Resolutions Revisited

My friend posted about her 2011 New Year resolutions.  I wrote a post about it, and then promptly forgot.  Oddly enough, however, I feel I grew a lot. I did not get better at clipping coupons, but I learned about Aldi and have been saving some money, although I am also trying to make an effort to begin organic eating. Note the word begin. . . we'll see how it goes.  I want to see if it makes a noticeable difference in how I feel.

 I found another flower that blooms in the dead of winter.  This one above. The plant had no leaves and looked from afar like any other winter-resting plant, but come to find out it had these gorgeous little flowers.  What a sweet surprise.  This was before I could stop S from picking one.  But there were others.

This photo just made me happy.  I love how the only thing really in focus is the flower.  So this year I want to focus.  That's my goal. . . I want to focus on loving my family and taking things one day at a time.  

What are your resolutions? 

Eye Exam

S and R had their first eye exam. It was fun. We had to play with the mirrors.  S says the eye exam photos look like aliens.  :D  T was really upset that he didn't get to get his eyes checked. I told him he had to learn all his letters first. :)  

New Lens

Most people probably wouldn't dedicate a whole blog post to something so . . . small . . . but I am not most people. I'm M and I love my lens. :D  If you're around me in the next few weeks beware. I will be a picture-snapping mamma (you know, like instead of a pistol-packing mamma--from the olde west days).

You can see the dust on the lens.

You can practically see the static from S's hair.

Caroling

 I love Christmas caroling.  Some good friends came and we had a great time! We visited some people from the kid's school and their daughter that is in R's class and she played her recorder for us! I love seeing friends and singing with dear ones during the holidays.

By the end we were all freezing and the kids wanted to do anything but sit still and freeze for a picture.  We all went to our homes directly after the last two pictures were taken.

Christmas is Coming!

There is something amazing about this time of year.

It makes me want to burst out into song.

We're going to go Christmas caroling and if you're interested in coming, leave a comment.

We'd love to have you join us.

Christmas Eve. . . . details to those who comment.

And, just so you know, I'm really excited about it!

Marriage Talk with R

Dinner time is a great time to discover things about your children.  For example, tonight R said: "I cannot wait to be a grandfather." A few moments later he added with a touch of trepidation, "And a father."

After that a few minutes passed, "Mom, when will I be old enough to get married?"
Having not established a set time in my head I said, "After your mission."

In case you do not know what a mission is, it's when men and women in our church ages 19 and 21 go out and tell people about Jesus Christ and our Church.  If you'd like to know more go to mormon.org or ask me it's one of the things I love to talk about.

"You can get married after you turn 21--preferably later."  I said.

"Mo-o-om, that's forever!"

Later:

"Mom, I'm a little nervous about the kiss."

"Don't worry honey. When the time comes, you'll be just fine!"

T's explanation for anything that takes more than a minute. . .

"Mom you've been gone a long year." (This is usually after I take a 20 minute nap or a five minute walk to get milk).
"NOOO DAD, NOT WORK. You'll be gone a long year."

Also, he has recently decided that being "the rotten egg" is a huge honor.  For the first few weeks he'd take off like a shot up the stairs so he could be the first one up and the "rotten egg."

Lately, he's been much more generous and wants to share those glorious moments. Even when my arms are full of groceries and there is literally ten inches of stair next to me for him to climb up he says, "Mom, let's go together, then we can be rotten eggs together." Those are my favorite rotten egg times.

My kids are playing legos together and I just overheard
R (in his bad-guy voice): I'm going to destroy the world.
S (matter-of-factly): You can't destroy the world. Then you'll have no place to live. Do you understand that? No place to live. . .

Groupon is awesome!

This one is my favorite. Check S's face.

Groupon had this awesome deal for the movie theater up the street from our house.

The kids and I went twice. Once to The Muppet Movie and then to Happy Feet Two. I loved the 3-D effects and the part my kids liked best was the bubbles coming out toward the audience in the ending credits.

I pretty much love this one too!

Mourning.

Sadly, I've had a loss. It hasn't been pleasant like a kid losing their tooth or a woman losing weight. . . 

I dropped my favorite camera lens. I loved it. It was like a painter losing their paints and their brushes.  Now I have to use the kit lens and I like it and I'm grateful, but it is not the one I love. . . 

But. . .

Not all is lost. . . Santa is coming. . . I'm sending a letter. . . Or five.

Okay. I'm done. Mourning over.  Thank you for your moral support.

Ode to the Washing Machine

The washing machine.

It is loud.

It is huge.

It reminds one of a doll-sized bomb shelter.

It washes clothes.

It makes clothes look and smell nice.

Sometimes it ruins clothes it doesn't like. Meanie.

But most of the time, it is a perfect angel and cleans enduring-ly.

It has a quaint ear-piercing near-scream to alert users when the laundry is done or nearly done.

It can be kept in a basement or other place big enough for a washing machine.

It uses electricity, water and soap.

I want one. Now. And it's pal the dryer too!

But I'll just have to keep using it's sisters and dryer's brother's at my laundromat.

I'm thankful for washers. And dryers. And Laundromats.

Girls Night Out with Good Friends

One of the best things about Brooklyn is our ward!  These wonderful women come out for the occasional Girls Night Out and I feel so glad every time I see them. We laugh, listen and learn from each other.  Seriously, these are amazing women!

I think they can do anything and everything!

Happy Birthday June!  

Thank you,W, for putting the kids to bed for me! It was so fun! I love you! M

My day was . . . an event.  I am not sure I will soon forget today.

We found a DS for R (he lost his red one) on Craigslist and hopped on the train to go to Park Slope, Brooklyn.   We got there pretty quick and went directly to the wrong house, but it wasn't sad because the man whose home it was (I think) had this amazing collection of bizarre and interesting sculptures that were interactive. He was on the phone when we rang his bell and he told me I had the wrong house--but then came out to show the kids the sculptures--even to the extent that he told the person on the phone that he would call them back---WOW!! I love people like that.  He made it so fun for the kids.

Then we got back on the sidewalk and headed to the right house, but wrong level. When they say first floor--it is important that they say ground level--the door is under the stairs--yes, under.  S walked through the gate to the "yard" a 4x4 piece of concrete and found the door for us.  Then $50, one DS and six games later (sweet deal), we left happy hearted to go to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. . . only we didn't make it.

Take the picture already! I. need. food. now.

It was a gloriously beautiful day, the perfect day to have off! The leaves were dangling precariously from the trees some wafting down on the dancing wind (yes--they looked like they were dancing--ballroom style--not tap dancing). 

This is my you-really-should-have-fed-me-five-minutes-ago-pose.

But, lo and behold as soon as we get on our way to Prospect park . . . a severe case of starvation struck my kids and I.  Grouchiness set in like a plague and in a desperate effort to preserve any sense of sanity through the dramatic howls of hunger like "Mooooooom, I need food NOW!" "I'm SO THIRSTY!" and "Can't we get any food yet?!" 

I boldly pressed forward my hands cuffed around their wrists to get water and a muffin--a severely over priced muffin that made me wince to buy--but it tasted decent.  What is the big deal about being across the street from the park--why does that automatically give them the right to overcharge exponentially?!  Don't answer that--I wasn't really wondering, I was just venting.

I will not move until you pick me up. I need a nap. I need food. I need water. I need  . . .  you , Mom!

Between the yowls I attempted my assuage. "Children (Mooooooooooooooooooooom), Let's think of things we are grateful for (I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO STARVING! [This is so loud, people three streets over can hear it and turn their heads to see].  I'm grateful for you and (CAN'T WE EAT! GIMME A DRINK! GOLDFISH!!!) my camera and prayer and patience and chocolate [in my head I'm praying--please decently priced food--somewhere now!].

Okay, so you get the idea.  We need nutriments instantaneously!

We walked to the ball parks where they have the summer concerts and sat and ate the lemon poppyseed overpriced muffin and then walked across the park. . . slowly . . . everyone and their dog, cat, aunt, uncle, grandpa, and neighbor Hildegard passed us.

T began picking up rocks and told me, "This is my rock correction (collection)."

See the rock correction at my feet?  It took me five minutes to get that and an hour to carry  it it.

Don't touch my rocks. Mine. Mine. Mine.

Several times I tried to convince him that bringing the rocks with us was really not necessary. I took a picture of them and now we know exactly where to come if we need them again.  That kid knows me like a book. He put them gingerly down--added a pretty leaf or two, let me take a picture and then picked them all back up and carried them ten feet behind the rest of us, bless him. [Sigh].

Oh, thank you--I think.

Then we got to the lake.  All memories of rocks were forgotten--it was all about the ducks and swans.  Seriously.  They began to beg me for the goldfish to feed the swans--and I really don't want to get in trouble by a hidden park authority or some random environmentalist that feels that feeding goldfish to anyone let alone a duck or a swan is a mortal sin. . . so I kept them.

Somehow both Roscoe and Sarah ended up getting swan nipped any way. . . but they say it didn't hurt.  I think the swans were annoyed, "Hello--do I look like I eat stinkin' leaves?  I can get a leaf anywhere dope--feed me the good stuff--whatever you've got that is edible."  Then the swan would swim over to the other swan and I am sure that wing lift and low quacks were code for "Don't go over there--it's nothing--seriously--they tried feeding me like five leaves."

After R stepped into the water by accident and was terrified that there was a leech in his sock I peeled the kids away from the lake hollering and bemoaning the loss of the biting swans--we checked the sock and kept walking across the park.

Finally I saw signs of an intersection and decided it was time to go--much to S's seemingly unending chagrin.  We trudged over to the station, got on a train and went home.  Phew!

The kids forgot all their hunger and strife when I let them both go to Activity Days.  All is forgiven.

The Haircuts

R Before:

R After:  He likes it! :D Victory!

T Before

T After . . . he could care less--but he got to play games on the phone during the haircut so he's happy.

Mission "Youngster Haircuts" accomplished. . . next mission--haircut for W.