I know there are those who read in the bathroom. I, personally, am not one of them. I do spend my fair share of time "primping" in the bathroom, however. So when Bergen came in while I was getting ready this morning, it was not unusual.
The thing I found funny was that she headed straight for the magazine she'd dragged in and torn earlier. Then she made herself comfortable and got down to business.
After reading Margot's post about what she likes
about the changing seasons, it made me realize that
I completely forgot to list one of the biggest of my favorites about Fall in my post.
And I would be remiss if I didn't add it to my list.
It is ER.
One of my all time favorite things about Fall is the new season of TV programs! After a summer of playing outside this goes along quite nicely with my desire to settle in. And that is what I'm going to do tonight. I am ready to watch the last season of ER. I've been a follower since the beginning.
I've noticed some things over the course of my almost eight and a half years in Indiana. Here are the top three.
First: My hoosband has an accent. It's slight and may not be noticeable to some, but it's there. I picked up on it when we were dating (particularly when he called my niece Aeshley), and I love it!
Second: Different words can have the same meanings. Is it just me or have you noticed this too? I know there are more than I have listed, but I can't think of them at the moment. Can you?
elastics or rubber bands
trash or garbage
sweeper or vacuum
wacky or wonky
kitty corner or catty corner
Third: (And not necessarily related to the way things are said.) All my life I've been told that Utah drivers are bad. So what is up with people who make right turns into the left lane and/or left turns into the right lane -- and honk at you if you dare try to make a turn into the correct lane when you really have the right of way!? Isn't that illegal? (Not the honking, of course.)
There you go; just a few of my astute observations.
Since I posted about Logan doing the unthinkable, I thought I might let you in on some of the things I've done. I didn't create this list. It's from a meme I received quite awhile ago. You know me and tags though. So like the last time, it's up to you... join in if you must!
How many of these things have you done?
1. Touched an iceberg (No, but have had many a tasty shake The Iceberg.)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula (Not even Jawanza! the one my sister takes care of. It belongs to my nephew.)
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (Does being in one at Lake Powell count?)
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you weren't ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar (I wouldn't really call it a conversation. Ask me about it some time.)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume (Does Darth Vader count?)*
49. Sung karaoke (Pronounced ka row key, by the way.)
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone (not a fist fight)
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy*
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money ($1000. in The Pepsi Challenge!)
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph (My 1969 MGB GT. Yeah baby!)
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions (I recall a situation where someone wasn't allowed to continue what they were doing, but they weren't fired from a job.)
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care*
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair (It was really more of a boutique.)
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Talked yourself out of a ticket (Yet another proud moment.)
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (Does putt putt count?)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo (It was awful.)
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted (Okay, not painted, but drawn by one of those really cool caricature artists at Disneyland! ha ha)
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Run away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox (The Bugaloos. Remember them? I didn't think so.)
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Ridden in an ambulance (More than once. And a helicopter.)
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous (No, but I have some real celebrity autographs.)
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your sides hurt or till you cried
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Bought a house
And no. I will not be adding forgery to the list!
Edited April 2011*
Question: What do you get when you add a million things to do with never enough time to do them. Then take away any motivation to do them because you aren't feeling well and were already overwhelmed to begin with?
Answer: One tired, getting sick so procrastinating, Mommy/Wife/Housekeeper/Hostess/Accountant/ Chauffeur/Chief Cook and Bottle Washer/etc., who needs to get more sleep so she can focus and get something (anything) done!
Maybe part of the reason for not being too motivated besides being ill, is that I feel like all I do sometimes is be the Mommy/Wife/Housekeeper/Hostess/Accountant/ Chauffeur/Chief Cook and Bottle Washer/etc. Craig and I recently came up with a plan though. And it's a good one for me. So I'm hopeful that my attitude and I will change.
Here it is: I get Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings to myself (after dropping Logan off at school) to do whatever I want to do! That's almost 2 1/2 hours times three days. Totaling about 7 1/2 hours a week!
Last week I used the time to run some errands and do a little extra grocery shopping. Today I spent an hour or so wandering around a furniture store, among other things. However, I'm thinking that I need to come up with another plan. I've started making a list. Now it's just a matter of getting to it.
Some of the things I would like to do are: Exercise, read my scriptures in peace, read books for fun, work on projects, meet with friends, do some menu planning, go shopping, get a pedicure, prepare for the holidays... and so many more! I'm really excited to have this time for myself.
So YOU do the Mommy Math...
Question: What do you get when you add One "handsome hoosband" willing to give up some of his precious time away from work with One mom getting to be an individual for a little while each week with One boy enjoying school and one girl getting some "Daddy Time" all to herself?
Answer: One less-stressed me and a more happy family!
We have some artwork on the wall behind our dining room table. It's a beautiful painting Craig's mom did for him when he moved into his house. This house. In 1993. The painting has hills in the foreground and mountains in the background. It's striking and vibrant and I know that a lot of thought and love went into it. It's meaningful to Craig because it signifies the yearly trips he took "out West" to go skiing back then.
Logan was looking at the painting a few days ago and asking me about it. He specifically wanted to know about the writing in the bottom, right corner. I explained to him that the letters were Grandma Lynne's initials. Since she painted the picture, she got to write her name on it. That way, people who see it will know that she painted it!
Well, while sitting in a chair I don't often sit in at the dinner table a day or so later, I saw something I might never have noticed otherwise...
Logan had written his name on Grandma Lynne's painting! Yes, you heard that right. There is now a forgery in my house!
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Craig was born. It was actually 44 years ago and we were happy to celebrate his arrival again today.
It seems like Logan has been anticipating Craig's birthday for e-v-e-r. The poor kid's been asking me, "Is today daddy's birthday?" every day for more than a week! Let me tell you, I was happy to answer in the affirmative this morning.
In his excitement, Logan came up with the idea that "Daddy would like (a) Star Wars (theme) for his birthday". So with that in mind, he, Bergen and I went to work and did our best to make Craig's big day out-of-this-world! We baked a chocolate cake, then decorated it with Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker figures, and took it with us to Pizza King where we had lunch. Yum!
Logan couldn't have been much more than a year and a half old when we offered him his first hotdog. I remember it like it was yesterday...
It was dinnertime, and when his plate was placed on the table before him, he studied it for a moment and then exuberantly exclaimed "penis!"
Craig and I couldn't contain our laughter!
Needless to say, we haven't pushed Logan to eat the food of choice for so many of his peers since that time. And not because we haven't had occasion to. We've tried giving them to him, he just always turns them down.
Well not today!
We had company at lunchtime and when Logan saw his friend eating a hotdog he asked for one for himself. I asked if he was sure that was what he wanted before getting one ready since I thought it couldn't be true.
It was!
Even so, after his first bite I was prepared for the worst. "I don't like it." "This is icky."
But no!
He finished his hotdog and asked for another one! Sadly, there were no more. After Logan had decided to have one I thought I'd give it another go with Bergen. (We'd tried with her too, but she caught on pretty fast. I'm sure she was thinking "Why are they giving me hotdogs when my brother isn't eating them?") No matter. She didn't like them again today, and since she wasn't going to eat hers, Logan finished it.
Un-be-lievable.
It's a miracle! And I might add, one of the finer foods I'm pleased to be able to add to his menu. ha! Perhaps we'll have friends over for macaroni and cheese sometime.
I LOVE this time of year. Summer used to be my favorite season, but I've changed my mind. It has to be Fall! I love the changes in the weather. I'm happy to switch up my wardrobe. I enjoy the sounds, the smells, the chill, and the crispness in the air. I love hearing leaves crunch under my feet -- and seeing my kids bundling up, rosy cheeks peeking out from under their hats.
I snuck in a rare and much needed nap this afternoon. This is what I woke up to...
Logan officially started his second year of preschool today. Tuition has been paid.
I've been looking at our little ragamuffin lately, and thinking about doing something with her hair... It's thin and fine (like mine) and she hasn't kept her hands away from anything I've attempted to put in it to date. Yesterday (Monday) evening however, with the expert advice of Liz, I tried again. And it worked. After touching it only a couple of times, Bergen left the "hair pretty" in. Oh happy day!
When I was growing up, Labor Day meant the last big hurrah before school started. I remember many good times with family and friends. As an adult though, this years celebration takes the cake! It was a fun weekend. (The festivities started on Friday -- previous posts will explain...)
On Monday, the big day, we had a blast! After getting some things done around the house in the morning and doing a little shopping in the afternoon, it was time to meet some friends for a fun-filled, food-filled evening.
The Webers were in town, so a get together was a must! We met them, the Souths, the Holdaways, and the Madsens at a local park where we gabbed, grilled, chatted, ate, talked, played, visited and just hung out until way past the kids bedtimes.
The food was yummy and I think we all ate our fill. (Thanks guys for manning the grills.) It's always a treat getting the kids to eat at a party; anything decent that is. Mine enjoyed the snacks, but didn't have much in the way of dinner. Really though, doesn't playing take priority over eating anyway?
We've been busy over the last several weeks and I just haven't taken the time to post about all of our activities. From dates with daddy to fun with friends, and even more to come, we may need a break after next week is over!
Here are a few of the things that have been happening. (Others will require their own posts.):
