A certain level of comfort...

Not every friend can show up to your house with a surprise for you that is half eaten. That's what is so great about my friendship with Sommer. We were supposed to play today because she was going to be in the area, but of course due to the chickenpox, our plans were foiled. She still stopped by and gave me my favorite candy ever, Cadbury Mini-Eggs. She knows me well, so when she saw this piece of Easter heaven, she thought of me, and bought them. Then, she got a little tempted to try a couple. Then a couple more. Still, she wanted me to have the rest, and the informality of a gift partly eaten wouldn't deter her because that's how comfortable we are with each other. She's my "person" and I am so glad that since we both moved we have managed to keep in really regular touch. I'll even go as far as to say that we verbally keep in touch the same as when we were practically neighbors. I miss all the play dates and I long for the 2 minute drive home at the end of a sewing night, but the most important thing, our friendship is still in tact. Thank goodness for her for always thinking that my quirky opinions are valid...even normal, and for never pigeonholing me as a weak person even though she's well informed of all my weaknesses. Thanks Sommer!

"Chickenpops"

It happened. I was JUST telling some friends that I wanted my kids to be exposed (though when is that ever going to be convenient?), and yesterday, Ruby had a fever, and then I noticed sores on her abdomen...I knew it was chickenpox. At 4Pm, she had like 10 sores, and by 9PM she looked like this! There are more on her chest and abdomen, but I'm not posting that on here! She's such a sweetheart, and has such a great attitude. She's scared, but really committed not to scratch and to be brave. My friend is bringing over a lifetime supply of great kid movies we haven't seen and we are gearing up for 2 weeks of quarantine. Alice should be down with it soon! Any tips?

Sledding...

Eden, Wyatt, Kesley, Ruby and Alice

We had really high hopes for the sledding exerience, but it wasn't all we'd hoped. We had a nice night at the Reynolds, who live close to the sledding...but then the sledding wasn't so great. If we had gone earlier in the season, we would have had a better time because it was so warm that the snow was really slushy, and therefore slow. There were long lines, and too many people and the kids weren't as thrilled as they have been with simply heading down a steep driveway. Still, the pictures are fun! The best part of the pictures is that I'm not in them. I am in no way fashionable when we play in the snow. I had a pair of Chris' pants on, my friend's tall rain boots...it was ugly! Why is it that in my entire life, even when I skied/snowboarded regularly, I've never been the one with a fashionable outfit to hit the slopes with!

Idol Analysis

So after Idol aired tonight, the local news teased a story, "Which Idol used to date Britney Spears," and my curiosity got the best of me. I googled the story (couldn't tune into the news because I watched Idol on DVR, after it aired) and found out that dread lock boy, Robbie Carrico (or something like that) once dated her. It did shed useful light on the competition though! So, the professed rocker with the dreds-- the Simon is questioning for authenticity--he used to be in a band called "Boys-n-Girls United" and they opened for Britney's first world tour, Baby One More Time. Obviously, Simon and Randy are aware of this and likely question his rocker sincerity due to the fact that he has musically existed most of his life as a bleach tipped, fake tan boy band kid. A very different persona than the one he brings to Idol. Anyway, I thought it was interesting.
Regardless, the precious kid from Murray, UT is hands down the most talented person on the show so far. I'll even go as far as to say that none of the men will ever rival him, though I think there might be some good female competition.

Sugar and spice...

Today Ruby said, "Mom, Kiley likes boys."

I said, "Oh, don't you?"

She said, "No, I'm glad I'm a girl."

"You should be, it's fun to be a girl."

"Yeah, because girls have more talents."

It was totally random. I think more than anything she was trying to use a new word she learned..."talents", but in any case, I am constantly campaigning for Ruby to be more in love with herself than she is. I just don't feel like she's super resilient...rather, I feel like she allows lots of exterior factors to affect her own vision of who she is. Hence the constant talks at our house about being pretty in the inside and how Heavenly Father feels about all His children. Lately the only thing I do to combat her when she compares herself to others is, "tell me five things you love about yourself." It is sometimes a real chore to get the five things out of her, but I hope it somehow drives the message home.

Addicted...

I had the funniest dream last night. I was taking a test to see if I was addicted to blogging, and I could tell that I was, so I was doctoring my answers to appear less addicted. Something is wrong with me! I was in denial in my dream...I might even be in denial in real life.

Love Languages...

I love the book, The five Love Languages. However, I think as time goes by in a marriage, you get past some of the frilly needs and go more for utility. Lately, I decided it was time to update my love language. I decided Laundry would be a great language for Chris to speak. (I'm not trying to sound witchy, he's just always more vocal about getting his language spoken, and I realized I needed to zero in on something he could do to speak mine.) I loathe putting laundry away. I wasn't really serious when I tossed the idea out there, he already is the leader in all household chores and I didn't figure he'd go for it, but then I did say laundry was my language and I am married to a man who strives to make me feel loved.

So...He now does the laundry. Really. He has been doing it now for a couple of weeks. I definitely get in there and rotate it around, and fold a load or two, but I would say we are sharing it now and it makes a huge difference! I think I've been running around trying to fulfill his language of having the whole house immaculate, and the other day, Mimi pointed out that Chris is really just a floors guy. I think she's right. He vacuums every day and sweeps and mops often. So since he started doing the laundry, I've decided to focus my efforts on the floors, and I think it's a good arrangement. My language really is "quality time," but I know that the time he takes folding the laundry is time spent on me, so in some weird way, it works. The other day, Mimi was suggesting that my language is gifts because I get such a kick out of gift giving, but really...it is only homemade gifts that I get excited about...hence, gifts that represent quality time. :)I know, scary to let your husband do the laundry, right? Not for me. I'm not one of those women who needs it to be a specific way. Just getting it done any old way is fine with me! Thanks Chris.

Gifties from my friendlies...

(That's the way Mimi would say it) I love my friends! There are those that I've known for 25 years (Lyndsey, Russ, Taryn, Danny...all of whom I am still in touch), and those I've known for one year. And all of the ones I've known in between. Thank goodness for all of them!

This is a beautiful boquet of a dozen roses that Kelly brought me for no reason the other morning. I was really taken by surprise, because I am indebted to her for so many reasons.
Then Mimi surprised me with a box of banana Creamies. This is a treat that most Washingtonians are deprived of, and Mimi and I realized that we both share a deep appreciate for them and look forward to traveling to Idaho or Utah where they are found in plenty. She did her research and found out that an Albertson's grocery store not too far away carries them! I don't need them to become a frequent treat, because the novelty of my favorite vacation place with my favorite vacation treat would be lost, but I was sure grateful for my surprise!
Thank goodness for people who know and love me! (I know it might seem like maybe there was a reason for these gifts...like I was sick, or pregnant or maybe that I had a miscarriage or surgery of some kind, but really...they were two good friends with two good ideas.

Alice-isms

I recorded with such accuracy Ruby's language development, I need to get a few things recorded about Alice. Some choice phrases that illustrate her personality...

Anytime I say no or she is caught doing something she should not do:

"Mommy mean to me" in the saddest voice with the fattest lower lip. I almost feel like I am in the wrong or something, but it isn't like I yell at her or anything. She'll substitute anyone's name in that phrase as necessary.

"Kitty jump to me!" or "Kitty likes me!" She loves our cat. The first month or more that the cat was here, she really stayed clear of Alice, but she's since warmed up and Alice is so grateful.

"Ruby not listening." This is a phrase she knows well because she is that kid that wants to do something so bad, she doesn't listen when you ask her to stop. I don't really think she knows what it means, but pretty much anytime she thinks someone is in the wrong, she goes to this accusation.

"Sleep Mama's bed?" She was sick right after Christmas, and I let her sleep in my bed. I slept on the couch because I can't sleep well with my kids. This led to tantrums over ever sleeping in her bed, so I compromised and I let her nap in my bed. Ruby is gone during naptime 4 days a week, so I take my nap with Alice and I love it. I think I fall asleep somewhere between singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and Barney's "Clean up" song, but we sleep there, nose to nose and I don't know anything for about an hour, when I go to the task of trying to sneak out of her bed without waking her.

I love that when we compliment Alice, she fires it back at us. "You are cute Alice," "You're cute mama!"

Alice is at such a fun age, and at times as I've mentioned in earlier, less glowing posts...frusterating. I love to see her learn and grow. She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse...so very much. She is totally determined to do EVERYTHING herself...sometimes even things that I want to do for myself. She is my toilet paper distributor, she is my front door locker, she is my water fetcher (loves to use the fridge door water), she is sometimes my hair dresser.

Me and the date rape drug...

I was getting all excited to get on a drug for my Narcolepsy, and I had talked to this lady at Stanford Center for Narcolepsy Research and has narcolepsy and she told me about this drug that has changed her life. She said it puts you into such a deep sleep that you wouldn't really be able to take it if you were a single parent, it's that profound of a sleep. She actually wakes up feeling like other people do, and doesn't take any stimulants during the day.

I set up an appointment for my friend, a doc to prescribe. Then I got on the website and realized that the med is GHB...THE DATE RAPE DRUG! Yeah, a profound enough sleep to be raped and not even know it. I don't think I'll be taking advantage of its benefits as long as I am contemplating more kids. Hopefully they'll have something with less negative associations available in 10 years when I can expect not to be needed in the middle of the night on a regular basis. Besides, who knows what affect that potent of a drug could have on my reproductive system.

Week of bliss...

The key to happiness for me is living close to my parents. They are sooooo there for me! If I am ever sick, or even if one of the kids are pretty sick, my mom will drive down and help me out so much. I really rely on the luxury too. I endure the weather around here for that one and only, vastly worthwhile reason: mom and dad.

Last week, my mom knew I was needing a break from Alice, so she just offered to take her on Tuesday and then come down with my dad on Thursday (V-day) with Alice. My folks stayed until Saturday evening. We had all kinds of fun...notice we did some Karaoke! We went swimming at the YMCA and Ruby showed off her backstroke and all her swimming progress. We went out to dinner and a movie (Juno, again...loved it more the second time) one night and then after a morning of paintballing, my dad and Chris did some fence repairs outside while my mom and I moved Alice's crib out and her big girl bed into her room.

That night, they left for their house with Ruby this time! Chris and I left Alice with some sitters and went to the temple. Then I had until Tuesday with just my Alice. It was so nice to do fun things with only Ruby the beginning of the week and then to have the same quality time with Alice on the end of the week. I know my kids really enjoyed having the one-on-one time with Oma and Opa as well. Anyway, I feel so refreshed and like my patience tank is FULL for the first time in a long time. Whew! THANKS MOM AND DAD!

Dental Drama...

Ruby has been complaining of tooth pain lately, and after a couple of weeks and many instances of finding her brushing away at her teeth to get them all clean, and convincing claims of pain, I decided it was time to take her to the dentist and get to the bottom of it. Turns out, she's perfectly fine. Maybe something is lodged in her gums somewhere, but other than that the dentist (our bishop) says all is well.

The good thing is, she loved her visit. They made her a mix of salt and water and had her swish it around in her mouth to "fix" the problem and then gave her a sticker and let her put on some lip gloss before she left. Bishop told her he would let me know the formula for the salt water, and as soon as we got in the car she said, "Mom, do we have salt water at home?"

I hope these little experiences will make for happy dentist feelings, because I dread going to the dentist. I am so tense the whole time! Anyone else feel my pain? I had one cavity in high school and after it was all filled, I had the worst pain imaginable and literally had to take Vicadin for days before the pain went away. Thank goodness for generally good dental health because news of any more cavities might send me over. I think I'll have to be put completely under if I have to have another filling. The cleanings are bad enough.

Future GQ Boy...

"L" is such a great kid to photograph! In addition to having a lot of energy, he has great ideas for poses! He takes his pictures seriously and I was delighted to photograph he and his family recently. I love this picture of him.

"I like Alice"

I had to share these pictures because today is the first time (of course when we were already like 10 minutes late for church) that Alice actually sat still for pictures!

I got her dressed in one of Ruby’s hand-me-downs, and I thought she looked super cute. I’ve been wanting some Texas sized bows for her hair, but hadn’t gotten around to making any and the ones I’ve seen in the stores aren’t my style…so when I was doing her hair, I saw this bow that my friend Jessy made for Ruby, and realized that it matched her dress. I put it on her and she was THRILLED! She pointed at her chest and said, “I like Alice. I like Alice.” I do too!

So then I saw that we were already late for church (Chris was already there and Ruby is at my parents’ house), so I had to snap a couple of pictures. She cooperated! It still wasn’t easy to get a good one because she always says, “Cheese” with her lips all flared out, but I tried to show her how to smile and it worked a little bit.

She's such a big girl all of the sudden. On Saturday, my mom helped me take down Alice's crib and set up her "big girl bed". Ruby helped too and was so excited. When we had it all ready, we called her upstairs for a surprise and she was beyond thrilled. She and Ruby played so sweetly up there for over an hour. They put this play castle on top of the bed and were having so much fun. I haven't taken many pictures because the room itself is not decorated. Anyway, here's one from the fun...

Chris and I went to the temple that night, so we didn't get to be the ones to put her to bed her first night. The babysitters reported that she was thrilled for bedtime and ran upstairs and just nestled in for her first night in her big girl bed. She just loves the idea of it and has transitioned so well.

Alice Fun...

Last night when we were kneeling for family prayer, Alice wanted to say the prayer. After her really original, "thank you day, thank you dadda, thank you Ruby, thank you dadda..." Chris started prompting her (probably to "bless mamma" and spare us any more "bless dadda's"). Somewhere down the line, he said, "Bless President Monson", and Alice said, "Bless Pres-dent Monster."

Chris quickly concluded the prayer and we all had a good laugh.

Know-it-all

I love how my kids think I know everything. Here are some examples:

Today, we had to pull to the side of the road while a fire truck flew by, lights and sirens on. Ruby said, "That was a firetruck!"

I replied, "It was in a hurry, huh?"

She then asked in a worried voice, "Mom, what happened? Where is it going?"

Another example is when she asks me, "Mom, are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

Usually I just say "Yes" and that satisfies her, but today I said, "I don't know what your're thinking."

"You don't?!"

Then there's always the assumption that I know everything about other people, even strangers.

"Mom, why isn't that lady smiling?" or "How long until the snow melts?", "Mom, how long do you think that lady has been standing there?", "Does my swimming teacher have a sister?"...

I love being the resident expert on everything! Definitely a mom perk.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I don't usually buy such impractical things for my kids...at least in shoes. These were so cute (Target) that I had to get them for Ruby for Valentine's Day.

Ruby loves pancakes in shapes and she especially loves using food coloring and sprinkles. What a fun breakfast we had together. (Alice has been at my parents' house since Tuesday, so we haven't gotten to give her her gift, and we had the pancakes without her...she'll be home soon!)

You know you are from the northwest when...

1. The sun comes out and it's 50 degrees, but you opt to take a picnic.
2. Your kids think they don't need to wear a coat because it isn't raining.
3. Your kids ask you to make the sun go away because it is bothering their eyes (Ruby).
4. It hasn't rained all week, but you sit down on the grass and you are instantly wet to the skin.
5. Your kids say things like, "I love it every year when we come to the park!" as if it is an annual event (Ruby).
6. Your children who went down the slides with reckless abandon six months ago, don't remember what a slide is and they are afraid to go down on their own.
7. The sky is clear blue, but every couple of minutes, you look up and expect to see gray clouds closing in around the sun.
8. When there are blue skies, you carry an umbrella around just in case.
9. You realize you don't have any sunglasses, and you try to go buy a pair at the store, and you find out they only stock them in July and August.
10. When the sun comes out after several months, you realize that your car is really dirty and you go to a carwash and find that there is an hour wait for a wash.

I didn't get a good shot of Ellie, but it wasn't for a lack of trying! The girl is determined!

New Calling...

For the past year, I have volunteered as a reporter of sorts for my ward. I did little newsletters, maintained aspects of the website and took care of general communications including the weekly program outlining the congregational meeting. It was a lot of fun, and right up my alley. Well...NO MORE! I was released on Sunday and asked to do something new!

WEBELOS (Cub Scouts)!!! I know nothing about this, but I am excited to learn something new and relieved that my calling doesn't involve working with young children (I have my fill of that with my own) and that it allows me to be in all the adult meetings on Sundays.

Any old timer scout leaders out there? I'm going to my first "den meeting" tonight! Wish me luck!

Have you witnessed my cataplexies?

Most of you know that I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy in 1996. I was diagnosed after the symptom, cataplexy began occurring regularly. What a relief that my episodes of weakness were just a cataplexy and not something more serious!

Anyway, I have participated in studies in the past to support research for Narcolepsy, and I am trying to become involved again. Stanford's Center for Narcolepsy Research asked me to list people who have witnessed and could describe my cataplectic events. I could only think of my mom, Chris and Sommer as three people that have identified what I look like when these episodes occur. Many have witnessed them, but they must think that I just look that way when I am laughing or whatever the stimulus is that sets them off.

Anyway, am I missing anyone? If so, would you be willing to be contacted to describe what you see to a researcher? Anyway, now you should all be scrutinizing me at future social meetings...they happen all the time, and I do my best to cover them...but Chris notices EVERY SINGLE ONE.

So I just looked up "cataplexy" on youtube, and I just want to say that anything you see on there is not what happens to me! It is the same thing, but I don't suffer that severity. Usually, it happens to me when I laugh hard.

As long as I'm posting about Christmas gifts...

I never got to say what Chris got me for Christmas, because it wasn't here until just a couple of weeks ago (ahem). It was actually supposed to be an anniversary present (Dec 8) but the young company that sells these things must have gotten an unexpected response because they certainly did not deliver in any time frame originally promised. It was a good two months or more before we finally got ours in the mail. It was disappointing, but I'll have to be happy with it because there aren't very many options of art of the Seattle Temple (where we were married). (Now I have to figure out what to do with that empty space on the mantle!) It was a great gift and I am so glad that we got it on the wall yesterday.

Special Gifts

Aunt Sage and Uncle Mike gave Ruby and Alice these beautiful savings boxes that Mike hand crafted. I can't believe how perfect they are! Mike is really talented. The pictures can't really do them justice, especially because you can't smell the yummy wood smell. These will be treasures forever! THANKS SO MUCH!

"I Want Bite You!"

At least that is what it sounded like to me. It was a baffling request for Alice to make. She was sitting on the bathroom counter while I brushed her hair, and she said it over and over again. She was really adamant, but I knew I wasn't understanding what she was meaning to say. After five minutes of her repeating herself (I even tried pretending to bite her because I wanted to get it right) and getting really frusterated at me, I decided to start pulling beauty products out of my vanity drawer. She was scrunching her hair with one hand and pointing at the drawer. Finally, I realized she wanted me to curl her hair. Whew!

She sat really still and every time I'd finish a curl, she'd pull at some other part of her hair and ask for more. It was fun!

Then the process of trying to keep her still enough for a picture followed. It was impossible. I got a couple of her trying to arrange her blankies just so, then she said "cheese" a few times for the camera before she was off to play with the cat. Anyway, a little curl remained for the pictures. She's a doll.

Fun kids...

This fall was my intro as a parent into the world of scheduling. Before this fall, Ruby's preschool was a co-op that my friends and I organized and we all lived really close to each other. Other than that, Ruby was in ballet, and if we were really on top of it, we had her in swimming lessons.

Anyway, I feel like I am frantic all the time and that I never get calm time with my kids! We have so much going on for Ruby and none of it can go because she loves it all. She's in ballet, swim, gymnastics, piano and preschool. (Okay, I'm eliminating gymnastics. Done. I teach her class, and it is too much. She enjoys it, but the only reason she really goes is because I teach it.)

This week, I crammed in two things with the kids at the end of the day on Weds and Thurs. The funny thing is that at 4:00 PM, stuff just isn't as fun! We did Karaoke one day, and Valentines the other. Karaoke wasn't a hit with Alice, and therefore wasn't that fun for me, but I loved Ruby's rocking out to the one High School Musical song she knows.

I realize that this post takes some of my time. Just know that I prepare most of my posts at night during "me" time, while Chris is getting the girls down to bed. I often post them in the morning when I get the pictures off of my camera.

My first booties!

My friend Debbie gave me this pattern. She made them for a mutual friend of ours when she had a baby, and I was sooooo in love with them! Then, she made Alice a pair (after hearing me rave over them repeatedly, what other choice did she have!?) and we used the heck out of them.

While the boys watched the game on Sunday night, the girls sat in the otehr room and knitted! I got one bootie done that night, and finished the second one last night. They are fun and easy and quick. I REALLY want to keep them, but I won't. They already have a home with a friend who had a baby a couple of days ago. I'm so excited to give them to her! If anyone wants the pattern, let me know and I'll post it. It has no copywritten origin to my knowledge.

"NO KITTY!"

We have three pets. A beta fish (thankfully scaled down from the 100 gallon tank Chris had when we got married), a golden retriever (also a pre-marital commodity) and now, a cat. If we put them together, we'd have a dog...the cat would kill the fish and the dog would kill the cat. If only I could get an animal that would take on the dog...

I'm not a cat person. If you've known me a long time, you know that. I loathed cats when I was younger because I had a baby pet bunny, and a cat ran off with it. (My dad chased it with a shovel, to no avail.) I wanted to be a cat person when we got this cat, but so far, it's not really a warm and fuzzy, people cat--more of a fish cat.

Anyway, our cat sits perched at the fish tank (if you look close, there is water on the counter) putting her nose in the water and pawing at the water's surface. The funny thing is that Stone, our dog is sitting at the window outside, waiting for a glimpse of the cat so he can freak out and bark like crazy.

Yummy and Simple...

I went to a baby shower this weekend and my friend Jen made the cutest little favors. There were homemade truffles inside, and they were so yummy! I was super impressed! She told us how to make them and though I haven't done so yet, I have to share. These things would make a great hostess gift, treat for neighbors at Christmas (sprinkle crunched up candy cane on top) and many other things, among a treat to be enjoyed by YOU!

So you just take a package of Oreos and churn them up in your food processor. Then you add a block of cream cheese. That's the filling. Make 1" balls out of the mixture and dip them in melted chocolate. Refrigerate one hour.

I would think that most any sandwich cookie would work. You could use grasshopper cookies and get a minty flavor or peanut butter sandwich cookies, you get the picture. Jen fancied hers up with finishing touches sprinkled on top, like in the pictures above.

My first knitting project

"Cheese."
"Alice, put the hat on, so I can take a picture!"
"No hat, mama."
"I'll give you a treat!"
"No mama."
"I'll give you a sucker!"
"Okay, MAMA!"

The hat is very flawed. Very. But I am glad I finished it. I didn't have double pointed needles for the end, and I couldn't figure out how to get the magic loop to work for me toward the end, so I just started rotating in new needles of the same size until I had like four or so going. It worked out, but like I said...it is very flawed. I'm going to make another one tonight and see if it goes any better. I like knitting, but I never have time with all the sewing projects I have going all the time. This was supposed to be a gift for my cousin's baby (who is like a year old), but I don't know if it is gift worthy.

Porter and Ruby

I thought I posted these already, but I just noticed that I DIDN'T! These are from Ruby's trip to Colorado, again...taken by Sage (THANKS!).

Ruby was excited to show off her piano playing skills, and Porter was happy to play along. I love this picture because it caught Ruby's face that she makes when she is saying something to the effect of "oh, Porter is so cute." I know it, because that is the face she used to make before she started wishing Alice wasn't around. I love that face.
Speaking of sibling rivlary, Chris and I went out on a date last night with a mission to arm ourselves with what we need to start our anti-sibling rivalry campaign. We went to the dollar store and got the girls little diaries and some stickers. They will earn a sticker for doing something patient and loving for one another. Then we bought 20 or so items that they will earn when they accumulate 20 or so stickers. I have a feeling Ruby will be very motivated by this, and she might just earn all the prizes. I'm also worried that Alice is too young to understand, so she might just go bezerk everytime Ruby gets a sticker and she doesn't. I have to try something though! I think this was an idea someone posted on my blog...was it Amanda S.? I'll have to look. Anyway, even if Alice doesn't get it, it really does take two to tango, and if Ruby is above it, I might just get some peace around here.

We've been talking to Ruby about being pretty on the inside (and she is), as a motivator for enjoying Alice more (it's hard), and it works, but she sort of twists it so that whenever she slips, she goes into drama queen, "I'm not pretty on the inside" business. That kind of drama makes me crazy. GIRLS!

I had a couple more pictures to post, but they aren't working. Neither is my spell checker...Sage and Season.

SCANDAL!!!

Two weird things happened to me lately that make me wonder if someone out there is testing my values or something...

#1--I do my grocery shopping at Safeway.com. Sometimes I get random things that they throw in for me to try. You know, normal stuff like brocslaw or gum. So last week when I was unpacking all the groceries, there was an entire bag full of MENTHOL CIGARETTES! No joke, there were like 20 packs! I was so surprised that they would pop that into my order like it was a normal thing to suggest I try. Honestly! They went into the garbage, and I made it clear to the personal shopper people that that wouldn't be considered an appropriate product to market in that way. What if I was leaving my 14 year old (if I had one) at home to receive the grocieries?! What if I had just quit? Anyone not see it my way? I feel like it's a pretty black and white issue.

#2--I loathe Victoria's Secret. I can't believe I just wrote their business name on my blog. I can't stand their marketing strategies that use oversexed, anorexic women to strut around on prime time television like they are asking for a piece of whoever is watching. I hate their catalog campaign that has been known to be found stashed under the pillows of adolecent young men as free, readily available soft porn. It took my mom a long time and several phone calls to get the catalog to stop being sent to our house when I came home for the summer in college. So...I just got one in the mail WITH MY NAME ON IT! In a matter of two weeks, I've received THREE trashy catalogs. I have no idea what I did to get on their mailing list, but I am determined to be removed. I wouldn't patronize their store plastered with life sized images of women growling half naked if they were paying people to use their product. I'm NOT opposed to lingerie in general, not at all. I am a lingerie snob of sorts and I only shop for that at Nordstrom (probably because I worked there once upon a time), where the quality is great and the advertising is specific, classy and appropriate. I know most women wear their stuff, but FYI: you are paying too much for a product that is inferior and you are probably wearing the wrong size (if we are talking bras).

There, how's that for a soapbox? I could literally fill a blog with just "Rebecca's Soapboxes" but I try really hard not to go there. Anyone with me?

Rubyism

Yesterday, when I was on tantrum episode three by my Alice, I decided I needed to remove her from where Ruby and I were because we had been paralyzed for about a total of three hours that day by Alice's screaming. I took her up to the toy room where the door is hard to open, and closed her in there. I told her when she could calm down, she could come out. On my way down the stairs, Ruby said, "Mom, it's like you are the wicked stepmother and Alice is Cinderella."

I said, "Not really, Cinderella wasn't naugthy."

I'm pretty sure she agreed.

Photo Share...

My friend is starting a business, Freedom Inspired Tees and hired me to take some marketing pictures for her. We started with just she and her kids as models, and it was a cold, rainy day, but we got some things that work. The tees are great quality and have such a simple message of gratitude for our freedom. The website should be up soon.

This one is obviously not great for marketing, but it's a fun mommy and son picture.

The following week, I took pictures for my friend J's son, L. He's precious and was so peaceful the whole time. I love the hat he is wearing in one of the pictures! Our friend Monica made it and I LOVE it!

Service Project

I was called to represent my ward (congregation) on a committee with five other wards to help plan and pull off a stake Relief Society service project. We met several times and decided to tackle several different projects instead of just one. The project went down last weekend, January 26th.

Since I am personally drawn to the needs of foster kids, I talked to my supervisor at Pierce County Alliance regarding any needs we might be able to fulfill with womanpower and little to no funds. She is responsible for the program I volunteer with, Foster Care to College, which aids foster youth ages 14-21 in the process of achieving education after high school (less than 2% go on to post high school education and only about 50% graduate high school...but this is a group of kids that could go anywhere they want for FREE because of all the aid they are eligible for since they don't have parental income to claim on their FAFSA). She said that she could come up with the funding if we wanted to come up with a meaningful, motivational-type gift that this year's high school graduates could be given at a nice ceremony that would be held in the Spring.

I did a quick design, and my friend Mindy generously cut all the vinyl stickers for her cost. Then Chris and I cut all the boards to the right size, and we were ready for the other helping hands.

The service project as a whole was a big success. In just over 4 hours - 61 inspirational plaques were completed for the Foster Care to College program, over 80 fleece blankets were made for the children of women in the Jumpstart program of Tacoma, 3 dozen beautiful cards with flower seeds and messages of hope were created and signed for our sisters in Chehalis (December flood victims), numerous pairs of mittens and 300 fleece toy balls and baby booties were cut and sewn for local and worldwide distribution, 70 people came to donate blood which will save 162 lives, and an amazing 1,639 names were indexed in the Family History Center!
I was too busy with my project to take pictures, but I got a few at the very end. It was a really fun day and as always, service is such a fulfilling experience.