A new dad

A package came today.

Phebe: Is this for dad?
Me: Yes it is.
P: Can I put this box in the kitchen for my new dad?
Me: (puzzled at her putting " new" in but letting it go) Yes, Phebe you can go put it in the kitchen.
Keegan (a child I am babysitting ): You have a new dad? Who is your new dad?
P: Um... he is the guy that... um... lives in our home....
K:( turning to me) You got a new dad? Who is your new dad?

Your guess is as good as mine Keegan. I have no idea.

A drop of mint

I have been venturing into the realm of essential oils lately. I think it is incredibly fascinating. Essential oils are the oils from plants, generally collected through a distillation process which retain the plants properties.

I think it is so cool. Here are just a couple things I wanted to share with you.

That annoying cough can be taken care of pretty easily. It will sound silly, and though there are places that say "works 100% of the time!" I won't make that claim. I firmly believe that certain things work more effectively for certain people.

Back to that cough, Vicks Vaporub. Yes, rubbing it on your chest can be helpful. But rubbing it on the soles of your feet is more so. Right before bed put someone your feet, then put socks on. (That is so you don't get your sheets gross.)

Interestingly since Vick's ingredients are-
Active

• Camphor
• Eucalyptus
• Menthol

Inactive-

• Cedarleaf oil
• Nutmeg oil
• Special Petrolatum
• Thymol
• Turpentin Oil

You could just skip putting turpentine oil in your body. You could get a bottle of each of  the active ingredients mix them together and rub them on the soles or your feet, or wherever you wanted to put it. 

I do not own Camphor oil. But I do own Eucalyptus and Menthol is found in mint plants. So I will mix some eucalyptus and peppermint oil together. Put it in bathwater. Put it on the chest. The soles of the feet. With my children I have found that that horrible cough that keeps every one up all night is pretty much done if I rub them down. 

Switching gears slightly, I have also found that although peppermint tea does not calm my stomach a drop of peppermint oil in vanilla almond milk (only a drop seriously or you will be drinking an altoid) soothes my stomach much more effectively. 

There are your random tidbits for the night.

Just a little visit

This evening I was able to go visit a really awesome lady from church. It really was something like "Can I come visit you this week?" And then she said "Yes, how about Tuesday?"

Then we sat around and talked for about 2 1/2 hours.

We laughed about silly kid things or ridiculous phone calls. We briefly about unpleasant things. We talked about taking care of kids, where her kids are in life and where my kids are. We talked about church. We enjoyed each other's company. I felt very uplifted when I left and pray that she did too.

Though it isn't always that long or even that formal this is what we call Visiting Teaching. All the ladies at church have two other ladies who are supposed to check in on them every month. Maybe that sounds intrusive. What if you don't even know that person? What if they are much older than you? What would you even talk about? What if you're lives are just so completely opposite you can't relate? But this person is supposed to come to your house every month?

Yes, that is the general idea.

Everybody needs a friend. When you take the time to sit down and talk to someone you have the chance to build a friendship. What if there are hard things going on in  your life and believe there is nobody out there who cares about you? Well, either you have taken the time to build that relationship or maybe now is the time to create it.

God does love each of us. He wants us to all have our needs met. Sometimes those angels are the people around us. He gave us a system where no one gets left behind. No one should fall through the cracks.

I have been asked to visit people that I seriously have nothing in common with. Or at least it seemed like it. No matter how different we all have Christ there. Even if there is literally nothing else you can build on your faith.

I am glad that I have had the opportunity to visit different ladies at church. They each have taught me neat lessons or lifted my spirits. I am grateful for the friendships that have been created and the opportunities that will continue by telling me " This woman is your new friend." Hopefully we will be a blessing to both of us.

Being beautiful and eating marbles.

In case you haven't hear the song "That's what makes you beautiful" by One Direction let me provide you with a wonderful opportunity to hear it.

That's right, hear it. The music video can be summed up by boy band with crazy hair (what is with the crazy comb your hair forward thing?)  at the beach met by girls who allegedly don't know they are beautiful and that is what makes them wonderful. The song makes me feel so good. The video just reminds me of how Hollywood and the like work. Anyway... So I just think it is a fun song to listen to, and sing to, and have a big dance party with your children to. 

There is also this video of the Piano Guys doing this song. It also makes my heart happy.

I  happen to enjoy this song and the Piano Guys so it works out well.

I wish I was that brilliant to have thought of playing a piano like that myself. Of course I was always told to stop touching the strings. Then again, they probably have no problem getting their pianos tuned and well... let's just say to the people with pianos around me getting it tuned is a bit of a bigger deal. Anyway enjoy!

***

I found Phebe with marbles in her mouth. I told her to spit them out, they could choke her. Her response-

"I'm a hungry hippo mom." 

She has such compelling arguments sometimes.

Two hour delay

I love two hour delays. I loved them when I was in school and I love them now. I love having my kids around for a few more minutes. (I love that I can ask them to help me with a few more projects before they leave....) I love that we are in less of a rush to get things ready for school, when I was "we" I mean a young blond woman that lives here.

This morning my kids helped me get ready to rearrange some furniture. We are going to move things around tonight when my husband comes home. I love rearranging. I do wonder, is there really an ideal set up? I seem to love it every time I change things. Maybe I just like change not the actually arrangement. I am attempting to use the space I have more efficiently. Of course that is the goal every time. Maybe eventually I will have the most efficiently used space ever. I doubt it though.

Since we are done with our prep work it is off to watch Pixar shorts the second edition. I think that is a good way to spend a delay.

Going to the temple

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints temples hold special significance to me. I love the LDS temples. I think they are beautiful in a physical sense and also in the sense that makes me feel closer to God. They make me feel so good in so many aspects.

The temple that we usually attend is in Columbus OH. On Saturday my husband, three young ladies from our church and I piled in the car before five a.m. After lots of drama with car troubles and such we showed up three hours after we were supposed to be there. The entire group we were supposed to meet was long gone by the time we arrived.

I have had issues getting to the temple before. Sometimes we have even been turned back completely.  (like the time the Washington DC temple was closed due to flooding issues, or when the power went out while we were sitting inside. ) Sometimes when you are doing good works things can get challenging. But a challenge doesn't negate the value of the goal. I love going to the temple. I am glad that we didn't turn back even when we were three hours late and has missed our original appointment.

I have a testimony of temples. I know that going to them helps me be a better person, it improves my perspective on life. It really does help me feel closer to God.  I know that attending the temple has blessed me. If there is ever a time when you have a question about them please feel free to ask me or visit www.mormon.org and look under the frequently asked questions.

Little Monsters, but not mine.

Caleb asked me today what it would be like if we had two Phebes. That led to a discussion about what our family would be like if I had a double of each of my children. The end of the conversation went like this-

Me: That could get so confusing. Someone could say "Caleb was really good at church today and I wouldn't know which one they were talking about."
C: Yea, like if it was the Caleb in the green shirt or Caleb in the white shirt.
Phebe: I am Darth Vader.

***

I was introduced to a new app for the Ipad today. (I tune out almost anything that says "app" cause I don't care.) But this one was about an alphabet game. So I looked into it since I have kids still learning their ABC's.

I honestly think this is the best app that I have ever put on the iPad. It is called Endless Alphabet.

It also happens to be free. I approve. They go through each letter and have a word for it. Duh, how many letter games have done that? But how many use "Bellow" for the letter "B"? None that I have ever run into. It is funny and entertaining. They even give you a definition for each word after you reassemble it. 

Here is one of my favorite parts. I know a boy who is less than 3 years old who struggles with speaking. My son Victor asked me 3 times the other day how I knew what he was saying. (Sometimes I guess.) When you touch each letter in this game it makes the sound that goes with it. OK  It makes some seriously silly sounds that match the letter. I smiled a lot while I listened to these sounds. This very young man was actively making the sounds along with it. I was so excited and impressed. 

I realize most of my dear readers do not need an app for teaching the alphabet (it is great for vocabulary too) but if you are in a situation where it could be helpful please take the time to check it out. It is so good.

Just a bite of cupcake

We went to a family gathering last night. My husband's family gathers together once a month to celebrate the birthdays of family members born that month. After lots of food and talking it was time to sing happy birthday and then enjoy dessert. Instead of cake we had cupcakes. Phebe is still only 3 so she eats a cupcake by licking off all frosting and possibly sampling the cake followed by wondering away to do something else.

Oh... but wait... there is ice cream? Phebe definitely needs ice cream. Too bad Ethan and I both say not until you finish that cupcake you started. ( Horrible I know,- eat that cupcake!) She has no desire to eat cupcake and is doing a standard young 3 display of screaming no, stomping feet, etc... Sometimes if you offer to help her she switches gears and calms down. So I offer to help her eat it so she can move on to eating ice cream. Here, I'll take a bite and then you take a bite.

My intention was to hold the cupcake and take a bite. However, Phebe seized upon this brilliant plan and held the cupcake for me. She moved so fast that I didn't have much time to react when she managed to stuff the ENTIRE cupcake in my mouth.

I didn't know I could fit a whole cupcake in my mouth.

Ethan had watched the whole thing and was laughing hysterically. I was laughing too, but in a much more muffled tone.

Once more, let it be known, Phebe isn't dumb. She is quite an opportunist in fact.

Ideas

I have a 7 year old daughter who once told me, "Mom, I am just so full of ideas."

She is indeed.

Here is a sample of what living with a child "so full of ideas" is like.

Yesterday she came home from school and got a snack while I did something else. I could smell tater tots and asked if they had saved any for me. Her response, "Yes, mom we did. And we finally made a parachute for the (stuffed) cat!"

After much experimentation with dropping stuffed animals attached to grocery bags off the stairwell we eventually moved into homework time. She doesn't have a lot and we are still working on an arrangement that makes us both happy. That seems to change daily.

She decided that she wanted to do her homework upstairs, in her room. I would love to see her independent so I said OK. But with Naomi, NOTHING is that simple. She took her backpack to her room but soon she needed a hockey stick. Now, why would a 7 year old need a hockey stick  to help with her homework?

To wedge under her mattress to hang her backpack from, obviously.

I came back at another point to check on her progress. I found the safety bar for the bunk beds spanning the gulf between two dressers with a blanket draped over it. Behind this curtain was Naomi sitting on a hard olive green suitcase. Sitting Indian style, eyes closed, thumb and pointer finger pinched.

So of course I asked her what she was doing.

"Meditating."
Me: Where do you get this from Naomi?
N: China.

Impressively enough she did get her worksheet done. Eventually.

Living with kids

Me :( looking at a puddle on the floor.) Phebe what is this?

P: I peed my pants.

Me : Where does pee go?

P: In the toilet.

Me: Does this look like a toilet.

P: (giggling) No, it's a carpet! 

Me: Well if pee isn't supposed to be here what are you going to do about it?

P:Clean it up! And then Dad will be so surprised that I cleaned it up and there is no more mess! He will be excited!

I sure hope dad isn't terrible surprised or excited by a lack of pee on the carpet.

***

Caleb had a left over piece of chicken he was stabbing with a steak knife and then giving pieces to his siblings.  I called it Caleb's House of Dead Chicken. He thought it was a great name.

Eventually I found him walking around doing something else. 

Me: So is Caleb's house of Dead Chicken done?

Caleb :Yup, I closed it up for the night. 

Smurf gel

Today after school Naomi went to work in the kitchen. I was supervising Phebe upstairs so I didn't see what exactly she was going.

I walked into the kitchen to hear "OK, just a little food coloring. There we go. All done."
Me :Naomi, what are you doing with food coloring?
She turns around to show me a little bottle that used to contain hand sanitizer.
N :Look mom, I made my own hand sanitizer!

I quickly realize that she has mixed dish soap, water and food coloring in a cute little bottle and is ready to try it out. We then had a discussion about the effects of food coloring so we haven't actually USED said product yet.

*****

I printed some pages off the internet dealing with the letters "G" and "S". I cut up the pictures and then had Phebe and Caleb identify which letter each picture would go with. 

I then had the following conversation with Caleb-

C: (pointing to the "g") that is for goat. 

Me: Good job Caleb goat does start with "g".

C: (pointing to the "G") that is for Godzilla. 

Different "g"'s are for different things. Godzilla's definitely get upper case.

Conversation with Phebe

Ethan calling down the stairs for something and called me Dear.

Phebe: (Totally puzzled.) Mom, are you a deer?
Me: I am not the animal deer, but sometimes dad calls me dear to show he loves me.
Phebe: (Indignantly, because she gets indignant about everything.) You're not a deer.
Me: You're right. I am not a deer.
Phebe: You're honey!


Glad we got that cleared up.

Watching what I say.

My big goal this year is to watch what I say.

Somehow things seem to just slip out of my mouth and then I walk away thinking,  "Man that was dumb, or tactless, or ridiculous to say."

Part of that is making sure I don't gossip. I want to be someone that you can talk to that won't be passing that info along.

So because my mom pumped me full of useful things when I was younger that I ignored really well, I had a phrase she used when we were saying unkind things. Here it is-

"Is it true?

Is it kind?

Is it necessary?"

If it isn't 2 out of 3, don't bother saying it.  

That is this year's motto. I think I may make a wall hanging.... or a random scrap of paper taped to the wall. 

A little light and snow

One of my favorite things about winter is when people more awesome than me put out Christmas lights. Though I would prefer to have more sunlight, the Christmas lights make the early dark more pleasant to me.

The perfect combination of Christmas and winter, to me, is when the lights get buried under show and then shine through. I love that. It makes me smile every time.




Enjoy the rest of your winter.