The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking

Challenge Me

2012-02-10T15:59:00.000-08:00

Feb 7th: Button

The Sharkbaby playing with the buttons on the remote control.

Feb. 8th: Sun

Yep, missed this one.

Feb. 9th: Front Door

My front door. Complete with Valentines wreath and Max the dog.

Feb. 10th: Self Portrait

Hey, nobody said a self-portrait had to be of your face...

On Motherhood

2012-02-08T17:07:00.000-08:00

Having young children is not easy. Many days are just difficult.

~Elder Neil L. Andersen

With it being the Sharkbaby's first birthday so recently I've been doing a lot of reflecting on being a mother, but for some reason I have been having a terribly difficult time actually writing this post.

I started this phase of my life a little disillusioned. I was under the impression that motherhood would come naturally to me. I'd seen my friends transition effortlessly into the role of Mom. I'd watched people around me shower their children with love, affection, and kindness, all while setting up boundaries and discipline. I thought I could do it, too.

I spent my 40 weeks of pregnancy imagining how wonderful my life would be, how much joy this sweet little boy would bring to my life. I had hopes, dreams, and plans. I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I had a list of "nevers." You know what I mean: I'll never get upset when my baby wakes up in the middle of the night, I'll never take my children home from church in the middle of the block, I'll never let my baby use a binky or a bottle after his first birthday. However, I'm not ashamed at all to admit that I've broken pretty much every "never" on my list.

Being a mom is hard. It is a never-ending; 24/7; day shift, night shift, swing shift job.

But being a mom is also so easy. When I hold that sweet little boy in my arms my heart fills with so much love I think I might burst. When he cuddles up on my lap at bedtime to read stories I feel more fulfilled than any other time in my life. When I see him smile and call out "Daaaa-deee" when his dad gets home from work, I experience a joy that I never knew existed. I think about him constantly. I pray without ceasing for him. I worry and I hope and I dream and I plan.

Motherhood has not come easily to me. I work hard at it every second of everyday. I cry, sometimes I yell, I lose patience, and I get so sick of singing "If you're happy and you know it" that I could puke.

But I wouldn't trade those sticky little hand prints on my fridge for the cleanest kitchen in the world. I wouldn't trade my stretch marks and loose skin for six-pack abs. I wouldn't trade the sleepless nights for a solid 8 hours.

I wouldn't trade this terrible, mixed up, crazy, emotional, wonderful, amazing, life-changing for anything.

Dinner

2012-02-06T20:50:00.000-08:00

I'm trying really hard to keep up with this photo challenge. Today was... Dinner. So, here is a picture of my dinner. (And a couple cute ones of Sharkbaby)

Beer brats with mustard and sauerkraut, green salad, and potato chips

He was having fun banging on the window while Daddy was grilling the brats.

Yeah, we're just that awesome.

Hands, A Stranger, and 10am

2012-02-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

Boy, I'm terrible at this challenge!

Feb. 3rd: Hands

Sharkbaby playing with my hand. It only took about 20 shots to get one with his hand still enough for a decent picture.

Feb. 4th: A Stranger

Yeah, I missed this one completely. Oops.

Feb. 5th: 10am

Yes, that is a diaper on his head. He calls diapers Washingtons (or in Shark language mm-mm-mm) because he loves it when we put the diaper on his head and sing "George Washington, father of our country!"

Your View and Words

2012-02-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

I've decided to take on the challenge of 29 pictures in 29 days for the month of February. The challenge can be found here. I'm a day late in getting started, so I'll post days 1 and 2 today.

Feb. 1st: Your View Today

My view today was Sharkbaby and Daddy playing in the lovesac, giving each other "nosies" (Eskimo kisses), and head bonks. I love these boys more than anything in the whole world.

Feb. 2nd: Words

The words "had ten little fingers" come from one of Sharkbaby's favorite books "Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes". We read it together every night and he loves to show me his fingers and toes when we get to that part in the book.

The End is Near

2012-01-27T23:32:00.001-08:00

So, tonight Jill and I found the "Zombie Apocalypse Playlist". It consists of the following:
1. Overall theme for the apocalypse
2. What plays when you kill your first zombie
3. What plays when you're getting chased by a horde
4. What plays when you have to kill your loved one
5. What plays when you find a group of survivors
6. What plays when you meet a new love interest
7. What plays when you have to make a final stand
8. What plays when you think you've survived it all
9. What plays when you find a bite mark on yourself
10. Song for the closing credits

My songs went as follows:
1. Jump (Glee cast version)
2. My Apologies (The Hush Sound)
3. I Caught Fire (The Used)
4. Hate on Me (Glee version)
5. Capstick, Chapped Lips, and Things Like Chemistry (Reliant K)
6. Why Not? (Hilary Duff)
7. Lean on Me (Glee version)
8. We Will Rock You (Queen)
9. Don't Rain on my Parade (Glee version)
10. Be Ok (Ingrid Michaelson)

Awesome. Pure Awesome.

We Made It!!

2012-01-24T18:59:00.000-08:00

My Sweet Little Man,
It's your first birthday and I can hardly believe it. What a year this has been. You have changed my life in ways that I can't even begin to describe. This year has simultaneously been the most fun and the hardest year of my life. I hoped, dreamed, and prayed for you, but nothing could have prepared me for what, and who, you really are.
My handsome boy, you have such a little personality. Already you think you are hilariously funny. You know how to say "Mama", but anytime we ask you to say it you very clearly go, "Daddy. Huh huh huh." You think that game is a lot of fun. You also have quite a fascination with faces. You know where to find eyes, noses, teeth, tongues, ears, and hair. However, you're not terribly gentle. You also know fingers and toes.
You still love story time. Once you've had your bath and are all dressed for bed you will crawl over to the rocking chair in your bedroom and just wait to read stories. Bedtime is my favorite time of day with you. I love holding you on my lap in the rocking chair, smelling your sweet little head, and cuddling while we read stories and you drink your milk. I feel like that is "our" time everyday and I miss it on the nights I'm at work.
You are getting so big and strong. You love to walk, but only if you're holding onto something or someone. You have 6 teeth with a 7th on it's way in. For your birthday I made you a bucket with some bean bags so you can put things in and take things out to your heart's content. You also love to be doing whatever Mom and Dad are doing. If we're in the kitchen, you want to be playing in the kitchen. If we're outside, you are one happy kid. If I'm in the bathroom getting ready, you want to be right there with me.
You love to talk nonsense sounds to me. We can carry on conversations like that all day. You give the sweetest little slobbery open-mouthed kisses. I love watching your little hands sign things to me to show me what you need. You can sign food, milk, more, finished, play, water, and shoes. You also know how to give high 5 and bones.
My sweet, sweet baby... I can hardly call you a baby anymore. Everyday you turn into more of a little boy. Everyday you learn and grow so much, and everyday I learn and grow right along with you. I love you for everything you are. I love you for everything you will someday become. I love you for everything you have taught me about myself. I love you all the way up to your toes, to the moon and back. I love you with everything I have inside of me.
So, on your first birthday, I am overflowing with the love and joy you bring to my life. Thank you, handsome boy, for this past year. Here's to many more to come.
I love Monkey!
Love,
Mama

2012-01-19T04:02:00.000-08:00

Found this on Pinterest. I'm in love.

Enjoy the Journey

2012-01-12T00:27:00.000-08:00

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the idea of happiness. What is it? Where does it come from? Do I create my own or does it come from outside sources? Am I truly happy?

I’ve been reading the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. The author takes a whole year to explore the idea of happiness. She decides what exactly makes her happy, seeks out those things, and attempts to experience the maximum amount of happiness she can. What she discovers is that happiness can come easily, but often she has to work for it.

I don’t know that I’m an innately happy person and I, probably too often, rely on outside sources for my happiness. “Happy” does not necessarily come naturally to me, it takes a lot of conscious effort and work on my part. I’ve also come to realize that the things I am often passionate about don’t always lead to a state of happiness. So, I decided to think about what really makes me happy.

I also came to realize that until I am true to who I am as a person, I’ll never achieve that true happiness that I’m searching for. So, I’m taking the example of Ms. Rubin, and I’m going to come up with my own personal happiness commandments.

1. Be Annicka (Ok, so I stole this idea directly from her, but it’s a good one). From now on I will think about whether my words, my actions, my experiences are being true to me being myself. I know this may sound self-serving, but if I’m not true to who I am as a person I will never be able to achieve happiness. I spend a lot of time being so worried about others’ perceptions of me that often I lose who I truly am.

2. Service Breeds Love. This comes down to a simple a statement given from a father to a son: Forget yourself and go to work. This is a hard one for me to remember. When I’m feeling down I always want it to be all about me. I want to throw my little pity party and mope around and have everyone feel bad for me. From now on when I feel down I will make an effort to serve those around me. I think that this attitude will assist me in finding who I am.

3. Keep it Simple. I have a tendency to complicate things, I mean, I am a woman after all. I make grand plans, I have big ideas, I always want what I do to be the biggest, brightest, and best. Sometimes my big plans make me end up in my own way. So, I will be keeping it simple.

4. Find the Humor. I have a tendency to get caught up in the minutia and stress myself out. If the baby is having a bad day, it gets to me. If my kitchen or bathroom is a mess, it gets to me. If traffic is bad and I’m late, it gets to me. And so, I will find the humor. Instead of crying, I will laugh. Instead of complaining, I will find the humor.

5. Smile. There have been many times in my life where I’ve had to live the adage “fake it ‘til you make it.” One of the underlying themes in The Happiness Project is to act how you want to feel and it will become natural. For this reason, I will smile.

6. Lose the Attitude. Sometimes, I flat out have a bad attitude. I am going to strive towards having a good attitude. I have found the gossip, backbiting, and sniping all feed into my bad attitudes. So, I will be checking my attitude at the door. I would also like to invite all of you to remind me of this.

Now, none of this is to say that I’m not happy. I am very happy. I have a wonderful husband who loves me and shows me that very thing in sweet and tender little ways. I have a sweet and gentle baby boy that teaches me something new everyday. I have a career where I get the opportunity to serve people at the most vulnerable times of their lives. I have so much in my life to be grateful for and happy about.

I just want to do all that I can to make sure that I am experiencing happiness and joy as much as I possibly can.

And so, with the beginning of this New Year, I begin on the journey of my own happiness project.

To Happiness!

Eleven

2011-12-23T23:09:00.000-08:00

My Dearest Monkey-face,

Happy Christmas Eve! Today is your 11 month birthday. I know I say this every month, but I truly can't believe how much you are growing and changing.

You never cease to amaze me with how smart and funny you are. You can always get a giggle out of Mama, without even trying most of the time. You have been extra silly this month, and are quick to giggle at pretty much anything.

You love to be on the move. If you're not crawling, you're pulling up on the furniture and shakin' your booty. You love to dance. You also love Elmo. You get so excited anytime you see Elmo and can even say his name (Eh-mo). This month you've learned the sign for food and you've made up your own sign for soft. We're not sure where you learned it, but if we say the word soft you pat your hand on your chest. You've also learned how to blow kisses. It's very cute. You also have a mild obsession with Santa. You think it's pretty fun to say "Ho ho ho."

You now have 5 teeth, and I think we're going to see more any day now. You are growing like a weed and wearing mostly 18 month clothes. I can't keep clothes that fit you in circulation long enough for you to wear anything more than a few times.

This month Mommy and Daddy decided it was time for you to learn how to sleep through the night. You picked it up so quickly! Within a week you were going right to bed and down for naps and sleeping through the night for 11 or 12 hours. It's been great for all of us to get more sleep.

You also got to try some new foods this month that you like a whole lot. You love grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, goldfish, yogurt, and cheerios.

Well, my sweet monkey, only one more month until you turn 1. I can't believe we've been on this crazy journey for almost a year. I love you so much and can't wait for all of the new adventures we get to have together.

Hugs and kisses!
Mama

Wrap it up

2011-12-10T01:59:00.001-08:00

I have been a terrible blogger lately. I'm going to blame it on being out-of-control busy. Between working full time, going back to school, and being a mommy and a wife I haven't had a whole lot of spare time to speak of. So, in a last-ditch attempt to put off studying for my final next week, here are some things that have been on my mind:
Christmas is nearly upon us. Our house is all decorated, I'm in the middle of sending out cards, and I'm nearly done shopping. The sharkbaby LOVES the tree. He thinks it's about the coolest thing in the whole world. He also loves to say, "Ho ho ho" and "Merry Christmas." He loves listening to me practice the piano for upcoming Christmas concerts. I know he's too little to "get" Christmas this year, but I'm still excited.
Speaking of Sharkleton, he is growing up so fast! I can't believe I've been on this crazy, wild, awesome ride for almost a year. I don't want to discuss it too much because I want to have something to write about in his 11 month letter, but just know that he is turning into quite the little character.
I've been crafting up a storm. In the past week I've sewn probably 6 microwave rice bags (you know, the ones that you heat up). They're super fast and easy. I think I'll keep a bunch on hand to give away as gifts. I've also become hooked on Pinterest and I keep finding ideas for things I want to try. In fact, just today, I found some cute little owl bean bags. I think I'm going to make some for the boy's first birthday. Now if I could just drag myself away long enough to actually try my brilliant ideas.
I'm currently in the process of composing my 2012 goals. There are a lot of things I want to do, see, try, and learn in the coming year. My main goal is going to be getting organized, and I'm going to start by organizing my goals. I think I'll set up one big thing a month that I can check off my list.
There are a few things going on at work right now that I'm not terribly thrilled about. Okay, I'm actually downright angry. In fact, I'm still to angry to blog about it. Stay tuned for more on that.
As this Christmas season is upon us I am grateful for the opportunity to reflect on my personal relationship with Him whose birth we celebrate at this time of year. I feel that I have come to know my Savior in a way I never have before through the trials that I've faced. I have learned more in the past year about how my Heavenly Father truly cares for me than I have in the whole of my life combined. I am truly blessed with wonderful parents, siblings, extended family, and in-laws. I consider myself the luckiest girl in the world to be married to my best friend, and with him share the joy of parenthood. As this year comes to a close and we all begin the next chapter in our lives I pray that we may keep Christ, not only at the center of this Christmas season, but at the center of our lives year round.
May you all experience the beauty that this life has to offer.
XOXO

The one about Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T23:54:00.000-08:00

Yep, the time has come... my thankful Thanksgiving post. And since we all know just how much I love a list, I'm going to attempt to condense my thoughts into one. This year I am especially grateful for:

Indoor plumbing

My calling with the young women

My sweet husband, who has stuck with me through all of my crazy this year

A wonderful and supportive family

Soft, fuzzy socks

A career in a field I love

The ability to help provide for my family

That I can read

My good health

Supportive friends and neighbors

My talents, and the opportunity I have to use them

My ability to impact changes around me

All-natural beauty recipes

Fantastic coworkers that I look forward to seeing at work, and away from work

A walking buddy

Financial stability

A house that I don't have to remodel

And most especially: A sweet Sharkbaby who loves to give me kisses, read stories with me, and help me play the piano

What can I say? I am truly blessed.

And then there were 10

2011-11-23T23:36:00.000-08:00

My most wonderful munchkin,

Today is your first Thanksgiving, and I can't begin to express how grateful I am for you and the joy you bring me everyday. On this day you hit your 10 month mark. I can't believe how much you've grown and changed in the past few weeks.

You have hit a ton of milestones recently. You are crawling all over the place. You can pull up on furniture, but haven't figured out how to walk along it yet. You can go up stairs, but not down. You wave bye-bye anytime someone opens or closes a door. You know the signs for "more", "finished", and we're working on "thank you." You now say dog (a-da), Ruby (woo-wee), uh-oh (uh uh), dad (dada), mom (ma), num (dum), and all done (a-dun). You love to sing songs with mommy in the car. You especially love the song Skid-a-ma-rink.

This week you slept your longest stretch yet, a whole 13 hours. It was a great night for both of us. You still love stories. Your favorite right now is "Moo, Baa, La, La, La". You love it when we make the pig snort for you. You also love noses. You think it's the funniest thing in the world when you grab Daddy's nose and he makes a noise like a siren.

You seem to have a thing for feet, and socks especially. We can't keep socks on you to save our lives. Anytime we leave you unattended you take them off your feet to play with them. You love to chew on Mama's toes, too. You also love your knit blankies. You get angry if we leave the house without one. You want to have it in the car, in the stroller, near you when you play on the floor, and just in general reach.

Speaking of chewing, you have 3 and a half teeth. Two on the bottom, one on the top, and a second on the top getting ready to poke through any day now.

I am so excited to see what the next month will bring for us, Monkey. I love you to the moon and back.

Love,

Mommy

The Plunge

2011-11-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

Well, after much research, a lot of thought, and some good old-fashioned bravery, I finally jumped head first (hee hee!) into a new way of "washing" my hair.

Yep, I've gone completely shampoo-free. I'd been kicking around the idea of going no 'poo for quite a long time. I'd read that it was really great for curly hair. Basically, real shampoo is made to strip oils from your hair. That's it's job, it's what the chemical combination is meant to do. Well, that's a problem for me. I have incredibly dry hair, naturally. It's a curse of curly hair. Anyway, I noticed that after using traditional shampoo I was having to condition the hell out of my hair to make it feel even a little bit normal. Add to that all of the product I was having to use and you have yourself a hot mess.

So back to my story: I was already only washing my hair once a week and using baking soda once a week. So I figured the time had come. I was taking the plunge into no 'poo.

Let me share with you a few observations and then I'll give you my recipes:

1. My hair has changed color. It's true, I haven't dyed my hair in several months, however in the last three weeks it's become a richer brown with quite a bit of red in it.

2. I did experience a weird phase about 2 weeks in where my roots were extra-oily and my ends were extra-dry. This only lasted about a week. Apparently, it's a normalizing phase where the scalp produces more oil for some reason. It goes away, I promise.

3. It styles much more easily. I don't know if it's healthier, or stronger, or what, but it's breaking less and takes to the flat iron much better.

4. It has lost some of it's body. I've never had to tease my hair before to give it volume, however when my hair is straight now it's s-t-r-a-i-g-h-t. I'll have to work on this for awhile.

And now, the recipes.

First, I use a 1:3 ratio of baking soda to water. I put this on my dry hair just at the roots. I massage it into my scalp and comb it through to the ends. I let it sit for about 2-3 minutes and then rinse it out.

Next, I use a 1:4 ratio of apple cider vinegar to water. I saturate the ends of my hair and leave the roots alone. I'll let this sit about a minute or so and then rinse it well. I promise, your hair won't smell like vinegar. Just watch your eyes. It stings like you wouldn't believe.

Anyway, if any of you out there give it a go let me know how it works for you. Personally, I love it.

Feelin' fine at 9

2011-10-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

My Sweetest Monkey-faced Munchkin,

You are 9 months old today. I honestly think this has been the fastest 9 months of my life. You change and grow so much everyday. You are such a sweet boy and I love getting to spend so much time with you.

You love to be outside. Anytime I open the front door you get so excited. You love to sit on the grass and watch everything going on around you. You also love dogs. In fact, "dog" is your new favorite word to say. The other night I was getting you ready for bed and you heard the dogs next door barking. You looked at me, smiled, and in your sweet little voice said, "Dah." (That's Tommy-speak for dog).

You love to eat, especially from Mom and Dads' plates. You still prefer fruits to vegetables, but you're a pretty big fan of broccoli and asparagus. Just last night you discovered how much you like turkey.

You still love to read stories, too. Your favorite right now is "Dear Zoo". You like to open up the flaps to see the animals. You also like "The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear".

Just this week you showed off that you actually do know how to crawl. You only do it when you think no one is watching and when there's something you really want to reach. You don't like to be held too much, but you love to play on the floor where you can see people around you.

I love you more and more each day, my sweet little man. You are such a sweet and smart boy and I love watching you grow, explore, and learn each day.

XOXO,

Mama

Please

2011-10-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Moms of the World,

I have a plea for all of you. Can we please stop with the "mommy wars"? Can we please stop judging each other for our differences? It's our differences in parenting that make all of our children so unique and wonderful.

Sincerely,

A Fed Up Mama

I've been pondering on this post for a long time. I've been trying to figure out how to write this without offending somebody, or everybody. And then I realized that doesn't matter. Someone will always be offended, somebody will always judge, and somebody will always be upset by my opinion. But the good news is that this is my blog. And I can say what I want. And if you don't like it, stop reading. Anyway, back to my post.

My first item of business is the whole breastfeeding thing. I know I've talked about this many times, but it's still nagging a bit. I've done a lot of reading about breastfeeding issues, what research says is best for babies, etc. One theme that is constant through all of this is that everyone thinks their way is the right way. I'm here to tell you that the "right" way is whatever works for you and produces a healthy, happy baby. I recently read a blog post from a woman who discussed her struggles with breastfeeding. Instead of uplifting comments, a lot of what I saw were things like, "Thanks so much for perpetuating the myth that breastfeeding is hard." A) If it actually is hard for someone, that means it's not a myth. B) Whatever happened to the lesson we learned as children, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

Secondly is the whole working mom thing. I know I've talked about this before, too, but it really strikes a nerve with me. I have nothing against stay at home moms. In fact, I admire them for their ability to do this incredibly challenging thing. However, Curious George and I have made the choice for me to work to keep us out of debt. And really, I'm a better mom because I go to work. I don't have the patience or the serenity to stay at home with the Sharkbaby all the time. I would be grumpy, short-tempered, and it would probably make my boys not want to be around me at all.

The third thing I'd like to discuss is the flat out judgement. Why do we insist on comparing our children to each other? Why would we try and bring another mom down just because our baby hit a milestone before her's? Raising children is hard enough without worrying about how they compare to everyone else's child. Does it really affect our lives if a family chooses to co-sleep, cry-it-out, swaddle, breastfeed, bottle feed, discipline, let their children watch tv, or whatever? Not really.

So, I vote that we put a cease and desist order on the Mommy Wars. Let us come together in this crazy, difficult, trying, wonderful, heartbreaking, heartwarming experience called Motherhood. Let's not worry so much about comparing and contrasting our children as we do about raising a generation of kind, tolerant, and non-judgmental children.

As the primary song says, "Jesus said love everyone." Our job as mothers is the nurturing and righteous education of our children. How can we expect our children to learn tolerance and meaningful relationships unless we first put it these things into practice in our own lives?

Fall Favorites

2011-10-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

Guess what... I just blogged for 30 days straight! In celebration I'd like to share with you a few of my favorite things right now.

First and foremost, this little guy:

How can you not love that face? Oh man, this kid lights up my world. He is definitely my favorite right now.

Next is this album:

I am incredibly, disproportionately, excited for the new muppet movie (I can't help it, I love Jason Segel). Anyway, I figured I'd check out the album and I am o-b-s-e-s-s-e-d. I listen to it every time I'm in the car.

Next up are a couple of websites:

Trust me, if you haven't discovered these yet, go!! (If you need a pinterest invite, let me know, I've got some!) And polyvore lets me build outfits from clothing/shoes/jewelry I find all over the web. Awesome.

So, I still haven't found time to decorate for Halloween. It actually makes me kind of sad, because I really love Halloween a lot. But between work, school, and being a wife and mommy it's a little low on the priority list. I don't know how some women do it all...

I am looking forward to Witches Night at Gardner Village next weekend. My costume is going to be pretty legen-waitforit-dary. The Sharkbaby isn't actually going to be a shark... he's going to be a bat. Pictures will be coming soon!

Day 30: Favorite book of all time

2011-10-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

Oh, wow, this is a big idea. I have to choose one favorite book? I don't know if I can actually do that. I've read hundreds, possibly thousands, of books in my lifetime. I love to read. I always have. I need books like I need food, water, and air. I've spent many nights in my life choosing to devour a good book instead of catching some much needed sleep. When the Sharkbaby was born everyone told me to sleep while he slept. I was never able to do this. Instead I sat in the rocking chair next to my sleeping baby and filled myself with a story outside of my own.

Some of my earliest memories are of reading with, and being read to by, my dad. We had an old blue rocking chair where he would read me the newspaper, Dr. Seuss' ABC's, Ira Sleeps Over, and many others. I would often choose to read a book instead of playing outside with my siblings. I would pretend I was the characters in my books. Part of me wanted to be Laura Ingles Wilder, Anne of Green Gables, or Nancy Drew.

And now? Now I love to read to my baby. My favorite time of day is when we sit in the rocking chair at bedtime and read stories. He loves The Goodnight Book; The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear; Dear Zoo; and Guess How Much I Love You.

So, you see, my love affair with books has gone on for so long that I couldn't possible choose one favorite. But if you ever need a recommendation for a book I love, you know where to find me.

Day 29: A book everyone hated but you liked

2011-10-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, so technically a national bestseller can't really be a book that everyone hates. However, that being said, I've talked to a lot of people that really disliked this book.

Maybe it's the stream-of-consciousness, "Catcher in the Rye"-esque way it's told. Maybe it's the fact that it's written from the point of view of a boy with autism/Asperger's (the debate is still out on which it actually is). Really, I can't help but like this book. I like that the chapters are numbered in prime number numerical order. I like that there are pictures, charts, and diagrams. And I really enjoy the analytical look at the things the rest of us don't really think about at all.

Anyway, when all is said and done, I really liked this book, despite the poor reviews I've read.

Day 28: Favorite title

2011-10-04T07:34:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking about this one a lot this week. A title is what first grabs you for a book, and I've read a lot of books with great titles: Bossypants, The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc, and many more. But the one that sticks out in my mind is:

Doesn't that just have a ring to it. It just sort of rolls out of your mouth. The book itself, on the other hand, is kind of different. It's about prostitution in Victorian era England. So, if that sort of thing offends you I wouldn't recommend it, but it is an interesting commentary on the societal norms and expectations of the era. Even if you don't want to read the book, say the title a few more times. The Crimson Petal and the White... The Crimson Petal and the White... I love it, what can I say?

Day 27: The most surprising plot twist or ending

2011-10-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty tough to surprise. Not a lot shocks me. It's really tough to twist a plot so far that I don't see something coming. So, I'm going to choose a book who's ending mildly surprised, but immensely delighted, me:

In order to avoid any spoilers I'm going not going to tell you how the book ends. Trust me, though, this is one you'll definitely want to read.

Day 26: A book that changed your opinion about something

2011-10-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

I am a woman of many opinions... many unchangeable opinions. Once I decide to hold an opinion on a matter I generally stand pretty firm. So, this wasn't so much an opinion change as it was my letting go of a stereotype. The book I chose for this topic is:

I read this book *before* it was made into a movie. I saw it on the shelf at B&N and thought, "What the hey... why not."

As a healthcare professional I tend to hold a lot of opinions, many of these centering on the mental health side of things. This book did a lot to dispel some of my opinions and believed stereotypes about psychiatric units in the hospital, and the patients they house.

If you're offended by sex, drugs, or language you might want to look elsewhere, but if you can look past those things I recommend checking this one out.

Day 25: The character you relate to the most

2011-10-01T04:27:00.001-07:00

Huh. I'm not even sure where to begin on this one. I have such a vast array of characters stashed away in my brain that sifting through them to find the *one* I relate to might take some serious thought. I think I'm going with:

I first read this book maybe 2 years ago. My mom brought it back for me from a reading conference, knowing I have a soft spot for autographed books. This one is extra special, though, because it was autographed by the author AND the illustrator.

Anyway, on to Clementine. Clementine is just sort of her own little person. She has some funny ideas about things, but she's not afraid to march to her own beat. I like to think that I'm like that on some level.

Anyway, this is an early-reader chapter book. It is, however, and adorable story that I think everyone should read. You could even read it with, or too, your kids...

Day 24: A book that you wish more people would read

2011-09-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

I'm not terribly shy about suggesting books to people. Y'know, because I'm not opinionated at all. Anyway, one that I always recommend is:

The problem that I've found with this story is that it's a little slow-starting. I promise, though, that you will absolutely fall in love with Flavia, the main character. She is one of the most endearing child characters I've ever read.

This book is a decent mystery, and the start of a series (I have yet to read the rest... they're buried somewhere in the middle of my "to read" pile).

It's worth working through the slow start to get to the meat of the novel, I promise.

Forget-me-not

2011-09-29T01:53:00.000-07:00

I had a ticket to attend Women's Conference at the conference center. I opted instead to walk with the Englishes, Curious George, and the Sharkbaby in the Light the Night walk to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. I don't, for even one second, regret the choice that I made. Let me explain to you why:

I'd read on Facebook comments from enormous amounts of women that President Uchtdorf's talk was fantastic, that is was written just for them, and how wonderful the conference was.

I felt a little twinge at that, that I'd missed the opportunity to hear this great man speak to our souls. I felt a little sad that I'd missed out on the opportunity to join with a group of my ward sisters, and sisters in the gospel, to lift each other up.

I kept telling myself that I needed to read the talk. If everyone was talking about it, writing about it, etc, that it must be amazing. And then life happened. I could make excuses for why I didn't get around to it. I had to grocery shop, I have a baby to take care of, I work, I'm in school, blahblahblah. The truth is, I forgot that I wanted to read it. Like so many other "gospel" things, it got pushed lower on my priority list. It lost place to being a mom, keeping house, work, and all of the other things that I use to fill my time.

And then this week exploded. For whatever reason I've been moody, emotional, exhausted, and not able to sleep well. Sharkleton has been extra-clingy. The house seems to be in a constant state of upheaval. It's just been one of those weeks.

Anyway, back to my point... I came into work tonight and noticed one of my sweet CNA's reading the talk. I mentioned that I'd heard about it, and that at some point I should make time to read it. Within 5 minutes, she walked up to me, handed me her copy, and told me to take the time right then. I think she was inspired.

I took advantage of a few quiet moments to read the words of that dear man, and the pierced me to my very soul. I know that every other LDS woman feels this way right now, but I can honestly say that talk was for me. My Heavenly Father knew what I needed to hear, and he needed to remind me of some priorities. However, I was chastened and reminded in the most gentle and loving way possible.

"...we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others—usually comparing our weaknesses to their strengths. This drives us to create expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet. As a result, we never celebrate our good efforts because they seem to be less than what someone else does.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.

It’s wonderful that you have strengths.

And it is part of your mortal experience that you do have weaknesses.

...

Sisters, wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love.

Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!

He who created and knows the stars knows you and your name—you are the daughters of His kingdom."

There was a reason I needed that on this day at this time. There was a reason that I needed to wait a few extra days to read these wonderful expired words. So, I will strive my hardest to forget them not, because I am not forgotten.

Day 23: A book you have wanted to read for a long time but haven't

2011-09-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

Hm, generally if there's a book I want to read, I just go ahead and do it. There is one, however, that I just can't quite get around to:

I've started to read this book probably 4 different times, and every time I just can't get around to it. So, maybe, I'll get around to it once I'm done with school... and I've worked through my stack of other books to read.

Day 22: Favorite book you own

2011-09-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

My favorite book that I own has to be this little beauty:

I know, the title is hard to read, but it is called "The Art and Science of Nursing". It is a second edition nursing textbook from 1941. I picked this fun little number up from the DI for a whopping $1. There are hand written notes throughout the whole book from one Eva Lee Nippell, who I'm assuming was the owner at one time.

It contains such nuggets of wisdom as illustrated above, "Caring for the patient with nausea," and an entire section on answering a patient's call. It also teaches the nurse where to position herself when the doctor is examining particular sections of the patient.

Anyway, it's rather entertaining and a fun little piece of history to own.

Day 21: Favorite book from your childhood

2011-09-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

This one is easy for me. There was one character I always wanted to be, because I love her story so much, and that is Anne.Anne always had such grand adventures! She could create her own fun, no matter what was going on around her. Anne endears herself to you to the point where you feel like you are her bosom buddy.
Every girl needs to read this book. Trust me on this one.

Day 20: Favorite Romance Book

2011-09-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been quite a long time since I've read a book that could actually be considered a "romance". I might have to think on this one for a few minutes. Ok, so this isn't actually a romance novel, but it is a love story. This is the second book in the "Isaac" series, by Ben Behunin (a local SLC author).

The reasons I call this a love story are mostly the following:
1. Jake, the main character, and Amy, his girlfriend, fall in love. (They meet and start dating in the first book)
2. Jake falls in love with the town of Neiderbipp.
3. You learn about several other love stories.

I won't give away any more information than that, just take my word for it and read the series.

Day 19: Favorite movie from a book

2011-09-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

It is incredibly rare for me to like the movie version of a story more than I like the book version. In fact, this may be the only actual case I can think of. I first saw this movie:

and loved it so much that I just HAD to read this book:

Because I thought, "Hey, if I love the movie this much, I'm bound to love the book just that much more. That's the way it always works for me." Boy, was I ever disappointed. Generally speaking, I LOVE Neil Gaiman. I find his books to be incredibly fanciful, fun, and downright funny.

After seeing the Stardust movie, I found the book to be incredibly lacking. It just didn't have to quirkiness, the sweetness, and the fun that the movie did. I found that the parts of the story that were focused on in the book weren't as entertaining to me as the parts that were focused on in the movie.

Anyway, in a nutshell, the movie is worth seeing but the book is worth skipping.

Day 18: A book that disappointed you

2011-09-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

As I've been pondering today's assignment, I've discovered something about myself. Most of the books that have disappointed me have been a part of a series. Generally, the last book in a series. For example: Breaking Dawn (anticlimactic, lame plot line, and Renesmee), and the one I'm going to write about today:

Yes, I was horribly disappointed in Mockingjay. I HATED the way it ended. I felt like it was unnecessary and brutal. I felt like it was also a bit of a cop-out. I loved the rest of the series and devoured them as soon as they came out. It was the same way with Mockingjay.

And then I got into the book. I couldn't stop reading (mostly because once I've started a series I HAVE to finish it) but it seemed to go from one horrific scene the the next.

I won't give away any spoilers for the rest of you, but just know that I was disappointed.

8 is great

2011-09-24T15:17:00.000-07:00

A break from the book challenge (it will continue later today) for Sharkbaby's 8 month letter.

My Sweet Monkey,

Would you please stop growing already? I can't believe it has already been 8 months. You are getting so big!

This was a big month for you. You've become much more mobile. You're still not crawling, or rolling over from your back to your tummy, but you can backward scoot on the floor and you can get from sitting up onto your tummy.

You have two teeth now, both on the bottom. It took a little while for you to get them in, but you're a happy boy now that you have them.

You picked up a few new skills this month. You've been clapping your hands for awhile now, but you love to sing the song "If you're happy and you know it". You've also learned what to do when Mommy and Daddy say, "bang, bang, bang". You proceed to take whatever toy you're holding, or sometimes just your hand, and bang it on the nearest surface. We've heard a few words from you this month, too. You'll say "dadadada" and just today started "uh-oh".

Your daddy is still your favorite person in the whole world. Anytime he comes around you get so excited. You start to clap, giggle, squeal, and get very happy. You love getting to spend time with your grandparents. You love that you get spoiled by them.

Well, my sweet baby, I love you more and more each day. I love that we're learning all of these new things together. I love you to the moon and back!

Love,

Mama

Day 17: Favorite quote from a book

2011-09-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

This may have been the first one that wasn't a struggle for me. When I saw today's topic I knew exactly what I wanted to write about. The following quote comes from "The Beyonder's" by Brandon Mull:

“So many misconceptions surround the notion of heroism. Far too many categorize a hero as a champion on the battlefield, a commander of legions, a master of rare talent or ability. Granted, there have been heroes who fit those descriptions. But many men of great evil as well. Heed me. A hero sacrifices for the greater good. A hero is true to his or her conscience. In short, heroism means doing the right thing regardless of the consequences. Although any person could fit that description, very few do. Choose this day to be one of them."

Since I've already written a blog post on "everyday heroism" I'll just leave it at this: Have you chosen to be a hero?

Day 16: Favorite Female Character

2011-09-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, we've got ourselves another conundrum. If I thought I had a hard time picking a favorite male character, I'm going to have an even harder time choosing a favorite female. Do I go the Harry Potter route, which is filled with smart and strong women? Do I go with something from Sarah Addison Allen? Or do I dig into my past like I did for the last one. *sigh* With so many choices I'm going to cop out a bit and go with...

Molly Weasley

It's true, I love Mrs. Weasley. I think she is the embodiment of motherhood. She is not only a mother to her own children, but to anyone in need of one. She does her best with the circumstances and hand she is dealt in life.

One thing that I love about Molly Weasley is that she doesn't back down in the face of adversity. She holds strong to her beliefs and is willing to fight for the right. I also love that she loves her children unconditionally. She doesn't always agree with what they say or do, but they are hers and she will fight to the grave for them.

To me, she seems to make anyplace she goes "home". She truly cares about everyone she comes into contact with, and is willing to take anyone she can fit under her wing. I think that, as a mother, there are a lot of things I could learn from Molly Weasley.

Plus, she has a really cool clock.

Day 15: Favorite Male Character

2011-09-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Another favorite. How can I possibly choose just one? I have deep love in my heart for Ron, Fred, and George Weasley. I really enjoy Warren from Fablehaven. I love Jake from the "Isaac" series. But I'm going to have to dig back into my past for this one and go with...

Gilbert Blythe

Anybody who has ever read the "Anne" series knows what I'm talking about. Gilbert Blythe is about as close to the perfect man as any I've ever found. And most of that comes down to one simple fact: he never gives up on his love for Anne.

Now, it's been a long time since I've read this series (maybe I'll revisit once I'm not in school), but from what I remember, Gilbert pursues Anne across the course of years. He is handsome, kind, smart, and an all-around good man. He is the fantasy husband that all of us PEI-loving little girls wanted to marry when we grew up (and looked for in all of our childhood tormentors).

So, here's to you Dr. Blythe... the fantasy husband of many girls my age.

Day 14: Favorite book from your favorite writer

2011-09-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Again with the favorites... Well, since I already blogged about my *true* SAA favorite, I'll write about one of her other books:
This was the second book written by Ms. Allen, and the second one I read. I read it every fall to kick off the fall/winter season. In fact, I'll be rereading it in the next month sometime.

If you read this book you will fall in love with the characters. Your heart will go out to, and ache for, the women of this book: Josey, Della Lee, and Chloe. They have a depth to them that you don't often find in fantasy characters.

Again, this book has a flair for the magic that is intrinsic to each of us. Plus, Josey's sweet tooth will make you hungry.

Trust me, devour this book while snacking on a moonpie.

Day 13: Your favorite writer

2011-09-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

You know, the hardest thing about this book challenge is having to choose favorites. Really, I have so many favorites. Most of them fall in the young adult fantasy category (Brandon Mull, Michael Scott, Rick Riordan, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, and the ever-amazing JK Rowling), but one that stands out at the moment is Sarah Addison Allen.

Ms. Allen is the authoress of 4 books: Garden Spells, The Sugar Queen, The Girl Who Chased the Moon, and The Peach Keeper.

She has a flair for the everyday magic. She has a way of sucking you into a story and making the characters feel like friends. She weaves some delicate and intricate tales.

On a personal note, I admire her as a person. She is currently fighting a battle with breast cancer. She is completing her chemo and radiation treatments right now.

So, my hat is off to you, Sarah (may I call you Sarah? I feel like we'd be friends). You are a strong and brave woman with a wonderful gift. I will continue to read your books for many years to come.

Day 12: A book you used to love, but don't anymore

2011-09-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hm, like I mentioned in my last post, there aren't many books that I don't like. Especially once I've already decided that I like a book... The best I can think of is:

When I was younger I was mildly obsessed with Alane Ferguson. She did an assembly at my school when I was like 8 or 9, and after that I made it a point to read all of her books. This one was my favorite.

In this book there are 2 friends. One is white, one is middle-eastern. Somehow, the details are a little bit fuzzy to me, the white friend is blamed for the death of the middle-eastern friend's baby brother.

*Spoiler alert* It apparently scarred me, though, because I refuse to let strangers touch my baby in the grocery store. It turns out the killer was actually some guy, with blowfish powder or something on his gloves, who held the baby in the grocery store.

Oh yeah, and the baby isn't actually dead. He was just put into some kind of coma or something so this guy could dig up his grave later and sell him on the black market. Like I said, the details are a bit fuzzy now.

The one thing I absolutely remember is that the bad guy makes these friends strip down to their underwear and ties them together in his graveyard caretaker hut.

I dunno, if you're really that interested you could read it. I may go back and revisit it, but it just doesn't seem like it would be my cup of tea anymore.

Day 11: A Book You Hate

2011-09-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

It's not often that I full on *hate* a book, and I know I'm going to take a lot of flak for this one, but I really hated:

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for taking the time to "discover" oneself, especially after a traumatic experience. However, I felt like this was a book full of "hey, look what I did. But guess what, you'll never be able to afford to do this, or leave your real life for this long."

I realize that this is a memoir, but it is so self-centered. I didn't enjoy reading about Gilbert's experiences, and I wasn't inspired to go on my own journey of self discovery. If you enjoyed this book, more power to you, but you will never find it on my bookshelf.

Day 10: Favorite classic book

2011-09-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

This one is, without contest, To Kill a Mockingbird.
I first read this book in Jr. High, I think, and I was in love from that time forward. I love everything about this book. I love that it's told through the voice of a child. I love Calpurnia with all my heart. I love Jem, and Atticus, and all the rest. In fact, if I could convince my husband of it, I would name a child Scout, Atticus, or Harper. It's the truth, I love this book that much.
If you haven't read this book, I have just one question for you: What is wrong with you? Ok, that may be a little harsh. But, seriously, read this book. If you love it as much as I do we'll be friends forever. And that's a fact. (And to copy a line from my friend Amanda's recent blog post, and a favorite childhood show, "but don't take my word for it!")

Day 9 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving

2011-09-15T01:27:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I suffered from some pretty serious post-partum depression after I had the Sharkbaby. My dear, wonderful best friend, Ally, came down to see me and meet the baby shortly after we came home. I didn't have to say anything to her about how things were going, she was just able to pick up on how I was feeling and sent me this:

it sucked and then i cried

I'll admit, while I was happy for a book to show up on my porch, I didn't want to read it. I felt like there was no possible way it could help me feel better. But I read. I read because I needed to escape what had become my new reality. I read to keep my sanity.

And once I started reading Heather's story, I couldn't stop. Everything she was saying was written to me. The struggles she experienced were my own.

So I read this book, and I realized that sometimes life does suck. And sometimes we do just need to cry.

But it will all be ok.

P.S.- Thanks for the book, Ally. I'm not sure if I ever told you how much I appreciated the thought. Love you!

Day 8: Most Overrated Book

2011-09-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

Ok... think overrated...

There are going to be a lot of my friends that will want to disown me for this, but I'm going with:

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Twilight. I've even taken the time to reread it. But, forgive me Twihards, it is incredibly overrated. A few of the reasons I feel this way:

~The writing is pretty bad. This includes the editing.

~They are pretty historically inaccurate.

~Bella Swan is a horrible role model for young women.

~Edward and Bella's relationship is beyond dysfunctional. Don't even get me going on this one.

~The movie? Gag.

So, there you have it boys, girls, vampires, and wolf packs. I don't hate you. I just think you're overrated.

Day 7: Most Underrated Book

2011-09-13T08:15:00.001-07:00

Hm, the most underrated book... I'm going to have to go with Beautiful Creatures on this one:
I recommend this book to anyone interested in the young adult fantasy genre. It's a pretty quick read, and I love that the main character is a male. Y'know, it just mixes up that whole "love story" part of it all. This is the first in a series. The second, Beautiful Darkness, is out already. And the third, Beautiful Chaos, comes out this fall. This book didn't get particularly good reviews on goodreads or amazon, but I really enjoyed it. So, go forth, and read about Ethan, Lena, Link, and the rest. You won't regret it.

Day 6: A Book That Makes You Sad

2011-09-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

I had a really difficult time thinking of a book that made me sad. I tend to shy away from books that are "downers". However, this one was an award winner, so I figured I'd give it a go. The book I've chosen is:

This book was absolutely heart breaking for me. I had no idea when I picked it up how it would tug at me. The story is of a young farm girl from a mountain village in Nepal. In an attempt to bring some money and honor to her family she agrees to move to the city and work as a maid. Unfortunately, she is not put in a home to be a maid. She is sold to a brothel.

Really, when all is said and done, it is a fantastic book. The writing style is unique and it is a fairly quick read. Just be sure to read with a few tissues at the ready.

Day 5: A Book That Makes You Happy

2011-09-11T00:32:00.000-07:00

Books, in general, make me happy. But since I can't write a blog post about every book I've ever read I choose:

Edwina the Emu

"'Eek,' said Edwina, she seemed to be choking, 'an emu wash dishes, you've GOT to be joking!"

This is one of those books that makes you smile, no matter what. Edwina the emu is trying to find a job so she can afford her little emus. Edwina has some wicked crazy hair. Edwina is just plain awesome. So, go to the bookstore, library, wherever, and find Edwina. She deserves a place in every home. I promise, you won't regret it.

Day 4: Favorite Picture Book

2011-09-10T03:28:00.000-07:00

Alright, so technically Day 4 is supposed to be "Favorite Book in Your Favorite Series", but there's no way I could possibly choose just one. So I'm making up my own category. My favorite picture book (today) is:

Guess How Much I Love You

For those that aren't familiar with this story, it is about Big Nutbrown Hare putting Little Nutbrown Hare to bed. They have a competition, of sorts, to share how much they love the other. This is one of my favorites to read to the Sharkbaby at bedtime. In fact, we have a quote from this story hanging on his bedroom wall, "I love you right up to the moon and back."

To me this story is simple, straight-forward, and a great little read about the love between a parent and a child.

Day 3: Your Favorite Series

2011-09-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

This one is kind of a no-brainer for anyone who knows me. My favorite book series is, without a doubt:

Harry Potter

You know how you feel when your best friend moves away, when you get your heart broken, or anytime you leave something (or someone, or somewhere) that you love? That's how I felt when Harry Potter ended. I felt like I was saying goodbye to good friends, a home away from home (Hogwarts), and people that I had come to love like family.

I have read the Harry Potter series at least 3 times all the way through, and that doesn't count all of the times I've just picked up particular books in the series to revisit them. The Harry Potter series made me laugh, made me cry, and made me think a little harder about the good (and sometimes bad) innate to each of us.

I found examples of bravery. I found pictures of true love. I found some unlikely heroes. In these stories I found friends, family, faith, and happiness.

Day 2: A Book You've Read More Than 3 Times

2011-09-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

This category is a broad one, but one of my favorites that I can read over and over is...

Garden Spells

I originally picked this book up off of the "reader's choice" table at the library a few years ago. I was immediately hooked. I proceeded to check it out another 3 times before I finally purchased it. I now read it every spring and summer, at least.

This story opened up my eyes to a whole different idea. The idea of everyday magic. I love thinking that each of us has something magical about us, whether it be our cooking skills, how we cut hair, knowing what people need when they need it, etc.

While I am a self proclaimed Pottermaniac, I love the idea that even us lowly muggles can experience some magic in our world.

Day 1: The Best Book You Read Last Year

2011-09-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

I read a lot of books last year in preparation for the Sharkbaby's arrival. I think the best one I read, though, was this one:

The Birth That's Right For You: A Doctor and a Doula Help You Choose and Customize the Best Birth Option to Fit Your Needs

Anyone who has ever been pregnant has received a lot of advice (both solicited and unsolicited) on the "best" way to give birth. You will also receive LOADS of judgment. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone thinks they know exactly the best way to do something. For me, as a first time mother, this was a good basic guide for me to gain a better understanding of my options.

Anyway, I do have a point. If you're looking for a good "umbrella" read about various birth options, this is a good place to start.

Library or Bust!

2011-09-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's probably safe at this point to say that the "30 letters in 30 days" was a bust.

The reasons are 2-fold:
1. I'm busy. Really busy. I'm a full-time mom, cook, maid, etc, with a full time job as a nurse, and I'm also in school again. Yikes.
2. I've become addicted to Words With Friends on facebook.

So, I'm going to try a different blog-writing prompt. 30 books in 30 days. First installment to begin tomorrow. Have a lovely Tuesday!

7-Up

2011-08-24T23:23:00.000-07:00

A break from the 30 in 30 to write the Sharkbaby's 7 month letter.

My dearest Bubby,

I can't believe what a big boy you're turning into! You are a very independent and happy boy most of the time.

You love to sit up by yourself and play with your toys. You don't like to be strapped into things like the stroller, carseat, highchair, or grocery cart. You want to be free to move and play. However, you aren't showing much interest in mobility yet. You will roll from your tummy to back, but not from back to tummy. When you're on your tummy you can scoot yourself backward, but not forward, and spin in circles to get to what you want.

Your daddy is your favorite person in the whole world. When he walks into a room your face lights up, you get excited, and start to squeal and laugh. You love to clap your hands and you always clap for Daddy. You also love Sesame Street, puppets, and anything with music to annoy Mommy.

This week you went to playgroup for the first time with some new friends while Mommy went to work. You were such a good and happy boy! You love to be around other kids and make new friends. You sort of think that the world is all here to entertain you.

This month you also learned that you love popsicles, and that you know how to wave bye-bye. Anytime we walk past the front door you wave. I think it's just a little bit adorable.

Your favorite foods are squash, sweet potatoes, and pears. You think it's hysterically funny when I use my mouth to clean off your hands after a meal. It always makes you laugh. We also saw our first tooth this month. I think a second is not far behind.

My favorite time of day with you is when we read stories right after your bath. I love to use silly voices and do things to make you laugh. You always smell so good right after your tubby, and you love to just snuggle with me and read stories.

Well, my sweet little man, I love you so much! I look forward to all the new adventures we get to have together in the future.

All my love,
Mama

Day 15 - The person you miss the most

2011-08-17T19:54:00.005-07:00

Dear Baby Boy,
This letter is supposed to be to the person I miss the most, and right at this moment, that person is you. I'm at work and you're probably at home with Daddy.
You're going to learn in your life that not all mommys go to work. Some mommys get to work at home by taking care of their babies. But not your mommy. Your mommy works in a hospital. She is a nurse that takes care of sick people. And honestly, my sweet little monkey, I'm a better mom to you because I go to work.
I am grateful, though, to the moms that do stay home, because it gives me a place to send you when I work during the day time. We are truly blessed, little man, to have friends that will take you in as one of their own for a few hours a week. It does this momma's heart good to know that you are being loved and taken care of.
You see, Monkey, as much as I love you I need something else to fill up some of my time. I don't do well when the days stretch out in front of me without the structure of somewhere to be at a certan time. Also, you'd be awfully sick of me if I were around every second of every day. But I do miss you while I'm at work. I think about you the whole time I'm away, and I look forward to whenever I get to see you next. Because, little man, I love you so so much. You will always be my little monkey man.
I love you, baby, every second of everyday.
Love,
Momma

Day 14 - Someone you’ve drifted away from

2011-08-17T19:54:00.003-07:00

Dear Colt,
Ha, bet you didn't think that you'd get one of these, huh? I guess it was inevitable that we'd drift apart, since it's incredibly difficult for married men and women to be friends.
I've been thinking about you lately, wondering how you are, wondering what you're doing with your life, hoping that you've found all the happiness you deserve.
Remember the good old days? Sunday dinners, hot tubbing, game nights, Harmon's rolls, and all the other fun times? We might have been a little crazy, but it was always fun! Remember when we graduated from college and we wanted to freak our parents out by walking together? It's probably a good thing we didn't, my mom would have killed me!
I guess we've both chosen a path in life that won't allow us to be the crazy cat lady and the mean old goat man. Well, we still could be, but we'd have to bring our spouses with us.
Did you know that I consider you one of my best friends? Anytime something good happens to me you're one of the first people I want to call. My husband still makes fun of me for making the drive down for your wedding. I found an old picture of us when I was cleaning out my craft room a few weeks ago. It made me smile, and I put it up on a bulletin board to remind me of when we used to be young and carefree without any real responsibility.
Anyway, Colt, I hope that you are happy. I hope that your life is turning out to be everything you hoped and dreamed it would and could. Please know that you'll always hold a special place in my heart as a member of my Southern Utah family.
Love you long time!
Love,
Me

Day 13 - Someone you wish could forgive you

2011-08-17T19:54:00.001-07:00

To Whom it May Concern:

Are you still holding a grudge against me? I'm sorry, I don't know who you are, or what I did to wrong you. Please forgive me.

Regards,
Me

Day 12 - Someone that caused you the most pain

2011-08-17T19:53:00.004-07:00

Dear Self,

I'm choosing to write this letter to you, because I really have no one else to blame for the pain that has occured in my life. Any offense I have encountered has generally been because I have chosen to be offended.

Don't get me wrong, there are outside contributing factors. This boy or that hurt you. Things didn't go the way you wanted. It's always easier to blame someone else for the pains that life brings. But I can't, in good conscience, write an honest letter to someone else about my pain.

I know that we can't control other peoples' actions, but we can control our REactions. And, generally speaking, the pains I have felt in this life have been brought about in some part by my poor choices. I chose to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I chose to date the wrong person. I chose...

And so, I have no one to blame for life's trials except myself. So, self, here's to life's hardships. May we persevere through many more.

Sincerely,
Me

Day 11 - A deceased person you wish you could talk to

2011-08-17T19:53:00.003-07:00

Dear Grandma Great,

I think often of the last time I saw you. You were staying with Grandpa and Jennie and you were quite sick. You were feeling particularly bad that day, so you were resting on your bed. I was able to lie down next to you and just have a chat. We talked about school, my goals for the future, dating, and so many other things. You held my hand and told me you were proud of me. We both cried a little bit. I think we knew it would be the last time we saw each other.

I love the story about your final temple recommend. You knew that your end was near, and you wanted to leave this world the way you entered it: pure. It is a memory of you that I will treasure and pass on to my own children.

Grandma, I am under no illusions that your life was easy. I'm sure that Wilmer could be a difficult slot-head to live with, but he was your difficult slot-head, wasn't he. And to lose the babies that you did, how heart wrenching! But you lived your life with poise and grace.

Did you know that because of you I thought all grandmas were supposed to have brown hair? I couldn't figure out why some had gray or white. I think that I'll probably follow in your footsteps that way. I guess it helps to have a daughter that knows how to fix it just the way you like it, though.

Did you know that I'm a momma now? Of course you do, I'm sure you were up there in heaven prepping my little one for life in this crazy family. He's a sweet boy. Very good-natured and even-tempered. He is smiley, and happy, and so so smart. You would be proud of him. I'm going to teach him all about what good people he comes from.

Grandma, thank you so much for being an example to me. You are a wonderful woman. A woman that I will name one of my daughters after (even though I know that will make you unhappy since you never liked your name). I look forward to seeing you again someday on the other side.

Love,
Me

Day 10 - Someone you don’t talk to as often as you’d like

2011-08-17T19:53:00.001-07:00

Dear Lauren,

I miss you! Life, and some crazy adventures, brought us together... and then drifted us apart again.

Look at us both today. Who would've ever thought that we'd end up here. We're both old married ladies with little ones of our own. I look back on that night on the beach at Powell when we sat up talking for hours. Did you know, even then, that you'd marry Steve? I had a feeling that the two of you would end up together.

I still remember when the two of you were trying to decide whether you were going to get married or not. You hadn't had a chance to tell me that you'd made a decision when Jake leaked the info to me. I loved being able to be a part of that special day, and the secret-ness of it all.

Well, my dearest Lauren, I love you and I miss you. I hope that life and circumstances will drift us back together again someday.

XOXO,

Day 9: Someone You Wish You Could Meet

2011-08-14T19:55:00.001-07:00

Dear Sarah,

I'm not particularly sure how to begin this letter, or even where I'm going with it, so I guess I'll start with "hi". I'm quite a big fan of yours, Ms. Allen. I recommend your books to everyone I know, and anytime you have a new one coming out I make sure to pre-order it so I can read it asap.

You see Sarah (may I call you Sarah? I feel like I already know you so well), something about your stories has taken root within me. I feel like your characters are more than just fictional beings, but that they are truly friends of mine. When I read "Garden Spells" I can picture myself cooking with Claire Waverley, or lying in the grass under the apple tree with Bay. I feel like Willa and I would get along fantastically well, and I would've loved to help her solve the mystery in her life. Mostly, I want to spend a day with Josie Mancini, though. I want to sit in her closet with her and munch on candy and read travel magazines. Because, in a lot of ways, when you wrote Josie you were writing me.

I love the way you incorporate "everyday magic" into your stories and characters. It has truly made me stop and look at people in a different light. It has also made me curious about what my own magic would be. Like Josie, I believe that red is a magical color for me. Like Evenlyn, I feel that we need to act on the promptings and compulsions to help others. Like Claire, I think that there is something so telling about food.

And now, on a more personal note, I want to tell you how sorry I am that you have been faced with the trial and tragedy of cancer. Anytime I see somebody as vibrant as yourself struck by this particular ailment, I just cry inside (and a little outside, too). From everything I have seen and learned about you, you are a fighter. You will do things on your own terms, and you will win. And so, it is that particular bit of magic that gives me hope. It gives me hope that you will live a long and full life and continue sharing your magic with the rest of us humble humans.

So, basically what I'm trying to say is this: Thank you, Sarah. Thank you for the magic, the laughter, the tears, the joy, and the friends. Thank you for the inspiration, the stories, and for being who you are.

Sincerely,
Me

Day 8: Your Favorite Internet Friend

2011-08-14T19:54:00.004-07:00

Dear People of the Internet,

There was once a point in time where I had many friends that I knew only in the online world. This is no longer the case. I think, at this point in time, that I may not have any strictly "internet" friends. I have people that I only know of through the net, but most of them have no idea who I am. I stalk blogs, read people's life stories, get to know all about them (or at least the person they portray), but for the most part they don't know I exist.

You see, my life has changed dramatically in the course of a few years. I managed to find (and keep, and marry) a good man. Together we have a beautiful son. I have a career, good friends, and a wonderfully supportive family. I have come to know and love myself. I no longer need to rely on the kindness and friendship of complete strangers. I have built myself a support system of wonderful people, people that I can go to lunch with, people that can give me an actual (and not just virtual) hug and shoulder to cry on.

I feel that as I've come to know and respect who I am as a person, I've lost the need for outside validation. I'm ok with being who I am, and I know longer need to portray myself a certain way to make "friends".

Anyway, what I'm getting at, is that I couldn't possibly write a letter to my favorite internet friend, because that person doesn't exist. So, dear people of the internet, thank you for your support while I figured out who I am.
Sincerely,
Me

Day 7: Your Ex-Boyfriend

2011-08-14T19:54:00.003-07:00

Dear Collective Exes,

You are not a large group of individuals, but you were each significant in my life somehow. Once upon a time I was a bit bitter and angry about how things played out with each of you. But, once I grew up some, I finally realized what I had learned from each of you.

From you I learned how to laugh and how to cry. I learned patience, trust, and respect. I learned that, sometimes, I shouldn't wait for you. I learned that it is possible for a person's past to ruin their present. I learned that absence does not, in fact, make the heart grow fonder.

Mostly, what each of you taught me, was the importance of loving myself. You all taught me that unless I loved who I was first, no one else would love me for me. It took me a long time, a lot of mistakes, and many sleepless nights, but I made it... and each of you was a stepping stone to get me to where I am today.

So, thank you. Thank you for teaching me the things I didn't know I needed to learn. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again.

Sincerely,
Me

Day 6: A Stranger

2011-08-14T19:54:00.001-07:00

Dear Homer and Langley Collyer,

I just finished reading a book about you by Mr. Doctorow. I know that the book is a work of fiction, however, I also know that it is loosely based on fact. Really, I feel bad for you.

I'll be honest, I don't understand hoarding. It doesn't make any sense to me. I get that it's a compulsion and a disease. In most cases, it is something that can't be helped. But, really, a Model T in the dining room? And I can't believe that you literally worked poor Siobhan to death.

Homer, why did you never find help for your brother? You knew that he wasn't right. You may have been the one with the obvious disability, but you were infinitely more stable than Langley. You knew that his collecting was not normal. Was it just not worth the fight?

You were old enough when you lost your sight to remember how your house looked when it was still a home. I'm sure you could picture in your mind how it looked on the street amongst the other 5th Avenue brownstones. I'm sure it stood tall and proud across the street from Central Park. I've been to Manhattan. I know what that part of town looks like. I can see why your neighbors were upset with what what going on.

Anyway, having read the fictional account of your lives, I'd be interested in doing more research into the actual accounts of your lives. I want to know the why and how of your situation. I want to know what made you tick. I want to know who you were.

Thank you for piquing my interest. Unfortunately, we will always be strangers, since you are long since dead. However, I will know you someday.

Sincerely,
Me

(For those that would like to read this interesting account of these brothers the book is called Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow)

Day 5: Your Dreams

2011-08-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

To Whom it May Concern,
I'm not exactly sure how one goes about writing a letter to their dreams, or if it is even a possibility, so I will just leave it at this:

Hello, dreams, nice to meet you. I hope we continue to get to know each other in the future.

Sincerely,
Me

Day 4: Your Sibling(s)

2011-08-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Maddie, Zach, and McKay,
You guys freaking rock my world. I seriously have the best siblings of anyone I know. We always have so much fun together, and I consider you guys my friends as well as my siblings.
Maddie, you are, beyond a doubt, my favorite sister. I am so glad that we have grown up to be the kind of women that can be best friends on top of being sisters. I know that I can tell you anything and you won't judge me for it. You are one of the strongest, smartest, kindest, funniest, beautiful-est (sorry, had to keep the pattern going) women that I know. Even though you are my little sister, both in stature and in age, I look up to you so much. You are driven and determined, and not afraid to go after what you want in life. You are going to make a fantastic wife and mother someday, and I look forward to watching you take on new adventures in your life.
Zach, you are, and always have been, such a good kid. You are kind and helpful, always putting others before yourself. You are honest, hard working, and loyal. I know that if I ever have a problem with something you will be first in line to help me fix it. It has been a pleasure to watch you grow from a boy to the man you have become. I anticipate watching you achieve the goals you have set for yourself.
McKay, what can I say, dude, you are the life of the party! Our family just wasn't complete until you came along. You are such a good kid, smart, funny, well-read, and kind. You are truly a friend to everyone you meet. You are my book-buddy, my field trip buddy, and just my buddy. I love watching you play with the Sharkbaby, and I know he is going to love doing cool stuff with his Uncle Mac. You always know how to make me laugh, and can cheer me up when I'm having a bad day. I am so excited to watch you mature and turn into as awesome of a grown up as you are a kid.
There you have it, guys, the reasons I love you so much. I might be your big sister, but you all give me an example of how to strive to be a better person each day. I look forward to many more happy times together and to seeing our bonds grow stroner.
I love you guys!
Love,
Me

Day 3: Your Parents

2011-08-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

Dearest Darlingest Mumsy and Popsicle (yeah, I stole that from Wicked),
Where do I begin? Did you know that I love you guys? It's true, I do. You're the best parents I could ask for. You've given me a great example of how to raise my own children, and I'm a better mom to the Sharkbaby because of you.
Even when I went through rough patches in my life, you never gave up on me. You stood by me, you gave me some tough love, and you were always there when I needed you.
Mom, the older I get the more I realize just how alike we are. You know what it feels like to be a new wife and mother, and I appreciate your willingness to listen to me. You are such a fantastic nana to the Sharkbaby, and I know he loves you very, very much. I mean, come on, he sleeps better for you, he's happier for you, and you spoil him. How could he not love you?
Dad, you just sort of "get" me, and you always have. We have a lot more in common than how we look, that's for sure. You taught me what sort of man I needed to marry, and you are a great example to Curious George about how to be a good husband and father. Sharkbaby loves his Pops, too, but you always have been a bit of "baby whisperer".
Even though I'm grown up, I still love coming home. I know that it will always be someplace I'll be welcome, loved, and happy. I hope that I can provide that sort of environment for my own family someday.
Anyway, that's enough mushy stuff for one day. I love you guys, and I always will.
Love you,
Me

Day 2: Your Crush

2011-08-11T09:33:00.001-07:00

Hm, could be interesting, considering I'm married, and all.

Dear Ryan Reynolds,
Hi, you have no idea who I am... but I know who you are. Not in like a weird, stalker-y way, but still. I've been a fan of yours for a long time. I used to watch you on Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place. When I was in high school I had a picture of you hanging on my bedroom wall, I think I'd cut it out of Seventeen magazine. That's also where I learned that your middle name is Rodney. Strange, that I've hung onto that little nugget of information all these years.

Anyway, I really like that you're Canadian. I think that's pretty rad. I have a soft spot in my heart for Canada, seeing as how I grew up watching hockey. Personally, my team is the Canadiennes. My whole family cheers for the 'Wings, though.

So, I think I first fell a little bit in love with you when I saw you shirtless in Blade. Can I just say: Yum. And then there was The Proposal. You were just so damn likable in that movie. Plus, again, the shirtless scene (so, so naked).

Anyway, I'm married with a little boy, which makes this whole "letter to your crush" thing extra awkward. Pretty sure my husband would be ok with you stopping by for both of us to gaze at, though. Cause that wouldn't be weird, right?

Well, Ryan, I hope you have a lovely day. And I'll just keep crushing on you from mormon-mommy-land.

Best Wishes,
Me

Day 1: Best Friend

2011-08-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

Dearest Ally,

It's no secret that you are my best friend, and really, you've earned the title! Can you believe we've known each other for as long as we have? 14 years is a long time. Mind blowing moment of my day: we've known each other longer than we'd been alive when we met.

While we don't see each other as often as I'd like, I truly can't picture my life without you. Anytime I have good news you are the first person I want to call. When I got engaged I called you right after I told my family. When I found out I was pregnant, again, I called you right after I talked to my family. Because, honestly, you are my family.

I completely believe that, in life, we have the family we are born into, and the family you choose for yourself. In you, I have made a good choice. You are my second sister.

You have taught me so much about life. You are a strong and beautiful woman who is not afraid to chase after her dreams. I am so proud of all that you have accomplished in your life. I know that you are a wonderful wife to Shad, and will someday make a fantastic mother. And when that day comes, I will be right there to celebrate with you, cry with you, and laugh with you, the way you did with me.

You have been there for me through everything. Through the good things, the bad things, the beautiful, the ugly, the laughter, and the tears. When I made dumb choices, you didn't desert me. You always know just what I need to hear, even if I don't want to hear it.

I apologize if this is beginning to sound a bit like a love letter, but, it's bound to, because I DO love you. Not in the romantic way, we're both old married ladies, but with a deep love, nonetheless.

No matter what comes between us, be it time, distance, careers, or other obligations, you will always be my best friend. In the wise words of ee cummings:

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

I love you, Ally, always!

Love, Me

P.S.- I'm kind of a big, hormonal baby and cried while I wrote this.

Daily inspiration list found here.

Inspired

2011-08-09T08:23:00.001-07:00

So, I stumbled upon (literally, from stumbleupon) a writing inspiration list called 30 Letters in 30 Days. Since my world has been a tad bit ho-hum lately I figured I'd give it a try. So, starting later today (after I've gone to bed, and really start my day) I will begin number one. Stay tuned for a letter-writing extravaganza!

Day 01 - Your best friend
Day 02 - Your crush
Day 03 - Your parents
Day 04 - Your sibling
Day 05 - Your dreams
Day 06 - A stranger
Day 07 - Your ex boyfriend/girlfriend/love/crush
Day 08 - Your favorite internet friend
Day 09 - Someone you wish you could meet
Day 10 - Someone you don’t talk to as often as you’d like
Day 11 - A deceased person you wish you could talk to
Day 12 - The person you hate the most/caused you a lot of pain
Day 13 - Someone you wish could forgive you
Day 14 - Someone you’ve drifted away from
Day 15 - The person you miss the most
Day 16 - Someone that’s not in your state/country
Day 17 - Someone from your childhood
Day 18 - The person you wish you could be
Day 19 - Someone that pesters your mind - good or bad
Day 20 - Someone that broke your heart the hardest
Day 21 - Someone you judged by their first impression
Day 22 - Someone you want to give a second chance
Day 23 - The last person you kissed
Day 24 - The person who gave you your favorite memory
Day 25 - The person you know is going through the worst of times
Day 26 - The last person you made a pinky promise to
Day 27 - The friendliest person you knew for only a day
Day 28 - Someone that changed your life
Day 29 - The person that you want to tell everything to, but are too afraid
Day 30 - Your reflection in the mirror

Scented goodness

2011-07-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

So, my family has the Sharkbaby in St. George for the weekend. I feel a little bit lost, but I'm coping ok. How? Let me show you!First I went to the liquor store for some vodka (no, I wasn't going to get wasted with the baby gone). Then I picked up some home fragrance oils, and some spray bottles. What for? Glad you asked:

Homemade Febreze (Green-style)

I ended up with three different scents: vanilla-lime blossom, satsuma clementine orange, and aloe-fresh linen. They are delicious smelling!

So, if you want to make some for yourself, here is the how-to:

1/2 cup vodka or rubbing alcohol (vodka doesn't smell as strong as the rubbing alcohol, but the rubbing alcohol smell fades pretty quickly after spraying it on)
1 cup of water
30-40 drops of scented oils, depending on how strong you want the fragrance to be (I used 32)

That's it. Super-easy, won't harm the environment, and if you buy a big enough bottle of vodka you can make your own for years. Enjoy!

2011-07-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

6 months have come and gone, and life just gets sweeter!

My dearest Bubbaloo,
As I write this, I'm feeling a little emotional. You are currently on vacation with Nana and Pops, and I'm sitting at home feeling a little lost. I never realized until I sent you just how much my world has come to actually be you.
This month has been a fun-filled one for us. We went on your first hike, and you LOVED it! You were so happy to just watch everything going on around you. You were so amazed by plants, birds, Ruby-dog, and other hikers. You pretty much just hung out (literally, you were in the pack on my chest) and took in the sights.
You've decided that you would rather be sitting up than in any other position. If you can't watch what's going on around you, you are not a happy camper. If I sit you up, you'll stay that way for huge lengths of time. You're still a hoover when it comes to your cereal. You love eating big person food and I can tell it makes you feel like a big boy.
You love Sesame Street, Handy Manny, and The Wiggles. You also love it when Mommy sings to you. If you get fussy in the car I just turn off the radio and sing you songs from my Brighton Camp days. You still love to go for walks, but only if you can see exactly what's going on.
Well, my little man, keep up the good growing work. I love you more and more each day, and look forward to every new adventure we get to have together.
I love you so much!
XOXO,
Mommy

5 Alive

2011-06-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

Time for the Sharkbaby's monthly letter:

My Dear Baby Boy,

Oh, my goodness, 5 whole months! You are growing into such a big, handsome, and sweet boy. You are so happy and smiley. You love to be where Mom and Dad are, doing whatever it is that we're doing. You hate being strapped down, whether in a car seat, stroller, or anything else. You want to be able to move and wiggle and see what's going on all around you.

You love to suck on your feet and hands, and lately have been sucking on your thumb quite a bit. Your favorite toys are your monsters, they go pretty much everywhere with you. You also really love your Lovey that Momma made for you. You pretty much need it to go to sleep.

Speaking of sleep, you really like to sleep. We can put you down wide awake and, almost always, you'll put yourself to sleep within 15 minutes.

You got to go on your first camping trip this month. You handled the whole thing fairly well. It threw off your eating and sleeping schedule a bit, but nothing too major. You liked being on the boat, sitting by the campfire, and hanging out with all of your family.

You also started eating cereal this month and you LOVE it! You get so excited to eat, and want to play in it, too. We had to switch your tubby time from the morning to the night, after your daily cereal, because you were always such a mess by the time we were done. Everyone loves to watch you eat because you're like a little baby bird. You get so excited and start to dance around with your mouth wide open waiting for the next bite.

Well, Bubbaloo, keep up the good growing work. Your mommy and daddy love you very much!

Hugs and Kisses.

Love,

Mommy

Ahoy Matey!

2011-06-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

Every Father's Day, my family goes camping and fishing at a little lake in Southern Utah. The fishing is awesome, the company is great, and the time away from real life is the best part.

This was Sharkleton's first family vacation. He was such a good boy! Much like Billy the Kid with time travel, he dealt with the oddity of camping with the greatest of ease (sorry, couldn't help myself...). He stuck with his schedule, for the most part, and only had a little bit of trouble going to sleep at bedtime.

His parents, however, had some struggles. First, there was the fact that our trailer didn't have a microwave. We knew this going in, but I figures we'd just use the bottle warmer to heat up his food in the middle of the night. Considering that our trailer only ran frigidly cold water, this was going to be sort of important. Anyway, we discovered the hard way that the bottle warmer (which runs off electricity) wouldn't function unless the trailer was plugged into the generator. Oh wait, you can't run the generator after 10 pm. Hmmm... problem. So, my dad has a brilliant idea: we'll just fill a water bottle with boiling hot water, wrap it in a blanket, and it should still be at least lukewarm by the time he wants to eat. Uh, not so. So, on the first night I spent 20 minutes sitting on the floor of the trailer holding the cold bottle in front of the heater trying to warm it up.

And then there was the night that the heater went out completely. Friday and Saturday were both beautiful, with sunny skies and warm temperatures. And then there was Sunday... rain, snow, and storms all day. So, around midnight, I wake up to feed the baby and our trailer is FREEZING! We all laid there shivering for a few minutes before I made an executive decision. So, in the middle of the night, we packed a small bag, loaded the Sharkbaby into his car seat, and headed to Brian Head. Luckily, my uncle was staying in the condo there and heard my insistent knocking on the door.

On Saturday afternoon we, bravely, decided to take the boy out on a boat for a few hours. We bundled him into a coat, a life jacket, a hat, and a heavy layer of sunscreen, and jumped onto the boat. He handled it like a champ! He was happy, smiley, and kept making faces at this wind.

So, all in all, it was a great trip. We had a few late nights, a few more early mornings, some mishaps, and some great times. I hope that the Sharkbaby grows up loving that place as much as his mama does.

A Little Bit Rosie

2011-06-22T22:59:00.000-07:00

I love this particular picture of Rosie the Riveter. It sums up so nicely the concept of a "working mom".

I realize that the term "Working Mother" is redundant. Being a mother is a lot of work, but some of us aren't able to have just the job of motherhood (not that it's an easy one, by any means!).

I've done a lot of study on this subject, a lot of soul-searching, and I've lent it a lot of thought. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we have have been encouraged to have the mother in the home when at all possible. We have also been encouraged to stay out of debt. In our home, the choice came down to this:

~I go to work and we stay out of debt.

~I stay home with the Sharkbaby and we end up over our heads.

We have opted to stay out of debt. I have a college education that I'm putting to good use. I've chosen a career path that will allow me to spend the maximum amount of time at home, while still putting in full time hours.

Yes, there are sacrifices involved. I lose some sleep. I lose some time with Curious George. Once a week the Sharkbaby spends a night with his Nana and Pops. Are we any worse for the wear, in the long run? I don't think so.

I also work for my own personal sanity. After the boy was born I took a full 12 week maternity leave. I thought I would love having so much time at home with my baby. I'd get so much done, my house would be clean, etc. I missed work. As I mentioned in my last post, I suffered pretty severely with PPD. I felt like I had lost my sense of self. I regained a lot of that when I returned to work. Now, for 36 hours a week, I get to be the old me. Yes, there are still people relying on me for care, that's just the nature of my work. But, I'm not emotionally tied to them in the way I am to Curious George and the Sharkbaby. To borrow and idea from Alice in Wonderland, I had lost my Muchness. I'm much more muchier when I'm at work. My career choice is more than just that, it is a part of who I am as a person.

Now, don't get me wrong, we're not living an extravagant lifestyle. We live in a modest (but nice) home. We drive average cars. We wear average clothing. I may have a slight addiction to online shopping, but it's actually saving me money on the essentials (thank you amazonmom!). We aren't spending money willy-nilly, but we don't struggle to pay the bills, either.

This was not, however, a decision that we reached lightly. Yes, it was a "we" decision. I struggled for a long time with the idea of being a "working mom". When I discussed the subject with Curious George, he told me that he would like for me to be at home as well, when possible. We talked about it for a long time. We prayed about it, together and seperately, even longer. We counseled with our bishop. What it came down to is this: together, with the Lord, we decided that our best option was for me to go to work.

And guess what? It works for us.

(Disclaimer on the tough subject matter found here.)

The One About Depression

2011-06-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

When my baby was born I grieved.

I'm one of those sick people that actually enjoyed being pregnant... that is after I stopped throwing up. I loved feeling that little dude kick and move inside of me. I felt beautiful, glowy, and special. I even liked it when I started to waddle. When I was pregnant I felt GOOD.

Then I delivered my baby in a way that was not according to my plan, and that made me a little bit sad. I don't do well when things don't go according to plan.

Another part of the plan was that I would bond with my baby. Everyone always tell you the good stuff. For example:
~You'll love your baby immediately.
~Being a mother is an incredible feeling.
~You should be able to breastfeed with no problems, babies naturally know how to do it.
~Motherhood just changes you.

The only one that held true for me was the last. Motherhood did change me, but not in the way I thought it would.

Motherhood made me sad. I felt hollow, empty, like my heart had been scooped out with a spoon. I looked at that hairy, squirmy, healthy, 9 pound baby boy and felt nothing. I didn't want to hold him. I didn't want to see him. When he cried, I cried.

And that was just in the hospital.

Things started to spiral out of control once I went home. I felt as though I couldn't stop crying. I still didn't feel any sort of attachment. I asked my mom to stay with us because I couldn't stand being alone with my baby. I felt like I was working on the world's longest babysitting job. I kept waiting for this baby's real mom to come pick him up. This was not what I signed up for.

I began to grieve in earnest. I mourned the loss of my easy life pre-baby. I mourned the loss of my pregnant self. I was grieving in a way that I'd never grieved for anything before.

And then came the medication. Curious George urged me to get help. He knew that this wasn't a normal thing for me. He didn't like seeing me so sad all the time. So, we went to see the midwives. They told me it was more than the Baby Blues. They told me I had postpartum depression. My heart sank. That wasn't supposed to happen to me.

And then a few weeks later, my baby started to eat. My medications kicked in. And my world started to look a little bit better.

Postpartum depression is a real thing. And I have it.

*(Explanation and disclaimer found here.)

Left Alone With Big Fat Fanny

2011-06-16T02:22:00.001-07:00

So, I'd like to begin this little gab-fest by reminding you all of a post I wrote just over a year ago. You can read it here: Fat Bottom Girl. No, it's not a post about Queen (although I do love them). It's a post about me. And my fat bottom. Because I am a girl.

I was just getting started on Weight Watchers last year when I found out I was pregnant with the Sharkbaby. I was told that I could continue with the program throughout my pregnancy as long as I was staying in a healthy weight range.

That all went completely out the window with my first trimester.

I wasn't able to keep any food down except Kraft Mac'n'Cheese, hot dogs, and lemon drop candies. Yikes. So, at that point I decided that crappy nutrition was better than none at all. And I kept that mentality through the rest of my pregnancy. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted it. Still, I only gained about 30 lbs, all told. Not too shabby, considering that my diet consisted of bacon-cheeseburgers and tater tots.

Anyway, I digress. After I gave birth I still ate whatever wanted, whenever I wanted it. Then I decided that I would go back on Weight Watchers when I came back to work. I've stuck fairly close to it and set up on an exercise regimen. (Thanks, Amanda, for walking with me!)

And guess what... It's working! When I weighed in this week I'm at the lowest weight I've been since, well, probably high school. So, with the success, I plan on sticking with the plan.

So, when it's all said and done, I'll probably always be a little bit of a fat-bottom-girl, but at least it will be in the good way, right?

*For the disclaimer on this post please go here.

The Art of Oversharing

2011-06-15T23:56:00.001-07:00

So, I realize I haven't been fantastic at blogging lately. I apologize for anyone that might still be around in blog-reading land. But there are a few things that have been weighing rather heavily on my mind lately. They are things that can be difficult to discuss face-to-face with another human being, so I'm going to do a series of blog posts about some tough issues for me.

I've never been one to shy away from a difficult topic, but a lot of what I'd like to put out there affects me (or someone I love) in a very real way. I'd just like to forewarn anyone that these posts might touch on some nerves, they might let you in on more of my life than you'd like to know, or it might make you think less of me.

So, consider yourselves warned. Now, let the games begin!

Memorial Weekend

2011-05-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had to work both Saturday and Sunday nights, but we still managed to have a little fun (despite the icky weather).

We did our first 5k...

This is how we roll (Life is Good).

All strapped in and ready to roll.

Super excited for our first 5k!

We celebrated Pops' 50th birthday with family and friends.

We tried on Pops' birthday viking hat.

And we made and ate Minion cupcakes. "Wha?!?!?!?!"

All in all, a good Memorial Day weekend. Now bring on the sunshine!

Four To Go!

2011-05-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm terrible. I just went a month without blogging. I think I have a pretty good excuse though. Now, on to your regularly scheduled blog program:

My Dear Handsome Boy,

Another month has come and gone, and you are getting so big! You are such a happy boy, and your smile lights up a room. People are always telling me how cute you are, and how much they love you. It's true, you are incredibly cute... even with your mullet.

You've found your feet and they are currently your favorite toys. You also love your rattle, your Lovey, your "T", and the TV. You love to watch cartoons and Disney sing-a-longs. You love to talk, tell stories, and sing songs. You hate to be laying flat, though. If I put you flat on your back you'll do tummy crunches until your face is bright red. You're trying so hard to roll from your back to your tummy, and to sit up, but you don't quite have it yet. You also hate being in your carseat if you're awake. You hate being somewhere that you can hear everybody, but can't see them. You love to be the center of attention and can totally entertain a crowd. You are also a huge flirt.

I'm a naughty mom and I've been giving you tastes of my food for a few weeks now. You really like ice cream and yogurt. You're not so big on bread, tortillas, or anything that's salty.

You still get to sleep at Nana and Pops' house once a week, and you love it because you get spoiled when you're there.

Keep growing my Little Sunshine!

XOXO

Love,

Mom

Pick Three M'Lord!

2011-04-23T12:31:00.001-07:00

Another month come and gone... it was a big one for us. Read on for details.

My Sweetest Baby Boy,

Oh my, what a month this has been! You are getting so big already, I can hardly believe it. This month you hit a few new milestones:

~You rolled over from your tummy to your back. While you were laying on your tummy you were fussing a little and started to rock back and forth. Then all of a sudden you'd flipped yourself completely over. I started to clap and cheer and you immediately stopped fussing. Your eyes got big and you looked at me like, "My view of the world just changed. What happened?" I've tried to get you to do it a few times since, but you won't do it every time. Sometimes you'll just lay on your tummy and glare at me.

~You've started laughing this month. You won't usually do it spontaneously, it has to be coaxed out of you. We usually get the best laughs out of you when we tickle you or give you your toes to suck on.

~You're starting to discover your feet. Anytime I sit you up so you can see them you look back and forth between them trying to figure out what they are and how you control them.

~You are definitely the happiest in the morning and will talk to me for hours when you wake up. You are quite the little story teller!

This month I went back to work. You've adapted to it better than I thought you would, and are actually handling it better than I am. I've cried on the way to work all week long, and you are the only thing I can talk about once there. You get to go play at Nana and Pops' house, and love all of the attention you get there. Your world is also expanding a bit at a time. You are seeing some new places and meeting some new people. For the most part you are such a happy boy and like to just hang out with Mom and Dad, doing whatever they are doing. We love watching you grow and change, and we look forward to seeing what you will do next!

XOXO,

Momma

Recipe Swap

2011-04-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who shared favorite recipes with me! It's made for some fun new dinners in the Borges house. In return, I'd like to share some of my favorites with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Settle in, it's going to be a long one...

Mac 'n Cheese With Dogs

3 cups elbow macaroni, cooked

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

2 cups milk

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tsp salt

1 tsp onion powder

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 package l'il smokie hot dogs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. In sauce pan melt butter, add flour, salt, pepper, onion, and garlic. Stir until smooth. Add milk and stir continuously until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Remove from heat. In a deep baking dish combine noodles, cheese, and hot dogs. Pour in sauce and stir until well combined. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until parmesan is forming a crust on top. (Curious George didn't like mac'n cheese until he tasted my homemade stuff. It's sure to be a crowd pleaser, and kids love the hot dogs in it!)

Cowboy Delight

1 lb ground beef

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove minced garlic

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can tomato soup

1 1/2 cups cooked macaroni

Combine beef, chili powder, garlic, salt, and pepper in a 12 inch skillet and cook until beef is browned. Drain fat from beef. Add soups and pasta to ground beef. Cook over medium heat until bubbly. Great when topped with shredded cheese.

Farmer Pie

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 pkg brown gravy mix

1 can corn, drained

1 can green beans, drained

2 cups prepared mashed potatoes

1/2 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Brown hamburger and onions. Make gravy mix per package directions. Mix gravy into hamburger and simmer 5 minutes. Layer hamburger, beans, corn, potatoes, and cheese in deep baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.

Chicken Pillows

1 package crescent roll dough

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 can cooked chicken, shredded

6 green onions, chopped finely

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cream cheese, chicken, onions, and sauce together. Scoop into rolls and close up into a pouch. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until browned. Serve with chicken gravy and mashed potatoes.

Ranch Cheddar Chicken

1/2 cup ranch dressing

1 Tbsp flour

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup cheddar cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Combine dressing with flour in a shallow bowl. Coat each chicken breast with mixture. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Combine cheeses and sprinkle on chicken. Bake 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear.

Chicken Parmesan

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

4 tsp paprika (I like smoked paprika)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 egg whites

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

1 jar marinara sauce

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss bread crumbs with oregano, garlic, paprika, half of the salt, and half of the pepper.

In another bowl whisk together egg whites and milk.

In a 3rd bowl stir together flour and remaining salt and pepper.

Dip chicken in flour, then egg wash, then dredge in bread crumb mixture.

Place in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake about 15 minutes.

Top with sauce and cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes or until juices run clear.

Spaghetti Casserole

1 lb lean ground beef

8 oz tomato sauce

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup sour cream

1/2 bunch green onions, chopped

8 oz spaghetti noodles, cooked

3/4 cup mozzarella, grated

Brown hamburger. Add tomato sauce, salt, garlic, onion, pepper. Bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Combine cottage cheese, sour cream, and onions in a bowl. Combine noodles with mixture. Layer noodle mixture with hamburger mixture in 8x8 baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake 5-10 minutes more until cheese is melted.

Fish Tacos With Cabbage Slaw

4 cups thinly pre-sliced green cabbage

1 cup chopped plum tomatoes

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

5 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1 lb tilapia fillets

1 tsp chili powder

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add juice, one tablespoon oil, and 1/4 tsp salt; toss well to combine.

Heat remaining two teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with chili powder and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Add fish to pan; cook three minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat and cut fish into bite sized pieces.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon fish and cabbage mixture into tortillas.

Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)

8 slices mozzarella cheese

8 slices deli ham

8 slices bacon

1 can cream of mushroom soup

8 oz sour cream

3/4 cup uncooked long grain white rice (not minute rice)

1 cup water

Preheat oven to 375. Combine rice and water in bottom of 9x13 pan. Top each chicken breast with 2 slices of ham and cheese, alternating layers. Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each breast and secure with toothpicks. Place the chicken on top of rice. Stir the soup and sour cream in a bowl until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover the baking dish. Bake 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Crunchy Chicken with Ham Sauce

1 can cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup milk

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 Tbsp flour

2 cups herb seasoned stuffing, crushed

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese

1/3 cup chopped cooked ham

Cooked white rice

Stir 1/3 cup soup and 1/4 cup milk in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken with flour. Dip chicken in the soup mixture. Coat the chicken with the stuffing. Place the chicken on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Heat the remaining soup, remaining milk, cheese and ham in a saucepan over medium heat until the cheese is melted, stirring often. Serve the chicken and sauce over rice.

I hope these are helpful to y'all. Bon Appetit!

On Heroism

2011-04-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

"So many misconceptions surround the notion of heroism. Far too many categorize a hero as a champion on the battlefield, a commander of legions, a master of rare talent or ability. Granted, there have been heroes who fit those descriptions. But many men of great evil as well. Heed me. A hero sacrifices for the greater good. A hero is true to his or her conscience. In short, heroism means doing the right thing regardless of the consequences. Although any person could fit that description, very few do. Choose this day to be one of them."

~Beyonders, by Brandon Mull

I've been reading this book a little bit at a time over the past few weeks. Lately the Sharkbaby hasn't been napping so well, so my free time has been a bit cut short, but I've still managed to squeeze in a few pages a day. I was reading a bit this morning (when I should have been planning for my Young Women's lesson tomorrow) and this quote stuck out to me.

If you truly believe this school of thought, which I do, we all have the potential to be heroes everyday. There's a sticking point, however: We have to CHOOSE to be a hero. Yes, some people are born to greatness, but for most of us it is a choice.

How often do we truly choose to do the right thing despite the consequences? How often do we truly listen to our conscience (or for those of my readers who share my religious belief, the Holy Ghost)?

And on the flip side of the coin, who have we chosen to be our personal heroes? Do we look up to people who are doing the right things... or do we idolize "evil" people with great accomplishments?

And then comes the big question: What kind of example am I presenting? Am I presenting myself in a way that I could potentially be a hero?

This idea has been on my mind a lot lately. Now that I have a baby who is going to be looking up to me, who is going to be emulating the way I live my life, I need to set a good example. I need to live my life in such a way that the Sharkbaby will look to me as one of his heroes. I need to work on doing the right thing despite the consequences.

So I'm challenging myself (and anyone else who wants to take it on) to live my life worthily of being somebody's hero.

Share the Love

2011-04-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Pippi, and I'm addicted to shopping online.

I have a serious problem here, folks. I have the standards that I check daily:

Woot

Groupon (but I only shop this one through swagbucks so I can earn points toward Amazon gift cards)

Yeah, I check those EVERYDAY (some of them several times a day). And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I'm also a member of several online shopping clubs. You know the ones: Amazonmom, Huggies, Pampers, etc. And I find new ones all the time. It's a little bit out of control.

And who can beat the convenience of shopping online? I don't have to get dressed. I don't have to do my hair. I don't have to load Sharkbaby into the car seat and lug him through a store. I can sit on the couch in my jammies, hair un-brushed, and have whatever I need brought right to me.

I had a little epiphany today, though. For me, it's not just about the good deal, although that is a huge plus. It's as much about the anticipation of my stuff arriving as anything. I love getting stuff in the mail. I get so sick of all the credit card offers, coupons, and junk mail. It's a little bit of a rush when I get a package, a letter, or something else that's really just for me. Anytime I order something I religiously track it's progress from it's start to my door. I check daily to see how much closer it is. And when my doorbell rings, I'll admit, I get a little thrill. It's that moment of, "It's finally here! I must open it NOW!"

I'm pretty sure that this is an addiction I won't be able to kick, however. So, I guess I'll just keep shopping online and try to practice the theory of Everything In Moderation.

P.S.- I left you all links so you can share in my joy!

Baby-Free

2011-03-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

So, everything lately has been very Shark-centered, so I thought I'd give us all a little break from the baby. I'd like to share with you all 5 things you may not know about me:

1. I'm a name-o-phile. I have an obsession with names. I love baby name websites, blogs, books, etc. I think that the names we choose for people (and things) say a lot about us.

2. I think standing ovations are over-used. I don't give a standing ovation unless a performance was incredible. Not every concert, play, or show deserves the honor of me getting to my feet.

3. I wish my house had a laundry chute. I get really tired of carrying dirty clothes down 14 steps.

4. If I feel like my world is falling apart I like to get a pedicure or my eyebrows waxed. I don't feel like myself unless these simple things are taken care of.

5. I dream of being a fiction writer. I would love to have a book published.

So, what's something I don't know about you?

The Sharkbaby

2011-03-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

Family time in the lovesac

Mommy and the Sharkster

First pair of overalls... nothing cuter on a baby!

Sharky shirt for the Sharkbaby

Yeah, he's pretty hardcore.

2 Months

2011-03-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's that time again. My little man is 2 whole months old. We went to the pediatrician today and he weighed in at 11lbs 13oz and is 24.75 inches long. Which puts him in the 97th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight. So, without further ado, my monthly letter:

Dear Sharkster,

Holy cow, you are getting so big! I love getting to spend so much time with you. This past month we worked on getting you on a schedule. Like everything else I don't pick up immediately, when it didn't work as planned I got frustrated and decided we'd do more of a rhythm than a schedule. So we started a bedtime routine. Every night we feed a bottle, get you dressed for bed, read you "Guess How Much I Love You", sing "You Are My Sunshine", swaddle you up nice and tight, and then rock you to sleep. You are great night time sleeper, usually only waking up once in the night to eat. Naps, however, are another story. Sometimes you are a great napper, taking 2-3 hour naps, and other times you'll only settle in for short cat naps. I don't generally mind, though, I'll just put you in the car and let you nap while I run errands.

You are such a happy and smiley little guy. The only time you cry or get fussy is when you're hungry or tired. You love it when daddy and I talk baby talk to you, sing silly songs, and play patty-cake. You also love it when your Pops snacks on your toes. Your favorite person to take naps with is your Uncle Zig, and you love to make faces at your Uncle Mac. Your Aunt Maddie spoils you rotten, but you still won't give her a real smile. We're working on fixing this. Your Grammy Judy comes to visit you at least once a week, and you love to snuggle on her.

You still have crazy and fuzzy hair. I love to show people your baby mullet. When I sit you on my lap you do this funny thing where you stretch your neck out to get your head up as high as it will go. This has led me to nickname you either scrunch-head, turtle-head, or a combination of the two... usually Scrunchy-Turtle-Head. You love it when I tell you how handsome you are. That always makes you smile the biggest, but anytime I get out the camera to try and capture a smile you immediately stop. You're just like your daddy that way.

Well, my sweet baby boy, I look forward to another month of watching you grow and develop. You are most definitely my sunshine.

I love you to the moon and back!

Love,

Mommy

I Suck at Blogging

2011-03-08T10:21:00.000-08:00

So, I realize that I have a very good reason for not keeping up on my blog, but I still feel a little bad about leaving all 3 of my readers hanging.

Life has been a little crazy in the Borges household lately, what with getting used to a new baby and all. I feel like we're returning to some sort of normal (although it is a different normal than it was before).

We blessed Sharkbaby on Sunday. Curious George did a great job, and both of my boys looked so handsome!

I've been working on a schedule with the baby, and so far it's going pretty well. I read the book Babywise, and I really liked the concepts, so we're doing a modified version of that plan. I didn't like how rigid the plan in the book was, so I've just been following the Eat-Awake-Sleep pattern. The rest kind of evolved itself. He's even consistently sleeping 7-8 hours at night, and I can't complain about that! He's growing like a weed, my 6 week old baby is wearing 6 month clothes, which means that all of the cute things I bought for him to wear this summer are being modified to wear right now.

Other than that, life is just trucking along here. We're staying plenty busy and having lots of fun!

1 Month

2011-02-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

So, I just finished reading the book "it sucked and then i cried" by Heather Armstrong (she also has a website: www.dooce.com, for anyone interested). I highly recommend it for anyone who has ever had a baby, post-partum depression, or just wants a read that will alternately make you laugh and cry. Anyway, I loved it (making fun of Mormons aside). Something the author does, though, is write a letter to her baby every month. This is something I'm going to try and do for the Sharkbaby. I'll be out of town and away from the internet for his actual 1 month on Thursday, so I'm going to post it now.

Dear Sharkbaby,

Wow, one whole month old, already! What a month it has been, too. As I write this you are crashed out in your daddy's lap. This is a good thing, since earlier this week I couldn't get you to sleep during the day at all.

I don't ever want to lie to you, so I'm going to be completely honest and tell you that for the first few weeks I wasn't sure about you. We had a bit of a hard time getting to know each other. We just couldn't seem to figure each other out. There were times when I thought about sending you away to live at Pops and Nana's house. Then came the shift. I'll get to that in just a minute.

You see, kiddo, your mom has a disease called post-partum depression. That means, for whatever reason, when her body is trying to get normal after having a baby she gets sad. It has nothing to do with you, but it makes life kind of difficult sometimes. Add to that us not quite being able to figure each other out, and it made for some interesting times. We were both pretty stressed out for a little while, especially when it came to the whole eating thing. I could never be sure you were getting enough, but you never cried for more. Anyway, I was nervous about things so I took you into the doctor's office and had you weighed. As it turns out, you were losing weight... not a good thing. You were what Dr. Art (you'll love him!) called a "hibernator". That means instead of crying to tell me that you needed more food you would just go to sleep. So we stopped breastfeeding and switched to formula. I think it was the best decision we've ever made for you.

I am so happy that I get to see your little personality grow everyday. You are such a content and, for the most part, happy baby. You love music, noise, and being around people. For the first little while we didn't get much sleep. I left you for the night with Nana and Aunt Maddie one night last week, and I'll be honest, I cried a little when I came home. I couldn't believe I was leaving my baby with someone else overnight. I put you in your crib last night for your first night on your own. You did pretty well with it. We'll keep trying and see how things go from here.

Anyway, my sweet baby boy, know that your mom loves you very much. I'm so excited to see you grow and change everyday.

Love, Mommy

I am not a failure

2011-02-10T12:09:00.000-08:00

Sometimes life doesn't go according to plan. I've mentioned on this blog before how I like plans. I like to know what's coming, I like to have lists made of things I need to get done. I like schedules. I crave structure. Anyway, back to the point:

I had a plan. A birth plan, in fact. I was going to go into labor without medical assistance. I was going to woman up and muscle through my contractions. I was going to deliver a healthy baby without the aid of medications. I was going (gasp) natural.

Well, none of that happened. I was induced. I received cytotec and pitocin to get my labor going. I muscled through my contractions for about 2 hours before I was begging for an epidural. My plan was shot from almost the word "go".

But I am not a failure. I still have a healthy, happy baby.

And then there were the other plans: I was going to bond instantly with my child. I was going to feel a love like nothing I'd ever felt before. I was going to breastfeed him for a whole year. I wasn't going to cry when he kept me up in the night.

Well, let me tell you all a little secret that no one ever shares: sometimes you don't bond instantly. Sometimes you feel like you're holding, caring for, feeding, and changing someone else's baby. You feel like you're waiting for his real mom to come pick him up. But she never comes. So you muddle through, feeling like you're not doing anything right. You don't necessarily love them right away. You worry about their welfare, you think about them constantly, and you kind of like them a little... but sometimes bonding takes time.

And breastfeeding. Oh man, breastfeeding. It's hard. And it hurts. And sometimes your baby is a hibernater and won't tell you that he's not getting enough food. So you stop. Cold turkey... and guess what: your baby thrives on formula. And every time you feed him a bottle and look into his big baby eyes you fall in love with him a little bit more.

And one day you realize that if anybody ever tried to take him away from you they wouldn't live to see another day. Because you love that little guy with everything you have. And you can't imagine your life without him.

So, if any of that makes me a failure I guess I can live with that. Because I have a healthy, happy baby that I love more than anything else in the world.

A Plea

2011-01-19T11:51:00.000-08:00

I'm bored. Like, really bored.

Monday was my birthday, so I stayed fairly busy. Curious George and I spent some time shopping for some frames for The Aquarium. Then we had dinner, movie night, and cake with some cousins.

Yesterday I spent the day running errands. I did some shopping. I put up the vinyl on Sharky's wall. I planned my menu for the week and went to the grocery store. I cleaned out the freezer, for crying out loud! (Usually I spend the bulk of my Tuesday at work, for those who don't know)

Then today rolled around. What was on the agenda for today? Laundry. Yep, that's it. Just laundry. Now, I'm sure many of you (with much larger families than my own) could spend a whole day just doing laundry. Not so for me. I have our laundry done in about 4-5 loads. Ok, so this does take a little time because I sometimes have to run clothes through the dryer twice, but still not enough to fill a whole dang day.

I've already watched more tv than I ever have in my life. I've finished my book. I've read approximately 387,000 blogs. I've logged more hours on facebook than any one person should.

So, blogging universe, I come to you for answers. Please, give me some ideas of something to do. I'm begging you!

The Aquarium, AKA A Nursery for Sharky

2011-01-18T17:48:00.001-08:00

So, I finally put the vinyl up on the nursery wall. Pretty much I'm just trying to keep myself occupied now that I'm on maternity leave. I figured it was time for a little sneak peak at the nursery, though, so here you go:

Right now the changing table is housing the stuffed animals. I'll have to find them another home soon. I've also got some bins stuffed full of extra blankets, diapers, wipes, bum cream, etc. I figured I'd want that stuff close at hand. That tasty little piece of camo you see in the corner is the man's favorite diaper bag. Curious George told me that the one I picked out was much too girly for our manly Shark-child (speaking of which, I have another diaper bag, obviously never used, which is up for grabs to anyone that wants it. It's very cute.).

This is Sharky's crib. I got a swinging deal on the crib bedding, and my mom helped me buy the crib and changing table.

This is the vinyl we decided on for over the crib. I'm not sure why it's all washed out and gray looking. The walls are actually tan.

The dresser with some books and monsters (thanks Carma!).

My favorite corner in the room. The cabinet has some more blankets, binkies, burp clothes, etc. The picture on the wall was a gift from my siblings.

I just love these little birds, too! It looks to me like they're hanging out on a telephone wire.

"The Aquarium"

I Am Not a Patient Person

2011-01-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

The long-awaited day has arrived... my due date. And the sharkbaby is still cooking. I shouldn't be surprised. For quite some time I've been resigned to the idea of having to be induced. I just have a feeling that this little Sharkleton is going to be just like his mama: stubborn, only willing to do things on his own time, and always running just a tiny bit late. I had high hopes for him being born early or on time, because tomorrow is my birthday. Yep, I could possibly have a birthday baby. I hope for his sake that he isn't born on my birthday. It wouldn't bother me any, but I don't want him to have to be the kid that shares a birthday with his mom. So not cool.

When I saw the midwives on Wednesday they were very encouraging. Apparently I've been having early labor contractions for at least a week now. This is a good thing, because it's all work that my body won't have to do in the actual throes of labor. I was also told that their conservative estimate on a weight right now is 8.5 pounds. Yeah, that was their small guess.

I officially started my maternity leave yesterday. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself until he's born. I'm used to keeping myself on a pretty solid schedule through the week. I grocery shop on Monday, work Tuesday, do laundry and see the midwives on Wednesday, and then work again Thursday and Friday. With no work to keep me balanced I'm a little worried about filling my time. I guess I should make some dinners to freeze so Curious George doesn't have to worry about cooking for us for a little while. I'll be honest, though, what I really want to do is sit around on the couch in my sweats and just wait this little guy out.

Mostly, though, I'm starting to get nervous. I'm having a hard time reconciling the fact that this little shark-monster in my belly is going to be an actual living, breathing, human baby... any day now. I'm going to be a mommy. I'm going to be responsible for this little dude's education and upbringing. I'm sure I'll be fine, I've got a lot of great examples around me, but it's still a daunting idea.

So, I guess we just keep waiting. He has to be born eventually, right?

A Shark is Not a Mammal

2011-01-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Sharkbaby,

So, you're due in 6 days. I can hardly believe it! Sometimes I feel like I've been pregnant with you forever, but really it's gone so quickly. The midwife says you'll probably be late, so I'm trying not to get too worked up about your actual due date (January 16th, the day before my 26th birthday), but it's hard not to. I feel like I've been waiting for you for a long time.

Your daddy is so excited to meet you, too. He keeps talking about all of the cool stuff he gets to teach you. He is really happy that you're a boy. I think he was worried about sharing his hobbies with a little girl. He really hopes that you love motorcycles, guns, camping, and all that other boy-type stuff he loves. I keep telling him that he gets to teach you about all of that stuff, but I'm still going to read you stories, teach you how to cook, and do lots of other things too.

We've almost got your room ready for you. The last thing we have to do is put the vinyl on the wall. I let your daddy pick it and he's so excited about it. It is pretty awesome. We've had your crib for a long time, your Nana and Pops helped us with that part, and your rocking chair came from your Oma. She used to rock your dad and Uncle Richard in it. I think that makes it pretty special. Your Aunt Maddie, and Uncles Zach and Mac got a really awesome picture to hang in your bedroom. Now every time you look at it you can be reminded of how much Jesus loves you. I've got a bunch of your clothes washed for you, I just hope you don't grow too fast otherwise they won't fit for long.

I'm pretty sure that you're going to be a big baby. As of 3 weeks ago you were already over 7 pounds. I think you're long, too. You're at least long enough to get your feet up under my ribs.

You're probably wondering about your nickname... I guess I should share. Early on in my pregnancy I kept dreaming that you weren't a human baby, but a baby shark. When daddy and I couldn't decide on a name, we started calling you Sharky and it just kind of stuck. It has since evolved into Sharkbaby, The Sharkman, and Sharkleton. We still haven't decided what we're going to name you, for real. We're hoping that once we see you we'll know what your name is. We have some good ideas, though.

All in all, everyone is pretty excited for you to get here. We're trying to wait patiently, but it's getting really hard. I've got three more shifts at work, and then it's really just down to waiting. So, basically what I'm saying is... could you hurry up and be born?

I love you!

Love,

Mommy

The End

2010-12-31T13:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Blogging World,

Sorry I have been such a slacker lately. Life has been a little bit crazy in the Longstocking house lately.

I've been trying to figure out how to do a year end wrap-up, but I just don't know how to go about it. There have been some big things going on for us this year, but also a whole lot of nothing new. Anyone who reads this blog regularly is going to know about the big stuff, but I'll recap just for something to write about.

Big news number one was when we found out we were pregnant back in May. The first trimester was rough, and working nights didn't help, but I managed to hang onto my sanity (if not my lunch). I'm sure there were times that Curious George wanted to throw me out the window because I was being overly-emotional, ridiculous, or any number of other things. However, he managed to hold back and we've both survived to almost the bitter end.

Big news number two was buying our house in August. We've been so happy here, but are still working on finding out where we fit in our ward/neighborhood. Curious George is working with the priest quorum and I'm the personal progress advisor for the young women. I've got my work cut out for me in the new year with those girls... PP has not been a priority in this ward for awhile.

We are both so grateful to have jobs in this crazy economy. We are grateful for a beautiful home to live in. We are grateful for the opportunity we will have to be parents in a few short weeks. We are grateful to have our families close by and so supportive. We are so grateful for all of the many blessings we receive on a daily basis.

We hope the holidays have treated you well, and wish you health and happiness in the year to come!

The Great Christmas Surprise of 2010

2010-12-14T22:57:00.000-08:00

So, I'm pretty much the coolest wife ever (no, I'm not feeling terribly humble right now, thanks for asking). Let me explain:

About a month ago I started pumping Curious George for information on what he wants for Christmas. We generally just do one big gift for each other, and then donate to a Sub for Santa, Angel Tree, etc. Anyway, his list this year was pretty short (and so NOT fun!). It consisted of three things: an air compressor, a new concealed carry gun, or a jack and some workbench space for the garage. Yawn!

So, I was seriously considering getting him the air compressor, except for a few small logistical issues... I'm 9 months pregnant. How the heck would I move it? Also, how could I ever pick the one that he really wanted?

Then I considered getting him the jack and the workbench space. Except, seriously? Boring!

I was completely, 100%, absolutely certain I WAS NOT going to get him the gun. I do not, nor will I ever, think that a firearm is an appropriate gift. Plus, who wraps up a gun and puts it under the Christmas tree? I was not shy about giving him these reasons, either. But then I got thinking... he'd never expect it. He'd be SO excited. And it would pretty much make me the coolest wife ever in his book, especially since I told him if he wanted a new gun he'd have to get rid of one of his others (yes, we're THOSE kind of people).

So, I started doing a little shopping. I checked on KSL. I went to a few gun shops. And I bought him this thing he'd been wanting for months. I wrapped it up in a very sneaky way and put it under the Christmas tree. Yes, I'm a hypocrite. Yes, I am also pretty much the coolest wife ever.

This is where the story gets really good... or is it bad? The following day (yep, as in I bought the gun on Wednesday, and he went out on Thursday) he decided to do a little shopping of his own. He went to the gun shop, and decided to try out this little thing and see if it really was what he wanted. Our conversation went a little something like this:

CG: So, I went to Doug's today.

Me: Oh yeah?

CG: Yep. I wanted to check out the Keltec and see if I really liked it or not.

Me: Oh, ok.

CG: Yeah, I held it. I dry fired it. I really didn't like it. I felt like my finger rubbed on the finger guard weird.

Me: Well, that sucks.

CG: Nah, not a big deal. I'll figure out which one I really want.

Me: No, you don't understand. This really, REALLY sucks. (cue bursting into tears now)

So, needless to say I had to tell him why I was crying. And then he felt bad and tried to backpedal. And then he decided that maybe he was excited about it after all. And now I'm stuck with trying to decide whether to return the gun and get him something else, or just let him know what his present is and deal with it after the holidays.

I'm still a pretty awesome wife, though.

Lists are fun

2010-11-18T02:57:00.000-08:00

So, I've been feeling a bit unmotivated to blog lately. It's not for lack of things occuring in my world. Maybe it's because there's so much going on that I just feel I can't keep up. So, just for the sake of having something to post, a few recent happenings of my life:

~I'm currently 31 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I had an appointment with the midwives again yesterday, I'm still underweight for how much I should have gained by now... and yet I'm measuring 2-3 weeks bigger than I should. I feel that this should warrant bumping my due date up by 17 days. Yes, I would like this baby to be born in 2010. Really, though, not going to happen. Other than that, things are going well. Sharky and I are both healthy, happy, and growing right along.

~Little Brother came home from his mission in October. Things were a little crazy getting ready for his grand arrival (read: Maddie and I attempting to put contact paper on his giant welcome home banner at 11 at night.), but we pulled through and gave him a pretty good welcome, minus Ma and Pops who were on their way home from St. George.

~The house is great. We're very happy in our neighborhood, and are finally starting to meet a few people. It's been a tough transition into the new ward because our last one was so outstanding, but we're finding our niche. I am pretty excited that there are like 5-6 babies due between now and May, so Sharky will have lots of little dudes and dudettes to play with. Curious George and I both got callings this last week working with the youth. He'll be the priest quorum advisor and I'm in charge of Personal Progress for the young women. I must say, I'm a little discouraged by the state of the personal progress program in this ward (1 girl out of 20 actually working on it), but I'll whip them into shape in no time.

~Work is, well, work. We recently went through a little dry spell, which is rough when you're trying to save your paid time off hours for maternity leave, but we're filling right back up. I'm thinking maternity leave is going to come at a good time for me. I've been running short on patience lately so the break will be nice.

~I still have a million and one projects in the works. My most recent ones have been for the Harry Potter release party I'm attending tonight (thanks to the fabulous Jill). I've also got a couple of things I need to get done for the house. Curious George's mom gave me her old rocking chair from when her boys were babies. I'm pretty excited about this, I love having something that we can pass down through the family. However, the chair needs some TLC and I've had to scrap the cushions completely. I'm in the process of finding a company that can strip the old finish off the chair so I can repaint it before the Shark-man gets here. Also, if anyone knows of a good piano moving company, please share.

Oh, and with Thanksgiving coming up, a few things I'm grateful for this week:
~Indoor plumbing
~Zantac
~Feeling the Sharkster move, even though it doesn't always feel good
~Harry Potter parties
~Pomegranate 7-up

A Little Whodunnit...

2010-11-02T20:02:00.001-07:00

Was it Mrs. Peacock in the hall with the revolver?

Was it Mrs. White in the dining room with the candlestick?

Was it Professor Plum in the conservatory with the wrench?

Was it Mr. Green in the bedroom with the knife?

Was it Colonel Mustard in the bathroom with the rope?

Or was it Ms. Scarlet in the kitchen with the lead pipe?

There's no mystery here... Col. Mustard did it.

The world may never know who killed Mr. Body.

Does anyone have a Clue?

Cast of Characters:

Ms. Scarlet--Pippi Longstocking
Colonel Mustard--Curious George
Mrs. Peacock--Madison Hatch (My little sister)
Mrs. White--Brianna Barnett (My Cousin)
Professor Plum--Greg Barnett (Another Cousin)
Mr. Green--Andrew Barnett (A Third Cousin)

Oh, how I love Halloween!

A Little Halloween Cheer

2010-10-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

So, I mentioned in a previous post how much I LOVE Halloween. Well, I've been crafting and sewing up a storm over here. (It's true, my house has burlap, glitter, and mod podge EVERYWHERE!) Anyway, as promised, a few pictures of what I've been working on:
So this sweet little burlap number is now hanging on the inside of my back door. I'm pretty much in love with it!

And the start on my Halloween costume:
I've got the basic dress form sewn, I just need to finish the neck, arm holes, hem it, and add the petticoat layers underneath. Ms. Scarlet, here I come!

Happy Haunting!

P.S.- Due to the insane amount of dreams I've been having about sharks, we've all taken to calling Little Critter by a new nickname: Sharky. So, that's what I'm changing his blog name to. He will henceforth be known as Sharky.

Save the Drama

2010-10-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

Real life drama makes me uncomfortable. It always has.

I can watch it on tv with no problem. In fact, some of my favorite shows are dramatic too a fault (stop wreaking havoc on my whacked-out-hormonal-emotions, Grey's!), and I eat them up with a spoon. But drama in my own life? Ugh. No thank you.

Maybe it's the confrontations. I don't like being forced to confront other people. I'm a girl, so of course I'd rather talk it over with my girlfriends, cry a little, and then plot revenge that I'll never take. But, if someone gets in my face about something I freeze. For example, last week at work I had a family member of a patient confront me about how he feels some aspects of his wife's care are absolutely unacceptable. What did I do? I passed his concerns on to my manager and hoped the whole thing would blow over.

And in my life, I equate controversy with drama. I don't like controversy. It makes me incredibly uncomfortable. I choose to stand where I choose to stand, and I don't like someone telling me I should choose otherwise. On this note, I would like to take a moment to share my feelings on what has become a very hot-button issue this week. You all know what's coming... President Packer's general conference talk.

It saddens me to see the amount of anti-Mormon talk, tweet, blog, what-have-you that has come about because of this. I would like to remind you all that President Packer was not speaking on a new topic. The proclamation to the family was released 15 years ago, and this has been an issue addressed many times before and since then.

I believe fully that our prophets and apostles are men of God, chosen by God to serve in his place on this earth. I believe that they very prayerfully, and carefully, prepare the talks that they will give to us at conference time. We live in a world of turmoil. We live in a world where everything we know is being changed. I believe this talk was meant as a warning to us: change is not always for the best.

Our gospel is not a gospel of hate. Hating any group of people because they are different, in whatever way, is not Heavenly Father's way. It is Satan's way. We are all entitled to our own feelings on any particular subject, but I feel that spreading hate is not an effective way to share your cause. Hate will just breed more hate.

So, believe what you will. Practice what you will. Even hate what you will. I know where I stand on this subject, and I ask you, for the sake of our friendship, to please keep your controversial feelings to yourself.

Halloween Craft-aholic

2010-09-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

So, it's happened. I've caught the bug that's going around. No, not the nasty cold/flu bug that's going around. The Halloween craft bug.
I love, Love, LOVE Halloween. It's always been my favorite time of year and my favorite holiday. I remember years when I actually wore multiple costumes to different parties. I know, a little bit intense. Anyway, now that I'm (sort of) a grown up with a home of my own I've really fallen in love with decorating for Halloween. I've also become more than a little bit addicted to craft blogs. So, long story short: I have about a bazillion great craft ideas that I want to make for my house this year. It's a good thing I have multiple doors, too, because a few of them are wreaths.
I've already started a little bit of Halloween decorating, even though I usually wait until October 1st to get that going. It's just a baby step, though... I keep an apothecary jar on my kitchen table full of seasonal-type candies. Shopko had their different flavored candy corns on sale for $1 a pack, so I bought one of each and mixed them all up in the jar. At the rate I've been snacking on them, though, I'm not sure there will be any left come Halloween.
So, until I actually get going on these crafts I'm just going to tease a little bit with a shopping list of things I'm going to need for crafts:
~Glitter
~Black burlap
~Ribbon... lots and lots of ribbon!
~Black lace
~Twine
~Scrapbook paper, Halloween style
~Modpodge

Now, to figure out how to make my Halloween costume work... Any suggestions on where to find a Ms. Scarlet dress that'll fit my round pregnant body?

Update-a-licious

2010-09-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

Whew, it's been awhile since my last little tell-all! We finally got the internet at our new house this week, so hopefully things will pick up on the blogging front. For now, I'll just update you on a few things... and maybe throw in a random fact about myself here and there just for fun.

The house: It's coming along. I've got furniture pretty much put where I want it, pictures hung on most of my walls, and things pretty well organized. I still have some work to do in the basement, but I'll get there. Little Critter's crib and changing table came this week, so I got those all put together and I've started doing some work in his room. We're thinking that we're probably going to go with "transportation"-style decorations in there. Should be pretty darn cute.

The pregnancy/baby: We had another ultrasound this week and he WOULD NOT hold still. I had one 4 weeks ago and they couldn't get a good picture of his heart, so they asked me to come back. Well, he made it tough this time around, too. The poor ultrasound tech was getting so frustrated because he kept somersaulting from one side of my body to the other. They finally got the picture of his heart they wanted, though, and everything looks good. He's about 11 inches long and weighs in at a whopping 1 lb 4 oz. I'm feeling him move more and more, and Curious George is excited to be able to feel him move from the outside.

Random fact #327: When using a public restroom, it bothers me to use one of the stalls on the end of the row. I prefer to go somewhere in the middle.

I'm pretty excited that it's starting to cool down into fall. Autumn is by far my favorite season for so many reasons. I've already started thinking through my Halloween costume, it should be a good one this year. However, fall also means that my fruit trees in the back yard are dropping fruit like crazy! So, if you want pears, apples, or apple-pears let me know, I've got a TON. We had about a dozen peaches grow on our tree, but they all had bird or worm holes in them so I had to throw them out.

Random fact #21: I am anti-white socks. I hate them. In fact, my patients often comment on my stripes, polka dots, or argyle.

Well, I think that's about everything for now. What's new with you?

On friendship...

2010-08-27T00:22:00.000-07:00

"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."

~William Blake

I have a tendency to be a bad friend. It's true, and it's something I've accepted about myself. I've tried hard to work on it, but old habits die hard. Anyway, I was feeling a little reminiscent about life today (while I couldn't sleep because Joe was active) and let me tell you exactly why I'm a bad friend:

1. I gossip. I'm a woman, I'm a nurse, and once you get me going this mouth doesn't stop moving for much. I know a woman who has a policy that she doesn't talk about anyone who isn't physically in her presence at the time of the conversation. Wow, that's dedication. I don't know if I'll ever get to that point, but I would like to try harder to not backbite. It's a horrible, nasty habit, and one I should get rid of.

2. I'm a bit of a "one-upper". If you tell a story, I will probably try and tell one bigger and better. If something weird happened to you, I can come up with a time something weirder happened to me. Again, another bad habit, and one I should break. I need to learn to let other people have their moment.

3. I'm selfish. I use the "I" word... a lot. I like to talk about myself. This one is a strange phenomenon for me, though, because it doesn't happen in the presence of casual acquaintances or strangers. I only get this way around people I consider friends. Without meaning to, I will turn almost any conversation back around to myself.

4. I don't think before I act. I do dumb stuff. A lot of dumb stuff. I generally don't consider other people's feelings before I do dumb stuff, either. As an adult, I look back at a lot of things I did and said to my friends in high school and college, and I could kick myself for it. I'm sure I made a lot of people really uncomfortable with my actions.

5. I like to be in the limelight. This is sort of the wrap up of all of the above. I like to be the center of attention sometimes. If I help with a party, it's probably because I want something out of it. If I do you a favor, I'm usually going to find some way to let it benefit me. I struggle with selfless service.

6. I have no follow through. I never call when I say I will. I rarely plan things that I should plan. You really can't rely on me for much of anything. And in the process of not following through, I'll make up excuses for why I didn't do whatever I was supposed to.

7. My feelings get hurt easily. I may not always let you know it, but if I'm not involved it stings. I like to know your secrets. If you have a club, I want to be a part of it. If you're throwing a party, I want an invitation. If I feel left out, my feelings get hurt... and I just won't tell you that they're hurt.

So, let me just finish with saying this: if my actions in any of the before-mentioned categories have affected you in any way, I apologize. And I promise I'm going to work on being a better friend.