I've lost track. Besides, should I really count days I didn't touch it?
Either way, it is done. Well, the stitching is done. As soon as I post this, I'm on the road delivering it to my saint of a mother who has volunteered to finish it into an actual stocking. She feels it her "duty", since she has finished (or helped me) the other 5 hanging on our mantle. So, with 2 days to spare, we are on the way to Ellie's stocking completion. :)
Yes, the above title could refer to my blog which hasn't been posted on for six months (who does that?!)
Oh yeah. Me.
But actually, it is referring to my own baby, Ellie, who still does not have a lovingly cross-stitched Christmas stocking handmade by her mother. Yes, call CPS, my poor almost 5 year old daughter is still waiting for her matching-with-the-rest-of-the-family stocking. I have had all the supplies to make it since the Fall of 2006. I have had great intentions. Of course, I have all sorts of great intentions, but lack a lot of follow through. I blame genetics. ;)
The sad state of Ellie's stocking:
Exciting things are afoot in the missionary efforts of the Mormon Church. As many of you know, Ron works for the Church in the Missionary Dept, and his biggest assignment is Mormon.org. He's been through a number of redesigns in the last 8 years, but the next one is, by far, the most exciting and significant.
I was able to go last week to a seminar for Mormon bloggers....yeah, I only got that invitation by virtue of being someone's wife! But it was fun to be there and see the presentation and the reaction of the people there. Overall: excitement about the new site. Those of us there were asked to go home, and blog about what we learned.
The new site is beautiful! Vibrant colors, and very inviting. The Church and missionary department have looked at studies, and done focus groups, and each time, they find out that the general non-Mormon population have very skewed perceptions of the Church. All the info they get is from garbage like "Big Love", or perhaps what comes up when they Google "Mormon", most of which is not true, or nice. But when a focus group was given the chance to look through a sample of the new site for a few minutes, their perceptions completely changed, and we were suddenly normal people, who try to do what's right, love our family, and serve others. We actually became something almost appealing, imagine that!
Take a look:
I got a phone call back in March....or maybe the beginning of April....from a Board Member at the younger kids school. (We are at a charter school, so we have a board of mostly founding parents that help run the school.) Anyhoo, she got my name from someone(I really wish I knew who!) that recommended me to be on the Business Partners/Adopt-a-Class Committee. Not only that, she wanted me to Chair the committee.
That threw me. I don't like being in charge...unless it's of my own home and kids, then I'm fine being the boss!
But to be in charge of other things...run meetings, get-togethers, meet deadlines? Eek! I am the Queen of Procrastination. Really, I'm good at it! So to have to meet deadlines and stuff? Stresses me out. I told her I'd be happy to help with the committee, but to let me think on the Chair part and call me back in a couple days. She didn't call back. But two days later I and the rest of the committee received an email announcing me as the new Chair. Help!
I decided to suck it up. I could do it. I have the skills.....just lack the time-management/non-procrastination ones.
Wish me luck. I've already made it through the Appreciation Night, to thank all of this year's sponsors....now we're knee deep in finding sponsors for next year. Hoping our current sponsors want to keep doing it. We have picked up a number of new ones already, and according to the board member I work with, we are already looking better than we ever have at this point.
So that's some of where I've been. It seems like lately, when I get on the computer, I am emailing or updating spreadsheets instead of blogging. Well, that and sorry, but facebook and twitter is a quick way to write and go.
And my apologies to all those I faithfully read for not commenting. I have recently cleaned out my reader and I just did quick reads and no comments....sorry! I'll try to do better.
I've been so swamped writing so many darn posts on this blog that I just needed a break...thankfully the kids had some days out of school, so Ron took some days off and we headed south looking for some sun. Oh, and we brought the 4wheelers along too!
This was out in Sand Hollow, south of Hurricane. There was this cool sandstone fin I drove up on, Ron wondering the whole time what I was doing and how I was going to get down. I figured I'd just turn around in a space I saw at the top, but then I looked closely enough and thought I'd just be able to drive down the other side. I asked Ron if he thought I would make it okay, and he said if i did it, he'd video it?! How's that for support?! I'm thinking he was hoping to be able to sell the video of some atv rollover....just kidding! It looked steeper and scarier from the 4wheeler....
This was a writing exercise Jared recently did. Apparently, getting "Beatles Rock Band" for Christmas was more than entertaining, it was educational!
Unless you live under a rock, or are one of those really strong-willed people that have banned TV from your homes, I'm sure you are well aware that the 2010 Winter Olympics are in full force. Except for the downhill skiiers.....who seem to be having an issue with snow.
In honor of the Olympics, I dragged out our little stuffed mascots that we got way back in 2002 when little ole SLC hosted the games. See, I knew that my packrat tendencies would come in handy one day! Behold the decorated mantle:
Sending some love out from our family to yours. Not that all of us are pictured here below...just half of the family that required valentines to give out at school.....but you can be certain that we ALL send our love!
(Reasons for unique posing was for candy placement...cut a slit in the picture and slip a sucker stick in...viola! Vday card with a treat!)
Here's my funny for the day:
While checking out at Costco, the cashier and her helper loading my cart up were talking. The cashier was telling her that ever since she was little, she can't eat fish because when she was young, her older brother would feed her odd things (like squirrel) and tell her it was fish. (Aren't older brothers great?!)
Then the lady loading the cart started telling us that when she was on her mission, the people there would eat all sorts of weird things, like roadkill possum....I asked her, "Where did you go, West Virginia?"
She looked at me surprised, and answered, "Yes!"
I had to laugh....it pays to know where the hillbillies live. ;)
I don't think I have a style of cooking.....maybe comfort food would be a good category fit. I like easy. I like stuff my kids will eat. I like mexican type spicy. I like soup. Ron doesn't. But he likes this! But really, does chili count as soup?
I don't do a traditional Sundee dinner around here....no pot roast, or chicken, or meatloaf every Sabbath. I like to mix it up sometimes. This week....Chili and Cornbread:
To all of you that commented with some post ideas and suggestions in the previous post, Thank You!!! And thanks for making yourself known. :) Just in case you are wondering, I think I had 32 reads of that post, and 6 comments. So......you lurkers and non-commenters (you know who you are, and I wish I did too)....anyone else that wants to add an idea that didn't previously, feel free!
I'm taking all your ideas under consideration, and over the next few weeks, you'll see it! I'm realistic enough to know that there's no way I'll get them done over the next few days.
Especially the photography ones.....if there is something I have discovered about myself, it is that I don't take pictures in the winter. It must be my manifestation of the Seasonal Affective Disorder. ;) I just don't pick my camera up much. But we'll see, maybe it'll help the sun shine in my brain.
I really do...but I have (obviously) been a SLACK lately and now I just don't have any material that I can come up with. So, let's try this. Maybe it will help some of you lurkers comment....because I know you are there...I have a sitemeter!
Leave me a comment, let me know you are there, then give me some material for a post. Ask a question, request a recipe, story, whatever......within reason.
Who knows, maybe it'll be fun, maybe it'll flop...And by all means, even if I don't know you, comment. I love meeting new people. Unless you are mean or a stalker, then go away! ;)
I'm here waiting.....and doing laundry.....
The only true and correct way to enjoy a Disney princess movie is to dress as the princess you are watching and dance to all the songs. (Notice the baby wipe she is holding?! They are in the midst of a cleaning song, after all!) As demonstrated by the four year old:
Riley hits the big 16 today. It's big. It's amazing. I've known this girl since just after she turned 5. I'm about to enter my 11th year with her. I'd probably be doing a much better job with her if she were only that old. No lies, we've had some rough patches. We're in the midst of more. I fully admit that I was not prepared to be her mother when I took on the job and I should have done just about everything differently. But I do know that Riley has some amazing potential. She was given a test and trial in her life that many of us couldn't handle. She's still finding her way through it. I pray that as the next few years progress, we can find our way through the rocky stretches, and get through okay.
After dinner one evening, Ellie was regaling us with the tale about a dream she had the night before. It was about monsters, and she was quite descriptive about how they looked, where they were, and what they were doing. She was incredibly adamant that "It was REAL!" when we tried to remind her that there were no such thing as monsters.....this was the very end of her tale that Ron caught with his phone.....
**Ellie does not normally wear a bib, I am not that OCD! But she found one in a drawer before dinner and decided she needed to wear it! ;) **
Right after Christmas, Ellie had a birthday. Four... Years! I can no longer even pretend she's a baby. She's a kid. Now don't get me wrong, entering this next phase in parenting life is great. We can go places and don't have to worry about hauling diaper bags or toddler supplies anywhere, we don't have to worry about missing a nap resulting in a meltdown, etc. (Although it would be nice to get past the meltdown stage for all of them, but that's another post!) But no more babies?! Everyone said it would go fast, and I had no idea how fast until now. I guess I could be like that Duggar lady and just have perma-babies going on in the house, but I don't think my sanity would cooperate....nor would my husband!
We spent the 28th taking down Christmas, then heading out to get BDay gifts. Usually, we've found some good things for her on clearance, so that's always a plus, but the pickin's seemed to be slim this year for that....not sure why. Some stores were still seriously lacking on a good selection of toys even...ToysRUs was a bunch of empty shelves! But we had left a couple things out from Christmas loot, and found some other fun things, so presents were loved. My advice to anyone though, if it is your control at all, is to NOT have a baby that close to Christmas! Her Christmas toys are hardly played with and she gets a pile more....it is sort-of ridiculous! Then the poor kid doesn't get another present extravaganza for another 361 days. We may ask her when she's older if she wants to start doing a 1/2 birthday instead, just to spread the joy out a bit! :)
Anyhoo.....on to the bday pics.
Ellie's favorite book recently are the Laura Numeroff/Felicia Bond "If You Give a ----- a ------" books....Mouse a Cookie, Pig a Pancake, etc. and so forth. Which is good because I LOVE them too! For her BDay we added Cat a Cupcake, and Pig a Party.
Ellie had been practicing mightily on her older brother and sister's scooters this Fall. So for her BDay she got one of her own.....hopefully we can take it outside in March or so, but until then, she cruises around the kitchen and dining area.
Favorites for a four year old....dress-up and Disney princess loot. Perfect Cinderella playset to go with the castle she got for Christmas:)
The kids at our house get the choice of picking their own cakes....obviously, as only a four year old would choose the garish pink and purple cake with dress-up crown and scepter jammed into the buttercream!
All in all, a very good day. Happy birthday Ellie!!! You are a joy to our family.
Well, just like at everyone's house, Christmas came! Whether we were ready for it or not. I never did finish decorating the house this year, but I'm not complaining about that...made it VERY easy to take down and put away. As in years past, not many pictures happened on Christmas. As soon as the kids get out to the family room and start ripping into things, mom and dad's hands are too busy opening boxes, assembling toys, showing them the general workings, picking up trash, straightening up the boxes, bows, ribbons and toys, and trying to keep the dog from stealing the Hershey's kisses that are strewn around that the camera just sits idle. :)
We did finally visit Santa a few days before Christmas...good thing the kids didn't change their wish list, and for the record, Riley would have nothing to do with the man in red.
Here's a couple shots from Christmas morning:
Presenting Ellie on "Beatles RockBand" drums. You haven't fully lived until you've heard your almost 4 year old sing "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds". That's Riley in the back. This is the best photographic documentation she'd let me get.
My only picture of Nicole was of her in a trancelike state playing her new Wii game "Super Mario Galaxy". Not worth posting! Nicole spent ALL day playing Wii, RockBand, or her Nintendo DS (Imagine Teacher game). It was sort-of sick. Thankfully, she backed way off on her own in terms of screen time for the rest of Christmas break.
All Jared's dreams came true with the punching bag he got. We rearranged his room and hung it from the ceiling. He's a happy boy, and we enjoy telling him in his moments of general or specific (usually involving a certain sister) frustration to go take it out on his punching bag!
I've seen on a number of blogs I read that the lovely women who write them have chosen a "word" as a new years resolution of sorts. A word they want to work on, and strive to focus on in the next year. I thought about trying to come up with one, and was always coming up with a blank. Until I watched this video. It sealed the deal. My word for the year is CHOOSE.
