a pok a pull da posie

Naomi: Mom? What's a pok a pull da posie?

Mom: Wha.... Ooohhhh. It's "a pocket full or posies". Posies are flowers and their pockets are full of them.

Naomi: Ring around the rosies. A pok a pull of posies. - Is that right?

Mom: No. Not quite. It's "A ... pocket...full...of...posies". Like a pocket on your pants and the pocket is full of a flower called posies.

Naomi: Ring around the rosies. A pok a pull da posie. Asher, Asher. We all fall down! - I like my way better.


Oh well. That's a pretty morbid song when you think about the words anyway.

Lounging around

Here Naomi is watching TV on the chair, which has a bean bag on it, and then she is laying on the cushion from the back of the chair.

Do all kids watch TV in crazy positions? My kids are always either an inch away or on top of some crazy pile of stuff.

Fabulous Saturday

We had a fun-filled Saturday. It started off with some action packed grocery shopping. Oh wait...it wasn't action packed. For once. Naomi and I went, just the two of us, while the boys napped. It was delightful. Then we all, including Aunt Ruth, went to a water park. Everyone enjoyed that thoroughly. Then naptime for the kids (and some of the adults). Ahhhhh naptime. Next on the agenda was the missionaries coming over for dinner. Ooops - guess we better put the Dining Room back together! (It's all painted but I haven't had a chance to put the curtains back up or the switchplates on, hang stuff on the walls, etc. Oh - and the mural was nixed. We decided it would be too big for such a small room. I ordered a Monet poster instead which I will frame in a nice frame and make look expensive.) So, then the missionaries came over for a super-fancy dinner of do-it-yourself soft tacos. And the second they left Ruth and I ran out the door for some sister bonding at the temple. And to top off a fabulous day, Richard, Ruth and I watched a movie that night. I can't even believe all the stuff we crammed in to that day, really. We couldn't have fit one more thing in I think.

Today was a great day at church (I think I'm still going on my "temple high"). This afternoon my cousin Carl is coming over for a super-fancy dinner of Waffles. With four grown-ups here I am hoping for some fun games tonight post-kid-bedtime.

And then we are looking forward to a fun-filled week. My jewelry making party is on Wednesday, then we have big plans for the 4th. Then before you know it the kids and I will be headed off to Texas for 10 days. Phew. Summer is fun.

Our Evenings

What most evenings at our house look like this summer with Ruthie around:

Kid's Day

Yesterday was the day that Worth's across the country celebrate as Kid's Day (think Mother's Day or Father's Day). It is actually the birthday of Gary Worth, Richard's brother, who passed away five years ago. Gary was definitely a kid at heart, and that is why we honor him by celebrating the kids on his birthday. So, in the spirit of Kid's Day - we do whatever the kids want, say "no" as little as possible, and generally make the day all about them. And we try to be kids at heart, too.

Here we see the kids starting off their day with a little TV time.

At snack time they got to pick whatever they wanted. And when they asked for something else too or more or whatever I said "yes". They picked up on this quickly and soon had quite a feast.

Then we hit Target where the kids got to pick something out for themselves. Asher got a fire truck, Naomi got a Tiara and jewelry set and Isaiah got a car.

Then we went to Panera for lunch. If you know me, you may think this was actually my choice, But I assure you that it was Naomi's. I've brainwashed her that well. Also note that Naomi did wear her new tiara, necklace and ring into Panera. We caused quite the stir (although I'm not sure if that was the tiara or the fact that Panera is always filled with beautiful, hip people who think my three kids are a phenomenon worth gawking over).

Asher spent most of his lunch under a neighboring table. He thoroughly enjoyed himself. I don't usually stand for this kind of behavior, but it was Kid's Day. What could I do?

Then home for naptime and more playing with the new toys.

Princess Naomi again.

After a kid-requested dinner of Macaroni and Cheese, and Dad coming home from work a little early, we headed to the mall to ride the carousel. This was one of Gary's favorite things to do so we always make sure to do it on Kid's Day.

Then it was on to the playplace at the mall. Always a hit with the kids.

Our final stop for the day was the big one. The pet store. We fish-sat for some friends last weekend and the kids fell in love (darn it!). They didn't ask for one, but Naomi kept going on and on about how much she missed the fish.

So here is our first family pet. A Betta fish named Sky (we thought he was a lot more blue when we were in the store).

And as a final tribute to kids everywhere - here is a shot of our adorable children. They had a great day. And it was pretty fun for us "kid's at heart" too.

If you would like to learn more about Gary's life you can check out his website at theworths.org/Gary

The Bug

I've caught it. The bug. The decoarting bug that is. I've invited a bunch of friends over for a "jewelry making party" next week and suddenly I want to re-do my Dining Room. Really, it's just doing my Dining Room - since it's never really been done. When we moved into this house we painted the adjoining Living Room a fabulous, bright, but light yellow. It looks really great and I always get compliments. The room was already very bright and airy because of the natual light that flows in from the wall of windows and vaulted celing with more windows up there, but the yellow enhances that even more. I didn't originally paint the Dining Room too because I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it a different color. But I decided shortly after we moved in that the Dining Room is really the same room as the Living Room and therefore should be the same color scheme with slightly different accent colors.

So I went and bought another can of the same "Full Moon" yellow color today. My plan is to prep it today and paint it tomorrow. It's really a small room (10x12 I believe) with only three walls and one of them is mostly window. So I don't think it'll take much time for the actual painting. BUT ...it's after the painting that I'm gonna get fancy. I plan to do a mural on one wall. I'm thinking a silhouette of a bare tree (no leaves). Maybe with a bird sitting on one branch. I'm not sure that'll happen before next week's party, but I hope it does. Then for the other wall I've been collecting cool mismatched plates to display there. I think I can do this whole "room makeover" for under $100. Wa-who! Project!

Stay tuned for pictures and updates!

Grocery Shopping

I am never going grocery shopping again. Ever. We're all just going to starve to death because I am never ever ever doing it again no matter what. It's just not worth it. I come home exhausted, frustrated, angry, defeated and embarrassed. Ugh.

The problem is not having 3 kids under 4. Or having a baby. Or that the cheap grocery store doesn't have the kind of jam the kids like. It's Asher. He is just so defiant. It doesn't matter how "ready" I am with a good attitude, bribes, a plan, whatever. He always gets me in the end. He plows his arm down shelves and knocks everything off. He sits down in the middle of the aisle when I say, too impatiently and for the 800th time, "Come on, Asher." He doesn't care if I am anywhere in sight. He wanders off or he just doesn't keep up. He refuses to sit in the cart or in the car carts. When I put him in the basket as punishment for whatever he shoves Isaiah's head into the metal bar. AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!

By the time we get home I am basically throwing the groceries into the cabinets and fridge because I am so frustrated. I have just used up all my patience for the day in one 30 minute grocery shopping trip. That's right - 30 minutes. So it's not like I'm dragging him down every single aisle. I know the store well and we only go where we need to. And I don't stand there deciding what to get - I know ahead of time. Maybe two seconds to scan which brand is on sale, but that's it.

I am so frustrated that I am so frustrated. I don't know what to do. So I really may never go grocery shopping again. There is a store that delivers around here. It's hard to get everything I want that way and it's more expensive- but I guess shopping with Asher is even harder. He wins. I loose. Game over.

Featured!

Eeeeeeekkkk! I am squealing with delight! I am currently featured on a blog named TipJunkie. There is the picture of my adorable children and the pictures of my other babies - my ChicMade products. Eeeeeeeeeekkkkk!

So if you're a new visitor, welcome! Make yourself at home, look around, take your shoes off, relax and stay a while. Go have a look around my shop, ChicMade, too. I don't mind browsers (of course, I don't mind buyers even more). If I had a real shop it would be all chic and colorful and moody. There would be big squishy chairs for you to sit in and relax (or for your man to sit in and pout, holding your purse, while you spend an hour looking at all the fun stuff). There would probably be twinkle lights all around. But good enough lighting to see the details of everything too. Because jewelry is definitely all about the details. And, this may be the most important part, there would be a big huge desk at the back where you could come and sit down with me to customize the perfect piece of jewelry for you. Like long earrings? Short? Your neck is small so you want a shorter necklace? Your hands are large so you want a larger bracelet? You love orange and green can I make something with that? And the answer to every request would be "Of course!"

Eeeeeeeekkkkkkkk! I am so glad you're here!

Ok, OK, OK

OK, my post yesterday apparently hit a nerve that I didn't really mean to hit on. I really was not trying to offend anyone. But I guess any time you take a narrow view of things you risk offending and causing controversy.

I think my brother-in-law Kevin's comment rang most true as far as saying what I was trying to say:

"So, the point is, Nancy you are a generalist. You like to be good at lots of things. You try not to overthink things. Your husband(and his brothers) can tend to overthink things, but that's because they hate to think, "Oh, shoot, it would have been better if..." But, again, neither one of these is better than the other. And it's not gender specific. There are many females who are the best at what they do - singers, gymnasts, etc. And there are plenty of men who are good at "everything else"!"

See the previous post for his entire comment.

I think what I should have said in my post yesterday was that that's the way Richard and my relationship works. He is really, really, really good at his job and what he does on the computer. That does not mean that he is not good at anything else. He is just definitely a specialist who excels in that area. But he is also a fabulous father, great at playing games and having fun, and many other things. I, however, have never studied any one thing long enough to become really, really, really good at it. But I think I'm relatively good at anything I try (with some exceptions like sports). So it works out well in our relationship for Richard to go to work and do his thing and me to stay home and manage lots of things.

I apologize for too much generalization. I hate to be lumped into groups that way, so I'm sorry that I did it to any of you.

Butterfly Castles and Stick Swords

I really had no idea, until I had my own children and could see it with my own eyes, how much girlyness is born with a girl and how much boyishness is born with a boy. It is not just that girls are taught to play with toys like Barbies and Princesses. And it is not just that boys are taught Barbies are lame and stick swords are cool.

Naomi makes everything her baby. If she doesn't have a doll, stuffed animal, or other toy to make her baby - she'll make one up. Right now she is up in her room pretending that the castle I painted on her wall is filled with butterflies who are all her friends. They are having a tea party today I believe. But one of the butterflies "doesn't like tea, so she just has water". We often have a pack of pretend puppies with us when we leave the house. They all have to be strapped in to pretend seat belts in the car and we sometimes have to stop and wait for one of them to catch up when we are walking. Each one has a name and she knows them all.




Asher makes everything a truck or dinosaur. A plate, a graham cracker, his fist - it all vrooms by. I get a constant commentary of what vehicles are near us as we drive. "Truck! Truck!" then "Bus! Bus!" then "Uder truck! Uder truck" (Other Truck). He pushes them, he crashes them, the lines them up. He always has one in his fist when we go to get in the car.

Isaiah is already showing signs of following in his brother's footsteps. He loves to push the cars too. And yes, that's a serious problem sometimes since most of the cars are technically Asher's.

Today we were at the park with a bunch of friends from church. I was so excited when Naomi's friend Austin showed up because she just loves him. They've been best buds since we moved here. But within a minute of his arrival I saw Naomi off by herself. I pointed out to her where Austin was because sometimes she just looses track of her friends, but she said she didn't want to play with him because he was playing a different game. Sure enough, he had a stick sword and was playing with another boy. Star Wars. Naomi went and found a girl friend to play school with.

God definitely made boys and girls different from the start. That is not to say that a girl can't play with a stick sword or a boy with a doll, but those differences are there. And they're there for a reason. I also recently heard that men use 2 parts of their brain on a regular basis while women use like 12. As I thought about that I realized that was all part of God's plan. Men are supposed to be really good at one thing - their jobs. Women are supposed to be really good at everything else. So we may be good at different things - but we definitely compliment each other. At least that's my take on things.

The Camping Excursion (photos)

Sorry these were so long coming. I've been busy blurb-ing my blog into a book. It's gonna take a few days, but it'll be so worth it.

Poor Isaiah spent much of his camping experience strapped into this chair so he wouldn't eat dirt.
Asher was in heaven with so many rocks. He spent most of his time collecting them into piles or lines like this. When he wasn't collecting them, he was tripping over them.

Aunt Kelly was a good sport about helping with the kids. Here she is playing Princesses with Naomi.
A dip in the river.

And here's where it all went downhill. We piled into our tent to wait out the rain. But in the game of "waiting" - the rain won.

Good thing we had some food with us in the tent.
Or was it?
Here's Naomi crowded into one corner of the tent coloring.

There are no pictures after it started to rain because I didn't dare take out the camera again. And beside that - not much happened. I guess I did wish I had the camera when a huge turtle was sitting in the middle of the road as we drove around. I got out of the car to move it off the road and it shot out of there so fast it was practically a blur. Whoever decided turtles were slow may have never met one in person.

The Camping Excursion (story)

Well, we made it back alive. The camping excursion turned out pretty well I think. I'd go so far as to say the non-rainy part was great. Here's the story:

Friday we had planned on leaving at 4:30 but didn't end up leaving until more like 6:30 because I wasn't feeling great and Richard's back needed a break. The kids did fine on the hour and half drive since it was nearly bedtime. Naomi actually snoozed most of the way. We got there with just enough time to unpack the van before it got dark. Thank goodness Kevin and Grant (Richard's brother and Dad) had already set up our tent for us. Or really, they set up Grant's tent for us. We have a 6 person tent - which would be fine were it not for the fact that we wanted to put two Port-a-crib's in it. So Grant and Margaret switched tent's with us so that we could have their great big, three-room tent. That was perfect since the boy's could each have their own room and not see us when they woke up in the night. I attribute much of the success of this campout to that, so a big, BIG thanks to Grant and Margaret for that. Oh, also on "unpacking", the campsite was, I would guess, nearly half a mile from the parking lot. So unpacking and packing were quite a big deal. Lot's of walking and carrying heavy things. Anyway, that night the kids pretty much just went to sleep and the grown up's hung out for a little bit and then pretty much just went to sleep. Everyone was tired.

The next morning we had a nice slow morning. The boy's actually got their usual morning naps and then we went swimming in the nearby river. We thought it would be more like wading, but the river was really a great temperature with a super slow current and we found a place deep enough to swim in. That was a very fun morning. We went back to camp, had lunch and put the kids to bed. And about ten minutes later we scrambled to throw things into tents and under tables as the sky darkened very ominously and quickly. We made it just in time. Kevin and Kelly came into our tent since there was room and we thought it might be fun. (So much for the boys' naps.) We played "Ghost" (a word game) and chatted. The kids crawled all over us and jumped on the mattress. After about two hours it had lost it's charm. And the kids were tired and feeling trapped. Finally, after an unsuccessful attempt at naps for the boys, we decided to go for a drive and let the kids watch a movie in the car. I know, I know, very un-camping-like. But it was still raining and we were desperate. We thought it might blow over while we were driving and we'd be able to come back and do hot dogs over the fire for dinner as planned. So off we went. We drove around for nearly two hours. While we were out we bought dry wood so we'd be able to build a fine. When we got back to the campsite, nobody was there! One of the cars was gone and nobody was in their tents. So we figured they'd given up on hot dogs for dinner and gone out to eat (there was a town not too far with plenty of restaurants). So we did the same. After driving through the parking lots looking for them, we went to Friday's for dinner. We were totally gross looking I'm sure. I wanted to scream out a disclaimer to the other patrons. Something like "I've been camping for 24 hours now with three kids under four, no running water, and a hole in the ground for a toilet!") But dinner was good and it stopped raining while we ate. So we headed back to camp. And the rain started again as soon as we turned into the forest. It turned out that the others hadn't gone out to eat, they had just been driving around also. Ooops. So we put the boy's to bed but had promised Naomi she could stay up and eat Smore's. It wasn't raining much, just enough to drop a big fat drop on you every 30 seconds or so because of the tree cover. So we hung out by the fire, roasted marshmallows and hot dogs and told stories and jokes. It was a pretty typical night for camping and I'm glad we got that chance. There had been talk of breaking camp that day and heading home but Kevin and Kelly hear a weather report in their car that said the rain should end by morning - plus our kids were already asleep, right? Better to just wait til morning. That night was pretty bad. Naomi wouldn't sleep at all (probably because she heard us talking about how to keep our food away from bears, read a bedtime story about bears, and sang camp songs about bears). And when we woke up it was still raining. So we decided on a fast-pack plan. The kids ate breakfast in the tent and then we took them up to the car, strapped them in, and turned on a movie while we trekked back and forth packing. It took us about two hours to break camp but the kids did OK in the car. Richard and I were totally exhausted by the time the car was packed. Oh, also by the time we finished packing the car...the sun was shining. Ugh. If it had just stopped raining an hour earlier we probably could have had a fun morning at camp and packed at a more leisurely pace. Oh well. We got home in time for some relaxing, naptime, more relaxing, Father's Day dinner of frozen pizza, bathtime, and bed. *sigh*

It really was a pretty good trip. The rainy parts weren't exactly highlights - but they could have been much worse. Really, we were drier when we went to bed the rainy second night than we were the hot and sweaty first night. Gross but true. And at least we had fun in the morning with the swimming. And at least we decided to go Friday night instead of Saturday morning. Because if we had arrived Saturday just in time for the rain I would have been really bugged. And at least we had great company to play with and help us with the kids.

Anyway, overall this trip isn't anywhere near the worst camping experience I've had. And the kids really had a blast. Did I mention this place was covered with rocks? Asher was in heaven. And Naomi thought it was a big adventure.

Stay tuned later today for the pictures. I don't have the energy this morning to do pictures.

Weekend Plans

Well! I really did "stir up some trouble" in my post from Wednesday. If you haven't been back to read the comments - it's pretty entertaining. We really did get several different, valid, and well put responses.

The big plans for this weekend are... (duhn duhn duuuhhhhn) camping. That's right - you don't have to read that again. I said I'm going camping. The whole family actually -but the surprising part is that I am since I don't generally enjoy it. We haven't been camping since Naomi was still crawling. And that was a week long, rainy, mostly miserable outing. We're hoping for a little more fun this time. Shorter, closer to home, and at an actual camping facility are all things that should make it a little better. We will miss the huge crowd of Worth's that accompanied us on the previous outing (only a small crowd of Worth's will be there this time).

So if you don't hear from me by Monday night, send out the rescue planes. Look for the dehydrated, exhausted, collapsed body being crawled all over by three dirty little kids who think it's a blast.

The Shoe Basket

We just got a new basket for collecting shoes by the back door. We aren't a "no shoes" home, we just need a place to catch all those shoes laying around. The old basket was getting kind of ratty and every time Isaiah chewed on it (which was often enough) it turned his mouth bright red from the dye.
Apparently Isaiah likes the new basket too. He can get in, but he can't get out. So I've rescued him from his happy perch on the shoes several times already this morning. Silly kid.

Stirring up some trouble

I'm in the mood to stir up some trouble. So how about a controversial topic of conversation?

I was recently in a church meeting where anger management and how that relates to the gospel was being discussed. Someone expressed the view that in our church you are expected to be happy all the time. Anger, sadness, frustration, etc. are taboo and maybe even a sin. That is ingrained in us from childhood. Then they used the following Primary Song as evidence:

If you chance to meet a frown,
do not let it stay.
Quickly turn it up side down
and smile that frown away.

No one likes a frowning face.
Change it for a smile.
Make the world a better place
By smiling all the while.

I didn't like the comment that was made and I really didn't like their spin on that Primary tune. I raised my hand to comment but the teacher moved on before she noticed my hand so I put it down and let it pass. Maybe that's good since I was pretty fired up at the time.

I don't think anyone expects people of our religion to be happy all the time. We're normal people and normal people get angry, sad and frustrated. But I think maybe we are held to a higher standard as far as learning to control those emotions and express them in a healthy way instead of in outbursts. Also, I don't think that Primary song is talking about only changing your own smile to a frown. I think it could also be interpreted that if you see someone else frowning, maybe a smile from you to them would help them smile. Smiles are contagious.

Now, I don't mean to get all preachy, because I clearly do get angry, frustrated and sad. And I don't always express it in a healthy way - I've shared stories on this blog that prove that. But that comment bugged me.

What about you? How do you feel about anger management as it relates to Christianity? Do you think everyone in the church expects everyone else to be perfect? What would you have said in response to that comment in a church meeting?

A Happy Housewife

I think I've mentioned before my fondness for calling a bad day "a bad day" before it gets too far and just waiting it out until you can start over the next day. On those day there are increased TV times, decreased expectations for meals, and little else that happens. I firmly stick to the idea that those days happen and are maybe necessary for my happiness as a housewife.

But what happens when you realize you've been calling days "bad" pretty much every day for two weeks?

Well, then it's time to stop calling them "bad" and call them "good" before they even start. That's what I did yesterday. Instead of indulging my laziness for the umpteenth day in a row, I indulged some obsessiveness. I worked and played hard all day. If I had a spare minute I did something instead of plopping down and being relieved that I had one second to myself and at the same time dreading the next second because I knew it brought more work. The result was fabulous. I had a great day. I got almost all the laundry done and folded, the kitchen got clean and stayed clean, my bedroom was cleaned up a bit, the family room got cleaned at the end of the day and the kids and I had a blast inbetween all that work. I even had time to make a fun new style of bracelet for Chic Made. And I felt great at the end of the day. I felt fulfilled in a way that, quite honestly, I didn't think housework could make me feel.

I think sometimes I may take the whole "liberated housewife" thing a little too far. Yes, I don't feel tied down to my house in order to get it clean and organized. I love to wallow in a family room filled with toys on the ground with my kids - but apparently I also don't mind focusing on cleaning sometimes. I guess sometimes I have to just get over myself and do what I need to do. Suck it up. Work through it. Do what you've got to do. (and all the other cliches)

I guess it's a good thing I feel that way because even one day of hard work doesn't cancel out the disaster that is ignoring your household duties for a couple of weeks. Another day (or three) of work is in my future, but I don't dread it. Because housework can be fulfilling. Who knew?

My Mom. She knew.

Naomi's New Do

There has been a rash of hair-cutting going on with the little girls Naomi's age at church. Of the 5 or 6 girls her age I think she held out the longest, but she's been wanting a cut for a while. Every time I'm brushing her hair and hit a tangle she makes some comment about how when she has short hair she won't get tangles anymore. I didn't really want to cut it that short - I probably would have just trimmed it an inch or two. But she wanted it short like her friends. So Naomi and Daddy made a trip to get their hairs cut. And now Naomi looks just like Dakota Fanning!
Here's Dakota:
Here's Naomi:
I forgot to snap a "before" shot of Naomi's hair. But here's some pictures from just Friday when Naomi got an "owie" on her foot. She curled up on the couch with her foot safely propped up while I made dinner and then she fell asleep. The first picture is when I first noticed she was asleep and the second one is 10 or so minutes later. You can see how long her hair is - and how cute she is. (There's also a pretty good shot of how long Naomi's hair was in my June 2 Post.)

An entrepreneur - me?

I guess, technically, since I've just started my own Etsy shop, I could be called an entrepreneur. Or, if you're getting all crazy (like Richard hates) you could call me a Mom-preneur. I don't know if I can help you understand how exciting that is to me unless you've been there. It is so exciting to me to think that I can create things that other people are willing to pay money for and then display on their body or in their home. This past week I had my first purchase from Chic Made from a totally random, un-related to me or coerced in any way person. (Maybe I shouldn't admit that since it makes me look like a newbie, but I'm too excited to not share) And she bought 5 things! I was walking on air all day long! She told me she's going to wear her new jewelry to church on Sunday and I'm pretty sure that's all I'll be able to think about all day on Sunday (which is a problem since I'm teaching the lesson in Relief Society this week!).

Anyway, on a blog called Tip Junkie, they are looking for all Mom-preneur's and what they create. To be included I need a link on my blog to my three favorite products. It's hard for me to choose my three favorites, because all of them are my babies. My creations. My time well spent. But I guess if I have to choose (don't be jealous, the rest of my little creations!) I'd chose:

1. The Chalkboard Napkin Rings

I think I love these so much because they are such a simple, useful, yet oh-so-stylish thing. I think it's a unique use for a plain old item (the "plain old item" being a napkin ring or the chalkboard paint, you choose.)

2. The Infant Freshwater Pearl Bracelet









I love this bracelet because it is just what I wanted when I was putting bracelet's on my infant daughter. It's got some pink but it's not screaming PINK. It's classy but fun. It tells the world that this baby is a girl. I'm having such fun making these kinds of bracelet's for baby-showers for my friends these days. If only more of my friends were having girls!

3. The Serenity Earrings









I love these earrings because they are so simple. When I first went to my first beading shop these are the first beads that caught my eye and just *had* to go in my basket. They are the only beads so far that I have gone back and bought another batch of the exact same thing after using up all of the first batch. I think they are lovely.

I hope you're not getting tired of hearing about my Etsy shop or what I'm creating or what I've sold or whatever. Because I'm pretty sure I'm not going to shut up about it any time soon. It's just too exciting. I dream about my creations. I dream about how to drum-up business. I dream about some day being one of those Etsy shops that sells hundreds of things each day. I dream about being so big that I have to move beyond Etsy. Yesterday Ruth made some comment to me about a celebrity wearing my jewelry to a big awards show some day and that's all I could think about for several hours. (I came to the conclusion that the only way that is going to happen is if Ruth herself becomes a celebrity and wears them - which isn't too far fetched since I'm sure she's going to be a famous Country or Opera singer some day) I'm totally obsessed and I admit it. But I think that's what makes me a good Entrepreneur. Or at least I hope so.

Kung Fu Panda Review

Yesterday we had a fun evening. A friend invited us at the last minute to a free "friends and family" showing of Kung Fu Panda. Our friend's friend is the general manager of the theatre in town. Apparently they invite a bunch of family's to come see movies sometimes in a totally kid-friendly environment. I don't think I've ever been to a movie before where the "under 4" crowd far out-numbered the adult crowd. It was wonderful. Isaiah and I could stand up and he could whine a little and nobody cared. We brought the stroller in and blocked an aisle and nobody cared. Asher ran around the seats, sat on the floor, stood up and switched seats 5 times and nobody cared. Naomi asked plot-related questions and nobody cared. Because their kids were doing the same things too!

As and added bonus, that movie is hysterical! Really, really a good one. Lots of great, quotable one-liners. Any movie that starts out talking about how people were literally blinded by someones "awesomeness" has got to be funny, right? The one line that I tried hardest to remember was "Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That's why they call it the present." That was, of course, said by the Kung Fu master as he waxes poetic. Since I saw the movie before it even came out technically I feel that I need to review it for you. There was a lot of fighting, of course. But it was pretty funny fighting. The kind where you punch a tiger and they go flying and leave a tiger-shaped hole in the wall. Lots of funny, slow-motion reactions to punches and kicks (think Crouching Tiger...) Some of those parts were a little much for my sensitive, 4 year old, Naomi, but she did make it through and wasn't scared at the end - she just didn't really enjoy those parts. Asher, my just barely two year old, was as riveted as he is during any movie. He loved the tiger and called the tiny little animal Kung Fu master guy (whatever the heck that thing is) "baby". "Baby" was his favorite. Isaiah didn't mind sleeping through most of it. And Richard and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Overall, a very fun family movie. Two thumbs way up.

The winner, etc.

And the winner of our Anniversary Giveaway is Jolie! Congratulations, Jolie! I'll be in touch with you about your custom jewelry.

The last couple days have been pretty crazy. There was a big (but short) storm here Wednesday afternoon which left our power out from about 3 until midnight. Keeping three kids occupied during an entire afternoon of inside-with-no-electricity is not easy. Naomi didn't sleep well because she was kind of freaked out by the whole thing. Even during the daylight hours she wouldn't be more than a few feet from me. Asher just didn't understand why he wasn't getting his afternoon TV time and was pretty mad at me about it. Isaiah was only upset because I couldn't warm up his bottle like usual. The night's entertainment was me falling asleep with Naomi at about 8:00 and Richard asleep on the couch. At some point I woke up for a little bit - long enough to read an entire "Real Simple" magazine by flashlight. When the power came back on at midnight we were all asleep in bed. Unfortunately, half the lights were on. The boys room and the master bathroom were the most disturbing ones. It was...shall we say... not a fun night. But I guess it could have been worse. I guess I should be thankful the power was back on by the next day. Especially since it was nearly 90 degrees yesterday. I admit it, I love technology. I'm glad I wasn't born in pioneer times. I am way too much of a wuss.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Richard is totally disgusted that I used the word "blogoversary" in my previous post, so I guess we'll just call it an anniversary.

One year ago today I created this blog and did my first post. I thought it would be an occasional thing mostly just used to get pictures to my Mom. Man was I wrong. Blogging has become my therapy, my journal, my friend, my outlet. I think most of you reading this will understand that so I won't go into my feelings too much.

Here's what the kids looked like one year ago:

And here's what they look like today:

Isaiah is now the age Asher was when I first started blogging. Naomi is so much more mature and independent. Asher is more independent and communicative, but still a load of trouble. Richard is at the same job, thank goodness, but has taken up some new interests like JQuery UI. I am also still at the same job (motherhood) but I have taken up some new interests like blogging (obviously), jewelry making, and Etsy-ing.

A year ago I was still in baby-la-la-land. You know, that place where you are for the first 6 months or so of your child's life. Now our entire family can interact and play and work together. In another couple of months Isaiah will be walking and we can really start exploring. I expect this next year will bring major changes: Naomi will start Preschool, Asher will start talking more and more and learning shapes, colors, numbers, letters, etc, Isaiah will walk, talk, feed himself. And who knows? Maybe by next year there will be another family member on the way. So here's to another year! Another year of sharing, ranting, laughing, crying, story telling, and advice seeking. And maybe some stuff about the kids and Richard, too.

On to the celebration! To celebrate this milestone, I'm offering a custom-made piece of jewelry. Just leave me any comment. I'll do a drawing Thursday evening. Whoever wins will be able to dictate to me what they want - size, color, earrings vs bracelet vs necklace, whatever. Family, friend, or random person who stumbled upon this post, you can all enter. Cheers!

Adventure

We were just finishing dinner when Ruthie called. She was stranded on the side of the road with a shredded tire at the intersection of two major highways. So off I headed for a little adventure. I know how to change a tire, but I've never been given the opportunity. The car is always on a slope, or wet grass, or full of 5 kids under 5, etc. And in those cases, I just use my handy AAA membership. The ironic part is that on this particular day, Ruthie was headed to our house from her week-long house-sitting job just so that I could go shoe shopping with her and use my AAA membership to get her a discount. Funny, eh?

I told Ruthie to accept any help if it came along and that if she wasn't there when I got there I'd just see her at home. Stupid plan. Because as soon as I got there and saw she wasn't there all I did was worry. What if she'd been confused, told me the wrong street names, and was still waiting for me somewhere else? What if she'd been kidnapped and her car stolen? What if she'd gotten her tire fixed only to break down again somewhere else? I was seriously wishing I had a cell phone. But I don't. So I stopped at a gas station to buy one of those disposable ones. (In TV shows and movies they always get their non-traceable, disposable cell phones at gas stations, don't they?) They didn't have any. So I just drove home hoping that Ruthie would be there already and trying not to worry too much.

She wasn't at home, but she had called. VDOT (Virginia Dept. of Transportation) had come along and changed her tire to her spare and she was now somewhere buying a complete new set of tires. I guess it's in VDOT's best interest to keep traffic flowing - but I was a little bummed that they had stolen my adventure. As weird as it is, I really had been looking forward to an adventure with Ruthie. I had the blog post, including photo, all planned in my head. Those meanies stole my thunder! Translation: My life is way too boring. I was glad my sister was stranded on the side of the road!

It was a fun adventure even without changing the tire, really. I got to just drive for two hours. All by myself. Alone. With no kids. Nobody else was in the car. So I blared music (the soundtrack to Thoroughly Modern Millie and then Josie and the Pussycats - how's that for a little variety?) and enjoyed my alone-time. Ruthie and I didn't make it to the shoe store since she didn't make it to our house until nearly 9. The poor girl had to basically just turn around and head back where she had come from. But I did have an adventure. It was a good night for me - as sick as that is. Everybody needs a little adventure in their life. And in case you couldn't tell from the slightly negative undertone of my last post, I really needed some just then.

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Richard had his Dr. appointment yesterday for his herniated disc. They prescribed physical therapy 3 times a week for 4 weeks. His first appointment is tomorrow. We were kind of hoping for some quicker, easier solution - but I guess there isn't one. He did head back to work today for the first time in about a week, but he's still being bothered by it a lot. Poor guy. But he's a good trooper.

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Be sure to check back here tomorrow since it's my blogoversary! I'm going to do some fun giveway/contest/something-er-other.

A long weekend and Asher's bed

It was a long weekend. But not in the good sort of way. It just seemed long because it wasn't particularly great. I worked most of Saturday and Sunday on various no-fun things and Richard was still feeling awful because of his herniated disc. The kids stuck it out well, but it wasn't much fun for me. Anyway, the point is, by Sunday evening I wasn't feeling up to making the lasagna that was on the meal plan. Or anything else. So we had a picnic of sorts. I pulled out the picnic blanket, spread it on the family room floor, and turned on Aladdin. Then I plopped two plates down in front of the whole family filled with crackers, cheese, grapes, apples, and tortillas. The kids ate more, and healthier, than they would have if I tried to force most other things on them so I didn't even feel bad! It was almost nice.

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Today when I went in to Asher's room to get him after his afternoon nap, this is what I saw. He somehow managed to get his entire mattress out of his bed! He was just standing there on the wood slates like nothing was going on. That kid is crazy!! I mean, I guess he could be crazier (he could be out of the bed himself, too), but that's pretty wild. How did he even do that? I scolded him for a minute while trying not to laugh or run too fast to get the camera.

I really hope we can find a good creative outlet for Asher in the next few years. Maybe he needs to be a painter who uses his hands and feet to paint. Or an architect who builds crazy lopsided buildings. Or a construction worker who drives a wrecking ball truck. Something like that...