Where Does Three Months Go Overnight?

2011-01-28T03:37:00.000-08:00

I should try sleeping less.

(For a blurry wish-we-had-a-different-camera-and-a-better-photographer view of the last three months see 1000 Words a Day.)

How many books is too many to take for a week in Mexico?

2010-10-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

I've decided on ten, plus the scriptures and a Spanish dictionary.

On second thought, I think I'll leave The House of the Seven Gables for when I get home. It looks like the cover may fall off.

The Worst Feeling in The World

2010-10-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

is yelling at your kid just before they go to school.

And It's Worser

to yell at them in public just before they go to school.

And It's the Worstest

to find out when they come home that they are sick and were probably acting like rotten kids because they felt crummy and that that's probably why you were acting like a rotten mom, too.

He's got fame.

2010-10-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

Now all he needs is fortune.

(see my 13 year-old husband in this video:)
http://www.woodbusiness.ca/component/option,com_seyret/Itemid,143/id,78/task,videodirectlink/

A van with bald tires

2010-10-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

and a dented back panel
that is three months overdue for an oil change
on which our (middle-aged) friend wrote "wash me please"
that has leftover lunches
and forgotten school notices
and almost every jacket we own strewn all over the floor
(and probably all of the lost soothers too)

can still be home to a rockin' dance party
consisting of one six year old
his laughing baby brother
and the mother he still thinks is pretty cool.

Rock on.

When you ground a kid for a week

2010-10-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

does it include church activities?

Any thoughts?

the Baby woke up at 2:30 in the morning

2010-10-15T03:38:00.000-07:00

ate some yogurt
and spaghetti
lay back down in his crib
and pulled his favourite yellow afghan over his face

then as I tiptoed out of the room
he pulled the afghan down and
asked in one pathetic syllable
whether I was leaving

"Shhh. Mommy's still here,"
I said
and up went the afghan again

every two or three minutes
down came the afghan
and out came the plaintive cry

"Mommy's still here."
and up went the afghan again

he couldn't see me,
but checking in every few minutes
he learned to trust that I was still there

at 3:00 in the morning
I was very grateful to be someone's mommy

I wake up all through the day
fold some laundry
wipe a counter
and send my pleading cry

faintly I hear,
"I am still here"

I can't see Him,
but checking in every few minutes
I am learning to trust that He is still there

at 3:30 in the morning
I am very grateful to be Someone's daughter

once you've waited in line

2010-10-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

paid your money
buckled your seatbelt
and been told to keep you arms and legs inside

you're in for the ride
like it or not

let me know when this ride's over

i want to get off

either we are becoming better friends,

2010-10-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

or I am becoming a worse housekeeper

because everytime you come to visit
my house is at a lower standard of "clean"

I'm glad you're coming.
Please don't wear your glasses.

I used to believe

2010-10-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

that babies were blank slates

that anyone could learn to play the piano

that everyone could carry a tune

that I wanted to be a famer

that I liked animals

that I was organized

that I would have a clean house

I guess I was wrong. Shucks!

"The gospel of Jesus Christ matters more than anything else."

2010-10-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

"We value you as an individual, not just as one of the pack."

"We adore you whichever way you are, you don't always have to be easy and lovely and cheerful and helpful and peaceful (although, we love you that way too.)"

"There is a living prophet."

"Following his counsel will make our lives happier."

"Your decision to be baptized was a critical, wonderful step."

"Stay on the path forever and ever because it is so much easier and happier than all the other alternatives."

"We would give you all the money and time in the world if it were possible."

"Keep up your dilligent music studies--you'll be so glad you did."

"We are proud of you."

"We are grateful for you and the long road that brought you to us."

"Don't be so quiet that you get lost."

"Please be quiet enough to keep setting a good example for the rest of the firecrackers in our family."

"Don't do drugs. Don't drop out. Don't date until you're 25. Don't live in our basement at 30. Don't move too far away. Marry someone wonderful in the temple. Accept callings. Let your talents bless all the people around you."

Eliza, you had 72 hours. Did you get it all? Because we tried to cram it all in. That and much much more.

Please don't forget.

I think I understand

2010-09-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

why the pioneers

kept putting one foot in front of the other

for so many hundreds of miles

in spite of so many miseries.

I think, maybe,

they didn't know

what else to do.

Nobody Pee

2010-09-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

• My office floor is empty
~~• My desk is cleared off~~
• The car is cleaned out
~~• The lawn is mowed~~
• The bottom of the stairwell is painted
~~• The bathrooms are all clean~~
~~• The garbages are emptied~~
~~• The pool is winterized~~
~~• The dining room is tidy~~
• The TV room is tidy
~~• The Primary invitations are made~~
~~• I take bread to Sister Doerksen~~
• I call the people I visit teach
• The windows are all clean
• All of the miscellaneous baskets in my house are emptied

I'm getting happier and happier.

Just, please, no one use the bathrooms
until the rest of my list is finished.

I'll Be Happy When...

2010-09-24T05:01:00.000-07:00

• My office floor is empty

• My desk is cleared off

• The car is cleaned out

• The lawn is mowed

• The bottom of the stairwell is painted

• The bathrooms are all clean

• The garbages are emptied

• The pool is winterized

• The dining room is tidy

• The TV room is tidy

• The Primary invitations are made

• I take bread to Sister Doerksen

• I call the people I visit teach

• The windows are all clean

• All of the miscellaneous baskets in my house are emptied

I know I'll be happy then. I just know it.

OK, Jodi, Merinda, Mom, and Shelley,

2010-09-23T04:29:00.000-07:00

You can read my thoughts again

If you promise not to expect enlightenment
or insight,
or optimism,
or humour,
or consistency,
or everything in the form of a question.

OK? Ok.

Let this post serve as a reminder to me

2010-09-21T03:41:00.000-07:00

to never have an opinion. Or at least not think I ever know what someone else could or should do.

I was a newly wed. I had money for cute haircuts. I was working for way more money than I needed, and considering other jobs with much lower salaries just for the potential enjoyment of them.

I stood in the doorway of a mid-life accountant, with a couple of teenagers at home, a too-large mortgage + reno payment to make, and a straggly no-style haircut adorning her worn out face. She told me of the great retirement package that kept her in a job she disliked. She told me of how it was too late to make a career change, or even a job change. She described trapped, stuck, discouraged feelings. She sounded hopeless.

I cheerfully explained to her how it was never too late to change where we are. I encouraged her to leave her dissatisfying job behind and strike out into something she would enjoy (I didn't bother with the arithmetic that would leave her without mortgage payment every month.) I threw together trite phrases about worlds and oysters and admonished her to live the Nike slogan.

As I walked away, I left very saddened for her limiting mental state that kept her caged in an unhappy life, and grateful for my much better way of viewing the world full of endless potential for me to be successful on every path.

Now, as I get closer and closer to mid-life land, with a too-large mortgage payment, and a no-style haircut, I'm sorry I ever opened my naive know-it-all mouth. I get it now. And I would gratefully trade my life of exciting potential success (rife with business loans that can use the word "million" in them) for a boring, trapped, great-retirement package job.

But our decisions have a way of putting us on a path that goes only forward, even if it's off a cliff. Backing up is great in theory but doesn't always work in reality.

Loveit, I'm sorry I ever gave you useless, demeaning counsel. I hope you've gone on to a comfortable retirement full of grandkids and dandelion bouquets and it is all the sweeter for the thorny path that led you there.

"You Could Keep A Kosher Kitchen,"

2010-09-18T04:08:00.000-07:00

Noa said, "because you have two sinks." She is my lovely Jewish friend from Israel. She is not orthodox, but just Jewish "because I'm Jewish."

Her sister, on the other hand, lives a completely orthodox Jewish life, complete with two sinks and two sets of dishes. Her sister doesn't accidentally let her skin brush against her husband's as they pass in the hallway during her unclean time. Her sister has kept having children until she finally had a girl (child number 7) because she must have both sons and daughters unless specifically given permission by the Rabbi not to.

I could listen to Noa describe her sister's life endlessly. Noa always describes her with love and a shrug of the shoulders. I always listen torn between completely relating to the sister's way of life that seems so extreme to others and feeling that a lot of the steps (or limiting them on the Sabbath) are completely ridiculous.

And as I scrubbed my second little sink today that would allow me to live an orthodox and Kosher life, I wondered what practices I may have adopted in an effort to follow the Saviour that might be completely ridiculous too.

I Think It's Working

2010-09-04T10:33:00.001-07:00

Chas's daily prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please make Mark grow up really fast so that we can do cool boy stuff and he can sleep in my room soon. Bless him not to be a baby anymore. Make him a big boy quick, please.

Amen

I think it's working. Darn it.

Chas, stop praying, OK?

(Chas and Mark having a sword fight.)

Homemade Taco Seasoning is Disgusting.

2010-08-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

Why did I have to quadruple the recipe?

"Did You Wash Your Hands?"

2010-08-30T15:32:00.001-07:00

"Yep. I did it while I was going to the bathroom.
I can reach the sink from the toilet."

"You mean, before you wiped?!"

"Uh-huh."

Efficiency gone wrong. Gross!

Why is it So Much Harder

2010-08-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

to have him around, but not available,
than it is to not have him around?

It must be about expectations. Or attitude maybe.

Life is Really Getting Great...

2010-08-28T21:45:00.000-07:00

when you can sit down on a Saturday night with your ten year old and enjoy the same chick flick together.

Two Epiphanies

2010-08-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

The Thing I Am Most Grateful For...

is to have been born to parents who are genuine, loving, intelligent, reasonable people. People who are down-to-earth and emotionally stable. Ordinary and without drama. Cheerful and open. Honest and kind. A mother who taught me the gospel and a father who showed me how it can change your life. This is a gift in my life which impacts every moment of every day.

And The Best Decision I Have Ever Made...

Hands down, the best decision I ever made was the day I said I would marry a man who prioritized the gospel above everything else.

Not in a the-best-decision-I-ever-made-was-to-marry-the-hunk-of-a-dreamboat-that-I-did sort of way. But in the way that I decided what would matter most to me in the dreamboats (some of them not so much) that I did look at.

It was the moment when Dallin and I were dancing and he said that his friend had all these ambitions and dreams that he couldn't understand. I asked him what his dreams were. His answer changed the course of my life. He said, "My dream is to live the Gospel. I just want to follow the Saviour. That's all."

Well, that's all. And it makes all the difference in my world. It doesn't guarantee a successful business, or well-behaved children, or a house or a yard that look reasonable. It doesn't guarantee that no one will have a brain tumour, or a learning disability, or anything else. But it fills me with confidence and unifies us and prevents the myriad of marriage sinking difficulties that I see around us. Thank God!

My Favorite Household Chore Is...

2010-08-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

Vacuuming up spiders.

I got a 4-inch one today.

It's like Murder She Wrote.

Except I'm the criminal; not the Angela Lansbury.

It's very satisfying. In a creepy sort of way.

Has My Blog Always Been Yellow to All of You?

2010-08-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

We got a new computer monitor and now my lovely hot cocoa with way too much cream in it is a banana-lemon freezie.

Why didn't anyone say anything?

Do I have something stuck in my teeth too?

I can't trust any of you.

Every Now and Then...

2010-08-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

I want to blog even though I have nothing to say.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
There. I said it.

A Year Of Questions Is About Long Enough,

2010-03-01T04:18:00.000-08:00

Don't You Think?

(Thanks for reading. )

Why Won't This Baby Sleep Through The Night?

2010-02-21T07:21:00.000-08:00

Is it because I said I knew the trick to getting babies to sleep through the night? Is it because I naively and knowingly gave advice at baby showers everywhere?

All right, already. I'm sorry I ever said it.

I've learned my lesson.

I'll never claim to know anything ever again.

Now sleep, already, would ya?

"Why Are You Throwing Away My Picture?"

2010-02-20T11:36:00.000-08:00

This is my least favourite question in the whole world.

And the silver medal for least favourite question goes to...

"Where's My ________[e.g. brown puppy with the white spot that I won at the fair two years ago and have never ever mentioned or played with and looks like all of the other stuffed puppies in this house]?"

I always answer with a vague, "Hhmmm, I don't know where it could be or how it got in the garbage." But I believe there will be a day of reckoning where I will have to own that they all went to Salvation Army and the trash as soon as I could possibly sneak them out of the house.

I think that will be a bad day for me.

Why, Oh Why, Did I Open That Jar of Nutella?

2010-02-19T22:28:00.000-08:00

I knew it was a bad idea!

And why did Superstore have that stupid deal where you have to buy two to get the good price?!

And why did I fall for it!?!

Were All Those Comments Just to Prove

2010-02-18T21:26:00.001-08:00

That I Have a Readership of Six?

What's That About?

2010-02-16T09:57:00.000-08:00

I have an irrational, disproportionate discomfort with being the last person to comment or ask a question before the end of a class.

In high school and college I would start watching the clock at about ten minutes before the class ended, and no matter how badly I wanted to clarify something, add my insight or answer a question that seemed to be stumping everybody else, I wouldn't let myself do it. Because it might be the last comment of the class. Gasp! And oh dear if it turns out that the question I asked 16 minutes before class ended winds up being the last question. Uugghh! Now I go through this same clock-watching exercise in Sunday School and Relief Society. Thank goodness I wear a watch.

This morning as I suggested a brilliant name for my cousin's fish on her blog, I realized that I kind of have the opposite thing going on for me in cyberspace. If I'm not the first to comment, I pretty much won't do it.

I think it might boil down to the pressure of having to be clever. I can't cope with it. (It's why I'm grateful to have a blog readership of four.)

If I ask the last question it will be what echoes in everyone's brains as they walk out of class. Like saving your bacon for the last bite so you walk away from the table with a bacon-flavored tongue (yumm), but in a bad way. If I comment when others have already typed their witty, loving, insightful words, well... I guess I just won't.

What does this say about my personality? Maybe I should work on this? Well, add it to the list.

If I Don't Know How To Do It, Is There Any Chance My Kids Will Learn?

2010-02-08T09:39:00.000-08:00

to put away their clothes when they take them off

to play the piano

to chew quietly

to dance in public

to make their beds in the morning

to put on makeup

to exercise more than twice a year

to be proactive, not reactive

to laugh when it all falls apart

If It Comes Out Looking The Same Way It Did Going In

2010-02-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

How Does He Get Any Nutrition Out Of It At All?

Won't Anything Work?!?

2010-01-26T23:56:00.000-08:00

I am so sick of all the crap everywhere I could scream!!

Wait a minute. I did scream.

I do scream!

It doesn't make a difference.

I dumped out 3/4 of it while they were away this summer. They didn't even notice.

And then the junk mated with other junk. Or spawned. Or multiplied through mitosis. Or cloned itself.

But somehow, in a matter of months we're back to the same old place.

Stuff everywhere. Five puzzle pieces here, three baby toys there. Two winter mitts that didn't make it into the winter gear storage box. One Christmas ornament, four dolls, one deck of cards, two light sabers, 17 odd socks, the favourite pillowcase, 9 hair baubles, a comb, seven sweatshirts.

And a partridge in a pear tree.

Have I mentioned that I could scream!?!

The Crap makes me so mad. (Pardon my French). Unreasonably mad.

There's a little me sitting on my shoulder telling me that my reaction is illogically out of proportion.

But the little red me with horns is coaxing me to throw it ALL away. All of it.

No more puzzles, pony tails, ponchos, or pear scented lotion. They can all just sit on the couch and look out the window and count the birds that fly by.

NAKED!! (The people, not the birds. Well, both actually, I guess.)

So tonight I started PLAN #42--The Junk Trunk!!

See, this one is going to work because it has a catchy name.

The idea is simple. I dump everything that is not put away into the Junk Trunk (See it rhymes. It's reeling you in too, isn't it?) They can dig through it if they need something. When the Trunk is full, I dump all of it in the garbage. (Sorry, landfills. Sorry, posterity. It's either fill the landfill or the asylum and my research shows that landfills require less taxpayer support.)

What Are You Good At?

2010-01-16T20:24:00.000-08:00

The next time someone asks me
what I'm good at.
Or what I like to do.

I'm going to say that I like to
make To Do Lists.
And I'm really good at it too.

Do They Make Shower Karaoke Machines?

2010-01-13T22:46:00.000-08:00

"Oh what a beautiful mooor-nin'! Oh what a beauuuuu-tiful day! I've got a beautiful feeeeee-lin'--Everything's going my way. Do-bop do do do do doooo do. Do-wop do do do do dummmmm...

"Dankashane. Darling Dankashane. Wah-bop. La-di-dah. Do-di-dah. Du du du...

"If I had a million dollars (If I had a million dollars), I would remember the words (I would remember the words)...

"Give said the little stream. Give Oh Give. Give Oh Give."

Of course, I can remember all those words. But no matter how jazzy Give Said the Little Stream gets, I'm just sure that my shower's acoustics and my vocal transcendence would be better utilized with all of the lyrics in tact on a Bare Naked Ladies Song.

They make everything in the world. Surely they make these.
And, by the way my birthday is just around the corner.

Was It You?

2010-01-12T23:35:00.000-08:00

Or you?

or you?

or you? or you?

or you or you or you or you?

givinganonymously.org

Thank You!

Does Heavenly Father Get Tired of Us Asking For Blessings?

2010-01-11T09:15:00.001-08:00

I often hear a sentiment similar to this expressed in Sunday School or other places. It often comes up near to when someone describes Him as resenting our lack of gratitude.

On the one hand, there is the Parable of the Unjust Judge who finally gave in because he was pestered so much. And the Lord does tell us that he will not give us a stone or a serpent when we ask for bread and fish.

And on the other hand, I wonder if we are assigning our own feelings to God.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Does God get tired?

Does He get tired of us asking for blessings?

Does He get sick of us the same way I get sick of my kids' constant requests and frequent ingratitude?

Or is asking for blessings just what He wants us to do because that is how we come to Him?

If the Unjust Judge blessed the widow just because she continued to ask so much, surely the Just Judge is ready to bless us. But how many times? Am I wearing out my welcome?

Does Squeegying the Shower and Walking the Kids to School Every Now and Then Count as an Exercise Regime?

2010-01-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

"Regime" makes it feel so likely to work.

The Million Dollar Question Is...

2010-01-08T06:22:00.000-08:00

When on a path where every door seems to close and there are many hurdles,

does it mean

the Lord is saying,

"Turn back. Turn back. You're going the wrong way. Yoohoo. I'm trying to communicate with you. Hello? Take that other path."

or is He saying,

"Trials will make you stronger. Remember the pioneers? Their children died, their wagons broke, but they stayed on the same path and were better people for it."

???

"Why Are You Crying About This?"

2010-01-07T13:19:00.000-08:00

"Cuz if I keep crying then you'll make me sit on the stairs and I won't have to finish unloading the dishwasher."

I think this indicates a breakdown in my parenting strategies.

Do You Know What Tempts Me To Lie?

2010-01-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

When I do Chas's hair and it looks awful. I let them believe he did it himself. I even add that "Santa brought him his very own gel in his stocking."

When one tiny little, turns out to be stinky, toot escapes the hatch. Thank goodness for a baby to blame it on. He doesn't even mind.

When an official, permanent, document asks my weight. I'd tell anyone rather than tell that document that is going to be typed and stare me in the face every time we go through the border for years to come. The irony is that my history will show that nailing down any weight in type would be better what the real weight will be two years from now.

When something costs $1.94 and I bought seven of them. Can I just say they were a dollar each?

When my children are exhausted and cranky at 6:45 on New Year's Eve and I realize that a three hour movie only gets us to quarter of ten. Is setting the clocks forward a lie? Or is it more like optional daylight savings? It sure made for a cheerful New Year's Day.

When Is The Deadline For A Goal To Be A New Year's Reslolution?

2010-01-05T05:57:00.000-08:00

New Year's Resolutions have so much more power. So much more longevity. So much more resolve.

I don't want my goals to just be goals. I want them to be RESOLUTIONS!

Is January 5th too late?

How about February 11th?

I think I'd have better hope of keeping them if I set them at the end of December. Will that still count?

I'm having trouble settling on a balance between the year that I set 81 new year's resolutions and fell flat on my face and the following year where I set only one and failed completely.

What's the Difference Between Cheap and Frugal?

2010-01-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

.
What's the difference between generous and foolish?

What Difference Does It Make To Know That I Am A Child of God?

2010-01-03T09:32:00.001-08:00

That's the question I'm going to ask the Primary kids in Sharing Time today.

It's hard to imagine not knowing this truth. It's so simple.

And so powerful.

I've known it for so long that I can't remember not knowing it.

But, when I think of it slowly, I think that it makes all the difference in the world.

I think it changes how I treat my neighbours, my enemies, my brothers and sisters.

I think it gives me confidence that I am valuable. And hope that I am heading somewhere.

It gives me patience. Not all the time, of course, but sometimes.

It gives me freedom and peace.

Why is it OK to Whistle in Public, but Not OK to Sing?

2010-01-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

Why can't you stand facing the back of the elevator?

And why can't you sit at the same table with someone else in a cafeteria?

Why are you allowed to sneeze in public, but your stomach growling is faux pas?

Sometimes social customs just drag me down.

"Do You Remember The New Year's Resolution You Set This Morning?"

2010-01-01T23:44:00.000-08:00

"No."

"To be nicer to your sister?"

"I didn't say I was going to start right away."

"Today is New Years Day. This is when it starts."

"I'll start for sure tomorrow.
I'll be nice to her for a whole week.
Starting tomorrow."

Oh dear. This must be a genetic flaw.

Where's Katara?

2009-12-30T00:25:00.000-08:00

And why did we leave her all alone for 11 days?

And can I really put up posters again?!!

What's Her Battle? What's His Battle?

2009-12-22T06:22:00.000-08:00

He'd been under general anesthesia that day. He'd been in the car for four hours. The numbing cream on his hand hadn't worked. The IV hadn't gone in the first time or the second. But none of the other moms knew that as he squirmed and complained in his piano class. They glanced over their shoulders at me and I resented their children's private-school frocks and ties.

This quiet crying and sidelong glares IS holding it together for her. We're pleased with this response because it's so controlled compared to what it could be and what it has been. Please don't stare.

When you asked how I was at the checkout counter, did you really want to know? I left my three year old screaming from his hospital bed a few minutes ago. His cerebral fluid is leaking and it is excruciating. My daughters are lost without their parents. I am scared. But you don't really want to know that. And that's OK. Just please understand when I'm not friendly.

You got out of your car to yell at me. I'm not even sure what I did wrong. You used words that aren't allowed in PG-13 movies.

Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. (Plato)

When I am tempted to criticize, please let me remember that I can't see their battle.

When I am tempted to idolize her life and children and marriage, please let me remember that I can't see her battles either.

"Is That Baby Mark?"

2009-12-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

Does Baby Mark like this song?

Does Baby Mark like hockey?

Is Baby Mark sleeping?

Does Baby Mark like football?

Does Baby Mark like this movie?

Is Baby Mark hungry?

Does Baby Mark drink milk out of your arm?

Can Baby Mark drink milk out of the owie on my ankle?

Will You Still Know I Love You If I Don't Buy You a Christmas Present This Year?

2009-12-19T15:55:00.000-08:00

I think I'm going to take a Sabbatical this year.

If it's "not about the presents" why does it feel so all about the presents?

do you ever have days

2009-12-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

where you realize that you're not as good a friend as you thought you were?

when pondering upon this, do you ever realize that your parenting is poopy and your marriage is not a romantic comedy after all?

and sometimes these days coincide with the days that you realize that you can't keep your house the love filled temple we are all striving for.

and every now and then these days happen at the same time that you are fatter than everyone else at the PAC meeting.

they often seem to be near to the days where you clean all day and still end the day in a disaster zone.

it is not a good idea to check out other people's blogs on these days. their children will look beautiful and be well-behaved in all the photos you see. and their houses will look charming and finished too.

It's like Satan got all his guns lined up in perfect sync. I think I'll crawl under the bed. Let me know when he goes away.

What's Your Address?

2009-12-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

If you did not get a Christmas Letter
you either live within 100 km
or we don't have your address.

Brooks Family Christmas Limerick

Christmas letters are so out of style,
I thought Limericks were worth a trial,
A stanza per member,
The Brooks to remember
Hope you think reading it worthwhile.

Mark Daniel Peter Brooks was born
With Dad gone hunting sheep (thin horn)
Mom in the bathtub
Nana instead of hub
August 7th he came in the morn.

Chas Frederick Lance Brooks and tumour
Maintains his sense of humour
Second time’s the charm
His surgery no harm
What a great year for our big bloomer.

Eliza Grace Laurel Brooks saw a slug
Ran to mom for a comforting hug
They belong in the city
These two are so ditty
Asking Daddy to kill every bug

Naomi Florence Katelyn Brooks scored
When she caught the ball off the backboard
Cross country she ran
With her energy she can
She always is talking and never is bored

Sariah Stock Brooks is painting her home
If it takes more than a day, well, so did Rome
A journal backlog
She started to blog
Painting’s unfinished for her to bemoan.

Dallin Lance Brooks and his bro shot a sheep
His job in Finland he’s trying to keep
Doing a PhD
Again in Forestry
Works on our basement to finish it cheap.

That is our story for this last year
A happy one we hope it appears
Pictures here thanks to mom
365000wordsayear.blogspot.com
We hope the Olympics will bring you here.

A limerick doesn’t really lend itself to expressing our more reverent thoughts. So we add a postscript here to tell the people we love so much about the Saviour we love so much. We believe that Jesus really came to earth and really is the Son of God. We believe that His teachings change our lives and our natures. And that we know that He provides the way to be with our most cherished people (you) forever. We are grateful for an annual excuse to share that with you and to celebrate His life. We send you our wishes for a happy Christmas and a year filled with hope and love and happiness.

Love, the Brooks Family

Answer 14--God Answers Children's Prayers Quickly

2009-12-16T05:02:00.000-08:00

and then as we grow, He stretches the distance between prayer and answer.

It's an exercise program for our spirits. It starts with one lap and slowly adds a lap here and there until we have great endurance, strong faith, and a bit of patience.

At 5, with a panicked heart, I prayed in a rack of clothes at the department store that I would find my mother. Immediately, she called my name in the way only she does, with the I long and a soft Y in the third syllable.

At 7, when pulling and lotion and my mother did not extricate me and I was still hanging by my entrapped knee from my bunk bed. I prayed. And it simply slipped out.

At 11, I prayed for a friend, and I prayed a second time, and possibly a third time before Melissa Mitchell came along and we worked out a Paula Abdul dance for the school talent show together.

At 17, I had to study it out in my mind. I had to weigh the many college and scholarship decisions that lay scattered across my bed in glossy brochures of smiling undergrads. I had to sense a direction and ponder it and confirm it with the Lord.

Naomi, this week, decided to add fasting to her ongoing prayers "for a friend at school." The waiting period for a trusting 9 year old these days is about 48 hours. And the answers are as clear as glass, so she will have no chance of missing the connection.

Tuesday, through a misunderstanding in gym class, she found herself in the locker room amidst, "Nobody likes you," "You're so mean," and whispers that included her name.

Her one "hopeful" for a friend offered, "I'm sorry about all this," and walked out. But another girl, not even a playmate of hers, stayed.

Then, to make it clearer she said, "You're my friend." 4th graders don't generally talk this way, but Heavenly Father makes the connection very clear for newbies. And so, she said a second time, "You're my friend."

And they sat on the top of the monkey bar dome and planned their school talent show duet. And they ate lunch together. And they had a playdate.

And Naomi sees the Lord's hand in her life.

I see the Lord's hand in my life. But it is slower to see than it used to be. I search more and wait longer.

My muscles are growing.

Where's My Watch?

2009-12-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

And the car keys?
And my purse the size of Connecticut? (It seems it would be impossible to misplace.)
What did I do with the grocery list I just finished writing?
Has anyone seen my cell phone? (Can't call it, of course, because it hasn't been charged in days.)

Why can't I get my act together?
When am I going to learn?

I asked Dallin if he would still love me when I was old and had Alzheimer's. He said he was sure adding old age wouldn't change anything, since he loved me with Alzheimer's already.

"Mom, Are We Christian or Mormon?

2009-12-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

Janie asked me and I didn't know."

Shoot! I wish we'd had this family home evening lesson a week sooner.

Mormons are Christians.

Mormons believe in Christ.

I believe in Christ.

I am a Christian.

What Do You Mean Worrying Doesn't Help?

2009-12-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

90% of the things I worry about never happen.

Where is He?

2009-12-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

there were

thirty-one snowmen
four fire trucks
one mayor
one member of parliament
two bubble machines
one gigantic christmas tree
forty-four air cadets
three marching bands
one scottish dance troupe
an inflatable santa on a motorcycle
a couple of rock bands
one scout troop
a 4-H team
four girl guide groups
and handfuls of mini candy canes

and just when I had lost all hope,

there was one simply robed woman
sitting calmly on a donkey
led by a quiet man

and I thought
that maybe
all is not lost

how do i bear another's burden?

2009-11-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

especially when the burden is my spouse's? because those burdens are mine too.

like, when chas was in the hospital the first time. i had a picture of us meeting crisis like a hallmark card. or like an ensign article. or like...well, i don't know...like the music on jodi's blog. all full of rainbows and marriage to your best friend and everything gonna be all right. it was a photo down a long stark hallway of a couple embracing and strengthening each other. it had a hazy lens look.

but, we weren't the picturesque image i imagined we would be. we were real. we were still us. we still bickered. we both felt overwhelmed. we were both worried beyond description. thank heavens we had others to strengthen us. to help us bear those burdens. i wished we could have carried each other. i wished, at the time, that i could sustain him. i wished he could console me.

as we meet challenges again, i wonder how i can deliver him? i don't like to watch people i love struggle. come to think of it, i don't like to struggle myself.

bearing another's burden, when its already a shared load is complicated. its like buying each other christmas gifts out of the same bank account.

do you just watch? like when a kid is throwing up and you sit by them even though its gross.

do you panic too, so that you are truly empathizing and then you both drown together?

do you smile and say it will all be ok and try to create a happy mood around the house which just might be the waterwings for everyone? but maybe that seems oblivious, even callous.

"the fold of God...his people...are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light" (mosiah 18:8)

i'm willing. i just haven't figured it out yet.
that could almost be my life motto. (or my next blog theme.)

Is This Plant Going To Make It?

2009-11-24T05:18:00.000-08:00

It's not looking too promising.

"Are We Cute?"

2009-11-23T05:14:00.000-08:00

"Are we cute? Will you take a picture of us?"

I acquire 80% of my photos because my kids tell me they are cute and that I ought to take a picture. The other 20% comes from them using the camera themselves to take pictures of inanimate objects around the house.

What Are We Having For Breakfast?

2009-11-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

Cold Cereal.

Is it Sunday?

Uh-huh.

Awwwwww.
Do we have to go to church?

Of course we're going to church.

I hate church.

Remember our family home Evening lesson with the Smarties? Remember why it is so important to keep the Sabbath Day Holy?

So that Heavenly Father can bless us.

That’s right and we really need those blessings right now.

But Heavenly Father could have answered
our prayers a long time ago.

I know that Heavenly Father listens to us and will bless us
with what will make us happy. He wants us to be happy.

It would make me happy not to go to church.
Does Heavenly Father want me to be happy?

Why do I always get trapped
on these kid logic conversations?

How Much Longer Can I Scrutinize My Life, Voice My Insecurities, and Question Everything?

2009-11-21T21:27:00.000-08:00

I'm going to have to come up with a new Blog theme.

What's the Difference Between Forgiving, Forgetting, and Sweeping Under the Rug?

2009-11-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

Are they all shades of the same colour?

Or different colours altogether?

Are they step 1, 2, and 3?

Is the only measure of forgiveness the response to next time?

All I can say is I am grateful that forgetting comes easily to me.

Can a Three Month Old Be Bored?

2009-11-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

Baby,
please keep crying
when you're not
tired
or stinky
or hungry.

Please cry
when you are bored.

Otherwise
I'm afraid
we will forget
to talk to you
for days on end.

What Can I Do To Have Today Again Tomorrow?

2009-11-18T20:49:00.000-08:00

Start at 5:00 with a baby who slept all night.
Watch rainbows grow in the sky on our walk to school.
Reach the end of the rainbow. Literally.
Fill an Ikea bag full of food and clothes and games for the family whose house burned down last night.
Deliver the bag.
Complete all the errands, even the dry cleaning.
Invite Chas on a lunch date and watch his eyes shine over his worms & dirt dessert.
Laugh together at Calvin & Hobbes with Eliza.
Listen to Naomi's post-Activity Days chatter without rushing her.
Soak in the hot tub so that someone can listen to my chatter.
Discover the secret to making the baby giggle. (a belt snapping on the bed--no wonder it took us so long to figure it out.)

Count the tender mercies of the Lord in my life.

It was so great, I think I'll do it all again tomorrow.

"Life is like an old-time rail journey-delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." (Gordon B. Hinckley)

What Could Be Better?

2009-11-17T21:20:00.000-08:00

It started earlier this week with a bowl of Breyers Brownie Mudpie.

But it wasn't salty enough.

The next bowl had a bit of peanut butter stirred in. Yum. Almost like a Ben & Jerry's flavour.

The next one was the same.

But that got old.

Tonight I discovered the chocolate sauce in the fridge.

I have arrived.

The brownie mudpie. The peanut butter. The fudge sauce.

Good thing I have also arrived at the end of the box.

Are You Getting What You Need?

2009-11-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

Everyone else in this family takes what they need.

You wait for what you need.

Are you getting it?

Answer #13--It's All About Consistency

2009-11-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

The power in prayer is cumulative.

My little acts of kindness only amount to anything in their total effect.

My children feel the importance of the temple when they notice that, "we just went to the temple a few weeks ago."

Each Family Home Evening is lonely and insignificant on its own.

Putting up with it and waiting it out and letting it go become patience in their quantity.

Our savings account grows with $50/month. It seems to shrink when I wait until we have enough money to put in.

"In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. Many ordinary, individual brushstrokes work together to create a captivating and beautiful painting.
Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33). Consistency is a key principle as we lay the foundation of a great work in our individual lives and as we become more diligent and concerned in our own homes." (David A. Bednar)

On the other hand, something is always better than nothing.

How Many More Times Will We Get To Do This?

2009-11-14T12:04:00.000-08:00

We'll soon have our own temple (in Langley), so we don't have many more six hours of movies in the car, all-you-can-eat buffets, kill time at the park down the street, blow money at Deseret Book trips in our future.

I will miss them.

In some ways the six hours of time to connect with my husband, the sacrifice of a little time and money, and the preparations necessary to make it a happy experience for my kids make our temple trips each month all the sweeter.

Maybe I'll still go to Seattle even when there's a temple down the street.

All I know is that when we lived in Salt Lake, with temples around every corner, we often missed attending every month. Since we've lived in Vancouver, we rarely miss a month, even though it requires much more of us. Why is that?

"I hope you are using the temple constantly, because you will gain blessings there that you cannot gain anywhere else on the face of the whole earth. The temple stands as a monument for all to see. It stands as a statement that we as a people believe in the immortality of the human soul. Everything that occurs in that temple is of an uplifting and ennobling kind. It speaks of life here and life beyond the grave. It speaks of the importance of the individual as a child of God. It speaks of the importance of the family as a creation of the Almighty. It speaks of the eternity of the marriage relationship. It speaks of going on to greater glory. It is a place of light, a place of peace, a place of love where we deal with the things of eternity." (Gordon B. Hinckley)

Why Are All of My Friends So Much More Talented, and Wittier, and Smarter, and More Generous, and Wiser Than I Am?

2009-11-12T10:43:00.000-08:00

I must have really good taste.

Why Am I Blogging? (Part IV)

2009-11-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

It's like a grocery list for my questions.

You know how when you realize you need sour cream or cleanser or cinnamon it nags at the back of your brain until you write it down?

Oh, no. What was it that I was supposed to remember at the store.
Was it sage? Baking soda? Tissues?
Why didn't I write it down?

Even when I write it on a scrap of paper doomed to be lost long before the grocery store trip, I still feel better. And that annoying voice saying: Cleanser. Cleanser. Don't forget the Cleanser. You're going to forget, I know you are, finally leaves me alone.

It's that same way with all of these questions plugging up my mind.

Blog on scrap of paper and have done with it.

How Could It Possibly Be 11 O'Clock Already?

2009-11-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

Kindergarten pick-up time.

All I did was nurse and clean two bathrooms.

Stinky. (The bathrooms and the pick-up time.)

Oh, and I wrote this little blog.

"What's The Hokey Pokey?"

2009-11-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

Chas asked this morning. Eliza didn't know either. Nor Naomi.

Last week they wondered what sparklers were.

I rectified the sparkler problem on Halloween and the Hokey Pokey ignorance this afternoon in our living room.

They don't have a clue what's on TV. The only music they're exposed to at home is from before I was born. We had to Google the 4th grade music craze, Demi Lovato. They don't know what's playing at the movie theatres or the name of anybody famous except Obama. I'm not sure they know that video games exist.

What a deprived existence I'm carving out for our children.

The same one my mother created for me. The one I'm so very grateful for.

What's Up With Moods? (Part II)

2009-11-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

crunchy leaves and pink noses
sun on top and fog beneath
sweatshirt weather
a peaceful pace because we're not late
children holding hands
with each other!
and autumn smells
on our way to school this morning

All Is Right With The World.

What If I Made a List

2009-11-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

of all of the things I do today
instead of all of the things I need to do?

It might be a really short list.

Who Does Chas's Big Pumpkin Look Like?

2009-11-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

Don't start guessing family members.

We chewed on this one for a while.

Dallin finally got it worked out...

Jean Claude!

The French Pea from Veggie Tales!!

Ta-Da!!!

I guess Chas had a vision when he was determined to carve the tiniest face on the top of the hugest pumpkin in our Halloween history (or Halloween future, by the way.)

Where's The Candy?

2009-11-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

I knew I'd regret this decision. (click here)

I just didn't know I'd regret it so soon.

How Is Chas Doing? (Part II)

2009-11-03T05:43:00.000-08:00

(original post--click here)

This is not really a post about how Chas is doing at all. How he's doing involves soccer goals and piano practices, kindergarten field trips and playdates, birthday parties and work projects with dad. A bunch of delightfully typical, normal, run-of-the-mill kind of stuff.

This is really all about a 13 mm nodule in his brain that is sitting there doing nothing. Affecting nothing. And, for the last eight months, not changing, growing, spreading, or doing anything at all.

Thank God.

Literally.

-------March 2009 MRI-----------------------October 2009 MRI----

Does It Really Matter If Kids Close Their Eyes During The Prayer?

2009-11-02T06:05:00.000-08:00

We've been fighting this battle for 5+ prayers a day for 8 years. (That's 14,600 prayers)

Sometimes we're mad

sometimes we whisper gently during the prayer

sometimes we ignore it and hope it will go away

sometimes we have powerful Family Home Evening lessons on respecting our Father in Heaven

sometimes we have close-your-eyes contests

sometimes we recite the five things we do during a prayer preceding every prayer

and sometimes I wonder why we bother at all.

Isn't it only really about creating a personal relationship with God? Can't that be done with their eyes open?

When do we declare defeat?

Now What?

2009-11-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

I decided to go with my cousin Jodi's theory.(click here)

And after Star Wars and limitless sugar had induced a catatonic state

I explained the dangers of sugar

to their newly forming grown-up teeth

and to their mental capacity to retain spelling words and

other equally critical scholastic information

and to their athletic prowess on the netball court and soccer field

and to the respiratory and cardiovascular health

of their distant future.

They agreed that the risks were much too great and gathered up all of their sugar and dumped it into one enormous UNICEF bag, which I promised I would, under no conditions, throw away.

So, now what do I do with all of it?

Dallin, hide it from me.

Hide it deeply.

Like, in Milwaukee.

Am I The Coolest Mom Ever?

2009-10-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

Or is your mother coming to school riding an

Inflatable Ostrich completely mortifying?

You never know about these things.

Where's The Shallow End?

2009-10-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

'Cause I'm tired of being in over my head.

Can I Have A Horse?

2009-10-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

Remember that Naomi negotiated for a cat? (click here)

Chas tried for a horse.

The horse was a no, but he did secure himself a pack of Bakugan cards in exchange for the bloody thrill for Dad. (To my own dad, It was all I could do to resist saying that "The horse was a nay.")

Then, that night, the Tooth Fairy comes too!

Our kids have got a smokin' good dental plan over here.

Naomi has even begun to gamble on the US/Canadian exchange rate. Last time she was in Utah with a lost tooth, the Fairy delivered 5 Canadian Dollars. We haven't figured that one out yet, but Naomi informed me this morning that she will be banking her next lost tooth to take with her to the US where the going rate is better. Maybe the tooth fairies in the US are unionized.

It's no wonder my kids won't ever do a "pay job," just wait until the next wiggly tooth, and you're set.

How Do I Respond To The Wonderful Comments People Make On My Blog?

2009-10-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

Do I make a comment on my own blog?

That seems a little ridiculous. And there's no guarantee that they'll see it.

Do I just read it and smile and feel loved and move on?

No connection at all?

This is what I said was so dangerous about blogging in the first place. You have relationships without actually conversing. Conversations that are two one-way streets.

Well, Mindy's favourite aunt, I know of you from decades ago. Please adopt me, and stalk me, if you'd like. I'm not promising anything... ummm... well... anything too promising, but check it out if you want.

And to friends who somehow found me out, despite my attempts to be a closet blogger, just be gentle and realize that I write under the delusion that no one is actually reading this stuff.

And to my cousins who write me witty and loving comments. I guess a one-way street is better than no road at all. I love you.

(And to my mother, I think it's time to get yourself a Google Account so that you can stop being "Anonymous" when you comment.)

And What Do You Do About The Kid

2009-10-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

who is suddenly too sick to go to church
but has shown no sign of illness all morning?

Tell him he's fine and send him anyway?
Trust his own judgement?

Call Daddy and say, on second thought, he can be the one to stay home with the hypochondriac kids (now that a majority of them are here) and I'll go to church, instead?

Why Do Kids Always Seem To Recover Right After You Tell Them They're Too Sick To Go To Church/School?

2009-10-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

And then I find myself in the ridiculous predicament of,

"Well if you're not going to act sick,
you'd better go to school/church, after all."

I'm creating Ferris Buellers.

What's Up With Loot Bags That Cost More Than The Present My Kid Brought?

2009-10-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

Remember when
Birthday Party Loot Bags
were a bunch of junk
and a handful of candy
in a brown paper bag?

Remember how
many parties
didn't even have loot bags?

They came home from the parties today with
action figures,
and dinosaur eggs that hatch in water,
lip gloss,
and bubble bath,
ring pops,
and Kinder Surprises,
popcorn buckets,
pin ball games,
sports toys,
barettes,
headbands,
candy,
and more
all in a medium size gift bag.
Not a Loot Bag bag,
a Gift Bag bag.

The Twin Pack
12-Shot
Nerf Gun
Blaster Set
that I found on sale
is not looking as
great as it did
yesterday when we bought
and Dallin said, "Wow!"
and this morning when we wrapped it
and Chas said,
"I wish it were for me."

Could we all scale back on the loot bags, please?

How About A Primary Song?

2009-10-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

It was a tender moment. Chas and Mark and me.

Mark looked at us with peaceful newborn eyes.

Should we sing him a song, Chas?

Yeah.

What should we sing him?

How about a primary song?

OK, what Primary Song?

"She Keeps On Talking"

If you aren't familiar with this 1980s winner, click play below.

And Question #195--How come you can't post just a song to a blog? Why does it have to be a video?

Don't I KNOW Anything?

2009-10-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

I knew when I began this blog that I had more questions than answers, but I had no idea the discrepancy would be so dramatic.

The tally at the top has been unnerving me for weeks now.

So, I've been wracking my brain to find Answers. I'm coming up very short.

I don't know what color to paint my living room.
I don't know how many kids to have.
I don't know what to pack for lunch that anyone will eat.
I don't know how to both simplify and magnify my church callings.
I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
I don't know where I put my keys.

But, there are a few things I do know. There aren't many, I've realized, but they're the big ones. The answers that really matter, I have. I have them and I know I have them.

Here's One. Answer #10--I Know That God is the Father of My Spirit and the Creator of My Body and that it is my potential to be like Him.

and Answer #11--I Know What Matters Most in Life. I don't do it a lot of the time. That's the problem, of course. But I know what it is.

and Answer #12--I Know That Heavenly Father Speaks To His Children. He speaks to prophets. He spoke to Joseph Smith. My life is happy because of the truths He teaches.

The disparity between Questions (193) and Answers (12) is still ridiculous, but if this were a weighted formula, I think I would be coming out ahead.

Instead of

Q + A = Me,

Something like

Q + KA = Me, where K = ∞.

Is Blogging a Complete Waste of Time?

2009-10-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

Or is it journalling, scrapbooking, and keeping in touch with family all rolled into one?

When Am I Going To Learn

2009-10-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

to book plane tickets as soon as I find the good deal?

Not two days later when they've raised the price by $300.

Darn!

Can a Two Month Old Be Bored?

2009-10-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes he's
not hungry.

Not tired.

Not stinky.

And still he cries!

The nerve!

What Are We Going To Do With All Of This?

2009-10-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ummm...

Wash

Cut

Juice

Boil

Strain

and

Watch a Lame Teeny-Bopper Girl Movie until Midnight.

Welcome to Date Night!

Who Takes These Pictures?

2009-10-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Don't We Have Enough To Do Making Thanksgiving Dinner?

2009-10-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

Apparently not.

Because we had to

buy a juicer,

harvest 40 pounds of grapes

and start a new project

an hour before the turkey was done.

What Are You Thankful For?

2009-10-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

We are so thankful that you are a dodib, too.

Can You Move In?

2009-10-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

Everyday I notice something else.

You hemmed her pants. She wore them today.

You vacuumed the car. It wasn't due for the annual vacuum for another two months.

You had the van's lug nuts tightened.

You returned the overdue DVD to the library and saved us $1/day for five days.

You caught up all the laundry.

You stocked the fridge.

You must have mopped the floor because it never stays that clean with The Big Dig going on in the backyard.

You washed the living room rug that had never been washed and was also showing signs of The Big Dig.

You cheered on the 12th place cross-country runner. In the rain, I heard yesterday.

You went to speech therapy and soccer and the grocery store. All with three kids in tow. These are feats I don't even take on with all of them if I can help it.

You left a crockpot full of dinner for us to come home to.

You even separated the odd socks by size and color into neatly rubberbanded piles!

I don't need a nanny, I've decided.

I need a Nana!

It's All Hormones, Right?

2009-10-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

Just when I think

that I am not postpartum anymore,

I cry at the 4th Grade Cross-Country meet.

(And am glad that I am wearing sunglasses.)

More Questions than Answers