might theoretically be something sweeter and snugglier than sleeping with a baby on your chest. But I'm not sure what it is.

Sniffle

2010-07-27T14:04:00.003-05:00

Although it might at first seem like a good idea to slam one's fingers very hard in a door, it probably isn't.

Hours later, it still hurts a lot.

(At least I got the recycling out for pickup just in time.)

Guidelines

2010-07-16T09:11:00.000-05:00

How horrible of a parent would I be if I were to use permanent marker to draw a line down Olivia's scalp in order to make straight pigtails?

Yeah...that's what I thought. Oh, well.

I'm with Michelle

2010-07-12T20:53:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to applaud our First Lady for picking a wonderful platform in attacking childhood obesity. It is a real problem, and I'm glad she's using her unique situation to encourage health.

As I write this, though, it occurred to me that Michelle Obama is also considered a fashion icon - so I would love it if her next agenda was to combat vanity sizing. Please?

Grab bag

2010-07-06T13:57:00.005-05:00

Olivia just said, "Mommy, you are so nice." It made me feel great.

I ordered a new car seat for Carmen on Amazon at 2:00 pm on Friday, and it arrived at around 9:00 on Saturday. Now THAT's service! (And this was with the free shipping option!) The car seat is purple. We have 2 girls, and I'm through with buying unisex stuff for them (at least for now).

My poor little Carmen is having a rough time with her last few molars. She didn't sleep much last night and, after exhausting other appropriate means of inflicting unconsciousness, I finally had to let her cry herself to sleep this afternoon. She was just so tired and so uncomfortable with her runny nose. I'm glad she's finally getting some rest.

We just read "The Communist Manifesto" for book group, and I loved reading it. No one should ever attempt to discuss government, especially communism, without having read it (this means you, former Amber).

Tropical Storm season is fun for me.

Last week, in honor of Independence Day, I decided to start learning the official Armed Forces songs. They're fun. My favorite line comes from "Anchors Aweigh":

and sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!

Crazy Navy.

Rant

2010-07-02T10:07:00.002-05:00

Dear World,

"Amber" is not the same name as "Amanda." They are not even related; they merely coincidentally have the same first 2 letters. Just like Steven/Stanley, Daniel/David, Jason/Jared/James, etc. - also all different names, also not interchangeable.

I do not mind being called any name if you are confused. But once you have learned that my name is Amber, please do not call me Amanda.

Sincerely,

AmBER

(I'm sure all Amandas out there would agree.)

Help! I'm trapped by the internet!

2010-06-20T21:26:00.002-05:00

This evening I spent way too much time doing nothing online, so I finally decided I need something to show for it (a blog post).

Today I gave a children's Sunday School lesson about the Holy Ghost, and as an example used one of my grandfather's experiences during WWII. As I was trying to recall it (as my dad had told it to me 20 years ago), I realized that I was shady on details: how old was he when he was drafted? How long was he in the war? What did he actually do? Fortunately, the internet is a marvel, and I was able to find his obituary online, and made some cross references to find out more, but I wish I had a first-hand account.

Obviously, it's too late for that now. And the thing is, I did make it a point to talk to my grandpa about his life during the few months I lived with them after college. I'm very grateful for that. I guess I'm kicking myself for not having been more curious, not pressing more for details about everything, because now the chance is gone. For everything.

I always think no one could be interested in my personal musings and details of my day-to-day that I consider obvious or mundane. Today, I realized that my grandfather's obvious and mundane would be a treasure for me to have. I know some because I knew him, and he wrote down a lot. But not everything.

This is for you, Ashley.

2010-05-29T09:58:00.001-05:00

Good parenting

2010-05-27T14:50:00.002-05:00

This morning I reached a point where I just couldn't take my kids' incessant fussing any more. But, instead of exploding or even yelling, I managed to hold it together until lunch, then calmly and lovingly force them to take naps (Olivia was surprisingly, and most gratefully, receptive). Then I took a nice, childless shower.

I feel good, my kids are happy (and asleep), and I'm proud of myself. Gold star! (JM, that's for you.)

Half right

2010-05-21T09:40:00.001-05:00

The other day Olivia asked, "Is Carmen sweetly scented?"

Heh. I should say not.

Tongue-tied?

2010-05-20T08:58:00.002-05:00

Part of our morning ritual is spraying and combing out Olivia's bedhead. Lately Carmen, a typical little sister, has wanted me to do the same thing with her tangle-less baby hair. This morning I had squirted and combed and was giving Carmen drinks of water out of the squirt bottle (another favorite) when Olivia observed (or advised?), "You don't comb Carmen's mouth too."

Nerds in training

2010-05-19T11:50:00.003-05:00

Good job, girls. You're still too physically attractive and we'll need to work on the social awkwardness, but that will come, I'm sure.

Watching the kid

2010-05-18T08:39:00.003-05:00

Remember my couple crush?

Well, they've since become a venn diagram, and today they posted this:

Is it any wonder I love these people?

(And yes, I am aware that he looks kind of like Steven. They even went to the same high school, where they oddly did not know each other. I guess that's why we're friends.)

Hungry Caterpillar Tutorial

2010-05-14T15:51:00.009-05:00

Probably my biggest recent project was Olivia's 3rd birthday party! The theme was The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and I got massively geeked out about it. I made cute invitations, my SIL made an AMAZING birthday cake, and we ate all the foods the caterpillar ate through (although, plums not being in season, the kids got prunes. It was not the most popular item on the table).

Anyway, Steven is a much better blogger than I am, and you can read and see more about the party here. (You're even welcome to comment - I promise that Steven is much nicer than me). However, one thing you WON'T get on his blog is a tutorial on how to make the central point of the party: my Very Hungry Caterpillar party favors!

These were totally my favorite part of the party - I dreamed them up one night and was just giddy about giving them out.

MATERIALS

Sewing machine and thread (I used green)
Scissors
Pins
Marker
Paper to make patterns
Glue gun
3 colors of knit (old t-shirts work great!) - 6" x 9" each. (I tried it first with cotton. Knit is MUCH better.)
cotton fabric for butterfly wings - about 6" x 9"
2 pieces grosgrain ribbon, each about 3" and beveled at the ends
4 eyes (I used google eyes, you can use buttons or even draw them on)

Step 1: Wings

Fold your paper in half to cut out a pair of butterfly wings that are about 6" wide and 4" tall - you can see how mine look. (I was going to upload it for you to print, but figured if you can't make your own paper butterfly wings, sewing them is totally out.)

Then fold your cotton in half with right sides facing, and trace your pattern onto one wrong side.

Sew right on the line all around the wings.

Make sure that you have a big enough corner, so when you trim the seam and turn it out the fabric won't unravel.

Trim about a 1/8" seam all around, making sure to clip all the way in to the corners (as shown).

Then, pulling the fabric away from each other on the inside, make a vertical cut in one side of the wings, big enough so you can turn them outside out.

Then turn it right side out.

Now set the wings aside for the moment.

Step 2: The body

Layer your knits like so:
Caterpillar fabric: right side up
Butterfly fabric: WRONG side up
Cocoon fabric: right side up

Line them up, then sew them all together across one long end.

(Note - when I made a bunch of caterpillars, I just sewed long 6" high strips of these, then cut them into 9" lengths afterward.)

Next, separate the butterfly layer from the rest, and use your marker to put a line 1/4 of the way in (in the middle of what will be one side of the body).

Now pin your wings there with the cut side down...

And sew them on, then trim your strings.

Now take the ribbon and pin it on in an X right above the center of your wings. Fold them up and pin them shut as well (so they won't accidentally get sewn into the body). Then bring up the green layer again so it's behind the butterfly body layer.

Fold all layers in half (your wings are inside). Pay no attention to the gnarled looking toes. (I've heard it's a Danish thing.)

Now, on the folded side, start at the base of the green (where your long seam is) and sew a 1/4" seam all the way up the side...

Curving around the top, stitching over the antennae...(Note: if you're not confident with your curving skills, make a rounded body pattern out of paper and trace it onto the knit, then sew over it, just like with the wings.)

And then all the way down the side, so it looks like this.

Trim your seam to about 1/8", being careful not to cut the antennae.

Now, starting from the open end of the cocoon, turn the whole thing butterfly side out, being careful not to stab yourself on the pins. Then take them out of the antennae...

And the wings...

And unfold the wings!

Use the glue gun to put eyes on the front of the caterpillar and the butterfly, and you're done! (I didn't put on a mouth because the kids can kind of make one with their fingers and the caterpillar eats things.)

So, here's the caterpillar (with the cocoon tucked inside)...

You take out the cocoon and wrap it around the body...

Then turn it inside out, and it's a butterfly!

Hooray! Let me know if you have any questions.

Today during lunch

2010-04-20T12:42:00.003-05:00

Olivia: There's little things in my bread!
Me: Those are seeds. They're yummy! They're what little birds eat.
(pause)
O: Can I have a coat?
M: What? A coat? (I wasn't sure I heard her right - it's Spring in Houston, and she has imperfect Rs)
O (starts crying): Over there in the closet!
M: Oh, Olivia, why do you need a coat? It's warm in here!
O: I need a coat so the birds won't eat me! (tugs at her short sleeves)
M: It's okay. There aren't any birds in here.
O: RIGHT THERE! (points out the window, where there are birds flying around in the backyard)
M: But look, they're outside, and you're inside. And birds don't eat people. They just eat seeds and worms. If I went outside with my short sleeves, the birds would see my arms and say, "What nice arms. But I don't eat people." And then they would look for some seeds. They don't eat arms.
O: But they would try...

(She finally calmed down. But she wouldn't eat the seedy bread.)

Drink up

2010-04-15T10:06:00.003-05:00

We just finished breakfast, and I asked Carmen, "Would you like some milk?"

Then Olivia asked her sweetly, "Would you like some beer?"

I have NO idea where that came from!

This just in:

2010-04-08T17:22:00.002-05:00

Steven's a little late getting home today, so I just said out loud, "Where is our Daddy?"

From upstairs, a little voice answered me back, "Youw daddy's at wowk, Sweetheawt."

:)

Shameless Plug

2010-03-24T07:59:00.003-05:00

My sister The Looney Writer has been writing a book as a serial on her blog. She'd love to have some more people read it and provide feedback. So, I'll refer you to her place and invite you to take a peek. There are 12 chapters now (don't let "chapter" scare you - they're all pretty short. I'm a lazy reader, and even I have time for this.) Let her know what you think!

Boo.

2010-03-19T14:44:00.002-05:00

Potty training makes me want to pout. That's all.

Spare the meat

2010-03-09T13:14:00.004-06:00

Many of you know that in recent years, our family has made it a priority to eat meat sparingly. To us, this has meant that we have meat meals less often, and when we do, we use less meat in them. While we make no claims of being any variety of vegetarian or models of healthy living, we have really enjoyed the less-weighed-down feeling of eating less meat. (I like killing fewer animals, too.)

When I discuss this with friends, many of them ask how we have balanced, filling family meals that do not include meat. Again, I make no claims of being a health expert or dietitian, but our family has been satisfied with our diet, so I thought I'd share this week's dinner menu as an example:

Potato and chickpea curry with naan
Butternut squash soup, rolls, salad and asparagus
Eggplant parmigiana with garlic bread
Clam chowder
Baked tilapia, artichokes, garlic bread, and patatas bravas
Paella
Spaghetti

Breakdown:
1 features meat (paella)
1 has cheese (eggplant parmigiana)
2 have seafood (clam chowder and tilapia)
2 have meat flavoring (squash soup: chicken bouillon; clam chowder: bacon grease in which to saute onions)

For me, the secret to meatless meal planning has been to emphasize what you CAN eat, rather than what you can't. We don't substitute tofu or soy or anything like that. We figure out what non-meat foods we like - vegetables, grains, legumes - and build meals that revolve around those things. One reason meat is so popular is because it has strong, delicious flavor. There are other foods that also have strong, delicious flavors, so when we make those the focal part of the meal, we honestly don't feel like we're missing anything (because we aren't).

Terrible twos

2010-02-26T11:55:00.002-06:00

I'm very glad I had Carmen when I did. Even though Olivia is generally a very good kid, 2 is taking its toll, and it's nice to have a sweet little Carmen to comfort me when Olivia's being a pill.

It's all in the family

2010-02-19T11:47:00.005-06:00

On Saturday I split my lip.

On Sunday Carmen got a black eye.

On Wednesday Olivia got a split lip and a bruised cheek.

This morning Carmen split her lip.

Steven is not beating us, and we have not taken up boxing.

(Just for the record, I split my lip on a bolt of fabric, Carmen fell on a door hinge, Olivia bumped heads with a friend, and Carmen slipped and bit her lip.)

Another surgery

2010-01-29T23:44:00.007-06:00

One dark night a few weeks ago, tragedy struck our family.

Due to the gross neglect of one male member of our family who shall remain nameless, our darling Marianne was involved in a terrible car accident that left her eyeless.

Fortunately, a recognized specialist in kitty eye transplants is doing residency here. But before the surgery could take place, we needed an eye to transplant.

A city-wide search (of thrift stores) was conducted to try to find a suitable donor, one who had 9mm blue round acrylics. (This yielded only a green-eyed frog that Olivia took a shine to.) We finally turned to the black market (craft stores) and found grotesque packages of body parts…but alas, the only blue eyes were 12mm, too large for Marianne’s dainty features.

Finally, in an act of supreme charity, Marianne’s larger (and less beloved) sister White Tiger offered to sacrifice her own blue eyes in exchange for a surgical enhancement of larger blue eyes. With some misgivings, the eye surgeon agreed to proceed.

WARNING: the following graphic photographs of the actual surgery may be disturbing to some sensitivities. Viewer discretion is advised.

Dressed out for surgery

The kitties with their IVs

Performing the delicate procedure

Resting up in post op after a successful surgery

We are happy to report that the transplants were successful (as gauged by Olivia's not rejecting them). While Olivia still doesn't care as much about White Tiger, I must say that because of her unselfishness, she now holds a much dearer place in my heart. And of course, we're all glad to have Marianne back to normal.

Literary greats

2010-01-21T15:07:00.001-06:00

Even though you may not be very familiar with them, most of you have probably at least heard of the Bobbsey twins.

Did you know that one of them was named Flossie? Flossie Bobbsey.

...

Taking a bite out of business crime

2010-01-12T13:36:00.004-06:00

So, we recently had a heating problem. The first company we called, John Moore (owned by Satan), came out and gave us a repair estimate that was SEVEN TIMES the cost of what we actually went with (Big Tex A/C - woot!) John Moore's diagnostic was also 3x the cost of Big Tex's.

So, after a call with John Moore's customer service department to verify that it was the actual company that was trying to rip me off, and not just the service tech, I submitted complaints with both the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and the BBB. And I now submit another complaint to you, internet.

DO NOT call John Moore for plumbing, AC/Heating, Electrical, Pest Control, Insulation, Energy Audit, or Window and Door repair. The "Moore" stands for cost. The "John" stands for poopy customer service. Call Big Tex instead!

Tell all your friends! (If they're not in Texas, I'm sure they don't care.)

Decorative toys

2010-01-07T23:29:00.000-06:00

I've been meaning to post about some of my newest projects for a while.

Just before Halloween we went to a pumpkin patch where I saw some cloth pumpkins much like these:

I don't often get cuted out by crafts, but for some reason I just really loved these pumpkins, so I had to go make some the next day.

Even as much as I loved them, it wasn't until after I'd made them that I realized how perfect they were: not only were they a fun project, but they are washable, indestructible decorations! Perfect for a house with a toddler and a mobile baby.

With this in mind, I used some of the same principles and came up with my favorite holiday craft this year: stackable snowmen.

Fun to mix and match:

Fun to stack and un-stack (this picture looks kind of morbid):

Lots of character.

Olivia loves them. She snuggles them, carries them around and dances with them. She also likes to have me sing "Once there was a Snowman" while stacking and unstacking them. Carmen loves to rip them apart and chew on the arms and noses.

I'm still working on some details (they're kind of wobbly), but even now they're a favorite around here.

Reyes Magos and a Mystical Visitation

2010-01-06T23:08:00.005-06:00

Every year we celebrate January 6th (Reyes Magos, or 3 Kings Day) with a traditional Spanish meal. This year we had paella, grapes, manchego cheese (salivates), pseudo-baguettes, and of course, the lovely Roscon de Reyes.

Traditionally, the Roscon is supposed to have candied fruit on top and some fruity flavor inside that comes from brandy. I hate candied fruit and the fruity brandy flavor. But I like pecans (and we live in the South anyway). Also please note (I say with a self-satisfied jiggle of my head and a rakish expression) that the Roscon is made entirely of flour I ground myself with a hand-operated wheat grinder. Que rustico! We have yet to see who gets the coin, and therefore luck for a year, and who gets the rock, and is therefore the bozo who has to buy the Roscon next year.

Also, yesterday when preheated my pizza stone in preparation for making naan (which was also quite yummy and also made with hand-ground flour), the head of an Easter Island statue mystically appeared on the stone.

Please take a moment to vote on the new poll at the top of my blog on what this remarkable image means for me in the coming year!

Old news

2010-01-05T22:35:00.002-06:00

Apparently, Steven turned down the honor again this past year. I guess he thought it would be inappropriate for all those other women to be ogling him. Congrats to Johnny Depp for being first runner up...again.

Philately will get you nowhere

2009-12-21T21:03:00.004-06:00

A couple of months ago we decided to officially turn our first child into a nerd: we helped her start a stamp collection. She LOVES it.

I bought a little purple photo album from the dollar store, made a cover (shown above), and loaded the album with a bunch of blank white cards. Every time we get a letter with a new stamp on it, Olivia and I cut the stamp off and glue it onto one of the cards. December has been a great time to do it, since people send so many different Christmas stamps. We also recently had a friend move overseas, and they obligingly sent Olivia a postcard with a nice English stamp.

So, if any of you are getting an urge to make a 2-year-old girl very happy for a few cents, please feel free to send us your stamps!

* Olivia also sounds very cute saying "stamp collegshun."

My Dad-in-law

2009-12-21T16:10:00.003-06:00

Those who read my husband's blog already know this, but my wonderful father-in-law passed away unexpectedly a few weeks ago.

I don't know what to say about this. He was a great friend to me. He was so much more than that to Steven. He was a wonderful grandpa to my girls. It doesn't feel right to say this in the past tense, so I'll say that we all love him very much, and we will miss him tremendously.

We're so grateful and he and Steven's mom were able to come visit us in October (when this picture was taken). We had no idea of it being the last time we would talk during his life. In the last few weeks, I've been recollecting conversations we had during that visit - where we were and what we talked about. He had such a nice voice. He was so loving and charitable. We are both people watchers and I enjoyed sharing our observations on life. I always felt comfortable and accepted by him, and I really appreciated that, since he gave me his baby boy.

Back when we were dating, I remember Steven describing his relationship with his dad, saying, "He's just always been such a great guy." I second that.

My beliefs on a mopey day

2009-11-15T20:04:00.005-06:00

Today all I feel like doing is binge eating.

There are some days when I don't like the person I'm being, and yet I don't have the power to stop it. I think that's the crux of Christianity - our spiritual aspirations are higher than our mortal imperfection will allow us to achieve.

The concept of accepting Jesus isn't a bandaid. The goal is not to stay lowly but feel placated because we've joined the Jesus Club, and he'll make up for it. I'm not into quick fixes or just putting a cover on it and calling it good (nor do I accept the "that's just the way I am" mentality). I don't believe that God just wants us to look good or to feel good. He wants us to BE good. And that's what repentance and spiritual rebirth are about. I believe, and have experienced, the reality of accepting Christ's offering to help us become more than we are - to transcend above our mortality to become more closely the people we want to be. So, I don't have to wallow in self-loathing and be disgusted with myself on days like these, where I really am unsatisfied with who I am and how I am. I can have faith and hope that transcendence is possible - in fact, guaranteed - as long as I work for it and hold up my end of covenants.

Faith, hope, and improvement are a lot more satisfying than binge eating. But also much harder.

First words

2009-11-14T19:38:00.002-06:00

My baby is talking.

A few weeks ago she discovered consonants, so her first talk-like sounds were "da-da" and "blah-blah." A few days later we discovered that she was saying these with purpose, and one day we began to hear deliberate "Da-da"s directed at Steven, and "Ma-ma"s directed at me.

Then tonight, as I was getting Carmen ready for bed, she said, "Touch." It took a minute for it to register to me that she had really said it, but then suddenly I realized that she had, and that she meant it. Part of our sleep-time routine is that I turn on her mobile and let her gently touch the animals as they go around (the lion and bear are her favorite). She loves to do this.

Of course, I immediately turned on the mobile and let her touch. And I also planted plenty of kisses on those soft, plump cheeks that suddenly weren't so babyish anymore.

Books!

2009-11-06T15:21:00.004-06:00

Every once in a while I have a glimpse memory of a book from my childhood, like: "Oh, yeah, I remember that book...I wonder where I could get a copy?"

So today, while browsing a thrift store, I hit the mother lode! All of these classics from my childhood (plus a few more that were new to me), for a grand total of $3.

Morris and Boris at the Circus
Song and Dance Man
I Can Do It Myself
A Bargain for Frances
Lambert the Sheepish Lion
The Little Engine That Could
Old Hat, New Hat
No Roses for Harry!
Sam, The Firehouse Cat
Little Toot
Pig Will and Pig Won't

It's nice that Olivia was as excited as I was.

Carmen in the morning

2009-10-25T22:28:00.005-05:00

I've been finding a lot of joy in Carmen lately. Probably my favorite time of the day is the first thing in the morning when I go to get her up. I call out "Good morning!" and her little head pops up, startled and still delirious. Her eyes are puffy and blinking, and she's not altogether awake, but I lift her out by the armpits and settle down into our big marshmallow rocking chair. I snuggle Carmen up to me and rock while she eats and eats, eyes closed, growing more comfortable with each suck, feeling around my arms and shirt and face with her free hand. She is so funny and fat, and as we switch sides she starts to wake up a little bit, so when she's finally had enough she drops off, looks at me, and after a minute, calls out "Gah." It is such a sweet little voice.

Then we talk for a little bit, her calling out and me trying to copy her sounds, and we smile at each other as we study and admire each other's hands and facial feathers (Carmen is much more tactile in her study). At some point a diaper must be changed, and then the cares and restlessness of the day begin to intrude - next door another not-so-little voice starts singing or meowing or talking, and from that point on Olivia's conversation (often one-sided) monopolizes the day. But those early moments that so define the irreplicable bond between baby and mommy are sacred. Those are the ones I keep and ponder in my heart.

Saddest picture ever

2009-10-01T15:15:00.003-05:00

We all feel like this sometimes.

Olivia

2009-09-22T14:24:00.003-05:00

I just put Olivia down for her nap. She didn't want to go down. We did the usual routine: read a couple of books, put her blankies in in the right order, put down her kitties in the right spot, then tried to caber-toss her into the crib ("the big throw"), but she started fussing. So I just picked her up and snuggled her for a while.

How can someone I've seen and hugged every day of her life be so independent of me? I birthed her and I've tended her constantly, never going more than a few hours without seeing her. But as I held her against me I tried to remember the way that squirmy little newborn felt, or even that shy baby - it wasn't the gangly little girl whose warmth I felt against my chest. The long, black eyelashes, the fingers that were slightly sticky with peanut butter residue, the long, skinny legs with light smears and bruises from childhood's bumps, even the smell - this wasn't my baby; even more, this wasn't mine. She's her own person, as individual and as far from my control as any other being that ever lived. She doesn't have to think about me or love me - she still needs me, but she doesn't have to love me. I'm glad she does, because I have to love her - morals and conscience aside, I simply can't help it.

This Little Piggie

2009-08-31T21:25:00.002-05:00

This evening while out on our constitutional, Olivia came upon a patch of ants. A few yards later she started whimpering about her "woast beef."

Steven caught on quicker than I did: she'd been bitten on her middle toe.

Kids are so funny and so cute.

I love music, Mommy

2009-08-27T15:13:00.003-05:00

I've meant to blog about this for a while: I am a piano teacher.

I absolutely love teaching piano. I love getting to talk to other people during the day. I love watching kids progress. I love feeling like I'm making a difference and training new piano players, since I guess I was brought up to believe that piano playing is an essential element of being well-rounded - at the very least, it's extremely useful.

But, I think the best part about teaching piano is that it's made Olivia interested in it. She likes to sit at the piano with a book in front of her and play on the keys. She's also picked up a few other choice phrases that she likes to coach us with while we play piano:

All cows eat grass! (over and over, giggling)
This is C (playing a note that is rarely C)
One more time. That's perfect.
Play this measure.
Take the repeat.
I'm putting a star right here.
What note is this? (pointing at the sheet music) It's G!

She also likes to put stickers on any and all sheet music (as my students do when they pass off a song).

I guess when she starts repeating, "Why won't you rotten kids practice?!?" I'll know it's time to quit.

Quarantined

2009-08-26T09:24:00.002-05:00

This morning I woke up with the flu.

And when I was giving Olivia a bath, I noticed that she appears to have chicken pox. For the second time since we vaccinated her.

So, the TV will be watching my children today, since it's the only thing we won't infect.

I'm alive!

2009-08-04T22:29:00.003-05:00

I don't feel like blogging but I know it's been a while. Here's the worst update I hope I ever write.

We just got back from a vacation to Venice Beach. Olivia loved playing in the sand. The family reunion was fun. My mom put a lot of work into planning it, so I hope she feels appreciated - she did a great job. We saw body builders and film students and a guy dressed as an ear. The ocean was cold. The kids were good on the plane. They charmed everyone and on the way home Carmen was so cute that a lady in back of us took her picture.

I broke my tooth on a BLT sandwich - it felt so much like those dreams where my teeth all break that I had to keep feeling it with my tongue to make sure it really happened. I'm getting it fixed next Monday.

This afternoon Carmen had a huge blowout poop while she was taking a nap.

One of our sprinkler heads broke and needs replacing.

Last night I had horrible dreams about feral cats who had gross snotty ooze all over them and were jumping through my door.

Our poor little camera is dead so we're buying a new two, and I'm excited.

Olivia got a free book today from the Library's summer reading program.

I don't think it's bragging to say my kids are good looking because it really has nothing to do with me. Olivia and Carmen don't belong to me; they are their own people and I'm just here to take care of them. I guess they have some of my genes but since I cannot control those I certainly cannot take credit for their beauty in that respect. Also, it is very evident to anyone who has seen us that my girls are much better looking than I am, so it's not like I'm claiming beauty by association.

Time for bed. I'm hoping for no feral cat or teeth-breaking dreams. Wish me luck.

Sewing and me

2009-06-27T23:54:00.002-05:00

Thanks for your comments on the craft run. There are a few more projects I'm working on that should be ready soon, including a tutorial for a fun little project I did a couple of days ago. I'm also planning to get my Etsy store together and will post a link as soon as I do.

In answer to Laura's questions about my sewing history and practice:

Sewing and I have a long and uncomplicated relationship. My mom sews and taught me basics when I was a kid, and it's been an active hobby ever since.

Where do I find time to sew? That's easy. It's all about prioritizing and time distribution, getting rid of those time sappers that steal our attentions from more important things.

Grooming takes a lot of time that could otherwise be spent making valuable kitty cat diapers. By simply not wearing makeup, fixing my hair, or sometimes even showering, I can get literally MINUTES of time that would otherwise be lost to not sewing.

Having a clean house is another deterrent to sewing. Leaving the delicate vacuum in its closet of honor instead of imposing wear and tear on it can give you enough time, over the space of a few weeks, to make a finger puppet.

And what about children? Small children may be the biggest obstacle to sewing. Letting children cry in their cribs while you finish that one last thing instead of getting them out and changing their poopy diapers will buy you valuable time.

...

No, in truth, I just have to find time to sew when the kids are taking naps (especially Carmen). Olivia's actually big enough now that she can either entertain herself for a little bit or watch and "help" while I do projects - cutting strings, smoothing fabric, bringing me stuff. I'm also pretty fast, as I should be after more than 20 years.

As far as the quiet book...well, the first incarnation was basically done in a weekend, but that's because I was jamming to get it mostly done so I could use it to entertain Olivia on a plane trip. Afterward, though, I went back and made a bunch of improvements. The second one, which I worked on with Hyde, was quicker because I had already gotten all my stuff together and drawn all the pictures, but still took 20 hours? I don't know. I've been trying to figure out a way to make them quicker and easier. I've had people offer to buy them, but frankly they take so much time that it wouldn't be cost effective for me to sell them at a reasonable price.

Actually, that's kind of my excuse for not selling more stuff in general. People tell me they like something I make and that I could make more and sell them for big bucks. And sometimes I think about it and start counting hours and dimes and dreaming of web sites and Pay Pal transactions. But I have to remind myself that, yes, there are many things I could do to make money, IF that is what I wanted to spend a bunch of time on. But as much as I like sewing, I guess I like Steven, Olivia, and Carmen more. And my kids won't be little forever, and no amount of money can ever buy this time back.

Twinkle toes

2009-06-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Another thing I've been doing lately is beaded socks. My mother-in-law bought Olivia a pair of these when she was first born, and I really liked them. They're actually quite easy to make - you just need a crochet hook small enough to fit through the bead hole, and it's all chain stitching. And, since my children's feet are so narrow that even baby shoes fall right off, fancy socks are about as good as we can do in the way of footwear.

Carmen's a good model.

Kitty diaper

2009-06-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

Anyone who has been around my family much lately knows that the most important member of our household is Kitty (aliases White Kitty, Kitty Cat, and Meow-mie). Ever since Olivia first laid eyes on her (in Joann's) they have rarely been separated.

This, combined with Olivia's other obsession with putting diapers on everything (including her blankie), resulted in this little craft:

It even has a tail hole and a little picture of a kitty on the front! (Olivia really likes the pictures on diapers.)

I wish I could say Olivia is as enthusiastic about this project as I was, but she is not thrilled with it and would much rather put her own or Carmen's diapers on Kitty.

Oh well. I thought it was cute.

Baby bundle

2009-06-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is my new favorite baby shower gift. It's a simple flannel blanket (good for summers) wrapped around a "baby" made of onesies stuffed with diapers and Desitin. I leave it as is because, well, I feel weird wrapping it.

"Quiet" book

2009-06-21T08:29:00.000-05:00

This was based on one my mom made for us many years ago. I found instructions for it online and adapted it.

Jesus loves Olivia. (I need to make a Carmen finger puppet.) Jesus also likes to hug all the other characters in this book, including his baby self. And they like to hug each other.

Noah's ark zips and has cards the girls can color when they're older. Right now Olivia just likes to spread them all over the floor. Carmen would probably like slobbering on them. You can weave the tower of Babel.

Olivia thinks the stripes on Joseph's coat are neckties.
Baby Moses's basket slides up and down the river. Moses is also a finger puppet.

I love my buff Samson and his braidable hair.
Finger puppet Jonah can be eaten by the whale. This whale was actually updated for Version 2.0, after I improved the design for my brother's kids' book - now, the whale can either spout or vomit out a boot, anchor, and fish.

Get Queen Esther dressed to see the king! (This one didn't make 2.0, since my brother has all boys.)
I love it when Olivia makes the angel and the lion kiss each other.

Good Shepherd, King David, or the Christmas shepherds? Uh, let's say he's all-purpose. Olivia could spend hours hiding and finding the sheep, though.
Steven discovered during church that these fish can also button onto his white shirt and hide under his tie.

Courtesy of 2.0, Baby Jesus is also a finger puppet.
The wisemen's gifts are shiny. And I'm very proud of my camel.

These concepts are from the Book of Mormon. The liahona's arrow spins, and the Nephite temple is a puzzle that Olivia likes to spread all over the place and give, piece by piece, to the people sitting around us in church.

The original gold plates are now rehidden somewhere in the recesses of...I don't know. I finally got around to making new ones just so I could take this picture.

Super capes

2009-06-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

This new project was inspired by our little friend Grant who was recently diagnosed with leukemia (he used to live in Olivia's room). It was a shocking diagnosis, and to try to boost his spirits I made him an orange cape - orange is the ribbon color for leukemia.

A friend who saw Grant's cape requested one for her nephew Jude.

Here's Olivia showing how well it flies:

Hyde and I are getting together next week to make some more for my super nephews! I'm excited - hace demasiado tiempo desde que cosimos juntas.

Piranha attack!

2009-06-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

This is one that I've been wanting to do for a while (Annie, remember this?)

Somebody rescue that baby!

(Beth, enjoy!)

Practically perfect in every way

2009-06-18T12:15:00.000-05:00

We interrupt this craft series to bring you an update on Carmen.

Bucking my family's trend of tininess for infants, Carmen registered in the 50th percentile in height, weight, and head circumference at her 4-month checkup this morning.

Her cheeks, however, are in the 98th percentile.

My Reapings

2009-06-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

As Steven pointed out to me the other day, it's been far too long since I've blogged about my sewing projects - and it isn't because I haven't been doing them. So, over the next few days, you will be treated to some of my more recent creations. Some of you will also be receiving them shortly.

This one is probably the prettiest: Carmen's blessing dress. I made it in one day - the day before her blessing.

Well, I was busy.

Your votes are beautiful.

2009-06-17T22:42:00.000-05:00

The day after my last posting, I got on to admire how many people were responding to the poll. Feeling pleased with myself, I remarked to Steven, “I think I make a pretty good blog.”

“Yes, it’s very you’re beautiful,” he replied.

“I mean, I’ve been posting pretty regularly, and I think they’re interesting and not too wordy or picture-y or boring,” I continued.

“Yes, you’re very pretty,” he agreed.

Some of you have asked how I voted on my poll. I didn’t, because I actually surprised myself by second guessing my initial inclination. But I’ve been wanting to post a followup anyway, since this was pretty interesting for me to think about.

First of all, this wasn’t a test. While the fact that I was challenging the woman’s statement obviously indicates that I don’t necessarily agree with it, I think a preference for either type of compliment is legitimate. In a way, it actually makes more sense to me for someone to want to hear their husband say they are beautiful: you never hear about the husband running off with someone who’s a more organized housekeeper or better with kids. My biggest beef was probably that the woman in the story said, “Don’t say any of those [other] things.” Uh, why not? Heck, Husband, any compliment you want to give me, I’ll take. (However, let us all recognize the lameness of this guy’s having to plan to say something nice to his wife. Novel idea, buddy. Next week are you going to actually pick up your own dirty socks?)

The fact is that, in my opinion, the compliment itself doesn’t matter as much as what’s behind it. Regardless of what words are used, I think what we all want to hear is, “I love who you are and what you do and I wouldn’t want to be with anybody else.” And the person who’s making the statement should know his or her spouse well enough to know what words will best deliver that message. (Apparently, “You’re beautiful” isn’t always it – sorry, James Blunt.)

New Poll

2009-06-08T21:53:00.000-05:00

This was brought on by part of an article that appeared in my church's magazine The Ensign:

Many years ago an associate of mine decided he would please his wife by sharing with her a specific compliment each night as he arrived home. One night he praised her cooking. A second night he thanked her for excellence in housekeeping. A third night he acknowledged her fine influence on the children. The fourth night, before he could speak, she said, “I know what you are doing. I thank you for it. But don’t say any of those things. Just tell me you think I am beautiful.”

So, I've created a new poll (replacing the tutu store name). I'm curious - does this woman's statement reflect the way most women feel?

Every woman's vote is welcome, regardless of marital or relationship status (you can certainly project). Guys, please sit this one out, but feel free to comment and discuss the results with me. Poll closes in a week.

P.S. Thanks for all the comments on my recent post. I was more intending to express frustration at the difficulty of maintaining friendships than to fish for friends, but it felt good anyway to hear from you and feel support. I like you all.

...and influencing people

2009-05-29T07:46:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been a little preoccupied with having friends. Or maybe just more aware that I haven't been as friendly or socially involved as I might like to be.

I say "might" because on one hand, maintaining friendships requires a certain time commitment, and the idea of adopting another time commitment gives me premature stress. But it also feels really good to have someone who you mutually like and can call to do stuff.

...

I'm having a hard time articulating what I want to say here, so I'm going to put in some bullets. These are not in any good order. If I were going to be a better writer I would use adjust their order and turn them into an essay, but right now if I planned on doing that then I would never post (my baby-free time is limited), and you'd have less blog to be entertained by.

Thank you all for reading my blog, and occasionally commenting. It makes me feel good, and I like staying in touch.
It seems like a good formula for couple-friends for us, using Couples A and B, is that AM and BF were previously platonic friends.
I would like to be friends with anyone who wants to be friends with me.
Lately I feel like I've been in a stage of insecurity. I think it has something to do with my feeling unattractive and needing a haircut, having a stuttering problem, and generally needing to improve my conversation skills.
I also need to clean my house, but that's neither here nor there.
I am lucky to have at least three best friends: a brilliant and handsome man who is better for me than anyone I could have hoped for, the cutest and yakkingest toddler alive, and a fat, funny baby who gurgles and coos and makes me feel loved.

Wake up!

2009-05-27T07:29:00.000-05:00

I keep having horrible recurring nightmares about not having finished college - usually there's a class I just stopped attending about a week into the semester and forgot about, or sometimes there are just a couple more I need to graduate, but I have a hard time dedicating myself to them. Last night I actually attended all my classes - I just failed some of them.

This, if for no other reason, is why people should get their diplomas framed and displayed somewhere: to assure them that they really did graduate.

(Note: In last night's episode I was also a social loser who ran around tennis courts wrapped in a blanket, which was a bummer. However, at some point I started climbing on the chain link and was able to jump/swing around the walls like a monkey, which was pretty neat, although it did nothing for my social problems.)

Lookalikes

2009-05-23T22:23:00.001-05:00

This is something I've been meaning to post for a while:

A couple of characters in some of Olivia's (and my) favorite books remind me quite a bit of some people I know.

First up:

This character from Hop on Pop totally reminds me of Hannah (yes, Hannah, I am talking about you.) Smart, curly blonde hair, two younger brothers, well-traveled (her dad reads "Constantinople" and "Timbuktu") - Hannah, it's you.

Then, in Go, Dog. Go!:

Blunt, hat-hating dog reminds me a lot of my father-in-law. Not because he hates hats or offends poodles; he just kind of looks like the dog to me. In a good way.

Pants on Fire

2009-05-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I've been lying. Unintentionally, of course.

I keep telling people that Carmen looks nothing like Olivia. And until recently I really thought that was true. But we now have picture evidence that proves me wrong.

It happened the other day while Carmen and I were having a smile-a-thon...

This morning when I was uploading the pictures to send to family, I realized that they reminded me quite a lot of another little face I used to know:

Life's good.

Tutu Kachoo

2009-05-15T21:05:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are some pictures of my fun venture as a tutu saleswoman. Thanks to all of you for your input!

My logo:

With a word like "kachoo," more exciting fonts were, unfortunately, less readable.

My cute little models:

(Olivia tried on every single tutu, and kept wanting Carmen to wear a tutu as well. Carmen was less enthusiastic.)

The booth: a bunch of foofiness.

The night itself wasn't super profitable, but I did make some good contacts and get all my girl birthday presents made for the next year (also: those who won my Craft-off - guess what you're getting? Send in your color requests now.)

While I don't think I really want to do more booths, my days as a tutu guru are not over yet. But more on that later.

And here, just because she's looking so earnest in this picture, is Carmen. Who is, as my parents put it, unexpectedly fat. I'm so pleased.

Baby blues

2009-05-14T12:38:00.000-05:00

This is so, so true.

Hold Everything!

2009-05-09T09:59:00.001-05:00

Eeek! I hate it when this happens: last night over dinner Steven and I came up with two more names that I like at least as much as Et Tu Tutu (which was winning enormously):

Tutu Kachoo
Ruffle Buns

So, my poll has been changed. Please come back and vote again!

On my end, I'll get busy getting my two little models ready for a photo shootu.

Tutupreneur

2009-05-08T09:28:00.000-05:00

In a twist of fate, I will be selling homemade tutus at an upcoming Vendor Night for a friend's nonprofit. More details and pictures to come, but first I need your help:

What should I name my tutu store?

The two names I'm thinking of are Tutu 22 and Et Tu Tutus. Cast your vote on the left!

Wah.

2009-04-30T13:35:00.000-05:00

Today I feel like running away with the circus.

Classic parenting moment of the day

2009-04-27T13:07:00.000-05:00

I just got back from the grocery store. Both girls were really good while we were there, but on the trip home Carmen started to get hungry and fussy. As I unloaded the girls, Olivia observed, "Carmen's crying." I said, "Yes, can you help her feel better while I unload the groceries?"

As I was putting perishables in the fridge, I could hear Olivia using her usual comforting techniques: offering Carmen toys and saying, "That's okay, Carmen." Carmen, uncomforted, continued to fuss.

When I had finally finished and was walking over to get Carmen out, I could tell that Olivia had reached the end of her rope with Carmen's fussing.

"Hey," she snapped at her. "That's not appropriate."

Bad Dreams

2009-04-21T09:07:00.000-05:00

Carmen and I had a hard night last night, and when I finally did get some sleep just now I had a very disturbing dream where the whole world seemed like it was going crazy, myself especially. I somehow undid my high school graduation, physically attacked my landlady and roommate, somehow joined a friend's family (the Blakes, btw), stalked my neighbors, was walking around naked, and all sorts of other things.

My worst dreams are always the ones where I can see myself acting erratically. I'm sure that says a lot about me. Man, it was nice to wake up.

Facebook gone

2009-04-15T13:43:00.000-05:00

Hooray!

My New Year's Resolution to reduce my internet footprint by deleting all extraneous accounts is complete.

Happy tax day, everyone.

1000 Words

2009-04-11T20:21:00.000-05:00

Thanks

2009-04-10T20:11:00.000-05:00

to everyone for your support and concern. I had my surgery last night, and I guess it went well…for a surgery. I won’t say I’m feeling great – I’m sore and tired and a little bit traumatized – but it’s nice to have it over. My biggest worry was for my little girls, especially Carmen.

But she’s doing okay. She has to have formula for a couple of days while I detox, but she’s been doing well with it. Altogether, I’m grateful that things turned out so well. It wasn’t anything really life-threatening (no cancer), but it was something that needed fixing, and I’m glad to be fixed (not in the cat kind of way).

Here are my newfound pearls of wisdom from this experience:

DON’T have surgery.
If you must have surgery, DO have someone there with you (otherwise, it is really scary).
If you can’t have someone there with you (because, for example, you have two little girls who your husband has to take care of), DON’T stay overnight.
If you must stay overnight, DO make sure your husband doesn’t have to work the next day.
If your husband has mandatory meetings the next morning, DON’T stay in the hospital all day (especially when your doctor says you can leave that morning).
BUT, if lackadaisical or neglectful nurses force you to stay there until 2:00, in addition to providing the poorest care imaginable, DO at least make sure that you have a wonderful sister-in-law to help take care of your two little girls. Because if you do, chances are one will end up looking like this:

And that's never a bad thing.