Notice to my fabulous fans

Notice-
If I have NO idea who you are when you leave a comment- I will NOT click on the links you leave me. Feel free to follow, feel free to leave comments, feel free to become a follower.

If I actually know who you are, then I would love to follow your suggestions with your links.

Diversity!

Anyone else ever mildly freaked out when they look at the stats of their blog and realise that there are people in countries that have visited your blog that you CERTAINLY do NOT know?  How on earth did they stumble onto this blog? I have nothing to hide. But I do wonder what led them here.

Like the 19 Russian visits?
Or 4 from Belize?
and the 2 from India?

Yea, I don't know anybody from those areas. Though I do suspect who is in the Netherlands....

Anyway it is kinda neat/disconcerting to check the stats on your blog. Go ahead and check.

Incorrect assessments

At the dinner table lastnight-
Me:Victor, I just think you are jealous.
N: He's not jealous! I love him!

I don't think she knows what jealous means.



This afternoon speaking to Caleb-
Me: You are just too cute Caleb.
C: I'm not cute! I'm wonderful.

So scared

Conversation with Caleb:
C: Mom, were you watching Dragon Age?
Me: Yes I was last night.
C: That is too scary for me. Is it scary to you?
Me: Maybe a little bit.
C: Yea, it is a little bit scary for me. My arms and missiles would a little bit scared.
Me: Really.... do you mean your muscles?
C: Yea, my arms and muscles would be a little bit scared.


He makes me smile.

Sharing

This past year during the Christmas season, we found an advent calendar  in the "Friend" magazine we get.  My kids enjoyed it. During the time we had it up Victor told me he wanted to take it to his teacher about, mm... 6 times. I tend to shy away from sending religious stuff to school. They get all nutty over that stuff sometimes.When it came time to take down the Christmas stuff I asked if we should save it for another year, or throw it out.

I was reminded AGAIN that Victor's teacher was in desperate need of having that calendar. So I put it in a manila envelope, wrote a note that went something along the lines of :

"Victor is convinced that you need to have this. We mean not offense by sharing this with you, if you don't want it just throw it away. Thanks for your work as a teacher. We appreciate your efforts."

Probably not the most inspiring note I have ever written. But I stuck it in his backpack and forgot all about it.

He came home from school the day that he gave it to her and said "She loved it! She is going to share it with her kids every year! She thinks it is great!" Later I received this email:

"Thank you so much for allowing Victor to give me the advent calendar. You have no idea how much it touched me today! You could never offend me. I love the Lord and have a very close relationship with Him. I am very spiritual and only wish I could share more of that with my children here at school. I was so blessed by Victor's gesture. He is such a special little boy and I love the values you have instilled in him!! I told him I would save that calendar and next year at Christmas, I will share that with my own children.

Thanks again for being so wonderful! The calendar was the nicest gift I've ever received as a teacher."

Well don't I just feel like a loser for trying to talk him out of it. Next time my child has an idea like that, we are just going to go with it. (If nothing else, I can just blame that child if it doesn't work out well.)

Making money cleaning my house

Ok so I am on a mission right now to go through my entire house one little corner at a time and clean it out. I am using the 3 box method.

1. Put away ( it is in the wrong spot.)
2. Give away
3. Throw away

Thus far it is working VERY well. I can not wait for garbage day. Oh how lovely it will be when those bags are taken away.

I am also on a mission to collect money for my 72 hour kit. The goal is 100$ in small bills and change. So, conveniently enough, my insurance company sent me a "Safe drivers bonus", of  $20.77. A nice start.

In all my cleanings, I realised I don't even like half of the movies we own. So as a family we went through all the DVDs we have. If anyone was really attached to a particular movie it stayed. If there was no one who really loved it, it was leaving.

In town we have a little store called CD Zone. They buy and sell used CDs and DVDs. I called to see if I could sell them some DVDs. Sure, they said. So in I went with my box of about 30 movies, in hopes of getting $4 more dollars for my kit.

He looked through them, set about half aside and then turned to speak to me.
"Well, I can only take this pile. We already have too many copies of these ones. I'll give ya $20 cash or $30 store credit."

So I set off to Goodwill to drop off the movies I still didn't want in my house and grateful to have $20 in my pocket.



Though later I saw people collecting money for cancer research. My excuse for not giving to those kinds of things is that I don't have any cash. I did have cash this time. All I could think was "God has been so generous with you today, what is stopping you from being generous?" Ok, so I left with 5 fewer dollars than I had shown up with. Lucky for me God can handle this.

Look around your house, what do you have that you aren't using?

Martine Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man. He did a lot of great work. I think the world is a better place because of his influence.

Today is Martin Luther King Day. I bet you didn't even realise it. I did. Only because my son's school takes the day off.

It seems like a silly way of honoring him. What are the kids doing at home that honors his dreams?

I am celebrating Martin Luther King day by playing video games, or watching movies, or going sled riding.  

Does anyone have a cake on that day? or give each other gifts? volunteer in a soup kitchen? Anything? It seems like such a waste of a holiday. It could be so much better than it is.

 I feel like they should go to school and talk about the good things he did and think of good things the kids can do. That would be far more honorable.  Instead it is just another day to stay home. I know I never thought about why I was home when I was in school that day. I know my son hasn't mentioned anything. They talked about King before they went on vacation, but now that they are on vacation it is no longer a factor.

Martin Luther King day, a day that could be used to inspire, but isn't.

1st person, 3rd person

There is a line in the movie 1776 that is spoken by Benjamin Franklin that goes something like this- "Don't you understand? It is only in 3rd person rebellion is bad. Our rebellion is good and noble. Their rebellion is treasonous."

I have found (thanks to my husband pointing out) that this concept applies in MANY different areas.

I have worked hard ( most days) to teach my children the things I want them to know and do. Some days it seems as if acting within those parameters is harder than on other occasions. "You haven't peed your pants in weeks? Why did you suddenly think that was a good idea?" Their regression is a terrible sin.

I know I shouldn't eat chocolate since it makes my skin itchy. Some days I eat it anyway. I know I will regret it later.

My regression is ok. It is not a big deal. My kids do something they shouldn't have and the world might just be coming to an end.

1st person regression, just a little slip up. 3rd person, they must be incredibly inconsiderate and lazy.


Another example:

A friend was saying a certain group of people were politically" too loud." I have had that complaint about LOTS of groups in the past. I just happened to agree with the group in question. It made me really mad that MY group wasn't allowed to be loud. That is when my husband pointed out the 1st person vs 3rd scenario.

My group has very justified and reasonable grounds for acting the way they do. Their group is just a bunch of extremists. 

Of course the people think they are justified, that they are correct in their reasoning. Otherwise they most likely wouldn't be acting the way they are. Just as you wouldn't be acting the way you are if you didn't think you were right.

I am trying harder to see things from all angles, not just mine.

Dogs don't wear sneakers

I read a book to my children tonight. I had forgotten about this book. It is so cute I thought I would share some of the narrations with you. I don't know about copyright stuff so I won't put the whole thing up. It is just so cute. You should go get the book.

Dog Don't Wear Sneakers
By Laura Numeroff

Dogs don't wear sneakers
And pigs don't wear hats
And dresses look silly on Siamese cats.

Fish don't eat bagels
And penguins don't teach
And rabbits don't sunbathe at your local beach.


As you can imagine the pictures are quite comical. I love this book.

One word

The other day I was thinking about I would say if you asked me about my children. Go ahead, ask me now. "Vanessa, how would you describe each of your children?"
If I could only give a one word answer this is what you  get :

Victor: Neurotic
Naomi: Passionate
Caleb :Charming
Phebe :Dragon

Yup, those are my kids. If you have had the chance to meet them, I bet you would agree with me.

Homework.

My son is in school. He reads incredibly well. We challenge his reading skills here at home and I don't worry too much about what his teacher is having him do at school. My theory is " as long as he isn't bored enough to disrupt the class, I am not too concerned." Luckily his teacher is better than that. She noticed right away that the reading in the classroom wasn't up to his level so she started sending home supplemental reading for him. He is doing very well.

He also happens to be observant. Very observant. Let me illustrate.

One Christmas we gave the kids a small trampoline. Where does one hide a trampoline? We thought we were brilliant by putting it on the floor, putting the tree on top and then spreading out the tree skirt hiding the whole thing. Christmas morning he is the first one down. Ethan and I are making breakfast. He looks at the tree. There are presents all over the place. What does he say? "What is the tree on? " With in about 7 minutes of being down stairs he has already discovered the trampoline that is covered with tree, tree skirt and presents.

While at school the other day he noticed specific children were receiving additional home work. He did not get a yellow folder. This bothered him.

So he asked if he could have one.

So now in addition to the math worksheet, the regular classroom reading and the chapter book; we also have an extra reading assignment. Seriously? Why? When he listed the children who were getting the folders I surmised that they just needed some extra support in reading. Victor does not. That is why he was not getting the extra work. So they picked out a nice book at his higher level and sent it home. 

I am grateful he does not need me to assist him with all of his homework. He better not need that much help if he is asking for extra. We'll see how he is in 7th grade. I say that with sarcasm, but deep down I hope he still loves school and working hard in 7th and11th and the rest of his time in mortality.

Self Discipline

Right now my biggest emphasis is on self discipline, for myself. After a lot of thought and prayer I realised that if I can be more in control of my thoughts and actions a lot of my other issues will be taken care of. So there are somethings that I need to change.

The 3 biggest things that I need to do to show myself that I am gaining better control are :

1. Getting up and exercising in the morning.
2. Staying off the computer while my kids are awake.
3. Avoiding the consumption of chocolate/ candy. Eating healthier is kind of a secondary part of this goal.

I decided to do these things about a month or so ago. The progress report is.... dismal.
I am doing so badly. Having discipline is so hard for me. The kids are playing a game, why can't I just check Facebook real quick? I ate a healthy lunch, a Hershey kiss sounds really good. I was up off and on all night with kids, I am too tired to get up and exercise.

One area I am really strong in is the rationalization department. Too bad that won't get me anywhere I want to go.

This morning I did it. I got up and went downstairs to exercise. My idea with doing it that early is that I can be alone, stay focused and then make breakfast for my kids. Maybe have time to read my scriptures in the quiet, or possibly clean the kitchen so they can have more of my time.

I walked into the kitchen for a glass of water. When I came out I heard my husband talking to someone. One of my children was already up. Her father was excited to have her come eat cereal with him before he went to work. It isn't as if I am going to break up their little party. What is this? Another child has heard the excitement and is coming down the stairs. They got to hang out with dad before he left for work. Very cool.

Then the toddler woke up. Then the toddler woke up the baby.

So much for getting stuff done before they were awake.

I did however get up early, which was one of my goals. I ate pretty well, and with good portion control, which I followed with a Butterfinger.(Half of the candy bar is laying on the counter. I am praciticing self control, sort of.) And there were a few impulses to get on line that I ignored. There were a few that were answered though.

I hope I can have another day to try a little harder. I will be in control.

Beans.

I hear beans are supposed to be good for you. Cooked right, the rumor goes they can even taste good. I am still in the process of putting these theories to the test. A large chunk of my dry goods food storage came from my father-in- law. That sounds sweet doesn't it? My F-i-L gave me a bunch of wheat and beans.  Let's put that in perspective. My FiL died a year BEFORE I was even married. Before his son and I started dating. Next month I will have been happily married for 8 years. So over 9 years ago all this stuff was purchased and I inherited it. I honestly have no idea how old it is. I do appreciated we have a bunch of MREs ( Meals Ready to Eat) down there, awesome for throwing into a 72 hour kit. Beans that old take some special care to taste good. I am still working on that.

If you have never tried cooking with dry beans before heed this warning:Plan in advance.

Seriously. It is REALLY hard to have them taste good in a meal if you only thought about it an hour of so before it is time to serve them. I am working on trying to use them more often. They just aren't ..... convenient, ever. I want my family to be used to digesting beans. If for no other reason than if for some reason we couldn't buy groceries, the bean consumption is going to jump significantly. I don't want to shock their system. Plus there is always the bonus of - beans are cheaper than meat.

So this evening we had enchiladas. I took about 15 oz of kidney beans. I threw it in the food processor and my little assistants assisted me with throwing garlic and onions and mashing it beyond recognition. Then we mixed that in with the seasoned hamburger, onto the tortilla with some cheese on top and baked 'em. My kids don't like beans. They tell me all the time. You couldn't even tell they were there. It was awesome. The meat was a bit saucier and flavorful. I am so pleased with my little idea. I will be looking for other opportunities to do this.

No one ever said you had to KNOW you were eating beans to get the benefits.

I highly recommend taking some beans from your dry food storage and canning them. At least for me, the likelihood of being used is much higher.

There, those are my thoughts on beans. Aren't you glad I am willing to share my wisdom?

Gas monsters

My poor daughter suffers from gas pains terribly. She has since birth. Tonight was one of the worst for her. She was seriously writhing on the floor screaming in agony. I am trying to rub her stomach. I am trying to move her legs around. Trying to get her to stand up, or go to the bathroom. Trying anything I can think of. The tears just keep coming. Finally I get a spearmint after dinner mint and give it to her. I try to find the reflexology books, in hopes that I can find some spot on her foot to rub to relieve that pain.

She is laying on the floor sucking her mint while I rub her feet. I have no idea where the gastro- intestinal area of the foot is, so I am just rubbing all over. Asking her, " How does that feel? How about over here? Does this feel any better than up there?" She isn't very responsive.

She is asleep.

How can you go from writhing in agony to sound asleep in less than 2 minutes? Yet again- Naomi amazes me.




Caleb just informed me "I got too many boo-boos last night."
We are going to have to work on that.

Emergencies

I have never been in a true emergency. I plan to never be in one. I plan on sticking to my plan. However, since I am not, in fact, the ultimate voice in this universe, I will have to accept I am not actually in charge.

Instead I have decided to stick with the motto, if I am prepared I don't need to be afraid. Not only does it take a lot of the fear away, it makes me surprisingly happy when I look around at the things I have ready to go at a moments notice.

I don't have a years supply of food. I am working on it though. Every time I go grocery shopping and put the food away, I feel this little bit of peace and joy when I look at it. Same thing when I can something and put in on the shelves. It is hard to explain, but incredibly wonderful.

We were given a large gift card for Christmas. I was going to use it for food storage. It has kind of been turned into general emergency equipment money. Today it bought a very nice propane lantern and propane tanks, plus several candles and batteries. I am sure some more will go toward food, some will go to equipment.

Getting that stuff inspired me to redo my 72 hour kits.  I thought of more things that needed to be put in. I removed a few things that the children had outgrown, or that had grown itself, namely mold. I pray I never need to use this stuff. However, it is nice to know where it is and grab one bag and get out if I need to.

It is surprisingly rewarding to work on gathering food or emergency supplies. I can't fully explain, but I highly recommend it. It makes me happy, and I think it will make you too.

Thoughts on towels

Today while standing in the bathroom my toddler asked me, " Why do the towels live in the bathroom?"

He makes me smile.

Profound Thoughts

Profound thoughts, by Caleb-

Caleb speaking to Naomi-" When you turn into Victor, you will be a Victor."




Naomi seemed unsure of the proper response so she stuck with what she knows, arguing.

Chiropractor

I finally gave in and went to a Chiropractor.( I haven't been to a Chiropractor in about 5 years now. And it was a one time shot.) My neck was way out of whack and was giving me serious headaches that didn't seem to dissipate on their own. I have a few thoughts on today's experience.

If you live in this area I HIGHLY recommend this particular practice.( If you want to know who they are just send me a message asking about them.)   There were things I didn't even think were worth mentioning to the Dr and after my evaluation he pointed them out to me. He even knew I had eaten too much sugar lately after working on me. After the initial exam he took out a grease crayon and drew all over a diagram of a skeleton to show me what was wrong exactly and where and why." This is trying to compensate for the misalignment over here...." He could even tell my rib cage was a bit compressed. That was something I was in constant agony over when pregnant. It isn't as big of a deal now, but I still find myself shifting on occasion to get relief.  I was soooooo impressed. Seriously, he was great at what he does.

I also forgot that this is never a one time fix. They always want you to come back. However, he did do a great job. It also doesn't hurt that my husband helped him out at some point in the past ( I was vaguely, aware of this) and he gave me an unexpected discount. Maybe I will be able to afford that follow up.

Lesson here- You can't keep secrets from a good Chiropractor. And I feel much better.

Apparently I haven't have many inspiring thoughts lately as is evident in my lack of blog entries. It isn't because I haven't been doing things.

• Lately I have dealt with on and off sick kids. Today being an on day.
• Dealt with what seems like my neck out of whack, thus giving me a major headache when ever I bend over.
• Made some awesome pierogies with a friend. Next time I think I need to quadruple that amount. We can go through those so fast.
• Made plans for more food prep. Yay for white chili and company!
• Made token efforts at visiting teaching. It is not a strong point for me. I want my VTs to show up and spend time talking with me. What do I do to those I VT? I drop off gifts and leave. I am still working this out.
• Got the new class schedule for non credit classes at the local college. I love that thing. I love taking classes. I also love that it comes addressed to "Ighan Eberle". My husband's name is Ethan. They are offering a class on making cheese. I think that is awesome. Also a class for using herbs for ailments. Along with a million other things I would love to learn at some point, but don't have the time or money for. Basic blacksmithing? Oh yes! Jewelry making? Kayaking? Classic Italian cooking? Stained glass? Ballroom dancing? I hope to have time for these someday. And funds. And have my husband along. It would be fun. We'll call it date night.
• Watched my baby dump out all the contents of the diaper bag.
• Got things squared away at the library. I had 3 books I had renewed 6 times. That is 12 weeks. I could not find them. Anywhere. I even asked if maybe they had been accidentally re shelved before being checked in. They did not think that was an option and wouldn't go look. I did go look. There they were. Stressing for 12 weeks. It was right there. Luckily the nice librarian handled it for me.
• Think I am going to take old t-shirts and make a quilt from them. I like making quilts and tend to end up giving them away. I would really like to keep this one.
• Learned more Portuguese. Listening and speaking is so much harder than reading. "Rigido" means strict. I understand and remember that no problem. However they pronounce it "hiejado".  Makes it a bit harder.
• Plan on following Dedra's example and read the Book of Mormon in Portuguese so I can learn it. Ya know, once I finish this time through. Luckily we happen to have a copy right here in my house.
• Cooked a caribou roast. As a side dish to corn.
• Was reminded how awesome priesthood blessings can be.
• Designed a few football teams. Had some input into a few others. Buffalo Wings is probably my favorite. The symbol is a buffalo with wings. It is awesome.
• Had my children clean up their baby sister's mess over and over again. I feel bad sometimes.
• Made a very delicious peach cream pie. So very easy. So very good.

I am gonna call that good. I am sure there is other stuff going on. As you can see nothing particularly note worthy. Than again, there isn't a lot in my life that is very exciting. I am OK with that though. I like being dramaless.

Moments

I am sure there are things I should or could be doing right now. Instead I am enjoying. My baby has curled herself into a ball and is snuggled as close to me as she can get, peacefully sleeping. 

This may not sound super exciting to you,  I can't even say it is "exciting" per say to me either. It is worthy of note that she is perfectly capable of getting up and walking away from me if she wanted to. I always taught my babies to put themselves to sleep so they wouldn't rely on me for it. They are so easy to get to bed because of it. There is a down side though. I never get those snuggle moments.

I could go read my scriptures.Maybe make lunch or work on my Portuguese fluency (I'm not at all fluent, just working to get there.) There are dishes to do or laundry to wash.

There will always be those things though. There will not always be my baby on my lap, blissfully resting.