best. diss. ever.

"Brady, Brady's not a bad guy...but that wife of his! That wife...she's...Shakespearean."

things you think you'd never have to say to your children, #89

"While I find it cute that you talk to your toys, it's important to remember that they are inanimate objects...which is why your getting angry at them when they don't don't talk back has me a little concerned. Just something to consider."

it took a head cold and some time, but...

I finally got all our photographs organized.

I have tried many different systems over the years--the predominant system being 'stuff them all in boxes and hope that the house doesn't catch on fire'. Then one day I looked up and realized that the only action I had taken towards recording my kids' lives and our family's memories in the past few years was to buy more boxes to shove the stuff in. Kind of pointless, right?

[disclaimer: I am now going to talk about scrapbooking. I realize this is a subject that bores some people to tears, and I will not be offended if you stop reading right now. It's cool. I have a few guys that read this blog...dudes, this is the time to go to ESPN.com]

Several months ago I saw this book by Stacy Julian called Photo Freedom. I've always enjoyed Stacy's approach to scrapbooking, as she is less linear in her thinking, like me. Scrapbooking in chronological order is a natural for linear thinkers...but it just really gives me a headache. Feeling I have to scrap 'in order' forces me to avoid scrapbooking all together, because I feel the price for scrapping what I really WANT to scrap is that I have to wade through all the stuff I DON'T want to scrap first. There are certain things that scream out to be scrapbooked in order--school things, for instance--but 75% of the photographs I have are not tied to any event or date. I am a more everyday photographer than an event photographer. I only take pictures of birthdays and school events because my children don't need one more reason to seek out therapy.

Anyway. The book gave me a way to organize our photographs that makes sense to me. Not only does it makes sense, it gives me super fast recall on where the pictures I want to use are. In my previously mentioned box stuffing system, I knew that taking on any scrapbook would entail my sifting through photos for hours until finally stumbling upon what I was looking for...or more frequently just giving up and heading to Sonic for happy hour.

Now, things are right where I need them to be. I can think about a photograph I have, and within about 10 seconds have it in my hands. Guess how much more I want to scrapbook now?

So, I want to share the most helpful idea that I learned from the book.

Nothing overwhelmed me more than all my kids' school stuff. There are pictures, report cards, essays, art, science projects, field trips, and choir concerts. Times all that by 7 and you can see why the thought of making any books for my kids about their academic years made me cry just a little bit. But, with this simple plan from Stacy, I am on top of it and even a little excited to get moving.

I made hanging file folders for every child, from pre-school to senior year. Every child, including my 3 year old who hasn't even started pre-school yet. (with the exception of our oldest, her school book is already done) Now, when anything comes home from school, I can just quickly file it under the correct child and grade. Then when I go to work on a child's book, I know exactly where everything for each grade is. What a life saver!

I hope that talking about this has gotten you to think about how to store things in a way that makes sense to you. It doesn't even have to be pictures, just think about whether the things you like and want to use are organized in a way that saves you time and energy for what you really want to spend your time and energy on.

And, if you have any super cool organizing ideas (for photos or anything else), please share with me.

quote of the week...

“Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.”

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am a good mom...

I--uh, the girls--reeeeeeeallly wanted to go see High School Musical 3. So, I sacrificed my Saturday night...and when I say 'sacrificed' I mean 'nothing was keeping me away from that theater because I SO have a secret crush on Troy Bolton'.

What I won't do for Zac Efron my kids.

Proof that not only does my husband love me...

...so do Ben and Jerry.

How do I know this? Because this is what I was given as a treat today:

I am totally not sharing. Don't even ask.

quote of the week...

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives."

--Henry David Thoreau

in case I forget to tell you, #1...

[very long preamble starts now:

Sometimes, when given moments to ponder and reflect, I think of life lessons that I have been taught. The reminders of those lessons sometimes wander into my thoughts at quiet moments--while folding laundry, or at 3 am holding a sick and restless child, or in between pick ups and drop offs to pre-school and intramurals...even as I grocery shop for the month.

Often in the last few months, it has occurred to me that I may never have "the moment" when I can share what I have discovered with my children. And this just stressed me right out. So, from time to time as my brain reminds me, I am going to share things here that I hope to tell my children, but worry that I won't.]

Children, never let knowledge become more important than people. Never find joy or accomplishment in being the smartest person in the room. And, if you think you are the smartest person in the room, you probably need to get to know the people in the room better. There is no person that you can't learn from. And you will find that as you grow older, what you know seems to grow smaller. Life is humbling that way.

It's true that knowledge is power, and my wish is that you will never wield that power carelessly. Knowing something about someone is a responsibility. Take it seriously. You will probably know about me that I have little to no tolerance for gossip. There are few things with more potential to destroy and harm. Gossip may or may not be true, which is all the more reason to avoid it. And let me just say this: just because something is true, does not mean it should be talked about.

When you are considering sharing knowledge, always consider why you are sharing it. Who is it serving to share it? Is it to benefit someone else or is it just to show how much I know? Always consider that we learn what we learn when we need to learn it...and allow those around you to learn at their own pace. Think of how patient God is with us, and it will help you should you feel impatient with others.

love, mom

quote of the week...

"I can't worry about your character...I can, however, improve my own."

--Katharine Hepburn

quote of the week...

"Be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled...will disappear all too soon. And that you will, to your surprise, miss them profoundly."

--Thomas S. Monson

another season ending injury...

So, football ends early this year for my son. Officially, it's called a right shoulder subluxation. Which is just a fancy way of saying that he dislocated it. So, no contact for 4 weeks, and physical therapy for 6 weeks. We got a great orthopedist who really wants to be sure he is healed to minimize the chance of recurrence. The last thing we want is for him to need shoulder surgery at age 16. So, it's the sidelines for the last few games.

random answers to random questions that nobody asked me...

Got this from TheMom's blog.

1. Where do you fold your laundry?

I fold my laundry in the laundry room. I have baskets in there with all my kid's names on them. The theory is that the children will then come down, take their basket, go to their room, and put away their clothes. What actually happens, you say? They just come down in underwear in the morning and dig through the basket for that day's fashions.

2. Must you be sure the dishes are washed before you go to bed each night?

In my mind, yes. But usually I have to make that happen by standing in the kitchen and sighing heavily while shaking my head back and forth (and it helps to look pitiful, gotta have the pitiful look down) until my hubby walks in, sees me, and starts to do it. I'm not saying it's for everyone, but it sure works at my house.

3. Do you use caller i.d. to screen your calls?

No, because I am not mature and confident enough for caller ID. We had it once, and whenever I would come home I would look at the missed calls and obsess about them. "Maggie called, but she didn't leave a message. Why?? What does she need? Should I call her back? Well, she didn't leave a message, so maybe it's not important. But if it's not important, then why DID SHE CALL??!!"

4. Do you let the low fuel light come on in your car before you fill up?

Only if we are stretching until payday. The rest of the time, never below half a tank.

5. Are you a registered voter?

I am, but I pulled my party affliations years ago, so I don't vote in primaries.

6. Breakfast for dinner is one thing, but can you eat dinner for breakfast?

I've never tried that, all I know is that when I make scrambled eggs and pancakes for dinner, my children write poems and sing special songs about how I am the best mom ever. I'm just not sure that meatball stew at 6 AM would have the same effect.

7. Do you click on the ads you see on people’s blogs?

Not that I recall.
8. Do you just want to yell at smokers who are clearly standing within 50ft of the door at a restaurant?

I don't want to yell, but I do want to cough and go take a shower.

9. What did you have for breakfast today?

I don't eat breakfast. I think that the person who said it's the most important meal of the day was just selling something.

10. What about your life today would surprise your teenage self?

All the people that call me Mom.

question...

Does it count as housework if I erase all the stuff I don't need anymore off of my DVR?

I'm thinking it should.