Ya Gotta be Sherlock Holmes to be Able to Go on a Date

There was a knock at our front door tonight.....

And we found this on our doorstep.  It was obviously for Kyle, and he wasn't home at the time, so we left it there until he returned.  I KNEW he'd want to discover it for himself; he has a BIG birthday coming up next month (16!), and he has been greatly anticipating it!  Because then the whole world of dating is going to open up for him.  (Our kids wait until they are 16 to date - it is a family rule and a standard of our church).  Kyle will turn 16 on October 20th, and lucky for him, the Harvest Dance (Girls' Choice) is on October 24th!

When he opened the box, he found some delicious-looking harvest-themed cookies inside.  We figured the letters would spell the name of the person who was asking him.  Except it was not so evident to us; the 4 vowels were throwing us off!  Was it a first name and a last name?  Was it the first name and the first initial of her last name?  Or was it only her first name?  But, what first name has 4 vowels and 4 consonants?!? (Unless it's Hawaiian?  But, he couldn't think of anyone.)

So, we just started to move around the cookies.

Was it.....

"Lima?"

Could it be...

"Chem?"

Perhaps it's...

"Elm?"

I know!  It must be...

"Ace?"

Or was it the....

"Mice?"

Maybe he won't get to go on his first date, afterall, if he can't even ascertain WHO he's suppose to answer, and go with!  ;)

CAN YOU FIGURE IT OUT?!?  

All it Takes is 1 Song to Bring Back 1,000 Memories

There was once a magical time, when no one knew what song they would be listening to next. We got our music from the radio.  (I still do!)  Songs are like sign posts in our memory. They point us back to particular points in our lives.  When I tune into "80's night" on the radio, within the first strain of the song, I think of, or remember, a specific time/place/person associated with that song.  And in that spirit, with a Christmas twist, I'm going to fire up FM100 this afternoon and play you the next ten songs (so to speak).  There used to be a time when this station played Christmas songs sporadically in between their regular music in December, and it was just  the 100 hours (get it?  FM100) leading up to Christmas that they played continuous Christmas songs, NOT the TWO MONTHS leading up to it.  (My pet peeve.  It's not allowed until after Thanksgiving in my home/car.)  But, I digress.  Back to my experiment: listen while I spin the Christmas hits....and I'll see what comes to mind.

1.  Angels Among Us

I first heard this song performed at a Homemaking Night I attended in my ward when I lived in North Salt Lake.  (1995-96)  A lady who lived in my same apartment complex was one of the singers, along with a bunch of kids singing with her.  I can still see them standing together on the stage.  It wasn't at Christmastime, but the message of that evening was, "THERE ARE ANGELS AMONG US" helping us, serving us, being [sometimes unknown] answers to our prayers - which is a wonderful Christmas message, too.

2.  Frosty the Snowman

This takes me back to another magical time when all the Christmas TV specials were actually on NETWORK TV (as opposed to cable).  At the beginning of the season, the TV schedule would be printed in the newspaper and we would cut it out and hang it on our fridge, underlining the "must sees" in our opinion.  Frosty the Snowman came on every year - it was one of those underlined ones we made sure to watch.

3.  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

This has "Elementary School" written all over it.  I sang this during music time at school.  It's where I learned all the great "echos" such as:
"Like a light bulb"
"Like a flash light"
"Like Pinocchio"
"Like Monopoly"
"Ho Ho Ho"
"Yippee"
"Like Columbus"
How FUN it was to sing it with all my other classmates!

4.  Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

I'm sitting in the multi-purpose room, as a 3rd Grader, at Valley View Elementary watching the 6th Grade Christmas program. (1978)  With Dr. Tak (pronounced "talk") at the piano, the [big, cool, head-honchos-of-the-school] 6th graders started singing this song.....AND THEN started "rockin' out" up on stage, too, while they acted out the song.  And I sit there thinking, They are SOOO cool!

5.  You Make it Feel Like Christmas by Neil Diamond

Honestly, I don't know if I've ever heard this song, but I HAVE heard Neil Diamond.  And whenever I hear ANY Neil Diamond song, I'm taken back to my childhood home.  My dad was a fan of Neil Diamond and we for sure played his cassette tapes (remember those?) on our family room stereo.  The most well-loved song of Neil's (we're on a first name basis!) has to be "America" which leads me to remember my first nephew.  Nick was just a tot - maybe 2 yrs. old - and we'd give him all these miniature American flags to hold in his hands, then turn on "America."  He would just stand there waving the flags enthusiastically the whole song through, with a smile on his face.  "Nick-a-roonie" is now 22 yrs. old.  My dad also gave me two tickets to a Neil Diamond concert after my mission - in hopes that I would invite a date, and get onto the next step in life, but I was too chicken to ask anyone out, so I took my brother, Mike.  Other songs I can't forget are, "Forever in Blue Jeans," "Heartlight," "Love on the Rocks," "September Morn," and "Sweet Caroline" which I saw him perform at a real baseball game this summer -- and it was AWESOME!!!

 6.  Sleigh Ride

I did hear this song when I was younger, but a more recent memory has taken over whenever I hear this song.  Ryan played percussion in the Jr. High band for three years (2008-11) and they would perform this song for their Christmas concert.  The percussion section worked extra hard adding all the special sound effects with their various instruments (glockenspeil, sleigh bells, xylophone, temple blocks, triangle, slap stick, timpani, snare drum).  Whenever I hear the "horse whinny" (courtesy of a solo trumpet player) and the "whip cracks" part of the song now, I think of Ryan's band group at FJH and I can see the view I saw from my seat in the venue of their performance.

7.  Have Yourself a Merry Christmas

For some reason, my oldest brother, David, sang this around the house.....not in a festive kind of way, but an "In-Your-Face, invasion-of-your-space" kind of way - just to bug us, and provoke us to start swinging punches at or shoving him.

8.  Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella

I think of the Kurt Bestor.  Back when I was pregnant with Haylee, my OB asked me if we had any Christmas traditions at one of my monthly appointments.  He shared with me that his family always went to the Kurt Bestor Christmas concert - and he raved about it.  From that moment on, I wanted to go, also.  It took several years, but one December, Matt informed me to "clear my schedule" one Saturday.  I didn't know what we were doing, but he arranged a babysitter for our kids, I got in the car and he just started driving me somewhere.  We ended up at Abravanal Hall in Salt Lake City for the Kurt Bestor Christmas concert -- it did NOT disappoint!  (Why my husband is awesome reason #148).  Kurt Bestor's percussion group were amazing!  During the concert, I remember thinking I hoped Ryan would continue on to that level, but then it turns out, he quit after Jr. High.

9.  Let it Snow

When I heard this song as a boy-crazy teenager (1982-1989), my daydreaming would kick in.  How could it not with lyrics that conjure up images of delightful fires, lights being turned down low, and being "stuck" inside with that special someone?!?  I would fantasize about whichever boy was on the top of my list at the moment and picture me in an actual future scene with him that involved "As long as you love me so" and "When we finally kiss goodnight" and "If you'll really hold me tight."  How romantic?  No?

10.  Up on the Housetop

Back in the day, as part of our family Christmas Eve traditions, we had a talent show.  One year (1978), my little sister, Michelle, and I made up a dance to perform to this song.  I dressed in a red leotard and we wore matching Christmas aprons and tights.  As part of our dance routine, we'd snap our fingers to the "click, click, click" part, and we'd "shimmy" on down to the "down through the chimney" part of the song.  We played the song on a RECORD PLAYER - yes, as in a vinyl record, on a turntable, and a stylus with a needle on it to run around the grooves.  (Any other "mature" adults know what I'm talking/writing about?)

I think I may have a photo in my archives......of us AND the record player......

 {Hey!  I want that red rocking chair in my home, now!}

One More Merit Badge - CHECK!

Thank You Scout Leaders!

I always ENJOYED the Mormon commercials growing up - so much! The one where Mom and Son "kidnap" always-too-busy-working Dad one night and take him camping was my all time favorite -- LOVED IT.

For a few weeks at mutual, The Davis Creek 3rd Ward Teacher's Quorum (of which Ryan is a member of for 20 more days) made their own version of an LDS "Homefront" Ad to complete their Cinematography Merit Badge for Boy Scouts.

{Ryan gets his 15 seconds of fame}
What a crack up!



*Did you see a boy flying out the door during the explosion? Watch again - don't blink - it happens fast!*

{I think I need to re-watch all those commercial from the 70's and 80's and take the messages to heart - they're GOOD!}

Have You Ever Said That?

Anita Renfroe sums up all the things that a mother says to her children in a three-minute song called "Momisms" set to the William Tell Overture.



"Were you born in a barn? Would you like some hay?"

"It must be your Father's DNA!"

Love it! :)

Inspiration from Late Night T.V.

The other night, while watching Jay Leno Headlines, we think we found the answer to why our home hasn't sold yet.

Jay Leno showed an Ad from the newspaper that reads:

Homes For Sale

STUNNING VIEWS, Private Boat Dock,

Deep Water/Sailboat Access Canal,

Private Beach Access, Elegant Marble

Floors Throughout, Granite/Stainless

Kitchen, 15 Foot Dramatic Cherry Ceiling.

A FREE PIZZA with purchase.

Oh my word! We've been going about it ALL WRONG! Up until this point, we have only been marketing our HOME - and we have failed to offer the pizza! Is that all it would take? What were we thinking?!?

Well, here's our official [exciting] announcement. As of right now, we're throwing in a PIZZA for the someone who buys our home!! Serious. I will.

Enjoy Jay's entire Headlines clip from that night...

Creating "Art"

#1

#2

#3

#4
#5

{click on image to enlarge}

Which do you like the best?
I was thinking of making a large print of one of these and framing it. (Another proof that we're done having kids - otherwise my "artwork" will be out of date.)

P.S.
I did it on www.wordle.net

So I Can Get Rid of Paper Clutter and So You Can Smile

When I clean out, I find lots of things I've saved...including some cute emails.
I figure if I post them here, I can toss the "hard copy." (And get one step closer to the ever-elusive clean home!?! I could write a whole post on that subject...another day, another time.)

MY FOOTSTEPS
An acquaintance of mine who is a physician told this story about her then four-year-old daughter. On the way to preschool, the doctor had left her stethoscope on the car seat, and her little girl picked it up and began playing with it.
Be still, my heart, thought my friend, my daughter wants to follow in my footsteps!
Then the child spoke into the instrument; "Welcome to McDonald's. May I take your order?"


A WISE LITTLE GIRL
A certain little girl, when asked her name, would reply, "I'm Mr. Sugarbrown's daughter."
Her mother told her this was wrong, she must say, "I'm Jane Sugarbrown."
The minister spoke to her in Sunday School, and said, "Aren't you Mr. Sugarbrown's daughter?"
She replied, "I thought I was, but mother says I'm not."


TOO ROUGH
A little girl asked her mother, "Can I go outside and play with the boys?"
Her mother replied, "No, you can't play with the boys, they're too rough."
The little girl thought about it for a few moments and asked, "If I can find a smooth one, can I play with him?"


THUMB SUCKING
A boy had reached four without giving up the habit of sucking his thumb, though his mother had tried everything from bribery to reasoning to painting it with lemon juice to discourage the habit.
Finally she tried threats, warning her son that, "If you don't stop sucking your thumb, your stomach is going to blow up like a balloon."
Later that day, walking in the park, mother and son saw a pregnant woman sitting on a bench.
The four-year-old considered her gravely for a minute, then spoke to her saying, "Uh-oh...I know what you've been doing."


THE LORD'S PRAYER
A mother was teaching her 3-year-old the Lord's prayer. For several evenings at bedtime she repeated it after her mother. One night she said she was ready to solo.
The mother listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer. "Lead us not into temptations," she prayed, "but deliver us some e-mail, Amen."


SO KEEP THE SINGING DOWN, OK?
A Sunday School teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"
One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."


THE PRESSED LEAF
A little boy opened the big and old family Bible with fascination, he looked at the old pages as he turned them. Then something fell out of the Bible and he picked it up and looked at it closely. It was an old leaf from a tree that had been pressed in between pages.
"Momma, look what I found," the boy called out.
"What have you got there, dear?" his mother asked.
With astonishment in the young boy's voice he answered: "It's Adam's suit!!!!"

My Celebrity Look-a-like

I got told the other day that I reminded someone of Bonnie Hunt.

She didn't know if it was my looks or my personality/mannerisms.

Either way -- I was flattered!

I loved Bonnie Hunt in Beethoven. (Oh, but that SURE seals the deal on me never wanting a dog!)

I loved her in Return to Me. (Which reminds me - I think I'm in the mood to watch that again!)

I loved her in Cheaper by the Dozen. (I could really take some "Mom" lessons from her. She did not have my problem, and she had twice [at least] as many reasons to YELL! Instead, she'd calmly say things like, "I'd really appreciate it if you kids left this house & each other in one piece while I'm gone." For some reason, that just doesn't work at my home.)

And she also has a pretty good Talk Show on T.V. right now! (Too bad I don't catch it enough.)

Anyway, I'd never been told that before. I wondered if the resemblance was really there.
I wanted to see just how true it was. I remembered a website that will scan your face and then bring up some different celebrities that you look like. I wondered if I did it, would Bonnie Hunt come up as a match?

So I did it.

No match.

Instead....

#1 Look-a-Like: Britney Spears (78%) One word: YUCK!

#2: Charlotte Church (72%) She's a Welsh singer/songwriter/actress/television presenter. It must've been the chubby cheeks that got me the "high score" with her. :)

#3: Gareth Gates (71%) A guy? I look like a guy? Whom I don't even know. (He's an English Singer, appearing in Les Miserables right now on the International 25th Anniversary World Tour)

#4: Sania Mirza (66%) She's an Indian tennis player. Interestingly enough, we always say my daughters turn into "Indians" in the summer (they get SO tan) - I've been asked by others what nationality their father is, but it turns out, those tendencies come from me!

#5: Alizee (66%) A French Singer. With just a one-word name. The "Madonna" of France?

#6: Emma Watson (64%) You'll die when I say I didn't know who she was...so I looked her up. Turns out she's a British actress who just happens to play one of the starring roles, Hermione, in the Harry Potter movies - and has earned more than 10 million pound sterling doing it!

#7: Geena Davis (64%) I'll try not to let the fact that she's 14 years older than I am bother me! The fact that she's an American actress (1 of the 2 celebs from this list I even knew), a former fashion model AND a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist should cancel out the age issue, right?!? ;)

#8: Dannii Minogue (63%) She's an Australian singer/actress.

And guess who #9 was? (But not pictured in the above 8-photo maximum collage)

Charles Barkley. At a 63% resemblance factor. What? I'm a 47 year old Black man? Did it have more to do with his agressive and outspoken demeanor, who was frequently involved in on- and off- the court fights and sometimes stirred national controversy? Or is it all about his nickname, "The Round Mound of Rebound" for his "unusual build?"

Anyway...I'm not so sure this was a confidence boost - although 7 of the top 8 are younger than I am, all born between 1971 - 1990! Yea! (Or is it my full face that hides any wrinkles - and age?)

But, what about me and Bonnie?

100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About

Check out this article by going to this link.

I was sad for my kids when I was reminded of some of these...BUT, then I was consoled by the fact that most kids won't know anything like this, but my kids WILL know about some of these SINCE I STILL USE THEM!! (Man, I'm really out of it!)

Like:

• I still have a VCR - and I use it to record a show if I can't watch it LIVE!
• Matt mostly has the cassette tapes still hanging around (he cannot part with them, even though he has the same group and/or songs on CD!) And we still have a few personal stereos in our home, too.
• I have a single Betamax tape, too. It has a roadshow I was in recorded on it - anyone know how I preserve this now. Or better yet, how it can even be viewed now?
• My clock radio by my bed still has a tuning dial, so as I turn it - YES, I can hear static between stations.
• I have to watch T.V. when the networks say I should - and it's never a convenient time - so maybe that contributes to my lack of T.V. watching, too!
• We have a joystick for some games to play on the T.V. and/or computer.
• We still have a stack of phone books & yellow pages.
• We even get a few magazines in the mail (made from dead trees)
• We manually unlock our '96 Camry car door.
• I prefer writing checks (I can keep track of our account balance better.)
• We look out the window on long car drives - OR talk to one another. (what a novel idea!)
• I always check out books from the library (and that's the only thing I use the library for.)
• So, tell me the difference between "nerd" and "geek." (I still think they have the same meaning.)

And y'all probably think I am one due to my above list! :)

MORE than the other guys

I flew on JetBlue this week and I was reminded again why it's so great! Enjoy...





**cough, cough**shameless plug, I know**cough, cough**

I bought some new capris yesterday -- SAME dang size as what I have been wearing. (And for that reason, I will NOT be posting a photo of me IN the capris!) Come on!! I figured it wasn't going to be anything MIRACULOUS like five sizes smaller, BUT couldn't it have just been one size smaller? It's gotta just be that this brand "runs small," right?!...RIGHT?!?

**On another health note: If I was cooking some brocolli which I fully intended to eat for lunch, but neglected it for a little too long (while being distracted by this blog) and it & the pan really stink now, and so I don't even wanna be around it, let alone eat it, does it still "count" that I DID eat it - do I still get the healthy benefits?!

"H - E - Double toothpicks" has Frozen Over!

{click to view}

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=vh7Afkczv4hMOXPrkCBczTEwODAxNjYy&referred_by=15464484-xE4Njtx

Happy Mother's Day to all of you (non-award winners), though!

Thanks, Kristen! ;)

Utah Census Form

1.__________________________(Given name)

2.__________________________(SURNAME)

3. Descendant of:
a. Brigham Young____
b. Heber C. Kimball____
c. Laman and Lemuel____
d. Cain____

4. Tribe of Israel:____________________

5. Number of occupants residing in home in each category:
(Listed in Chronological order)
a. Nursery____
b. Junior Primary____
c. Senior Primary____
d. Young Women's____
e. Young Men's____
f. Relief Society____
g. Elder____
h. Dearly Departed____
i. High Priest____

6. Occupation [Please select all that apply.]:
a. Amway dealer____
b. Shaklee dealer____
c. Nonie juice dealer____
d. NuSkin dealer____
e. Melaleuca dealer____

7. Automobile:
a. Station Wagon____
b. Van____
c. Suburban____
d. School Bus____
e. Double Decker____
f. BMW (Big Mormon Wagon)____

8. Favorite place to eat the night before Fast Sunday:
a. Chuck-A-Rama____
b. Hometown Buffet____
c. Sumo Sam's All You Can Eat Feeding Trough____

9. Favorite Hero:
a. Nephi____
b. Abinadi____
c. Samuel the Lamanite____
d. Steve Young____
e. Johnny Lingo____

10. Which of the following do you bring to church [check all that apply.]:
a. Scriptures____
b. Franklin Planner/Daytimer____
c. Pen/Pencil____
d. Lifesavers/Cheerios____
e. Tic Tacs____
f. Game Boy____
g. Big Gulp____
h. Cooler____
i. Sony Walkman____
j. TV Watch____
k. All of the above____

11. Do you prepare your church lessons:
a. A month in advance____
b. A week in advance____
c. While in the bathtub____
d. While on the toilet____
e. During Sacrament Meeting____
f. During the closing prayer of Sacrament Meeting____
g. During the opening prayer of the class you're teaching____
h. Just wing it [according to the promptings of the Spirit]____

12. Do you think pews should be permanently equipped with Big Gulp holders?:
yes____
no____

13. How many years has your family sat in the same place for Sacrament Meeting?:
a. 10-20 years____
b. 20-30 years____
c. 30-40 years____
d. Over 3 generations____

14. How much time does it take for you to fall asleep during a High Council talk?:
a. 1/1000,000,000th of a second____
b. 1/999,999,999th of a second____
c. 1/999,999,998th of a second____

15. Which day of the month do you go Home/Visiting Teaching?:
a. 31st____
b. 31st____
c. 31st____
d. 31st____

16. How many church basketball fights were you in last year?:
a. 1-10____
b. 10-20____
c. 20-30____
d. You'll have to ask my Lawyer____

17. Which of the following has been your most effective Family Home Evening?:
a. Arguing about getting along____
b. Having an opening and closing prayer with dinner____
c. Gathering around the television to watch, "Everybody Loves Raymond?"____

18. How many times a year do you make:
a. Green Jell-O salad____
b. Funeral potatoes____
c. Cabbage and Top Ramen salad____
d. Turkey, cashews and grape-stuffed croissants____

19. How many water-filled two-liter bottles do you own?:
a. 1-2 thousand____
b. 2-3 thousand____
c. 3-4 thousand____
d. Enough to fill the Great Salt Lake____

20. Which of the following do you feel is the most secure facility in the nation?:
a. Alcatraz____
b. Fort Knox____
c. Ward Libraries____

21. How many structural engineers do you hire annually to insure you'll win the Pinewood Derby?:____

22. Keeping the Word of wisdom in mind, how much of the following do you consume:
a. Chocolate:____pounds daily X 365 days annually = ____
b. Cola:____gallons daily X 365 days annually = ____

23. If you had to choose between witnessing the Second Coming or attending a BYU/U of U football game, which would you choose?
a. Second Coming____
b. Football game____


AMEN

Suzanne: Either Slacker Mom or Experienced Mom

I've got this email a few times over the years, and I just got it again recently - and I LOVE it every time because it's ME! it's YOU, all others, too. (Can you name that Primary song?) I thought I better copy it down here so I can always know where it's at...

BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.

The Layette:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pick up the baby
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, Baby Zoo, Baby Movies and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaners.

Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if he/she sees blood.

At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Swallowing Coins (a favorite):
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!



So, can you just IMAGINE how I'm mothering now that I have my 5th child? (That still freaks me out sometimes to say that!) I'm sure the first-time mothers want to report me to CPS!