Day 30: Picture of me today and 20 goals I want toaccomplish

Some kids won't stop to have their picture taken, so you get what you get.






Whew! 30days in a (almost) row is a lot! And this is as close as I can get to a picture of me today. It is yesterday and I gift you this lovely sight of me rolled out of bed, no makeup, no hair done, but out there sledding. So that's why there is hideousness.

Does anybody even have 20 goals at a time, or am I just an underachiever???

I guess if I think about things to do today and say that they are a goal and not just a task to accomplish, then I could come up with 20.

1. Pay off some principle payments this year to bring mortgage down faster
2. finish Madeline L'engle's Wrinkle in Time books that I have rediscovered
3. get to church on time, HAPPILY-or else!
4. keep my counters and surfaces cleared of clutter
5. move all the stuff that is office-y into the room recently vacated by Goosie
6. attend some of the Relief Society meetings and get to know more people in our new area
7. invite a family once or twice a month for dinner
8. get outside at least once a day
9. finish the last of the caulking and painting
10. practice the piano at least 3x a week
11. plan meals for the week
12. get more involved in my childrens' classrooms
13. vacuum out the van
14. read to each child or the whole group at once every day
15. find some kind of decorations for my room
16. put up new FHE board and actually hold official ones instead of winging it or forgetting
17. Schedule my next day every night so I don't forget my appointments
18. answer emails when I open them
19. begin to do some preschool activities with the younger kids to prepare a little for Bryguy's kindergarten next year
20. make plans to go on an official date, not just a stay at home goof off together date.
    

Day 29: In this past month, what have you learned?

Hmmm. Related to blogging or in general?

• If you blog every day, your loyal group of 5 or so readers tire of commenting, whereas they feel inclined to cheer you on if you post once every two weeks or so :) Thanks loyal friends, I'm not dissing the comments, just realizing on commenting on my friend's 30 day challenge the same thing.
• Goosie sleeps in very strange positions...
  

It is possible, with a little snow fun, to get what M'deary terms "snodaggits"
Claus is a time enigma. It can take him a full 45 min to an hour to eat one bowl of soup (with dreaded veggies), but a ginormous donut? All of 1.5 minutes.

Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?

This is me last year when I was a mom to Babs and a foster mom to Claus and Bitty. How have I changed? Well. Now mom to five-which has been a sharp learning curve, let me tell you. I have become the queen of multitasking. I used to think I was a nice person. Now I know otherwise, because when you are tired and frustrated and all seems to be combining against you and your family-then you find out the kind of person you really are. So, I would say that I am now more aware of my weaknesses and am working on them. I have also learned how to ask for help-still despise doing it-but I have to lower my pride and let my family, husband, and friends take the load off sometimes. I have learned that Heavenly Father has a plan for my family and that things work out for a reason-or don't work out-sometimes according to our own choices and sometimes for reasons unknown to us. Yet through it all, I have felt a comfort that what was happening was right, even though it was hard.
Superficially, I have shorter hair-yet essentially the same hairstyle (if you could call it such) as I ever have had. I'm a little bit heftier and more out of shape-except my bulging forearms from carrying Goosie. I live in a different location and have felt like I lost a lot of my support group in my hometown, but am making it just fine.

Day 27: Why am I doing this blog challenge?

I have been home alone every night for months. My hubby worked nights, my kids were asleep by 8 or so and I just wanted to start recording a few things since I am so bad about journal writing, instead of wasting my time reading novels or watching TV.
I just wanted to interact with other people too and learn more about my friends and family and such. My friend Christina asked me to do it and I thought it would be a good way to get into it more and give me some ideas of what to write. I have to admit that the every day part of this gets old and I know for sure that if I'm gonna keep blogging, it will not be nearly that often, so you will all get a reprieve!

Day 26: 3 Places I want to visit before I die

I am just going to say that for one of my places, it would be Europe/Mediterranean in general. Sites in Italy, Greece, Germany, Switzerland etc. Just a long tour.
This picture is of Wales, but I would like to visit all of the British Isles. Since that is such a conglomeration, I'll count it for two.
Picture via link I just think this would be a cool place to see. It is called Lençòis Maranhenses Photo: © JA Galvez C, via this Brasil Travel Blog
More Lencois

Day 25: What you would find in my bag

This is my black leather Harley bag, remember. It holds quite a lot.

• at least 5 pens-in case I'm at a doctor visit and need something for the kids to do
• phone
• color swatches from the paint in our house-it really needs decorating and I just want to have them handy-although I never make decisions and thus never buy anything
• planner from last year as well as this year-haven't transferred over all my stuff
• wallet-cards, money, stamps etc.
• kleenex-ALWAYS have someones nose to wipe
• checkbook
• currently has some cards/pictures for kids to look at
• currently some Pokemon ball creatures
• hand sanitizer
• gum
• adoption decree-still having people need this
• always some receipts

There. Totally entertaining, right. Not your standard bag contents at all.

Day 24: Something I'm ashamed of from my past

I'm going to go with a lighter approach than this question probably is intended to make me reveal and let you all know my deep and abiding shame that in first grade I totally threw up on classmate.

I still remember my horror. My cute little teacher, Mrs. Koski, who I thought didn't like me because of my extreme chattiness, swooped over and picked me up-mess and all-and carried me to the office to call my mom. I knew she liked me better than my classmate, 'cause they got to sit there with my mess on them til she was finished with me.

I wonder what happened to that chattiness. Totally gone by the end of second grade.

Day 23: Something I crave

Mint Mentos. I can eat multiple packages in a sitting if allowed. It is a bad thing. I think the satisfaction comes from the chewiness and the sharp burst of flavor in the outer shell when first placed in my happy mouth, along with it not being too rich or sweet. They are rather stress relieving. I believe I've stated previously that I have to have a bite guard at night? Apparently I have some issues with tension. Thank you Mentos.

Day 22: Something that makes me different from anybody else...

I really don't know. Maybe that I've had my own unique life experiences. Dumb answer for a dumb question.

I'd really rather show you how funny Goosie was on her first night in a "tawdwer" bed. She informs me often that she is a "tawdwer" and not a baby.

And I'll even throw in some pics of the others sleeping. Maybe that makes me different. Probably not. I don't know how anyone can resist going in and having a good laugh at the sleep positions of their kids. My personal favorites are Bitty and Goosie, both apparently trying to escape their beds.
Enjoy

Day 21: Picture in my day

Too tired to take my own dang picture. This one is copyrighted by Bill Mangold. Thank you Bill. Expresses my day well. The busy leetle squirrel wants to keep going, CMEDBDI's? But, no. Done for now. Go have a laugh at the other cute pics.

Day 20: 3 wishes

if wishes were fishes, i'd cast my net in the sea...

antigravity body
six more hands
money on trees

Day 19: Nicknames I have

We have previously explained Auld Lang Syne-very versatile and you can use it in other ways than just a noun as in "Loving the Auldness"

My dear friend Emily has always called me Mace-a-moo. No idea where. Maybe I am occasionally bovine?

Connie at the Plasma center calls me Mae.

Grandpa W. called me either Cottontop or Long Shanks for obvious reasons. I think I closely resembled a Q-tip with white blonde hair and the longest daddy-long-legs you ever saw-very thin. (I dream about my ease of thin-ness, now.)

As a young child, my mom called me Suzi-Q.

My friend Rachel, "thith one", calls me Thenor or "that one", the same nicknames that I call her. Long story.

My hubby sometimes calls me M'deary-our little endearment for one another after watching an old movie while dating, that I can't recall right now.

And now I am bugged. I am TOO YOUNG, I tell you, to be having old age "moments" of forgetfulness. It happens all to often. Now I have to go track down the name of that movie before I forget my own name, nick or otherwise.

Plans, dreams, goals: Day 18

plans

• visit oregon this summer-party hardy!
• plant a garden, get some chickens, make a food storage
• Do new gutters and sprinklers? hopefully

dreams

• pay off home quickly and travel-can be as missionaries :)
• get a season pass for everyone in my family old enough to go skiing/boarding and live there in the winter
• someday have any sort of sense of style or color to dress myself and decorate my home

goals

• be active every day, a walk, swimming, work in the yard-whatever
• GO TO BED EARLIER (especially since M'deary is going to be getting up at 4 am for his new schedule!)
• only say positive things for three days to child I struggle with
  

Day 17: Who would I switch lives with for a day and why?

This depends. On whether they were taking over my life for a day. Wife swap-like. Uh uh. Wouldn't do it. (remember the over-protective mommy syndrome?)

It would be with any adventurous person that hikes, bikes, boats, boards, skis, swims, climbs or any like event that I currently find it hard to do with five small children. It would be fun for a day.

Then...I would be sore. For sure.

Conversations

Me "Do you ever look in the mirror and wonder how you started to look so old?"
M'deary "You'll always be gorgeous to me." (I have him dubiously trained well)
Me "Yeah right. You will always love me, but not think I'm gorgeous."
M'deary-stares at me unnervingly for a few seconds
Me "Stop staring at me like you are trying to assess if I am gorgeous or not."
M'deary "Well, if you want to know the truth, I was thinking about your hair; it looks like a polygamist bouf. And then I wondered if polygamists facebook and if so, can they add all their multiple wives in their 'married to' status."
Me "So you don't find my hair attractive then."
M'deary "I never said polygamists' hair was ugly"

So there you have it folks. I am a gorgeous polygamist-looking old person, and my husband is so complimentary and random.

In other news:


M'deary, administering meds to Babs says " I know how to administer an oral suspension. I'm a nurse. I also know how to administer eye drops (Goosie has pink eye). "

Then, observing me changing Goosie's diaper, "I also know how to wipe bums. I'm a nurse"

Me mumbling " You'd never know"

Goosie pipes in with a "Mom does it"

That's right Goose. You got the mama's back.



Happy Valentine's All!!!!

Day 16: Something I could live without.

Yeah. I could really live just fine without any of my kids ever getting another ear infection. So done with that.

Day 15: What shows up on random ipod shuffle?

Weeeeelllll. I don't happen to have an ipod, but in the spirit of things, I will post what shows up on M'deary and my itunes. I warn you that it is heavily laden with tunes of M'deary.

1. The sixth article of Faith-LDS children's song book
2. Hounddog-Black River Brethren
3. Swim-Madonna
4. Concert in the Garden-Maria Schneider Orchestra
5. Temptation-Tom Waits
6. (Your mom called)-Two and a Half White Guys
7. Goin' Home-Art Tatum
   
8. Blues-Horace Silver
9. ...A Few Final Bars-Bill Evans Trio
10. Over the Hills and Far Away-Led Zeppelin

Now I give you a list minus M'deary and kid's songs:

1. Take me down-Smashing Pumpkins
2. Down to the River to Pray-Alison Krauss
3. I'll Fall with your Knife-Peter Murphy
4. Boys don't Cry-Cure
5. City in the Boonies-Insatiable
6. Long and Winding road-Beatles
7. Stop-Pink Floyd
8. Senseless-Echo and the Bunnymen
9. So tonight that I may see-Mazzy star
10. White room-Cream

Day 14: Picture of something I ate and 10 confessions

I guess that can be confession #1. I ate the whole bowl by myself.

When I was about 9, I stole a necklace from a store right next to Pick-N-Save to give as a present for my friends birthday. I felt guilty about it forever and wanted to go about a year later to pay them back, but they were out of business and a new store was there. I felt that I, personally, had run them out of business.

I am addicted to yard sale-ing.

I am a very overprotective, probably stifling, mom. They must all be in my sight at any time out of the house.

I am a little obsessive about recycling.

Even though I have been involved in many renovations and building things, I really don't like doing it and will avoid it at all costs.

At one emotional time I began crying that people were so good as to move to the right side of the road when the ambulance went past. Just so touching, don't you think?

I secretly wish I could be a writer, but don't have the talent or the work ethic to even try.

Sometimes I have to retreat to the bathroom and have a good laugh at what my children say. Today it was Bitty's pronunciation of "nerdles" for "noodles" in her nasal little voice.

I am sometimes uncomfortable with the amount of personal stuff on blogs. It is very hard for me to know what I feel comfortable revealing and what should remain unsaid. And before anyone thinks I'm talking about them, I'm not. Just on some that are people I don't know. But then I wonder if I am TMI sometimes.

Day 13: Letter to someone saying something you could never tell them

Dear Mr. 8th grade algebra teacher,

You crushed my budding soul with your withering sarcasm, general indifference, and cruel mockery. I have forgiven you, but despise any math-or even numbers-to this day. I hope you are interested in these results.

Me

Days 11/12: Picture of something I dislike, Picture of my room as is-no cheating

I usually don't mind cleaning up, but the breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, two-mile-wide detritus gets old. Definitely *dislike. Definitely like my Bryguy checking out his mess, though :)


I also dislike boxtops. What kind of child propaganda you running, people? My kids can spot these a mile away and if I actually buy it, they want to instantly rip it out and then carefully cut off the edges. It makes a lot of annoyance when this occurs at times like say when we are all ready 5 minutes late for school or when I am trying to get dressed after the shower. I am all for supporting schools-just in other capacities. I declare a boxtop ban at our house. I'll just donate a whole 5 bucks and make up for it.



M'deary just crawled out of bed. Night shifts are over on the 20th of this month and then it will be days, sweet days. If you have never counted it among your blessings to have a spouse or yourself work days, I am telling you now to put it on the list. That's all folks.

Days 9 and 10: Something I'm proud of, A story of a past relationship

It seems a little weird to be puffing myself off here, but I'll tell you that in 5th grade I set the record time for the mile run for girls at my school, good ole' Joaquin elementary. I am embarrassed to say that even years later I checked to see if my name was still on the little plastic letter board in the hallway. Yep. My record stood...til they tore the school down. No one can ever beat me now HA!
(disclaimer: it was a freak year. I am now not at all gifted at running.)

Okay now. Past relationship. This is also quite embarrassing. I went through a very stupid stage and dated someone not quite stable. I quickly realized this and broke up with him. To try to win me back he emblazoned my first and middle names in a scrolling cursive tattoo script across his forearm and decided to show it to me months after breaking up at a restaurant where I happened to go to lunch during my break from work. No. I didn't agree to meet him, nor did I tell him where I was. This was quite frightening. Then he wanted to be friends. I don't think so.

Day 8: Short term goals for the month-and why.

1. Complete blog challenge-cause I said I would.
2. Get to bed earlier. Duh.
   
3. Find humor in frustrating things. Or I will be a crazy lady.
4. Make M'deary lunch to take at night when he's working. Cause we had a conversation about what makes each of us feel loved. This is what he told me does it for him.
5. Focus on saying positive things to my children. We all need this.
   

Day 7: Someone who has influenced me the most.

I just love this picture. I was going to put my parents or my husband or my children, but then I realized that they were all influenced by someone greater. Really, every aspect of my life is lived by the belief that Jesus is real and that there is a plan for me.

Just found the "compose" tab. I learn really quickly. Haha. Now I can have a centered post.

Day 6: Hobby I have

Reading. Gonna go do that now instead of this. You think anyone else has this hobby??

Day 5: Places that I have been

We mostly kick it in Utah, cause it seems to be a playground full of fun stuff to do. We camp, hike, fish, snowboard, calf creek, climbing, out on the lakes etc. Why go anywhere else? Except Utah does need an ocean. Then it would pretty much be the best for outdoors.


Carlsbad caverns. One of the few forays out of Utah.

When we do want an ocean, we go visit the relatives in beautiful Oregon. I think we should just wrinkle all the land in between and attach Utah right onto the Pacific coastline. Soooo pretty. Going back this summer!

Day 4 : 15 songs life soundtrack

This was super hard! Instead of spanning my whole life time I decided to just include songs that are pertinent to my life now, as it is. Here goes, in no particular order:

1. Crazy, Gnarls Barkley
Pretty much describes the last year.

2. Milton Nascimento, Cuerpa y Alma.
Will have to get a link later. M'deary found this in his musical browsings in the Orem library. This song fills my soul with music. I don't even know all the lyrics because they are in Portuguese, but I know body and soul and somehow it just works for me.

3. Bill Withers, Lovely Day
This is a song that we will put on on one of the very rare days when the whole family is together and we have nothing to do but have a dance party and enjoy each other. It is how I feel about when M'deary is home to make all the stress of care taking go away and we can just be happy.

4.Backyardigans, Trudge, Trudge, Trudge
Let's face it folks. A whole lot of life right now is getting out of bed when it's hard to. Don't think by my including this that I am ungrateful for the many joys and love that I experience, 'cause I'm not. It is just that sometimes that on the seventh time that someone has barfed on the carpet that has only been newly laid for two days that you decide to just keep putting one foot ahead of the other and be happy anyway.


5. BNL-Having a Bad Day
I kind of feel like a life soundtrack representing me now would be incomplete without at least a couple of childrens songs because that seems to be all that we listen to when I am in charge. When dad is in charge, he listens to what he wants to. I seem to be a doormat in that department. Anyway. I chose this song off one of our favorite albums, Snacktime. It is wonderful. This sounds like it would be a sad song, and it is a bit, but it is realistic for the age my children are in. Lots of drama, but a little time reflecting and then mom/dad comes in and gives them a kiss and we try to make things better.

6. Flight of the Conchords, I'm not Crying
These guys are idiots. And I just have to laugh. This is representative of what M'deary likes to do, which is to find music or clips and show them to me. It is one of the things that we can do together when all of our kids are asleep at night. We have spent a lot of time laughing together. A waste of time you might say? Well, I will just let you know that some days you really need a good laugh. So stress relieving. *Warning-be careful of appropriateness of most other songs by these guys :)*

7. King Django-Single thread
I'll have to find a link for this as well. This song is about how our lives weave in and out of each others to form a tapestry. I always think of friends and family and all of the people that are present in our lives. Just a great and skankin' song.

8. All Creatures of our God and King
Religion and including God in my life is very important. It helps me to see Him all around me when I am reminded by a hymn like this. It reminds me to be grateful and to give thanks and praise to my Father in Heaven for my many blessings.

9. Monkees, A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
We have learned a lot more coping and communication skills over the last year. This song was a favorite of mine as a child and now I like it to remind me to just chill and work stuff out.

10. Fiddler on the Roof; Sunrise, Sunset
Just shows how fast life goes in such an achingly beautiful song. The love of the parents and yet confusion at how life passes so unexpectedly. The realization that this child of mine I must imbue with what I know to be good and true because I will not always have them with me to influence. I think it will break my heart when my children marry and move out.

11. Sergio Mendez and Black Eyed Peas, Mas Que Nada
Just been listening to a lot of different music. I have a music snob for a husband and he is always listening to something new and different, but it has to make the cut. We all enjoy dancing and working to this one. *you may wish to pass by watching the video on youtube due to some scandalous dancing and costumes. We just listen to it :)*

12. Simon and Garfunkel, Feeling Groovy
I just love this song. I am kind of an A-type personality and I love the the reminder to have fun and slow down. Let the laundry sit and play with the kids and enjoy life instead of stressing out making everything perfect while you ruin it all.

13. Debussy, La fille aux cheveux de lin
One of my very favorite piano pieces. It is so delicate yet triumphant. We just bought a piano and it fills our home with music. You should see the kids run to play as soon as dad wakes up. Me too!

14. Led Zeppelin, Ramble On
Just appeals to my more adventurous side. It reminds me of road trips and living for fun and epicness. Also, the Hobbit references speak to my love of books and Tolkien is a good one.

15. Cure, Friday I'm in Love
Just makes me happy. Need to have a date night!

16. I know I said only 15, but I just remembered how much I call the girls in my life that support me. Mom, sisters, friends. For some reason when I think of girlie songs Linger, by the Cranberries comes up. Probably cause my sisters and I would listen and talk about life, dating, etc. when we were all still at home.

Well, there you have it. I think that I may be in a more serious mood than usual. Just a little tired. It is funny because this list could be entirely different on a spunkier day.

On a side note, aren't you all proud of me for figuring out how to do the links instead of just including the URL??? I know you are going to go click on them all. Don't lie.