Hi, my name is . . .

O.k., so, one of the things I hate most about moving, is starting ALL over in the friendship department. I experience some social anxiety. (I don't know, maybe that's normal.) It takes me a while to get comfortable, and to feel close to people. I had such a strong wonderful group of friends in my last ward, that I've been in mourning over not being able to associate with them now. It literally wears me out to go to things when I know nobody. It's exhausting to feel like I'm "putting myself out there." Yet, I know that I need to keep going to things and to keep trying if I'm going to make the kinds of beautiful friendships that I've been priviledged to enjoy in the past.

So, last Sunday I was home from Church with sick kids. James comes home and says that there is a BBQ dinner being put on by the YM/YW as a fund-raiser this Saturday (today). We put it on the calendar and promptly forgot about it.

Well, tonight, as I was passing the calendar, I noticed the reminder about the dinner. This was at 5:30, and the dinner started at 6:00. James had just been called in to work. So, I called him to see if he thought he'd be back in time. My social anxiety goes down dramatically with James at my side. He said that he had three different people to attend to, and not to count on him.

So, the debate starts in my head: do I pack up the kids and go alone? Brianna does have pink eye, maybe we should sit this one out. Although, I was just thinking that I needed a Church get-together to start to get to know people. But, this really isn't convenient tonight. It is for a good cause, and I haven't started anything for dinner yet. This would be a good opportunity to support the YM & YW in my Sunday School class, and maybe I would even get to know them better.

So, in the end, I decide to buck up, be an adult, and take the kids to the dinner. Because it was a fund raiser, I knew there would be a charge for the dinner, so I stopped at an ATM. When we arrive at the Church, there are LOTS of cars in the parking lot. I get the kids out and go inside.

We walk in and are greeted by a friendly stranger -- not uncommon, as we are still "new". So then we walk over to the food, and on the way, I'm desperately searching the tables for familiar faces. Not one. O.k., don't panic, just get your food, and look again as you find a seat.

Not a single familiar face at the food table. They're friendly, though, and I introduce myself.

After we get our plates and head toward the tables, I'm scouring the faces again, looking for ANYONE who looks the least bit familiar. No one. So, we sit in some empty seats across from an older couple. I introduce myself, they introduce themselves, and then they explain that they are from another ward, and had thought that their ward was invited. I explain that I wouldn't have known the difference, since I was new. They don't stay long, and soon we're sitting there alone.

Again, I'm looking at all of these faces, and start to think, "I can't believe that there isn't a representative from the Bishopric, or from the Relief Society in sight. . . . In fact, there's not even any of the YW leaders that I know here."

S-L-O-W-L-Y understanding dawns. This. isn't. our. Ward. party. Nope, we're interlopers. Oh. boy.

So, I gather our dishes and clean our table. I quietly direct the kids toward the place to pay. On the way to the payment table, there are plates and plates of goodies that are up for auction. I think to myself, "I should buy one plate to kind of make up for our faux pas." I let Ben pick, and he chooses a plate of sugar cookies, but before I can say, "Oh, my GOSH I'm embarrassed!" Brianna has swiped a cupcake from another plate. Then, Ben starts to melt down, because he KNOWS I'm going to have to buy the cupcakes, and he was SET on the cookies.

So, I grab both plates of goodies, both kids, and march over to the payment table. I hand them all the money that I had on me, which was a $20. I'm feeling like that isn't nearly enough, especially considering the two plates of goodies that I'm now carrying. The YW are looking at me like I'm an idiot, and, at the moment, I'm in complete agreement with them.

I'm ready to bolt out the door, when they say, "We need to give you a reciept." So, I stand there for several moments more, with two melting down kids and two plates of goodies, while they ask me for my name and address. Seriously? I just wanted to kind of melt away into the night, thank you very much. If I'd had another $20, I'd have offered it to them to just let me leave and not prolong my humiliation.

Before we got married, I gave James a "Get out of the doghouse free" card. He has held onto it all these years. . . . Tonight may just be the time to redeem that dang thing!

Ben Ben

Ben has caught several living creatures since our move! Here is a praying mantis.

He was a BIG bugger (no pun intended) and he was ready for a fight!

Here is an ENORMOUS tiger swallowtail butterfly! Isn't that beautiful?
Ben went fishing right near our home, and caught THREE blue gill. They were T-H-A-T B-I-G!! James and Ben brought them home and James filleted them. Unfortunately, it ended up just looking like fish potato chips.

And, here is a little snake that he caught. Actually, James caught it, but Ben claims the credit. This little snake was Ben's pet for about 24 whole hours. Then, it somehow got stuck to the masking tape that was on the inside? of the homemade "cage". Then mommy had to cut the tape to free the snake (with two pieces of tape permanently attached to the snake). Then, Ben decided to let it "hunt" for food in our lawn. Then Ben was very upset that he couldn't find the snake. Then mommy came in the back yard to help. Then everyone realized that we were all locked out of the house. Then we broke in through the window. -- We never found the snake.

I seem to be having trouble locating our pictures of the pretty good sized toad that Ben caught in our backyard. Apparently, one of a toad's defense mechanisms is to promptly pee all over it's captor. Very effective. The toad was set free.

*********

It is common to find a "store" set up somewhere in our home, with Ben trying to sell some of his toys. Who might the customers be, you might ask. . . . Us. The parents. The ones who actually purchased the toys (at least most of them.) And he gets soooo frustrated when we don't want to pay him for his toys. In this picture, apparently his Daddy took pity on him, and bought one of the toys.
Ben's confidence and willingness to try new things has grown dramatically since our move. I attribute this to more "Daddy Time". Here Ben is, doing bungee cord jumping on a trampoline at a festival we attended. He loved it and even did flips and everything. We have since put him in gymnastics and he is loving it. Ben loves to make his mom and dad smile (and his sister, too.) He does funny things, like dressing up silly; but also, lately, he has taken to cleaning different rooms in the house without being asked. He actually does a good job. Recently, when he was sick and home from school, he cleaned three rooms, then came to me and said, "Would you like a tour of the cleanness?"

It is not uncommon to find these sorts of pictures on James' phone. Hmmm, I wonder who might have taken that picture??

Parenting Lesson #114768

Situation: You have dressed your two year old in the cutest outfit, hoping to get her picture taken. Her hair is done, she's fed and happy.

Should you happen think to yourself, "Hmmm, it's been pretty quiet around here for the last few minutes" . . .

GO CHECK OUT THE SITUATION!!!

Feeling Crafty

Do I know how to sew? No. Not really. I can sew a straight line, but that's about it. When my son fell in love with this fabric (he carried the bolts around the store), and begged me to make him a blanket, it raised all those feelings of inadequacy as a parent and homemaker. So, what did I do?? I decided that, hey, it couldn't be that hard, could it?? And I bought all of the supplies to make a blanket.

I whipped this baby out yesterday. It really wasn't that hard! And, with the left-over fabric, I made a pillow to match!
He picked the green fabric because, as he explained, it looks like the dinosaur's scales!

Last week, I had this brilliant plan to cover some cork board bulletin boards in cute fabric to hang in the play area, and to display the kid's art work. I think they turned out pretty cute! I LOVE the monkey fabric! (We have yet to hang them on the wall.)

With a large scrap, I made a valence. (It's a wonder what you can make by sewing a straight line.) Sorry this picture is so dark!

And, with the other scraps, I made more pillows!

I think my crafty craving has been satisfied for now. It's really too bad that I can't seem to figure out how to follow a pattern to save my life. Just give me squares, rectangles, and straight lines, please!

P.S. - Don't look too closely, because I probably should have said, "relatively straight lines."

A Beautiful Moment in Time

Yesterday, while out running errands, Ben ran ahead and opened a door for Brianna and I to go through.


Brianna said, "Thank you, Ben. You are sooo good!"


Ahh! Melt my heart. They really can be so good to each other.

An Election Year Hymn

(To the tune of 'Where Can I Turn for Peace')

Where can I turn for truth?
Who'll be unbiased,
When all these sources seek
To have my voice?

When in a wounded world,
Gas prices soaring,
Who'll be the man to lead?
Who's the best choice?


I see the TV ads,
I hear the pundits.
I want to know the facts,
Minus the spin.

Promises. Motes and beams.
Divisions and clashes.
Who, who can speak the truth,
Above the din?


****************

I believe this is unfinished, but I'm stuck. Feel free to add a verse or two! And, if you know where I can find unbiased facts about the candidates and the issues, without the spin, PLEASE tell me. I want to make a good choice, but feel woefully uneducated.

Pictures of the Young 'Uns

Ben has been trying to avoid getting his picture taken lately. But here are a few that we've successfully captured.



Brianna, on the other hand, is ALWAYS game!

Aren't they precious??

The Origin of Rules

No singing at the table.

That is a rule at my parent's home. I grew up thinking that that was a standard rule in every household. I remember being quite surprised to find that there was no such rule at my friends' houses. I thought all rules were universal.

As I have grown older, I have often wondered what events transpired in order to create such a rule. So far as I know, there is no record of the birth of this rule. We did have eight kids in my family. And we were NOT the Von Trapps. Perhaps, my parents had endured one too many off-key performances at the table. However, the rule was in force for as long as I can remember, so I blame it on my older siblings. Whatever brought it about, it must have been their fault! ;)

And so, for the sake of any potential younger siblings Ben and Brianna may have, I am recording the birth of a new rule at our home: No pounding on the door while Mommy is showering, unless the house is on fire, or someone is dying.

Let me just say, in my defense, that this was not a little fist pounding on the door. No, this was full-body slamming against the door, over, and over, and over, and over, and over. . . . Let me also say, in my defense, that I started out by asking very nicely, followed by yelling nicely (yes, there is such a thing), followed by yelling without the niceness, followed by screaming my lungs out, followed by me throwing my towel around my dripping, soapy body, throwing open my door, and SCREAMING the new rule.

Not my best parenting moment. After I finished my shower (without any more pounding, incidentally) and had gotten dressed, I sat down with my young 'uns and apologized for YELLING and then calmly re-explained the rule.

That was yesterday. Today, there was not so much as a tiny knock on my door while I showered. Dare I hope??

So, did you/do you have any strange/unique rules at your house?

Crowd Pleasing Spinach Dip (aka, Knorr Spinach Dip)

1 package (10 oz.) baby spinach, chopped, or 1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 container (16 oz.) sour cream
1 cup Hellmann's or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise
1 package Knorr Vegetable recipe mix
1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 green onion, chopped

Combine all ingredients and chill about 2 hours. Serve with your favorite dippers. I like to serve it with really good bread to dip in it.

(See how much I love you, Corrie.)

Gone Are The Days of Privacy

Today, three quarters of the way through my shower, I heard the lock on my bathroom door click. In walks my TWO YEAR OLD, with the proudest look in the world on her face, as she shows me the "tool" that she just used to pick the lock.

She's TWO!! TWO and she PICKED THE LOCK!!! . . . Boy are we in trouble!