Can you tell me?

Okay, this one is different - this is funny. YOU
> fill in the blanks about ME and send it back to ME.
> But FIRST send a blank one out to all your friends,
> including me, so we can return the favor to you. Be

> honest!
> They're really SCARY to get back. It only takes a
> few minutes, so just do it! First send (forward)
> this survey to everyone you know to see how well he
> or she knows you. Second, hit "reply" and fill this

> survey out about the person who sent it to you and
> send it back to them.
>
> Where did we meet:
>
> Take a stab at my middle name:
>
> Do I smoke:
>
> Color of my eyes:
>
> Do I have any siblings:
>
> What's one of my favorite things to do:
>
> What's my favorite type of music:

>
> Am I shy or outgoing:

>
> Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules:
>
> Any special talents:

>
> How many children do I have:
>
> If you and I were stranded on a deserted island,
> what is one thing that I would bring:
>

Sweet Sweet Bethany

My sister in law LESLIE came to help me clean up some of my messes, ie organize some closets, pantries and cupboards on Monday. As Leslie was getting ready to leave, Bethany asked if she could spend the night. After Les and I spoke we decided it'd be ok and off they went. It is now Tuesday night and she is staying yet another night. I miss her! It is really quiet around here with out her, and we consider her the quiet one, maybe she is just the pot stirrer, but none the less Bethany we miss you!

Some things I love about Bethany:

1 She comes up and gives me kisses, rubs my cheeks and says "I love you mommy."

2 When it comes to words starting with ch or tr she can't say them. And if someone asks her what she said she will just kindly look at them and say "i have a hard time saying those kinds of words."

3 she is turning five this week and all she wants for her birthday is scriptures, so she can teach her dolls and friends about Jesus....such a strong spirit she has.

4 she told aunt leslie she wanted to spend the night again (they live in San Antonio, 1.5 hrs away) but that she'd have to run home to get a pull up. Leslie assured her she could get her a pull up and they didn't have to drive home.

5 I am just proud of Bethany, someone was laughing at her because she has to wear a pull up at night and she just looked at them and said "i just can't wake up at night to make it to the bathroom." so mature and so glad she isn't embarrassed by it.

6 she loves to plan parties and is always wanting to know who she can invite over and who can come play with her

7 she loves to eat eggs for breakfast and i get the fun chance to make them for her.

8 she is very pretty and the other day she said to me, as i was trying to get her out the door, "i can't leave yet i don't have my makeup on and i don't look pretty with out it." I turned to her and told her she was beautiful and didn't need makeup to look pretty. not sure where she learned that from because heaven's knows i always leave with out makeup and by gosh by golly i'm gorgeous! :)

9 she takes care of her brothers and sisters and is always willing to help me out, well almost always, always is a strong word. its amazing what counting can do.

10 she has the most amazing highlights in her hair and everywhere we go people ask if they are natural...Yes they are natural, if I had money to do highlights like that it wouldn't be on my 4 year old

11. She is fun and funny. She comes across shy, usually because she is holding my leg and won't smile at strangers or even people she knows sometimes, but then at home she just lets lose.

12. She is so observant, she is aware very much of what is going on around her and has an amazing memory. I will say something like "Sarah called me...." and Gregory will say who is that, and Bethany looks at him and says "thats faith's mom, you silly." Most of the time it will be something I had no idea she had any idea of.

I LOVE YOU BETHANY! HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY!

A Mayo Freewrite Prompt: So here is what I came up with!"

"It is 102 outside, I really don't want to drag all 4 kids into the car, over to the church for the ward picnic, its just too hot to be outside. My jello salad will never hold up to that type of heat." Corrine complained to her husband, as she was fighting Emily to get her sandals on.

"Honey Br. A went to a lot of trouble to plan this activity and we need to support him." Reassured her ever so right husband. "But why do we have to support everyone in all their activities", she murmured to herself, as she looked around her air conditioned home thinking about all she could be doing inside today. Seems like other activities always take precedence to the things that need to be done at home.

Being the supportive wife and ward member, Corrine yells to her kids to get in the car. "1...2....3. ...so help me if you don't get in there, we are not going to go!" This is more of an ultimatum for herself than the children. The kids make a mad dash to the car. "Buckle up. I didn't hear a click." Once everyone is in their seats, did it really take 10 minutes? Corrine remembers she forgot her raspberry pretzel jello dish. As she quickly apologizes to her already frustrated husband because they are already going to be a minute early and not ten, she runs inside, pulls her 9x13 out of the fridge, and heads for the door. But before she walks out the front door she notices a few more toys on the ground so she quickly picks them up, puts them away, and then out the door. "Crap." She turns around, grabs the salad off the coffee table. With sweat dripping down her head, she climbs in the car and looks to her husband, "ready."

Many people are gathered around the tables, some families are getting out of their cars, and heading to the picnic tables as they finally arrive. When what does Corrine see? Sister P. already seated on the picnic benches. Set before her, her famous deviled eggs. The realization of how the family is going to end up in the ER after this potluck quickly becomes a fact because heavens knows how long those eggs have been sitting out in the heat, let alone how many days in advance she made them. And everyone knows mayo, eggs (the main indgredient in mayo) do not hold up well to non refrigeration. "Kids, kids...no eating the eggs ok?" Corrine says as she pushes Timmy in the stroller, holding Emily's hand, well dragging her by her wrist is more like it, crossing the parking lot.

"Hello Sister S" greets Sister P., "I made my famous deviled eggs. You and your family will have to have some." What is one to say, what is one to do. "Hopefully there will be some left when we go through the line." Corrine lies through her teeth, though kind of hoping there are some left, kind of a sick twist of fate.

The prayer is said, and Corrine is pretty assured that people, while other's had their eyes shut during the prayer, standing reverently, slowly started for the line. Because as soon as the words amen were uttered, Corrine opened her eyes to see a mile long line for the food. 'Well at least they will all get food poisoning. But there is no way I am going to end up with some firm jello salad.' Corrine thought as she watched the hoards of starving people standing in line, looking in front of them and behind them thinking there is not going to be enough food.

By the time Corrine gets in line for sure there will be no more mayo filled eggs left for her to get food poisoning from, though she really does love a good deviled egg. With the sweltering heat, even the salads, not just green but tuna and potato other mayo filled treats, are sweating. Heat, crowds and hunger are not a good match for Corrine. At this point, after standing in line, Timmy screaming, Gregory running around with his friends, Bethany holding on to her mom's leg from fear of someone talking to her, and Emily reaching up to Corrine wanting to be held, Corrine is ready to just leave. But its finally her turn. She is hungry and even over heated eggs, sound appealing, and with the empty dishes that lay before her, there aren't many choices. 'Can't people just take a little and not fill their plates so full? No one here is starving. And next time how about bringing more than six cookies as your dish to share.' Corrine stops her thoughts and
just begins to dish her plates.

The life altering decision unfurls, does she eat the eggs and risk the chance of ending up in the hospital or dead for that matter, or forgo one of her favorite treats knowing its for the better? What would you do? After all the food has been blessed right?

Nothing more than Pure Brain Dumpage

I mentioned the other day about my repeating dream of speeding and breaks going out and not being able to stop in time, therefore ramming my car into something. Life is just going way too fast. But not where I want to go tonight.

I want to sit down on my Freudian lounge and analyze the dream of my mother running around with a butcher knife trying to chop my head off. Ok a little gory but really its not! My neighbor and one of my best friends growing up, Chris B.'s mom had a curio cabinet with old dolls in it. Some that were just the heads. I am guessing the cabinet is what triggered my nightmares, probably triggered the same ones of dolls coming to life trying to kill me...but that is another issue.

Earlier I had this dream all figured out...but all of a sudden it has slipped from my mind like a wet bar of soap in my hands.

My mom plays a huge roll in my life, well duh! Most moms do don't they, good or bad? My mom is wonderful. I love her, flaws and all, but she is mostly perfect to me, but that is because I am the favorite child, ask any of my siblings. I am the favorite. I feared so much of making a mistake growing up, and not being the perfect child. Part of that comes from being the middle child, trying to be the pleaser. Too, it has to do with the fact that I want everyone to like me. I think part of me was afraid that I could never please my mom, and the only way to have her pleased was to preserve me as just a head in a glass cabinet. Nah I just think the Benjamin's glass doll cemetery freaked me out.

I love my mom. And I think with every mother and daughter relationship comes some interesting baggage. I just wonder what kinds of things I am doing in raising my kids packing their baggage, and how much are the therapy bills going to be to unpack.

This morning, my computer was out of commission so I actually took time to read. I read a wonderful article by Pres. Gordon Hinkley on raising children. He mentioned that if people would spend more time worrying about how they are raising their kids, than they do worrying about how bad the world is, the world would be a happier place, well basically his words are much better than mine. But if we raise happy, good kind kids then the world will have good kind people. Right now there isn't much time being spent at home making happy, kind kids. I am trying, I really am.

I love being able to stay home with my kids, though lately I feel like I haven't been doing as great of a job as I should be doing. I guess there is always room for improvement isn't there?

Ok a pat on my back today, grant it this person only spent a few minutes with my kids, but true story:

Eric stayed home today with our sick little boys- Timmy had a fever of 101, and Greg Strep. So I took my sweet little girls to church with me. Surprisingly they weren't doing too bad during sacrament meeting (the mixed adult kid one hour 10 minute long meeting). I don't know but about half way through, Bethany was reading a book, well I like to call it performing her own opera. She can't just read a book she has to turn it into a full blown musical. Emily was yelling at her to give her back her book, and I am trying to quietly shhhh them. So I just pack them up and go into the Relief Society Room (another room with a speaker to hear whats going on in the sacrament room.) We get in there and there is a sister trying to nap, sorry Sister Alger. But I felt better about letting the girls kind of roam while I listened to the last speaker. Then another sister from church came in and started preparing for her class. My girls just stared fascinated with her, as she wrote scriptures on the chalk board. Then the sweet gal lets them doodle on the board, and she actually starts to draw for them. Sacrament is finally over (about fifteen minutes after we got into the room.) So Sister Taylor, said to me "you have the cutest kids and they are so well behaved. I know because I work in a daycare." So that made me feel really good, that my kids as totally out of control I felt they were, received a compliment on having great behavior.

Though why is it that as a mom, it seems my kids are the worst? Why do I giggle at someone else's child for doing the same thing, I want to ground my child for doing? Is it the emotional attachment? Who knows, I just know I am tired and have written way to much jibber, thats not even a word. Oh well, good night and thanks for making it this far!

To Delete or Not to Delete

I tormented my husband tonight about not reading my blog, was just teasing...well a little bit serious. So he could not sleep, and woke up and read my blog, the whole thing, I woke up mid reading and sat by him watching him chuckle here and there. Made me feel good that he found the humor from our lives and my writings. But as he read, and I finally re read many of my posts I had a huge urge to delete, rewrite, change all my blogs.

See when I write, I just freely let my mind communicate to my fingers, typing away just as fast as the thoughts hit the keyboard, some days slower than others. I don't like to re read, or edit or change much because mostly I feel this is my journal, and well I am just lazy. But now that I am awake and my mind is spinning, kind of like a little hamster on its running wheel, I want to change so many posts. I see so many little errors, ways to make a sentence more humorous or more dramatic. But then I realized hey I am just posting to share and remember.

I'm driving too fast and my breaks keep going out!!

Ok its been a long time since..no not since I last posted, heavens knows I am so addicted to blogging its ridiculous, since I have dreams repeating over and over. When I was younger I had the same dream of my mom trying to chop my head off to put in a doll cabinet with porcelain dolls. Maybe I can share more on that later. In high school I had the same dreams of over flowing toilets. Then in college I had dreams where people were chasing me and I'd just start flapping my arms and fly away. Now I keep having dreams or rather nightmares of me driving with my kids and several other children in my suburban and all of a sudden the car just starts speeding up and I can't stop the car before running into something. Believe me I am slamming hard on the breaks but no slowing down. Think there is something to my dreams?

Since I asked...I do. I really feel like my life is just going by too fast and I just don't have time to slow down and enjoy the little things. But as cheesy as this may sound, I really feel that now that I have started journaling again, though its not in my typical journals with me complaining about my weigh...oh I can if you want, but this blogging/journaling sure has helped me stop, sit and think about all that is going on around me. There truly is something beneficial about recording your life stories, and I'm not talking about leaving behind a record for your posterity which is great in and of it self, but of allowing you the opportunity to reflect and regroup and plan ahead.

I love my little kids!

I believe truly that each child comes with their own personalities. Parents help in grooming the children and directing them but they each are so unique. Sometimes children repeat what they hear but other times, it just comes out from no where. I had to share some of the few things that happened last night and today.

Gregory: This morning we are all sound asleep, in our own beds, well not really Emily's snuggling in between myself and Eric. Bethany is crashed out on our couch, which she turned into her own bed. Timmy asleep in the closet, darkest quietest place in the house. And Gregory asleep in his bed. The phone rings, stirring up the gang. With in a matter of seconds, I hear Gregory pounding his feet against the floor, running as fast as he can into our room, and jumping into our bed in about 5 seconds flat. Emily disturbed by this all starts to kick Greg. Then Bethany climbs in. Timmy hears the commotion and starts to bark from the closet. At this point, sweet old me is done with all the noise. I respond, for sure with the sweetest mother's morning voice, "Get out of my bed!" Gregory looks at me and says " We are just showing you how your parents felt. Do you think they liked having you in their bed? No, so that is why we are showing you the same respect that you did them.....Respect, what does that mean?" Eric and I just chuckle.

Emily: While sitting at the kitchen table this morning enjoying our scrambled eggs with ketchup, Emily and Bethany decide to open the mail that is on the table. While ripping open a piece of mail, Emily's hand knocks over her plate. Eggs, ketchup, fork and her bowl go flying to the floor, ketchup down. I hear Emily say..."Oh my "fuk, oh my fuk." I look at her..."What???" I promise not a word I use. "My fuk mommy, my fuk." She points to her fork on the ground. I thought she would have been upset about losing her eggs and ketchup but no she was upset about her fork hitting the ground. The mom I am I scoop up her eggs and put them in the bowl, hand her back her fork, and say "eat."

Timmy: Last night I went to a Relief Society board meeting leaving all four kids home with their dad. When I came home, I opened the door. I put down my purse and from the recliner chair I see Eric's legs and I hear a "hi." I think "what is Emily doing up." I walked closer and see Timmy's head peek over Eric shoulders. He bounced and squealed with excitement to see me. It made me feel so good. He knows me! And he likes me! For that brief moment it made me forget about the huge mess that was left to greet me.

Bethany: One would think is our silent creature, and she really isn't. She likes very much to make a lot of noise, usually a nice big fat tantrum about me using her bag of Reese's Peanut Butter cups to make cookies. Eric came home last night to Bethany screaming. Screaming that had been going on for about an hour at this point. We're talking poor cat dying screams, back arching fist tight screams. Sounds that earned her banishment to her room. All over a bag a candy she told me to make her cookies with...go figure.

She is sweet though and loves to hang out with me. She usually is reading books, playing with Timmy or holding a doll. Yesterday she was playing with Timmy on his play mat and pulled the head off of something. I looked at her and said "Bethany why did you pull his head off." Her nonchalant reply was "Cuz I can!"

7 things I have done that have proved others wrong :)

1. I sucked my thumb until around 8, when my grandfather told me it was going to fall off if I sucked it any longer. That worked better than those nasty thumb paints. My thumb never did fall off and I never had to have braces because of sucking my thumb.

2. I wore a body cast for three months and leg braces for six months. The doctor's thought I might not be able to have children because of all they did, and boy were they wrong! They also weren't sure about my ability to do sports and I beat a 20 year record in the 100 yard dash!

3. Je m'appelle Corrine. I took french from 7th grade until my junior year of college. I over all took french 1 about 5 years....Fr. 1 in 7th and 8th...then repeated it in 9th....then after taking up to Fr 3 in high school, I took French 101 in college :) By the time I was getting ready for my mission my French teacher said to me " I hope you go English speaking because I know how hard it is for you to speak a foreign language." I got called to be a missionary in Brazil and I speak Portuguese!

4. I got married at the ripe old age of 25, all my friends in high school, well not all but some, teased me and said I would be married by 19! Ha!

5. I used to be very patient. I am not so patient anymore. They call me the nice sister, and I am not sure about that. Just to share an example, my older sister put me on speaker phone the other day while I was getting after my kids, so that her husband could hear "the nice sister" being not so nice. They both were laughing at me.

6. Sophmore year of high school I was the class secretary. I ran against some popular fellow which no one thought I'd be able to beat! I felt wonderful that day when my name announced over the loud speaker.

7. I was a witness to a murder and had to testify in court. I wasn't scared, I thought the whole thing was exciting, like watching Matlock on TV. After it all happened, before the court trial which took 4 years to happen, I was told I shouldn't go back to BYU Hawaii because of my safety, well I listened this time and didn't go against their advise!

So funny, and so true!

The world with out kids would be like an ice cream sundae without whip cream and chocolate sauce. Kids just add so much to the world, especially the ever so needed laugh once in awhile.

I wish this story was about one of my children, but its a friend so close enough. Atalia, my friend, and her husband, Rudy, make sure their five year old is content resting in his room, watching tv so they can go and take a nap. They set their alarm so as not to leave Julian alone too long. The alarm goes off, and that is the only sound to be heard in the house.

Atalia gets up to look around for Julian, he is not in his room, nor is he in the family room. They peek into the kitchen to find Julian, with a pair of scissors cutting out the elastic in his underpants and surrounded by ice cream sandwich wrappers. Atalia asks "what are you doing Julian?"

What was he doing? Is stomach was so full, his underwear was too tight. Instead of just taking them off he decided to cut the elastic off. How clever is that? I think I might do that with some of my underwear.

The moral of the story, if you over eat, don't undo a belt loop or unbutton your pants just cut the waste band off!

Bethany's morning blog

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I guess Bethany has seen me blogging and typing and she wanted to write this morning. She wanted me to write about her, so we read through my earlier post, she laughed pretty hard about hers. She wants us to make a book, wow she isn't the only one! :) Have a great day!

Can you make your eye pee?

Ok not trying to fill my blog with potty humor but living with four small kids, and one large one things like this come up. We're sitting at our dinner table tonight enjoying a last minute thrown together meal by me. Part of the dinner, the green part, includes sweet petite green peas, a personal favorite of Eric's. So much so, he very carefully shovels a few fork fulls onto each of his surrounding children's plates with out them noticing. Oh but I notice, shame on him. As we are finishing up this wonderful meal, consisting also of some open cans of fruit on the table, Eric asks if he can be excused from the table, I look at him a little in shock, one because he's asking me to be excused and two well he is asking to be excused. Before I can muddle out a reply Gregory says "not before I pee out of my eye." I look at him "What?"

Gregory carefully takes a pea and holds it to his eye and pops it to Eric. Well Eric can't be topped by a six year old with an inappropriate table manner, so he pops a pea in his mouth, and then starts snorting and blowing, and he "pees out a pea" from his nose, along with some other stuff, causing me to just want to get up from the table a puke.

I wish the story ends here but something about kids they kind of like to make true the saying "monkey see monkey do." So Gregory following his dad's lead, though taking a short cut, sticks a pea up his nose and then snorts it out. At this point I am totally bewildered can't think of anything to say or do.

Emily takes care of that for me. She grabs a little pea and sticks it into her tiny little nostril. She giggles and makes a little "heh" with her nose, mind you being only two she really hasn't mastered the art of nose blowing. You should have seen her little nose with the bulging little green ball clogging her narrow nostril. I give her encouraging blows from my nose, hoping she will try to blow it out her self. I know that I can not get it out by picking it because it will only lodge it further into her nasal cavity. Emily decides she's going to take her little finger and retrieve the foreign body. However, each attempt the green mass gets smaller and smaller, until we no longer see it. Great! We are gonna have to spend $100 at the ER to get it removed.

I decide to call my mother in law to thank her for her well raising of my husband, while Eric looks through the cupboards. As I explainto my mother in law the details of the evening, Eric pulls out a toothpick and gently extracts the pea. Yeah for us! Then Helga, my mother in law, tells me that Gregory asked her the other day if she taught his dad all the funny things he knows. She had to explain to him that many things he just learned on his own. I think sticking peas up his nose was one of those things he taught himself.

Though if you ask Eric it was really Gregory who taught Emily, or showed Emily how to stick the pea up her nose, because if you remember correctly Gregory literally stuck the pea in his nose, where Eric went a whole other route.

Moral of the story, one can't make their eye pee but one sure can make their nose pea.

Poo Poo Happens: viewer discretion is advised!

Emily has begun the fun process of potty training. She typically gets right in my face and will say "poo poo mommy" Which translates to "mom I need to go" or if she says the same thing and turns around showing her diapered bum means she already went. So the other day she runs up to me and says "Mommy me poo poo" and doesn't flash her bum to me. I say "oh do you need to go potty?"

"No Mommy, me poo poo>" I say to her " ok go to the potty." She looks at me and takes my hand and says "no mommy me go poo poo." As I start to congratulate her, I then notice she's only sporting a shirt. The terrible thoughts run through my head of all the places she possibly had gone and how it is going to be a huge mess and I just don't feel like I am paid enough to clean up poop off the floor let alone smashed in the carpet.

I look at her, refraining from getting upset and say in my sweetest most calm voice "where did you go poo poo sweetie?"

She tugs on me and says "come mommy come mommy"

Grabbing my hand she leads me to the kitchen, yes a hard floor with no carpet, thank you sweetie thank you. She then points to the ground and shows me her present for me. Being the mom I am I had to have my camera in hand to mark this moment. I am so proud of my daughter even though she missed the toliet, even the bathroom, it wasn't in her diaper and it wasn't on the carpet...we are making progress!

Why I write with Crayons

Have you ever had a fleeting thought, need to make a grocery list, a quick idea or a phone call which requires you to quickly jot something down. You quickly reach in your pen drawer to pull out a pen and the only things you can find are a dried up pen (that you throw back into the drawer to become frustrated at a later date, much more fun than throwing it away), an unsharpened pencil or a half chewed on crayon? Since you have tried several swirls to get the pen to work, you don't have the time or a sharpener for that matter, to sharpen your lead, you go for the crayon. Then you try to write down on a piece of paper..another rare item to find, but luckily you can find bills and other junk mail lying around which make great substitutes. So with your back of the envelope and your crayon in hand you begin to take note. Problems with writing with wax wrapped in paper are it is broken down to about an inch, so holding it becomes a challenge and then the head is flat making fine print next to impossible leaving the note almost undecipherable. Then you place the "note" aside in a very special place to later pick up, open, realize you have just been pre-approved for a $10,000 loan with only 35% interest, so you rip the whole thing up, toss it in the trash, forgetting the very important message etched in crayon on the back. Thus leaving you with nothing but a chewed up crayon and a memo lost.

Comments with no google account

If you have the urge or need to post a comment, you can do so and click on the anonymous button and go from there...I use my yahoo email...anyway just thought I'd let you know

Spelling Errors....I apologize

Dude so I post and don't read what I have posted, I just type and hit submit, and I rarely go back and read my posts, well you probably are here today because you got an email from me and dude, sorry for the errors, like "may latest" instead of my and for some reason I left off a lot of "ed"s on words that should have been past tense. Please over look those errors and know that I am only human, not an editor and am only blogging to release my brain from all the trapped thoughts that need to be freed!

I'm Flattered...me an author?!

I really truly appreciate the comments to me about me being a great writer and how I should publish a book. I'm rather shocked, surprised and flattered, so much so I fell off my chair, flipped right back onto the ground, feet in the air!


Well it has been a life long dream of mine, and when I was younger I'd sit on the curbs waiting for my mom to come get me, and think of stories in my head. (What was I doing sitting on curbs waiting for my mom... that's a whole other story but childhood friends, one word "The Villages." I also received encouraging comments from my English teachers when I applied myself to my papers. Also while student teaching my ever so encouraging student teaching supervisor said to me "maybe you should think of a career in writing instead of teaching. " I was hurt by his comment but maybe I should have listen to him. However, I don't foresee myself penning to a point where one would actually purchase my stories, but maybe that is my problem I need to see it to believe it. Though the comments have sparked in me a couple of things.

1. (have you notice I am totally into lists lately...not sure why but anyway) I am going to join the story circle and go to writing classes and seminars and get started pursuing something for myself.

2. I am going to make more written Heritage Makers' books for my family, including pictures and scrapbooking of course but include more journaling and text for their enjoyment...well probably not enjoyment but helpful memory reminders.

3. As of now... if you know of anyone could be yourself, I am going to help, well will turn your blog into an 8x8 storybook. So consider me the Blog to Books lady! Contact me for more information or send your friends my way. Take a year of blogging and turn it into a book. So it won't be my writings which you seem to love, but your own...I could make editorial comments :) haha...but anyway just sparked a little business idea for me. So let me give your blog a shot!

4. If I get 403 people to comment on this blog saying I should give writing a try, I will sit down and start a book, so if you think I should pursue a life long dream, and you think its worth a shot, tell your friends and their friends and lets see if I can get some comments here telling me to go for it...if I don't get the comments...I still will probably try it but will feel like no one likes me :( and I might have to go eat some worms.

The letter you'd send to your friends: (see I am helping you help me):

Dear Friends,

My dear (friend, sister, neighbor, daughter, well not my dear anything but some chick on a blog) needs your help in pursuing a life long dream. Your task, if you choose is simple. Please visit her blog, www.4kidsnodog.blogspot.com and read her post, "I'm Flattered...me an author?!- Jan 6, 2008" and just post a comment basically saying "go for it." That is all you have to do, you don't even have to read the blog if you so choose. But please leave a comment. Heck you can even say "dude its not worth the effort" but please take a few minutes, visit the blog and make a comment. It doesn't cost you a thing, just a tiny bit of your internet time. And if you so desire, browse her blog and read some of her posts, she is rather entertaining in my humble opinion. Have a good one.

Thanks,
(here is where you'd sign your name)

5. With the writers strike maybe I have a chance to move to Hollywood and do some screen writing...JK...but not a bad idea probably a good time to get in.

Teenage years....ramblings for the most part. READERS BEWARE!

Last night Eric et al, were invited to a young girl's sixteenth birthday party. We thank them for the personal invitation, flattering actually, because my sixteenth birthday did not have the crazy church family with four young kids showing up. It was a fun surprise party thrown by Maren Nelson, and I remember knocking on the door with Shannon Mitchell by my side, as a whole bunch of high school friends yelled "Surprise" as they opened the front entry and out of my mouth came the words..."You dorks.!" Yeah that's right the only thing I could think to say was you dorks.

I don't remember much of what we did, but I got one of those C. Moore Buns guys, the little plastic person you put in your back car window and it has a little pump you push and he B.As the people behind you. We quickly plastered the fellow in my mustard yellow 1974 Ford truck and piled in about 16 16 year olds into the back of the pickup....not sure where we were headed or what we were doing however I do remember slamming on the breaks for some reason, probably to avoid a run away cat and all my friends flying forward, being plastered up against the window smiling at C. Moore Buns! (See I am laughing now! achieving my new years goals!)

Anyway so at this little teen party, I just thought about how much I want to SCREAM to these young people that "it all doesn't matter!" and "just enjoy" and "don't get your panties in a wad over that!" But then again that would just take away the whole fun and pain of being a teenager wouldn't it?? What would be the fun of young pubescent- hood with out being mad at Susie for having a crush on the same Brian Smith that you are "so totally in love with!" I mean really 10 years from now Brian Smith is probably going to be still working at Burger King, smokin' pot and you are going to be married to some really smart handsome guy! Or at least glad you didn't end up dating him, and dude why were y'all fighting over the guy when he wasn't even interested in either one of you, he liked Jenny or was it Bill? What a waste of Junior year. Not that I am speaking from any personal experience...no really I am and names and actual jobs have been changed to protect their identities.

But really, there is such a bigger picture to life, than what we think and know at the innocent young teen years...really? Remember what was included in your big adolescent world? Some days I'd love to just go back and be caught up in those worries, you know like wondering if Robert really really likes me, or if I am going to pass that chemistry test, or what place am I going to take in Backstroke at regionals. Not that I am making light of those problems, because they were real and scary and caused me to not sleep at night, but after it is all said and done, I realize what the heck was the big deal? If there is any words of wisdom I could impart to my developing adult audience, because I know I have a huge following, it would be this:

1. Spend less time worrying about what others think. If you spent half the time worrying about what other's think of you, you'd realize they are worrying what you are thinking about them and not thinking about what you are doing. So participate in the silly games, dance by yourself in the middle of the dance floor--Heck they won't think your crazy they will think you have a whole lot of self confidence.

2. On another note to that, they are watching you not because they want to see what you are doing but watching to see if you are noticing them.

3. Have fun, really you are a teen and you are suppose to be having fun, and acting stupid, you get the "act stupid free card" because you are a teen.

4. Dating its over rated, there will be plenty of time for one on one relationships, spend time developing friendships, one they will last longer and you will be a better person because you will learn more from friends than singling yourself with one person. Go out with friends, mix company and all, but no need to get serious with one person.

5. Say your sorry, we all make mistakes, and half the time we don't even know we made a mistake or hurt someone's feelings for that matter. You know our hormones are so out of whack, well you think they are so out of whack wait until you have a baby talk about whacked out hormones....anyway we are moody and sometimes the wrong look can set us off, just be prepared to say.."I'm sorry"

6. Never fight over a guy/girl. If you and a friend are crushing on the same dude, let her have him, or just realize as in #4 it is over rated...have fun go TP the guys house, better story for your kids later on anyway. Eat some apples and put the cores in a brown bag on his doorstep, much nicer than dog poop.

7. Do well in school, study and learn, because "friends may come and go" but you will always have your brain and its not going anywhere, unless you do something stupid like lots of drugs.

8. Stay up late, make jello at 3 AM, and realize it won't set up for several hours, so find another snack and enjoy the jello for breakfast when you wake up at noon....oh to sleep in again.

9. Tell your parents you love them, and realize yes they are so totally right, they so do understand and they have so been there. Right now you think they are so imperfect but give it a couple years and realize how hard it is for them, and how they actually did a pretty darn good job.

10. Listen to your gut and not your friends, unless your friends are listening to their guts telling you not to do something. Regret and bad mistakes are totally hard to erase. We can choose our actions but you can't choose your consequences.

11 And last I realized last night that I so wish I could take away the pains of growing that y'all have to experience but I can't its part of life! Take it one day at a time, smile lots and realize these truly are suppose to be some of the best years of your lives, but it does totally get better, just different with different responsibilities.

Well that so wasn't what I was planning on writing about but hey it just came out so anyway, sorry for the lecture! But if it helps just one, I'd be happy to know.

8 Things I see Happening in 2008

8: I will wake up at least one morning on my own, by myself, well with out someone else saying "WAKE UP MOMMMY!"

7: I will have someone stop by- with out notice- and my house will be clean, though the likelihood of someone showing up unannounced is not likely, I will have a clean house, when you decide to just pop in, just once I promise!

6: This year I am going to make a shopping list, a meal list and stick too it when I go shopping, not necessarily eating such and such on tuesday but having seven meals planned so I stay with in a budget and only buy what I need...and not give in to the small cries and whines from the shopping cart and my belly!

5: My kids will obey me! Not going into much detail because if you know my kids and my parenting skills it just might not happen unless I positively think it! I am a woosie when it comes to discipline and following through...Nanny 911 Come to my house!!

4: I am going to LOVE to run! I am going to just love it!! I love to run!! I will love to run! Who wants to run with me???

3: Eric and I are going to get away once a month on a date with no kids! I am so serious.

2. Fast food is a thing of the past....I love to eat out and now you know....and I am going to stop...four days and so far so good :) Not only will it save me some inches I will burn with all the RUNNING but will save our pocket book...excuse me while I answer the door for the pizza delivery guy.. Just kidding..though pizza does sound good..

1. Lots of Laughter! Those who know me....as if many read this, if any at all...but I love to laugh and used to laugh a lot...I want to see much more laughter happening in my life...life is too short to not have a good belly laugh and a snort each day!!

Happy New Year to You!!

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Musical Beds

Here is a new game to play with your family when you are bored or when you decide to take a mini 24 hour vacation to a hotel.

You need:
3-4 beds
3-8 people
12 hour period of time

Rules: He/she who sleeps in only one bed all night is the loser. The winner of the game will have slept in at least 3 of the beds.

Example of how to play:
While watching Back to the Future Marathons, or any Holiday marathon movie/tv show, pull out the hide a bed and let some of the players fall asleep. While thinking that you are so lucky to be able to sleep all night because two of the six players are asleep in bed, you put one of the players into a port of crib. The fourth player who has fallen asleep on the recliner chair, carefully put them in one of the double beds. Now time for the oldest two players to go to sleep. This game is best played when younger players go first. Well once the younger players are in their beds. Lights out and the oldest snuggle into their beds. Many times one might think the game will end here, but no that wouldn't be fun nor would it be a real game of musical beds. So lets suppose this all transpired by 8pm. Well around 10 pm is when the music begins and the changing of beds gets a little complicated. The youngest player begins to cry from their crib, and second oldest player feeds and calms him down. While doing so the second youngest player wakes up crying for mommy, while the oldest player, takes over the bed leaving no room for the second oldest. So second oldest player puts youngest player back in port a crib and cuddles with second younger player. Sleeping begins, but doesn't last long when oldest player gets up to use the restroom, setting off the music for player number 3 to leave the hide away joining player 1. Around 1 am, player number 4 joins player number 1 and number 3, waking player number 6. Number 2 puts number 6 in bed with her and player number 5. Calms him down, and puts him back in his bed. To find that player number 4 joined number 5. Number 2 goes to the hide a bed, falling asleep not long enough to be joined by number 4. Mean while number 1 has stayed in his orginal bed other than the trip to the potty. So then while player 2 is in the hide a bed, she is once again awoken by number six and finds number 1 in bed with number 3 still. After getting number 6 asleep number 2 decides to move number 3 back in with number 4, back to their original sleeping places. Number 2 climbs in with number 1 only to get kicked out because she startles him. She decides to curl up next to number 5.

Well as you can see number 2 is the winner of this game followed closely by number 6. Number 1 is the total loser of this game because he never left his original sleeping bed.

This is totally the best game to play when ringing in the new year. Instead of staying up late to ring in the new year, you can change beds almost every hour to make sure the new year truly has arrived.