This Made Me Smile

"People often write me and ask how I keep my wood floors so clean when I live with a child and a dog, and my answer is that I use a technique called Suffering From a Mental Illness." -- Heather Armstrong

Random Thoughts

I'm not sure why I feel inclined to blog this morning -- I have nothing specific to say. There are just lots of thoughts going through my head, and I want to get them out. For instance, who else has had it with this winter??? Every year that we are here I get more and more impatient for spring, more thankful for the warm and even hot months. After the two beautiful and warm days last week that were both followed by another round of cold and snow, I have just had enough! Merciless teasing! I love the beauty of Utah, and I even enjoy the snow on the mountains, but please, for pete's sake, let's have some springtime! I'm ready to let my "cabin-fevered" kids out to play in the yard. I'm ready to start my garden back up. I'm ready for some hiking and camping and fun in the sun!

This cold and gray has me so depressed . . . it happens every winter. Especially living in a basement with tiny windows and getting very little sunlight. Anyone else get the wintertime blues?

I'm amazed at the speed with which life is speeding by. It seems that raising kids is a slow process sometimes, but when I look back, I can't believe so much time has passed. The days are long, but the years are short. I have realized I am not taking full advantage and that I need to slow down and take time to enjoy life more, where my kids are concerned. It seems that every day is full of "hurry up and do this" and "go here" that our lives are a blur. What I want is to spend more time talking to them and playing with them and less time rushing them around and doing chores and everything else that gets in the way. I need to play Scrabble with Nathaniel. I have finally gotten Bradley to let me start teaching him to read, and I love that time together. Lindsey is so much fun to just watch and listen to -- she's talking non-stop and singing even more. I love my kids and love every second with them. I have to teach myself to relax and just be with them more.

Chris and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary back in December. I can't believe it! (That picture -- good grief! I was thin!) In my mind I am still that immature kid I used to be; it startles me some days to wake up and realize I am a 33 year old mother of 3 children! Chris and I will just be sitting there and ask each other, "Where did these kids come from?" As if to say, surely we are not parents! We still feel like 16 year olds cruising around in the VW bug he's had forever. But I wouldn't trade it (my life, not the bug!) for anything. I am so thankful for my husband and children, my greatest blessings. I will never be worthy of such amazing gifts.

Thanks for indulging my randomness.

Check My Duckie Towel

Here's my little smoochie in the duck towel her aunt Amanda sent. She loves it. I couldn't get her out of it to put clothes on -- no surprise there, though. She hates to get or stay dressed anymore! Thanks, Mander!!!

Game Boy

My little Bradley is a video game nut, just like his older brother. He wants to play all the time, and it is often difficult to get him to understand why we can't just play all day long. One thing that really bugs me when they play is the noise -- they want to have the volume up, and that goofy, repetitive music drives me nuts. So I came up with what I thought was a good solution and put headphones on him. I had to snap some photos of him with his controller. Crazy guy. He's amazingly adept at certain games, especially for his age.

The trick now is to convince him that he is Bradley, not Link or Mario. He loves to pretend that he is a character or superhero and is always looking for a "fight." I hope this is just a phase or a 'boy thing' that will calm down soon. I myself enjoy playing Mario Golf, and I try hard to get him interested in that. It's much more relaxed than his favorite game, Super Smash Brothers Melee.

My Funny Valentines

I'm a little late with our Valentines Day news, but what can I say? It was a fun day, although we didn't do anything particularly grand like some of the others of you did ... I am impressed with all your activities. Like myself, my kids are happy just to have another excuse to eat chocolate. Both Marmee and Two-E sent them packages with goodies, which they were thrilled about, and Chris bought them some candy from See's -- and he bought me some, too!!

They made me laugh on several occasions regarding Valentines. Nathaniel came home from school with his mailbox full of cards and candy from classmates, lamenting the fact that some Valentines candy has gotten too mushy with words like "kiss me" and "I love you" on them. He said, "Conversation hearts these days are just wacko!" I laughed so hard at the matter-of-fact way that he said it. So funny.

Later Lindsey cracked me up by trying to charm her dad. After devouring the chocolate heart she was given, she asked me for another one. (She's just like me, crazy kid!) I told her no, that she had truly had enough over the course of the day, and she didn't like that. She said to me, "I'm gonna go ask daddy!" Can you believe it? Sassy little thing! With that she ran back to ask him for another piece. He had heard the goings on and told her no, and boy that did not please her. She came stomping back out into the living room with her bottom lip poked out! It was hilarious! Is it just me, or is two years old not a little early for this drama to begin?

She was happy with her little pink monkey that Marmee sent. They were fast friends. Thank you, Marmee! Kiss, kiss!

6 Unusual Things -- Tagged By Elizabeth

Good grief! There can't be any more to tell about me after that 100s list, but I am racking my brain to think of some strange qualities I have. Hmmmm....
1. I actually enjoy going to the dentist. Now, I don't enjoy the associated cost and the pain that comes later, and I hate getting numb (shots are owie!), but other than that, I sort of like it. For one thing, my dentist is super cute and nice, and so is everyone who works with him. My favorite part is the laughing gas -- yes, I do very much like that feeling of utter relaxation. I hope this doesn't make me a secret druggie.
2. I can't raise my eyebrows one at a time anymore, you know, to show that "huh?" emotion.
3. I always thump the can before opening a Coke. I don't know why.
4. I am not ticklish at all, anywhere. (Oh, except the small of my back -- if touched there, I will jump into next week!)
5. I am getting so absent-minded as time goes by. I lose things constantly, like my keys and wallet and temple recommend. (They are never really lost, but I will freak out suddenly, thinking I don't know where they are and go on a mad hunt for them!) Also I have started doing goofy stuff like putting milk in the cabinet instead of the fridge. Once I even dumped a whole pot of noodles into the sink without noticing that I hadn't put the colander in -- down the drain they went! Nutjob!
6. I used to practice sliding into bases in high school, not only for the practice, but also for the awesome strawberries I would get all over my knees! I never minded inflicting pain for a cool scar.

Now I tag the Jessicas, unless they already have been...

Primary Day Fun

Well, I have taken some ribbing for making the blog too much about me and not about the kids, which was indeed my original intent. They are much more newsworthy, of course. So, here's the latest on thier fun-filled lives.

This morning our stake had a primary activity, to which Chris took all 3 kids. (What a saint he is -- I got to sleep in!) Obviously Lindsey wasn't old enough, but she had her heart set on going along and checking out the action. Lucky for her, they let her join in, and all 3 had a fantastic time.


The purpose of the activity was to make care packages for the soldiers who are overseas. The kids were divided into groups and rotated through various stations where they participated in several different tasks. In one room, they decorated cards to send to the troops,
complete with stickers and artwork. Nathaniel was particularly proud of his -- he drew an awesome picture of a soldier. He's quite the little artist!

In the kitchen, the children were able to get a taste of what the troops get to eat; crock pots were set up with contents of MREs for everyone to sample. My picky little Nathaniel did not like his . . . big surprise. (Oh, he did try the cracker and liked that!)Bradley and Lindsey both thought the food was delicious, and Lindsey especially enjoyed the chicken and rice. In the Relief Society Room, the kids then put together an assortment of "good food" to send to the soldiers: rice krispie treats, peanut butter crackers, and the like. They also put together hygiene kits with toothpaste and brushes, mouthwash, deodorant, and Advil. The highlight was the end, where each child was able to decorate and consume a heart-shaped cookie with icing, gummy bears, and conversation hearts.


Well, the activity was a big hit. Our thanks to the Stake and Ward Primary leaders for a great morning, one that was fun and meaningful. It was a good opportunity for the kids to see that they can have a good time while doing something nice for someone else, and I especially appreciated that the someone else in this case are those brave men and women who protect our country. What a great lesson for the kids.

My Top 10 (Billion) List

This is for you, Elizabeth. I'm only doing it so you'll do the same! Here are a few of the many songs on my top rated playlist right now. Man, I had to pare it way down! I tried to get a sampling of lots of different stuff -- obviously there are hundreds and hundreds of other great songs by these and other artists. I am putting an asterisk next to my absolute favorites, in case you want the short list. So here's a little bit of rock, country, broadway, and other stuff! Let me know what you think.

Title (Artist -- Album)

A Campfire Song (10,000 Maniacs -- In My Tribe)
You Will Be My Ain True Love (Alison Krauss -- Cold Mountain)
Bell Jar (The Bangles -- Everything)
Ding-Dong the Witch Is Dead (Barbra Streisand -- Duets)
The Old Apartment (Barenaked Ladies -- All Their Greatest Hits)
If I Had $1000000 (Barenaked Ladies -- All Their Greatest Hits)
*Miss Otis Regrets (Bette Midler -- Experience the Divine)
Hit 'Em Up Style (Blu Cantrell -- So Blu)
*New Again (Brad Paisley & Sara Evans -- The Passion of The Christ)
Unbreakable Heart (Carlene Carter -- Little Love Letters)
*Helplessly Hoping (Crosby, Stills, and Nash -- Crosby, Stills, and Nash)
Karma Chameleon (Culture Club -- Color By Numbers)
When You Were Mine (Cyndi Lauper -- The Essential: Cyndi Lauper)
White Flag (Dido -- White Flag)
Stand By Your Man (Dixie Chicks -- A Tribute to Tradition)
*Call Me When You're Sober (Evanescence -- The Open Door)
Wonderful (Everclear -- The Best of Everclear)
Come What May (Ewan McGregor/Nicole Kidman -- Moulin Rouge)
*Oh Diane (Fleetwood Mac -- 25 Years - The Chain)
Second Hand News (Fleetwood Mac -- 25 Years - The Chain)
Head over Heels (The Go-Go's -- Talk Show)
*Come By Me (Harry Connick, Jr. -- Come By Me)
Hear Me in the Harmony (Harry Connick, Jr. -- Star Turtle)
*Follow If You Lead (Idina Menzel -- Still I Can't Be Still)
*Southland in the Springtime (Indigo Girls -- Nomads Indians Saints)
*Ghost (Indigo Girls -- Retrospective)
*You and I Both (Jason Mraz -- Waiting for My Rocket to Come)
It Ain't Me Babe (Joaquin Phoenix/Reese Witherspoon -- Walk The Line)
*Stompin' At The Savoy (Judy Garland -- The Complete Decca Masters)
Stormy Weather (Judy Garland -- The London Sessions)
Big Boned Gal (k.d. lang -- Absolute Torch And Twang)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Katharine McPhee -- Single)
Mary Did You Know (Kathy Mattea -- Good News)
That'll Be Me (Kelly Willis -- Kelly Willis)
*Poor, Wayfaring Stranger (Kristin Chenoweth -- As I Am)
*Taylor, the Latte Boy (Kristin Chenoweth -- As I Am)
*The Girl In 14G (Kristin Chenoweth -- Let Yourself Go)
Probably Wouldn't Be This Way (Leann Rimes -- This Woman)
You Got Looks (Lena Horne -- Lena Horne at MGM)
Countdown (Lindsey Buckingham -- Out Of The Cradle)
*Boondocks (Little Big Town -- The Road to Here)
Stay (Little Big Town -- The Road to Here)
Miss Being Mrs. (Loretta Lynn -- Van Lear Rose)
Glad To Be Unhappy (The Mamas & The Papas -- Creeque Alley)
Wrong Again (Martina McBride -- Evolution)
I Should Have Been True (The Mavericks -- What A Crying Shame)
Summer Wind (Michael Buble -- Come Fly With Me)
He Will Listen to You (Nickel Creek -- Here To There)
The Hand Song (Nickel Creek -- Nickel Creek)
*Tomorrow Is A Long Time (Nickel Creek -- Why Should The Fire Die?)
*The Wizard And I (Idina Menzel -- Wicked Soundtrack)
*Popular (Kristen Chenoweth -- Wicked Soundtrack)
Who Knew (Pink -- I'm Not Dead)
Leavin' On Your Mind (Patsy Cline -- Patsy Cline Collection)
Keep Your Distance (Patty Loveless -- Dreamin' My Dreams)
Fat Bottom Girls (Queen -- Greatest Hits)
Don't Stop Me Now (Queen -- Greatest Hits)
Wildwood Flower (Reese Witherspoon -- Walk The Line Soundtrack)
Tennessee Flat Top Box (Rosanne Cash -- King's Record Shop)
*Almost New (Sara Evans -- Clay Pigeons Soundtrack)
*Fool, I'm A Woman (Sara Evans -- No Place That Far)
Bible Song (Sara Evans -- Real Fine Place)
Fallen (Sarah McLachlan -- Afterglow)
*Ordinary Miracle (Sarah McLachlan -- Charlotte's Web)
Possesion (Sarah McLachlan -- Fumbling Torwards Ecstacy)
*River (Sarah McLachlan -- Wintersong (it's not just for Christmas))
*Beautiful Wreck (Shawn Mullins -- 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor)
Light In Your Eyes (Sheryl Crow -- The Very Best Of Sheryl Crow)
D'yer Mak'er (Sheryl Crow -- Encomium)
Shut Up (Simple Plan -- Still Not Getting Any)
Long Distance Winner (Stevie Nicks -- Enchanted)
If You Ever Did Believe (Stevie Nicks -- Practical Magic Soundtrack)
*Crystal (Stevie Nicks -- Practical Magic Soundtrack)
Sugarland (Sugarland -- Enjoy the Ride)
*River Of You (Trisha Yearwood -- Jasper County)
*Try Me (Trisha Yearwood -- Jasper County)
Real Live Woman (Trisha Yearwood -- Real Live Woman)
Paint It Black (Vanessa Carlton -- Be Not Nobody)

So, what are the rest of you listening to these days????

My 100 Thingys

I can't imagine that this would be of interest to too many people, but I have so enjoyed reading the lists of some of my fellow-bloggers that I thought it would be fun to try. Who knows if I can even think of 100 interesting or little-known things to put on the list, but here goes:

1. I am already having trouble with this . . .

2. Chris and I met when we were in the 2nd grade at Bayvale Elementary in Augusta, GA. He was my first kiss and my only true love.

3. I have this thing for hands -- I always notice a person's hands, even before their eyes or smile. If you have cool hands, you are extra cool.

4. I (obviously) have an extreme weakness for chocolate, and chocolate chip cookies are the stuff life is made of.

5. I am so proud of my children that it has to be a sin.

6. I'm the oldest of 7 kids, and I love my siblings so much! It has been wonderful to grow up and be adults together.

7. I am painfully shy, but I wasn't always. I used to be really arrogant and full of myself. (Some of you are thinking, "used to be?")

8. In school I played soccer, basketball, and . . .

9. . . . SOFTBALL! Softball is what I lived for in my younger days. I played in middle school, high school, and for Rec Department leagues every summer forever. I loved it!

10. My favorite movie of all time is "The Wizard of Oz," and I am an amatuer collector of memorobilia.

11. I think scars are really cool.

12. I have a really cool scar! About 13 years ago I had a bad car accident and cut my face open. It was way cool. Now I have about a six inch scar, and I think the plastic surgeon did TOO good of a job sewing me up. (Like 100 stitches, by the way!!!)

13. Also, if I scratch my head in several different locations, I feel it IN said scar. Super cool!

14. I love, love, love doing Mad Libs with my sisters. I laugh like a fool.

15. The thought of anyone hurting my children's feelings brings me to tears. Once Nathaniel came home from school upset because someone was mean to him, and I felt so hurt for him. (And I secretly wanted to go beat up the kid who was mean to him!)

16. Would you believe I love to quilt!?

17. I am an addict of the TV show Survivor. I never miss it. (Neither does Chris, no matter what he might tell you.)

18. I am also addicted to CSI, ER, Law & Order SVU, American Idol, The Closer, and Monk.(Thank goodness for DVR!)

19. I have a B.A. in English from Augusta State University in GA. I love literature, and I am a total grammar nerd.

20. I can't do math to save me. I just don't have that half of my brain.

21. In 10th grade I got thrown out of class for making fun of another student who was giving a speech.

22. I love scrapbooking!

23. I have a really short temper, which I am quite ashamed of.

24. Also I'm really lazy.

25. I am OCD about vacuuming.

26. I really enjoy cutting the grass and working in the garden.

27. I am in love with Mt. Timpanogos. I would marry it if I could get a license.

28. Clowns absolutely terrify me. I don't think there is anything funny about them.

29. I worked as a tutor in the writing center when I was in college.

30. I went on a school field trip to Washington, DC when I was in the 8th grade. (I can't believe my mom let me go!)

31. To me, a baby's breath is better than any perfume.

32. I would rather see a sad movie or hear a sad song than something romantic and mushy.

33. I once dressed a body for burial -- a sister in my ward back home. It was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life.

34. My kids are the funniest people ever.

35. I love to waterski and jetski.

36. One of my dreams is to go to NYC and see "Wicked" on broadway.

37. I have a bootleg copy of "Wicked" with the original cast! (SHH, don't tell anyone.)

38. Once a friend of mine and I came across a boy who had fallen off of his bike and broken his leg badly -- bone sticking out and blood everywhere. I carried him about a half a mile to help. Talk about adrenaline!

39. Before the days of e-mail, I used to be a fantastic letter-writer. I would write pages and pages. I miss those days.

40. I get so sick when I'm pregnant . . . with Bradley I had a PICC line put in my arm and was on IV therapy for 2 months.

41. That being said I can't wait to have another baby.

42. Chris picked out the perfect wedding ring for me -- I described what I wanted, and he didn't stop searching until he found it. What a man.

43. My senior year of high school, I drove our huge 12 (or whatever) passenger van to school every day.

44. I was voted Most Valuable Defensive Player for softball in high school.

45. I ruined both of my knees playing catcher and had to switch to 2nd base in 11th grade.

46. I am a sucker for a good sale at the Baby Gap. I love buying clothes for my kids, but I never pay full price!

47. I can't stand for my house to be messy, but it seems like it always is.

48. I think roller coasters are totally awesome.

49. I still talk like a teenager, saying goofy things like "totally awesome."

50. Judy Garland is my favorite singer and actor. I love everything she has ever done, and I think she is a genius.

51. I love music -- I would rather listen to my iPod than most anything else.

52. I really enjoy playing video games with Nathaniel and Bradley.

53. Sometimes I miss my family back east so much I can hardly stand it.

54. Chris "kidnapped" me to Washington, DC on our first anniversary to go to the temple together. It was a wonderful surprise.

55. I HATE cold weather. I would so love to live on a Carribbean Island somewhere.

56. I'm terrible about keeping in touch with people -- even though I miss old friends a lot.

57. I've never been out of the US (except for Tijuana).

58. Insomnia plagues me many nights. I don't understand that because I love to sleep!!!

59. I have seen Trisha Yearwood in concert like 10 times.

60. If I weren't married to my wonderful husband, I would be chasing Harry Connick, Jr. around. (If he weren't married, either...)

61. Doc Martens are my favorite shoes -- I have about 9 pair.

62. When I was 24 I had heart surgery.

63. I am really way too boring to be making a list like this, and I apologize to those of you reading it!

64. I love Brick Oven Pizza.

65. I love books -- some of my favorites are The Awakening, To Kill a Mockingbird, Fried Green Tomatoes, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and The Jungle.

66. I am a very slow reader, and it takes me forever to get through a book.

67. I'm really grumpy in the mornings.

68. I wish I had inherited more of my mom's genes; she is still tiny after having 7 kids.

69. Hearing my kids laugh makes me so happy.

70. I used to live in Florida and have been to Disney World like 50 times. I also went to YW camp one year in the Keys.

71. I am a certified scuba-diver. (But I never get to go...sad...)

72. If I could change something about myself, I would be THIN!

73. I have a real weakness for buying songs on iTunes. I just can't help myself. Ask Chris.

74. I am not musically inclined, but I do play the guitar . . . just not very well.

75. "Arrested Development" is one of my guilty pleasures. (I really shouldn't admit that.)

76. Sheri Dew is my hero.

77. I really identify with Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West in "Wicked.") She wants so badly to be good, but she's misunderstood.

78. I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue.

79. I'm a total homebody -- I would rather stay home than go most places.

80. I love to go to concerts.

81. One of the best concerts I ever went to was Fleetwood Mac when they briefly reunited for a tour in the 90s. That was sweet.

82. I have a black cat named Rhiannon. (But she lives with my sister-in-law in GA.)

83. Remember that car accident I wrote about early on? Afterwards I couldn't raise or lower my eyebrows for a long time. I had no facial expressions!

84. Shortly after that accident I was walking through a grocery store, and this little girl saw me and burst into tears. Scary lookin'!

85. I'm not ashamed to admit that I like to listen to Britney Spears and the Spice Girls.

86. I voted for Katharine McPhee many times during last year's American Idol.

87. I'm way too opinionated.

88. I yell at my kids sometimes. I think that is one of my worst flaws.

89. I love it when I am mad and one of my kids makes me crack up laughing.

90. There is nothing good about having to wear a skirt or dress. Yuck.

91. Once I sat next to Elder Scott in a leadership training meeting, and he asked me to say the closing prayer!

92. I worry about everything. And I'm a pessimist.

93. Chris and I "got back together" on a youth trip to the Atlanta temple. Then we were married there a few years later.

94. I love my high school class ring and just stopped wearing it a year ago. I also love my letterman's jacket. Be true to your school.

95. I was terrified when we found out our third baby would be a girl. But she is the light of my life.

96. I could eat breakfast foods at any meal (especially pancakes and french toast)!

97. There is nothing I would rather be than a wife and mother. I love my life!

98. I love to read and mark my scriptures. Chris teases me about "coloring" in them.

99. My Heavenly Father has dealt more than fairly with me . . . I am truly blessed.

100. I can't believe I made it through this list!

Nathaniel Christopher Black, The One and Only

I've taken some heat from a certain sister (you know who you are) about not including enough Nathaniel lately, so here's a post devoted to my number one son!

Nathaniel is growing so fast I just can't believe it. Sometimes I will look at him and just be amazed at how grown up he is. What happened to that little baby boy I used to cuddle with for hours and hours? Now he's a big 3rd grader who will be turning 8 and getting baptized in just a few months.

The boy is a bookworm. It is incredible how well he reads -- he's on a 5th grade level at least! He recently finished reading the third Harry Potter book and started the fourth, and he will sit and read for hours at a time. Every day he amazes me with the things he knows. I'm so proud of him.

While he does love to devour a good book, I'm sure he would tell you his favorite past time is playing video games. He can beat the pants off of anyone at Super Smash Brothers or Mario Strikers (although I can still take him at Mario Golf)!

He's also gotten into chess. I think it's so cool that at 7 years old he understands the rules and really enjoys the game. He's pretty good, too!

Another thing I really admire and appreciate about my son is what a good big brother he is. He truly cares about his little brother and sister and always tries to help them out. He is conscious of their feelings and sensitive to their needs. And he loves to help mom and dad when we need something, too. I couldn't ask for a better kid! I love him so, so much!