Em and Dad-o
Emily was snuggling Nathan with her head on his chest. She said, "My heart is in your heart." She could feel his heart beating. She loves him.


Fricka Fracka ##@*$#
John is jabbering and even says some real words, like ball and down and spoon and shoe. Mainly, though, he sounds like the father in A Christmas Story (You'll shoot your eye out), cursing under his breath. John has a very forceful Jabber.

"... and reflect on the truth that when people ask for advice they very rarely want your advice and will go ahead and do what they want to do anyway, no matter what you say. That applied in every sort of case; it was a human truth of universal application, but one which most people know little or nothing about." - Mma Ramotswe (in The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith)

Mma Ramotswe is very clever. It is true that when I ask for advice, what I really want is someone to agree with my favorite option and make me feel good about the choice I am making. So I need your advice. Nathan and I are going to a 70's party. I have to decide what to wear. I have a white "peasant blouse" that I could wear with either a skirt or flare jeans (I think this is the no risk outfit.) Or I bought a paisley dress with a wide collar that, though it fits me, is not terribly flattering, but would go great with Nathan's tan cordroy suit and wide brown tie (There is more risk here as this is obviously a vintage outfit, and maybe not so cute, but...) Any advice?

To a Mixer (and a Husband)

The mixer died
Sounding like an injured walrus
Making bread by hand
Hurts my wrist (am I getting old?)
Nathan dissected the beast
Found the ailment
Could not find a part anywhere in town
He drilled a hole in a penny
Replaced the broken widgit
It Worked!
The mixer lives!
Homemade rolls,
cinnamon rolls,
chocolate chip cookies,
whipped cream,
grated potatoes,
orange julius,
blueberry milk shakes...
Which should I make first?

Kids meals now come with choices. Did you know this? I am not a fun mom, so we never get kids meals - we just get one large meal and share the fries and soda. But today I took Emily and John to lunch at BurgerKing and suprised Emily by getting her a kids meal. I did this because I just wanted water and I did not want to have a big pile of fries that I would be required to finish. We were able to get chocolate milk (or a juice box, or regular milk) and applesauce instead of soda and fries. That is kind of nice. And maybe a little healthier.

Watching John play with the applesauce reminded me of when I was a kid. I had a large gap between my front teeth and I was able to suck applesauce between those teeth. I was very proud of that. Mom and Dad canned the applesauce at the church cannery and it always seemed to have those hard seed casing things in it. Sucking the applesauce was just another way to strain it. Mom and Dad were nice enough to send me to the orthodontist, so when you come over you will not get to see me perform that fancy trick. None of our kids have the gap between their teeth. Hopefully they will inherit Nathan's healthy, cavity-free smile.

I don't know why

When I post a new letter here on my blog I cannot see it until the next day. Is that normal? It seems like I used to be able to click refresh, then see the new post. Here's the problem: sometimes I need to see what I typed - in my actual blog - to know if I need to edit, but the most recent notes don't show up for me until the next day. I found a way to see it, though. First I click on my sidebar and visit Donna then I use her sidebar to visit Poppin's Blog, then I click on her sidebar link to my blog, which brings me back here to Rapid Life. For some reason I can see the most recent items from there and I can see if I need to change anything. So I know the new posts are out there somewhere, but when I try to head back to my blog without the Poppin's blog assistance my newest blurbs are missing. They do exist in the edit mode of my blog, but not on the public screen. What does it mean?

Text Color

Thanks to meander I can change the color of my writing. And the Font...and the size.

Red and
Yellow and
Pink and
Green.
Purple and
Orange and
Blue.
Can you type a rainbow,
Type a rainbow,
Type a rainbow,
Too?

Don't let this fool you into thinking I know what I am doing here. I have just spent the last hour trying to link directly to meander's blog, but it is not working. Maybe the links don't like red. Maybe they prefer PURPLE!

Girl Stuff

This is going to be about birth control, so it that makes you blush go aheah and stop reading (Dad).

It is time for me to learn how to not get pregnant. We love all these little cuties around here, but it is not time to have another one. I am a birth control drop-out and I just don't know all that much about it, so I have been working to educate myself. For a little gyn history I will tell you that the only prescription birth control I have ever been on is DepoProvera (a hormonal shot) I had two shots when Hannah was a wee babe (10 years ago) and I hated it. Hannah was 3 years old before my cycle returned. Since then I have relied mainly on breastfeeding and luck. My cycle recently returned (still breastfeeding John, but apparently not enough) just in time for Nathan to come home (do you think my ovaries knew he was returning.) Danger!

So the question is how do grown ups make-out without worry? We are young and not interested in permanent solutions. I am also not terribly interested in the pill or other hormone prescriptions - I am crazy/moody enough already. IUD/diaphram = yucka.

I checked out a book called Taking Charge of you Fertility by Toni Weschler. It is very fascinating. She really explains how your cycle works and how to chart your fertility/ovulation. She makes "Aunt Flow" a much less mysterious visitor. I may buy this book for my sister who is hoping to have a baby. I think it would be really great for her, as she has been on the pill forever, and keeping track would help her know if she is actually ovulating. Though it seems scary to me, I have a feeling that all the temperature taking/cervical fluid checking is way more helpful and foolproof when you are trying to conceive. Maybe I just don't have enough faith in myself. Her system of recording your temps, etc is very similar to Natural Family Planning (which I know nothing about.) The difference (I think) is that Toni recommends using birth control when you show signs of fertility while NFP recommends abstaining.

So, now I'm back to the main question. Is everyone out there on the pill? Do most people just live on faith that whatever happens is for a good reason? IS 4 kids a big family? It seems big to me when we all go to the store together, but sometimes it seems average or small. When we just had one little one, we had several friends with 4 kids. The ladies would all talk about being "done" and it surprised me. Four children did not seem to be all that many. Now I am where they were, and I can see what they meant. (I was so judgmental when Hannah was little. I remember one friend whose microwave as always crusty and gross. How could she let it get that bad? Today I opened the microwave to heat up some water for instant oatmeal, and I noticed that my microwave had stalactites and stalagmite growing. Whoops. Science project!)

Any advice is appreciated, though not required.

A Long Weekend with Nothing to Do

Nathan had today off, and there is no school on Monday or Tuesday. I think we will just stay cozy and warm in our house. We had planned to go to the Temple this weekend, but with the weather so cold and the wind blowing so hard, we decided that an 8 hour drive on country roads through North Dakota was not a good idea.

Tonight Nathan is working on a little project, I am typing, Emily and Syd are playing with the Little People train, John is in bed, and Han is playing an intense game on the Gamecube (only because Nathan is workingin the garage.)

So what do you do when you have no where to be and nothing to do?

I think I will be like the Mama (of The Five Little Monkeys With Nothing To Do) and have my 4 little monkeys pick up and pick up and pick up.

Speaking of Bears

The Boy Scouts call Nathan - Brother Bear. It is fun to hear them talk to him at church. Even their parents call him Brother Bear. Donna posted this list of bear definitions.

To hold up; support.
To carry from one place to another; transport.
To carry in the mind; harbor: bear a grudge.
To transmit at large; relate: bearing glad tidings.
To have as a visible characteristic: bore a scar on the left arm.
To have as a quality; exhibit: “A thousand different shapes it bears” (Abraham Cowley).
To carry (oneself) in a specified way; conduct: She bore herself with dignity.
To be accountable for; assume: bearing heavy responsibilities.
To have a tolerance for; endure: couldn't bear his lying.
To call for; warrant: This case bears investigation.
To give birth to: bore six children in five years.
To produce; yield: plants bearing flowers.
To offer; render: I will bear witness to the deed.
To move by or as if by steady pressure; push: “boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (F. Scott Fitzgerald).
(from www.dictionary.com)


Jan Brett

More Books

I forgot another group of books that I enjoyed last year - Prairie Books:
Various Willa Cather books
Giants in the Earth
Dog of Discovery (and other Lewis and Clark books)
The Rapid City Indian School
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

How could I forget those? Giants in the Earth and Bury My Heart were both excellent books that have really stayed with me this year.

In other book news, John was a terror at the Library last night. He has fast feet and managed to pull books-on-tape off the rack, then he pushed in a section of books in the H-J area. Yikes, Bad Mom! (Oh man, I am one of those moms.) Looking back I can see that I did not plan well for our trip. I could not access the online catalog from home, I did not bring my big book bag, I did not bring the backpack for John to ride in, and I did not bring change for the snack machine. Needless to say, I did not get to go to the grown-up book section. Bummer.

Library Day

Monday is Library Day! It is time for me to find some new books to read. Here are some favorites from last year:

I like to read books on one topic for a while, then switch to another. Sometimes I get stuck on one author and that leads me to a new topic. I am just going to list a few books from each subject.

I started last year reading nonfiction/help-me-be-a-better-mom books:
Queen Bees and Wanna Bees
How to Get Your Child to Love Reading
What I Wish You Knew
Sink Reflections
Body For Life

Then I decided I was already pretty good (hehe) and I Journeyed to Africa:
Emma's War
Cry the Beloved Country
Ladies #1 Detective Agency

Next I read lots of WWII:
The Quilt
Citizen Soldiers
Band of Brothers
The English Patient
The Soldier's Return

I am still reading WWII books, but I am searching for a new topic, any ideas?

Thought for Sunday

"We must keep our faith simple and our worship pure. Religion is more than a ritual; it is righteousness. "
—President James E. Faust
Ensign, May 1999, 18

Nate is Great!

On the anniversery of our marriage I want to list 30 things I love about my sweet husband, in no particular order.

1. He has beautiful brown eyes
2. He is in great shape - he can still stand in front of the stage at church and jump right up there.
3. He likes to hold my hand.
4. He is home!
5. He calls me in the middle of the day just to say hi
6. He always has an interesting hobby.
7. He knows the names of all the birds, and always has his binoculars in the truck to get a closer look.
8. He takes good care of our cars and knows enough about them to keep the van running (no small task)
9. He works hard to keep us safe and comfortable
10. He likes his job.
11. He encourages me to stay home while the kids are young.
12. He encourages me to take care of myself.
13. He likes our kids, and they have fun with him.
14. He does not embarrass me or insult me in public (or at home)
15. He sings.
16. He is great at meeting people and makes friends easily.
17. He has a strong testimony of Jesus Christ, he honors his Priesthood, and takes serious his callings.
18. He is brave.
19. He makes nice furniture for our home.
20. He is always ready to help someone in need.
21. He is quick to wash the dishes after dinner and take out the trash.
22. He changes diapers.
23. He takes lots of pictures of us and makes slideshows - fun for FHE.
24. He likes my parents.
25. He can throw a baseball really, really far.
26. He has freckles.
27. He is good at storytelling and makes me laugh.
28. He makes a mean rootbeer float.
29. He is a careful driver.
30. Nathan is Hott!

I am such a lucky girl. Happy Anniversary to me!

Snow

Have you noticed the cute little weather girl on my sidebar. I saw one on some other blog, and I think I must be getting the hang of figuring out my template, because she appeared right where I wanted her on just my first try. Apparently she will change clothes to reflect the current weather here. There were lots of people to choose from and also locations all over the world. Notice the hooded coat she is wearing tonight. It is very cold here. It says -11 F. Woe. She might need another layer or two.

We have about 6 inches of beautiful snow on the ground, and it is so cold that we could not make a snowman or even a proper snowball this afternoon, the snow just will not stick together.

I rigged a harness for Sam and attached it to our little red sled. Sam pulled John around the block (I walked with them with Sam on his leash, as John is not quite ready to be a musher.) It was very cute, but I am going to see if I can find information about harnesses for dogs and improve my design. Sam did a good job, but he seem a little nervous. John had a great time, though.

Don't Scrape the Bottom

I am considering a cookbook for the average cook. Meals that sometimes have to sit on the back burner while the table is set, little hands are washed, arguments are settled, and dad finds his way home. You know, basic foods, simple ingredients, meals for families. Like tonight - I fixed a new favorite -

Cheesy Potato Soup:
6 potatoes pealed and chopped into chunks
1/2 of a small onion (optional, mom)
1 or 2 celery stalks
1 or 2 carrots peeled and chopped
chicken broth or water (I have just started using chicken broth, thank you Laurie, and it really adds flavor)
Boil all that in a large pot until the potatoes become soft. Then add some milk (or cream - better with cream) and some American cheese slices until your soup thickens and looks a little cheesy. Tonight I added some broccoli and leftover ham. Delish.

The secret that is sure to catch the eye of my readers is this: For the best flavor - DON'T SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN. That thick layer of blackened potato or beans or rice adds insulation and is best left undisturbed.

Resolutions

Vacation is over. It is time to get back to business. It has been a lovely 2 weeks with Nathan home, and no school, and no travelling, and sleeping in, and late meals, and lots of yummy snacks. But it is nice to get back to work. It is also time to get back in shape, ladies. I got up and took Sam jogging this morning. It is very cold here. I think I had a bit of ice on my eyelashes.

I imagine tonight Dad will hold his annual Family Home Evening about setting goals. I have been thinking about what I want improve this year. I like Mary's idea, I want to do a better job of celebrating with cousins and Aunties, even if we just celebrate through the mail.

I want to read a little more, and keep track of the books that I have read. I want to read a few more grown up books (though I do love to read whatever Hannah is reading, this week The Dragon Rider and books about Orville Wright) and I want to read more books aloud (current read aloud - Chronicles of Narnia)

We have a big formal dinner/dance at the end of February and I intend to look smashing. So, it is time to get jogging, drink more water, and even lift a little weights. Also I need to find a dress. Help. Maybe I can get Erin to find a dress for me. I have done just a little looking, and it appears that most formals do not come with sleeves.

I hope to keep up with the Sunday School and Relief Society readings. I don't get to go to those classes, but I want to read the Doctrine and Covenants this year. Someone gave me the RS book for the year, but I don't even know which prophet we are studying. I like to do my scripture studying while I am putting John to bed. I will dig though my Sunday bag and find the RS book and let you know who we will be reading about, after nap time.

I think that covers the 3 areas, Dad: Spiritual, Physical, Mental. For fun, I want to do a little knitting. Nathan made me a nice set of double pointed knitting needles and I made Emily a fun furry hat. Now I want to get some chunky wool and make myself a hat. After that I want to try some socks.