Quote of the Week...

In light of all the political pundits I have listened to this past week:

"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought--which they avoid."

--Soren Kierkegaard

18 years ago today...

I became a mother.

And it really does feel like yesterday. I can, with very little effort, close my eyes and remember the day she was born. Every sight, every sound is vivid to me. I can see her being placed on my stomach just as she was born and remember reaching for her tiny hand--and how she grasped onto my finger and held so tightly.

Happy Birthday, Brianne!

You are my first...
the first to come from my body
the first to make me lose sleep
the first to need me

the first to run into my arms
the first to call me "mom"
the first to make my heart swell with joy

the first to remind me of your dad
the first to help through braces and driving
the first to ache with a broken heart

the first to watch on stage performing
the first to grow up right in front of me
the first to be like me and yet so much your own person

the first to amaze me with your talents
the first to crack me up with your humor
the first to stun me with your beauty

the first to become (almost) an adult
the first to be making plans of your own
the first to need me less

the first to teach me
the first to challenge me
the first to let me see the world through your eyes

I am so grateful.

Quote of the Week...

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."

--Arthur Ashe

Quote of the Week...

"I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow."

--Abraham Lincoln

Things you'd never think you need to say to your children, #247

"Do NOT repeatedly dunk your head into the toilet!! Ever. Ever. EVER."

Quote of the week...

"How you respond to the challenge in the game will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser."
--Lou Holtz


GO WOLVES!!! Take State!!!

Happy Thanksgiving...

...from the happy--and thankful--mommy to these wonderful people.

May you all feel blessed and loved today.

Quote of the Week...

"Be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and work and to play and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice; to be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to covet nothing that is your neighbor's except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends...and to spend as much time as you can, with body and with spirit. These are the guideposts on the footpath of peace."

--henry van @#!*%

Tacky, tacky, tacky...

To Person Who Called Me Back Wednesday:

Please don't return my call to you and ask me to attend an "expensive things that I don't need and can't afford anyway" party, at the last minute because you didn't catch me in the hall at church last week to invite me. And then, don't add that you are having a baby shower for yourself immediately following the expensive things party. And then after that, don't add that the only thing you really want to get for your shower, nobody can afford unless they go in together for it as a group.


I'm just saying.

Random things tag...

Cindy tagged me for this meme.

Here are the rules: 1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post.
4. Let each person know that they've been tagged.

My 7 random things:

1) I don't like animals. It's nothing personal, they're nice enough. I watch people who talk baby talk to their dogs and love on their cats and I...just don't get it. I'm not saying I won't pet an animal should I find myself within petting range, I'm just saying that if I am never in petting range, well...that's OK.

2) I have recurring dreams about a guy I dated for a while in high school. The dreams are never boyfriend/girlfriend in nature, and nothing ever happens that I couldn't tell the hubby about. My best guess as to why this fellow pops up every once and awhile is that he was very smart, very witty, and he just had a great way of saying things. Those are still some of my favorite qualities in a person.

3) Right now I have Enrichment Night hangover. I am currently in charge of a program called "Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment" in our women's auxiliary at church. Last night was our final quarterly activity for the year, which means I (with lots of help) spent the last 2 months planning, the last 2 weeks running errands and having meetings, and the last 24+ hours setting up, cooking, cleaning, hosting, troubleshooting, etc. for this evening of entertainment for 50+ women. So glad the next one's not until March.

4) I would sleep until noon if I could.

5) I went to Donny Osmond's wedding reception. I was 8 years old at the time and it was the thrill of my young life.

6) I always come home after an evening with friends or family and analyze everything that was said. I go back over the conversations in my head and worry that I said something wrong, or that I talked too much, or that I didn't listen to and understand everyone correctly. I have been known to do this for hours. This kind of social self analysis has not only proven to be unproductive, but also stupid. And yet, I do it anyway.

7) Nothing--and I mean nothing--will send me off the deep end more than people who talk while at the movies. If I can shut up for 2 hours, anybody can.

I tag Brittany, Carly, Jason, "Vern", Ketchup Queen, MamaHen, and Mean Mommy.

Quote of the Week...

"Life is an occasion. Rise to it."

--Dustin Hoffman, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

Lonely Friday night...

Well, my mouth is feeling better. And don't think I'm not just a little sad at losing my excuse to pop Vicodin...I have long said that being a clean living Mormon just makes drugs all that more fun when you get to take 'em. But, now it's back to real life and bye bye to drug fogs...

Hubby is on night shifts the next few months and I am sitting here remembering why that's not my favorite. I get bored around 7 pm or so...the kids are sprawled across the floor and furniture in the family room, watching High School Musical 2 for the billionth time, my teenage son is sleeping, and my almost old enough to vote daughter is at work.

[I get to be diverted by going and picking her up in an hour or so but that isn't as fun as one might think. I might as well be in the car alone, because she won't talk to me on the way home...she's all ticked about the injustices of having to do things she doesn't want to do. Which, at this point in her young life, is pretty much anything her father and/or I ask of her. She thinks we sit up nights plotting evil and mayhem just for HER. Please. We spread our works of evil and mayhem out liberally on all seven children, thank you very much.]

So, I'm lonely. I can't call anyone, because this is prime family bonding time for the majority of people. There is never anything on T.V. on a Friday night. I am too tired to consider going out some place, and besides--that would require waking the teenager sleeping on the couch and that is a hill I just DON'T feel like climbing. And my teeth are still super tender, so I can't even EAT for entertainment!! How rude.

My hubby loves to work nights...he says its "where all the action is".

Not from where I'm sitting, it ain't.

Quote of the Week...

"Having an abscessed tooth really, really sucks."

--happy mommy (wish me luck getting my root canal tomorrow)

Numerology...

I stole this idea from Brittany.
5 loads of laundry I have done today
9 loads left to be done
1 child at a birthday party
75 dollars, amount I spend each week on gasoline
30 minutes since I called my dentist, begging for pain meds
3 children asleep on the couch
800 mgs of ibuprofen I have taken in vain
16 times I have answered the phone today
2 children outside playing
14 conversations with myself about whether or not the pain in my teeth is actually teeth related, or a sinus infection
5 trips in the suburban to drop off or pick up kids
3 calls from hubby urging me to "hang in there"
1 child at a football game
4 1/2 gallons of milk we drink in a week
2,145 pieces of candy left from Halloween
879 how many times I've said today, "If you ask me for another piece of candy, it's all going in the TRASH!!!"

Car conversations....

Me: Ok, let's go to the store!

3 year old daughter: Ok, Mama.
(she calls me Mama. and don't think that I don't melt every time she says it, because I do...)

3 yo: Mama? Are we going to shop in Sam's Club?

Me: No, sweetie, we are just going to drop off our film at Sam's. Then we're going to go to the Commissary to shop for food, then we'll drop off these clothes to Goodwill, and then we'll go back to Sam's to pick up our pictures.

3 yo: Mama? Are we going to go home after?

Me: Yes, baby, we will.

3 yo: Well, that's good! Because, I'm pretty sure I'll be tired after doing all of that...

Amen, sister.

Quote of the Week...

"Many of life's circumstances are created by three basic choices: the disciplines you choose to keep, the people you choose to be with, and the laws you choose to obey."

--Charles Millhuff

The fun of teenagers...

Red shirt & trimming for daughter's Olive Oyl costume: $17
Faux pipe & sailor cap, and shirt created by Popeye's Mom: $11
The smiles on their faces as they head out to win first place
at the Halloween dance: Priceless

Quote of the Week...

"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."

--P.J. O' Rourke

Hosting preschool...

So, my daughter has been doing preschool with the children of several moms that decided to start up this fall. I am sure at some point I said I really, really wanted to do this...but right now I'd deny it to the death.

Mostly because now it's my week to host it. Crap.

Quote of the Week...

"A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success."