Maybe. I only say this because I'm beginning to analyze the songs too much. I mean really, if I had been Rudolph's mother, I would have told him that people who only like him once he becomes useful to them are not his true friends. And Frosty? kind of breaking some laws running here and there! (not to mention that whole "catch me if you can" thing. I do enough 2 year old chasing, lets not encourage it!)
I think my favorite, laugh out loud lyric comes from the song Here Comes Santa Claus.... I don't know who was singing it, but when I heard it last night on the radio I laughed hard. The original lyrics are lovely... but this guy added a few extra words here and there...
"Peace on Earth will come to men, if we just sorta follow the light..."
Sorta? Um, again the mom in me comes out. "My homework was sorta late." "I sorta cleaned my room" "I sorta have a job" "I sorta did something nice for someone" "I'm sorta out of money in my bank account".... Sorta just doesn't cut it around here.
I guess I need new Christmas music. I'm taking suggestions please!
I saw Twilight on opening day with a bunch of darling women who screamed through the entire show. Sally asked me if it was good. I answered, "The show? or the experience? The experience was great!"
My siblings (mostly Robin) with the help of my mom, wrote this lovely obituary of our father. My mother and father were married for 34 years, which the obituary does not specify.
Today we are celebrating the life of our father, David Wright Austin. He passed away last week on Thanksgiving morning. He used to always joke with me that it was Thanksgiving everyday for him because (due to food allergies) he often ate turkey and sweet potatoes. One of the things I like to remember about my dad was his sense of humor, like that recurring Thanksgiving joke.
We loved our Dad, and we will miss him. Here is a video to honor him, we hope you'll join us for a moment and enjoy the video. You can also read beautiful posts by Kristen, Robin (here and here), and Melissa, on their personal blogs.
Well, you really do look fabulous. But if you are like me, you could look even more fabulous.
Although I was voted "Best Dressed" in junior high (yes, it's true), I am not a trendy person. Somehow I now have significantly less time for and interest in clothing than I did when I was 14. I tend to wear the same things over and over again, and I don't accessorize well or keep up with new trends. I don't even think about it, but I do want to look good. I need fashion help!
Enter a blog I recently found: YouLookFab. The title of a recent post was "Autumn Mom on the Go: flop proof outfit #6". Now that is a headline that draws me in! I have no idea what they mean by flop proof, but I can think of some possibilities. Maybe this is an outfit that won't look like:
I just flopped out of bed
I am about to flop down on the couch and watch a soap opera in the middle of the day
My yoga pants and pullover are flopping all over the place
These "flop proof" posts include a specific formula for creating an outfit. A non-flop outfit. I can use this kind of instruction! As I write this, I am wearing flop proof outfit #1. I like it. And I would welcome any other outfit formulas you might have to offer.
Also check here for women I admire who know how to dress: Diane, Jessica, and Paige. If you blog about fashion, post your url in our comments!
We all want to be that perfect mom. A tireless, tender, peaceful woman who anticipates every need and quietly stands near with a band-aid, comfort food, and concise soft spoken wisdom.
Once, I fell short of that standard. In a fit of anger-fed passion I said something that has come back to haunt me again and again.
In defense, let me explain my situation. It's hard to believe now, but at one point I was more than overwhelmed with my children. It was about five years ago. I had four noisy demanding children, two of which were headstrong teenagers. There was contention, and confusion, and a measure of defiance. I needed a nanny for each child. I needed a housekeeper. I needed a nap. I needed everyone to do what I told them to do. I was a woman pushed to the edge, so really, I can't be held responsible for what I said (yelled).
A certain child had pushed every button and pushed them too hard. I was furious. Fury isn't a normal part of my personality. I'm not a hitter, a screamer, or a yeller. I will cry instead. Occasionally I will cuss a mild PG-13 word under my breath or rattle some pans in the kitchen. I lean towards self pity and defeat rather than fury and anger but at this moment I was furious. In a moment of regrettable insanity I thought I would kill that boy, so, I yelled, "If I had a gun..." I suddenly went into slow motion mode and realized, as the words were coming out of my mouth, that I wouldn't really kill him. But I had committed to "if I had a gun" and I had to finish it. So I said,
"If I had a gun...I would hit you on the head with it!"
There was a moment of shocked silence. The word "gun" was a big deal and I could see momentary fear on his face. Then as the rest of the threat sank in he started to laugh. It was nervous laughter at first and then it quickly became hilarious. I was a frustrated potential murderer, but knowing the value of being able to laugh at myself, I told the kids I was just kidding and tried to play it off as a joke.
It is a joke. The family joke. When someone gets dramatically angry one of the kids will say, "If I had a gun I'd hit you on the head!" Gabe put it on his MySpace page as his quote. It is a phrase that entertains and amuses the kids and reminds us all of my ineptness at making a decent threat.
This fall I started school again full time, working on my Master's degree in Literature. I'm doing it for the money.
(read: sarcasm)
There is a lot to talk about here--a lot about the change of pace, and the weird feeling of living a double life. Mostly there is a lot to talk about my constant reflection and reevaluating the situation as it affects our family, most especially our children.
In a "letter" to my sisters on our private forum, I wrote the following:
"So, I'm having one of those weeks, day after day, where I keep thinking "Who am I kidding? I thought I could do this?"It is getting ROUGH.
This time of year is always hectic, and with school now--and all the church activities and services, I have a hard time not feeling a bit...resentful? Like, between Monday and Sunday, I don't have a single "free-day" to catch up on all the stuff that has slipped through the cracks--some of it pretty essential stuff.But then I ask: how I would change it? Would I want to be released from Primary (Primary is Sunday School for children ages 3-11), or quit school, or just never be home and always work super hard up on campus away from all distractions? And I realize I wouldn't change any of those things. I like being in the Primary, school has been really good for me, and most of all, my kids are the most important of all these things to me--and I want to be home with them as much as possible."
I have to get used to doing things so that they are "good enough," and that is new and hard for me.
Joe is doing even more household and parenting things than what he's already used to doing (which is to say, he's always been very active in those areas of our family life). Even so, the floor is often icky, and the clean laundry may not get folded before it is worn and needs washing again, and my 2 & 4 yr olds will keep on running in circles, laughing and whining. My hair might stick up kinda funny, and I'll probably choose the comfortable shoes over the cute ones. But let's be honest--was it much different before I started school? It's not as if I was ever a stellar housekeeper. I do make good food though--when I have time.
So here's my pat on my own back: we keep on making time for family dinner even if it is frozen Bertolli meals (I recommend the ones with shrimp). And if you're lucky you'll still be invited over to our house for that dinner, but the house may be less tidy than before, and the dessert might also come from the freezer (ice cream). And the Sunday School lessons will still be just as every bit delivered from the heart, but the handouts might not have pretty ribbon or glitter glue on them. And the homework gets done, and I'm reading faster everyday.
And still the best part of my day isn't nailing that class presentation or paper, but coming home to my family for our daily dinner, pajama, scripture/prayer, and bed routine. That, and stealing one last glimpse and kiss when my babies are fast asleep.
The replies I got from my Bossy Sisters let me know that 1) they believe in me, 2) they love me, 3) they've been there too (haven't we all?), and 4) they are good listeners.
Here is just a snippet:
"Let the little things go. If that doesn't work, let the mid-size things go. :) " -Bossy Sister Melissa "You have taken on a serious challenge and you are rising to meet the demands. You can do this! I think you will always be glad you did it." -Bossy Sister Sally
"I understand completely. It is really hard but you can do hard things. I love you. Hang in there. You are amazing." -Bossy Sister Robin
And finally, the one that made me laugh the most:
"Well, you took a pretty big bite. I wouldn't be surprised if you have to chew with your mouth open and a few little crumbs fall out." -Bossy but Wise (and funny) Robin
Is there anything in your life that you're willing to admit to doing just "good enough"? What secret tricks of the trade can you share with me? (I need them!)
You know when your teenager is going on about how you never let them do anything? And you are trying to remind them that just a few days ago they were at their girlfriend's house for a movie party and that this weekend they had 5 friends over for a halo party. And then they say, "Mom, nothing's going to happen, you can trust me on that. Don't you trust me?"
Well, this is my response to that now, "Honey, I trust you so much that I asked you to cut my hair. I handed you scissors and put my golden mane in your steady hands. Of course I trust you!"
Of course, when I did this, one of my teenagers didn't trust himself. He backed away and said, "No way! I'm not cutting your hair. What if I mess up?"
The other teenager? He happily took the scissors and went to town. Here is the happy result:
Have you ever been asked what one food you would want if you could only choose one thing to eat for the rest of your life? I think I'd choose apples. (or bread, or potatoes... or rice, or chocolate... or cake. Donuts maybe...)(Don't pay attention to the obvious absence of veggies.)
I love apples. This time of year I refuse to buy them from the store. We have an apple orchard down the road and I love the crisp fall air, riding on a wagon pulled by a cool tractor, branches heavy with apples, watching my kids eat apples the size of their faces.... We often pick more than I think we'll be able to eat and in a few days I realize they are gone and I haven't made apple pie or applesauce-- we've just munched them nice and juicy!
These are last years orchard pics, The camera hasn't made it on any trips this year... Don't they all look young!
This caramel dip is PERFECT. You should make it and slice up an apple and enjoy. Better yet, slice it up, then smother it with caramel and sprinkle nuts and mini- chocolate chips on it. Heaven! (It does work for dipping whole apples in, but I have found kids just eat the caramel and waste the apple... plus, you enjoy a lot more caramel when the apple is sliced!) 1 cup butter 2 cups brown sugar 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 cup light karo syrup 10 big marshmallows
Cook first 4 ingredients over medium heat. Stir constantly, Use candy thermometer and cook till it reads 232* Stir in 10 big marshmallows till they've melted. Dip apples!
My favorite thing this week is when the weather gets cool and stormy in the middle of summer. I love it. It's a reminder of the importance of opposition in all things. (which was also the topic of this week's Sunday School lesson, it was a good one.)
Robin has a cabin in Idaho. It's a little glimpse of heaven to be there, and in the heat of the summer, there are frequently late-afternoon storms. They are dramatic and impressive and then they clear up. The only drawback is running all over the yard to pick up towels, cast-off clothing and shoes, before the rain starts to pour. But when you are sitting on the covered porch, looking out across the river at Charter Mountain, and the storm is showing off it's best moves, it's awesome.
Another related favorite thing is the smell of rain when it first hits the pavement. I guess technically it's probably the smell of the dust and the pavement, whatever it is, it takes me back to my childhood and I am grateful for it.
