Miracles Upon Miracles

It's time to introduce you to a friend of mine. This is Janine, holding Kendra:

Notice that they're wearing matching outfits. That was comPLETEly unplanned. (Notice also my Dad and Tracy in the background. Also not planned, but not quite as cute, either. But oh, well.) I think Janine and the rest of her family have been a part of our family since I was five. Janine is my honorary back-up auxiliary mom. It's a role that she has always taken very seriously and she has also excelled at it. I have the emails to prove it. If I have ever once managed to give you good advice, I probably got that advice from Janine.

I'm going to share one more picture, from the same event:

That's Janine with her own daughter, Juliana. Yes, Juliana is the bride here, and yes, she is very pretty. (Kendra is trying to ruin the picture by wanting her mommy back, but even that can't really spoil it.)

Anyway, I'm going to be fairly brief for once and not go into all the details. But suffice it to say that this week Janine has been producing miracle after miracle for us. She has gone from being on life support to being able to breathe on her own and I could not be happier about it.

And it's also her birthday. So happy birthday, Janine. Keep hanging in there. Keep knowing that our prayers are with you. Keep fighting. Keep remembering how much we love you. And keep giving us miracles-- we can't get enough of them.

Shinanaidene. Anato no kao o ai shite imasu.*



*Ask Luke for a translation if you're not sure. Tell him to lie and say I said it perfectly, even I screwed it up. Which I probably did.

Pictures

My sister, Tracy, visited us over President's Day weekend, which was awesome! It was great to have the company, great to have the babysitting, and great to enjoy a Weekend of Gluttony, which included polishing off the last of the Chocolate Delight, making bark, AND making sugar cookies!* Wow. I think I gained five pounds. But if that's what it will take to survive this winter, then so be it.

Anyway, Tracy took some pictures while she was here that I'm going to post. Unfortunately, Tracy took all the pictures, which means that she is not actually IN any of them. A definite oversight on my part. Next time she comes, I'll try to do better. (I think I say that every time we have visitors.) But here's what she got:

Kendra didn't want to smile for the camera, so this is her serious face.
Her hair is getting so shaggy, but it's still kind of thin to make a very good ponytail...

Proof that I read to my children!
Apparently Bentley can multi-task, since he's reading a different book to himself while I read to him.

Love those eyes.

The only picture where Bentley is smiling. He'd been hiding in the couch, one of his favorite pastimes.

The best way to get Kendra to smile is to have her yell, "Kendra Lee!"
She's also pleased with herself because she's sitting in The Forbidden Highchair, which is actually Bentley's.

Thanks for coming to see us, Tracy! We love having you here!!! Come back soon!



*After this I resolved to be way more careful about what I eat and cut all the junk food out of my diet. But then my little sister Natalie came to visit and I realized that she had never tried bark (gasp!) so I had to make more for her, too. And then it was Kendra's birthday, so I had to make a cake for her. And now I'm remembering that I have absolutely NO WILL POWER WHATSOEVER. Oh, dear...

Almost Live

If we've ever had a conversation that lasted longer than twenty minutes, there's a decent chance that I've brought up a TV show called "Almost Live." It was just a local show in Seattle that specialized in making fun of Seattle. And it was hilarious.

I had the brilliant epiphany today to look it up on YouTube, and lo and behold, I could finally watch it again! So I had to share it with you. This is mostly for my sisters, fellow Seattle-ites, and all the people who have had to listen to me talk about this show. That should be all of you. Now you can experience it for yourself.

It must be your lucky day!

So this first video is my personal favorite, The Ballard Driving School. The thing you have to understand is that Ballard is a small Norwegian town filled with old people, who drive like old people. 'Nuff said.




And then there's East Side Story, which for some reason wouldn't let me embed the video on my blog. If you've ever watched West Side Story and know anything about grunge culture, this is worth checking out!

And don't forget The High-Five'n White Guys (All Right!) here.




And The Lame List. I'm pretty sure that those are members of Pearl Jam in there. Awesome.




This is another one that wouldn't embed, so I'm only giving you the link. This was a whole series, and included Kent and Mercer Island. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the Mercer Island video, which was probably the best one. But this one, Cops in Leavenworth, is pretty dang funny, too.

The Streetwalking Lawyers of Aurora Avenue. In these trying economic times, it's never been more prescient. (Notice Bill Nye the Science Guy in the group, before he went on to National Television and all its fame and glory!)




And finally, Speedwalker. If we have ever even once talked about Bill Nye the Science Guy, I can guarantee that I have tried to describe the hilarity of him as Speedwalker. Here's the real deal:




This will never get old for me.

And if it wasn't enough for you, try looking up "Uncle Fran's Musical Forest."

Happy viewing!

Maybe Next Year...

Among the many items of junk mail that I was just sorting through (and ripping up) was this ad: Valentine's Day Special (this came today, February 18th, mind you) at Precious Metals Liquidators. Yup. Nothing says "Romance" like "Let's sell your ring for cash, dear!"

And to think, all Craig and I did was dinner and a movie!

Play

A couple months ago, someone offered Geo-Trax train tracks on FreeCycle. We already had a few sets made by GeoTrax, so I couldn't resist the chance to get more. Craig thought I was being silly, since they do take up a lot of room, but I was delighted when I picked up my treasure and discovered that it included not only some track, but also a bunch of buildings that we didn't already have: a clock tower, a suspension bridge that lights up, and a large city building, all with working batteries still inside!

While still half-objecting to me taking this at all, Craig did have to note (with a hint of awe in his voice) that I'd probably collected hundreds of dollars in GeoTrax toys.

Craig got right down to building a wicked-cool train track out of it all:

If you follow the loops, you'll see that this is a system that works-- you can access any part of the track.
Craig planned it out well.

Craig was especially proud of his double-tall bridge here, being demonstrated by Mater.

Bentley likes having lots of remote controls.

I'm not sure what I like about this the most: the fact that it was free, the fact that it's been so fun for Bentley, or the fact that it's been even more fun for Craig! Whatever the case, it was definitely a good move.

Thanks once again, FreeCycle!

Re-Run

My blog on princesses was posted on the apron stage today! I was their guest blogger! I know you already read it, but feel free to check out the comments anyway!

Chocolate Thoughts

I just made this for enrichment tonight:

And enrichment was just canceled. Craig is pretty happy about that.

I also made two little ones for our neighbors who keep helping us shovel snow out of our driveway and off our cars. I feel better about myself knowing I'm not a complete glutton.


And while we're thinking about chocolate, I have to tell you about the other day. I was sitting at the computer table eating goldfish crackers and chocolate chips (the best snack combination EVER) and Kendra was playing under the table. As toddlers are prone to do, she stood up too quickly and bonked her head on the table. Crying ensued, so I comforted her for a bit, and once she was calmed down, I gave her a chocolate chip. A minute later, she wanted to sit on my lap so I picked her up and she immediately pointed at the bag of chocolate chips and asked, "What's this?" I told her. Her next question was, "This makes me feel better?"

Smart girl, Kendra. I've taught you well.

Her grandmothers were pretty proud, too.

Angoraphobia

If you know me at all, then you know that I like clothes that are comfortable and soft and easy. I've always been this way. I don't think I wore jeans all throughout middle school because I found them too uncomfortable. If memory serves, I wore leggings instead, which is just one of the many reasons why I was never terribly popular. (The skipping instead of walking was probably another big reason.) Being a stay-at-home mom has not helped me in this sense at all. There are times when I seriously wonder why anyone bothers with jeans at all when there are such great pajama pants in stores. Really, I'm just a t-shirt and flip-flops kind of girl.

This manner of dressing is problematic in the winter. It took Craig pointing out to me that the reason I was so cold all the time was because my definition of "dressing warmly" was to put a large coat on over my t-shirt. If it was snowing, I'd add a scarf. "You know, most people would wear a sweater also," he said. But I hate sweaters. They're itchy and they make my hair get so full of static that it sticks to my face. I remember talking to Utah girls at BYU who would gush that they loved winter because they had so many cute sweaters to wear and I would just look at them with blank incomprehension. How could a sweater be cute?

I finally found out.

It only happened because a friend of mine gave me no less than 8 garbage bags full of clothes. And that included a lot of sweaters. I vowed that I would try on each article of clothing before deciding whether or not I liked it, since sometimes things can surprise you once you're wearing them. (I learned that lesson wedding-dress shopping and it was a Utah girl who explained it to me. She was right-- the dress I bought hadn't even appealed that much on the hanger, but once I had it on, I fell in love with it. Thanks again for that, Laresa!) It took me two months to find the energy to try on that much clothing, but eventually I got through it all, and when I was done, I had enough new clothes that it will still be a long time before I do any shopping for myself. (Hallelujah!) And, surprisingly enough, a lot of the clothes I liked were indeed sweaters. I have about ten now that I wear on a surprisingly regular basis (and they do keep me from getting quite so cold-- wonder of wonders!), and most of them aren't itchy at all. (Two of them are itchy, but are cute enough to make it worth it, at least for an hour or two.)

This got me wondering why in the world I'd never been able to find sweaters that I liked before? Was this friend just an amazing shopper that she could find the best sweaters? Where were these wonderfully useful and practical and cute sweaters hiding?

I finally realized that the problem was me. Set me loose in a department store, and I will walk away with some of the cutest t-shirts and pajama pants imaginable. If I really need a particular article of clothing-- say, a skirt-- I might find one of those, too. Even if you tell me to buy something warm, I'll probably just invest in another coat. I won't even see the sweaters, let alone bother trying them on. I know that they're not "me" even before I've come near them. It's the t-shirts that call to me.

But now I know that some sweaters are, apparently, "me." I really like some of them, and I suspect that they like me, too. (I also suspect that my next shopping trip will be taking me a whole lot longer, but I'll deal with that when the time comes.)

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Snow Pictures

In case you don't believe the reports that the DC area got a lot of snow, I present this evidence:

That's what you can see of the Saturn.
It's even less visible from the other side, where the snow has been plowed up against it.

Now we see where the idea for those Russian hats came from...

I like that our picnic table looks like a cake. But it does make me hungry.

Craig took this picture at 11:00pm to show how light it was outside.

I like it when the snow is still in the tree branches. So pretty!

So that's our snowstorm. And I'm discovering-- the best thing about church being canceled (two weeks in a row) is that we won't have to make it up in the summer! Huzzah!

Saturday

This morning Craig was explaining to me his plans to tear down one of the walls in the rec room. This prompted me to begin quoting Ronald Reagan (I still can't hear that speech without starting to cry) and eventually it led to me chanting, "Tear down the wall! Tear down the wall!" Craig didn't know this reference so I had to explain to him all about Pink Floyd's "The Wall" concert in Berlin where they built a giant wall across the stage, performing part of the concert behind the wall, and then eventually knocked the whole thing down into a pile of rubble.

Craig, enjoying theatrics as much as he does, was finally intrigued enough that he looked it up on YouTube and we spent a good hour watching the concert, which really is pretty cool. I was delighted to see how much of it I had remembered, since I saw the video in my English class in high school (thank you, Mr. McAllister; probably the most worthwhile thing we did in that class). It really does have some great music, too, even if angsty music isn't usually my thing these days.

I like that Craig and I are happy totally wasting a morning this way. But honestly, can you think of a better way to spend a morning when there are least two feet of snow on the ground?

Also, I think I might be in love with Roger Waters now.

Failed Anatomy Lessons

I've got two for you:

#1
A few weeks ago I had a day where I felt all gung-ho about potty training. Unfortunately it only lasted that day, and I have yet to feel it again. One of these days it will happen. But on this particular day, I decided to see if Kendra was ready to be potty trained also. Two birds with one stone, right? So I sat her on the toilet. She, remembering my instructions to Bentley to make sure that he was "pointing down," immediately began patting herself, trying to make sure she was aiming properly. I explained to her that she didn't have anything to aim, at which point Bentley (who was standing watching) took note.

"Why she not have that?" he asked, pointing.

"Well, girls don't have that," I answered simply. No need to make this any more complicated than it needed to be, right?

Bentley wasn't buying it. He countered with, "I think some girls have that, Mommy."

Nothing I could say would convince him otherwise. We'll just hope that he figures this one out without too much emotional damage later on...


#2
I've been babysitting for my friend Emily while she goes to her pre-natal check-ups. (Her son, incidentally, is also named Bentley. This sometimes makes it confusing when I'm trying to yell at my own son, and her son will look quite startled about it all.) (And don't get any ideas about what a nice person I am to babysit for my friend; she's paying me.) Whenever I tell my kids that we'll be watching other Bentley and they ask why, I say that his mommy has to go to the doctor because there's a baby in her tummy.

So today at dinner, I told Kendra that I'd made an appointment for her to see the doctor for her two-year-check-up. She immediately began patting her stomach and said, "Because there's a baby in my tummy!" She seemed very proud of herself, but Craig looked a bit ill about the whole thing.

Yeah, let's hope not, huh?

See what I mean?!?!

After reading this, I'm now ashamed of my previous post.

And one of these days I'm going to take a break from the Apron Stage and actually clean my house/wash the dishes/fold that laundry/vacuum those floors/do something a tad more meaningful with my life. Really soon, now. I promise...

Tag-a-lag-a-ding-dong!

I've been tagged. So here goes:


Your Cell Phone? Red. I think the cell phone was what started it, because everything else seems to be turning that color, too, now... (The pillows, one wall, the curtains, all my favorite shirts...)
Your Hair? Natural blonde. And yes, I am proud of that fact. And yes, I also like blonde jokes (when I get them...)
Your Mother? Perfect.
Your Father? Too much like me to be perfect, but I sure like him anyways!
Your Favorite Food? Anything chocolate, and especially if I have goldfish crackers, too!
Your Dream Last Night? Some freaky horror dream where some old lady was cooking a guy in a pressure cooker (I don't even know what a pressure cooker looks like!) and then had his jaw and was scraping off the meat and pulling off the teeth so no one would know it was human. I'm still disturbed by this when I think of it.
Your Favorite Drink? A good, thick chocolate milk shake. If this is unavailable, chocolate milk will do in a pinch. (The thing I miss most about Provo is the Creamery chocolate milk.)
Your Dream/Goal? So many, but the ones that come to mind immediately are: raise awesome kids; become a doula (this is a fairly new goal, but I like how it feels); work to save whales and dolphins (not sure how that one is going to fit in to my life, but I can't give it up just yet); some day write a novel; keep my sanity for now, and always.
What Room Are You In? The kitchen, the life of the house.
Your Hobby? Talking and reading. And eating. And singing and dancing.
Your Fear? Failure and being alone for too long
Where Do You See Yourself In Six Years? Older. But hopefully not any more mature.
Where Were You Last Night? Reading in bed next to Craig. It was great.
Something That You Aren't? Humble.
Muffins? Chocolate-Chocolate chip. Is there any other kind?
Wish List Item? I'm going to copy Delilas and say a new kitchen. Maybe in my lifetime....
Where Did You Grow Up? Seattle, which is heaven on earth (Bainbridge Island, to be specific, which is the actual location of Paradise)
Last Thing You Did? Watched Craig pull down more wood paneling. Before that, I had a meeting (wild and crazy, that's me).
What Are You Wearing? My favorite warm pajama pants that are covered in chairs. I don't know who thinks to decorate clothing with furniture, but I sure like them.
Your TV? Got it for free from the Scoresbys. Boo-yah!
Your Pets? None at the moment. Maybe some day I'll let the kids "convince" me to get a dog, but only if it stays outside.
Friends? Too many to list here! If you're reading this, then you're probably one of them.
Your Life? Better than I ever could have hoped for.
Your Mood? Calm and content
Missing Someone? Anyone who doesn't live within a twenty mile radius of here. Come visit me!
Vehicle? Mini-van, and I love it. Everyone should have one.
Something You Aren't Wearing? Jewelry (except my wedding ring)
Your Favorite Store? The Gap. I STILL can't believe the Manassas Mall doesn't have one. I didn't think it was possible to build a mall without the Gap!
Your Favorite Color? Purple; I've even got tanzanite in my wedding ring because I love it so much (and because Tanzania ROCKS!!!)
When Was The Last Time You Laughed? Two minutes ago? I was looking at this amazing blog: awkward family photos. Check it out!
Last Time You Cried? Cried because I was actually sad, or cried because my emotions were being manipulated by some dumb TV show? Because those are VERY different cries. But the answer is last night, reading a friend's heart-wrenching blog post.
Your Best Friend? Craig, and then my four sisters, and then all the rest of you.
One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Chipotle! And Target and Costco (lame, I know). And the library. Oh, wait-- they asked for one, huh?
Facebook? Not much, no... I did finally join, but I just can't get into it.
Favorite Place To Eat? Hmmm... Depends on if I'm paying or not! But it's probably a toss-up between The Melting Pot and Maggiano's, with the Cheesecake Factory coming in a very close third.

People I tag: Anni, Erin, Jen, Juliana, Laresa, Liza, & Natalie. And anyone else who wants to!

This 'n' That

A few random notes, none of which is long enough to deserve its own post:

-It's a little too ironic that the day after I post about how difficult it is to downsize your living space, we effectively shut down our entire downstairs. And now having the kids crammed into the living room and kitchen with me feels so crowded and tight that I'm already worried about how I'll survive this project (which gets more complicated with every piece of wood paneling that Craig pries from the walls; we're now talking about moving walls and doors and adding insulation all sorts of stuff that was not part of the original plan; the worst part is that I'm the one rooting for all of these changes, so I can't even complain about them).

-Okay, so this is really embarrassing, but I just saw the phrase "bros before hos" for the first time in print and realized that the word is "hos" and not "hose," which I always had thought referred to nylons and therefore was just a euphemism for women. I never fully realized just how completely naïve I am before. Wow.

-I just discovered a blog that I am in love with: The Apron Stage. It's written by four Mormon women, and unlike many of the Mormon women blogs I've found, where everyone seems to have major issues with the Church, these women seem to be well-adjusted and have testimonies and be really positive and interesting, all at the same time. It's a great read! Thanks to my sister Tracy for recommending it!

-Just now as I was changing Kendra's diaper, she insisted on holding onto her stuffed animal Winnie the Pooh. She held him at a strange angle and announced that he was watching. Watching what, I asked-- Bentley? the closet? No, he was watching her diaper be changed. Apparently Winnie the Pooh is something of a pervert.

-Also about Winnie the Pooh-- as I made mac'n'cheese for the kids for lunch, Kendra insisted on following me around with Winnie the Pooh held against my knee, making kissy noises for him to be giving me. The hilarious thing about this is that Kendra makes THE best kissing noises of anyone I know. I'm not sure how she does it, but they're irresistibly cute, sexy, tiny, and angelic all at the same time. They should probably be recorded and used in movies. I wish I could do it so well. In comparison, my own kissy noises sound dry and pretty lame.


More later!