It's all About Isaac!!

I have been noticing lately . . . I don't have very many posts about my outstanding and wonderful 8-year-old son, Isaac.

His baptism last April

~He works so hard and does well at school; he is very helpful around the house, and he is an amazing businessman. He has a flock of chickens, and he feeds and waters them, collects and washes the eggs, and sells them. He has individual customers, and also sells to the local health food store in town. His goal is to sell enough eggs to pay for his mission - his idea, and enthusiastically supported by his parents!

(we're not really farmers or ranchers . . . but we live in a rural area where everyone has 5 or so acres, so we have had lots of animals over the years. . . cattle, goats, cats, dogs, llamas, alpacas, etc. It would be a shame to let the land go to waste . . .)

~Isaac is also so willing to help his mom, like the time last month it snowed so much that the satellite dish was covered with snow, and needed to be cleared . . . He went out and used our makeshift, long-handled broom to reach the peak where the dish is mounted. He actually had quite a bit of fun doing it, I think...

Isaac loves his niece Evalie!

~Isaac is also an enthusiastic Scouter. He was so disappointed during December, when most or all of his scout meeting were cancelled because of the snow. . .

~Thursday night was finally his big night. He is the Den Leader, so he got to conduct the pack meeting. And he received his Wolf badge. He was so thrilled! He is turning out to be really awesome!

Here he is welcoming everyone . . . he takes after his dad, and shines when he is up in front of people. (But my hubby would never see that in himself, nor admit to it!) Assisting the Color Guards . . .

Putting on the mom's pin. . .

We think (no, we know!) that Isaac is a really great kid!!!

Are You Following Me? 'Cause If You're Not, You Might Miss Important Stuff! . . .

There are lots of fun gadgets and accessories out there for bloggers to play with. Since I am relatively new to blog-land, I know that this won't be too enlightening for those bloggers who've been 'round the block a time or two, so to speak. But I do want to share 3, no, 4 of my favorite bloggin' goodies...


The BLOG READABILITY TEST:

This is the best of the good and the bad. It is a rating of how much education you must have (haha) to understand what is written in a blogger's post.

I was very impressed by a blogger who had one of these posted on her sidebar.

She had a rating of College-Undergrad!

I was very impressed with her, and impressed with myself. For sure, her posts were da' bomb! And I could understand what she wrote! Every word!

Wow! So I wondered what my rating was. At least High School, for sure. I did pretty well there. Junior College? A possibility. I did complete a few courses. (and now I sure am wishing I had completed some more college courses, at the least...)

So I typed in my blog address and sat nervously, waiting that long long moment for my rating.

When I saw it, my heart did a freakin', flippin', swan-divin', belly flop.

Junior High. Not that there's anything wrong with writing like a Junior High school student ---- when you are a Junior High school student



You only need to have a Junior High School education to read my blog.

Some people might be glad. Not anyone I would respect, however. I felt SOO deflated. Demoralized. Defeated.

Seriously.

So what did I do? What could I do...

After thinking with my Junior-High rated brain, I thought I would try pasting in the unique addresses of each of my postings into the Blog Readability address window. Individually. Separately.

Because while I know that most of my posts are pretty straighforward and simple, something that even a Junior High school student could read, let's say, (and I'm down with that) I knew that a couple of my posts had maybe a little more depth, more substance, more content.

So, that's exactly what I did. I was surprised. Again and again, post after post. Kept getting the same reading on each individual post. When I had checked at least 10 of them, I sat back and realized that I really must be a GENIUS . . .

The only conclusion I could think of ? . . . I might live my entire life like a Junior High schooler, but when I want to, I can think like a Genius!! (hahaha :~P)

MY LIVE SIGNATURE:


This is a really fun place to go. If you like your signature as it is, you can scan and post your real signature. (Now that I've re-read and thought about what I've typed here - that might not be such a good idea, in these days of identity theft!!!). But, it can be done, and MyLiveSig can do it! But even more cool (and safe!) is to go through all the choices they give you. I can almost guarantee that they have one that is a near match (but not a dangerous duplicate) to your own signature. I love mine because it looks like a really well-done version of my own really messy signature.

WORDLE:

Why do I like this? I'm not sure - I just think it's a fun and interesting form of art. What do you think? You can get one, too, by clicking right on it...customize it however you want!

and my favorite . . .

FOLLOWING:

By clicking on the "Follow This Blog" link on your favorite blogs, you will be assured that you will not miss a singe post. Just check in on your Dashboard, and you can get an instant update of your favs! No time wasted clicking through blogs that haven't been updated in, like, forever! Now, go on, try it! There's plenty of peer pressure here to back me up!

This is Cold As Hell . . . Literally, 'Cuz I Don't Cuss!

These pictures were taken near Geneva, Switzerland, and I received them via email. You'd better believe that I couldn't have taken them! They are UnBElievable!

No one could possibly live in such cold conditions . . . I know, I know, it's because of Global Wa---whoops! I mean, Climate Change!!!

My Son, the Missionary . . .

. . . so there is a sweet sister in our ward who is now putting together the missionary bulletin board, complete with the nice plaques that you have seen in other wards everywhere. (I don't know why this hasn't been done before. We have been a ward for 14 or 15 years now.) Each plaque will have the missionary's name, area served in, dates of service, along with a favorite scripture engraved on it.

Jokingly, Chad gave me this scripture to put on his:
Ecclesiastes 5:12 - the sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much.....

This week, his mini-mission companion is a young man who works at a 5-star restaurant there in Chile. He has been cooking some great stuff for Chad, so I hear, and Chad loves good food just like the rest of us. So it sounds like he has been eating - and sleeping - better lately.

Chad's mini-mission companionTuesday Chad and his companion found a litter of kittens in their yard. They waited to see if the mother was going to come back, but after hearing the cats constantly crying, they decided keep them from starving to death. So they had 4 cats for 3 days. Fortunately, they found a sister in their ward to take them off their hands, since it's not exactly OK for missionaries to have pets . . .

Elder Carey 'serving' the kitties... Chad is now going to be a trainer, starting tomorrow! He says that after all the excitement that he has had, with being robbed at gunpoint, a stolen TV by a companion who had a meltdown, cats in their house, another who broke his finger and had to have surgery and sent home, and 5 companions in one change, too much attention was drawn to him. But I know it's just because he is a fantastic missionary and person! And so he will now be known in the mission as a 'Dad'.

Chad also reports that he and James, his cousin who reported on the same day as he did, are now serving in the same zone. So that should be a good thing for him. He sure deserves some sort of a break after all he's been through. . .

And the scripture that he wants to put on his plaque, for real?

Alma 37:34 - Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.

Fun Blogs, Recipes, and the Mystery Spice. . .

One of the things I love about blogging are the wonderful blogs written by other people. I must admit that as well as reading my friend's blogs, I love reading the blogs of friends of friends (of friends), hence the title on my sidebar . . .

So in the immensely fertile land that is blog-hopping, I have read craft blogs, political blogs, family blogs, recipe blogs, mom and kid(s) blogs, humorous blogs; you name it.

One category of blog that I have grown to love and depend on is the recipe blog. Over at My Kitchen Cafe, Melanie, beautiful wife and mother of four handsome boys, always has the best recipes with her own commentary added to the basic directions. Every recipe of hers that I have tried has definitely benefited my family from her extra input.

When I spied the recipe "Chicken With Green Curry Sauce" I knew it was one that I had to try. But as I read the ingredients, I saw 'Garam Masala" on the list. At the risk of showing how cooking-ignorant I really am, I have to say that I have never ever even heard of that. But I know I love curry, after eating at a great Eastern Indian restaurant while on a road trip with my daughter Kayla when she was 16. (Hey - inspiration for another post... cool!) So I was willing to give this recipe a try.

However, I am fearless when it comes to Google-ing. So I googled that mystery ingredient, and found out what you all probably know - it's a spice!!! And knowing how expensive and inferior spices are to buy in the grocery store, I again put my Google-ing skills to work and found a really great on-line spice store called My Spice Sage. They have every spice under the sun, at really great prices! So I put in an order for the "Garam Masala" (bet you'll never forget the name of that spice now...!) and a few other things. They even give you a free sample of anything you want with every order!

Yesterday my order arrived in the mail. Took about one week to get here (UPS ground), but when I opened the box, it was so worth it! The aroma was heavenly! And this Sunday I will be making the Chicken/Curry recipe for my family. . .

P.S. on 'Crazy Missionary!' . . .

It turns out that (my Crazy Missionary) Chad's companion, Elder Grin, had to go home one month early because of the surgery on his finger and the attached tendons. I feel so bad for him! It is going to take 4 months for it to heal... meanwhile, Chad won't have a regular companion until the next transfers. He is training the YM in his area to be missionaries! I think that is really great, both for him and the kids who get to work with him. Chad does have to work extra hard to keep his area going, to both teach the people of Chile, and to train these young men to be great missionaries! What an awesome opportunity for him!

An area of the Chile Rancagua Mission

Some Artwork...

A Former Companion...

Crazy Missionary!

If you were wondering if Chad still has that wacky sense of humor, have no fear. He is still as goofy as ever....

He sent this picture and said "I stole it (the eyebrow thingy) from Alexandra before her baptism, but now I have to give her a huge bar of chocolate as a trade. After she gave it to me I taped it to my eyebrow and took a picture. I can definitely say I would look stupid with a bolt in my head. . ."

He also has a wacky and accident-prone companion. Elder Grin got his finger broken playing soccer with a less-active family. It also did some damage to the tendons that are connected clear up his arm, and so he had to have some surgery. Meanwhile, Chad stayed with the Zone leader and his comp, until they could call a member to a temporary mission to be his companion, until Elder Grin is able to get back to work.
Chad is doing great, and working hard. He doesn't seem to be bothered at all by the lack of basic things that we take for granted. To him, it is all a great adventure. With the guidance of the Spirit, he and his companions have re-activated many members, and have had quite a few baptisms. His testimony is strong and growing every day. We are so proud of him!

READ THIS VERY SLOWLY.... IT'S PRETTY PROFOUND.

***An Anthem for the New Year***

I don't know who originally wrote this, but it's so true. The best part is at the end....

~Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

~I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

~How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

~How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched ' Jeopardy ' on television?

~I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' She would stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, it looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

~Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

~We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained.

~We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet... `

~We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

~Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer.

~One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday when things are settled down a bit.'

~When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

~My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

~Now...go on and have a nice day.

~Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list.

~If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

~Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

~Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground?

~Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight, or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly?

~When you ask, "How are you?" do you hear the reply?

~When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?

~Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow?" And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

~Ever lost touch?

~Let a good friendship die?

~Just call to say "Hi!?"

~When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.....

~Life is not a race. Take it slower.

~Hear the music before the song is over.

~Show your friends how much you care. Copy and email this to everyone you consider a FRIEND. If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends.

***To all of my friends . . . I cherish our friendship and appreciate all you do***

"Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!"

My 'Secret Spy Guy'

After pondering what I could write to accompany these pictures, I decided that - you know what? - a picture is worth a thousand words.

So, get ready for about 5 thousand words worth of pictures of my Tanner, the cutest, liveliest, and most adorable 5-year old in the whole entire world! (By the way, this is his interpretation of a 'secret spy guy')

Our Long Over-Due Christmas Party

This year, due to a terrible snowstorm that blew in the afternoon of our ward Christmas party, it was postponed until later. Way later, until just this weekend. (Because we had another, record-breaking snowstorm. And then another Big snowstorm - we were pretty much snowed in for Christmas)

Anyway, we had a great meal, and the members of the ward provided the entertainment.

Noelle sang "Up on the Housetop" Rachel sang 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'.
Yes, it really was a Christmas party, held after the beginning of the New Year. We REALLY LOVE Christmas around here - we really do!

We also had Rachel do an encore song, one that she wrote, called "Breathe". (That's me, holding the mic because the stand wouldn't go low enough).We had so much fun that we decided to keep it going by having a music night at our home last night (Sunday). This will be our 3rd year in a row of doing this get-together.

The missionaries that are in our ward right now are both extremely talented. One can sing and play the sax, the guitar, and the piano. The other can play the piano by ear. Full-blown piano-solo-quality arrangements. When we asked him if he had the songs memorized, or if he played by ear, he so modestly said that he just plays variations on chords. Uh, Wow, wish I could 'just' do that....

We enjoyed the accordion...

The Elders listening...

The ladies (with Tom) singing 'Goodbye, Earl'. Good ole' redneck song...

But the best music night that we ever had at our home was the original, back in 2002: Our family and a few good friends, plus some of our favorite missionaries, one of whom is now married to Mariann. What great memories!

This Little Boy Loves His Mommy!!

It doesn't get any better than this...

This letter was written by Noelle, my 11 year old, but all the words came from my 5 year-old son, Tanner. His Mommy really loves him, too!

99 Cool Things I've Done as a Mom.........

So, there is that list of 99 cool things, where you bold the ones you've done, floating around on people's blogs. Another blogger (thanks, Stephanie) thought, "Hey, I should do that." Then she thought, "I'm awfully busy doing other cool "mom" things right now. I'll make my own list." So she did. And now I've copied it and added my own thoughts (not in boldface, in parenthesis) So after you read mine, go post this list on your own blog and bold the ones you've done.

If you make it to number 99, there is a Jewelry Giveaway down there that you can enter.

If you want.

Here's the 99 list...

1. Felt the world shift and change when you held your newborn baby. (best feeling Ever. Big reason why I have seven kids)
2. Thought, "Hey, they didn't tell me about this when I got pregnant." ('cause - when the time is right - they want you to have a family)
3. Given away perfectly good pants because they just don't seem to zip up anymore (but only after I had kept them for 5 years, in the hope)

4. Walked around with snot on your shoulder and pretended it's normal (I'm sure I've walked around with snot on my shoulder. I just didn't notice)
5. Wrestled with a car seat and won (a crying baby and a torn fingernail in the process)
6. Cursed the makers of really loud annoying toys. (Still do. as a g-ma, but I still buy them for those cute babies!)
7. Rocked your baby until she fell asleep, and then kept rocking anyway. (and still kept rocking even when not holding the baby.)

8. Gained superhero kissing powers-- you kiss it, it's okay.
9. Learned the art of counting to three, in a loud, patient voice. (this is one of the few things that actually works for me, and I don't really know why...)
10. Avoided swearing like a pirate when a small child stepped on your bare feet with heavy-heeled princess shoes (usually)
11. Dressed up as a butterfly and floated magically around the room with blanket wings (sorry, but it does sound fun...)
12. Made a tent out of blankets and chairs and crammed your really large body into it. (when I was younger and a little smaller)
13. Learned you really aren't a patient person, but tried to work on it. (I learned that even though I am a patient person, that I can be very impatient at times!)
14. Listened to really bad, heartfelt, vibrato out-of-control, children's music that for some reason your children love. (ever heard the tape "The Muppet's At Christmas with John Denver"? Yeah. I dug it out this Christmas. I think it's going to disappear)
15. Succeeded in doing an awesome hairstyle on a squirming, uncooperative child. (my awesome children's hairstyles are probably below par for most people, though)
16. Decided that bribery really does do the trick. (of course!)
17. Read a Parenting book and thought, "Do they even have children?" (don't wanna go there).
18. Gotten nothing but lessons in patience and enduring to the end from the past 3 years of church. (hall walking right? You go to church only to stay in habit of going, 'cause you're not getting much else out of it...)
19. Allowed others to think you're crazy as you drive down the road doing the actions to "5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed." (or, "The Wheels on the Bus" and the like).
20. Smiled and managed not to punch the people (strangers) without children who give you advice on how to discipline them. (oh, yeah ... but I will take any advice I can get from my family and friends.)
21. Pitied the pioneers, who didn't have movies/television. (actually, movies and TV contribute a lot to our current tribulations, but I know what you mean)
22. Thought sadly about landfills, but put it out of your head by remembering what dunking poopey cloth diapers in the toilet is like. (yeah, did that once and decided to invest in landfills, hahaha).
23. Managed to get the grocery shopping done with one or more children in tow (once my older kids were able to babysit!!) Plus, I have a wonderful husband who likes to grocery shop (But he's never done it with just himself and the kids).
24. Put yourself in time out. (No, but should have plenty of times).
25. Given up career opportunities, wistfully, but gladly.
26. Thought, "This is so worth it. I have the best job ever."
27. Thought, "This is so not worth it. I quit." But went and fixed breakfast and took care of the kids anyway.
28. Heard your child say, "I love you so much!" (Right then it's worth it!!)
29. Watched with delight as your child lurches around the room with their first dinosaur-like steps. (Those are the best days, ever)
30. Ignored your dirty house to play ponies. (or barbies. Or Thomas Train. But you get the idea).
31. Taught a child to use the potty. (And wanted to start an ad campaign with signs posted above every public toilet that read, "If you can use this, thank your mother.")
32. Tried a home business to make just a little extra money. (No, but have had a home-based business with my husband for the last 20 years, where I am the Vice President and Treasurer of our little corporation. Literally).
33. Actually sewn something, that turned out pretty good if no one looked too closely.
34. Played the choo-choo or airplane game to try and convince your child that food is not evil. (Yes. This works!)
35. Slipped, tripped or twisted on a left out toy. (Those dang Lego's!)
36. Fished pennies/small toys/anything small out of your child's mouth, while keeping the panic at bay. (Yep)
37. Lost brain cells while watching a Baby Einstein movie.
38. Wondered where the instruction manual is.
39. Thought that you could improve upon the baby design model by adding three lights on the side of each baby-- one for hungry, one for tired, and one for poopey. (No, but that's a good Idea.)
40. Listened with chagrin as your child repeats your favorite adjectives. (mine are pretty much PG, but still)
41. Crept into their room at night, just to make sure the covers are on and that they're still breathing. (With the first 3. After that, I was just too exhausted)
42. Thought while breastfeeding, "No wonder people get breast implants. My shirts actually fit." (wrote my thoughts, then deleted them: TMI...)
43. Laughed out loud at the optimistic "6 weeks after birth prognosis" by your male doctor. (I actually heal really fast. But I took the 6 weeks, anyway. Please, I needed the sleep.)
44. Learned that you really aren't a pleasant person with only 2 hours of sleep. (Just ask my husband. He agrees with the 6 week idea completely)
45. Tried to explain why clothing is mandatory. (especially in the winter. We live in north Idaho...)
46. Had to eat your words because, "I would never do it that way," but then you do. (I have very wise parents. I need to do it more the way they did)
47. Called Poison Control. (No, but had to take the same 2-year-old boy to the Immediate Care twice the same day. They really do watch to see if your child is afraid of you, the second time).
48. Left the store without buying anything because your child is screaming. (Yes)
49. Had to apologize to a stranger. (yes, but I've blocked the details).
50. Wanted to petition that handicap stalls also be available to mothers with 2 or more children under the age of 6. (But I have always used them anyway. What other stall can you get the shopping cart in to? Do you think moms should leave the kiddies out in the aisle while they pee? Um, Child Neglect...)
51. Said, "That's not funny," when really, if you weren't the parent, it was funny. (For sure).
52. Felt extreme anger at another child when they hurt your child. (but I'm sure it's been the other way around more times than I want to admit)
53. Cleaned up throw up more times than you wish to count. (While retching, at first.)
54. Eaten a soggy cracker. (a graham cracker, on accident).
55. Thought sadly of hungry people as you scraped your child's uneaten food into the garbage. (and my dad, who always made us eat everything on our plates. See #46).
56. Threatened to do something awful (and untrue) like leave your child at WalMart, or cut off their toe if they didn't stop misbehaving. (I don't know anyone who hasn't-but I did feel really bad)
57. Even though you vowed never to say it, yelled, "Because I said so." (I never vowed never to say that).
58. Not left the house for three or more days. (Not till this winter)
59. Discussed buying stock in paper towels, wipes and diaper companies.
60. Conversed with other adults about poop, drool, and snot.
61. Thought, "My gosh. My children are the most adorable things in the entire world."
62. Smiled when your kids hugged each other.
63. Thrown away Halloween candy (after fishing out all the chocolate bars). (It's usually gone in 3 days).
64. Realized the true use of a timer is not for baking.
65. Thought, "Isn't there at least some period of their lives where they adore me and listen to what I say?" (once they're married, they finally do! Sometimes).
66. Cried and cried, because you feel like you're just not cut out for this sort of thing.
67. Felt triumphant when your child spelled their name without prompting to your now impressed neighbor/relative/friend. (They can spell their name, but this particular thing has never happened.)
68. Put on boots, coats, hats, gloves and snow pants and just as you're walking out the door hear a rumbling from your child that indicates severe diaper problems, or having your older child say, "I have to go to the bathroom." (Then you learn to ask (or just wait) first, put on snow gear later. Way later.)
69. Realized that children's books are sometimes written for adults.
70. Had to remind yourself not to talk in a sing-songy, super calm happy voice when speaking to other adults. (Who does this happen to??)
71. Sometimes the only constant in your day is that it will eventually end. (yes!, it will end)
72. Discovered that a really childproof room is empty and padded and only exists in insane asylums. (If we ever build a house, it will have one, for the grandkids and Tanner, along with a cement floor in the dining room, with a drain under the table.)
73. Had to backpedal quickly when you told your child not to do something and they said, "But Mommy, you do it." (They've never actually said it. But they have looked at me funny a few times).
74. Dug out a sliver.
75. Been ignored. Over and over. (To be fair, I ignore right back).
76. Felt that if you get climbed on one more time you might have to become a hermit.
77. Laughed (with just a bit of hysteria) at the magazine picture of well-behaved children that put together beautiful crafts.
78. Gotten an unexpected kiss and a hug.
79. Had your heart melt when you hear, "Hold me, hold me."
80. Cleaned up a blow out diaper, and managed to salvage the onesie. (yes!)
81. Thought, "Oh, my parents were right." (See #46).
82. Prayed really hard that you're raising them to be good, thoughtful, happy people.
83. Hoped they won't remember the time you accidentally dropped/forgot about them.
84. Hoped they will remember the times you read stories/sang/played with them.
85. Felt like the Wicked Witch of the West. (Daily)
86. Given an Eskimo kiss. (Those are the best)
87. Felt your heart strings tug when they first let go of your hand to venture off on their own.
88. Pretended you liked something just to get your kid to eat/do it. (I usually like what I'm trying to get my kids eat or do - is that wrong?)
89. Wore matching outfits with your kids and thought it was awesome. (easter Sunday, with Kayla and Rachel).
90. Tried to keep the car nice by not allowing food, then gave up and tossed food randomly at your children in an effort to quiet them.
91. Heard your child yell excitedly, "Mommy!" when you walk into the room.
92. Caused extreme giggling (on purpose).
93. Vanquished a monster with a spray bottle.
94. Answered "Why?" questions with preposterous and crazy answers but still not managed to stop the "Why?"s from coming. (I don't have that much imagination).
95. Bought a really padded bra for protection from elbows and other stray limbs. (Bought one, but not for that reason. See #42)
96. Played the, "I'm going to hide in the _____" version of Hide and Seek. No, but that's a good idea).
97. Learned to traverse the kitchen with a small child clinging to your legs and the phone on your shoulder.
98. Told yourself, "This is for her own good."
99. Known this is the best and hardest job in the world. (But wished for paid time off). (For Sure).

I am surprised that I have done so many of these. And forgive me for some of my snarky answers. I should know better than to do one of these when I have been cooped up most of Christmas vacation...

Now, you can go to Jeannie's Happy World, where she is doing that Jewelry Giveaway. Cool stuff, too. If you like to do that type of thing.

2008 in 40 Seconds

If you haven't seen this video yet (by Eirik Solheim), you are in for a treat. Perfect calming visual wrap up to a tumultuous year.

Have a Happy New Year!

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=11327764