Learn something new...

by Kristen

A couple of years ago I took a class at Boise State University with 3 of my friends. It was a spanish class. We had a blast! Every Tuesday night we'd carpool down to the university and pretend that we had studied during the week and laugh and visit and learn some spanish. Sometimes after class, we would go out for dessert and once we all got together for a study session (yes, we did try to take it seriously).

Our instructor, Maria, was from Spain, and she was darling. She told us we could only speak spanish in the class, so we prefaced all our english with "Tengo un pregunta", which is something like "I have a question", and then we would ask our question in english. We would also say, "¿Cuál es el significado..." to ask what something meant. But my favorite, by far was "¿Cómo se dice...". Which is "How do you say...?"

My dear friend, Teri, would always ask funny questions like, "¿Cómo se dice butt?" or "¿Cómo se dice nasty?" Maria just would laugh at us and answer our questions. I wonder if it bothered her that we didn't take it very seriously. I don't think so. But it did bother our class mates. Some of them were VERY serious about this community ed introduction to spanish class.

Anyway, if you are wondering butt = culo, nasty = sucio.

The following video is a very funny clip about "spanish for your nanny"...





Currently I am taking a Water Safety Instructor class. It is awesome!

All my life I've wanted to be able to swim the Butterfly stroke, and all my life I have caused great anxiety for nearby life-guards and swimmers when I have tried. It is a hard stroke to learn!

But on Monday night - in a 3 hour class, I DID IT! I learned the Butterfly! I am so on cloud nine for this accomplishment. It was just so cool to finally get it. The timing, the breathing, the kicks, the stroke, it all came together. I'm not saying it was pretty, but I did it and the Master's Swim Coach who was teaching me was pleased and said she'd give it a "pass". I will be working on this a lot in days to come. And I know my shoulders will be dying tomorrow...


BUT I DID IT!!!!!


(Later, in some other post I'll tell you about me and Michael Phelps...yeah, I know him. We're tight! That's why I used a picture of him in this post.)




I'm already thinking about what class I'm going to take after the WSI class is over. I want to get back into pottery, so maybe I'll find a community ed pottery class.



Taking a class makes you feel younger, more vibrant. When you learn a new skill, you feel accomplished. And even if you don't learn a lot (as in the case of my spanish classes), if you take the class with some friends, you'll have a blast.

Why, just last night I went to a couponing class. It was so awesome! Thank you Discount Queens! I can't wait to start saving money! When I left I felt smarter, more resourceful, and I had a little spring in my step. Amazing how just one little class can do that for you!

Think about it - you could take:

a dance class

a language class

a finance class

a parenting class

a pole-dancing or belly dancing class

a gardening class

an exercize class

a religion class

a cooking/culinary class

a kayaking class

or pick any subject a the university - psychology, biology, math, education, history, etc.

you could even take a capoeira class (see video below). I have a friend, Cherie, who is very good at capoeira, she teaches it at the YMCA.




What kind of class do you want to take?

I hate you, I love you...

by Emily

First I received this:



Only, instead of a Mary and Joseph, I got 2 Josephs, and no Mary. A different Nativity story I guess?













Then I bought this:



You can "compose" your own classical music with various instruments at various volumes. After one battery change, it just up and quit working. My children are pretty gentle with toys, so I was disappointed.









Then I got this on sale for a Christmas gift:




My 1 yr old loves Elmo. He was frightened at first, but now he LOVES it. However, instead of functioning properly, all this Elmo does is let you "honk" his nose. All the other cool things he's supposed to do, he's not doing.












I love all these toys, my children love them. I hate spending money (or getting as a gift) and having them break/missing parts.

Back to the Nativity: My wise s-i-l Melissa suggested I call Fisher Price about the Nativity. Since then, I have taken the time to call customer service for big label toys like these when they aren't working.

Fisher Price Nativity: they simply sent me an entirely new character set, with Joseph and Mary! No sweat off my back.

Disney Little Einstein Composer: it is out of production, so they sent me a paper voucher ($) for the price of the toy, to be used at a regular store like Target or Toys 'R Us.

Fisher Price Elmo: they emailed me a free shipping label, I will mail them the broken Elmo, and they'll probably fix it or send me another one.

I love getting great toys at garage sales for cheap, when they break you don't mind so much. Out with the old! In with the new (gently used garage sale finds)! And I hate it when I get a new toy (bought or gifted) and it breaks, but I also love knowing that if I throw down $20 bucks on a new toy, there is great customer service to back it up. Of course, you have to take into consideration normal wear-n-tear on a toy. Still, it doesn't hurt to call and ask.

Thank you, Mattel!

Whistle While You Work?

I detest housework. One way I can make it tolerable is to crank up some good tunes. I like to listen LOUD and being The Mom (frequently with a child napping somewhere in the house) isn't always conducive to a major rock-out in the middle of the kitchen.

On the flip side, if I do start dancing around and singing, my kids are usually very happy to join in. So at least I'm not dancin by my se-helf, whoa ho ho ho.

What are your preferred tunes for housework? Lately my favorites are Gwen Stefani, Ben Folds, Josh Rouse, and Billy Joel's Greatest Hits CDs that I can sing along to. I tend to listen to music obsessively and love it until I kill it, then I can't stand it anymore. Poor Josh Rouse only has a few weeks left before I'm done with him.

My goal this week is to perfectly time my kid's naps around housework chores so that I can get maximum music enjoyment and volume while not ruining naps. Oh, the thrilling challenges of being me.

This bird likes to rock out, too. Enjoy.


The video is long, but it is worth watching at least 20 seconds. Especially if you love Queen/80's greatest hits, like me!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Martyr's Day, I mean Mother's Day...

A few years back, I sat listening to a lovely Mother's Day service at church. The songs all heralded the joy and loveliness of motherhood. The speakers all praised their perfect wives, mothers and sisters. It was beautiful.

And I sobbed.

My sweet husband had left early that morning for meetings, with a kiss on my cheek and a tender look that said "sorry!" Then I had spent 2 hours wrestling small children into fluffy dresses, trying to find those matching socks, shoes and hairbows that had been set out Saturday night but walked off before 9 a.m. (does this happen to anyone else?) There had been no time for breakfast in bed, diamonds, or lovely cards. I had been crabby with my children and short tempered.

And so I sobbed. I spent most of church feeling inadequate, unqualified, guilty and annoyed with how Mother's Day was no different from any other "Day of rest" (my eye.)

Then, I snapped out of it. For pete's sake. What was my problem? Pity Parties are so ugly. I decided right then and there that I am the best mom my kids will ever have. I love them heart and soul and I am doing my best. End of story. No more comparisons, no more guilt. I am who I am.

When we got home, I rallied the troops in making a lovely lunch, we invited friends over for dinner so that we could give someone else a break. My kids gave me the cards their Sunday School teachers had helped them make and all was well.

My attitude has greatly changed about Mother's Day. I appreciate my Mothers. I have many and all have blessed and enriched my life. We live away from family, so the actual day of Mother's Day in our house is about me, and I CHOOSE what the day will bring. I'm realistic in my expectations. I don't want diamonds and they aren't coming. Hallmark doesn't dictate how our family enjoys the day.

My idea of showing love is a nice meal. So, I plan good food. I buy what I want and enlist help in putting it together. We enjoy time in the kitchen as a family. I don't expect Dave to read my mind, I tell him what I want and then we are all happy!

This week I took Jane to the store. She insisted on spending all of the money in her bank on a Mother's Day gift for me. The children have all spent countless hours putting together cards, writing a song book for Mothers, drawing pictures... They are so excited. Jane asks me daily how many more days. She says she can't wait to see my reaction to her gift. She also has asked me to help her make muffins for Sunday morning on Saturday, because she knows we always have to rush out the door.... I also heard whisperings about breakfast in bed Saturday (I'll have my favorite bagels in the fridge and granola... They'll be so happy to give me exactly what I would want!)

For me, at this stage, this is what Mother's Day is about. With the help of a sweet husband, I am teaching my children how to show me and their Grandma's and Aunts Love. They are learning how to show someone that you care, how to prepare nice things for them... the best part of Mother's day will be watching the joy my children have found in treating me like their queen.
Please excuse the Valentine collage. This is the only picture of me and my children I have! Job #1 for Sunday morning is a family picture!

Platinum Princess

In honor of Mother's Day we have a guest blog from our Mom. She is darling, funny, spunky and full of good advice. I got my first gray hair when I was about 29. I started coloring at about 32. I have been flirting with going natural, but don't have the guts yet. So I asked mom to give us some advice and share her experience on going Gorgeous! - robin

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• More than 40% of Americans have some gray by their 40th birthday
• Over 70,000,000 women are now over 40 years old
• Fully 1/3 of the population will be age 50 or older next year

GOING GRAY?

No, you’re not. And you don’t have any friends with yellow hair. They’re Blonde.

Your hair might be going silver, pewter, platinum, ice, pearl, or sterling. Never gray. With America’s 1/3 population of baby-boomers, the word “gray” for hair color has become politically incorrect.

All my life I was a dark Brunette. I wasn’t brown, or black.

I think I look like Lily Tomlin in this picture.

In my mid 40’s Clairol, Aveda, Wella, and similar brands, dubbed my color Dark Coffee, Sable, or Love Potion# 9. I thought I would transition to silver gracefully by coloring only my bangs, & about 1“ either side of my part. That worked fairly well for a number of years.

But when predictable & increasingly itchy scalp after using any brand of color turned into a full blown allergic reaction my hair stylist, Odell (the same one that Robin, Emily, Kristen, Sally and Hannah love), said PPD (paraphenylenediamine), in virtually all hair color was the culprit. He told me that letting your roots show was the new thing in hair fashion & encouraged me to let it grow out. Maybe he was thinking of this:

Vogue calls it “showing your stripe.” Imagine reverse coloring, very fine hair, cut short, with no photographer’s fan giving it that sexy mussed up look. Oh yes, very important: change the 18 yr old model’s face to that of a mature woman. On me, after 4 months with no color I looked like a balding skunk.

A toddler at Walmart, pointing to me informed her mommy, “look, she has 2 hairs.”

Then a week or so later when I was checking out at my dentist’s office there were 3 children who must have been waiting for their parent, because none was present. When I turned around with a big smile & asked them why they were giggling like crazy, the 2 year old said, “because your hair is 2 colors.” I just laughed with them & said, “Yep, it’s pretty crazy, isn’t it!” Then I drove straight to the wig shop. This is what I bought:

Actually, I had to order it & wait a week. The wig shop called as I was leaving for the airport. Alan stopped on the way so I could wear it on the plane. Alan thought I looked like a fox & threatened to head back home instead of letting me leave him for a week in Calif. I thought it looked fake, but I guess it looked pretty good:

• The 45-ish flight ticket agent flirted with me.
  
• The young woman ISA employee who had to go through my carry on told me how much she loved my hair & that she had been watching me since I entered the security area. She wanted to know if it was my natural color (I told her yes, which was technically true) & asked if I lived in Boise (yes) & finally, who cut it. I told her the wig lady did. She didn’t believe me.
• I’d told my sister ‘d be wearing my new gray wig at LAX, but she & her husband looked straight at me & were going to drive right by until I wildly waved both arms at them.
• My mother, who wasn’t expecting me (it was my 89^th birthday present to her), didn’t know who I was, even when I said, “hi, Mom.” She thought I was Kris, until I got 2 inches from her face & hugged her (she’s legally blind, so she was easy to fool.)
• My niece, Kaitlin, looked me in the face & walked right past me.
• My sister, Kathy, & brother’s wife, Dyan, both did a serious double take when I sat down at their table in the restaurant where we all met for lunch & until I told them otherwise, they thought it was my real hair, not a wig. In fact they had to touch it to make sure I wasn’t kidding.

It was so much fun that I got a blonde one:

Then a pewter one:

I took Alan to the wig shop with me when I picked up the 3^rd wig and while I there I tried on a dozen different styles & colors. He picked the red one. It his favorite:

These got me through 10 months of really, seriously bad-hair days. They’re made of wonderful new synthetics & are easy to care for, light weight & very easy to wear—not like those awful ones some of us wore in the 60’s-70’s. They shortened my morning “Indian-paint & headdress” getting-ready routine by 20 minutes, at least.

And it’s fun: My bishop told me there was a betting pool going on among those sitting on the stand & on the back row of the chapel, “to see what color Linda’s hair is going to be today.”

It took about 14 months & a few color “low lights,” (not touching the scalp because of my allergy), but I finally have color I can live with. This is me:

I haven’t worn my wigs for 6 months. I’m not brave enough. “Why?” you may ask. They looked great, like perfect hair, much thicker, shinier & healthier looking than my own. Still, unless I’m on a trip, I won’t wear one because I’m afraid if I do I’ll have someone who knows me say, “Wow, Linda, you look terrific,” before they realize it’s not my own hair. Then they’ll be embarrassed.

I read when hair becomes 50% gray you have no choice and have to transition from dyed to natural. I don’t agree. I think in our world we can choose whatever color we want. But if you find white hair on your head & are trying to decide whether to color or not, consider a wig. Choose a good synthetic one, from a wig salon, not some magazine ad. If it is good it will probably cost $80 - $150, but that’s less than a year of visits to the hair salon.

Love,
Linda
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For fun pictures of my mom's wigs, but not on her darling little head, go Here.
This is a link to a great web page on going gray. There are some young beautiful gray haired women.

Going, Going...Gone!

by Kristen

Okay everyone are you ready to try something new and fun? How about some "economy shopping"? Thanks to Tiffani at http://paulandtiff.blogspot.com/ for sharing this! (I copied it directly from her blog).

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

What is a nickel Auction? Watch this video to find out.


Here are the rules that they listed on KSL under the video:

Those attending can bring whatever they want to try to sell (items you are going to give to goodwill, grocery items you really aren't going to consume, bottles of lotions or bath essentials, partially used scrapbooking supplies, clothing, books, home décor, etc.)

Since all good gatherings require good food, everyone brings a potluck dish to share.

As you arrive, you sign up for a selling slot.

Participants sell in the order they arrive. Each seller has a 10 minutes time limit. All bids start at five cents and bids need to be dividable by 5 (no 38 cent bids, here!). You can jump the bidding, but the amount must be dividable by five. The bidding can go as high as the bidders are willing to go, no limits. *Some auctions opt to allow the seller to set a starting bid.

For timing purposes, no commentary about the item being sold is allowed (Example: "I bought this three years ago, my daughter loves it," etc.)

Once the item is bid out, toss the item to the winning bidder and someone (working as scribe) writes down the name of the person and the price they committed to.

Then the next item starts, same process!

When that seller is all done, the scribe shouts out the totals for all the winning bidders, they put their money in a bucket of sorts that gets passed around the room (like a collection plate) and it all goes to that seller.

The next seller starts.

So do you wanna give it a try?

Reading the comments about this on KSL was very interesting.

Mother's Day Miscellany

by Emily

I've been a mother for a few years now. Nothing compared to my sisters' experience as mothers, and especially nothing compared to my mother and mother-in-law's experience. [I can't imagine what it will be like to be mother to older children, and I DON'T want to imagine it! Wah!] Still, I spend a lot of time thinking about motherhood. What it means to me, how it changes a woman. I read books about it.

I am it, I guess.

This is just to say to my own mother and other mothers out there, I love you. My appreciation and understanding of the magnitude of your sacrifice, love, service and devotion, and priceless worth grows deeper each year.

Some women hate mother's day. I think I can understand the complexities it holds for many of us, mothers or not. I can imagine the many ways it could be a rough day for people with different experiences than mine. It makes me ache for them.

This year I am helping organize a small gift for all the women who go to church on Sunday. It is small. But just planing this makes me excited and gets me thinking about all the women I know and love, and their unique role in my life. I love being a part of this gesture to honor them, mothers or not.

I am looking at mother's day this year as a way to show honor and reverence for the role of mother. I am thankful for a loving God whose plan included mothers. I am thankful for the mother He gave me.

I wait with anticipation for my sister-in-law Erin to become a mother. There is something so special and magical about that first time, the transition into Motherhood. I think Erin may very well be the best mother I'll ever know. First of all (not first in importance though), she is pretty, and beautiful, and cute.

Beautiful, Radiant, Gorgeous. Woman!

[ It is so gratifying to look at your mommy and feel that she is "the most beautiful girl in the whole world". I always felt that way about my own mother, still do.]

Second of all Erin is giving, kind, generous, selfless, nurturing, thoughtful, cheerful, long suffering, fun, loving, beloved, love, love, love ,love, love. She really is all those things. All those loves.

Sometimes she asks me for advice, and that makes me feel good.

I know what I am talking about because I have a wonderful mother.
I love you, Mom. I don't know if I can do it as well as you did it, but I keep trying.

Pee Pee Face

The other day, Rocio, my wonderful housekeeper, told me that I need to have another baby and then right after the baby is born, for 2 months, put my pee on my face to get rid of my sun spots. She said she did it and it worked. But only right after the baby is born. Actually, I wasn't sure if she meant my pee or the baby's pee (language barrier) but I am pretty sure she meant that I should use my own. Pee. On my face.

She also told me she can get some cream from Mexico for me that will make me look like a bloated monster for 3 days but then after a month my skin will all fall off and then I will have gorgeous new skin. Only $100.

This was unsolicited, by the way. I was minding my own business, it's not like I asked her "what do you think about my skin? Do you think it needs some pee?"

I have heard lots of crazy folk wisdom, especially when I lived in Russia, but this may top them all.

Next time you see someone with flawless skin, remember: they may be a pee pee face.

Gracias!

by Melissa
A few years back, someone came to visit our family. They generously brought gifts for my children. As the kids opened them, I sat waiting, and waiting, and waiting....thinking, I'm sure I'll here that "magic word"... I don't want to tell them to say thanks! I kept waiting. The silence was deafening. I was certain our guests had concluded we were raising snotty, snooty little thankless children.

From that day on, we've started something new. We practice being awesome receivers.

First we talk about how exciting it is to get a gift, how curious you are and the many ways you try to figure out what is inside...
Next, we talk about the last gift they gave, how fun it was to pick out that Tinkerbell make up set, or the Star Wars Lego set... We talk about how fun it is to give a surprise and how anxious the giver feels to know if the "getter" likes what they chose. We imagine how it would feel to watch their friend open the gift and toss it aside. Yuck! That is awful! Then, we imagine how it would feel to watch the "getter" open the gift and shout "Wow! How did you know I love Tinkerbell! Is this makeup? I love getting glitter all over me! Terrific! Thanks!" Wow, that feels cool huh? This brings up the point that gift giving takes 2, and both people should enjoy the unwrapping/surprise opening part.

Last of all, we practice. We decided the nicest thing to hear was something great about the gift, or what the "getter" liked about it, we focused on finding something positive in everything. So, what is a great response for fun gifts and not so exciting gifts...

• Computer game? "Awesome! This will be fun to learn how to play!"

• Clip on earrings? "Oh Terrific! I've really wanted my ears pierced, these are great!"

• Books? "Wow, you must know how much I like to read!"

• Underwear? "Wow! I can always use new underpants!" (I think one of them once said, "Cool, my bum just keeps growing!") (nice.)

• Socks? "Goodness, I will really use these, Mom never folds the socks!"

• Barbie markers for a 10 year old boy? "Cool, I can share these with my sisters!" :)

You get the idea. Another important thing we talked about, is that sometimes, you don't know what it is! You open it, and everyone is watching you and you are madly trying to figure out what you are holding--- but you have to say something. Starting out with WOW always works for our kids. It buys you time to figure out what is in your hands and think of something positive about it!

• Shampoo? "Great! I wash my hair all the time, I bet this smells yummy!"

Teaching my kids "auto-responses" for gift receiving has relieved a major panic attack waiting to happen as well as relieved the pressure they feel as the "getter" . Plus, they actually do it on their own pretty well now, and they don't have to say lame things like "Wow! Green pants. That will match--- the grass."