Shiver Me Timbers

Grandpa snapped this great photo of my cute Cap'n Hook. Just had to share...

my boy...

"Some people are so open-minded...

their brains fall out."

---From Reader's Digest, November 2007, "Quotable Quotes"

I'll admit it...

I'm and NPR junkie. My daily escape is to listen to "All Things Considered" and make dinner. Hooray for my under-the-counter CD player/radio in the kitchen!

Last night as I was making dinner I heard the teaser for "Radio West" (local Utah program) that was rebroadcasting the morning's show at 7pm. Here's what it said:

Earlier this month at the LDS Church's General Conference, the head of the Relief Society Julie B. Beck praised the power in motherhood. She encouraged women not to postpone having children, and equated nurturing with homemaking. Her words re-ignited a controversy about the role of Mormon women, and within hours, LDS blogs were inundated with responses. On RadioWest, Doug talks to LDS women about Beck's remarks and what those say about women's position in the LDS Church and culture.

I HAD to listen (as I folded laundry), and thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. I have to give Doug Fabrizio credit for going to the source. He spoke with active LDS women (rather than anti- or former-Mormons with a GIANT chip on their shoulder), and the overall opinion was positive. If you'd like to hear the conversation, click here to listen to the podcast.

As for me, I have to say I was surprised to find out that there WAS controversy about the talk. I was uplifted, encouraged, and excited that Sister Beck was so straightforward, honest and willing to set the standard high. I'm trying to be a "mother who knows."

Too Many Photos?

I took the kids to our local children’s museum on Friday. We recently bought a membership, which frees me of feeling like I have to take my camera EVERY time. So, I was sitting near the train tables, enjoying the fact that my children were busy and content and not asking for anything at the moment. Next to me was another mom. Her two sons were playing on the other train table and were obviously VERY involved. She was trying to take their picture; capture the wonder of a moment of contented play, no doubt. Yet, her mama crazies were rearing their ugly head.

Crazy Camera-Cocked Mama: Alex! Smile for me! I want to take your picture
(Alex completely IGNORES his mother.)
CCCA: Alex! Do you see the light? Can you smile at the light? Where is the light, honey? Where is it? Can you smile for me? Smile! Alex! Smile!
(Alex looks up for about 1/2 second, CCCA snaps the photos just in time to catch the top of Alex’s head as he’s started playing again.)
CCCA: Argghhh! Alex, can you make a silly face? Alex! Look at me and show me your silly face? Can you do this? (making funny faces at Alex, who continues to ignore her) Alex! I want a picture of you playing with the trains! Can you look at me? Alex? Alex! Smile, Alex!

SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

CCCA proceeds to take several shots, sans Alex’s smile, of the top of her kid’s head. She is obviously frustrated at what she’s taken, but relieved, I’m sure, to be getting closer to her 100-shots-of-our-fun-day-at-the-museum digital camera quota. I was sitting there literally trying to keep myself from laughing---not for the fact that she wanted to capture the moment, or for the fact that her kids weren’t cooperating, but because I’m QUITE sure I’ve been in the same predicament and acted in the same silly, annoying manner many times.

Don’t get me wrong….I totally understand how “mamarazzi” happens. I know how fun it is to get that perfect picture of your picture-perfect offspring, especially if you are spending the day together doing something fun and different from the norm. But I think digital magic has brought out the crazies in the mamas. Have you ever taken 100+ photos of a single afternoon’s activities? Guilty as charged. However, I do have to say life is MUCH better with my never-delays-when-I-push-the-button, Cannon Rebel (thanks Santa!). Hooray for technology….and for the “delete photo” button to help us forget all those top-of-the-head or back-of-the-body shots!

Keep smiling! (SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!) Because is there really such a thing as too many photos?

A Little Pumpkin Fun

Here's something fun for those who love to live virtual (and who hate to clean up sticky pumpkin insides!)

Fall Colors

We don't have any BIG trees, but we did get a little color in our yard this fall.

What You Hear vs. What You Say

Overheard at our house this morning:

Sissy: This is my CareBear. Her name is Shunshine Bear! Can you say "Shunshine Bear?"
Mr. D: Shunshine Bear
Sissy: No! SHUNshine Bear.
Mr. D: SHUNshine Bear
Sissy: NO! SHUUUUNshine Bear.
Mr. D: SHUUUNshine Bear
Sissy: NO!!! SHUNNNNshine Bear.
Mr. D: Sunshine Bear?
Sissy (suddenly cheerful): Good job, D! You said it!

New Look

Okay, so I'm new at this whole "customize your blog" stuff, but I snapped this photo of the freshly snow-capped mountain when I walked out the door to get the mail this afternoon, and I knew it had to be my header. I'm still getting used to the grandeur of this majestic peak greeting me each day. It is my favorite part of my new house: the view!

Childlike

My kids’ favorite toy is a car sunshade. We’ve got a whole room dedicated to playthings: trucks, trains, dolls, play food, dress-ups, blocks, and games. Yet, day after day they entertain themselves with a sunshade: a silvery, reflective, accordion-folded, keep-it-in-your-car-to-cover-your-windshield-in-the-parking-lot-at-the-mall kind of shade. They found it stashed in the closet and have claimed it as their own. They unfold it, lay it across the top three steps, sit down, and toboggan down the stairs. They prop it up like a tent and play fort or castle or house. Sissy folds it up, sets it vertical, and opens each fold as she “reads” me a story. Mr. D lies the folded shade flat on the ground and pretends it’s a skateboard.

Isn't it funny what kids will find to entertain themselves? D uses hangers to play Captain Hook. He creates a lawnmower out of sticks, boxes or even a curtain rod he dug up during the move. He found Chad's ID card holder, one that clips to your belt and then has a retractable cord that lets you pull your card out, then snaps it back: it entertains him for HOURS! Sis uses water shoes for ballet slippers, plays "baby" with a bag of rice and transforms into Super Girl with her hooded bath towel.

What happens between childhood and being all grown up that takes all the fun out of every day things? Maybe I just need a good, kid-like ride on our slippery, shiny sun shade toboggan.

Maybe.

Confidential: to Grammy Fay

Thanks for the cozy socks. Love, D&K

Mmmm...the Taste of Fall

While our boys spent the afternoon at Home Depot, K. and I baked a fall-time favorite: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp all spice
chocolate chips

Cream together butter, applesauce and sugar. Add eggs and pumpkin; blend until well mixed. Stir together dry ingredients, add to pumpkin mixture, and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Place by tablespoons full on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting, if desired.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Cream Cheese Frosting
3 oz cream cheese, softened
6 TBSP butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp milk
3/4 lb. powdered sugar

Cream together all ingredients until smooth. This recipe covers 1 cake or a double batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Great Grandma's Table

My fall time project has been to refinish this table that belonged to my great grandma Lettie Pearl. It took way too much time, but was a labor of love. As I scrapped and sanded, I thought about the stories I'd heard about my great grandma---I'm excited to one day meet her.

I found a letter at my grandparents home several months ago. It was written by Lettie's best friend, to my great grandfather, after her death. It told of what a wonderful woman she was, all the memories they shared of scrimping and saving through the depression, and of her unconquerable spirit. This friend said, "I'd rather have a hamburger dinner in the company of Lettie than the grandest feast with anyone else in the world." I'm honored to have something that belonged to her in my home and hope she'd like the finished project.

My apologies to family who have already seen this photo...

New Discovery...

I don't like to be lost. We went to a local corn maze on Monday night for FHE with two other families from our neighborhood. At first, Mr. D had a great time leading the way with his light, deciding which way we should turn and where to go next. But, after several minutes, the charm wore off and he wanted to go back. I’d have happily obliged since all this traipsing around in the corn made me realize how irritating it is to not be able to see over stuff. In addition, a group of screaming tweeny girls had embarked on the maze. At each turn they got scared by one of their little boy friends jumping out from the corn. They would, all together, shriek and RUN, just like that herd of wildebeests in the Lion King that nearly killed Simba and then trampled his Dad. At this point I was a little fearful for my own cubs.

D: Mom, let’s turn around and go back.
Me: I’d love to, sweetie, but I’m not sure which way is back.
Girls (stampeding): Aughhhhhhhhhh!
D: I’m really nervous, Mom!

A strange boy, trench coat clad, decided to follow our little lost group, getting suspiciously close to my friend, Janna, and her two little girls. Then, Chad disappeared. I was carrying two kids, walking in circles, tripping over corn and growing frustrated with this family togetherness activity, minus the Daddy. Then, Mark’s phone rang. It was Chad. He’d found his way out and was going to talk us through the maze. Problem: we didn’t know where we were. Thankfully, we had the screaming girls as our ‘landmark.” Did I say I was THANKFUL for those girls?

Chad: Where are you from the screaming girls?
Mark: I think we are West of them. Oh, wait, (yelling) they just ran past us, er, over us.

So, we found our way out. What a relief to see the dimly-lit parking lot and to walk, quickly, away from trench coat boy.

Today we went on ANOTHER fall time adventure, to Pack’s Pumpkin Patch. It was day time. The hay maze was only 3 feet tall.



I’d rather to be found.

The Corn Maze Crew

Question:

When watching General Conference with two small children, how long will they stay quiet?





President Hinckley: We'd like to welcome you to the 177th Semi-Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus

Sissy (interrupting): I know Jesus! He is the Son of God!






Just checking! :) At least we get to watch at home!

According to a Two-Year-Old

Overheard at our house:


K: Girls are girls, huh, Mom?

Me: um-hm

K: Boys are boys, huh?

Me: yup

K: And, lights are lights and air is air and toys are toys, but some pumpkins are girls and some pumpkins are boys.

The View from Where I'm Standing

I've been debating on becoming a blogger for a long time. I love to read the blogs of my friends and have had the urge blog, too, but I was nervous. What if people didn't like what I had to say? Do I really want everyone to know what I think? I love to write, but I'm not as good a writer as Mara. I love to take pictures, but I'm not a photographer like Kirsten or designer like Ann. What if my blog was blah?

Then, one day, I was trolling the blogs of my friends, and came across a poem (thanks Kirsten!), the last line of which says "As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

In High School there was a girl I admired. From my perspective, she was pretty much perfect: beautiful, talented, popular and self-assured. I was intimidated for 2 years before I forged a friendship that, to my surprise, didn't make me feel more insecure, but more self confident. It liberated me.

So, maybe I don't have an exciting travel log of life in a foreign land. And, maybe I don't live across the country, making a blog a fun way to connect with family back home. But, this is a place where I can chronicle my view, from where I'm standing...my place in the world, my time of life, my relation to those around me.

And, hopefully, facing my fear of blog-o-sphere criticism will be liberating!