Just Me(gan)

Ten on Tuesday

2012-01-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

1- I'm going back to work at the library! The newly rebuilt East Millcreek Library, to be exact. I've enjoyed being able to only work on a very part-time basis the last two years, but I need insurance. I am excited to help put a library together and get it open. Also, this is the library I grew up going to, so it's sort of special to me in that really cheesy way. I just hope my joints comply with the physical labor aspect of the job.

2- On a related note, I started Weight Watchers online two days after I found out about the job. I gained back all I lost after having Brayden and currently weigh more than when I had him. I should have started after that flare-up last summer, but at least I'm starting now.

3- I just got some Raspberry Hugs from the Valentine's candy section. So good! I know this doesn't fit with starting Weight Watchers, but I promise I am eating them within my points.

4- I chose The Fellowship of the Ring for my book club choice this month. I've always felt like the only English Lit major/graduate that has never read LOTR. I am enjoying it, but I'm glad I saw the movies first. I don't know that I'll get around to reading the next two, though.

5- Brayden and I painted this canvas for my Dad's birthday this week. I got the idea from Pinterest of course. Here's the original tutorial. I'm definitely repeating this project. I love the quote she did, and the idea she had to do it with the alphabet.

6- My boy is dealing with some growing pains. He's been waking up at night crying that his legs hurt. Poor little guy! Adam thought it was that he kept getting "charlie horses," but I'm pretty sure it's growing pains.

7- Brayden is catching balls now, at least 30% of the time. The other night, he put a bucket upside down on the ground and stood on top of it. Then he threw a football back and forth with my Dad. At Gymboree last week, he walked across a balance beam without our help. That kid has better balance than I do! I'd probably fail one of those walking sobriety tests.

8- He may be advanced in gross motor skills, but his fine motor skills are lagging behind. He can't peel stickers off the page yet without me getting it started for him. It's so interesting how kids develop and how they often fall behind in one skill set when they're advanced in another.

9- We had tile put down in our bathroom a week or so ago, and it looks great. The toilet, on the other hand, has been a pain in the butt (ignore the silly pun) ever since. I don't know what Adam did wrong, but the current problem (there has been a few) is that he can't get a certain screw out that has corroded, even after buying stronger drill bits at Home Depot. I don't think Adam and I could ever buy a "fixer-upper." We're just too clueless about home repairs.

10- Advice needed: We've got a long-distance company billing us $5 a month through CenturyLink. It started about 6 months ago, when Qwest switched to CenturyLink. This company called us asking us if we wanted long distance. Adam, knowing about the company being bought out, though it was the new company. The first month, we called to cancel. We have had to call every month since! The customer service agents are always good about issuing us the refund, but then the charge shows up the next month. CenturyLink has told us they can't do anything, which I think is screwed up since this other company is billing us through CenturyLink. They promised us when we called last week that it wouldn't be on next month's bill, but they've told us that every month. What else can we do to get this to go away once and for all???

Faith and politics, continued

2012-01-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

I love public radio. I often hop in the car just in time to hear at least part of a really interesting program. Just over a week ago, we had to run to Home Depot (we've unfortunately had to go there 5+ times over the last few weeks). RadioWest was on broadcasting a panel on politics and religion in Utah.

Being the mom of an active toddler, it took me until yesterday to listen to the whole hour. They discussed exactly what I speculated about back in November. I was right in that Church members used to vary more in their political beliefs before the era of Roe v. Wade.

All four panelists are LDS- two Democrats and two Republicans. I definitely recommend listening to it, but here a a few tidbits that I just can't resist discussing further. Most of these are just paraphrases of what they said.

Neither is perfect. Maybe the answer is that LDS people aught to be fierce moderates.
-Quinn Monson

While I'm pretty sure I lean firmly to the left, I honestly think that a church of mostly moderates would be a very good thing. I definitely do not like the favor the tea party seems to be receiving here.

I'm so grateful for good Democrats in the church. I think the church's missionary effort is enhanced by the church being perceived as a big tent, which it is. I'm glad that my Democrat colleagues didn't get the memo on agency (chuckling), that they didn't read the scripture about the idea that we are to act and not be acted upon. In their bleeding heart liberalism, they want to take care of people rather than enabling people to suffer the consequences of their actions.
-Howard Stephenson

Seriously? He's happy there are LDS Democrats only because it's good for the missionary effort? And then he follows that with a back-handed insult?

You can't read the BoM without getting pounded about the equality of everything. The book is unambiguous about our responsibility to the poor.
- BYU business school faculty member Kim Smith

If this was really said by a BYU faculty member, I love it! Someone quoted him/her, though, so I can't be 100% sure of its truthfulness.

It is a myth that we get to sit on our rear ends for 30 years at the end of our life. God intended us to work by the sweat of our brows til the end of our days. We are not entitled to let someone else's work help us.
-Holly Richardson

I just can't believe she said this. "Working" by going on a couples mission or two doesn't equate to working until the day you die in order to survive. And seriously, she thinks no one else's work has helped her? She's a former lawmaker who is now a political blogger and a campaign manager, so she owes major gratitude to the women before her that helped make her dreams to be involved in politics possible.

We are the church of Jesus Christ. We minister to all people. That's a profound statement to me.
-Carol Spackman Moss on the church's reaction to the immigration raid in Logan

Yes!

It doesn't have to be socialism or no government.
-Ben McAdams

Yes!

I'd have real struggles with someone being worthy and believing in choice.
-Holly Richardson

After this, someone brought up the idea of being against something personally but not against it by policy. I wish she could understand that.

I got the feeling that what I hoped wasn't the case in that other post is the case, at least for the two Republicans they chose for the panel. Social welfare programs are a deciding factor in their Republican beliefs, the same as abortion and gay rights. Disappointing.

Martin Luther King Jr.

2012-01-16T10:35:00.001-07:00

I went to an amazing church service yesterday honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The music, the sermon, everything. The choir and congregation sang a rousing rendition, complete with clapping and dancing, of the South African hymn "Siyahamba."

They ended the service with a duo singing a union song I'd never heard called "Which Side Are You On?" The lyrics can be found here. We also sang "This Land Is Your Land," which was suprisingly moving in this setting.

The reading in the sermon was an excerpt from the letter he wrote from the Birmingham Jail, which can be found here As I become more in tune with the idea of social justice, this letter becomes just as important as his "I have a dream" speech. Here's one of my favorite parts of the letter:

"You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, it is rather strange and paradoxical to find us consciously breaking laws. One may well ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer is found in the fact that there are two types of laws: There are just laws and there are unjust laws. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with Saint Augustine that "An unjust law is no law at all."

Now what is the difference between the two? How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of Saint Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. To use the words of Martin Buber, the great Jewish philosopher, segregation substitutes an "I-it" relationship for an "I-thou" relationship, and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. So segregation is not only politically, economically, and sociologically unsound, but it is morally wrong and sinful. Paul Tillich has said that sin is separation. Isn't segregation an existential expression of man's tragic separation, an expression of his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? So I can urge men to obey the1954 decision of the Supreme Court because it is morally right, and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances because they are morally wrong."

The minister's sermon expounded on this quote:

"I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere in this country."

As I drove home, I was just so caught up. It was such a different experience to me. I've never heard Martin Luther King Jr. mentioned in a church setting. When I got home, I posted on Facebook and Twitter asking other people about their church experience and if he was mentioned. The closing prayer in a LDS service in Oakland gave thanks for the equality in our country and the people who made it possible, specifically citing the holiday. He was mentioned in someone's testimony in a ward that had their F&T meeting yesterday. He was mentioned multiple times in a meeting in Atlanta. A friend here in SL said he was mentioed during her Catholic mass, and someone attending a Protestant service said he was a big part of their service. A few people let me know that yesterday's Music and the Spoken Word was about him in large part. As soon as I could figure out how to watch it online, I did. It was wonderful. The choir sang some African American hymns. I especially enjoyed "Rock-a My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham."

The Music and the Spoken Word program can be watched here after you sign up for a free account. I urge you to watch it with your children. Brayden and I watched it last night. Today, we'll be watching videos of his sppeches on Youtube and I'll be reading Brayden some picture books we have about him.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

2011 book meme

2012-01-04T22:58:00.001-07:00

I got this idea from Good Girl Gone Redneck.

Using only titles of books that you read this year (2011), complete the prompts below. Try not to repeat any book titles. Think creatively and have fun!

Describe yourself: This Girl Is Different by J.J. Johnson

How do you feel: Arms Wide Open by Patricia Harman

Describe where you currently live: If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now by Claire LaZebnick

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker (not the dance, but the city)

Your favorite form of transportation: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (I wish!)

Your best friend is: The First Husband by Laura Dave

You and your friends are: A Family of Readers by Roger Sutton

What's the weather like: Something Blue by Emily Giffin (Very nice, blue sky; unseasonably warm for July)

What is life to you: Life From Scratch by Melissa Ford

Favorite time of day: The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared by Alice Ozma and
When She Woke by Hillary Jordan (I had to chose two- one for the time I read with Brayden, and one for my personal reading time.)

Your fear: Cover Me: A Health Insurance Memoir by Sonya Huber

What is the best advice you have to give: What Mothers Do:Especially When It Looks Like Nothing by Naomi Stadlen

Thought for the day: The Future of Us by Jay Asher (lots of decisions to make in my little family)

How I would like to die: Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon

My soul's present condition: The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

2.5

2012-01-02T20:45:00.007-07:00

My little boy is two and a half today. It's hard to believe he's that old even though it feels like he's been in my life forever. I know that last statement in contradictory, but it's true.

Brayden brings me so much joy. I'm grateful EVERY single day that he is my child.

At two and a half, Brayden is fun and challenging at the same time. Example: His newest sentence is "Mama, I'm talking for you" whenever he wants to tell me something and he feels I'm not listening (often interrupting me when I'm talking to Adam or on the phone). His little grammatical mistake really makes me laugh.

Another new thing is that he wants us to have a family hug when Adam goes to work. We pick him up and hug, and he just smiles the whole time. I taught him his full name a few weeks ago, and the way he says it is so cute! He says Brayden with the correct pronounciation, since he's been saying that for a long time, but he says Michael Bishop like "Mikal Dishop." Or at least that's how it sounds to me. :)

We recently had his cousin Jack sleep over, who he loves and adores. Seriously- to the extent that he takes it worse when I discipline Jack than when I discipline him. I had Jack go into another room to cool down, and it just got Brayden so upset! They fight, like all kids do, but Jackson said over and over again "We're best friends, Brayden." I'm so glad he's got a cousin he's really close to.

He's really getting into Playdough now after getting a bunch of it for Christmas. He also got a marble run that he loves! Adam loves it too, and wants to get another set to make it even cooler. We're taking classes at Gymboree for the next month or so (at least) thanks to a gift from his great-grandparents, and he really loves that. He also loves coloring, painting, helping me stir when I'm baking, singing (especially now that we got some instruments for Christmas), counting, and reading.

2011 pop culture favorites

2012-01-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Books
When She Woke by Hilary Jordan
Room by Emma Donoghue
The Autobiography of an Execution by David R. Dow
Bossypants by Tina Fey
What Mothers Do by Naomi Stadlen

Movies
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Midnight in Paris
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Bridesmaids
Crazy, Stupid, Love

Musical performers
Mumford and Sons
Adele
Jack Johnson

Television
Modern Family
Portlandia
Parks & Rec
Community
Parenthood

December highlights

2011-12-31T23:10:00.000-07:00

-Winning $30 in iTunes gift cards at a family Christmas party
-ZooLights

-Baby Emmaline was born earlier this month! Her parents are friends of mine that have waited for this day for a long time and I couldn't be happier for them.

-Indie Christmas station on Pandora

-Elf on the Shelf- I only did it for fun, not for the whole behavior thing, but I'm still not sure if I'll do it again next year. I forgot to move him around more than I remembered, but Brayden loved it anyways.

-This year was the first year Brayden "got" Christmas at all and I loved seeing his excitement.

-Lots of books as presents (which makes me a little worried about my goal to read all the books I own by the time I turn 30!)

Thanksgiving throughts

2011-11-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

-I'm so grateful. For my son, my husband, my family, my life. I'm so blessed.

-This is my 5th year hosting Thanksgiving. Five years ago, my Grandma died in early November. Very shortly after, my Mom had a serious stroke that put her in the ICU. That Thanksgiving was so special to me. I hosted the holiday for the first time and I was able to do so in my Grandma's house. My mom was able to come home for the day from the hospital, thank goodness. Since then, I've hosted it. I love the connection I feel to previous generations when I'm cooking the same foods they did.

-I love the Macey's Day parade. Brayden really got into it, at least until him and Adam left to visit his Dad. When the Buzz balloon came on the screen, he exclaimed "Buzz flying, Mama!" It would be so cool to see the parade in person someday.

-I recently finished Lies My Teacher Told Me. Even with the truth of the "first Thanksgiving" fresh in my mind, I really love this holiday. I love the reminder to be more thankful. I NEED the reminder to be more thankful. I love the food. Oh, how I love the food. My mom will be here shortly to get started on the cooking.

Ten on Tuesday: Pinterest edition

2011-11-08T22:14:00.002-07:00

It's official. I am obsessed. I have over 1200 pins. For some Tuesdays, especially during NaBloPoMo, I figure I'll post some of my favorite Pinterest finds- recipes I tried and loved, crafts, quotes, etc. Without further ado...

sweet pork tacos and cilantro ranch dressing

These tacos are so good. I'm not a huge cilantro fan, but this dressing was amazing. Cafe Rio got both Adam and me to love pork in Mexican food, so I knew this would be a hit.

poster found here

This is a free printable that I was able to upload to Costco and then get printed. Brayden loves it. It cost about $5 to print an 11x16.

blog post here

I had an idea that a lot of these phrases are attributed to Shakespeare, but one surprised me: "Knock, knock. Who's there?" It made me giggle.

link here

I found this blog from Pinterest. She opened my eyes to the wonder of sensory bins.

link here

Don't get me wrong, I love finding deeper meanings in literature. Sometimes, though, just sometimes, I could totally relate to this graphic.

link here

I'm just thrilled with these wacky sacks and all the other pinned projects that ended up in my busy bag exchange. I also love that I've found even more since.

baked southwestern egg rolls

These were so good. In fact, I'm hungry just looking at the picture. I think I'll put these on next week's menu.

link here

This goes along perfectly with my post yesterday. I should have put it there, but I didn't think about it then so I'm posting it now. I just really agree with this quote.

link here

If you have ever co-slept with your child, you'll totally get this. Especially toddlers.

link here

The rest of the poem can be found here. I like the whole poem, but that beginning makes me so happy.

What have you pinned that you loved to eat? That inspired you? That made you a better parent? That made you chuckle?

Abortion, social programs, and the religious right

2011-11-07T21:27:00.001-07:00

Disclaimer: This is one of those posts where I am terrified to hit publish, but I just have to get it out there.

Thanks to my friend Miri and a few of her posts (this one on abortion and this one on social programs for the poor and Christ's teachings about the poor, I've had something on my mind.

We all know the majority of LDS people (at least in Utah) vote Republican. I could be wrong, especially since I couldn't find a source, but I think I remember reading it used to be the other way around. It used to be traditional for LDS people to vote Democrat. (If this sounds familiar to you and you can get me a source, I would gladly appreciate it.)

So what happened? When did the tide turn? I'm guessing it had to do with Roe V. Wade and the ERA. I'm actually really hoping it did.

You might ask me why. I'm against making abortion illegal and I'm a feminist that thinks the ERA should have passed. So why do I hope the deciding vote is about abortion? Because the likely alternative makes me sad. I see two of the the main differences between Democrats and Republicans to be their stance on abortion and their stance on social programs.

I sincerely hope that most LDS Republicans would tell me they are Republican because of the Democrat stance on abortion. I wouldn't agree with it, but it would be an easier pill to swallow. If you didn't click on the link about Christ's teachings about the poor earlier, please do now. Miri put together a great list of scriptures about caring for the poor.

I really like what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said at BYU in 2007: "My faith and political beliefs are deeply intertwined. I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it." Utah state senator Ben McAdams also said something to that effect in September. He's part of a new LDS Democrat caucus, the existence of which makes me happy. What they say makes sense to me. And to expand it, I would love to hear other Christian Democrats say "I am Democrat because I am a Christian."

What I wish everyone would read

2011-11-06T20:12:00.002-07:00

Image found here

I had this great idea for a post- the 10 books I think everyone should read. Doesn't that sound like a fun list to make? Except when it came down to it, I couldn't do it.

I couldn't narrow it down. "Fine, I'll do a fiction list and a non-fiction list," I thought to myself. Cut then within non-fiction, there were more than five. Way more than five.

And then I thought about all the books I'm sure are worthy of being on such a list, but I just haven't gotten around to them yet. At this point, I get a little depressed. There are so many books I want to read. This is where I wish the picture above were true!

What would be on your list? Let me know, and it will probably end up on my to-read list.

Anyway, here are just a few books that would be on my list.

Fiction

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

1984 by George Orwell

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Non-fiction

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

When Everything Changed by Gail Collins

Maus by Art Spiegelman

White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son by Tim Wise

Parenting

Nurtureshock by Po Bronson

Adventures in Gentle Discipline by Hilary Flower

Books that would likely be on the list if I could get around to reading them

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen

Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves by Naomi Aldort

Class Matters by Bill Keller

Extended rear-facing

2011-11-05T19:15:00.000-06:00

Parenting is hard. There are so many choices to make, and I'm often left wondering if I made the wrong choice. Take car seats, for example. The American Academy of Pediatrics has said for awhile now to keep your child rear-facing until the age of 2 or until they reach the height/weight guidelines for their car seat. This isn't law, just recommendations. Recommendations that I believe in because I have read some of the research myself (there are a few AAP guidelines that I haven't followed).

Brayden turned 2 in July, and we kept him rear-facing. Adam switched him a month ago, even though he's still five pounds away from the weight limit. It didn't feel right to me, but I let him stay forward-facing. Until yesterday, that is. I was driving by myself with Brayden and it hit me. Something was happening that was making it unsafe for him to stay forward-facing, at least for right now.

He's in the typical two year old "the world is all about me" phase. One aspect of that plays out with him saying "Look at me, mama" or playing peek-a-boo by covering his face and saying "Where's Brayden?" He's doing it in the car now, and even if I say "Mommy's driving," he continues demanding my attention. I decided to switch him back and see if that would get him to stop. It did.

I'll fully admit that part of it was my fault. In attempting to make myself okay with it, I tried to make it fun for me. I'd push that little thing on the windshield to make it so I could see him and he could see me. Obviously that has led to him thinking that it's okay for me to pay a lot of attention to him while I am driving.

So, he's back to rear-facing. And I don't think this will be a decision I second-guess.

Things I've heard a lot lately

2011-11-04T11:11:00.006-06:00

"Brayden be Woody Halloween. Jack be Buzz Halloween. Sophie be butterfly Halloween."

"Play me, mom."

"Brayden want ______, mom."

"Wait Brayden, mom."

"Not yet, mom."

"Don't touch that, mom."

"Look at me, Mama."

"Where's Brayden at? Right here!" (2 year old version of peek-a-boo)

"No, Brayden do it!"

"Help me, mom." or "Brayden want help, mom."

"Don't do that, mom."

"Tickle back, please."

"Momma lap."

"No, mom."

"Hold hand, mom."

Changing your name

2011-11-03T11:15:00.000-06:00

Good Things Utah just asked "Should a woman take her husband's name when she marries?" There were actually a lot of good answers like...

Only if they want to.

I think either way works. It's all in what the couple is comfortable with.

Being Utah, though, you know there's gonna be some crazy answers thrown in there...

Yes, it shows TOTAL commitment ..

Oh, I didn't know it was that something that isn't even in the traditional marriage ceremony is THE thing that shows total commitment above everything else.

If a woman doesn't take her husbands name it sounds like she isn't sure the marriage will last.

Really? The only reason for a woman to keep her name is because she thinks the marriage won't last? Maye, just maybe, she's lazy (some women admitted they hadn't because of that). It's a lot of work to change your name. Some women feel it's feminist principle, so they don't. Nothing is wrong with that.

If he asks you to marry him and devote spending the rest of his life with you, then the least you could do is have the same last name as your husband!! Duh! :)

So, in this scenario, the woman is so lucky that a man has deigned to spend the rest of his life with her. She's apparently not making that same choice and giving him that same gift. No, the gift she is giving her husband is taking his name. Okay then.

This was my favorite answer: Haven't we evolved past this? There is no should or should not, only what the involved persons choose for themselves and their relationship.

Full disclosure: I took Adam's last name when we got married. I also dropped my middle name and made my maiden name my middle name. It was my choice.

How about you?

Redlines

2011-11-02T19:50:00.000-06:00

It took eight months, but I have finally written an article that needed no editing. No red lines all over the page! Plus, my editor paid me a huge compliment and said I'm one of her best writers. (I'm currently blushing and think I shouldn't brag, but this is a journal of sorts so it stays).

I'm really proud of the ways this job has helped me get out of my comfort zone. I have to call complete strangers for quotes. I have to call people who I see at meetings repeatedly until they finally return my call. I got a quote from someone in trouble with the law who said "no comment" to the bigger daily newspaper.

This job has been really good for me. Hard, but good. I love that I'm getting writing experience. It gives me hope that I will tackle my book idea eventually. I am thankful I have the government beat because, as you all know, I am fascinated with politics.

I haven't linked to any of my articles before, but here's a link one of the articles I'm most proud of- Mapping out Midvale's representation. The redistricting process was something I learned a lot about and I felt strongly about it. However, I was able to put my personal feelings aside while writing and focus solely on how redistricing affects Midvale.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-11-01T12:35:00.003-06:00

1- November is known as NaNoWrMo, or National Novel Writing Month. Someone somewhere along the line crafted a spin-off called NaBloPoMo. or National Blog Posting Month. I'm going to try to do it- one post a day, even if it's just a picture or quote some days

2- We went up to Park City a few weeks ago. It was such a nice Saturday. We ate breakfast at Ruth's Diner and drove up Emigration Canyon to I-80. We walked up and down Main Street, saw a Banksy, stopped in at two bookstores (my favorite kind of stores), and took the free trolley. Brayden LOVED that trolley. We took Guardsman pass and Big Cottonwood Canyon the way back.

3- I just finished rereading The New York Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker. I really enjoy this book. I think she's a good writer and I find it refreshing when people are honest about the religious struggles they have. After checking it out of the library to read twice in two years, I think it's one I want to own.

4- I am really enjoying the books my book club has chosen. We take turns choosing and end up with a really good variety. Many times, it's a book I wouldn't have gotten to otherwise like The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt or As Nature Made Him by John Colapinto. This month, we are reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

5- I made Brayden a Halloween sensory bin. He has really spent a lot of time playing with it. I got the idea from various bloggers and Pinterest. I can't wait to make a Thanksgiving one.

6- I don't need another news show to watch, but I watched last night's Rock Center with Brian Williams during Brayden's nap. I really like Brian Williams. I'll probably try to catch it when I'm home. His first guest was Jon Stewart, and you all know how much I love him.

7- I've been watching Parenthood on Netflix instant streaming. Good show.

8- We had our nephew Jack sleep over on Friday night. I'm just going to say it- Jack and Brayden stayed up really, really late (3:00 am late). And made a huge mess. They had a blast though, and both of them helped Adam clean the next morning.

9- There's a city council race in Midvale making news. I haven't written on it, but it's made both big newspapers and Fox 13, at least. It's weird to not be able to write about it. I'm really interested in the outcome though. One more week.

10- My family had a Halloween party on Sunday night. We've got the Black Spiderman (does he have a name other than that?), Luigi, a butterfly, Woody, and Buzz.

Recently read

2011-10-18T22:55:00.000-06:00

Autobiography of an Execution by David R. Dow

"If you have reservations about supporting a racist, classist, unprincipled regime, a regime where white skin is valued far more highly than dark, where prosecutors hide evidence and policemen routinely lie, where judges decide what justice requires by consulting the most recent Gallup poll, where rich people sometimes get away with murder and never end up on death row, then the death-penalty system we have here in America will embarrass you to no end."

"In theory, there is a presumption of innocence in the American legal system, innocent until proven guilty, but in practice, it is just the opposite. Juries trust the police and the prosecutors, especially when the jurors are middle-class white folks. They think that if someone gets arrested and goes on trial, there must be good reasons to believe that he did it."

Squashed by Joan Bauer

"Winning's a fine thing, Ellie, but it's all the months and years before and after that made you who you are."

Cover Me: A Health Insurance Memoir by Sonya Huber

"Poverty and numbers alone had run us up against a last refuge, the generosity of a hospital that could write us off by claiming a donation to the poor. These things are the opposite of a guarantee and so the opposite of a sense of security. They impart the adrenaline rush of a bullet whizzing by one's ear, clipping millimeters of flesh and delivering a narrow margin of safety that emphasizes its own transience. This was my first real sense of us as three, as a family; three was the number that made our combined income not genteel poverty but a bit of an emergency, and three was the number that made the $3,000 disappear. I felt so guilty for putting my son to work in the numbers game in the weeks before he even understood the outlines of this world. He was already working, already helping with too much of the burden, for this thin-stretched family."

Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein

Wall Marks

Those stratchy marks there on the wall,
They show how short I used to be.
They rise until they get this tall,
And Mama keeps reminding me
The way my Dad would take his pen
And as I stood there, stiff and straight,
He'd put a ruler on my head
And mark the spot and write the date.
She says that it's my history,
But I don't understand at all
Just why she cries each time she sees
Those sratchy marks there on the wall.

Yesees and Noees

The Yesees said yes to anything
That anyone suggested.
The Noees said no to everything
Unless it was proven and tested.
So the Yesees all died of much too much
And the Noees all died of fright,
But somehow I think the Thinkforyourselfees
All came out all right.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-10-11T17:21:00.001-06:00

1- I went to the Counterpoint Conference I mentioned last week. I really enjoyed it. It's nice to know I'm not alone in my beliefs and issues with the church.
2- I got to go to said conference with a new friend, Miri. We've been commenting on each other's blogs for awhile now. Many of our political beliefs are similar. At least 10+ books on my to-read or recently read lists are because of her. She's a kindred spirit.

3- Yes, I said kindred spirit. I have Anne of Green Gables on my mind. It all started when someone tweeted the quote "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers" by L.M. Montgomery. I decided I finally needed to see the movie. Adam and I watched it last night. Adam actually loved it! He called it a "feel good movie" at least three times and laughed hysterically a couple of times too.

4- I'm pretty annoyed we still celebrate Columbus Day. If you don't know why, this Huffington Post essay is a good place to start Really, though, if you don't know that Columbus was a bad guy, please read Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen.

5- Hot guys reading. You're welcome.

6- On a related note, check out this hilarious Feminist Ryan Gosling blog.

7- Speaking of Ryan Gosling, I saw The Ides of March today. My wonderful husband could tell I needed a break today. It's a really good movie. Ryan Gosling is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors.

8- The theater aired a preview for a movie called Anonymous, another movie that alleges that Shakespeare didn't write the plays attributed to him. I don't know enough about those theories to have an opinion on them, but the movie looked interesting.

9- You all know I'm a nerd, so you won't be surprised when I tell you I bought both The Bippolo Seed by Dr. Seuss and Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein this last week. What's even more telling is how giddy I was about it.

10- You know how you get in a routine and do things the same way every time, especially with driving? Well, I drive out to Tooele at least two times a month because my sister lives out there. She's lived there for just over 18 months and I have always driven I-80. Until this week, that is. I drive the 201 freeway out there now. It may take a few more minutes, but it is much more interesting and scenic.

Busy bag exchange

2011-10-10T20:41:00.000-06:00

I hosted a busy bag exchange last week and it was a big success.

It all started with Pinterest, as many of my current ideas do. I started seeing busy bag activities getting pinned left and right, especially by a blogger/pinner/tweeter I like- Emily Kate. She posted on her blog that she was going to have a local exchange and was kind enough to share the sign-up list she painstakingly compiled. I decided to have my own. I opened it up to my Facebook friends with kids in the toddler and preschool ages. Then it got a little scary. I also invited people on a new homeschooling board I joined and allowed my friends to invite their friends, people I had never met. All my worry was for naught because everyone came through in a big way.

Bring it, winter! Here are just a few of the 24 toddler and preschool activities I now have on hand to fight winter boredom and television overload.

Reversible felt board and I Spy bottle

Spin and spell

Movable alphabet

Ten on Tuesday

2011-10-04T23:54:00.000-06:00

1- I want to write about my job and the things I've learned about politics, but I can't. It drives me nuts!
2- I've also learned a lot about writing. Still learning, in fact. Maybe it's just me, but AP style can be tricky. Plus, the paper I work for mostly follows AP, but not everything.

3- I like using the Oxford comma, but my editor keeps editing it out. I have to really focus on that when I write next month's articles. It reminds me of when I found out a year or two ago I wasn't supposed to use two spaces after a period. It took me a week or two to stop automatically hitting the space bar twice.

4- I am so glad I have an editor. I make the silliest spelling mistakes sometimes that spellcheck doesn't catch because the misspelled word is another real word. I promise I re-read everything before I send it to her, but I miss things.

5- I know all of these have been about my job so far. That is because the deadline for October's paper was on Monday. I got my redlines back today and luckily didn't have any major changes to make. That means other than city council meetings and two events tomorrow, I am free until staff meeting. Staff meeting is always two weeks after deadline, and I always waste those two weeks. I could get things pre-approved and start the articles early. In fact, I probably should. I haven't yet, though, in my seven months writing. From staff meeting until deadline is two weeks usually (three if it's a five week month).

6- My least favorite part of this job is getting people to talk to me. Almost everyone screens their work phone now. Most of the time, I have to call someone around three times before I get the quote or interview I need.

7- I really want to go to this Counterpoint Conference this weekend. Adam even has Saturday off (at least until 5 p.m.) so I think I'm going to go. I wish I didn't have to go alone, but it sounds so interesting that I will anyways.

8- The Occupy Wall Street protests really intrigue me. Mostly because I can't find a solid source of information for it. There is SO much on Twitter, but not verified, of course. Not much of the mainstream media is covering it, for obvious reasons. If an event is organized in SLC, I might take my little man to it. The We Are the 99 Percent message resonates with me.

9- I am going to have a hard time as Brayden gets old, I tell you. We have moved Brayden into his own bed in his own room. After a week, it still makes me sad.

10- In related news, Brayden is 27 months old, or 2 1/4 years old. I guess I should stop saying he's barely 2, huh?

East Canyon

2011-10-03T16:35:00.000-06:00

Fall drives are one of my favorite seasonal activities. A fall drive is also one of the few times I will tear myself away from a book or my iPod in the car.

Yesterday, my family took a fall drive up East Canyon. The leaves were not at their prime, but it may very well go down as one of my favorite drives. We saw huge groups of motorcyclists. We also saw a group of Mustang drivers (that's part of their line of cars in the picture above).

We saw this funny sign. You've got to love Utah and its rural ways.

This, my friends, is a herd of sheep that must have gotten loose from their rancher. We came around a curve as the front of the herd came on the main road from a cutoff. It was amazing to see. Brayden was asleep at this point and that made me so sad. They followed the main road for a bit, then crossed the road and went down into the trees.

It was such a beautiful day and a wonderful start to my favorite month. "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Yes I can!

2011-10-01T15:55:00.000-06:00

Canning is the quintessential housewife thing to do, at least in my eyes. I don't know that I'll ever be your typical housewife, though I sure do try. Here's my canning story:

My friend Karen and I took a drive in search of peaches one Saturday up Highway 89 near Brigham City. That was fun, although we underestimated what a half bushel would make and bought what seemed like a ton of peaches. We're low-key canners, or at least I am. We also had lunch at the Maddox drive-in. So good!

I went back up to her house in Ogden on Monday. We actually thought we would get it all done then (ha ha). We only got half of it done- making peach jam, peach syrup, and frozen peach slices. Sadly, the jam we made that night never fully set. Honestly, I'm sure I did something wrong, because I was so nervous about what constituted the beginning of a "rolling boil."

We made plans to do the other half later in the week, but life got in the way and I ended up with 1/2 a bushel to do by myself. I realized that I do not like canning by myself. It took so much longer to do anything. I kept asking Adam for help that he did not want to give (to his defense, it's not like this was his idea).

I made peach cobbler one night. It was good, but I am still in search of a better peach cobbler recipe. I've tried two in the last month- one ended up being a peach cake, not a cobbler! (So if you have a good recipe, LET ME KNOW!) The next morning, I made peach vanilla syrup. That afternoon, raspberry peach freezer jam. That evening, frozen peach slices.

All in all, I spent $36 on peaches, $7 on raspberries, and at least $20 on supplies. Two nights and one full day of my time. Here's what I ended up with:

5 quarts of frozen peach slices
7 quarts of peach vanilla syrup (2 of which I have given away already)
4 half pints and 1 pint of freezer jam
7 half pints and 2 quarts of peach jam

And yes, I'll probably do it again. As much as I complain, it's nice to have peaches in the winter.

What mothers do

2011-09-23T06:23:00.001-06:00

Honestly, it must have been fate. I can usually remember if someone specific recommends a book to me, but all I can think is that I found this book browsing on Goodreads. Thank goodness. Based on the title, I was expecting a feel-good book about motherhood. It was that, but it was also so much more. This book might be worth your while...

If you've ever felt like you do nothing all day at home with your baby.

"Has the time simply "gone?" Even now, as we look at her, you and I can clearly see that she is being present for her baby. She has given up her shower and her lunch. She is devoting her time and energy to him. We are looking at a baby who is being generously mothered. But most people would find it hard to explain this. Our language can be very clear and precise about anything practical. A person who has "tidied up" has both the words and a tidy area to show for it. It is much harder to find a word that describes the giving-up-things mode of attention a mother is giving to her baby."

If you wonder why motherhood looks so effortless for others and is so hard for you.

"A woman in the first shock of love is expected to be dreamy and forgetful. A person bereaved is expected to feel lonely and tearful. Mothers may be given a "warming-up" period of a couple of weeks. After that, they are usually expected to be calm and capable. Would it not be much more realistic to expect new mothers to be unprepared, anxious, confused, and very emotional for at least the first six months? If we could accept that this beginning is the norm for most new mothers, we would be in a better position to be supportive and respectful."

If you enjoy commiserating with other moms, but feel a twinge of regret when the advice begins. If you're guilty of dispensing unasked-for advice (I know I am).

"Rarely is it necessary to tell a mother what to do. It may demoralize her further, and it certainly does not help her to learn. A mother needs to feel safe enough to risk feeling uncertain. People who offer advice cannot know all the details of her situation. They also don't usually have to live with the long-term consequences of their advice. A mother needs time to "grow" into parenthood, together with her partner. She needs enough confidence to experiment and change her mind a few times. She needs to learn that some of her ideas work. The most uncertain and under-confident beginner can gradually turn herself into a unique mother."

Troy Davis

2011-09-21T20:59:00.000-06:00

I have kept myself busy all day, but it's been a very sobering, heavy heart kind of day for me. I just learned yesterday about a man named Troy Davis. This New York Times editorial is where I first learned about him and his case.He is a Georgia state inmate facing the death penalty for killing a police officer. His execution has been scheduled and then postponed for appeals four times.

His execution was scheduled for four hours ago, but there was a (very) last-minute temporary stay from the Supreme Court. As I write this, the Supreme Court has decided not to block the execution any longer. It is set to take place in the next half an hour.

I don't know whether he is guilty or innocent, but the case against him has many problems. The case lacks much physical evidence and is mostly based on the testimony of nine eyewitnesses. From the editorial:

The Savannah police contaminated the memories of four witnesses by re-enacting the crime with them present so that their individual perceptions were turned into a group one

The police showed some of the witnesses Mr. Davis’s photograph even before the lineup.

His lineup picture was set apart by a different background.

The lineup was also administered by a police officer involved in the investigation, increasing the potential for influencing the witnesses.

Seven of nine witnesses against Mr. Davis recanted after trial.

Six said the police threatened them if they did not identify Mr. Davis.

The man who first told the police that Mr. Davis was the shooter later confessed to the crime (and is one of the two eyewitnesses who did not recant).

The United States should not be on this list of countries that still practice the death penalty. I'm not up on my geography, so tell me if I am wrong, but the U.S. appears to be one of two developed countries (Japan being the other).

I'm categorically against the death penalty, but realize it probably will not be repealed. That aside, I think it is reprehensible that a man is being executed when there is this much doubt.

I am not proud to be an American today.

Birthday #2

2011-09-12T08:46:00.000-06:00

This is super late, I know. Brayden turned two on July 2nd, right in the middle of the six week long flare-up. Because of that, his party was really low-key. We had it at a nearby park, we ordered pizza and I made cupcakes.

It scared me to death to let him on that tire swing (overprotective mom), but he loved it.

He got way too many presents. His favorite was probably a Leapfrog Laptop. My favorite was a 6 week pass to Gymboree. We'll use it this winter when we're cooped up inside.

I have to catch my breath every time I see close-up pictures like this of him. I just love his little face.

I love 2!

2011-09-12T07:23:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, I shouldn't love 2. The 2s are infamous for being terrible. I was a nanny for twin two year olds, and I'm sure I threw the phrase around then as well as when my nephews or nieces hit that age. Not I'm not quite sure why, because we're having a blast.

-He's so independent at some things, but still really dependent too. That might be part of why people say it's a hard age. I will admit annoyance at hearing "I do it!" when I try to put Brayden in his carseat when we're in a rush. Really, though, it goes so much better if I plan ahead so he can climb up himself.

-Brayden is obsessed with the alphabet. B is his favorite. He asks us to write "B, B, B" on his Etch-a-Sketch over and over again. Wait, I don't really love that part. It is cute though. Right now, he knows B, U, and Z for sure and can also identify A and C most of the time. (I wrote this part when I started this post a month ago. Since then, he has learned to identify all the letters.)

-I could just go on and on about the learning. Two year olds are little sponges. Yes, that means he has repeated something I shouldn't have said once or twice. It also means he can count to 10, he has songs and parts of books memorized.

-I'm finally seeing some independent play. It used to be that I had to put a movie on when I made dinner or cleaned. Sometimes I don't have to now, and that makes me really glad because he watches too much tv as it is.

California- Huntington Beach

2011-09-10T08:22:00.000-06:00

Originally, I had wanted to go to the Santa Monica beach and pier. It was too far away, and we had to wait for Andy's training to be over. Andy did some searching online and found out that Huntington Beach was actually pretty close to where we were staying. It doesn't have a pier like Santa Monica, but it was still fun. Brayden pulled the same trick that he did at Disneyland and wasn't happy at first. It was my fault because I took him straight to the water and it was colder than I thought it would be. He cheered up though once he dried off.

Good with the bad- Here's proof of his beach sadness.

And proof that he started to cheer up as he dried off.

Here's proof Andy was on this trip too.

I prefer mountains to the beach, but I admit sunsets at the beach are pretty awesome.

California- Disneyland

2011-09-09T19:19:00.000-06:00

Side note: I just realized I never posted about the rest of my California trip! I'll keep these up at the current date for a couple days then move them to May where they belong!

Disneyland- I know Brayden won't remember his first trip to Disneyland. It's probably better that way since Adam wasn't with us. I had so much fun though. I'll admit to a bit of a rough start since Brayden was very cranky while we were in line for our first ride (Finding Nemo). In fact, I nursed him while in the submarine, mostly just to keep him from crying and bothering everyone else. After that, it was better. We went on a good mix of rides everyone could go on and rides only the adults and Jackson got to go on. Adam's brother John who lives in Southern California went with us. I felt a little guilty getting to see Adam's brother when Adam had not seen him since Christmas, but I didn't feel guilty for long. Jackson loved having him around, and it helped to have an equal adult-to-child ratio. Here's some photographic evidence of our trip to Disneyland:

Mary Poppins

2011-09-06T09:52:00.000-06:00

We went to Mary Poppins on Sunday. It was so fun. I love both the music and the story of a family coming together. This was on my "30 before 30" list. In fact, I've crossed off a few:

~~3- Make at least one book for Brayden.~~

~~24- Buy or make a keepsake box for Brayden to hold trinkets like the hospital bracelets, coming home outfit, etc.~~

~~26- Go to a play.~~

~~29- Go to the midnight showing for Harry Potter this July.~~

Life's little joys: Mom edition

2011-09-02T21:11:00.000-06:00

-Finishing a book during Brayden's nap
-Blasting the radio the few times I drive somewhere alone
-Not having to share my meal
-Grocery shopping alone
-Going to a movie or play
-Hanging out with a friend without Brayden

The last one is what spurred this post. I got to hang out with my friend Karen today. We've only hung out without Brayden around twice in his two years. I painted my nails. I got a frozen hot chocolate all to myself. It was so relaxing to not have to chase after him in the stores.

I feel guilty for even writing these, like I should say "selfish mom edition." I know I shouldn't though. I spend the majority of my time with Brayden. When I'm not with him, I often miss him. Sometimes, you need a break. For me, these little breaks are things I did OFTEN before Brayden. So it's nice to still go out to a movie sometimes, because I feel like Megan again. For a few hours anyways, then I am dying to be "Momma" again.

Looking forward to...

2011-08-30T20:34:00.001-06:00

-The Muppets movie (and this nail polish collection) I just watched the preview and yes, it looks cheesy, but I still want to see it. I want to get some of that nail polish too.

-Crossed by Ally Condie In fact, just thinking about Crossed makes me want to reread Matched!

-Ides of March Politics, George Clooney and Ryan Gosling? I am so in.

-Up All Night I love Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph. I have high hopes for this show even though he hasn't really had a successful show since Arrested Development. And Arrested Development achieved most of it's success after it went off the air.

-Bradley Cooper playing Lucifer Hollywood is making a film adaptation of Paradise Lost. This could go very wrong, but I do like the idea of Bradley Cooper playing Lucifer. He seems like a very smooth, sneaky guy.

-The Iron Lady Meryl Streep can do no wrong.

-J. Edgar (directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Leonardo DiCaprio) J. Edgar Hoover is one of those historical figures I didn't learn much about in school history classes. I remember learning about McCarthy, but not Hoover and it seems like Hoover was just as bad. I know this shows how much of a nerd I am, but I cannot wait to see this.

-The Great Gatsby film (also with Leonardo DiCaprio) Leo as Jay Gatsby? Swoon. You have to understand that I was at a very impressionable age when Leo played the characters of Romeo and Jack (Titanic). I've had a bit of a crush on him ever since.

-Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien A dystopian novel involving reproductive choices- you know that's one I'll be reading.

Moderation in politics is dying, or why I'm considering registering Republican

2011-07-28T22:05:00.001-06:00

This blog post on the ideology of our nation's Governors is really interesting. He assigns each Governor a score of zero (liberal) to 100 (conservative). He then looked at exit polls for each state and gave the state an ideology score.

As I expected, most current Democrat governors are more moderate than current Republican governors. I didn't expect it to be this extreme though:

Unlike for the Democrats, there is almost no ideological diversity within the group: essentially all of the current Republican governors are quite conservative, taking moderate positions on at most one or two issues. Also unlike the Democrats, there is no correlation between the ideology of the governors and the ideology of the states. Whether you have a Republican governor in a fairly liberal state like Maine, a moderate state like Ohio, or a conservative one like Idaho, his agenda is likely to be highly conservative.

And then he really threw me a curve ball:

The closest thing to an exception — the outlier in the chart — is Gov. Gary R. Herbert of Utah, who shares some of the moderate tendencies of his predecessor, Jon M. Huntsman Jr.

I guess I need to stop complaining about him so much. I just hope the fact that he is more moderate than the state is as a whole doesn't mean the same thing that happened to Bob Bennett will happen to him.

In fact, this is another reason I'm considering registering Republican in time for primary season 2012. Utah GOP has this insane rule that you have to be registered Republican to vote in the Republican primaries. I will register Republican if it means I can place a vote for Huntsman against Romney (assuming Huntsman is still in the race), for Hatch against Jason Chaffetz or whatever Tea Party candidate runs again him, and Herbert if a Tea Party candidate runs against him. This is big. I never thought I would vote for Hatch or Herbert. But if I have to register Republican and embrace the moderate ones, I think I'll do it- at least in the primaries.

Thank You, Harry

2011-07-27T20:48:00.000-06:00

via across the stars

I have to say that I am so glad the last movie came out when it did. Yes, I am sad that there aren't any more books and movies to look forward to. However, this movie's release timing was just perfect for me.

The week before the movie came out was the worst of the six week long flare-up. I was in so much pain. Honestly, being preoccupied with all things Harry Potter helped me get through it. I watched one movie a day leading up to seeing Deathly Hallows Part 2. I started rereading the book as well. I talked about it with friends. I started a Harry Potter board on Pinterest. Go take a look at it and come back. Here are my favorites:

via deviantart

Wouldn't a Harry Potter Guess Who? game be awesome? It looks like the link is a bit of a dead end and doesn't actually have the artwork download, but maybe someone else will do it.

via Chicago Scooter Club

I love this picture. The first movie may be cheesy, and these four actors needed time to grow into their role and learn stronger acting skills, but they sure succeeded. Chris Columbus did a terrific casting job.

Yes, I'm aware that I am a nerd. But at least I was a nerd not thinking as much about the pain she was in. Really, I can't put into words what the whole 10+ year span of Harry Potter books and movies movies have meant to me, but just in that week before the 21st it meant the world to me.

Play or Communism?

2011-07-23T08:19:00.000-06:00

My sister and I have had a six month membership to the Discovery Children's Museum, and have been to its current Play exhibit twice. From that link:

“Play” is a family-oriented interactive traveling museum and science center exhibition that uses larger-than-life clubhouse-style games to explore how people connect socially through play.

Six giant all-body interactive game experiences allow visitors to literally step into the action, alone or with others, to experience a wide range of social dynamics, such as collaboration, teamwork, tolerance, empathy and group perspective. “Play” is designed to help children and adults explore relationships and social engagement as relate to their daily lives and to larger communities and environments.

• “The Collective Experience’ - a pool table surface with a set of nine giant billiard balls visitors can move, each ball creating its own musical tone, which synchronize with others to create a complex composition

• “The Will of the Group”- a foosball table that allows visitors to step into the role of players’ positions to explore the importance of individual expression and respecting the will of the group

• “The Power of Many”- a unique bowling experience, where visitors move together down the alley to achieve different outcomes; the experience demonstrates the power of group support and overcoming challenges as teams

• “Sum and Sum” - a full set of giant, soft-play dominoes encourages creativity and active play, with everyone working together to create buildings, forts and mazes or playing a simple version of the domino game; the activities are designed to promote cooperation and skills

• “Counterpoint”- a giant backgammon board that emits different tones when stepped on, represents the balance and movement found in music to explore how dialogue, like a melody, is achieved in responding to the actions of others; with success, the melody can become a polyphonic symphony

• “One Message” - a giant game die comes to life, with voices communicating strikingly similar proverbial messages shared by many cultures; on each face, the dots (or ‘pips’) vocalize the medley of voices from past generations and varied languages around the world

I was shocked to read this letter to the editor in the Salt Lake Tribune accusing the exhibit of having a "political agenda" because the different games require children to work together, therefore reeking of collectivism and to take it a step further, communism. Here's the text of the letter from that link:

After visiting the Discovery Gateway children’s museum, I was shocked that its new exhibit, “Play,” is lined with political agenda. The exhibit, which “uses larger-than-life clubhouse-style games to explore how people connect socially,” features giant group games: dominoes, backgammon, bowling, pool and a strange robot funhouse — all requiring children to collaborate.

The exhibit was bizarre, like Alice in Wonderland, but the kids had fun. However, when my friend pointed out an exhibit description on a wall, I realized this was a politically charged exhibit focusing on the “collective experience.”

Collectivism has reared its head in ugly forms, such as communism, socialism and fascism. It seeks to make the individual unimportant and instead makes collective decisions for the group. Kind of a one-size-fits-all policy.

Collectivism is currently showing its face in our government as it attempts the redistribution of wealth, common property ownership and controlling business and health care. This dangerous philosophy seeks to destroy diversity of lifestyle and opinion. Collectivism is the antithesis to celebrating diversity, loving one another and practicing social tolerance.

I’m furious that our county Zoo, Arts and Parks tax dollars are funding exhibits like this, with so damaging a political agenda.

Seriously? (Imagine that in the voice of SNL Weekend Update's Seth Meyers or Amy Poehler.) Like I said, I've been there twice now. I've never seen anyone else other than myself (and my sister and Mom yesterday when I pointed it out) read the sign up explaining the exhibit. Even if a child read it, really? You really think they would come to the point you're claiming they would? That's absolutely insane. I used to be as right-wing as they come (I can show you an old journal if you'd like- hey, that might be a funny post!) but this is just going too far. No child is going to get what you're inferring.

RA

2011-07-22T19:21:00.001-06:00

It's been a long, hard six weeks. Sometime in early June, my joints started hurting all over, all the time. It's only started to ease up this week.I don't like to feel like I'm begging for sympathy, so I've only told a handful of people outside of family. After two blood tests, it's been decided that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis.

It makes sense. My dad has it. I've know for a few years that I have bursitis, something that often goes hand-in-hand with RA and can become chronic when combined with RA. Even when I was at my lowest weight since high school three years ago before being pregnant, I couldn't run more than one mile.

It's really hard to have such an invisible problem. Other than slight swelling that is usually only visible to me, I look like I should be fine. Therefore, I tried my hardest to act like I was fine (to most people). I popped Ibuprofen like it was candy. I didn't tell my boss, which led her, understandably, to wonder why my writing wasn't so good this month.

I'm adjusting though. I'm eating foods and take supplements known to help (and thinking of trying an elimination diet), I've set up a chiropractic appointment and should be getting a specialist referral in the next week or so. I'm trying to get more sleep and take better care of myself.

Another part of my action plan is to keep doing the things I enjoy- like blogging. I didn't want to complain about the pain, but I should have kept blogging about about other things- like Brayden's birthday, Harry Potter, and politics (of course). I think I'll backtrack and write about it all anyway. It's like therapy, and I think my personal writing helps me with my paid writing as well.

I will start posting my random musings again tomorrow hopefully. I don't want this post at the top of my blog for long. I want to get back to being my nerdy, all over the place self.

Bye, bye baby

2011-06-20T12:53:00.000-06:00

Brayden is almost two years old, and I have never been away from him a whole night. He was 11 months when I first thought it might happen. My sister's labor was at night, and I was sure I would be there all night with her. Her labor went fast, however. I'm sure she appreciated that, and I did too. I was there to support her and be present for my niece's arrival, of course, but I have to admit I was relieved that I was home by 1:00am.

Just after Brayden's first birthday, Harry Potter came out. I went to the midnight showing, but I made Adam stay home with Brayden. I put him to bed, then left at 11:00pm and was back by about 3:00 am. I'll be doing the same thing when the last movie comes out next month hopefully.

Soon after that, I won movie tickets and a free night stay at the Castle Creek Inn. This was in July, and the stay didn't expire until the end of November. I planned on being ready by then, especially since we spent our wedding night (and our 5th anniversary) there. On a whim, I gave the voucher to a friend who took these amazing pictures of our little family. She used them immediately, and her son is just three weeks older than Brayden. I don't know why I gave them up so readily when I was planning on using it later, or why she was ready and I was not.
That's when I started to wonder if something was wrong with me. Ten months later, and I'm still wondering. I don't think I know anyone who has gone two years without a night (or more) away. I'm not bragging about it at all. I'm actually wondering if I am too attached.

I think Brayden would do fine. The people watching him might not get a full night's sleep, but he would be fine for one night. Adam would do fine. Adam has spent multiple nights away from him. It's me who isn't ready.

Am I alone in this??

Congress as America

2011-06-14T02:25:00.000-06:00

My friend Miri posted this link on Facebook. Go click on the link and take a gander. Don't worry, I'll wait. Can you imagine if this really happened, if Congress demographically represented America?

There would be 218 female legislators, not just 91.

81 of our representatives would be from a party other than Democrat or Republican. These third parties don't seem so counterculture when you look at it that way, right?

This isn't a surprise, but most minority groups are very under-represented. There are 44 African Americans, 27 Hispanics, 10 Asian, and 1 American Indian. In this truly representative Congress, there would be 20 more African Americans, 59 more Hispanics, 15 more Asians, and 4 more American Indians.

All of the major religions are very well-represented. The thing that caught my eye in the religion section is that 70 representatives would be unaffiliated with a specific religion when in reality no current representatives are. I don't think this one is good or bad necessarily, just interesting.

The other examples, however, give a glimpse as to what is wrong with politics right now. It's mostly a mens' game for many reasons I won't go into here. A game for wealthy, white men. Go ahead and say I'm wrong all you want, but that's how I see it and this illustration just proves it.

As for having a "third" party, I'm becoming more and more open to it. Not everyone fits squarely into the Democrat or Republican label. I have to say it makes me mad when the candidate I liked loses and the pundits say it's because so-and-so took just enough votes away. I don't know how to fix the system so that another party can be more viable, but it would be nice.

The postpartum body

2011-06-13T14:02:00.001-06:00

I knew I liked Pink. She seems so real. This is what the typical woman looks like days after birth. Other female entertainers need to follow her example, and not hide away for a month until they are back to their pre-baby body.

And don't you love pictures of dads babywearing? Love it.

Keepsake box

2011-05-26T18:48:00.000-06:00

I finished one of my 30 before 30 goals, without even really trying. I've always had a treasure chest type box in mind for a keepsake box, but I wanted a metal one and I could only find really expensive ones online. The past two Saturdays have been nice so my mom and I have gone to garage sales, and I found this chest at one of them. It's not perfect, but I love it. I thought about spray-painting it, but Adam doesn't want me to so I decided not to for now.

Coming up on 2

2011-05-18T09:19:00.000-06:00

Brayden's first "rock climb" from Megan Bishop on Vimeo.

I looked back and realize I haven't really given an update on Brayden since March. He's 22 months old now.

He can say 2-3 word phrases, but usually just with prompting. He's singing along more to songs. When I sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to him, he sings the last word in each phrase- star, are, high, sky, etc. And with "Wheels on the Bus" he pipes in with town, "wah wah wah" and "shh shh shh." When we laugh and he doesn't really understand why, he has this fake laugh he does, and then he says "uh-huh funny." He also says "funny" when he makes us laugh. Oh, he finally started saying "grandma" this week. Up until now, he has just said "grandpa" and used the term for my mom and Adam's mom as well. I don't know what took him so long, but he says it now and my mom loves it.

We got him one of those little basketball hoops, and he really likes it. Toy Story (any of them) have taken over the top movie spot from Tangled. He's now obsessed with bugs- he is a boy after all. When we go on walks, it takes forever and we never get very far because he keeps stopping to look at bugs, rocks or flowers.

He doesn't like the stroller anymore. Or holding our hands. Or being held on walks. We usually go back and forth between letting him walk until he tries to run off, and then picking him up. It's very annoying, but I know it's a sign of independence and that's good. He's growing up, whether I want him to or not. Which reminds me, I'm freaking out realizing that the next update I give will probably be when he's 2.

Politics and religion

2011-05-15T10:00:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm getting back into posting about politics. Didn't you know there's an election in 18 months? That's like tomorrow. Just kidding- I know it's a long ways away, but even though I'm over 99% sure I will vote to re-elect President Obama, I'm feeling sorry for one of the bajillion possible Republican candidates.

Did you read the article in the Salt Lake Tribune about former Utah governor Huntsman's faith? Basically, He said this in a TIME magazine interview: “I’m a very spiritual person and proud of my Mormon roots.” And then on whether he is still a member: “That’s tough to define. There are varying degrees. I come from a long line of saloon keepers and proselytizers, and I draw from both sides.”

In response, a political science student at BYU said, “I understand what he’s doing to an extent, but why not just come out and say ‘yes,’ or ‘no’? He’s been so coy about his beliefs that I just kind of find it somewhat disingenuous.” Seriously? He think he's just being coy? There's no chance he actually feels that way and is in a questioning phase (similar to the one I've been stuck in for a few years)? It's wrong that he brings part of the Hindu faith into his family because he adopted a girl born into that faith? I think not.

I loved Robert Kirby's response, especially this quote: Had the “good Mormon” question been posed during my campaign last year, I would have instructed my press spokesman to issue the following statement: “Thank you for coming. Mr. Kirby went to church last week. Here’s a picture. Beyond that, his level of commitment to his faith is none of your [flippin’] business. Thank you.”

Even though I consider myself liberal, I liked Huntsman as Governor, especially once he left and we got stuck with his way more conservative Lieutenant Governor. I think he's a good centrist. He obviously showed that by taking a post in Obama's cabinet. Of course, that's yet another thing hard Republicans don't like about him- he's actually able to work well with a Democrat president. Good heavens, people. It is a good thing to be able to reach across the aisle. And while faith shouldn't matter in politics, it does, so we should appreciate his honesty about his spirituality and faith (or lack thereof).

California- Kidspace Museum

2011-05-14T10:14:00.001-06:00

The drive to California wasn't too bad. We left at the crazy hour of 4:30 AM. Leaving that early and gaining the hour when we got into the pacific time zone made it so we actually beat my brother-in-law, Andy, to the hotel. We didn't do much that first night, although we did go to Trader Joe's. My first time there and I so wish we had one here.

On Tuesday, we got up and had the hotel breakfast. It was AWESOME. They had a waffle machine where you could make your own Belgian waffles, then they had fruit toppings, chocolate chips, whipped cream and syrup. My favorite was chocolate chips with whipped cream. Nicki and I decided we would check out the Kidspace Children's Museum. We got there 20 minutes before they open, but no worries- there was a park on the grounds. The museum was great. Amazing for older kids, like my nephew Jack. Brayden had fun too, though, it's just based for older kids. If you're friends with me on Facebook, you've heard this already- we met Julie Bowen today. AKA Claire Dunphy on Modern Family. AKA the coolest mom on television (well, tied with Gloria and Cam). I was so excited! She has a 4 year old and two year old twins (and she even showed a picture of her breastfeeding the twins last year on the George Lopez show). She was so nice even though I was totally awkward. I was trying to slyly get a picture of her, and at one point Brayden and one of her twins were playing at the same exhibit. The Brayden walked away though, and she bent over to help her son... so yeah. Still took a picture, just to laugh about it, but I won't post it.

Brayden crawling out of the ant hole

One of a few different climbing structures in the museum

Jackson playing the drums with water

Jackson and Brayden playing in the splash fountain

28

2011-05-05T00:56:00.000-06:00

The world we live in

2011-05-02T19:15:00.001-06:00

I know I haven't posted for awhile, and I have other stuff to blog, but I just have to write this post on Twitter and the death of Osama bin Laden. Hardly anyone reads this anymore, it's basically a personal journal and I want to make sure I can tell my kid(s) and hopefully grandkids about where I was, how I found out, and tell them some jokes about it too. However, if you do read it, and think you might be offended that people were joking on Twitter in regards to bin Laden's death, just skip over the joke part at the end.
I was sitting in the bathroom using the Twitter app on my iPod while Brayden was in the tub. People started mentioning around 7:45 pm that the President was going to speak at 8:30. Multiple people in my twitter stream (if you don't know about Twitter, it's just like the Facebook news feed) started wondering and getting worried since it was late (Eastern time) on a Sunday, and definitely not a typical time for the President to speak on the television. Most people thought it would be about Libya, but that was soon denied. I should have taken this time to put Brayden to bed, but I didn't. The President was supposed to speak in 15 minutes, after all, and I didn't want to miss it.

Around 8:15 it was all over Twitter that Osama bin Laden was dead. And if reports are right, the news broke on Twitter. One, a former chief of staff for Donald Rumsfield tweeted that a reputable person told him we got Osama, but that he wasn't completely sure. Two, there was an IT guy in the same town as the compound that unknowingly live-tweeted the raid.

By this point, I had heard the news and put it on Facebook, but I still wanted to hear the President say it before I truly believed it. And so Brayden stayed up. And the President didn't come on at 8:30, or 8:45. I may be wrong but I think it was about 9:00. I think his speech was just right. He emphasized that the thanks needs to go to the intelligence and counterterrorism professionals and especially to the men who carried out the mission, as to all people who have served in the military since 2001. He let the American people know that he only ordered this to be done after being completely sure Osama was there and that the intelligence was good. And amazingly, no Americans were harmed and it sounds like there were few civilian casualties if any. That's the way it should be done, in my opinion.

Here are some of the tweets I took note of last night:

Serious, heartfelt tweets
-Bin Laden dead. May God have mercy on his soul. I am grateful for the US military and their long, patient service.
-We should also thank the many members of the CIA who carried out this dangerous mission and will probably never get any credit.
-Spontaneous singing of national anthem outside White House gates
-What worries me? Bin Laden has had almost 10 years to plan retaliation for his death. SO hoping our country stays safe still.
-He sat and laughed at the Correspondent's Dinner last night knowing that this was imminent. Balls of iron. (And then her next tweet, because Twitter limits you to 140 characters- Yes, yes, this is why I voted for him. Because he can lead. He is not perfect. But he can lead.

Funny tweets
-Mr. President, you're late.
-Got Bin Laden AND interrupted Celebrity Apprentice? Win for Obama all around. (Jimmy Fallon)
-Watching CNN stall for time is very entertaining. They have absolutely nothing to say, but they're saying it very urgently.
-Let's all take this time to thank the one person who no doubt was behind the killing of -Jack Bauer.
-So the Kenyan Muslim president got it done?
-No matter what Obama says, bin Laden's not dead until Donald Trump sees his death certificate.
-Well, at least this'll put an end to f'in Royal Wedding talk. (No, it didn't. The Today Show still talked about it in great deal this morning.)
-Turns out sending some badass special ops guys into Pakistan is a more effective way of killing Bin Laden than invading Iraq.
-I hope it turns out that Bin Laden was killed by an openly gay soldier.
-True story: Bin Laden was caught while watching "Real Housewives of Islamabad" on an 80" plasma. (Rainn Wilson... aka Dwight from The Office)

And this last one is my favorite. I couldn't wait until I finished this post, so I've already posted it on Facebook:

The military got suspicious when they found a mansion built by the Bluth Company in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Arrested Development, baby!

Ten on Tuesday- good and bad

2011-04-12T22:49:00.000-06:00

1- I'm taking Brayden to Disneyland next week!! I'm going along with my sister's family. Her husband will be flying down for work and Nicki and I will drive down to meet him. Three kids in the backseat of a car for 12 hours- should be interesting, right? Really, though, I'm excited to have the opportunity to have another vacation this year inexpensively.

2- You all know I love me some Jon Stewart- Here's a clip showing how wrong some of the "reports" and "statistics" that are being said about Planned Parenthood are.

3- Brayden is saying "uv you!" Only when he's prompted so far, but I still love it. He's my angel, he sure is.

4- I saw this story online and it makes me so mad. It is okay if a boy wants his nails painted. In fact, Brayden's nails are painted right now. He saw my blue nails and wanted his own. Let kids enjoy things without forbidding things because of gender stereotypes.
5- I'm still reading and loving Bossypants. I'm actually trying to read it slowly so I can enjoy it longer. Here's just a sample of Tina Fey's awesomeness- "Kim Kardashian, who, as we know, was made by Russian scientists to sabotage our athletes."

6- I follow Parenting magazine on Twitter, and today they quoted Jumpstart organization as saying that "Kindergarten teachers can predict with 90% accuracy which children will graduate." If this is true, and I don't doubt it... why on earth are we not putting more funding into early intervention and training for teachers?

7- This quote I found on Pinterest is so me. "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." I'm in no way saying that I'm in the same league as Einstein, but I do love my curiosity.

8- Parenting also mention this during the Mom Congress they are having this week- A child in an average family on welfare hears 62,000 words/week vs. 215,000 words for a professional family. This ties into education like #6. Parents need help too, especially low-income parents.

9- I love the lyrics to this song by Pink.
10- I'm not going to say anything specific, but a weird thing related to my new job happened this week. Someone broke the law, and I got to sit and listen to them talk about other people breaking the law and what their punishment should or should not be. I shouldn't be surprised, what with me writing government stories and all.

I did it!

2011-04-08T15:14:00.001-06:00

I know today isn't a good day. The government is messed up, spring in Utah is playing hard to get, etc.

But... I finished my first issue with the Midvale Journal! It goes to the press tonight, and I should be able to see my name in print next week.

I know it's not a big deal, and the pay isn't that good, but I'm happy about this new opportunity. It's only about 10 hours a month away from Brayden (the rest I do on my own time). It's writing experience. It's something for my resume. And it helps me feel productive. I feel exactly like Kerri does: "There's even a chance that I work best and am happiest when I face a mental challenge." When I am busy, I am happy and stressed at the same time.

Randomalities:
-I just discovered Mom-In-A-Million's blog and I love it! She writes what I wish I could write about politics.
-Have you all heard of Pinterest? Such a beautiful, beautiful timesuck. Here's my profile. Let me know if you'd like an invite. I especially love my Recipes and Kiddo Ideas boards. There's some great recipes and ideas on there that I can't wait to try.
-I saw Limitless yesterday. It wasn't the best movie, but definitely entertaining. Especially the notion of a drug that allows you to access your whole brain. That would be pretty awesome.
-I'm reading Tina Fey's book Bossypants. So, so funny. I have such a girl crush on her. She's smart, funny, and pretty all at the same time.

365

2011-04-03T21:48:00.000-06:00

3/21- We finally decided to fix up the kitchen with some of our tax refund money. Adam is starting by fixing a broken cupboard, so in this picture he's is cutting something he needs to stabilize the cupboard (I think).

3/22- And now he's actually fixing the cupboard. I'm sure Brayden was a HUGE help.

3/23- While Adam toiled away in the kitchen, Brayden and I escaped to the zoo for Jackson's 6th birthday.

3/24- The painting continues. In fact, it still isn't done. Adam will make final touch ups tomorrow and commence with putting new hardware on.

3/25- As you can see, Adam and I lived on Diet Dr. Pepper during this ordeal. Brayden got sick... but ended up hating the pedialyte drink.

3/26- Still feeling a little sick. He didn't want to wear clothes, but he wanted to wear his slipper boots.

3/27- I love these illustrations. I've thought of trying to frame this spread for Brayden's room somehow. The book is called Little Blue Truck and it's written by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Jill McElmurry.

3/28- I have a bit of an obsession with Carter's pajamas. I love them! I got these and the Mommy's Space Explorer ones he's wearing in the 3/22 pictures.

3/29- I'm on a Roswell kick thanks to the Barlows and instant streaming on Netflix. Please ignore the fingerprints in the lower left corner. Somebody likes to get up on the table and touch the tv.

3/30- Boys and their toys. We have a Wii again, and Brayden likes "playing" it with his daddy.

3/31- On our way into the zoo. This smile makes my heart melt. Love, love, love.

4/1- We met a friend and her boy at the park today. It was a glorious day, and the first official shorts and sandals day of the day for Brayden.

4/2- Brayden loves putting his bunny ears on and saying "hop, hop, hop" while jumping around.

4/3- Snow. In April. After temperatures in the 70s and sandal day.

Badges of Motherhood

2011-03-30T22:36:00.000-06:00

I earned yet another badge of motherhood today. One of the physical ones. I don't know yet if it will be a temporary one or a permanent one.

So far, the only permanent badge I have are the stretch marks on my stomach. I bet they'll fade after I finish having kids and get in better shape, but if they don't I couldn't care less. The website The Shape of a Mother has helped me reach that clarity.

And the temporary ones: well, as any pregnant woman can attest, they start before you meet your baby. From a bigger chest to red splotchy itchy skin to a growing bump, signs of motherhood are all around.

Up to a third of women have a permanent c-section scar. I don't know for myself how it would feel to have one, but I'm sure the feelings range from the extreme of gratitude (if the surgery was lifesaving) to regret (if the experience was traumatic).

If you breastfed, you'll know those badges. Engorgement, plugged ducts, and maybe even teeth marks. All temporary, thank goodness!

And the bags under my eyes and constant yawning, well, I'm starting to think that might be permanent. Especially since Brayden isn't sleeping through the night yet.

For some time, I had blisters on my hands constantly from carrying his car seat. My biceps grew stronger.

As for today? We had a wonderful breakfast at a restaurant in downtown Provo and decided to walk around afterwards. Brayden was playing on a raised concrete enclosed garden (only dirt, no flowers yet) between the sidewalk and road. He started walking towards the road side and was about to step down. I went to get him, and tripped. The gash isn't long, but is somewhat deep. It really hurts tonight, and my arms do too from trying to catch my fall. I really hope it doesn't leave a permanent scar. If it does, Brayden will hear about it to no end.

What are your badges of motherhood?

Birthdays and anniversarys

2011-03-23T13:27:00.000-06:00

The past week has been super busy. I'm adjusting to my new job, plus we decided to finally get around to fixing up our kitchen. My mind has been going non-stop too, as I've been reflecting on some things.

-My Grandma's birthday was the 19th. She would have been 92. I still miss her so much. I won't idolize her. She definitely had her flaws (and passed some of them to me). She gave her life to her family though. I hope I can do the same.

-It was March of last year I quit my job. It's worked out so much better than I thought. I'm able to sub at the library, and now write for the Journal. I'm bringing in some income, but I don't feel like I am away from Brayden too much. Adam and I are making things work on our terms and that makes me so happy, even if it seems unconventional to most people.

-My nephew's birthday is today. I have eight nieces and nephews, and their birthdays are all important to me, of course. Jackson's birthday has some significant meaning, though. His birth was the first birth I've seen, and it was so special to me. It definitely started bringing out the ""birth junkie" in me. Most importantly, his birthday reminds me to love people, no matter what. How I first reacted to the news of my sister's pregnancy and treated her is one of the things I regret most in my life. I was so wrapped up in "She did the wrong thing" that I didn't think about how she must be feeling. Now that he is six years old, I can't imagine him not being here as part of our family.

Lastly, I have a guest post over at Hormonal Imbalances about child spacing... a subject that is always on my mind now. With that, I should go help Adam paint. But I'll probably not and say I did. :)

365

2011-03-20T22:14:00.000-06:00

3/7- Brayden is getting into puzzles, and this is one of his favorites. Except for that dang heart- he can never seem to get it in the right way. :)

3/8- Don't you love it when they fall asleep somewhere other than a bed? It's so cute.

3/9- Meet my crazy, wonderful nephew Jack. He's wearing a duck eye mask over a turtle hoodie over a Batman mask.

3/10- Happy birthday Adam! His dad and step-mom took us out to eat at Goodwood.

3/11- His form is decent right? :)

3/12- I got this milkshake cup from Max Brenner and I love it.

3/13- Remind you of anyone?

3/14- I went to my first staff meeting for my new job. The editor said "I'll send you that" so many times that I was terrified to check my e-mail when I got home. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as I feared- only 5 work e-mails were waiting for me.

3/15- Brayden had his second dentist appointment today, and the first one using some of the tools.

3/16- I love that we can spend time playing outside almost every day now.

3/17- St. Patrick's Day corn muffins

3/18- Brayden loves the water exhibit at the Discovery museum.

3/19- We bought a new couch and loveseat today. After using a hand-me-down for almost two years, it was time.

3/20- My beautiful niece Sophie and her messy face. I just love messy food faces on babies.

Ketchup

2011-03-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

I'm so sad about what happened in Japan today. It's hard to even think about. Natural disasters and especially earthquakes are so terrifying to me, probably because it's been drilled into me since elementary school that Utah is due for a big one "any day now" (and that was 20 years ago).

*****

But... I got a job! I'm going to cover the government beat for the Midvale Valley Journal. It will be nice since most of my work will be done at home. Plus, I will get paid to write! And will see my name in print! Remember my New Year's resolution? Well, I am definitely doing good on the one about writing so far.

*****

Adam's 30th birthday was yesterday. Happy birthday, my love! It got me thinking, and I've decided to make a 30 before 30 list. I have a few ideas- have another baby, go camping, etc. What else should I put on my list? I should probably put getting an article published, because that should be accomplished in the next month or so.

*****

Karma got me tonight. Last night, I laughed at Nicki when Sophie pooped in the tub while we were on the phone. Just guess what happened to me tonight. I'll just say I'll be bleaching toys later.

*****

After said bath, Brayden was sitting on my lap drying off in his Buzz towel. I kissed him on the cheek, and he turned his cheek to have me kiss the other. He did it again and again, and I thought to myself "I wish I could have a video of this to watch years from now." And now I do.

Kisses from Megan Bishop on Vimeo.

*****

I took Brayden to the park earlier today, and I'm glad I did. Another child shared his hockey toys and this cuteness ensued. Brayden hasn't really been exposed to hockey, baseball, golf or any other sports where you try to hit a ball with a stick of some sort. He sort of figured it out, right?

Brayden playing hockey? from Megan Bishop on Vimeo.

SLC- St. George- Las Vegas- St. George- SLC

2011-03-09T22:48:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in a 365 post, we spontaneously took a trip to St. George and Las Vegas a few weeks ago. Adam's grandparents have a condo in St. George and so it's our easy and cheap vacation spot. We headed down on Tuesday night and got there around midnight. We decided the next morning to head down to Las Vegas. We went to the Bellagio first. I love to see the gardens there, and I've now seen it at least 5 times. They had it decorated for Chinese New Year this time around.

After seeing the gardens, we headed towards Caesar's Palace. To be more specific, the Forum Shops. I love walking through the walkway. It's so gaudy, so Vegas. And all of the stores are super expensive, of course. I had two places in mind though, H&M and Max Brenner. H&M didn't live up to its hype, but my mom did get Brayden a cute hat. Have you heard about Max Brenner? Take a minute and go drool over their menu. They're based in NYC but have opened up a restaurant in Vegas. I was pleased with my choice... chocolate eggrolls. Jack and Brayden enjoyed the aqaurium in the Forum Shops, and then we headed over to MGM Grand. Adam lost his gambling money with 10 minutes, of course. We saw the lions for the kids and headed over to the M&M shop and the Coke shop. We saw a cute and free 3-D movie in the M&M store. Brayden's first 3-D movie, and it was hilarious! He kept trying to grab the 3-D images! Then he headed over to the far other end of the Strip... to go to a pawn store. A specific pawn shop that is featured in the History Channel's Pawn Stars. Yes, we're geeks. It's an interesting show, I promise!

On Thursday and Friday, we visited some family and did some outlet shopping. And played. A playground is now a necessity on vacation. On Thursday night, Brayden was really sick between 2-6AM. We had to wash the sheets multiple times. And after got home on Saturday, Nicki, Jack, Sophie and I got sick too.
It was such a nice break from regular life, even if we didn't do anything super exciting.

Pictures were taken mostly by Andy or Nicki, because our DSLR is broken and our point and shoot isn't very good.

Top Ten Books For Birth, Breastfeeding and Parenting

2011-03-08T05:03:00.006-07:00

Welcome to the March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Natural Parenting Top 10 Lists
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared Top 10 lists on a wide variety of aspects of attachment parenting and natural living. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
***

I am not a perfect parent in the least. I am not always natural, though I try to be. I've learned so much from others' examples, especially on the internet, but books hold a HUGE part in any education I decide to undertake. With that in mind, I thought it fitting I make my top ten list for the March Carnival of Natural Parenting on the top ten books that have helped me learn and evolve in my parenting journey. Without further ado, here are the gems, separated into categories of birth, breastfeeding and parenting.

Birth

Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children First by Marsden Wagner- This book is the book that ultimately made me realize that the traditional system of birth I had seen my entire life was not the way it should be. It infuriated me. As "developed" as our country is, our maternal mortality rates are too high. His work is very informative, but what it did for me mostly was make me realize things are not as they seem in the gold old USA.

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer- This book is amazing! She goes through the pros and cons of all the interventions you may face. It was a lot of help to me specifically in giving me information to pass on to people who didn't understand why I was seeing a midwife and why I was trying to have a natural childbirth.

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin- I loved the stories in this book. They gave me strength. After reading this book, I begin to think of myself as a "birth feminist." I saw the feminine power in these women's stories, and I did not want anyone to take that power away from me.

The Business of Being Born (DVD)- This documentary is why I chose a midwife, plain and simple. I know many people saw a focus on homebirth, but I think it is a powerful argument for seeing a midwife over an OB if your pregnancy is not high-risk. The other way this was helpful is that it opened my husband's mind to the idea of natural childbirth. Before we watched it, he was like "No way!" Immediately after, he was accepting of my plan. The same people who made the movie, namely Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, wrote a companion book called Your Best Birth: Know All Your Options, Discover the Natural Choices, and Take Back the Birth Experience, that I enjoyed reading.

Breastfeeding

The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins- This book has been by my side for over 20 months, figuratively speaking. I read the section of the beginning stages of breastfeeding before I had Brayden, and then again and again as I was in those trying first days of breastfeeding. It was so helpful.

Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May Gaskin- This is another good informative guide. It didn't come out until after I had breastfeeding well established, but I would recommend it to any nursing mom. I picked it up because Ina May is amazing. A little bit off topic, but I'll say it anyways. She needs to write her memoirs. Her life seems so interesting.

Parenting Okay, I need to note that only one of my parenting book choices specifically ties into natural parenting, but this still have helped me as a parent.

A Family of Readers: The Book Lover's Guide to Children's and Young Adult Literature by Roger Sutton and Martha Parravano- This book is awesome! I love to read, and I want to pass on that love to Brayden. I was able to compile a huge list of recommended reads (let me know if you want to see it). Here are some quotes I think do actually tie in to natural parenting that I noted:

"When a book actively strives to keep the child locked in

childhood relationships and needs, it's not truly a child's

picture book. A doting parent may enjoy a book about a

little bunny whose mission in life is to tell his mommy how

much he loves her, but there's nothing there for the child

audience. Far more realistic and definitely more on the

child's side are picture books in which the parent tells

the child that he is loved- unconditionally, and despite the

child's behavior."

“Teaching in elementary school, and watching kids in action, I

came to appreciate how effortlessly kids learn when they play.

Babies learn to talk without taking multiple-choice talking tests.

Toddlers learn to toddle without writing toddling essays. How

do they do it? By playing around. So from teaching I learned to

respect kids as natural learners, supply them with the tools to

learn, and then get out of the way. I learned to inspire instead of

lecture. I learned to trust play. That philosophy is at the heart of

everything I write for kids. I want my readers to laugh, of course.

But then I want them to question, to argue, to wonder- What if?

I want them to play. I want them to learn for themselves.”

-Jon Scieszka

Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men by Leonard Sax- This book has opened me to some of the challenges our boys are facing and what parents can do to help boys succeed.. If you are a mom to a boy, I highly recommend this book. To summarize, the five challenges he thinks boys face are: video games, the feminization of education, overuse of prescription medication (for ADHD), endocrine disruptors in the environment, and the devaluation of masculinity.

Adventures in Gentle Discipline: A Parent-to-Parent Guide by Hilary Flower- I have a toddler, so I'm just getting into the whole world of discipline but I see myself referencing this book for years to come. I have so many pages dog-eared and paragraphs highlighted. My favorite technique I've used from the book is somewhat silly, but I've found it so helpful. When your child is "acting up," say "What are you, one (or whatever the age of your child)?" Just say it to yourself to remind yourself that they are acting in a developmentally appropriate way.

NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman- I've read and enjoyed Po Bronson's other books, so when he came out with a book on the science of parenting just as I was becoming a parent I knew I wanted to read it. It was so interesting that now, a year and a half later, I'm choosing it as my pick for a book club I am in so that I can read it again. It covers a lot of varied topics, such as the damage praise can have on children, the importance of talking about race with your child, language development in infants and toddlers, etc. Read it. Now.

***

Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be live and updated by afternoon March 8 with all the carnival links.)

Attachment Parenting in the NICU — Erica at ChildOrganics shares some strategies to help you parent naturally in some unnatural circumstances.
10 Reasons to Choose Baby Led Weaning — Luschka from Diary of a First Child shares ten reasons to choose Baby Led Weaning when it comes to solids.
Choosing to Breastfeed — From selfishness to self-giving, CatholicMommy at Working to be Worthy lists reasons why breast is best for her and her family.
Ten Things I Wish I Knew About Before Little Man — In this reflective post, The ArstyMama discusses ten things she wishes she knew more about before the birth of her son, Little Man.
10 Things That Helped Me Become a Natural Mama — The Accidental Natural Mama counts down ten things that helped her find her moderately crunchy inner mama self.
Top 10 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Toddler — Extended breast-feeder Kate Wicker of Momopoly makes her own top 10 list for why she loves nursing her 2-year-old.
Top 10 Tips on Authentic Grandparenting — Mamapoekie of Authentic Parenting offers a list of tips to make the grandparent-parent-child relationship flow smoothly.
Top Ten "Dad" Things — Liam at In The Now talks about his favourite ways to spend time with his children.
Top 10 Natural Strategies for Conception (aka How to Get Pregnant!) — Despite facing plenty of health issues, Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama found her way to two first-try pregnancies thanks to these natural strategies.
Top Ten Reasons Why Home Birth Rocks — Lucy at Dreaming Aloud shares her passion for birthing at home - the natural place for natural birth.
Top 10 reasons why cloth nappies are fun — Tat at Cloth Nappies Are Fun shows how using cloth nappies can brighten up your day.
Top Ten Ways to Be Present With Family — Amy at Innate Wholeness shares how to make the most of parenting and family life through being present.
Top 10 Things In My Arsenal of Kitchen Witchy Mama Tricks. — Joni Rae at Tales of A Kitchen Witch shares with us the simple things she would never want to be missing from her cupboards.
Top 10 ways I'm not very good at natural parenting (and why I keep trying anyway) — Jenny at Babyfingers shares the ways she is imperfect as a natural parent, and why she embraces natural parenting anyway.
Top 10 Ways to Know You Are a Natural Parent — So what makes us "natural parents," anyway? A lighthearted look at the Top 10 Ways to Know You Are a Natural Parent by the editors and readers of Natural Parents Network.
The Top 10 Things Every Natural Household (with children) Should Have — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro shares a list of the most common natural products and remedies she uses for health and cleaning.
Top 10 books for raising loving, spiritual children — In her 'food for the soul' post, Mrs Green from Little Green Blog shares her favourite spiritual books. No matter what religion you practise, there's something for everyone!
Top 10 Things No One Told Me About Natural Parenting — Adrienne at Mommying My Way explains that the best things about natural parenting are things she never expected.
Top 10 Flower Essences for Families — Kim of Nature Baby Bloggings lists her pick of the top ten flower essence which can help ease families through the ups and downs of life.
My Top Ten Parenting Tools — Amyables at Toddler In Tow names the top ten tools that have been helpful to her while learning to parent respectfully and successfully.
Ten Ways Families Can Enjoy Nature (for free!) — Spring is nearly in the air, and Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction is dreaming of the fun and frugal ways that her family is going to get out and enjoy nature this summer.
10 Reasons We Unschool — Patti at Jazzy Mama explains why unschooling is the right choice for her family.
Must Read: Natural Parenting Top Ten — Amy at Anktangle wants you to do a little reading! She shares her top ten favorite books to help parents prepare for pregnancy, birth, and parenting.
Top 10 Breastfeeding Misconceptions — Sheila at A Gift Universe examines ten reasons women give for why they didn't breastfeed as long as they wanted, and shows how these obstacles can be overcome.
Ten Reasons to Plan a Home Birth — Since a home birth can be an incredibly empowering experience, Leslie at Lights and Letters outlines ten reasons why you should plan to have your baby at home.
Top Ten Books for Birth, Breastfeeding and Parenting — Megan at Just Me(gan) writes about the ten books that have helped her the most in her natural parenting journey.
A Top Ten Letter To Me... — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment writes herself a letter of reflections and bits of wisdom she would have liked to know as a new mama.
Top Ten Mama Necessities Money Can't Buy — Buying baby gear is fun, but Emily at Crunchy(ish) Mama knows real parenting must-haves can't be bought in stores (or even on Amazon).
Top 10 Books for a Natural Mum — Isil at Smiling like Sunshine talks about her Top 10 Books for a Natural Mum.
Ten Great Spring Activities To Do With Preschoolers — Kellie at Our Mindful Life and her family have come up with a great list of activities to do together this spring.
10 Ways to Reuse Yogurt Containers — Acacia at Fingerpaint & Superheroes keeps the stacks of yogurt containers out of her recycling bin by reusing them in both practical and creative ways.
Top Ten Ways To Have a Harmonious Home — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares her natural parenting-inspired methods for maintaining a harmonious daily life with her toddler.
10 Natural Baby Items I Love — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares product ideas to support your natural parenting.
The Pandas' Top Five Crunch-osophies — Top five crunchy philosophies, as employed at the Panda Residence by Ana at Pandamoly.
Top 10 Reasons to Leave Your Son Intact — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children has shared 10 reasons why you should leave your newborn son intact.
Ten things everyone should know about unassisted homebirth — Olivia at Write About Birth shares practical tips for women considering an unassisted homebirth and debunks some common myths
10 Most Popular Ways To Treat Cloth Diaper Stains — Chante at My Natural Motherhood Journey gives ten easy tips to make your diapers like new.
10 Lessons in 1 Year — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares 10 parenting lessons that she has learned throughout her first year of motherhood.
Top 10 Ways to Get Breastfeeding Off To a Good Start — Sheryl at Little Snowflakes shares 10 effective ways to ensure breastfeeding gets off to a good start.
Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Time-Out — If you are uncomfortable using time-outs in an attempt to control your child's behavior, try one of these gentler alternatives. Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares her Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Time-Out.
My Top 10 Parenting Scriptures — Dulce de leche is learning to integrate faith and parenting. Whether it is breastfeeding, babywearing, comforting her children, or gentle discipline, she finds that the Bible has beautiful passages to encourage her on her journey.
Natural Cleaning Ideas - Top 10 — Laura at Laura's Blog lists the ways she keeps her house clean and clear of chemicals.
My Top Ten (plus two) Life Altering and Growth Inspiring Books — A top ten list of books from MJ at Wander Wonder Discover that changed her life as an individual, a parent, and an earth dweller.
Top 10 Ways to Use Natural Parenting for Children with Special Needs — Danielle at Mommy Makes Cents feeds the needs of her family and special needs child through the use of Natural Parenting.
Ten Fundamentals — Seonaid at The Practical Dilettante gets philosophical with a list of the fundamentals that drive her natural parenting.
10 reasons why I chose breast over bottles — Becky at Old New Legacy writes a quick list of why she chose breast over bottles.
Top Ten Natural Tools for the Work of Play — Lori at Beneath the Rowan Tree offers insight into 10 natural toys that will span the early years (and save you money).
10 differences between pregnancy and parenting in Japan and the US — Megan at Ichigo Means Strawberry gives her impressions about differences in pregnancy and parenting in Japan and the US.
Natural Parenting Benny & Bex Style — Pecky at Benny and Bex explains why Natural Parenting principles work best for her boys.
Top 10 Reasons to Co-Sleep — 10 practical, emotional, and completely selfish reasons to co-sleep and share a family bed from Lily, aka Witch Mom.
My Top Ten New Mommy Moments — Melissa at The New Mommy Files recounts the ten most memorable moments of her daughter's first year.
Top Ten Things Every Breastfeeding Mother Needs to Know — Kristen at Adventures in Mommyhood believes knowledge is power and wants all moms to be well informed.
Top 10 Nursing Positions / Situations — Momma Jorje uses her 5½ years of nursing experience to share her Top 10 Nursing Positions/Situations. She includes some adorable photos of her youngest daughter at the breast.
Ten Top Ways to Connect Kids with Nature — Terri from Child at the Nature Isle offers 10 ways to immerse ourselves in the natural world and develop a love affair with the Earth.
Top 10 Slacker Ways to Natural Parent — Guavalicious is happy to show you how to parent naturally the slacker way.
Simply what it looks like — Andrea!!! from Ella-Bean & Co. offers a glimpse into natural parenting through the eyes of mama and babe.
Top Ten Reasons Why Natural Parenting Dads Are So Attractive — Nada at miniMOMist sure digs her husband, but it's not just his good looks -- it's his parenting!
10 Family Systems and Routines That Work for Us — See what routines, organizational systems, and parenting approaches work for Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings to help avoid conflict and maintain sanity in a family with three young children.
Top 10 reasons to choose midwifery care — Lauren at Hobo Mama lists the features that drew her to midwives' care for pregnancy and birth.
10 Ways to Cloth Diaper on a Budget — Michelle at The Parent Vortex shares her best thrifty cloth diapering tips.
Ten Reasons it Felt Sew Good To Make My Own Play Food — Brittany at Mama's Felt Cafe lists her 10 (OK, 11) favorite reasons to grab a needle and start sewing your own felt play toys.
Top10 Ways to Spark Interest, Learn, and Have Fun With Everyday Tasks! — Bethy at Bounce Me to the Moon gives you her top 10 ways of incorporating fun and lessons into everyday tasks and chores.
Postpartum Gift Ideas — Alicia at I Found My Feet suggests a top 10 list of gifts for mother's after giving birth.
My Top Ten Shows Worthy Of Screen Time — Tree at Mom Grooves shares her top ten list of shows that she believes are positive, educational, kind, joyful, and a nice way to share some downtime with your children.
The Top 10 Ways to Succeed as an Working Attachment Parent — That Mama Gretchen shares tried and true ways to succeed with attachment parenting even when working away from home during the day.
Top Ten Books for Natural Parenting — Pregnancy, herbs, cooking, and healthcare the ten books Asha at Meta Mom the most.
Preparing for a Hospital VBAC: My Top 10 — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis shares 10 ways she's preparing for her upcoming hospital VBAC.
Top Ten New Mom Survival Tools — Wolfmother shares her most beloved motherhood survival tools at Fabulous Mama Chronicles.
Top 10 Montessori Principles for Natural Learning — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now gives her top 10 list of Montessori principles parents can use to encourage their children s natural learning.
Going Granola — Tashmica from The Mother Flippin' Blog describes the 10 ways that natural parenting sneaked up on her. She never expected to go all granola on the world.
Step Away From the Amazon List — Stefanie at Very, Very Fine wishes she hadn't bought so much useless stuff.

365

2011-03-06T23:12:00.001-07:00

2/28- I was sick today. I had a sore throat, so Ramen noodles sounded good. It's so weird what becomes comfort food when you're older. I know it's terrible for you, but I have to have it when I'm sick.

3/1- My dad is sure Brayden is going to be an athlete. We shall see, but I do think he'd be cute in uniform.

3/2- Brayden and Jackson loved feeding the ducks (and pigeons) at Fairmont Park.

3/3- He's my St. Patrick's Day holiday wall. I got the printable from eighteen25 It's a cheap way to decorate my tiny space.

3/4- My mom got Brayden these adorable pajamas with monkey feet. Oh, about pajamas- Brayden has added yet another word. He says "pyams" for pajamas!

3/5- Yes, we got Brayden the super popular Target rain boots. I wasn't going to, but someone told me how much their boy loves his rain boots. Obviously, I gave in.

3/6- I let Brayden help me stir now when I'm baking, and he loves it! I let him lick the spoon for the first time today (no eggs) and he was in heaven.

20 months

2011-03-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

You, my boy, are 20 months old today. 20. Saying that makes it real just how soon your second birthday will be here. We watched Toy Story 3 the other day, and in the blink of an eye I was imagining you going off to college and leaving home. I used to think the mom in the classic children's book Love You Forever was crazy, but now I totally see her point.

The last week or so, your language has exploded. You're saying a lot of words that we can understand, but also many that we cannot. You're starting to say your name- you say "Bray." New words this week also include pizza (pee-sa), cracker (cra-er), grandpa (gra-pa, and you've been saying this for a few weeks), side (si- you say this when you want to nurse on the other side), giraffe (grraf), cheese (you pronounce this one correct), and many more. You're starting to try to sing along to Old MacDonald Had a Farm (the e-i-e-i-o part and the animal sounds) and the ABC song (you sing A, B). My heart burst with pride the first time you sang A, B.

You love to be physical. You've been jumping for a few months now, but you're actually getting some air sometimes now. You're running faster and faster. Your overhand throw is pretty dang good, if I do say so.

I'll say (and write) it over and over again. I am so lucky to have you in my life. I love teaching you, playing with you, nursing you, reading to you, snuggling with you, singing to you. I love you bubba.

365

2011-03-01T21:08:00.001-07:00

2/14- Brayden sure had fun outside today. And he gave me a taste of the laundry I'll have to endure over the next 17 years.

2/15- We had our Valentine's Day date today and went to see No Strings Attached. It was fun, just your typical rom-com. When we got home, however, the day got interesting. Adam called into Domino's to see what days they wanted him to work since he had the next three days off from Walmart. They said they didn't need him, so we decided to go down to St. George and left two hours later!

2/16- I love the Bellagio. We always go there because I love the see the gardens. I love the glass flowers in the lobby too.

2/17- Nicki took this picture of Jackson, Brayden and Sophie all playing in the sand. I love it.

2/18- I'll be honest here. Technically I'm cheating because this was taken the other day while we were getting gas to head to Vegas for the day. We didn't really take any today because we just hung out and the girls went shopping at the outlets. But we'll just pretend I took it today. I'm so glad my mom came with us, and Brayden sure liked having company in the backseat with all the driving we were doing.

2/19- I snapped this on our way out of town.

2/20- Brayden got sick the last day of the vacation, and then he passed it along to me, and to my sister's family. Since I wasn't feeling so good, I pulled out a toy I was saving for his birthday and gave it to him today. I know it looks a little like he's cringing, but I can assure you he's not.

2/21- Oh man, this picture honestly melts my heart. I love this grin.

2/22- No explanation needed.

2/23- Brayden's first tweet! He got ahold of my iPod while Twitter was open and I was busy.

2/24- Brayden has been enjoying playing with empty toilet paper rolls. I decided to experiment and take a picture through one.

2/25- Oh, how I love my boys! So, so much.

2/26- We took Brayden and Jackson to the Safe Kids Fair and B.A.C.A. was there. This is Brayden's first fake tattoo. Aww!

2/27- This is James Franco hosting the Oscars. I loved the opening video and Franco and Anne Hathway as hosts. I'm a sucker for awards shows, especially now that I'm on Twitter (it's pretty funny to read what people are writing as the show is happening).

Bathtime Fun

2011-02-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

I'm still waiting on some pictures for my 365 posts and vacation recap, but in the meantime...

I came up with this little activity for Brayden. I've been freezing some of his little plastic toys in tupperware and then putting it in the bathtub. He loves it! I know, I know... it only lasts for a minute or so, but that's really all it takes in prep time too. The first night it lasted longer because he didn't hold it under the water. Then he experimented the second time and has held it under the water since.

I've really been trying to come up with fun little activities where he can have fun but learn too. If you have any others, let me know. I'm all for easy fun.

P.S. I mentioned to someone it would be fun with food coloring too but that would stain, and they mentioned colored bath tablets. I've never seen these before as I still get his bath stuff in the baby section, but I'm going to try them out sometime.

Redemption

2011-02-20T18:37:00.005-07:00

The day was not going well. You finished your third episode of Dora the Explorer, and screamed when I said "no" to another episode. I didn't want to go out in the snow, but I knew it would change your attitude. I asked your Dad to take you, but he didn't want to either. We're not perfect parents, but we redeem ourselves sometimes. I took you out, because you needed it. You were getting cranky. I got you into your snow gear, grumbling inside the whole time. We headed out, you insisting on walking down the stairs yourself as usual. You exclaimed "Snow!" as soon as you saw the courtyard.

The crisp air.

The beauty of fresh snow.

And your sudden mood change all started to change my mood.

We started walking along the road, and I heard the "swish-swish" of your snow pants rubbing together as you walked. Your snow gear is a mish-mash of styles and sizes, but mostly sizes. Your boots are size 5, and are getting too small. They will barely last us the winter season. Your hat is getting snug even though it is supposed to be one size fits all. Your coat, however, is the same coat we used on you LAST YEAR! I have a hard time believing it, even though I see it every time we put it on you. It's 6-12 months, and you're still wearing it at 19 months.

There are puddles along the way and I show you how to splash, though I might regret that later. We continue along our way. You trip and as I'm coming to help, you ask for it. We've been working on saying or signing "help" when you need it, and you did it. I felt the familiar sense of pride I feel when you master something new. You get up and keep going, pointing out trees, walking through more puddles, and saying "car" or "truck" whenever one drives by. After more wandering, you reach your arms up to me for me to pick you up and you say "Dada." I ask if you want to go home, and you say "Yeah." You are ready go go back in before me, which never happens. Our walks don't always end on good terms for that reason. I hold you for the walk back, singing "ABC" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" to you. We arrive home, both as happy as can be.

P.S. Hopefully Brayden reads this someday, and if he does- your dad was putting on his boots so he could come outside as we came in. He asked if you wanted to go back out with him, and you of course said "yeah." So you got to have two walks out in the snow, and your dad redeemed himself too.

Bad News

2011-02-19T21:21:00.005-07:00

It seems like this has been a week of bad news (well, for liberally-minded people like myself). I was even on vacation and missed a lot of news, but here is what I did hear and am not happy about:

Residential segregation in West Valley- Institutional discrimination in the form of residential segregation and then blaming the victim for the outcome. Classic. I love Buckner's attitude, but it doesn't seem to be the norm.

Rep. Sandstrom's bill passed- I'm glad the bill was toned down, but I still don't think it should have been passed in the first place. I do have hope that the bill won't be put into effect frequently, due to one of the wording changes. He changed the wording from "shall check status" of someone being charged with a misdemeanor, to "may check status." I know Chief Burbank is against this bill, and I honestly hope he tells SLC cops not to do it since it isn't a requirement under this new bill.

The recurring tuition bill- I feel like this is introduced every legislative session in Utah. It's great it hasn't passed yet, and I hope it doesn't this year either. I can even give a scriptural argument against it- the 2nd Article of Faith and Moses 6:54 (not that I think illegal immigration is necessarily a sin). If these youth have graduated high school while dealing with all of the challenges immigrants usually face (poverty, language struggles, etc.), then they deserve the chance to go to college at a reasonable price.

And I hope this one doesn't pass either- I know this is where some of us may part ways- just remember that me being pro-choice doesn't mean I am pro-abortions. There's a big difference. Anyways, I get that our government needs to cut some spending, but to fully block one group's aid because they perform abortions (which are not done on the government's dollar) is not about saving money. It's about Republicans being ridiculous. Planned Parenthood is about so much more than abortions- go here to read a better post on the situation. I used Planned Parenthood for pap smears and birth control when we didn't have insurance.

My next post will be happy- we took a spontaneous trip this week and I'll tell you all about it.

Five Minutes

2011-02-14T22:27:00.005-07:00

A subtle, but perfect moment. Five minutes of joy as a family of three.

We sit squished on our two person loveseat. You, your dad and me.

I say to your dad, "I can't believe how lucky we are," and he replies "I know." And what do you say? "Yeah."

Daddy asks you for a kiss, and you willingly give. I ask you “Brayden, do you love Momma?” And you exclaim “Yeah!” and cuddle into my lap for a hug, laying your head on my shoulder.

I lean into your father and we settle into a family hug. You say “Dada, Momma, Bubba,” and I just feel so happy my heart hurts.

At 19 months old, you are so sure of our love for you. You are the center of our world, and you know it. I wish that certainty could always stay with you, but I know it won‘t. As much as it pains me to even think about, at some point you will question our love. It will happen when we make parenting mistakes, which are and will continue to be a common occurrence. I know bringing another child into the picture will make you, in your innocence and immaturity, feel like you are being replaced. It will likely happen when you are a teenager and I struggle thru your fight for independence. And the feeling might happen again when I leave this earth and leave you behind.

Whenever you feel this way, I wish you could see that scene. Those minutes where your father and I simply expressed our love for you, and you accepted it and loved us back. No conditions, no inhibitions. Challenges will come, and our family strength will be tested. I know I have remembered this moment to recover from sad moments and I wish that you could use it in times of need too.

A Dada, a Momma, a Bubba and five minutes of perfect harmony.

This week, we want you to imagine that after you have died and your daughter/son will be given the gift of seeing a single five-minute period of your life through your eyes, feeling and experiencing those moments as you did when they occurred. What five minutes would you have him/her see?

Note: I've been following this website for some time and even have done some of the prompts, but this is the first time I've felt brave enough to share. I have to say that I was deeply moved by Katie's amazing piece and felt like I needed to get my family's couch story down.

My Boys

2011-02-14T15:51:00.004-07:00

On this Valentine's Day, I just wanted to pay tribute to my boys. I love them with all of my heart.

Adam, we are meant for each other. And I don't mean that in the "soul mates" kind of way. I mean that no one would would be able deal with me like you do, and vice versa. You love me for who I am. I've made a lot of changes in our seven years, and you just roll with it. Thanks for being there for me. And we made a pretty cute baby, so that's saying something. I dedicate this song to you. I know it's overplayed, and everyone will hate it in a month (or less), but it makes e smile and think of you whenever it comes on. I'm so glad to be stuck with you.

Brayden, you are my angel. I'm so happy to be your mama, even when that means I'm on the clock at 3 am. You've made me a mom, and a better person at that. This song was popular around the time of your birth, and it has always made me think of you. I know it's a love song, but I see it as our song. You've helped me break down walls, as the song says, and you really are my angel. You came at just the right time into our lives and changed them forever.

By the way, does anyone have any idea why the whole video doesn't show up? I can tell my column isn't big enough, but I don't know how to change that or adjust the video.

365

2011-02-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

My pictures are so blah. Our SLR has been out of commission for months (I'm hoping to fix it with our refund). I did find this cool website, Picnik, that lets you apply all sorts of cool effects to your pictures. It's given me some motivation to keep going on this 365 project. I'll probably even go back and edit all of my other 365 pictures.

2/7- Cafe Rio... nom nom nom.

2/8- Isn't this just a classic picture? He wanted me to pick him up. I took another one after this one of his fussy face because I hadn't put the camera done and picked him up yet.

2/9- I got my hair colored! I love it, and hopefully it will be one of the pictures for next week.

2/10- He sures loves his Buzz Lightyear towel. Not that he has even seen any of the Toy Story movies. I guess I should remedy that.

2/11- Brayden found a new ride-on toy at book club that he thought was so awesome.

2/12- Adam brought me flowers tonight for an early Valentine's surprise. Love this man!

Top Ten Things I Could Do Without

2011-02-08T15:55:00.003-07:00

The Sluiter Nation hosts a Top Ten Tuesday blog meme that I am joining in on today. The topic this week is on the top 10 things I could do without.

10. Snow- Yep, I said it. It's nice for the week before/after Christmas, but the rest of the time I wish Utah could get all of its precipitation thru rain.

9. Bills- Duh!

8. Toy clutter- Don't get me wrong, I want Brayden to have toys. I just wish that a toy fairy would come around every day at nap time and bed time and clean them all up.

7. Shipping fees- I don't shop online a lot, but it still irks me how much companies/people seem to be making on shipping.

6. Calories- Someone else posted this on their list, and I just had to steal it.

5. Anxiety- I don't think I was too anxious before I became a parent, but my anxiety levels have risen exponentially since. Which is hard because I want to just enjoy life and not feel the need to be a helicopter parent (more on this later).

4. Guilt- I'm sick of it. I know that most of the time I am doing the best I can. As for the rest of the time, absolutely no one on Earth today is perfect.

3. Tantrums- Brayden is having one as I type. I don't blame him, though. I know it's hard to be a toddler with a lack in both communication skills and logic.

2. Mommy wars- It's such a dumb name, but it's true. And I have been guilty of it way too much. I'm finally starting to realize it really doesn't matter though. Brayden is my priority and I just need to focus on him and not other peoples' parenting decisions. I've felt judged myself- for still nursing, for co-sleeping, during public tantrums, etc. and it sucks.

1. Smoking neighbors- When you have smoking neighbors in a condo situation, it really stinks.

The Mysterious, Happy Life of Brown Bag

2011-02-07T20:29:00.006-07:00

Weird title, right? I'm sure you're all wondering what it is all about.

Last week, I got to attend a staff development day held by the library system since I still sub there. One of the breakout sessions was a one-act play written by Greg Near from the marketing department. It won Best Play and Best Production in the 2010 Page to Stage Festival in SLC. Simply put, it was amazing.

It's about B.B., a boy who was born with a brown bag as a head. Sounds stupid, right? Just stay with me. The three characters are B.B., his mom and his 1st grade teacher. His mom is all about how wonderful he is, and his teacher is all about the problems he causes, all the questions he asks, and her feelings against mainstreaming. And this is where the brown bag comes in. It's standing in for ANY disability/difference you could think of. Once that hit me, I couldn't get this play out of my head. I still can't now, a week later. Things happen, and the teacher changes her mind about him. I won't give any more of it away, in case any of you ever gets the chance to see it. I hope you do. I do know that they (the Pygmalion Theatre Company) are trying to get funding to take it to colleges around the state and show it to education majors. I really hope they can, because I think it would be a great thing for our future teachers to see.

P.S. I know the picture is small. I can't resize it bigger, but it at least gives you an idea how they portrayed B.B.

365

2011-02-06T19:21:00.008-07:00

1/31- Brayden wanted to wear my boots. It was so hilarious when he was trying to walk in them.

2/1- Adam, Brayden and Elvis at Smashburger, where we got treated (along with my parents) to an amazing and FREE meal. It was awesome.

2/2- We had a fun day. We went to The King's English, Great Harvest Bread and Discovery Gateway Museum. I love spending time with Adam and Brayden.

2/3- I finally got some pictures up for Valentine's Day.

2/4- He really is "easy to love." I love being his mom and his best friend.

2/5- Home Depot project day

2/6- Adam took Brayden out for a walk and they found a new friend. Brayden even stood on the scooter while Adam and the boy wheeled him around.

Library Showgirl

2011-02-04T00:31:00.003-07:00

I decided to start a new blog devoted entirely to reading. It can be found at www.libraryshowgirl.blogspot.com. (I'll fix the link once Blogger stops acting up). Yes, it's called Library Showgirl. If you remember this story, you'll know why.

I hope you click over and enjoy it. And, if anyone ever wants to post a review there, let me know. It would be so fun to read reviews from my friends.

365

2011-01-30T18:07:00.009-07:00

Jan 24th- Adam's dad was in town over the weekend and stopped by to visit Monday morning. We can't wait until he lives here again.

Jan 25th- State of the Union address, of course

Jan 26th- My parents with Jackson, Sophie and Brayden after having a birthday lunch for my dad at Sampan

Jan 27th- It's hard to tell in the picture, but I got my hair cut (4+ inches) and bangs too. And the cute boy, of course.

Jan 28th- His hair is getting super long. I'm almost ready for his first real haircut, but Adam surprisingly isn't.

Jan 29th- What can I say? I only took two pictures today. We had a family dinner for my dad, and Brayden just loved playing with his older cousins.

Jan 30th- I don't do it every day, but sometimes if we are getting bored I empty his piggy bank and let him drop the coinc in again. He loves it, and it's developing his hand-eye coordination right?

Need some laughs?

2011-01-26T21:37:00.002-07:00

If you do, I've got you covered. Head on over to Dear blank, please blank and Damn You Auto Correct.

Dear college student, You haven't done me in so long, and I'm feeling dirty... Sincerely, laundry.

Dear Stephanie Meyer, Please note that when the love of Hermione's life left her, she continued to search for the keys to destroying the world's most powerful dark wizard. When the love of Bella's life left her, she curled up in the fetal position, went numb for months then jumped off a cliff. Sincerely, J. K. Rowling.

Dear douche bag, Please refrain from breaking up with your girlfriend through me. It's getting awkward. Sincerely, text message

Dear french fry, I know our love is unusual, but it works. Sincerely, frosty.

As for the Auto Correct site, you'll have to work your way thru that one on your own... I can't copy and paste easily and it's someone's bedtime.

Book Review: Room by Emma Donoghue

2011-01-23T20:58:00.004-07:00

This book has been on my to-read list since it came out. I knew it was a story of a long-term kidnapping with a child born into the situation, and that the book was written from his 5 year old perspective. Can you even imagine? I definitely couldn't and so this book was so much more than I thought. The story of Ma's kidnapping, captivity and their escape is all interesting. I got so much more than an entertaining reading session or two.

I got a look at what solo-parenting would really look like. Not just single parenting, but full on solo-parenting. No one to help you, no parenting books, nothing. I'm so glad I'll never have to do that. Before the escape, I thought to myself while reading about how hard it must have been for Ma. After the escape, I realized just how abnormal it is and how important it is to have a supportive family or community behind you as a parent.

Along those lines, Ma does some things as a parent that society doesn't agree with once they hear about it. For one, she never cuts his hair. People call him a girl as they start to venture out. The biggest things, though, were co-sleeping (except when the kidnapper came at night) and extended breastfeeding. They just can't believe he is still breastfed. Yes, he is 5. It made sense to me, though. All of these things change, slowly, after the escape. His adjustment to the world was actually heart-breaking to read. It's so hard for him that he at first just wants to go back to Room.

I read a lot. Many books are interesting while I am reading, but soon forgotten. I already know that Room will stay with me for a long time. It made me think about my parenting style and it's helping me have more empathy for Brayden and all other children.

365 week 3

2011-01-23T19:33:00.008-07:00

Jan 19th: This picture is at Murray Library's storytime. They bring out a parachute at the end, and he loves it!

Jan 20th: I love how babies and toddlers can just fall asleep anywhere.

Jan 21st: He gets so happy to be outside.

Jan 22nd: My little diaper model

Jan 23rd: We may complain about condo living, but Brayden doesn't mind yet. In fact, he loves it. He runs up and down the clubhouse deck ramp, he likes seeing the ducks and geese, and he loves running around the tennis court kicking balls.

911

2011-01-18T22:09:00.002-07:00

I'll start out simply: I joined the 911 club last weekend. Everyone is fine, but I feel like I have to get my feelings about it sorted out.

I was doing laundry and went out to switch the loads. Our laundry is in a storage room right off our main entrance. Ever since Brayden learned to go down the stairs, he would make a run for it if I left the door open while I switched it. I came back in and B wasn't in the front room where he had been. I walked thru the condo and didn't see or hear him. Our condo is small, so that took less than a minute. I immediately started worrying that either I haf left the door open or he had opened it himself and headed down the stairs without me noticing. We are really close to the stream that runs thru Millcreek and Murray, so I got really nervous. I ran out the door and down the stairs over to the stream in just my socks. I couldn't see him, so I ran back up to check again. I was frantic by this point. I looked thru the condo again, deeper, calling him the whole time. Nothing. I grabbed the phone, stopped by the door and threw my shoes on as fast as I could. It felt like it had been longer, but it really had only been 3-4 minutes. I dialed the numbers I have never had to dial as I ran back outside to look again. It was definitely not like in the movies. It took forever (at least it felt like it did). I had to repeat my address twice I was so out-of-breath from running back and forth, up and down. After looking around again, I headed back upstairs for the second time. They dispatched me to the Unified Police Department and the call connected right as I opened the door to see Brayden. He was right by the door coming out from behind a coat rack and chair. I told the officer it was fine and that I had found him.

And now for the complicated stuff: my feelings about the whole ordeal. When I told Adam about it, he basically thought I had called too soon. That I should have known he can't open the door on his own yet and that he must have just been hiding from me. Well, yes, he has never opened the door on his own, but he has also never hid from me for more than 5 seconds without peeking out and saying "boo." All I knew is that there was a chance he was outside and I wasn't going to risk it. Yes, it was more logical he was hiding, but sometimes logic is thrown out the window in parenting. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

From now on, I'll be taking my key with me and locking the door when I go to switch the laundry. He hasn't hid from me again. thank goodness, but I don't want to risk that worry again.

18/365

2011-01-18T22:04:00.003-07:00

We made our first trip to the park in 2011. Sure, it was cold and Brayden's nose was a touch red by the time we left, but he LOVED it. I thought he might not remember. I have no idea how good a toddler's memory is, but it's like he was greeting a long-lost friend.

17/365

2011-01-18T22:02:00.002-07:00

16/365

2011-01-16T23:39:00.003-07:00

I love awards shows. I know it's superficial, but it is so true.

15/365

2011-01-16T00:17:00.004-07:00

Smashburger + Love and Other Drugs = awesome date

14/365

2011-01-14T20:05:00.003-07:00

I love his bedhead! I love his hair, and I'm dreading whem we'll cut it. A few people have mentioned he could use a cut, and the dreaded "m" word (mullet) has even been used, but I'm still not quite ready.

13/365

2011-01-13T21:14:00.002-07:00

12/365

2011-01-12T20:56:00.004-07:00

Daddy and toddler exercise!

Weigh-in Wednesday: Down 1 lb. I was short of my goal from last week, but I'm still down 10 lbs overall in 5 weeks. I wasn't able to exercise this week (chronic flare-up). I also didn't always make the best choices for eating. Adam was sick from Saturday on (and when he's sick it's the end of the world) and then Brayden was sick for a few days too.

11/365

2011-01-12T10:08:00.002-07:00

1/11/11 sounds like it has so much potential, doesn't it? I wish- it was a sick day for us. Adam has been sick for 3-4 days now and passed it to Brayden yesterday. This is the first time that's happened. I know it will happen again and again. I know it's not anything I can blame Adam for, but I was still irrationally annoyed at him yesterday. It just hurt my heart to hear my boy hacking. So far I don't have it...

10/365

2011-01-10T20:33:00.005-07:00

I did my first creative writing exercise in who knows how long today. Personally, I think it sucks... but it's a start. It's a big start for me.

crock pot lovin'

2011-01-10T11:53:00.002-07:00

This came up in my google reader last week. It reminded me that I've been neglecting my dear friend the crock pot. Here's what I LOVE about the crock pot:

-Prep is usually easier. Even if it isn't, I'm doing it in the morning when I have more energy.
-Yes, I just said in the morning. How awesome is it to basically have dinner done in the morning?
-I love using the crock pot in the summer simply because it doesn't heat up the house like the oven does.
-When I'm making a recipe with chicken in it, like I did last night, I don't have to deal with the meat much. I hate touching raw chicken!
-It's dependable. I've had my corck pot for 7 1/2 years. I got it for a wedding present. In that time, it's only burned 1 meal (and that was my fault for not realizing the recipe was meant for a smaller size). Also in that time, it's turned out many amazing meals! Here's one of them:

Tortilla Soup

3-4 chicken breasts
1 4 oz can of green chiles
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 cans chicken broth (4 cups)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 TBSP sugar
3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano

Put frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot. Add all other ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. I prefer 8 because then the chicken will shred itself.

Optional toppings: cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, avocado

9/365 (and a video!)

2011-01-09T19:26:00.003-07:00

Please ignore the mess, especially in the video. We are in the midst of rearranging his room and it shows.

We have spent hours building and knocking this tower down. A bit repetitive, you might say. Actually, though, I love it. I especially love his gleeful smile as he's about to kick it and his hilarious laugh afterwards.

Brayden's tower from Megan Bishop on Vimeo.

8/365

2011-01-08T20:52:00.004-07:00

This picture reveals two of my guilty pleasures- Entertainment Weekly and Diet Coke! (Really, I like Diet Dr. Pepper better, but Adam brought the Coke home.)

And I just wanted to add this for documentation's sake: Brayden ate more pizza than me at dinner! I ate the slice in the picture and had another 1/2 a slice, but Brayden ate 2 whole slices. I guess this is what people talk about when they talk about feeding growing boys. I might not always love it, but I do now! He took so long to want to eat solids, so I'm so happy he's doing so well now.

7/365

2011-01-07T20:07:00.002-07:00

We got cupcakes from So Cupcake today using a gift card I had. Brayden loved his blue frosting , but didn't eat much of the cake. It made me think of growing up, because I know I used to love the frosting more too but now I definitely prefer the cake.

I meant to have my picture of the day be one of the cupcakes I got for myself (yes, I had more than one- they're mini cupcakes) but it was gone too fast. It was so good, but the kicker is that some of you might think it sounds gross. I tried and loved a maple bacon cupcake today. Oh my goodness, it was so good!

6/365

2011-01-07T20:04:00.003-07:00

My 365 goal is all about capturing real life. Well, this is a picture of a movie that allows me some free time to clean or especially to make dinner without Brayden underfoot. Any guesses what it is?

5/365

2011-01-05T21:01:00.001-07:00

He's only the cutest boy in the whole entire world, in my oh-so-humble opinion.

4/365

2011-01-04T21:41:00.004-07:00

Brayden hasn't quite mastered the spoon yet. He always starts the meal using utensils, but usually gives up and starts using his hands. I've learned to not worry about mealtime messes- he's learning and eating (he was late to the "enjoying anything other than milk" game). Tonight it was black bean soup- at least it was chunky enough he could get it from the bowl to his mouth!

3/365

2011-01-03T19:06:00.002-07:00

My current library stash shows where my reading focus has been lately: a;; over the place. A bit of parenting advice, a dash of feminism, a whole bunch of politics, with some young adult fiction to round it out.

From the top: the movie The Ghost Writer, Give Me Liberty by Naomi Wolf, Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stopped Reading by Lizzie Skurnick, Notes from the Cracked Ceiling by Anne E. Kornblut, The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer, The Essential Feminist Reader edited by Estelle B. Freedman, A Family of Readers: The Book Lover's Guide to Children's and Young Adult Literature by Roger Sutton and Martha V. Parravano, and The Successful Child by Dr. William and Martha Sears

18 months

2011-01-02T18:01:00.001-07:00

I know I begin these all the same way, but I still cannot believe how fast you are growing up. You won't understand this until you have a child of your own. My favorite thing about you this month is your expressive face. The gamut runs from exaggerated smiles to furrowed brows and everything in between. Your language and signing are picking up speed. I'm so glad I didn't give up on signing. It's so cute- you can sign milk, more, please, thanks, and you're learning "I love you" and help. Your vocabulary is at least 23 words, and I'm sure I am missing some.

You're hitting all of the other milestones too- stacking blocks, identifying body parts (head, hair, ears, eyes, mouth, teeth, nose, neck, belly button, back, and toes so far), running, kicking a ball, etc. You're still hitting some physical ones early- for over a month you've been going up and down the stairs without holding our hands and sometimes you don't even hold the railing! The doctor said that you're early on that and on walking backwards.

Speaking of the doctor- until a few weeks ago you had only seen him for well child visits. You got a bad rash that wasn't going away so we took you in before Christmas. He said it was a virus. It went away, but is back again so we might be giving him another call.

I really love spending my days with you. I know I don't always show it, but you are my favorite person. Believe me, no one else could leave me so happy yet still being so sleep-deprived. No, you're not sleeping through the night yet. Please start! Our bed is getting too crowded, and you still hate the crib, so we're trying just putting your crib mattress on the floor in your room. I really hope it works! Seriously, though, I love you so much Brayden. I am so blessed to be your mommy.

2/365

2011-01-02T17:58:00.002-07:00

It still melts my heart to see my baby (yes, I'm still going to call him my baby even though he is 18 months today!) and his daddy taking a nap together.

1/365

2011-01-01T20:22:00.005-07:00

Just some light reading, you know?

2011 goals

2011-01-01T16:20:00.003-07:00

I did okay on my 2010 goals. I read 40 of the 50 books I wanted too, but since I read 124 books altogether I'm going to call that one good. On the health one, it's a toss-up. I'm at about the same place I was last year (weight-wise), but I got back on the WW bandwagon last month. I didn't even talk myself into waiting until the new year so that's a start right? I've lost 11 lbs so far (probably less now since I haven't officially weighed in since before Christmas). And I decided my last goal about "creating" was stupid. I know I tried a lot of new recipes and I did some crafts, but definitely not one a week. I'm also calling it good because I created something I (and hopefully Brayden) will treasure forever. In May I bought my sister the coolest journal to use as a baby journal, and decided to do the same for Brayden, even though it meant I had 6 months to catch up on. I really love it though, and I hope he appreciates it in the future.

Here are my goals for 2011:

1- Go on a vacation (all 3 of us).
2- Help Adam paint/finish the cupboards and backsplash in the kitchen.
3- Lose at least 25 lbs to be at a healthier pre-pregnancy weight.
4- Take a picture every day.
5- Increase and vary my writing. I've got the blog, goodreads, and B's journal (and I want to increase what I do with all of those), but I feel the need to start a personal journal again. And as for the variation? I hope to maybe tackle anything from poetry to op-ed pieces to creative writing.

2010 media review

2010-12-31T22:26:00.011-07:00

Books

This will be long, as I read 124 books and gave 20 of them 5 stars and 38 of them 4 stars. I'll break it up so I can include more. My favorite authors were Stieg Larsson (the Millenium trilogy), Roald Dahl (especially Matilda and Danny the Champion of the World), and Nancy Werlin (Extraordinary and Impossible). My favorite genres were dystopian literature (The Giver, Matched, Mockingjay, Birthmarked and 1984), and non-fiction (The Family Dinner, Earth, Half the Sky, White Like Me and Adventures in Gentle Discipline). Outside of those groupings, I also loved The Help, A Fine Balance, These Is My Words, and The Phantom Tollbooth. Note: I'm able to remember all this thanks to the wonderful website Goodreads.

Movies

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One, Easy A, The Social Network, Tangled, How to Train Your Dragon, The Town, Iron Man 2

Ones that would likely be on the list if I had had a chance to see them: Toy Story 3, Despicable Me, The Kids Are All Right, Black Swan

TV

Modern Family

Glee

The Sing-Off

Also: House, The Office, Community

Links

100 Best Signs at the Rally to Restore Sanity

G is for Gumption

Fictional feminist icons

I have read countless blog posts, stories and articles on breastfeeding, but this one has to be one of the most heartwarming and inspiring.

And I'll end with this, one of my favorite clips of the year. PSA: If you don't know Colbert's schtick, don't get offended. He is a devout Catholic in real life and even teaches sunday school. This is just a character he plays.

2010

2010-12-31T21:52:00.001-07:00

I debated writing a wrap-up post for 2010. In all honesty, it's been a little "blah," especially compared to 2009. I'm starting to accept it though. Not every year is meant to be full of massive growth and big events like graduations, home buying and babies, right?

If I had to pinpoint one way I have grown, however, it has definitely been in what I will call "parental adaptation." Being the parent of a toddler is a lot different than being a parent of an infant. Harder, in my humble opinion. Toddlerhood is intense. I'm only kind of joking when I say that they are bi-polar. I love it though, and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. He's getting so big, in fact, that the dreaded baby fever has set in (just for me so far though).

We've also done really well with home ownership so far. We could have gone on a big vacation this year (and I so wanted and debated for it), but we both came to the decision to pay extra on our loan. We've also started to make small improvements and will continue that in 2011.

I have had definite moments of "mommy brain," but I've worked all year on keeping my mind fresh. I have read 124 books, joined a book club, and I have kept up on social issues (sometimes blogging about them but almost always discussing/debating them with someone).

After writing this, I am more than okay with 2010. We survived, and we even thrived (especially Brayden).

Trust

2010-11-23T21:29:00.002-07:00

Trust is a funny thing. I trust my husband. I trust him to keep us safe driving. I trusted him to support me during labor. I trust him with our son (well, I'll admit that was a process). Today, I had to learn to trust him in a new way.

We went indoor rock climbing today. We both assumed that an instructor would be with us the whole time. Most importantly, we both assumed that the instructor would be belaying us. Nope. We got 15 minutes instruction, and then we were sent off on our own. It was amazing. Amazing workout, adrenaline rush, and "trust experiment." I had to trust he wouldn't let me fall if I lost my grip (which I didn't, thank goodness).

I definitely recommend it. We usually do the typical movie date, and it was nice to change it up a bit. I doubt I'll recommend it tomorrow though. I can already tell my arms will be SO sore, and blisters are already forming on my palms. Just kidding- it was worth the pain.

"Be cool to the pizza dude"

2010-11-23T19:45:00.004-07:00

Some of you probably don't know this, but my husband has been a pizza driver for 4 years now (usually a second job). I've learned a lot and changed my mind about many things. One of them is on my mind tonight as he's working in the storm tonight.

I wouldn't have batted an eye at ordering pizza to be delivered in a storm. Now I really think it should be avoided. And believe me, it's not. They get so busy during storms. When we lived in West Jordan, he even had to drive out to Copperton. If you don't want to drive in it, and you know it's not safe you probably shouldn't ask someone else to drive in it. If your kitchen is anything like mine, you can throw a meal together easily. Another thing is that people (in general) don't seem to tip accordingly. Not that money matters, I would definitely rather just have him home safe. On the subject of tipping, we definitely tip more now. And what's funny is that the lower income area of the two stores he has delivered for tipped higher on average. I wonder if some people don't realize that drivers don't realize a full reimbursement for gas, and maintainance does cost more (oil changes mostly, but we also have to buy tires more often that most people). It's a job though, and one we greatly appreciate. I just hope the storm isn't as bad as the news has said it will be.

For another (better written) piece on treating pizza drivers kindly, go here. NPR used to do this amazing series called This I Believe. I enjoyed listening to the podcast, and they have also put together two books of essays.

TSA and Glenn Beck

2010-11-23T17:58:00.002-07:00

Yes, here comes another political post. It's a first, though, because it's one in which I agree with Glenn Beck. When the news first started coming out about the full body scanners and TSA pat-downs, I thought the fuss was stupid (honestly). I have a friend who just took a trip, however, and if what happened there is going to be the norm, I'm not happy about it. They were doing "random" selections and those people had to go through both the scanner and the pat-down, her husband being one of them. And for the 20 minutes they were in line, my friend said it was every 4th person. Not so random. I don't like either one of them really, but I get that some security has to be in place. I don't like that you apparently don't always have a choice between the two. I think you should have a choice (unless they notice something suspicious and need the other test to help verify).

I don't care as much about the radiation. It's unfortunate, but we are exposed basically all the time. That's just our world now. I don't like that the screens can be saved, but I doubt that there will be an influx of perverts trying to get TSA jobs just to see the full-body scans or do the pat-downs. In fact, I don't like that implication, because these agents are just doing their job, doing what they are told to do.

I guess, then, I don't agree with all of what I've heard Glenn Beck say. I do hope that this policy of people having to do both eventually changes. I think people have the right to choose for themselves what the lesser of the two evils is. I don't travel much, but I would choose the scanner and would be upset if I had to do both.

Harry Potter

2010-11-23T16:25:00.003-07:00

(As long as power doesn't go out, you can expect multiple posts from me as I try to catch up on what's been going on.)

So.... Harry Potter. Was. Amazing! I should have expected it to be, but I didn't. Why?

Well, I had heard about the "nude" scene and I was worried about it. Not appropriate for one, not in the book for two, plus I had heard who it involved and I was just angry about that. It was so not a big deal. I should have known, since it was KSL that was reporting on it. Both Ann (Adam's sister) and I were worried about it until it happened, and for me it actually ruined a really touching scene where Harry and Hermoine dance because I thought it might happen then.

I also wasn't sure I could handle the midnight premiere. I am getting older, you know. I never even came close to dozing off, which I have been known to do before (but never during Harry Potter).

It was so good and I loved so many things about it. As I mentioned, I loved the dancing scene (and will appreciate it even more when I'm not worried about it turning into something else). I loved the animated telling of the tale of the three hallows. I loved the acting, as always. The kids have gotten better with each one and the adults (Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter especially) have always done well.

I cannot wait for the next movie but at the same time I will be so sad when it is all over. I do have introducing Brayden to the wonder that is Harry Potter to look forward to though. And how I will love that. Ann and I have decided that we (Adam's siblings) will all go the Harry Potter theme park when that happens.

Lessons learned...

2010-11-02T17:57:00.007-06:00

just this week alone.

We went to SLC's live broadcast of Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity, and his speech made me realize that I am sometimes part of the problem. It's important to be respectful, even when we have differences. I will admit to not having the best attitude towards pundits like Glenn Beck and their fans. The signs were pretty fun, the music was entertaining, but Stewart's speech was amazing. Please watch it if you haven't already. It all had an effect on me, butit felt like a punch in the gut when he said "If you amplify everything, you hear nothing." I have been guilty of that. I have a lot to learn apparently, as if that wasn't clear already. On a side note, here are some of the signs I liked (from the SLC rally):

The next lesson I've learned is from this new blog (vlog?) I've been watching called Mompetition. It's all about the "mommy wars." Which is admittedly, another trap I've fallen into. The first video is the best. I've learned from this blog that no mom is perfect and that we (for the most part) are all trying our best. I do believe in things like natural birth, breastfeeding, etc but need to remember that my way doesn't work for everybody.

And lastly... don't go watch Life As We Know It on a date with your husband if you are prone to having anxiety about either losing your baby or leaving your baby parentless. Cute romance, but I was crying for half the movie.

Vote

2010-11-02T16:55:00.003-06:00

Make your voice heard. I know the system isn't perfect. I feel strongly that informing yourself (at least about the senate, governorship, president, etc) and voting is a duty as well as a right. If you don't vote, you shouldn't complain.
Now that my spiel is over, how about this cuteness...

Can you believe the difference a year makes?!