What ... 500th post? You've got to be kidding me!

I was just going to blog about the last few days ... and then I realized that, gosh, I've somehow reached a 500th post here at Blogger (not counting the umpteen-hundred that I've had at previous blogs - LiveJournal and Diaryland).

No, I can't have made 500 posts. That's just crazy.
Crazy enough that it could be true.

*sigh*

So, to commemorate this occasion, I should probably do something kind of special.
I'll do the 100 things about me. In a bit of Becket-like stream of consciousness.

1. As scared as I was of ever having kids, I really have trouble remembering what life was like before Bruise and Bucket.
2. But I do know that it was a LOT quieter.
3. It used to be that I'd qualify a day as a "good day" if I got through at least one book.
   Now it's usually based on IF the kids have taken a nap, so I have time to read and clean the house.
4. Michael always remarks how tense I am when I drive. I used to enjoy driving. Now it's just a time to listen to music as I take the kids places.
5. I am a carb addict. I love bread. And cookies. And cake. ... Which isn't a huge surprise to look at me. I also love those simpler carbs. Which is one reason I love the holiday season. It's all about EATING and CANDY and BAKING!! Yum!
6. I need to make a habit of exercising. STAT. (So I can JUSTIFY eating myself into a stupor this holiday season.)
7. I also have just scrapped the scripture study/personal prayer log that I've been working on for Personal Progress. I want one that isn't a half-@$$ed effort. I want one that is really going to get me in a habit of doing it for real ... so that I'll have a really good daily habit. For the right reasons (Not just to get my mom to sign off a goal).
8. I can be a perfectionist.
9. But I'm really lazy, so a lot of the time I find myself getting frustrated and throwing my hands in the air and taking a (sometimes permanent) break.
10. I FRAKKIN' LOVE my calling as YW Secretary. It just makes me happy. I work with AWESOME people.
11. I feel guilt that I don't read to my kids more/haven't taught them to write all their letters/they're not doing basic sums on paper/I haven't spoken to them more in German (so they will find it that much harder to be bilingual)/I don't take them out to the parks more ....
12. But it doesn't stop me from being on the computer all that much. So I guess I don't feel THAT guilty.
13. I should feel more guilty that my kids love the money song from Cabaret. And slightly guilty that Bruise asks/begs me to sing "the honey song" (because once when putting honey on their toast, I started singing "Honey, honey" by ABBA.
14. I thought about being a History major. Because it'd be pretty awesome to be a museum curator or something. But it'd be HARD to get a job as that.
15. So I went into Education, since that was a safe bet.
    
16. And also, I'd get to learn how to deal with kids.
17. And then I found that I really am not a great fit for the classroom.
18. Well, at least I found that out before I signed a contract.
19. I hate ants. Well, if they're in or on my house. If they're outside, just minding their own nest, I think they're fine. I blame that on "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and how the kids befriended that ant. Or else I might REALLY hate them. Well, except that I really loved playing SimAnt. Good game.
20. Yeah, I like computer games and video games.
21. Even more than my husband. And he's the one who brought the Playstation into our marriage.
22. Before that, all I had was my computer and my Sega Genesis. (Yes, I AM that old school.)
23. Then, Michael spoiled me by getting me a PS2 for my birthday back in 2003. Good times.
24. I'm always confused by the fact that he can't play a video game for longer than about 20 minutes without getting bored. ... That'd never fly for playing Final Fantasy!
    
25. I really like the Final Fantasy games.
26. I'm still COMPLETELY STOKED that I beat FF9 back in, what, 2002 or 2003?
27. Yes, that WAS a long time ago.
28. Hey, if I put my mind to it, I could get to the end of FFX and FFX-2 ... I'm rather close.
29. But I'm totally stuck early on in Kingdom Hearts ... and that one's really geared for kids!
30. But I've gotten through the Lego Star Wars and Indiana Jones games on my DS.
31. And YES, I am very pleased with myself.
32. Oh, my flip. Did I REALLY just make a tenth of this list about video games?
33. Well, I guess it goes to show you that I really am a nerd. ... Well, a geek.
34. The difference between the two is that geeks have better social skills.
35. I live in the past a lot.
36. Mostly because I wish that I wasn't such a lamebrain for so much of it.
37. People compliment my writing. And that makes me feel special.
38. I try not to let it go to my head, though.
39. Michael says that I'm the only person whose voice totally shows through in my writing. Really, I do write JUST like I talk.
40. And I'm a bit bitter that not all my writing teachers APPRECIATE that. It's not like I talk badly or anything. I can be quite eloquent!
41. Firefly quotes make me happy.
42. They're like my mental litmus test: If I'm too depressed/sad/upset to quote Firefly WATCH OUT.
43. I wish I were smarter.
44. And more confident.
45. And a snazzier dresser.
46. And in shape ... seriously, my mum-tum bums me out. And my thighs aren't helping.
47. Yes, I am kind of vain. In the way that I want to measure up and be cute like all the people I'm around.
48. I should be a better example to my kids by exercising more.
49. And not complaining about my crappy self-image.
50. But I've never been skinny-skinny.
51. And having a big chest hasn't really been totally conducive to making me feel like I fit in.
    Because it's FREAKING ANNOYING to have to buy expensive bras just to get some that fit. Grrrr. (Makes me almost wish that I were flat enough to just wear tank tops or something underneath.)
52. But I really need to learn to accept my body for what it is. And appreciate it.
53. Or to get off my duff and learn to love like motivate myself to exercise.
54. Even though it makes me sweat.
55. And I can feel my fat jiggling as I do it. Ugh. Could I just wear a full-body slimmer as I exercise?
56. I should shut up about complaining like this. It's annoying me. (And if you're annoyed, too, I don't blame you at all.
57. I feel kinda dumb when I bear my testimony in front of people. Mostly because I feel like I should be expounding something amazing ... but I suppose that maybe I'm not quite as trite and childish as I feel I am.
58. I have no issues with the fact that I still pray like a 5-year-old.
59. I still have my prayers answered, so I figure that Heavenly Father approves. ^_^
60. I'm sure glad that He's not too picky.
61. It'd be nice to be a LOT more spiritual.
62. No matter what people say about my church, I do know it IS true. It makes me happy. My faith comforts me. And I figure that they're all free to believe what they want to believe.
63. It hurts me how little love is present out in the world -- If people loved each other and knew how precious we all are, there wouldn't be near as many terrible things happening. I just don't get how people can be so MEAN and TERRIBLE to each other (e.g., the situations with Kevin [my friend's brother who was murdered] or Brooke Wilberger or those sorts of things). It boggles my brain.
64. I think, and this is me probably being all naive and kinda dumb and oversimplified, that it must be really, really lonely to have same-sex attraction. I just want to give homo-/bi-/trans-sexual people a hug because they really need it. They're great people and I love them. But I do believe that the act of procreation is reserved to be used in marriage. It's not their fault that they're attracted to someone they can't get married to. They need extra love and understanding. ... At least, that's MY opinion of it.
65. I figure that we're all just here, making our way through life ... and more than enough are very hard on ourselves. We should cut ourselves (and other people some slack).
66. With the exception of those that don't give a crap who they're hurting ... or who ENJOY hurting others. I know it's not Christlike at all of me to think this, but I feel that those individuals don't have a place in the gene pool. (I know. I'm NOT at all perfect. I've got room to grow.)
67. I think the Dali Lama is ADORABLE. I don't always agree with every single thing he's said. But he's SO CUTE!!! And he's, like, HAPPY ... ALL THE TIME!!! I wish I could be more like that. (If he had kids, I think he wouldn't yell at them. But if he did, every once in a while, I wouldn't count that against him.)
68. I like it when my kiddos play together.
69. It makes me really irritated when they antagonize each other.
70. Sometimes I wonder if I've lost myself in motherhood ... if I'm any less interesting.
71. Then I wonder, if that's the case, is it really a terrible thing? I mean, I never wanted to be the breadwinner or the most famous person or anything.
72. Sometimes my kids CRACK. ME. UP.
73. I fear that the day will come when Bruise won't demand kisses from me. Or that Bucket won't want to talk to me. ... And that helps me to persevere through those times when I want to devour them like hamsters do when the hamster mama is just. TOO. STRESSED. OUT.
74. Shelving books is relaxing to me. That's why, if I go back to school, I'm totally getting my Master's in Library Science. ... Well, that and so I can be cool like my Cynthia. ^_^
75. I also consider getting licensed in massage. Because massages make people happy. And it's NICE to make people happy.
76. Makeovers make people happy, too. So I almost think about going to beauty school like my Bri.
77. I'm in awe of so many of my friends and family. They're really awesome. And I'm not just saying that. Seriously, if you're having a bad day, ask me for something cool about you. I'll have something. You might want to give me a minute. I could give you something totally trite right away, but I'd like to consider and come up with something amazing about you. Because everyone has at least ONE (if not dozens) of wonderful things about themselves.
78. I often think of myself as a grammar-Nazi ... but then I worry about making TONS of grammatical errors myself. And I start to feel trepidation about just WRITING. ... Then I get over it.
79. You'd think that since my dad and uncle are blind and hard-of-hearing that I'd be a lot more comfortable around people with disabilities. I'm not always. And it makes me feel bad.
80. Artichokes still kinda scare me. Katie, if you make them, I'll try them (Since I know that you know what you're doing). But give me time to psych myself up for the experience.
81. I'd think about skydiving or bungee-jumping ... but my main concern is that I'd wet my pants and have to walk around in pee-pants until I could get dry clothes. And what if I had to drive somewhere to gt them? Getting pee on someone's (or my) CAR? Ewwwww.
82. I don't really care for the writings of Joyce Carol Oats. I know that lots of people think she's all that ... but after forcing myself through SEVEN HUNDRED PAGES of her book about Marilyn Monroe, I really felt like pulling an Oedipus and ripping out my eyes.
83. I like Edward Gorey and Ogden Nash ... I like a lot of poetry. Not because I'm deep. I don't often understand it. I just like the rhythm and word choices.
84. I think I'd have to check myself into a mental ward if I didn't have the internet. I use it for just about everything -- research, finding recipes, comparing prices, reading, entertainment ... I pink, puffy heart me the internet.
85. Sometimes I wonder if I'd really be that much happier if I were a size 6 (see, I don't even need to be a size 0! I could be a size 8, which is still smaller than where I am now) ... I mean, it'd be easier to find clothes that would fit and look better. And I wouldn't be having my obstetrician (back in the day, NO, I'm NOT pregnant now) getting so after me about my weight. It'd be NICE ... but would I be that much happier? And why does it matter to me so much?
86. If I could cook like any celebrity, I think I'd want to be most like Paula Deen. When I was in the midst of morning sickness, I was over at my friend, Terra's, watching her show. And I was HUNGRY, watching her cook.
87. If I can't be like Paula Deen, then I want to be like Ree Drummond. Yum!! She's hilarious and amazing. And I blog stalk her like nobody's business.
88. I like to color with crayons. Especially Crayola crayons. Call me a brand whore all you like on that ... they're just better.
89. If I hadn't stopped watching R-rated movies, I would run out RIGHT NOW (well, if I had someone to watch the kids) and watch Zombieland.
90. Since I'm not doing that, I really would like part of my celestial reward (for my upstanding behavior in making that sacrifice) to include copies of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I'm just sayin'. ^_^
91. I would love to have a pet tiger. That never needed to use a litterbox or eat. Because all that would get wicked-expensive. I just want one to cuddle with and to purr.
92. You know, now I HAVE to be really good and work on having good habits so that I can be with my Gingi-cat again. And I'm a little worried that I won't measure up. Which makes me sad.
93. Yeah, I wouldn't mind writing a book. But I don't know what to write about. And I wouldn't want to be accused of plagiarism.
94. I'm so over Hollywood gossip. I wish that people'd report more on the GOOD stuff that people (and they don't have to be FAMOUS people, even!) do. I do not CARE about which starlet is showing her crotch by not knowing how to get in a car like a lady. ... And when these things happen, I'd rather not reward them with attention ... Unless it's to get them into charm school or something of the like.
95. Yes, I'd have liked to go to charm school. Maybe I'd feel more ladylike and charming than I already am.
96. I think it'd be really awesome to find out that I suddenly had the talent to play multiple instruments. But not at the same time. That'd be going overboard, don't you think?
97. I'm glad that my husband loves/puts up with me. I really don't deserve him. But I'm glad that he sticks with me. He's awesome like that.
98. Every so often I think about scrapbooking. I have friends that scrap and are amazingly creative. But then I realize that this is ME that we're talking about. If I do it, it's going to be digital. So I don't tear up stuff in frustration. Just keepin' it real, y'all.
99. I tend to pronounce "wash" like my Nana does: "WARsh." I didn't used to.
100. I wish that I could get a LIGHT teal DSi ... yes, the SHADE of the color is important. I don't know why. It just is.

And, there you go. 100 quite random things about me. I hope that you aren't scared or anything. Now I need to be ready for when my Visiting Teachers get here. Because they're really fun and I love being Visit Taught (I've been blessed with really awesome VTers in this ward. I do still miss Anne and Katrina. But I love that Dianne and Becky get to see me. ... I should plan a get-together so that I can see Anne and Katrina again soon. ^_^)

Okay. I'll blog about regular stuff soon. Okay?

Thursday was full of saying good-bye to my mom, going to storytime, taking the kids over to one of my Visiting-Teachees' house (where my companion and I helped her finish packing and cleaning), then putting the kids down for a nap (They had been GREAT, sitting and watching cartoons while L and I packed and cleaned. YAY!!!) ... and skipping the RS service night (what used to be called Enrichment. And before it was called THAT, it was called Homemaking), because I was EXHAUSTED.

Yesterday, we went to pick up Michael's paycheck (since payday this month was on a Friday ... and he doesn't go into work on Fridays right now. And we really couldn't wait until Monday to get some money. ^_^) and drove down to take the kids to Wildlife Safari (where I used to go as a girl ... And I've had friends who've worked there. I interviewed for a job there. It would have been rather exciting to be able to put on a resume that I worked with big cats in a show. But it wasn't to be. Oh well. At least I had a very cool job opportunity, no?)

Of course, as we remembered to bring the camera to Wildlife Safari, I did NOT remember to check the batteries on the good camera. *sigh* So, we'll have to go back again (which isn't a huge deal, since Mom got a membership for her, C and US all to go together if we want) to take some better pictures. But I think that my little point-and-shoot camera from before the kids were born (Thanks, both sets of parents!! It was a GREAT Christmas present!!) did a decent job. We took lots of pictures, anyways.

Then we came home and picked up the house and got ready for feeding the missionaries. I made Fettuccine Carbonara (BACON!!!!) and, at Michael's bequest, vanilla pudding (straight from the mix). Michael cooked up some Chicken Parmigiana. Yum!

(I can say that since I'm eating leftover carbonara noodles for breakfast. Hey, it has eggs and bacon in it!!)

Holy crow ... Bruise was sitting on the arm of the couch and fell and hit his head. He's okay. No concussion. Phew.

And, last night, it was SO HOT!!!! I had to open a window in the bedroom so I could fall back asleep after Bruise wet his bed last night (it's been WEEKS since he wet the bed. Poor, tired, tired boy. He was screaming. Michael was holding him (after I stripped him down and put him on the toilet ... and then I went and was remaking his bed. The only casualties of the pee? His sheet and PJs, of course, and his stuffed lion, Aslan <-- YES!! I LOVE that he renamed his lion [originally Scar] to the name of the coolest lion EVER!!!!!!!) and trying to figure out why Bruise was SO MAD. And, while Michael got clean underwear and PJs for the boy, I talked to Bruise a little.
We went back to bed and Michael's all, "He wouldn't tell me what his bad dream was about."
And I was all, "He didn't have a bad dream. He was upset that he had wet the bed."
(Yes, it's crazy enough that I know what kinds of questions to ask a screaming boy at midnight or so ... The questions went, "Did you have a bad dream?" *shakes head* "Are you mad that you wet the bed?" *nods* ... Thank goodness for inspiration!)

ALSO, in publicly being grateful for blessings: YAAAAAAAAAY for the power of prayer that some totally BOGUS charges brought against one of my dearest besties and her husband were dropped (they were being charged with criminal misconduct in regards to their kids. And, if you even LOOKED at them, you'd know that was a crock of buffalo chips, iykwim ... aityd). But the charges have been dropped. PHEW!!!!!!!

Today, we're going to meet the kids' cousins up at a pumpkin patch ... so I had BETTER charge up my camera's battery. .... Okay, it's plugged in. Phew.

In other news, Bucket now has a stuffed pink flamingo which she has JUST named Julie (after my aunt) and Bruise got a little toy semi-truck from Wildlife Safari. ... Currently, they are sitting and watching Return of the Jedi as Michael's helping (along with quite a few of the EQ and High Priests in the ward -- Have I mentioned how awesome my ward is? Because they really rock) my Visiting Teachee move.

.... As of yet, I've done 1/3 of my Visiting Teaching. I need to make appointments with the other two sisters. I have some VT swag all ready for them ... it's just the appointments that need to be made.

Oh!! Funny thing Bruise said!!
-As we were driving up to Wildlife Safari, there are all these white plastic bucket-things with ghost faces drawn on.
Bruce, ever the observer pipes up, "Wook! Dose ghosts can't wave. Dey have no hands. Only heads."
(Seriously, he cracks me up! I'm so glad that he's talking so much! I mean, at first, he never really had a chance to talk. But those times when Bucket's busy or still taking a nap, it's HILARIOUS to spend one-on-one time with him. I love it when I overhear Mutti (what they call my mom) reading and discussing stories with him. ... It's probably because I already KNOW that Bucket's capable of such conversations and all.

But, yeah, I love their senses of humor.

OH!! Oh!!!!! Have you seen this?

I've trained the kids to do that first part ... the "DAYTIME! Nighttime. DAYTIME!!" And it amuses me so, so, so much! What makes it even better is then they reply, "No thanks. I've got an X-box." And then they follow it up with, "Mom, what's an X-box?" Seriously, I could eat them up with a SPOON, I tell you!!

Crazy Dream Chronicles, Part "In Which I Prove What a Complete Dork I Really Am!"

So, last night, I dreamt that I was with Michael at this ... carnival-thing?

And at one booth, there was Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry! How cool is that?? And they were giving out autographs! And I got their autographs!

Then, later, when Michael and I were at the mall, we saw Hugh Laurie headed one way and I quickly went to him and said "hi" and that we had been (and, hey, in my dream we HAD been) in a music video together. (Like as scene dressing. We had been in gold paint, dressed as Egyptian royalty. And I have no idea how I got THAT gig. It was completely left unexplained in my dream.)
And he was all, "Oh, yes. I was wondering how you were doing." (And he had his American-Dr. House accent, not his luscious-usual voice ... but still!)
And I completely went Dork-Allanna and was all, "Oh! Here's my card! It's got my blog address on it, if you have time or want to read it or whatever. Tell your wife hi and all!"

And Michael's next to me, all bemused at how flustered and fan-girl I am around HUGH FRICKIN' LAURIE!!

And I'm all about to text Bri to tell her WHO I had just seen and that he KNEW who I WAS ... and, hey, I got HIS autograph. And STEPHEN FRY's, TOO!!

But we had to hurry and run through Target because we had to make an appointment at this wedding planner-business that we were running. And the bride-to-be we were meeting, after we got there and were waiting for her and her folks to come it, collapsed in the entryway of our office .... and then her hair changed color. And I was worried that she was dead. And I startted to dial 911 ... and really wished that Nathan Fillion as Castle was there to help (though I've only seen one episode. Still, you've got to admit that as Capt. Mal, he's totally dependable and rather trustworthy.) ...

It turns out that she was mostly fine. But I think that her family was pushing this wedding or something.

Sorry, hey, I was still trying to figure out when to cal Bri to report that I MET FRIGGIN' HUGH LAURIE!! (And trying to figure out if it was a dream when I met him or if it really, really happened.

And then I woke up. And I had no autographs. Or my own wedding planning business. Not that I'm dreaming of being a wedding planner. ... Although Michael and I have discussed that if I could put a wedding-planning business together, I'd totally rope Dianne and Bri into it. We could offer packages -- planning, photography, makeover -- all in one place! It'd be kinda cool, right?

-----------------------------------

In other news, my mom's up. And she laughed when I told her about my dream.

Not that I blame her at all. I KNOW that it totally and completely outs me as the nerd that I really am.

And I made potato chowder last night. And bread. The bread was braided and had fresh rosemary in the dough.

Yeah, you totally wish that you were over last night, don't you? ^_^

Oh, and I made a sort of monkey bread, too. It needed more of the melted-butter/caramel-like sauce. But it has diced apples in it! And was really good with ice cream!

So ... yeah.

Oh, and I got the house pretty clean! Woot!!

I'm semi-at-'em ... but I don't know that I'm AWAKE

Okay, I'm up ... and blogging. Not that I have a ton to blog about.

I could tell you that I really like Meg Cabot's "The Mediator" series ... about a girl who sees/helps ghosts ... and is transplanted from NY to California due to her mom's recent remarriage. They're fun books.

Or I could tell you about Nailtiques ... and how, since I started using it (and I don't always remember to apply the liquid protein EVERY day), I did notice (yesterday) that I haven't had nails this long since I was preggers (since, when you're pregnant, those freaky hormones give you wicked-good nails and hair. I've been missing those great nails ... the ONE TIME IN MY LIFE when I have ever had long-ish, strong nails. And it left the building along with the thirty-or-so pounds of bloating. *sigh* Buh-buh, bloat. Don't let the door hit you on your way out! ... But WHY did you have to take my pretty nails with you????).

I mean, I could tell you that when I ordered their little catalog (which, truth be told, is rather small), I was a little confused by the packaging when it did arrive ... it was ... BULKY.

Because, included with the catalog/pamphlet and the ordering card were samples of their non-acetone polish remover AND a little 1/8 oz of their #2 nail protein. (I had wondered why they asked for which nail protein you would want to use. I kinda thought that maybe it was just for informational purposes. It's nice to be wrong.) ... I mean, really! If I were to BUY that sample in their store, it'd be $5 ... and the polish remover runs $3. So they GAVE me for FREE a whole $8 of product! Isn't that amazing??? And it seems to work REALLY well!
(And really, their prices are pretty decent! ... If I had money, I'd be ordering a few things. I keep drooling over their sampler kit and their nail files. ^_^)

So, yeah, if you want to give them a try, GO FOR IT! And if you can support them by buying something, TOTALLY GO FOR IT! I'm completely thrilled by the customer service they gave to someone just LOOKING at their products. ^_^

Yeah, I'm still waking up and am REALLY this excited about a product.
(I've ALWAYS wished for long, healthy nails ... and it always seemed like SUCH a pipe dream. This gives me hope. ^_^)

Okay. I'm going to try and do some more dishes and housework ... get the house into a semblance or order before my mom comes up tomorrow, take the kids to Bucket's dance class, read a couple of books, schedule my VT, and do some more Personal Progress.

Nothing much, right? :P

And again with the apologies ...

Yes, it's been DAYS since I blogged.

Epic suck = me.

Here's the part where I make excuses:

• My mom came up and, truth be told, I have a very good time hanging with her ... so I tend to neglect you, my dears. You do know that I really do love you, right?
  But this is my MAMA. And I love to hang with her so!
• My mom helped me instigate the consequence of "the naughty chair" where little children who are not obedient or pleasant (especially those that are not EITHER) get to have a time-out (one minute per year of life) until they realize the errors of their disrespectful ways and give me a kiss and an apology and go on to do what is required of them
  
  This should be instigated in Congress. STAT.
  
  
• I've been trying to get caught up on the dozens of books that I've checked out. I know that it's not a personal FAILURE to return a book without having had read it.
  It still feels that way a bit. ... But I'm getting better.
• Mom and I have been cooking a little and working on teaching the kids to read and do maths (YES, I use the term "maths." Because I AM a pompous American. :P)
  
• Michael and I took the kiddos to OMSI yesterday to the new Science of Fear exhibit. We had fun. Even though Michael laughed at me because I psyched myself out in the "fear of animals" booth. ... HEY, I find spiders and scorpions rather unsettling.
  However, I wasn't phased much by the fear of loud noises or the fear of falling booths. All in all, quite fun. You should go!
• I skipped choir because I was a slacker and was trying to un-freeze myself (after a bowl of vanilla ice cream with hot fudge sauce *le sigh*) by taking a nice, hot bath ... while my darling offspring took a lovely nap.
• I'm going to need to close this up so that we can have Family Home Evening ... and then read the kids a couple chapters of "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe." (When they take a GOOD nap ... and we have time, I am not against rewarding them with more C.S. Lewis. ... It's a bit of a reward for ME, too. Free time AND more Christian allegory? Sign me up! In triplicate!)
• Bucket's enjoying her dance class. Maybe this week, I'll be able to take pictures of Bruise and Bucket participating in it WITHOUT holding my hands (and, thus, making it impossible to take any pictures).

I also am working more on my Personal Progress ... I haven't done even half of it. But I did tell the Mia Maids that I'm working on it. And K.A. gave me a fist bump ... which made me feel like Gus on Psych (HILARIOUS show!). And, hey, C gave me a shoulder-rub, which was AWESOME (I think that I carry most of my stress in my shoulders ... and they KILL me! UGH!! I should really do more Yoga or something.)

I still need to design about 11 birthday cards for Young Women's (we have quite a few November and December birthdays) and finish the November calendar (it's designed ... LOVE Ms Publisher. LOVELOVELOVE it.), I just need information from the leaders. ^_^

And I need to finish DO my Visiting Teaching (I've been such a slacker! ... Well, sorta. I've designed a CUTE little card to give to all our VT sisters with a quote from the October VT message on the front and my companion's and my phone number on the back. And I have a GREAT idea for what to make for a treat. I just need to DO it and get stuff scheduled and all. And I'm ticked at myself that I've let it get to be the TENTH and I haven't DONE IT YET. ... Yeah, I'm a bit of an overachiever. I like to have it done RIGHT AWAY, so that I can't slack off. And so that I don't get down on myself for not doing it sooner. ... I have issues.)

(And, no, I'm not always the greatest visiting teacher. I sure wish I was. When I was in the U-wards and I had my friend, Cami, as a companion, we were ON FIRE. It was awesome possum. I've had some great companions since Cami ... but it's not quite the same. And since the kids were born, it's a little more diffi--CHALLENGING.)

And I am still struggling with daily personal prayer and scripture study. It's not like I don't KNOW that it's important. It IS. I just really suck at it. STILL. I mean, I should be TONS better at doing all this. But I'm working on it a lot more right now. Which is better. But I'm definitely not great, by ANY definition. Just room to improve, right?

So, yeah .... that really covers a lot of what all I've been up to .... when I've been neglecting you all. Well, all that and Facebook. ^_^

So, yeah ... if you miss me tons, just look me up on Facebook. I'm usually there. All too often. :P

Drain ... Oh.

I'm sorry that I haven't blogged all that much lately. I really haven't felt like I've had a lot to say.
And I hate blogging about my whining-whining-whining ... because that's usually BORING.

Still, I apologize for my silence. It's not you, it's me.

Yesterday STARTED out well enough ... which gave me some hope.
The kids actually participated well (even BRUISE!) at Bucket's little dance class. And that was GREAT! I was heaping praise and hugs like they were on a clearance sale, y'all.

They even got to play at the park next to the building where Bucket's class is.
Then I got them home, and fed them Goldfishes ... and then I attempted to put them to nap.

Which was like a repeat of Saturday afternoon ... and the reason I barely left the bed Sunday (thank goodness for General Conference. Boo for not getting to hear much of it ... But yay for the Church posting the mp3s YESTERDAY ... so I've listened to two of the Sunday morning talks. And I'll be listening to more pretty soon.).

Saturday (and yesterday) was mostly spent hoping and wishing and fretting and threatening that the kids take a %*&()$)@*&%&%(*!$ nap!

Which they didn't.

And their whining and subordination and blatant disregard for me saps me of the will to live.

I called Michael. Read books. Took a bath. ... And still, with all those good things, I was a slug when he got home.

I cried.

We didn't read ANY of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe like we do most other nights. I couldn't even fathom working up the energy to read aloud, let alone do a half-***ed effort at the different voices. (And we're going to meet Mr. and Mrs. Beaver! I can't NOT work to make them awesome!)

I had Michael give me a blessing. I really needed it.

We're skipping storytime today. I know it sounds bad, but I really couldn't care less. I just need to turn in a lot of books ... which I should do as soon as I throw on some real-people clothes. And I will. I need to.

We've taken quite a few of the kids' toys away as a consequence. I'd like them to earn them back. Perhaps I'll just start a big tally -- for each time they obey without whining or talking back, they can earn a point. Ten points and they can earn back a toy (and GOSH, they've got a ways to go!) ... when they DO whine and talk back or flop (I'm looking at YOU, Mr. Bruise), I get a point.

... I forsee myself getting a LOT of points ... I wonder what I should have them forfeit? Probably watching shows. They love to watch shows. ... Oooooh, I could also have them give up ANY choice of music in the car. (They usually get to listen to their songs [i.e., "Jack songs" = Anything from the soundtrack for The Nightmare Before Christmas] on the way somewhere. Then I get to listen to whatever the heck I want to listen to on the way back. Unless I'm feeling especially generous.

I usually don't feel all that generous.

Even though I DO like me some Danny Elfman. Man's a friggin' GENIUS.

Slightly funny:
Bruise: [petting Diana-cat] Diana is [Bucket]'s cat. Gingi is my cat. My cat is DEAD.

Yeah, I think he might miss my Gingi-babe almost as much as I do.

It kills me that I already have started to forget the exact feel of her fur, her scent, the exact sounds she'd make.
It's not like my grandfolks that have passed ... where, every so often, I'll catch a whiff of the smell of Grandma D's house or a hint of cigarette smoke (which will always remind me of Pop-pop) or the musty smell of the attic from Nana and Pop-pop's old house ...

No. But every so often, Ging will appear in a dream. Which simultaneously comforts and saddens me. As opposed to when I dreamt of Pop-pop and was just comforted.

See? I told you I wasn't that funny or amusing right now. I just feel drained and tired.

It's a good thing that my mom's coming up today. Or else I'd just let the dishes and laundry pile up and throw some food at the kids and hole up in my bed or the bathtub or something.

Bucket just drew a flower in the hand of the princess in her coloring book. Impressive.
She drew a picture of her brother yesterday. It was cute. Then she added hair, so it was then HER. Which was also cute.

I need to design birthday cards for my Young Women. I'm not feeling incredibly inspired. Usually I can crank out some cute, personalized cards for my girls pretty quickly (LOVE MS Publisher) ... but ... I'm just not feeling it.

I was wondering if I just used up all my creativity in designing a cute handout to give to my VT sisters (And, if I may be so bold, it IS cute. I asked Michael about it, like, FOUR TIMES.) ... but it's been about 18 hours ago ... and I still don't have any great ideas.
It's not like I don't love these girls ... I DO. I just .... I don't know.

Michael found a pair of his old jeans for me. That's cool. They fit and they don't make me look as squeezed into my jeans as my other pairs of jeans. (Srsly - WHY THE AITCH are women's jeans all practically denim LEGGINGS with a heavy seam in the crotch and pockets? Ew. They make me feel superfat. And, yes, I could lose some weight ... but a good deal of it is all that stretched-out skin from carrying mah BAYBEES. So I refuse to feel as fat as I could. ...butIstillfeelabitfat.)

Besides, most of my jeans all have a hole in the right knee. I think it's because I sit a certain way at the computer (with my right leg crossed over my left most of the time).

Well, I need to get dressed and stuff.

It's cold.

I'm tired of crying. I don't care if it's because I miss my cat, the change in the weather or tides or something, the stress of having dear, sweet children who REFUSE TO EFFING LISTEN TO ME; or the stupid economy or maybe I AM just PMSing ... who knows. I'm just tired of it.

Still, my husband is awesome. And he's a really good cook. And laundry-folder (Hey, I did some too). And house-cleaner. And disciplinarian.

I'm really lucky that I have him.

Even if I feel rather like a complete failure in most other aspects.
At least I'm a total winner in choosing myself a spouse. Totally.

Now, I just need to shape up in, like, EVERY other area of my life.

No biggie, right?
*rolls eyes*

I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, if I put down in words ...

Sorry, I just have that song stuck in my head.
(The version sung by Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge, if you're being particular.)

Yeah, I have been a little busy ... which explains (in part) why I haven't blogged all that recently.

What have I done? ....

• Had my mom up to visit.
• Had Michael's folks and the cousins (Bruise and Bucket's cousins over)
• Got a haircut (Thanks Mom for paying for my hair cut!)
  (It's shoulder-length and mostly evens out out the layers that I had gotten the last time I had a haircut ... which, eventually, left me with a noticably-shorter-than-the-other-layers layer on top. And was irritating me. Yeah, I did lose about six inches of length in my hair (mostly in the back), but it looks much better.)
  
• Got Bucket signed up for a dance class (One of my friends from church teaches it. She's willing to let Bruise come sit in for free. And they NEEDED one more student so they wouldn't have to cancel. Bucket's excited. And I'm coming to grips with the idea that I'm a MOM-mom now. Like, I have a kid who has a (albeit only for 4 weeks) CLASS to go to. What's going to happen next? Soccer practice? Luge lessons? Ballet? Football? ... I'm a little scared. But a bit excited, too. And I hope that Bruise will participate a bit.)
  - I've also told Bucket that if she likes this class a lot ... I will let her join the ballet class (also taught by my friend) when she is four. That's, what, THREE MONTHS AWAY? Crikey.
• Gotten caught up with the dishes ... which I've fallen behind in AGAIN.
• Gotten caught up with the laundry ... and have falen behind in THAT category, TOO.
• Read a few books
• Had Bucket wet her bed for a couple days in a row ... when the kids were both doing GREAT when they went to bed wearing underwear.
• Washed a few windows (LOVE microfiber cloths!)
• Had the washer (which I still pronounce as "war-sher" in a throwback to how my Nana says it) leak this morning. [NOTE TO SELF: Pillows should not go on the top of a full load.] But the washer seems to be back to normal, thanks be.
• Bought red spray-in temporary haircolor for Bucket (Mom bought the kids their costumes: Bruise will be Spiderman, Bucket will be Ballerina Ariel, hence the need for the red haircolor. She's also asking for a purple crown.)
• Bought the nail polish to discourage nail biting. Have been putting it on the kids at least once per day.
• FINALLY found a nice nude-colored nail polish.
• Gave my mom a mani-pedi while she was up. This will be repeated when she comes up next week. I figure it's a good incentive for her to come visit more often, no? ^_^
• ... ... Um ... I'm sure that there's more, but I'm not recalling everything.

But, yeah, Stuff's been going on.

And writing that list has plum tuckered me out.

I'll try and write something wonderfully witty and though-provoking tomorrow.
Or later tonight, if I'm feeling energetic. *shrugs* There's always a possibility.

My day, let me tell you about it ...

I just feel like I've had a semi-busy day ...

Usual Tuesday:

• Storytime @ 10:30 AM
• Go home
• Read books and/or watch a show (if the kids are watching a show, you know that I'm most likely on the interwebs)
• Feed the kids
• At some point, send the kids to nap ... and read or clean or browse the intertubes
• Fix dinner
• Dinner
• Watch shows with Michael

Whereas today:

• Storytime @ 10:30 AM
• Go over to Grandpa and Grandma C's (Michael's grandparents, the kids' Great-Grandparents)
• Go out to McDonald's with G-Grandparents for lunch
  (Seriously, they were so sweet to treat us to lunch!)
• Rush over to pick up my VT companion
• Rush over to VT K (YAY!! We've got 100% VT this month! Woo-hoo!!)
• Take VT comp home/Go home
• Kids watch a show
• Get through blogs that I've fallen behind on ... like my FRIENDS' blogs. (Yes, I was a bad friend)
  .... Now I need to make dinner, fold laundry, clean the kitchen, clean our bathroom and bedroom, clean my desk, vacuum, clean the car ... all in preparation for Mom and Dad C to come up and spend the weekend up here (ESPECIALLY since we missed them the last time they were in town!).

Do I REALLY think I'll get all those things done today? Oh, H no! I'm not quite that energetic. Too bad, huh? Because if I did, I'd totally be Miss Powerhouse.

Really, I'm about ready to take a nap. Or maybe a bubble bath. ... Unfortunately, Bruise is already up from his nap (if he really took one at all. Who knows? He does seem a lot more chipper than he was when we were leaving K's house. ^_^), so my taking a bath in PEACE? The chances of that happening are slim to none ... and the arrow's heavily skewed towards "none." *sigh*

But I have been blazing through some books. Not as many as I SHOULD be getting through ... but I'm reading more than I was for the last few months. And I'm even being okay with not getting to some books that I've checked out. *sigh* I just need a few more hours in a day. Like ten or twenty. That my kids are sleeping or something. ^_^

Oh well. It's good that I love these crazy kids. ^_^ Because 99% of the time, they're very awesome. More than I deserve. Thank goodness I'm not getting what I really deserve. I'd be in an institution by now. *sigh*

My children are growing up.

Case in point:

Scene - In the car on the way home from church.

Me: So, what did you guys learn about in Nursery?

Bruise: Jesus (A regular answer) and we play wif toys.

Bucket: We learned that Jesus loves us (again, another pat answer) and there were people. And they didn't have enough food. They had only a little bread. And fishes!
Me: (agog ... my kids are listening and REMEMBERING and reporting to me???) You mean you learned about how Jesus fed the five thousand?

Bucket: YEAH!

Or, say, how at the baptism yesterday, Bruise kept insisting that I give him kisses (and, really, who'd argue? He's CUTE) ... and then he'd wipe them off.

Other REALLYREALLYREALLY cute thing he does: When I fake-cry, Bruise will say "Not DO that! No. I YUV YOO!! Not cry, I yuv yoo!"
(SRSLY: HOW FLIPPIN' CUUUUUUTE is that????????)
(Answer: ReallyreallyreallyreallyREALLYreally cute!)

Of course, I can balance that with how Bruise had an accident in Nursery, which neccessitated my driving him home to get a dry pair of pants, socks, and shoes. Poor guy. Good thing I had an extra pair of his undies in my church bag. Now I've replaced it and added a pair of pants and socks. And, hey, if Bucket-Bug needs to use them, they'll work. *sigh*)

Or how I did Bucket's hair SO prettily (like I mentioned in the last blog) ... and she took it out before we got home. *sigh* I still love her. Or how she pushed herself up by digging her ELBOW into my BOOB (we were all lying in Michael's and my bed). Owwwwwwww.

We've also started reading a chapter of the Chronicles of Narnia each night. We're starting with The Magician's Nephew. I'm amazed that the kids actually lie quietly to listen to the chapter (we've only done the first chapter so far. Tonight we'll read Ch. 2).

I also need to finish Winnie-the-Pooh with them. We're almost halfway through. Maybe we'll get some rainy days for that. And I can start being a cool mom (in one way) and limit the amount of videos that they watch every day. *sigh*

-----------------------------------------

In other news, most everyone seems to like the new hair! Even my MOM liked it! And I was really worried that she wouldn't, since she LOVES me as a blonde. (She loves me all the time, but she especially loves my hair being blonde. ^_^)

C-c-c-c-c-changes ...

I colored my hair.

Depending on the light, it looks different. In front of the bathroom mirror, it looks lighter. When I'm out of direct light, it looks really dark. It's like chameleon hair. Which is kinda cool.

Here: LIGHTER

(Yes, after taking multiple pictures of myself, I cannot keep a straight face. Sorry if you were expecting anything different. :D)
(Also, this is Bucket's FAVORITE picture. It makes her laugh.)

And DARKER:

This is Michael's favorite picture out of the ones I took.

Here I am with my Felicia Day impression ... Since her pretty, pretty hair was inspiration.

(So I asked my cosmonaut- cosmolotologist-friend-extrordinaire, Bri, if she thought that I could pull off that hair color ... if my skin tone would be able to carry it off. Triple-salchow-yay for friends who give good advice!)

(Also: bonus trivia - I took that last picture mostly with my feet, laying on my bed ... since my pretty, pretty blue sheets make a nice backdrop, no?)

------------------------------------

In other news, we've just been a little busy. I've been reading a lot. We went to the Zoo to the new Predators of the Serengeti exhibit (Didn't get to see the Caracal. They were hiding/napping. And I only got DiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiSTANCE shots of a couple lioness' heads. But I was able to take some decent pictures of the cheetahs and the African wild dogs. Oh, and the mongooses/mongeese/mongoosi were hiding. I was hoping to see those, too. *sigh* Next time.)

I bought some new nail polish. My toes are a true black. (Rimmell #403 - Hypnotize) and my fingers are a pretty goldy-green ... like cash-money green. It's called camouflage (also by Rimmell, but I can't find it on their website. *sad* This, however, is pretty close. ^_^)

Okay, I need to leave for church in, like, two shakes. But I just found two AMAZING nail polish blogs. TEMPTATION.

BUT. I. AM. STRONGER. THAN. THIS.

(They'll still be here when I get home. I can make it. And I have to find a shirt to wear with my skirt. *sigh* I have to get ready and to church. At least the kids are dressed and ready. And Bucket's hair looks really adorable. I'll post pictures .... sometime.

(Hey, if you are on Facebook, I tend to post pictures there a bit more often. Just FYI. I really suck at posting pictures at all, really. But I usually have more there. Just sayin'.)

Is it Fall Yet Already?

Wow, when I'm renewing library books and I was AMAZED at the date it is TODAY, I know that time's going by WAY too fast sometimes.

Let's see ... since I last blogged, what's been going on?

We went down south last weekend to visit my dad and stepdad since this week is BOTH of their birthdays. (Dad's was yesterday. My stepdad's is Thursday.) Went down Friday morning and came back up Saturday evening. Kinda short visit, but a good time. We had to miss my stepdad's family reunion, since it was at the same time that we needed to be back here for church. But I was able to visit with my stepsisters Saturday. Then we got to see my Nana on our way home.

(Have I mentioned that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being close enough geographically that my kids have great relationships with their grandfolks? ... Speaking of, I REALLY need to be better about taking the kids over to see their great-grandfolks here in town. I really suck at it.)

Thursday, at storytime, Bruise surprised me by actually participating more in storytime than he has in the past. He actually followed directions for the songs ... even though he did stay close to me the whole time (instead of sitting up with Bucket and the rest of the kids). But that was a nice surprise to me.

I got a few changes to my visiting-teaching route. I still have two of the same sisters on my route (though one is moving next month) ... and I have one "new" sister to visit. However, that shouldn't be too hard, since I see her quite a bit, since she's the YW president (and, as her secretary, she and I email back and forth almost daily :P). I did lose H, my VT companion, which makes me sad. Now I'll barely see her, since she's so busy teaching a Sunday School class at church. My new companion hasn't had a lot of experience Visiting Teaching ... We'll see how it goes. Wish me luck!

Yesterday, we cleaned the house and the kids took a nap. Then Michael took us out for a drive. We ended up driving our past Sweet Home to the Green Peter Dam. (And I got Bruise to say, "Dam rocks," to refer to rocks that Bucket was trying to kick around onto the dam. Ha!)

Then we headed back into town for dinner at Carl's Jr (the kids were ENTHRALLED that there's a STAR there. McDonald's doesn't have a STAR. :P) and a bath and PJs for the kiddos ... and then we had family home evening.
(I know! Go us!!)

I've also been reading a bit ... had to do that book review. JUST making the deadline for that one. ^_^ I also bought the LEGO Indiana Jones game for my DS. And I played it and played it and played it. ... I wonder if I should buy the Batman one? It'd be fun to play the Catwoman LEGO figure. ^_^ Of course, I think that Dr. Layton and the Mysterious Village would be fun, too.

(Also: LEGO Indiana Jones? Pretty cute ... if you're into LEGO figures. Just sayin'. I like him best as his professor self.)

(Also: When we were driving to the coast at the end of August, Michael had on his glasses as he drove. He got a little weirded out that I kept STARING at him. And I was all, "*sqee!* I've got a handsome husband!!" ... I know! I'm such the geek! I love it when my man wears glasses.)

Well, I need to get ready to take the kids to storytime. And I should be productive and, idk, do the dishes and fold the laundry and read a TON of books that need to go back. (Or do that other book review for Thomas Nelson books.)

... In other news, I've got Bucket watching Fairie Tale Theater. I LOVED that show when I was a little girl and it came on Showtime. Probably my favorite thing EVER from Showtime. The only episode I'm missing on DVD is the party where Shelly Duvall falls and hits her head ... I know that if I wanted to pay like $100, I could buy the COMPLETE collection and have that episode. But I know that I have it taped off of TV from like, 20 years ago. Maybe when I'm rich, I'll get that one. And Bucket can have this DVD set. ^_^

(I also NEEEEEEEED to buy The Storyteller collection. You know, that set by Jim Henson? Yeah, I need that one, too.)

Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado

DISCLAIMER: I am a book reviewer for Thomas Nelson. I have received a free copy of Max Lucado's book, Fearless, for my review. This is my honest opinion regarding this book.

If you'd like to join Thomas Nelson's book bloggers (and get your own free books to review), you're more than welcome to join here.

----------------

Fearless is all about how to maintain hope in the midst of adversity and these increasingly perilous times. Max Lucado draws upon scripture, real-life examples, his own experiences and one of the stories he’s written for children in order to help teach how one can live without dread and worry. The main concept that helps to eradicate this fear is faith. Where there is faith (and hope), there is no room for fear. If we know that God loves us and will help us, we will be able to withstand any and all trials with which we find ourselves faced. Lucado shares this comforting message with love.

As I read Fearless, I was gladdened to find some tools to help me stop worrying so much. (Confession: I’m a world-class worrier. Just ask my husband!) I need to remember to rely more on the Lord and His teachings.

Out of fifteen chapters, Lucado spends thirteen discussing fears that people might have. One of them is about money and preparedness (Chapter 9), which is usually what I worry about most. I also found chapter four (Woe, Be Gone) with its list of eight ways to stop worry to be very helpful.

With the world in this state of unrest, I think that a lot of people would welcome the calming message of this book. This book would also be a nice gift for someone struggling with having quite a bit of misfortune on his or her plate.

In which I finally blog. And I use bad words in italics sections (so you can skip them).

I had opened Blogger to blog on Thusday ... but I had NOTHING to write.
Then I had a busy weekend. And yesterday was a little hectic ...

First point of interest (which you probably already know): Brooke Wilberger's body has been found. I'm glad ... and also so very saddened. Because, deep in my heart of hearts, I really and illogically HOPED that she'd just run off to Aruba or something. I never knew her (but I did go to church with her brother for a while. We weren't at all close.), but I always hoped that she was realy okay. And not the victim of a rape and murder. Which is what ended up happening.

You Might Not Want To Read:

The thing that really pisses me off is that the man who did this seems completely unrepentant. He's waited FIVE EFFING YEARS to tell ANYONE where he left her. He killed her BECAUSE SHE FOUGHT BACK as he raped her. ... I'm not a very good/Christlike person. I say this because deep down in the dark corners of my heart, I rather hope that he'll be shanked in prison. And that it won't kill him ... but will be a festering wound that will make him so miserable, that he'll have nothing to do but to consider how his actions have affected all these people ... and that he'll learn how to regret and repent ... and, somehow, he'll try to make it right. But, oh, how I want for him to SUFFER and UNDERSTAND what he's done.

Especially since, right after killing Brooke, he drove down to Mexico to stalk and rape another girl (who survived) ... And then he made his family hide him. And then he ONLY told where he hid her body IF he was guaranteed not to receive the death penalty.

And now, we're left wondering what would have happened if Brooke hadn't fought? Would he have let her live? Would she have been left a broken girl, loathing herself because he violated her and she COULD have fought back and hadn't?

WHY, really WHY THE HELL do people DO these finds of things?? I mean, ......... It just pisses me off to no small amount that ANY person can think that THEIR NEEDS OR DESIRES are more important than another person's well-being. (Those Wiccans have it right with their motto: "an it harm none, do what ye will" ... There is NO way in HELL that anyone can think rationally that abuse is not harming anyone.)

Maybe I take things like this to heart too much. I have family members that were abused. I know some of my friends and acquaintences that have had to put up with more than I'd ever ask of any person. (I mean, I KNOW that our trials are to help us grow and develop. I also know that Satan wants to bring us to a point where we will follow him -- and getting up in a state of hopelessness and self-loathing is a pretty effective way to do that.)

Why, WHY, can't people just REALIZE how precious each and every one of us is? If we would all just understand how loved and cherished we all are by our Heavenly Father, we couldn't ever CONCEIVE of hurting one another like this.

And if it weren't for Facebook ... well, I JUST learned that the body of a girl who went missing when I was in high school was found. Yes, ten years later, they've found Stephanie Condon's remains. I never knew Stephanie ... but I knew people who did. And, in the small place that I grew up, well ... things like this aren't supposed to happen. But they do. Stephanie was abducted and killed. Kevin (brother of one of my best friends) is killed and hidden ... and I knew him. And I saw what it did to his poor family. I always knew his mom as a chipper lady --- and then, when I saw her next, her hair had lost all its color and she wore lines of grief on her face, like his murder had stamped them there.

Learning about the recovery of Brooke's body, though, took me back to that night in 2004.
Michael and I had gone to bed. I think we may have fallen asleep. We got a phone call ... maybe around ten or eleven that night. Our bishop had called to ask us to help search. So we drove over to Avery Park in Corvallis, very close to where Brooke had been taken. I hadn't really been talked to, so I was under the impression that she could have been a teen runaway. I thought we were just looking to find out if she had cuddled up to sleep somewhere or passed by. I never really thought that we were looking for a body.
We got home around 3 AM ... the police had called our house, since we had parked our car when we arrived to search on the other side of the park. I'd never been called by the police before. We explained that we'd been out at the park, helping search.

Then we waited. And waited. We went to a memorial for her ... it must have been in 2004 or 2005 at the Corvallis courthouse. And we waited. And waited.

(For Kevin, Meryl called me to tell me her brother was missing. I hoped that he'd just gone on a trip, on a whim, to Vegas or something -- see what an optimist I am? I posted a picture on my blog in hopes that someone might find him walking around. Maybe he had amnesia -- see? I'm a total optimist! Then, about a week later, they found his truck and his body. Definitely murder. Mom, Roxy, and I all went to his funeral.)

AGAIN: WHY DO PEOPLE DO THINGS LIKE THIS? Do they not understand that each of these people have families who love them and grieve for them? For YEARS and YEARS and YEARS? How can anyone be so selfish that they think that they can just DO THESE THINGS??

I just don't get it.

And I READ crime and forensic novels and case studies. I just don't GET HOW people can do these things.

Can't we all just RECOGNIZE that every person (no matter who. No matter how annoying/ugly/beautiful/irritating/whatever) is a living soul? And that it is NOT our right to do ANYTHING unseemly towards them at ALL??

Maybe this is why I love that yoga sentiment: Namaste ("I respect divinity within you that is also within me." or "The spirit in me recognizes the spirit in you.").

So, namaste. May you and your families be safe and protected. May your burdens be light and your days full of enough joy to balance all sorrows you are faced with.

(if we didn't have storytime to go to and kids to take care of, I'd think of curling up in bed and hiding under the covers all day. Sometimes the world is a scary place. ... And I really just want it to be happy and sunny and wonderful.)

Epic World Suck

Reading Rainbow has been dropped from PBS. They made the decision to go with their early-literacy shows ... and so there MIGHT be reruns on your local PBS station (Not MINE, dammit. YES, I do believe that this is serious enough that I WILL use a curse word for it. You do NOT take away one of the last of my FAVORITE childhood shows without any warning ... or AT. FRIKKIN'. ALL).

I mean, really. They cancelled Square One. They took away Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. NOW they've taken Reading Rainbow.

I mean, I know that my kids LIKE Word World and SuperWhy ... but neither of those have that je ne se quoi that LeVar Burton and his show possessed.

And I shall not even DEIGN to think of WHY THE BLOODY HELL that travesty of a purple dinosour or Teletubbies even EXIST when people who are SUPPOSED to CARE about the future of our nation and the BRAINS of its wee, little children are CANCELLING SOME OF THE BEST CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING EVER TO EXIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!one!

Yes, I AM a tad bit upset. How could you tell?

(No, really. Was it the plethora of capital letters? Or, perhaps, the myriad exclamation points?)

Really ... I I were in charge of instilling knowledge in the heads of children, there are a few shows that I find are mandatory:

• Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
• Sesame Street
• Reading Rainbow
• Schoolhouse Rock
• Square One

Those are the shows that I really recall totally influencing me as I was growing up.

Sesame Street taught basics (letters, shapes, numbers, counting, basic arithmetic, and some social skills). Mr. Rogers totally taught social skills and gave a glimpse into the world (LOVED the mini-field trips where we watched how things were made!!). Reading Rainbow helped to cement my love of reading.

(Michael often tells me that I obviously wanted to be one of the kids on there giving a little book review. And he's SO totally right.)

Square One (especially Mathnet, their parody of Dragnet) actually made me interested in Math. (I never have totally LOVED Math ... but this helped SO much.)

And, of course, Schoolhouse Rock was a great way of teaching concepts through songs. Very, very catchy songs.

(My Sophomore year of HS English felt like SUCH a waste of my time since I already KNEW what a noun, verb, pronoun, and adjective all were. I even knew what an adverb was and how to use one. ... And, because of Schoolhouse Rock, I'd known what all these things were since my mom brought home Grammar Rock and Multiplication Rock on VHS. -- I've since bought the DVD with the whole collection. And I LOVE it SO much.)

Last time something like this happened (i.e., when Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was cancelled), I wrote to both PBS and OPB ... and nothing happened.

So I am not doing anything really this time. I'm just kvetching to you and going to curl up in a corner and cry.

Seriously ... if Reading Rainbow and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood are cancelled while *shudders* Barney still stays on the air ... well, I'm not surprised that the world is in the state that it's in. Grrr.

At least I've raised my children right. Bucket will tell me, "We don't watch Barney."
And my kids know a good portion of the lyrics to "This is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas. And their numbers and letters. And they usually will remember to say "please" and "thank you" and not call people fat.

I mean, I can understand that maybe there's not the funding for full seasons of new episiodes of Reading Rainbow. I know that money's tight. I know that the government doesn't seem to want to spend money on educating people instead of lining their own pockets and their own medical insurance and pensions ... but why can't there be a promise that Reading Rainbow and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood would ALWAYS be on ALL public broadcasting stations ... I mean, Fred Rogers was a HUGE reason there even WAS public broadcasting.

Yes. I'm sad and cynical today. *sigh*

It just sucks. Really, really, really, really sucks.

I mean, really. REALLY, really, really, really, really sucks.

Do you understand the magnitude of the suckage? Because it is VAST.

"You don't have to blog about EVERYTHING."

That title is courtesty of my youngest cousin ... who just started sixth grade, oh. em. GOSH.
(If you saw me right this instant, you'd see me feeling very OLD.)

That quote was brought about when I asked him if I could share our new inside joke. Which I'm going to share ANYWAYS, now.

He had turned his head away as he said, "No offense." ... And, since life with me is like living a game of Mad Gab, I had to ask him, "Did you just say WALNUTS??"
(And so, for the rest of the weekend, he'd walk past me and stage whisper "WALNUTS," that silly boy.)

Of course, when he was playing Hide-and-Seek with the munchkins (which they've gotten MUCH better at!), he'd ask them, "Where's [his name]?" ... and they'd run off shrieking for "That little boy." (Yes, my three-year-olds call their twelve-year-old cousin a little boy. I don't quite get it. But I appreciate that they refer to 70-year-old women as "girls.") ... They did this because my cousin told them that he was Mark, his own (non-existent) twin brother.

*shifty eyes* I have no idea where they inhereited this gullibility .... So says the girl who believed her dad when he told her that if she went near a beaver, it'd bite her leg off. Or her Jr. High Science teacher who told her that her thumbs' shape was due to "Stubby Thumb Syndrome." ... Yeah ... nooooooo clue. *shifty eyes*

But, yeah. We had a very nice weekend. Friday, as you know, we drove down to Bandon. We stopped and toook the kids to the Newport Aquarium. Got to see the Octopus there ... Shelia ... and her brood of eggs. Poor gal probably won't be there for long (Female octopuses/octopi die after all the care they give their eggs).

Then we drove down to Bandon and got to the beach house. Just a short little walk (maybe two blocks?) to the jetty with a little bit of beach (Seriously, if you are looking for a beach house reantal, this was a REALLY nice place). Bucket and Bruise were so sad that Mutti didn't go to the beach with them on Friday. Also, Bruise appears to be REALLY scared of the waves ... whereas Bucket would have leaped headlong into them if I hadn't held her hand.

(Saturday: Mom/Mutti, Cousin Ashley, Michael, the kidlets and I went to the beach. Bucket, Ashley and I played in the waves. Ashley lost one of her flip-flops when we were chasing waves. "I only brought one pair of shoes!" she cried. ... I couldn't go after it, since we had Bucket with us and I couldn't see where in the waves it had even gone. Luckily (blessedly), her shoe washed up not ten feet from us within five seconds. We had made jokes about an octopus wearing Ashley's shoe. And, really, if her shoe HAD been lost, I was more than willing to give up my pair of flip-flops until she could get a new pair (since I knew she wouldn't want to rely on my dollar pair ... which like to come apart a lot.))

Saturday, we took Mom and my Stepdad with us and went down to the Prehistoric Gardens, south of Port Orford. We stopped and toured the Cape Blanco Lighthouse (which was a little nerve-wracking with two three-year-olds climbing 63 stairs and a ladder up to the top of the tower ... especially with 50 mph winds blowing. We were on the last tour, since they had to shut down due to the winds. ^_^), and then we stopped by a little lavender garden (I now have a jar of Lavender jelly and a bottle of essential oil. Yum!) and a candy shop (if you go, they have free samples. I especially like the honey bites and the pie candies. My Stepdad adores the Cranberries in Ivory -white chocolate-) where Mom and I picked up some treats. ^_^

Sunday morning we went to the Bandon LDS Branch for Sacrament Meeting. It was the smallest church building I've ever been to. Pretty little building (I know I'm shallow. But I liked that the chapel was white and sea green. It was kind of funny that my jacket and undershirt were coordinated with the room ^_^). Then we went back to the beach house, made sure we were mostly packed up (I did one last load of our laundry) and Mom went with us to walk on the beach and to walk around the marina (a special treat for Bruise).

Oh ... did I mention that my mom's GREAT at eBay? She had two GINORMOUS boxes of stuff for Bruise and Bucket. Bucket especially loves her Snow White ballerina outfit (appears to be a homemade costume and is very pretty). Bruise adores his Transformers Underoos (he used them and his Spiderman Underoos as pajamas while we were with my family).

We had quite a bit of family there: Mom and my Stepdad, Aunt Julie with her dog, Sonny Boy;

Uncle K and his wife, C, along with my cousin's baby girl, Haven; Uncle B and Aunt T and their kids: Tiff, Ashley, and AJ (aka, Mark's twin) (and you know that Mark doesn't exist).

It'd been a while since I'd seen everyone. (Except for my folks and Jule, I hadn't seen everyone else since Thanksgiving.)

Oh, while we were at Cranberry Sweets, Bucket ran into the corner of a glass shelf. She burst into tears and, as Michael picked her up to assess the damage, she peed all over his fleece vest (which repels water well) and the floor. *sigh* (Yes, my daughter is part camel and loves to drink when she's in the car. ... And when she gets mad [Like, say, when I send her for a time-out], she often loses bladder control. I'm working on that.)

But the gals working there were VERY nice about it. (They told me, "Oh, these things happen. It's fine."Even though my mom and I were quite embarassed.)

But it was a really nice trip. Like I said, the beach house was VERY nice. We slept upstairs (if you click on the link when I first mention the beach house and scroll through the pictures, you can see a little picture of our bedroom -- the one with the view of the beach and Table Rock). Since it's so close to the jetty, you hear the foghorn as it sounds ... about every twenty-thirty seconds. (I slept with earplugs in Friday night, but not Saturday.)

The kids all slept downstairs, which was nice. Except that my munchkins wanted to get dressed in our room ... next time we'll just keep their luggage in our room. ^_^

We didn't go to West Coast Game Park this time (I had forgotten to bring the charger for our GOOD camera. Oops! ... and it is rather spendy: $15/adult (13+) and, for us, $11 for Bruise and Bucket together ... that's approacing $50 for about 1-2.5 hours of walking, not including the money for cones of feed for the goats and donkeys walking around.

However, if we'd had the camera all charged up, we'd have gone. But it was good to take the kids to see the dinosaurs this time (which, for the SIX of us -- Mom, Cecil, Michael, the kidlets, and me was almost exactly the same price), since none of us had ever been to that before (and we've all been to the game park). Really, it's a cool place ... and we will go again sometime soon. But it is rather spendy, in my opinion. I'm probably spoiled, since we go to the Zoo about every month (but for being so much larger, the zoo is cheaper. Even more so with our membership. Just sayin'). However, I can understand that West Coast has less people coming as often and does have to pay (somehow) for all those animals and the cost of their care.

I can't believe that it's already about to be September. That's crazy!

Well, I need to close this up and finish a couple books during the kids' nap today. Then do the dishes and clean up the house a bit (although, thankfully, most of it is pretty clean due to all my hard work last week. Yay!!).

(It's been a month, today, that Gingi-cat died. I still miss her.)

Out of the mouth of babes

Sorry for my radio silence ... I've just been busy and/or lazy. ^_^

Last week, I was reading to the munchkin brigade. We were reading I Have a Sister. My Sister is Deaf.
As I read the title, Bucket exclaims, "Oh, what a PRETTY name!"
And then, I had to fight off near-hysterical giggles as I explained that the girls name wasn't "Deaf."

I mean, it's not like she's had no experience with deaf people ... some of Michael's relatives have a type of nerve deafness (most have had cochlear implants and can hear now). My dad and his eldest brother both have Ushers Syndrome (and, thus, are legally blind and hard-of-hearing).

Still, it made me laugh. And worry that she might try to name her next stuffed animal "Deaf."

Besides that, I've gotten caught up on dishes and the laundry (but not getting it put away ... at least, not the kids' laundry. It's all folded, though) ... and I've made some good dinners this week (I had NO idea that Stroganoff was TOTALLY easy to make! Now I can make it ALL THE TIME!) ...

But

Right now, I'm in Bandon at a beach house with family. It's great. Very pretty place. We're going to walk to the beach later.

(NOTE: If you're a would-be robber, I'm totally lying. We're at home, cleaning our guns. A rifle and two shotguns. ... I'm not lying about the types of guns. And Michael says that I'm a decent shot with the rifle. Fo' sho'.)

Oh ... I should mention this -- Bruise is CRAZY about Michael's iPhone. (Which makes me so glad that we don't have it acting as a phone. He'd probably end up calling up someone in Beijing or Helsinki ... and then we'd have the phone bill to deal with. And I don't even want to THINK about that.
BUT, he's crazy about it. He loves the Star Wars lightsaber app and some basketball application ... and we have to watch him as he looks up YouTube videos. When he's watching Transformers made of cigarette boxes trying to .... um .... gain carnal knowledge of each other (WITHER THE FRIES?!?!?!?), that's when we have to wrestle the iPhone away and change it so something safe, like CuteOverload or something.

Bruise and Bucket got some AWESOME clothes. My Mom's great at eBay. And so they now each have a huge shipment of clothes to grow into. And Bruise's has CHURCH CLOTHES!! Bucket's thrilled with her dresses and hair pretties and a Snow White Ballerina-style costume and a little tutu ... Bruise is very happy with his Transformers Underoos (No, REALLY. UNDEROOS. I'm a little jealous. I didn't have Underoos. But I've dealt with it. ... You know, that's probably why I was so thrilled with the Hello Kitty panties that I bought at a Sanrio store in Santa Rosa when I was in high school. Well, that and the fact that Sanrio products are inherently AWESOME ... and JAPANESE.)

(And, hey, if I lose, like, 50 lbs, I could maybe fit in the biggest size of Underoos. I think. Maybe.)
(Maybe I could even buy some of those REALLY ADORABLE Sanrio shirts on sale at Le Target. ... Maybe.)

We had a good time at the Aquarium. I learned that the fish that I like to watch swimming in their tank -- the ones that gasp SO big as they swim in their school that you can TOTALLY see their little red rows of gills as they swim by -- are anchovies. I know that I should have realized this before, but I never realized that they'd be that big! I always figured that they'd be all small, like sardines, since you eat them on pizzas and all ... I somehow never thought about the fact that they're cut up for that. Probably because I never have (and never really plan to) eaten anchovies.

Okay. I should close this up and be all social and be ready for the rest of the family to show up. ^_^

(Unless you're a robber. And then I'm cleaning the rifle at my house. And, dude, our neighbor is SO watching our house. Fo' realz.)

Crazy Dream Chronicles, Part ... Fifty-seven!

So what I recall of my dream was that I was visiting teaching a lady who'd never answer her phone. BUT I wasn't trying to get hold of her. I was visiting an old teacher or someone ... and he lived in an old cotton farm. But someone has spread sand over the ground and nothing'd grow (Yes, I know that SALT would have that effect ... Sand? Not so much). And he had a large mobile home that was heated by steam and he had his daughter and her family staying with him. And he was a friend of my stepdad ... and the daughter turned out to be that gal I was supposed to VT and could never get hold of.

And I and a bunch of other people ended up having to spend the night and we watched TV with them. And one of my sisters-in-law (Who, by the by, in RL are all already married) received a large, wonderfully-done, deep-red-colored wedding cake. The frosting cunningly looked like velvet, with smooth fondant decoration on the top of the two large layers. Very gorgeous.
And I got a pretty and antique rolling chef's table. And I KNEW that I owed a very thoughtful "thank you" note to the lady, like a grandmother-type-age-lady ... so it must have been the daughter's mom or aunt.

And my sister-in-law and her husband and I were all making plans of where to go to eat the cake. And, during the morning, as I slept toastily near a heat vent, we watched some show about mountain climbling or something.

Any takers?

Because I have NO FLIPPIN' CLUE what it means, if anything at all.

---------------------------------------------

In other news, Michael has the van today, so I'm stuck around home. I think I'll make the kids take a walk to the closest library so we can turn in books and go to the special storytime there today. ... Small consolation for missing storytime in the next town. ^_^ But it looks like it'll be a lovely, sunny day. And a little heat won't kill us.

And, if I change my mind, we'll just stay home until the nice, lovely, air-conditioned van get here. Then I can turn in books and maybe go to the OTHER library to turn in books and pick up my books on hold there. *sigh*

And tomorrow, Michael will be working on the truck.

If anyone has copious amounts of money burning a hole in their pockets, you're more than welcome to give us some. ^_^ I'm just sayin'. ^_^

Other plans today: wash laundry, fold laundry, put away laundry. Wash dishes, put away dishes (DO NOT fold dishes). Clean the bathrooms. Vacuum, if I get to that. Perhaps work on some Personal Progress, be a good example to my sweet Young Women. ^_^ Maybe watch a movie and/or read a book. We'll see.

Yes, yes. My life is SO super-exciting. ^_^

Catching Up ... Again

Please accept my humble and myriad apologies for my abject neglect of you!

Things have just been ... things. ^_^

We went down to visit my family this last weekend, since my mom's birthday is TODAY (a weekday). She asked for me to download and install some good anti-bad-stuff software, so I did.
(If you really want to know what she got? OpenOffice, since she needed a word-processing program. And Michael likes OpenOffice fine. The things that I installed were Avira's Anti-Vir [antivirus], Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, and Clean-Up! They're all free and if my friend, Damien, who does IT for a hospital recommends them, then I totally trust his judgement. ^_^)

I finished reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak aloud to Michael. Only broke into tears about, what, three or four times. It's a really, really, REALLY good book. If you haven't read it, I totally recommend it. It's not the HAPPIEST book ... but it's really, really, REALLY, REALLY good. (I've read it before, which is why I knew I HAD to read it with Michael.)

(Now we're more than halfway through John O'Hurley's It's Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump: And Other Life Lessons I Learned from Dogs, which is quite fun. Even though I'm not the biggest dog-person, it's a really good book. I'm enjoying it.)

For the rest of the time, I've been working on various little things. Michael and I folded the laundry. I've taken the kids to storytimes at our libraries. I cleaned out the kids' dresser drawers and put away all their clothes (until I finish folding what's in the washer and dryer :S). I had caught up on the dishes. I went visiting teaching (Yay! We did it! And it's not the last day of the month!!!). I've worked on rosters and lists and etc for Young Women's.

I need to work on my Personal Progress. I never completed mine when I was in Young Women's ... and that was with the OLD manual. The big white one ... where you could earn a total of four necklaces. I only ever earned my Beehive medallion, which I still have. I still need to finish the requirements for the Mia Maid and Laurel requirements. Then I can do the last bits for the last one. The Young Women Recognition, or whatever it was called. I'd have to go dig out my old manual to look it up.

For the new manual, if you didn't know, you earn only the one necklace for your Young Women recognition. And it doesn't look like any of the past necklaces ... except the fact that it's in an oval shape. ^_^ But the program has been streamlined quite a bit. Six value experiences in the seven older values (Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good Works, and Integrity) and four for the newest value (Virtue). Plus a Value Project (to help oneself put in practice what one has learned about that value ... and takes at least 10 hours) for each Value.

It's pretty cool. And we've gotten quite a few of our girls who've already earned theirs. I've been in my callings in YW for over a year now. I need to really get on things. *sigh* I need to stop being lazy. ^_^

Bruise didn't want to take a nap yesterday. He came out proclaiming that "The clock is on the twelve!"(meaning that it's SOMETHING-o'clock. They were supposed to nap until 4:00 ... it was 2:00 or 3:00. When I sent him back to bed, he was sobbing so much that I was worried he'd wake up Bucket [No fears there. She wasn't going to wake up until after 4. And that was with my working to wake her up! TIRED girl!!]. So I brought him into my bed where he snuggled himself to sleep as I finished a book.
He's so silly sometimes. And, oh, but as he demanded a Kleenex to wipe his nose, I realized how much of a big boy he's getting to be. Even though he still likes to give me kisses and snuggle and be tickled ... that's going to change. All too soon. Dang boy's growing up before my eyes. I don't know if I like it.

I'm not all that great with change. As you can probably tell. Since I've accepted Gingi-cat's death OH-SO gracefully. *sigh*

I'm mostly all better. I can look at pictures and a little seven-second video I took of her once without it hurting too badly. But I do miss her something fierce. If I didn't have Crazy-head Diana-cat, I might go out and get a kitten. Except that'd be expensive with the immunizations a kitten needs and all. *sigh* And the spaying. Oy. That's more expensive. Ugh.

Besides that ... well, there's not a whole ton of a ton of stuff going on. Mostly just the same-ol', same-ol'. ... Yes, I could be much more exciting.

But to close up, I'll share this music video. It was done with some help from Jed Whedon (Joss Whedon's brother) and I enjoy it quite a lot. ^_^

Book Review - His Name is Jesus by Max Lucado

(Disclaimer: I was compensated for my honest opinon of this book by receiving the free copy of His Name is Jesus from Thomas Nelson Books. If you want to get free books or DVDs to review, go check them out. They do strongly want honest reviews.)

His Name is Jesus is a beautiful volume chronicling the life of Christ. Lucado’s goal is that anyone who reads this book will gain a deeper understanding and a greater desire to follow our Savior. Lucado discusses Christ’s role in the creation, in His mortal ministry, and in His sacrifice for all mankind.

On first receiving this book from Thomas Nelson, I could only think about how PRETTY it is. There is beautiful photography on every page, from endsheet on. It comes packaged in its own hard book jacket. The thought behind the presentation is really amazing.

I do believe that Lucado does an excellent job of reaching his goal to help people understand Christ and His life’s mission. He does a wonderful job of helping to explain some of the customs of the time (since, face it, life in Biblical-era Israel is far different than most of our lives now). I especially loved the thought that went into his retelling of the woman caught in adultery … or how Pontius Pilate must have felt when faced with this man from Gallilee, whom the crowd so hated. He refers to many Biblical verses from multiple modern translations of the text to support and to enrich his text.

I would recommend this book. It presented in a beautiful and simply-worded way. Many books about Jesus can come off as, well, schmaltzy. Lucado has managed to craft a volume that can speak to people without being off-putting at all. It rather reminds me a bit of C.S. Lewis’ writings or of Madeline L’Engle’s Bright Evening Star. As I mentioned, it’s very aesthetically appealing and would be gorgeous on a coffee table, if you’re that type. (I know it sounds trite, but it is a really GORGEOUS book … which is only fitting, considering its contents). It would also be a lovely gift for a friend or family member. Or for yourself, even.