Kid Tag

Most of the "kid tags" I have seen involve small children. Mine are older and somewhat smart alecky.

1. What is something your mom always says?
Andrew: "No."
Brittany: "Anything ending with a question mark"
Mark: "Make good choices!"

2. What makes mom happy?
A. Chocolate
B. Chocolate
M. Her blog

3. What makes mom sad?
A. People not helping around the house.
B. I don't know.
M. When I don't hug you.

4. How does mom make you laugh?
A. When she is being silly.
B. Being you.
M. When you say funny things.

5. What was mom like as a child?
A. Devil's daughter.
B. Little
M. Little

6. How old is your mom?
A. Fourty.
B. 40
M. Forty.

7. How tall is your mom?
A. 6' 1/2"
B. 6' 1 3/4"
M. 6' 2"

8. What is your mom's favorite thing to do?
A. Play Bookworm
B. Blog
M. Blog

9. What does your mom do when you are not around?
A. Go shopping.
B. Talk to the dogs.
M. Dance in the street.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
A. Being the #1 Scrabble queen.
B. Her shoe fetish.
M. Knitting.

11. What is your mom really good at?
A. Cooking delicious food.
B. Asking questions.
M. Cooking.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
A. What Brittany and Mark said.
B. Minding her own business.
M. Video games.

13. What does your mom do for a job?
A. She a trans-monster.
B. She dingles with numbers all day.
M. She's an associate thing.

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
A. Spaghetti
B. Chocolate
M. Spaghetti

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
A. Her attendance to everything I did.
B. When she doesn't ask too many questions.
M. When she bought me an Ipod.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
A. Marge Simpson
B. Marge Simpson
M. Taz

17. What do you and your mom do together?
A. Talk while copying checks.
B. Chill.
M. Cook.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
A. We almost like all of the same things.
B. We're both women.
M. We look alike.

19. How are you and your mom different?
A. I'm male, she's female.
B. I'm 18, she's 40.
M. I'm a boy, she's a girl.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
A. When she hugs me for a very long time.
B. When she doesn't ask me so many questions and lets me sleep.
M. When you hug me.

I tag: YOU!

Relief Society Enrichment

And enriching it was!


I don't know if you have ever heard of Keri Maughan, but, she is AMAZING! She gave a discussion on "Parenting our Heavenly Father's Way". It was definitely the boost that I needed after my "poor me" post of earlier that same day. This gal is funny and engaging and really had us in stitches as she shared with us some tools that we can use as parents to better parent our children.

Of course, when you look at her, she is like, so beautiful and her life has probably been a bed of roses. I would be wrong on that account. She shared some of her experiences with her children, she has four daughters, that really made her relate to all of us and the parenting mistakes that we make.

I was so happy that I went. I didn't want the evening to end. I wanted to bring her home with me and do a little "Nanny 911" number on my home and family. I did talk to her for a bit after the meeting. I asked her, "I have a child that has moved out of the house, am I too late to use these new skills?" Thankfully, that answer was "no".

She was so awesome! If you ever have the opportunity to attend any of her classes, DO IT! You will only be better for it. www.keriparentcoach.com

Am I?

Do you think that it is possible to know what kind of mother you are or were in this life? I know that we probably shouldn't look to our children for acknowledgement, it behooves being a humble, self-sacrificing, never looking for the glory in the mundane of everyday mom.

I have been touched over the course of my life, of children who were very expressive to and about their mothers and the wonderful examples they were. It's easy when they are very young, to know exactly how they feel about you. When they are hurt, they come running to mom to make it all better. The unsolicited hugs and kisses and the "I love you mommies", priceless treasures to behold.

But, what about when they get older? It's "natural" for children to want to separate from their parents and establish their own identities. Does this mean that we are no longer useful? Have we expired? Does the umbilical cord ever really sever?

I just ponder what kind of mother that I am and if I have made any difference in the world for my having been there. I didn't have the luxury of not having to work, and I really feel that it has gotten in the way of being the most wonderful of mothers. Am I the only one who thinks this way?

Tag.....I'm It.

My Quirks

I was tagged by Michelle

RULES

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you.

2. Mention the rules on your blog.

3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.

D. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them.


Numero Uno. Whenever I eat candy corn, and I only do at this time of year and only if they are Brach's candy corn, I like to bite them one color at a time. This in itself is so quirky because they are made with honey and I don't like honey, go figure.

Numero Dos. I dislike melon of any kind. No watermelon, no canteloupe, no honeydews or any other melon. Ohmygosh, what a wierdo!

Numero Tres. I'm tall. Possibly even freakishly tall for a woman, and yes, I know it. I make you feel short? Well, everyone makes me feel like Bigfoot!

Numero Quatro. I love the feel of fresh, crisp, at least 220 thread count cotton sheets. Polyester blends pill, and I don't like the feel of that. I don't like satin sheets either because I am afraid I'll slide off the bed in the middle of the night.

Numero Cinco. Spelling errors really bother me. Most especially when I read the newspaper or a book. Hello? Is there an editor in the house?

Number Six. I don't like leftovers. For me, it's only good the first time, and if you reheat it, it just doesn't taste the same. Also, I don't like overcooked pasta. If it's not al dente, for get a bout it!

There you go. Try not to judge. I tag Sharon, Justine, Shellee, Melissa, Jen, and Michelle C.

He's got his game face on!

This is Mark right now at the Diamondbacks game. He's the Security Kid. Perhaps Law Enforcement will be in his future as well!



I am so amazed sometimes at some of the unexpected opportunities that have come the way of my kids. Last night was his first orchestra concert of the season, and Mark is the section leader. He was offered the opportunity to move up to the next orchestra, but refused on the grounds that he has already had to change his schedule once this semester. What a kid!

Giddee Up!

I'm fairly certain that my blog is not one of very interesting reading as of late. So might I regale you with "Tales from the Gynecologist" or "Live from The Stirrups"!?



I had my annual visit of dread to my gynecologist on Monday. Stop me if you've heard this one before. You're sitting in the waiting room and the front desk gal calls out from behind the window, "Mrs. Johnson, we're gonna need a sample." Well, fortunately for me, I had drank a fair amount of water before I left and was prepared to offer my specimen.

I'm finally called back and taken to the "smaller waiting room" otherwise known as the examination room. The nurse takes my weight (I HATE SCALES!!!), my blood pressure, and asks if I'm having any problems. I tell her, "Well, I haven't had a monthly in 2 months and I'm not pregnant, is that a problem?" She laughs and writes it on my chart, and I further tell her that my husband keeps bugging me and asking if I'm pregnant. I told her that I told him, "Let's operate on the idea that I'm NOT unless I tell you different." She laughs again and directs me to 'the gown' and that 'everything comes off'.

So anyway, my doctor comes in and I rehash what I told the nurse, and she asks why I haven't had a monthly in 2 months. I tell her that I don't know, but, my husband thinks I'm either pregnant or under a lot of stress. She asks about hot flashes and the like. I ask, "Are you telling me I'm old?" "No, you're a too young for that, besides then I'd be old next year." So now I know that my gyno is 39 years old.

Well out come the stirrups and, of course, this is my FAVORITE part of the visit. She notices my height once again and says, "Oh, let me extend these for you." Holy cow!!! I was easily more comfortable immediately! It was the first time EVER that my knees weren't around my ears!!!

Long story short, I have to have some bloodwork done to check my female hormone levels. I'm afraid they'll tell me I'm no longer a woman;) So out I skipped with my lab order, my prescription, and my order for my mammogram. Joy of joys, we'll discuss "The Girls" at a later date. Until then......

With His help go I

The Earl of Melancholy has visited me again today. I find myself contemplating Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ role in my life. As I wrangle with my thoughts of inadequacy, I question whether I am doing all that I can to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

I am not especially talented and pretty much a regular "Jane". This is alright with me as I do enjoy living my life of relative anonymity. I do worry though, about what I have contributed thus far in my earthly existence. I suppose this could be just me looking at the back of my own tapestry, as I am wont to do.

I am just so grateful that I have my Savior who loves me and lets me know that when I feel especially alone and lonely. He calms my troubled soul when I feel that my efforts in the building of His kingdom seem so insignificant.

I try very hard to see the eternal perspective in everything, and I try to be very present in my trials so that I learn from them the first time. I've had many more challenges than my tiny little mind could ever conjure up for myself, and I am humbled that He would allow me to have them and learn.

I am grateful that I have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I am thankful that I have a model to follow in the raising of my family, even though I haven't always been successful. It's the belief in Him that allows me to get up each morning and try again.

I hope your day is peaceful.